Staring at the burning flames in front of him for some reason gave Bara satisfaction. Since childhood, he had always enjoyed watching things burn, almost hypnotized by the dancing red embers before him.
Of course, Bara was no arsonist. He had no desire to set his room on fire shortly after being reincarnated into this world. The reason there was a fire in front of him was to destroy the notes on the paper he had just finished writing. Bara no longer needed them because of his strong memory, which ensured that the content was etched in his mind.
Although the paper was no longer useful to him, if someone else were to read it, it could spell disaster for him. Before deciding to take any action, Bara always collected all the information he knew first and recorded it on paper. He did this to organize his thoughts. Only then did he ask what he didn't know but was not too important to know and what he didn't know but needed to know right away.
But he never expected that Baralyn's knowledge would be so detailed and complex, requiring Bara to spend a lot of time cooped up in his room. Even without Blood Master's memories, Baralyn might still have been a great person in this world. It made Bara feel amazed at himself.
"Even without my reincarnations' memories, I'm still me," Bara whispered with a proud smile.
*BAM!
"Young Master, what are you doing? Why are you burning your room?!" Alex exclaimed as he suddenly entered without permission with an exaggerated voice.
Bara wasn't surprised by Alex's arrival; in fact, he had been expecting him. He knew that his room was filled with many surveillance devices, whether hidden cameras, audio recorders, or temperature detectors. This spacious and beautiful room had become a high-security prison, imprisoning someone who had a secret so crucial to the world.
It wasn't easy for Bara to figure out where all the surveillance devices were placed. Still, with Baralyn's knowledge, he could detect some of the items Alex had placed in his room. Although he wanted to get rid of them, Alex always prevented him, saying that these objects could beautify his room. One of them was a teddy bear currently facing the room's ceiling, with a small camera recording in its eyes.
"Alex, since when have you become so impolite, entering my room without knocking?" Bara said with a calm tone.
Alex froze in place for a few seconds before exclaiming, "What are you saying, Young Master? That's not important; quickly put out the fire in your room! What are you actually doing?" He had a rebuke in his tone as he arrogantly entered the room, heading towards where Bara was burning his papers. There was a glint of curiosity in his eyes, clearly showing that he was suspicious that Bara might be hiding something in the burning papers.
But before Alex could proceed further...
*BAM!
Bara slammed his table with force, gazing intensely at Alex. The aura around him grew colder, and the words from his mouth were just as icy. "Alex! Since when do you dare to speak in that tone in front of me? Don't you realize who you are and who I am? Have you forgotten the difference in our positions?"
The pause grew longer between them as Bara's cold eyes stared into Alex's startled ones. It wasn't long before Alex found himself unable to keep calm or angry as the air in the room grew colder and more tense.
"Ah... I'm sorry, Young Master. I was just worried because smoke was coming out from your room," he quickly replied.
Bara wanted to smile upon hearing the absurd excuse that Alex provided. He had only burned a few pieces of scrap paper, and although it created some smoke, it would have been impossible for someone outside the room to see it. Furthermore, the room was equipped with an air purifying system that would quickly clear the smoke and refresh the air.
"Whatever I do in my room is none of your business! Since when do I have to report everything I do to you? Have you forgotten your place as a servant?" Bara said coldly.
"But..."
"Moreover, do you think a regular fire could burn a room in this mansion?" Bara continued without waiting for Alex to come up with another excuse.
"N-No, Young Master. All of the Mahendra Family's mansions are equipped with fire-resistant materials, so it would be impossible for ordinary fire to burn them," Alex replied, keeping his head down.
"If you realize this, then on what basis did you enter my room without asking for permission first? Do you not have manners? Or do you not consider me your master anymore?" Bara continued, narrowing his eyes.
"NO! Young Master, I never thought like that!" Alex replied quickly, his body beginning to shiver unknowingly. The overwhelming aura of a Blood Master was too much for this servant to handle.
"Good! I'll forgive your rudeness this time. But I must tell you not to be disrespectful to me again!" Bara said.
"Y-yes, Young Master!" Alex nodded quickly.
Bara returned to his normal self, and Alex, who had been scared moments earlier, seemed to snap out of his fear. He was puzzled about why he had suddenly felt afraid of the seven-year-old in front of him.
However, before Alex could collect his thoughts, Bara opened his mouth.
"Is dinner ready?" he asked.
"Ah? Eh... Yes, Young Master. But no one has come to the dining room yet," Alex replied.
"In that case, help me get ready. I didn't come for breakfast, so it's only fair that I arrive first for dinner," Bara said without waiting for Alex's response and walked toward his dressing room.
"Y-yes," Alex nodded and followed Bara to the dressing room, still filled with confusion.
Looking at Alex, who was hurriedly changing his clothes with a bewildered expression, Bara smiled triumphantly. The reason he suddenly acted that way toward Alex was something he didn't need to dwell on.
It wasn't because he wanted to get rid of Alex, nor was it to show something to Amara. He was tormenting Alex because he simply didn't like him. And that was it.
After a full day of contemplation, Bara discovered something that left him stunned. He wasn't a careless person; everything he did was a well-thought-out strategy. He was always cautious in his steps because he knew that it could lead to his downfall. The heavy burden of being an Adherent made him feel obligated to Terra, whom he had always regarded as his mother.
However, why did he have to behave the same way as in his previous reincarnation this time?
There was a significant difference between his current reincarnation and the previous one. This difference could be summed up in one sentence: "How society views men in the current reincarnation is different from the previous one!"
In his previous reincarnation, a man was seen as the master of all things. They were expected to be strong and capable of solving problems on their own. Even asking for help from others was sometimes viewed as unmanly. A man's world was tough, and he was only valued once he had achieved something in life.
In his previous reincarnation, the world's perspective on men could be described as follows: "If one man can do what ten men can do, why do we need the other nine?" Men were seen as a dangerous commodity, so in every war, commanders would order to kill them all. This is why, despite their essential roles, the scarcity of men was not something to be concerned about.
But in this world, men had a different value. They were no longer viewed as "One or two is okay, but more than that is a no-no." Instead, they were seen as "the more, the better." Men no longer had to work hard to earn value; they simply needed to be born and grow up to be appreciated. Having male servants in the house was considered a social status, and the more handsome a man was, the higher his value in society.
This is why even if a man in this world was born into a poor, low-status family, he would still have value if he had a slightly above-average face. He could become a nobleman's concubine or a rich woman's lover. When born into a high-status social family, his value would double. He could become the concubine of a queen or a famous noblewoman. When combined with intelligence, power, or wealth, his value not only increased but multiplied, to the point where some women would worship him as a deity.
So, what was the value of Baralyn Rajendra Chandra Mahendra?
Appearance: World-Breaking Handsomeness.
Wealth: Sarala Mahendra's Grandson.
Strength: The Owner of the Golden Tiger Body.
Score: Absolute Perfection.
With such high value, Bara no longer needed to worry about making the wrong move. What was the worst that could happen to him? Being killed? There was no woman who still possessed enough sanity to kill him. With a face as handsome as his, the first thought that would come to a woman's mind when she saw him wasn't killing him but rather taking him to bed.
Bara imagined having to kill a woman with World-Breaking Beauty. If he did have to kill her, then he would "take care of her" to the death. Yes... Bara was quite certain that all the men in his old world would think the same way. If, for some reason, he did kill her without "taking care of her" first, then that woman was just a beauty, not a World-Breaking Beauty.
So, the worst thing that could happen to him was losing his virginity. However, that was highly unlikely. Why? Because he was someone with Main Hero(in?) Fate. No one could claim the virginity of a heroine except for an Adherent!!!
And what if he caused a problem so massive it could destroy the world? Well... Isn't that the function of an Adherent? Those degenerate creatures who only thought with their... desires... would gladly try to solve every problem he created just because they could earn his favor afterward.
And if there was an Adherent who refused his request, Bara would just tilt his head, wink, tap his temple, and say, "Tehee!"
Why was Bara so sure about this? It was because he had experienced and witnessed firsthand just how degenerate an Adherent could be. And what if there was an Adherent with qualities like a Blood Master? Bara didn't need to worry because even Blood Master had his weaknesses.
He vividly remembered how his first and only wife used to control him. She wasn't a woman with World-Breaking Beauty, had an unclear background, and wasn't physically strong. Yet, she could control a young Blood Master as if it were child's play.
Even though he was very young and had no experience with women at that time, Bara wasn't sure if he could escape his wife's manipulation even now. Maybe because she was the one who held his heart, Blood Master had no interest in loving other women he met on his journey after her. Because of that experience, she had left a deep mark on him, and Blood Master had always analyzed his wife's behavior, to the point where he could now mimic at least 50% of her ability to manipulate man.
And if his analysis of women's traits in this world was correct, he had a 99% chance of manipulating them. So, the answer to his earlier question was, "In this world, Baralyn Rajendra Chandra Mahendra can act recklessly as he pleases!"
He no longer needed to strategize day and night. He could just kick back, relax, and wait for the battle against the main boss to begin. Bara could live peacefully in this world without employing a single brain cell and enjoy fights against powerful foes without any disturbances.
'Terra, My Lovely Mother, if what I've concluded is true, then let me shout my love for you as loudly as I can in my heart! I LOVE YOUUU!!!'
"Y-Young Master, what do you think?" Alex asked hesitantly.
"Hmm?"