The morning breeze drifted lazily through the open window, cool and slightly mischievous as it played with the curtains.
"Woke up, Aeris. You have to finish your breakfast and need a bath," Elisia said in her usual soft tone while tidying his room.
Aeris opened his eyes, kicked the blanket aside, and sat up. His tall frame well-defined muscle stretched out, long black hair messy and blue eyes still heavy with sleep. He stood up slowly, yawning.
"Good Morning, Elisia," he muttered sleepily, stretching his arms high.
Elisia put her hands on her hips, the motion pulling her maid outfit tighter across her huge breasts. "Today you turn eighteen. Congratulations," she said, stepping closer and patting his firm chest.
Aeris's eyes widened, then a big, cocky grin spread across his face. "Hell yeah! I'm an adult now!" He started jumping around the room like an excited idiot before planting himself in front of the mirror. "I'm looking very handsome and very tall with these muscles, right?" he asked, proudly touching his own face.
Elisia looked him up and down with a soft but amused gaze. "Your height is almost 180 centimetres and yes, you are very handsome," she replied, rising onto her toes just to emphasise how much taller he was now.
Aeris dramatically collapsed onto the floor with a confident smirk. "I'm really happy."
Elisia crossed her arms under her massive chest, pushing them up noticeably in that tight uniform. "That's enough happiness. Now go downstairs and eat your breakfast, Lucky Boy," she said, turning back to cleaning the room.
Aeris nodded and headed downstairs.
"Good Morning, Aeris," Liora greeted with a soft smile. "Congratulations on becoming an adult."
Aeris grabbed an apple, took a loud bite, and dropped into a chair. "I'm really very happy," he said, still buzzing with energy.
Jace leaned back with a confident, slightly perverted smile. "That's right. I was also happy when I became an adult… but I'm way more excited for that party happening tonight."
Aeris looked at him, confused. "What do you mean by party?"
Liora shot Jace a sharp, dangerous glare before smiling sweetly at Aeris. "We just organised a small party for your eighteenth birthday, that's all."
Elisia came downstairs carrying the mop. "I cleaned your room, Aeris," she said casually.
Liora placed a hand on Aeris's shoulder and looked him straight in the eyes. "Aeris, we want you to call us by our names from now on."
Aeris blinked. "By names?"
Jace nodded, still grinning. "That's right. You're eighteen now. Liora is twenty-three, I'm twenty-five. We've only raised you for five years, and honestly, you're more like a best friend than anything else. So drop the formal shit and call us normally."
Aeris stared at them for a moment, memories of his cold previous life flashing through his mind. He smiled and put an arm around each of their shoulders. "Of course, Liora and Jace."
Liora hugged him back. Elisia smiled softly and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "That's a very beautiful moment," she whispered.
That night, the village hall was packed.
Music played, people talked loudly, and wine flowed freely. The warm lantern light gave everything a rich, cinematic glow.
Jace slid up next to Aeris with a big, shameless grin, eyes scanning the crowd of women. "What do you think, Aeris? All the women here tonight are very beautiful, aren't they?"
Aeris rolled his eyes and took another sip of his wine. "What the hell do you mean, Jace? You know damn well if Liora hears you talking like that, she's going to kick your ass out of the house."
Jace waved his hand dismissively and stood up with exaggerated bravery, chest puffed out like a peacock. "I am a real man, Aeris," he declared, holding his cup of wine like a sword. "You know how a real man looks like — they don't get scared of anything. These things can't distract them."
Aeris looked up at him with a completely deadpan expression, then pointed lazily toward the corner. "See? A woman is looking at you right now."
Jace's head snapped around greedily, eyes wide like a starving wolf. "Where? Where is she? Tell me!"
Aeris kept the same flat, deadpan stare. "Now I understand how a real man looks like."
Jace froze mid-search, slowly looked down at Aeris, and sat back down with a defeated huff. "You shouldn't play with my emotions like this, Aeris," he muttered, taking a long sip of his wine to hide his embarrassment.
Aeris let his gaze drift across the hall, scanning the beautiful women in their evening dresses. This world's women are on another level compared to the old one, he thought, a huge, shameless grin spreading across his face. Maybe I actually have a chance here… some of them could end up as my girlfriends.
Jace noticed his expression and raised an eyebrow. "What the hell happened to him?" he asked, half-confused, half-amused.
Just then, Liora stepped out of her room wearing a sleek black prom dress that clung tightly to her curvaceous body, accentuating every generous curve. The fabric hugged her figure in a way that was impossible to ignore.
Aeris leaned toward Jace and whispered, "Liora is looking amazing…" He let out a heavy sigh. "Amazing that this isn't my blood-related family."
Right behind her, Elisia emerged in a black slit dress that gripped her voluptuous body like a second skin. With every step, her thick, milky thighs flashed teasingly through the high slit.
"It looks like this dress suits me well," Liora said with a soft smile, glancing down at herself.
Elisia nodded, smoothing her hands over her own dress. "My dress also fits perfectly," she replied calmly, walking toward the sofa with slow, deliberate steps that made the fabric shift against her body.
Both women walked over and settled onto the sofa with effortless grace. Liora leaned back comfortably, the tight black prom dress stretching across her full breasts and curvaceous hips.
"You're looking very handsome in that outfit tonight, Aeris," she said sweetly, her eyes lingering on him a second longer than necessary.
Elisia glanced around the lively hall before turning back to the group. "It's good to see everyone enjoying themselves. Maybe this will help strengthen our relations with the other village masters," she said, a note of real hope in her voice.
Jace nodded, scanning the crowd. "That's right. If we play this correctly, it might improve our village's situation too," he added with a calm but serious sigh.
Aeris tilted his head, looking genuinely confused. "What do you mean by 'situation'?"
Jace's expression grew heavier as he gripped his wine glass tighter. "Many villages are getting attacked by monsters lately. Some are developing fast and getting stronger, but ours is falling behind. If things keep going like this… we might become the next target."
Aeris looked at him for a moment, then stood up with a confident smirk. "Then why don't I help? We can make our village better together."
Liora looked up at him, a sweet but genuine smile forming. "You're very intelligent, Aeris. We're with you on anything."
Elisia nodded firmly, her tone serious. "That's right. We can do this together."
Jace stood up and gave Aeris a strong, energetic pat on the back. "Let's do it together, Aeris," he said with a wide, determined grin.
A tall, handsome young man with sharp features and an arrogant stride walked toward their group. He sat down beside Aeris with casual confidence, flashing a polished smile.
"Hello. I am Astin Blackheart, from the Blackheart family," he said smoothly.
Jace studied him with a calm, measuring gaze. "Blackheart family? So you're from that northern village — the one developing ridiculously fast and known for being one of the strongest, right?"
Astin leaned back and crossed his arms proudly. "That's correct. I am the great Astin Blackheart — master of Blackheart Village. The only village with the most powerful people and the fastest development in the region," he declared, voice dripping with self-importance.
Liora offered a soft smile. "That's amazing, Astin. You're handling an entire village at such a young age. You must be very intelligent."
Elisia adjusted her glasses, nodding seriously. "It's a big achievement for someone who only recently became an adult — managing a village, keeping it developing, and protecting it from monsters. Impressive."
Aeris took a slow sip of his wine, completely unfazed.
Astin glanced at him, his smile turning slightly sharp. "You don't look very happy to see me here."
Aeris set his glass down calmly. "You're just another human. Nothing new to see. There are plenty of village masters around here."
Astin's eyes narrowed with a hint of aggression before he forced another calm smile. "You're quite wise… but do you really think it's smart to ignore a great man like me?"
Aeris met his gaze evenly, then placed his empty glass on the table. "Your village is surrounded by four others on all sides, with only a small forest nearby. Monsters have almost no direct path to reach you — they have to go through the other villages first. That's why you save so much money on defense. Your so-called 'great development' is mostly thanks to the natural protection those other villages unknowingly provide."
Astin stared at him for a moment, then gave a small, composed nod. "You're right. But I'm simply using the situation to benefit my village. Isn't that what everyone does? Besides, I help protect those four villages too, so monster attacks in the area have decreased."
Liora clapped her hands energetically. "You're really amazing, Astin! You're a great village master. You're doing wonderful work."
Elisia nodded, looking impressed. "You're using the situation perfectly. That's quite clever — and effective."
Jace grinned and raised his wine glass. "Why don't you stay here for a few days? You could help us with our village's development. Maybe we can work together."
Astin smiled arrogantly, clearly pleased. "I'd be glad to help."
Aeris stared down at his empty glass, a calm but determined look in his eyes. I have to do something for this village, he thought, the corners of his mouth lifting into a small, quiet smile.
The lantern light flickered across the group, the cheerful noise of the party continuing around them. But beneath the celebration, new tensions and ambitions had begun to stir.