"What the hell? Is it so easy!!!"
Bara quickened his pace, almost to the point of running. He wanted to get away from Anika as soon as possible. This time he had come perilously close to veering off course. His encounter with Anika threatened to crush all the plans he had carefully crafted throughout the day.
All of this because...
'Too easy!'
His back felt burning as Anika continued to stare at him, sharp and focused, as if she were trying to burn a hole through it. Bara felt like a small animal being hunted, and his frozen fake smile did nothing to hide it.
He needed time and a place to contemplate. "Know yourself and know your enemies" was the simplest way to win any battle. But it seemed Bara had been too arrogant, thinking that with his knowledge as a Blood Master and as Baralyn, he could understand everything.
Luckily, his mistake with Anika wouldn't have a huge impact. However, Alex, who had witnessed the conversation between Bara and Anika, would likely report it to Amara. Bara couldn't predict Amara's response, but even though he wasn't afraid, he didn't want anything to happen beyond his control.
'Fuck! It's all because it was too easy!!!'
He never expected it to be this easy to make women in this world fall head over heels. Or maybe it was only Anika who was affected this way. It could be because she was still a teenager with heightened hormones, making her easily sexually aroused. But Alex's reaction just now indicated that the mistake wasn't on Anika's part; it was Bara who had been too brash with his advances.
"Y-Young master..."
They arrived in front of the dining room door. This door was also equipped with protective film, and two female guards stood in front of it. Their role wasn't to ensure security but to convey messages to those inside the dining room.
Bara wanted to ask the two guards directly whether anyone had entered the dining room yet. He needed a moment to collect himself and come up with a new plan to avoid any further missteps. So, if someone was already in the dining room, it would disrupt his concentration.
But before he could open his mouth, Bara was reminded of the recent incident. His mouth froze, and he locked eyes with the two guards in front of him. Their expressions were filled with excitement and fascination, and their gazes remained fixed on his exposed chest.
Bara swallowed hard. He had nearly made the same mistake again. "Alex, ask them if anyone has arrived yet," Bara ordered without even turning towards the two guards. This time, he was icy cold, as if the opportunity to converse with him was too precious for those two guards.
"Yes, Young master," Alex nodded and then strode forward to face the two guards, puffing out his chest like a peacock displaying its feathers in front of a group of hens.
"Hey, you two! Is there any family in the dining room yet?" Alex asked haughtily.
"Report to Young Master! Currently, no one has arrived in the dining room, but some appetizers are prepared, and the servants are ready, awaiting orders inside," the guard on the left said, bowing her head.
The other guard also bowed her head, unable to make direct eye contact with Alex. Occasionally, they glanced toward Bara with faces quickly reddening. Perhaps they didn't anticipate that Bara would notice their behavior.
There was a feeling in Bara's heart that his appearance would become a memory and a source of desire for them to masturbate later in the night. He couldn't just shake off that feeling; he had lived in the previous world for too long and met many people, allowing him to accurately guess what they were thinking.
'What the hell? Just like that?'
Both guards before him had beautiful faces and rather seductive bodies. Bara could discern, beneath their thick guard uniforms, bodies with perfect curves like a violin. If they lived in the old world, these two high-value women would undoubtedly be sought after by many nobles to become their concubines. If they worked in a brothel, their hourly rate could buy a warhorse.
But in this world, merely showing his face would make these two highly valued women shed tears and worship their ancestors. There was a good chance that if Bara weren't a Mahendra, these two guards would lead him to a secluded, dark place to satisfy their desires.
Alex repeated the words of the two guards as if their voices were too soft for Bara to hear on his own. However, there was no sign of objection on the faces of the two guards, as if Bara's ears were too high up to be sullied by their voices.
"Hmm... Thank—" Bara began to thank Alex but quickly stopped himself. If he thanked Alex, his tone would soften slightly, likely changing the expressions of the two guards in front of him.
Bara couldn't handle the confusion filling his mind any longer. He walked past the two guards who were still bowing their heads and entered the dining room.
"I will wait for you here after dinner, Young Master," Alex said, bowing his head before his image vanished with the closing dining room door.
Bara paid no heed to Alex's words as he walked toward a long, rectangular table made of a glassy, luminescent material, that appeared to float above the floor. This splendid table was situated in the center of the room, equipped with technology to adjust its size and shape to accommodate various seating arrangements, whether for a small family dinner or a grand gala.
Surrounding the dining table were high-tech ergonomic chairs, providing comfort to anyone who sat on them. These chairs were also equipped with magical features that facilitated food digestion, ensuring that no matter how much one ate, one wouldn't feel bloated while seated on them.
With familiar steps, Bara took a seat in the leftmost chair of the main seats. The main seat, of course, was reserved for Sarala, and the chair Bara was sitting in had belonged to his suddenly vanished grandfather.
The seating arrangement was something that had slipped Bara's mind earlier, primarily because young Baralyn couldn't comprehend the significance of sitting next to someone like Sarala.
It was only after the mistake he made when meeting Anika that Bara began to realize how naive he had been. The chair he occupied now was evidence of Sarala's strong desire to have him all to herself.
Deep in thought, Bara gazed at the beautiful snowy landscape in front of him. The dining room's ceiling displayed the appearance of an aurora, a natural phenomenon that typically occurs at the poles. However, this was not a genuine sight; the room was equipped with interactive digital art displays that adjusted to the mood or theme of the meal. Coincidentally, the current theme for their dinner was an artic.
Several shallow breaths were heard around him, but Bara didn't turn to look. These were the servants who had been preparing the room for dinner for several hours. Now, they were here, ready to receive any orders from their master.
Bara turned slightly to observe that all the servants were handsome young men. They wore thick skirts with lace at the hem, and their tops were made of soft black fabric. Each of them had a slim yet muscular physique beneath their servant attire.
The fact that these servants were male was another detail that had escaped Bara's notice. He had heard from Priya that before his birth, Karambit Palace had a few female servants. However, Sarala dismissed them and replaced them with male servants.
'I'm in a more messed up situation than I had imagined, I suppose,' Bara whispered to himself.
"Young—"
"I don't wish to be disturbed right now; no one should speak or make any noise. If someone arrives, inform me beforehand!" Bara interjected, cutting off the daring servant who had just attempted to address him.
"Yes, Young Master!" The servant immediately lowered his head and returned to his place, becoming as silent as the other servants.
'So, where should I start?' Bara asked himself.
The main problem was his flawed perspective. He was not just an incredibly handsome man, but a remarkably attractive man in a female-dominated world. In this world, he had transitioned from being a predator to becoming the prey.
A prey so enticing that it sent a seductive aroma wafting for thousands of miles around. Consequently, if he ever lowered his defenses even a bit, thousands of ravenous predators would eagerly tear him apart. Anika, whom Bara had considered innocent, was a prime example. Despite her young age, she remained a predator, with an instinct to consume Bara when the opportunity arose.
At present, Bara no longer needed to offer anything to women to draw them closer. He simply had to stand in an open space, allowing these predators to approach as they detected his scent in the air.
He had indeed been wrong when he attempted to send signals to Anika. Fortunately, the young girl had retained her innocence, refraining from an immediate assault. If she had attacked, even if Bara emerged unscathed, rumors about him would have swiftly circulated the entire planet in one night.
What's worse, if those rumors reached Sarala, she might see it as proof that Bara had left the door open to any woman's advances. The mere thought of Sarala unexpectedly entering his room at night and taking advantage of him sent shivers down Bara's spine.
Although his virginity was guaranteed, thanks to the Hero(ine?) Fate he possessed, there was more than one way to satisfy sexual desires. While men have only one "member", women can engage in various activities with him. As a Blood Master, he possessed comprehensive experience from his adventures in numerous brothels.
In a past life, a heroine had told the Blood Master that being a woman was akin to carrying a bag of gold in her chest. She never knew who might come to take it away, leaving her with nothing.
Bara swallowed hard. For some reason, he could now empathize with the women he had previously disliked. Those who behaved coldly were merely trying to protect themselves from harm. They closed off their hearts, distrusting anyone and viewing every man who approached as a wolf looking to prey on them.
Those who appeared promiscuous were, in reality, like hedgehogs with their protective spines, intimidating men by portraying themselves as dangerous, even if they were afraid of being preyed upon.
Those who were materialistic simply wanted to receive the best compensation for what they had to offer. Fed up with being manipulated, they placed a price tag on themselves as a form of self-preservation. At the very least, if they had to part with their "bag of gold," they deserved fair compensation for it.
"Then, so what?"
It's easy if he let it go and becomes the real slut.
However, having too much knowledge about Fate status was a double-edged sword. As a heroine, he wouldn't lose his virginity, but this was inversely related to his own situation. Every heroine remained a virgin until an Adherent conquered her. This meant that if she were not a virgin, she wouldn't be a heroine.
Losing his virginity would also result in his losing Hero(ine?) status. Unfortunately, if he remained as Baralyn, this wouldn't be a problem. But he was Bara, a man with a desire to explore the "Valleys".
Hearing Anika emit a chuffing sound made Bara's member stiffen. He feared losing control and indulging in being preyed upon by these predators.
"Does this mean I have to be cautious again, as in the past?"
NO!
"This is my chance to relax after working hard as an Adherent!"
The only way to avoid being devoured by the wolves was to find a strong dog. Bara had to meet an Adherent as soon as possible, and he was sure they would meet soon, even if he didn't want it.
"Young Master, Mistress Devi and Master Prata have arrived," said a servant who had earlier tried to engage him in conversation.
"Hmm," Bara nodded and adjusted his seating position.
Shortly after, two tiger beasts entered the dining room. They were Bara's parents, Devi Mahendra and Prata Rajendra Mahendra.