"Master Braxis, wait!" A distant voice called out, but Braxis paid it no mind, his naked body exposed to the world. He hastened around a corner, only to find himself facing a cluster of servants.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the debauched, drug-addled hedonist, Master Braxis," one of the servants sneered, his eyes widening in shock.
"What's the meaning of this?" Braxis demanded, fruitlessly attempting to cover his exposed manhood.
"What's going on?" A male servant stepped forward, brandishing a shortsword he had pulled from the bag at his waist. "We're here to 'take care' of you, of course."
"I'm afraid I have more pressing matters to attend to. My father has ordered me to a meeting. Can your bizarre assassination attempt wait?" Braxis inquired, exasperated.
"Ha! You're quite the comedian, aren't you? Let's see if you're still laughing when I slit your throat," the servant spat with contempt.
"Very intimidating," Braxis replied, rolling his eyes. "But what's your motivation for wanting me dead?"
"Motivation?" The man's face twisted with disgust. "You spend your days in carnal debauchery with your servants, wallowing in narcotics, weak and impotent. And worst of all, you defile yourself with elven filth!"
Braxis sighed. "While that lifestyle sounds almost idyllic, I can assure you I'm not indulging in any of those activities."
"Sure," the servants scoffed in unison, advancing menacingly toward him.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" A booming voice interrupted their approach.
The servants scattered like frightened rats, if they were caught in an act such as this, it wouldn't be just their lives to end, but all of their family members.
Braxis turned to see Tenzent standing behind him, his expression a mix of concern and fury.
"Eldest Brother, your help is appreciated," Braxis said, his confusion evident.
Tenzent waved him off. "Just go prepare for the meeting. I this is the only time I'll be here to cover for you, for father's sake.." He gestured dismissively, urging Braxis to leave.
Acknowledging Tenzent's advice, Braxis hurried back to his room and got dressed in a flash. A knock interrupted his thoughts. "Master Braxis, Emperor Gravis requests your presence at the meeting ahead of everyone else," the servant girl relayed, then scuttled away.
Feeling a shiver of fear at the mention of Gravis, Braxis exited his room and hastened towards the meeting. 'Where on earth is this damned meeting place?' Braxis muttered, feeling lost as he circled the palace.
Spotting a servant girl nearby, Braxis seized her arm. "Can you direct me to the family's central meeting place?" he asked, anxiety etched on his face.
The servant girl stared at him in disbelief before responding, "Please follow me." She took Braxis's hand and led him to a wall he could walk through. "Straight ahead, you'll find a large wooden door. And by the way, if this was supposed to be a joke, it's a poor one. You've lived here your entire life; you should know the way," she said, walking away with a sour expression.
{Main-Line Quest - These choices will impact the world...
Attend the family meeting [Reward] ~ +10 Reputation
Take over the family meeting while Gravis is talking [Reward] ~ +1000 Reputation
Ruin Dante's reputation during the family meeting [Reward] ~ +50 Reputation
Skip the family meeting [Consequence] ~ -50,000 Reputation
Current Reputation: -450/25000 [Infamous Scoundrel]
Braxis hastily fished a coin from his pocket, the one he'd grabbed from his drawer when giving Juliane some money. "Heads, I pick choice two. Tails, I pick choice three."
The coin slipped from his grasp, disappearing through the wall. Braxis followed it, stumbling into Dante. "What the devil are you doing here so early?" Dante snapped, maintaining a cautious distance.
As Dante spoke, he spotted a spider crawling on the ground, inching closer to the misplaced coin.
"Spider!" Dante yelped, leaping away like a terrified kitten.
'This guy's been traumatized from Abarak!' Braxis thought as he watched his brother flee to the meeting room.
Spotting a nearby jar, Braxis captured the spider and stowed it in a bag. 'Might come in handy during the meeting...' Picking up the coin, he noted, "Tails.. This spider will serve me well," and headed for the massive wooden door that swung open as he approached.
Upon entering, Braxis found Gravis eyeing him intently, while Dante trembled in a corner. "Braxis, you've managed to instill fear in Dante so quickly. I'm impressed, son," Gravis said.
"I'm not scared! I'm just pretending!" Dante blurted out.
Gravis's gaze turned to disgust. "Dante, your behavior around Braxis is getting stranger. If you keep 'pretending,' you'll no longer be my son. Understand?"
Ruin Dante's reputation during the family meeting [Reward] ~ +50 Reputation
Attend the family meeting [Reward] ~ +10 Reputation
+60 Reputation
Optional: 2. Take over the family meeting while Gravis is talking [Reward] ~ +1000 Reputation
Do you wish to Accept?
'Sure, I guess. I've got lives to spare. But I'll have to wait until everyone's here,' Braxis mused.
ACCEPTED
Warning: Failure of this quest will result in horrific suffering and forfeiture of all revival points.
'Why didn't I get that warning before accepting? Damn this world!' Braxis fumed internally.
"Is everything alright, Braxis?" Gravis inquired, puzzled.
"Sorry, there was a spider, and I wanted to make sure I killed it before it got to Dante."
Dante's Impression: +1
Dante's Impression Progress: -476/300
Gravis simply shook his head, baffled.
Soon, every seat was occupied. All brothers were present, along with two girls and Gravis's wife, resplendent in her elegant dress. 'Must be my other siblings. I hope that's the last of them,' Braxis sighed, remembering past misadventures.
Though his sisters were attractive, Braxis felt a natural aversion, knowing they were blood relatives. He had his limits.
"Now that everyone is here, we can begin. Before addressing the main topic, each of you may share a piece. Starting with you, Vorkath," Gravis directed.
Vorkath cleared his throat gracefully. "I've learned that high elves are reproducing rapidly. We should consider immediate countermeasures, like sterilizing half their population. While on the front lines, I personally culled a significant number in that area."
Gravis grumbled, "Noted, but we'll let the situation develop further before acting. As you know, they make excellent slaves." Vorkath looked crestfallen.
"Next, Levant."
"I request 20 more servants for my bedroom," Levant said, smirking.
"Granted! Your recent work has been exceptional, and this is a fitting reward. But don't push your luck," Gravis warned, as Levant gleefully high-fived himself.
"Next, Dante..." Gravis said, almost dreading his response.
Dante's mind raced. He hadn't accomplished much lately and feared being cast aside. His father's scrutiny was already unsettling. Then, an idea struck him.
"I single-handedly vanquished Abarak!" Dante declared triumphantly, drawing astonished looks from the entire family. Braxis, however, was the most dumbfounded of all.
"Remarkable! Especially at such a young age!" Gravis's wife praised.
'That damn weasel...' Braxis fumed, clenching his sweaty fists, prepared for the worst. 'I don't care if I get killed; I have to see what happens if I try,' he resolved.
"HOLD ON! I–" Braxis started, but Gravis instantly slammed him to the floor with gravity magic. "We'll get to you soon, Braxis. Right now, we're celebrating Dante." Gravis's patience was impressive.
"Next, Tenzent," Gravis said proudly.
"Our assassin training program has progressed smoothly. In fact, Braxis didn't even notice he'd been watched for a month from one of the trainees. In total, I've trained 400 new assassins and five commanders."
"I expected better from you, Tenzent," Gravis chided, shaking his head. "I'll decide your punishment later." Tenzent's heart sank, only for Gravis to burst into laughter. "Tenzent, I'm just teasing. Well done, son."
"Next, Kendra," Gravis said, his eyes betraying boredom.
"I've secured a marriage with the royal family across the kingdom, significantly increasing our family's power," Kendra announced, flicking her dark hair.
"How lovely," Gravis replied, yawning.
"Alright, Petra, let's wrap this up," Gravis urged, utterly disinterested.
"I've dismantled the underground organization 'The Faceless Believers' that ambushed our forces during missions," Petra declared, pride in her voice.
"Excellent work, Petra! I expected something dull like Kendra, but you did well," Gravis praised.
"Gravis! Kendra did well too..." his wife protested, eliciting a nod from Gravis.
"Now, let's conclude so we can discuss the crucial matters. Braxis, you're last because you interrupted Dante. Go ahead."
Before speaking, Braxis immediately pulled the jar from his bag and slid it towards Dante. Seeing the spider inside, Dante yelped and leaped away in terror.
Dante's Impression: -300
Dante's Impression Progress: -776/300
"I alone defeated Abarak after besting Dante and an older opponent, without using any mana. And as for Dante, he wet himself and passed out from terror. The proof? Look at how he reacts to a mere house spider," Braxis announced, feeling the anger dissipate.
"You killed Abarak? Why boast about a feat most 15-year-olds accomplish when you're already 18?" Gravis asked, puzzled.
"Give him a break, dear! He's trying! Remember how he used to be? Besides, that 15-year-old comparison only holds when measured against you," Gravis's wife sighed, squeezing his shoulder.
"Wait, I have more to say," Braxis interjected, striding towards Gravis.
"Alright, Braxis. What's on your mind now?" Gravis inquired patiently.