Realization

"Might I ask why the master would task someone like me who excels at taking lives with the protection of a life?"

Markus had a voice that was cold as if it was frozen and seemingly reverberating from the ground.

The master looked up at Markus's eyes which seemed to have a soulless bleak look to it, the blood red pupils which seems to see through his very nature.

Although Friendrich seemed calm Markus could tell that even he was slightly shaken by Markus's visage, as he was trained excessively in the arts of psychology, mood reading, pulse reading, interrogation and more so even someone as elusive as Friendrich couldn't escape Markus's discerning

With bags under his eyes and Sighing tiredly, the master relented to Markus's questioning.

"Usually I would question why a mere subject has the audacity to question my intentions, but since you're the "queen" on my chessboard I'll make an exception this once and grant knowledge upon your foolish self, you should be honoured"

Acting arrogant, Friendrich began to explain while stroking his beard.

"As you know I am one of the few existences task with the heavy burden of being the many pillars of "Executor" and as such I have been blessed with the gift of the prophesier skill and through those visions I have been given the revelation that the young lady of the Rosewood house will be quite the nuisance in the future that I have been shown, however unlike other people that I have foreseen, this one might turn out to be immensely useful if given the right..."help""

Friendrich explained (bragged) in a high and mighty tone.

"Figures..."

Markus whispered in a low voice so that Friendrich couldn't hear.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, sir"

(The master is highly dependent on his visions when giving orders after all..)

"Might I ask the name of the person who I will be protecting?"

If Markus could still feel emotions he would be using the word "protecting" in a very sarcastic way as he knew that the master really meant:"supervise and eliminate her when necessary".

"Sophia Darwyn Bella Rosewood, the first and only daughter of marquis Alterra Darwyn Rosewood, she should be exactly your age, the ideal pretence we will use to infiltrate into the Rosewood house is to have you recommended into the Rosewood house as the young lady's exclusive knight and butler under the guise of apprenticeship but as with most missions, you are free to choose your approach and improvise as you see fit as long as you complete the mission"

The master explained the details of the operation.

Unlike most other subjects of the experiment, Markus alone had the exclusive right to complete any mission he is given in whatever method he sees fit and he also doesn't need a supervisor to check on his process this is not only thanks to his almost 100% success rate but a nod to his abnormally high aptitude when compared to other subjects.

"I have no objections"

Analysing the situation from an objective point of view Markus concluded that this approach will save him more than half the time, effort and due process he would have to take normally.

(Wait a minute, Sophia...Sophia Rosewood, that name sounds familiar...haven't I met her somewhere before?)

Suddenly a wave of nostalgia hit the back of Markus's head which should be impossible since he physically can't feel those things.

"Good, then from now on your name will be Markus Silver...."

Still listening to the Master Markus tried to eliminate those unnecessary thoughts that just popped out of nowhere in his head, like how he always did but for some reason this time, the thoughts didn't go away as if the exforia drug had no effect on them...it was like those thoughts were coming from something or *someone* else.

"You will be the heir to the knight house of "Silver" and the only surviving son of Aidan Silver and he will be the one to recommend you as an apprentice personal knight of lady Sophia of house Rosewoo..."

Markus was slowly losing interest in the Master's words as those thoughts that seemed to come from someone else slowly consumed his mind as he lost all resistance, it was much like an itch that he just had to scratch but couldn't.

(Sophia Rosewood...isn't that the name of one of the main protagonists of the game "fires of Valentia"? Also where the h*ll am I? I remember I was having a party to celebrate my graduation from university at Haruki senpai's house, how did I get here?)

(Wait? First of all what's going on? And that old man in front of me, he kinda looks like that one optional boss in the first instalment of the "fires of Valentia" series, what was his name? Friendrich Borrs I think...did I wake up at a "fires of Valentia convention? If so that cosplay is really detailed)

Kazuki Amargiri, recent university graduate who just had his PhD in CAD and hardcore gamer (his favourite title) just woke up and found himself in this strange situation.

"We've had Aidan Silver under our mind control as an unknowing double agent of ours in the empire for a long time now and today we will finally have an excuse to use him"

(Ugh...can this dude shut up!? My head hurts, is he just repeating the same lines Friendrich had in the Markus DLC of the first game? Also why do I feel shorter for some reason?)

Kazuki tried to look around or grab something, anything that could give him an explanation for what the fvck's going on but when he tried to, he realised that he couldn't move his body as if he was not the one in control...at least not yet.

"So he will easily accept me as his son?"

Suddenly a voice said seemingly coming out of Kazuki's mouth.

(What the mother Therese on the hood of a Mercedes Benz? Where did that voice come from? Wait a minute...wasn't that the voice of Markus Silver? One of the most recurring boss/antagonist of the franchise and a fan favorite?)

Since Kazuki was an avid fan of the "fires of Valentia" series so much so that he even did a no HP lost hard mode speed run challenge on all three installments, he could remember things such as the voices of every character in the game like it was carved into his skull.

(Did Markus's voice just come from my mouth? Have I been put into a Markus Silver cosplay with a voice changer while I was asleep? Nonono...even I am not dumb enough to believe something like that, after all nothing in life can be THAT good)

Calming himself down, Kazuki was trying his hardest to analyze the situation calmly and not freak out.

(Since I can't move my body, let's use this time to take it back from the beginning shall we? I was at my best friend Haruki's house to celebrate my graduation from university...I remember eating, drinking and dancing a lot, what else? Oh yeah I remember having my first taste of alcohol and...)

Suddenly at this part Kazuki realized something.

(I got high...okay, gotta admit that was not my proudest moment, oh...I get it now, I must be in the middle of an acid trip, that's why...hehe, so this must be some kind of drug induced vivid dream huh? Gotta say I never thought that I'd love that game so much to the point of dreaming about it)

"Basically yes, from his point of view you will be his prodigal illegimate son that recently returned from living and studying your whole life abroad"

"Well that's makes things easy"

"It's convenient I know, but don't get used to it the more you rely on momentary conveniences the more you'll give in to negligence and negligence is the destroyer of success"

"...I'll keep that in mind"