"I am clearly your son, what are you implying, Father?" Braxis feigned innocence.
Gravis gripped Braxis's throat in his powerful hand, lifting him off the ground. "Don't play dumb. I know someone else has taken control of this body. Tenzent informed me about your miraculous survival from the poisoning," Gravis stated, his face etched with solemnity.
'Do I confess that I'm from another world? Would he even believe me? Does it matter?' Braxis pondered while struggling for breath.
Gravis released his grip on Braxis. "I must admit, I prefer this 'new son.' For now, I won't pry, but be warned: I'm watching closely. If you dare to conspire against the family, I will show no mercy. Is that clear?" Gravis's tone was even and deliberate.
Relieved that he didn't need to concoct an explanation, Braxis responded, "Understood... Father."
"Excellent. I appreciate your compliance and lack of inquiries. You're proving to be wiser than the previous Braxis," Gravis remarked before striding away.
'I need to become stronger if I'm to survive Gravis..' Graxis thought as he left.
Exhausted after a long and arduous day, he retreated to his room for some much-needed rest. The darkness enveloped him as he fumbled into his room and face-planted onto the bed. Adjusting his position, he sighed, "Finally… some peaceful sleep."
"Good night, Master Braxis," a cute feminine voice whispered to his right.
"Good night," he responded, then snapped his eyes open, "Wait, who are you and why are you in my bed?" The darkness obscured any discernible features.
"Let's not worry about that right now. What's important is that I'm here," the voice cooed, moving closer. Without warning, Braxis found himself locked in a passionate kiss, his body responding in kind.
The following morning, Braxis awoke to Julianne's face mere inches from his, her eyes sparkling. "Good morning, Master Braxis," she said, her lips forming a seductive pout.
'Damn, she's irresistible,' Braxis thought, captivated by her transformation from a shy girl to this provocative vixen. He leaned in, their lips melding together into a deep kiss that he could feel throughout his body, his hand gently cradling her cheek. Their eyes met briefly as they broke away from their tender embrace.
Julianne Relationship Status: +10
Julianne Relationship Progress: 28/300
'Is this a normal thing in this world, masters and servants sharing a bed? And does this count as me sleeping with a girl?' Braxis wondered while contemplating breakfast.
"Master Braxis, why didn't you make a move last night? Were you that tired?" Julianne inquired, her innocent face tinged with disappointment as she pouted.
"Wait, you don't mean it's normal for a master and servant to sleep together, do you?" Braxis asked, shocked.
"No… Why would you think that?" Julianne replied, baffled and angry.
"Well, in that case, it's never too late," Braxis said, attempting to seize the moment.
"Nope, it's too late, and you killed the mood," Julianne huffed, swiftly leaving the room.
Julianne Relationship Status: -1
Julianne Relationship Progress: 27/300
"FUCK!" Braxis yelled, slamming his fist onto a sturdy desk, immediately regretting it as pain shot up his arm. He glanced at the mirror, briefly contemplating breaking it to use a shard as a makeshift weapon against himself. But the thought of the dangers ahead convinced him otherwise, as he knew he needed as many lives as possible for the battles to come.
'I don't know if I can return to exactly last night, but it would be so worth it,' Braxis thought, his eyes misting over with regret.
"No, I have to be responsible!" Braxis roared, leaping out of bed, his fist clenched in determination.
"Brother, breakfast is ready, come on!" Levant called, bursting through the door, only to find Braxis completely naked, yelling about responsibility.
"Why, Braxis?!" Levant stammered, making brief eye contact before slamming the door shut, leaving the scene in awkward silence.
Levant's Impression: -1
Levant's Impression Progress: 50/300
'Okay, maybe it would be worth ending it all at this point,' Braxis mused, smashing a mirror with his fist and clutching a shard of glass, but somehow managing to resist the dark temptation.
Braxis quickly dressed and headed to the dining room, still riding high from his intimate encounter with Julianne. As he walked in with his bandaged hand, Levant commented, "Ah, that explains your earlier behavior."
Braxis grumbled, "Let's not dwell on that. What's for breakfast?" He took a seat.
Dante observed Braxis's actions closely, thinking, 'Recently, this damn fool of a brother has become more unpredictable. He won't always be safe..'
"Braxis, have you lost your fucking mind? You're not supposed to be here after the promise you made to Gravis. You should have left for your recon mission hours ago," Tenzent interjected, concerned.
"Huh? But I've already completed the mission in advance," Braxis declared proudly.
"I did some investigating and found no evidence of any recon activities by you. So, as you can imagine, I'm skeptical about your claim. You should be scrambling at the last minute right now," Tenzent countered, taking a big bite of a juicy steak.
"How about you mind your own damn business, Tenzent? I'm the one putting my life on the line, not you. If I say I have the information, then I have it, so back the fuck off," Braxis snapped.
Tenzent Impression: -1
Tenzent Impression Progress: 4/300
Braxis's words caught Tenzent off guard, causing him to choke on his steak.
'What? Since when has he acted this way?' Tenzent pondered, his suspicions growing. 'I need to look into this further.'
"Sure, I'll leave you alone," Tenzent said as he wiped his mouth and got up from the table, exiting the room.
As Tenzent left, two shadows followed after him. Once in a secluded area, he spoke, "Come out, Raven and Fox."
No sooner had the words left his lips than a duo garbed in ebony-hued attire materialized before him, dropping to their knees in a gesture of reverence. One donned a sly fox mask, while the other's visage was concealed by a raven mask, adorned with a hypnotic labyrinth of patterns that seemed to dance and weave with each passing moment.
"I have a task for you two." Tenzent said as he looked with careful consideration.
"Anything you desire, Master Tenzent. We are at your command," One of the figures replied, their voice muffled by the mask they were wearing.