Mushoku Impact

"I'm going to continue summoning until I obtain a 5-Star or reach pity. For now, why don't you join the others?"
Prompted by Paul's suggestion, Xinyan looked past him to who else had joined their merry little band. When she saw Xiangling, her face lit up, but nowhere near as much as when she spotted Zhongli.
"Xiangling! And is that Zhongli? You make a pretty find girl, don'tcha?"
While Xiangling returned a happy smile, answering, "It's good to see you, Xinyan." Zhongli just crossed her arms with an ostensibly smug expression on her face. She wasn't a particularly vain person, but she did agree with Xinyan's assessment; her feminine form was rather appealing.
With Xinyan walking over to join the others, Paul began slotting more gold into the tiny groove above the handprints. Then, once ten Acquaint Fates had manifested, he shouted, "Confirm!" in a voice that drew the attention of all four girls.
Similar to when Xinyan had been summoned, the meteors quickly gained a purple hue to them. This brought an even wider smile to Paul's face, as, thus far, none of his 'rolls' had been duds. He knew this wouldn't always be the case, so he was happy his fortunes were holding up.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone present, the purple meteor split into ten smaller comets before slamming into the center of the platform. Paul's smile was essentially pulling his face when he noticed two purple comets, but the indisputably most excited person present was Xiangling.
"Yaoyao~!"
Without waiting for the petite, chestnut-haired girl standing in the middle of the platform to get her bearings, Xiangling ran over, literally picking her up and spinning her around as she happily exclaimed, "I can't believe you were the one who got summoned! And look, we're nearly the same size~!"
Though she was a little disoriented due to Xiangling's actions, the dainty girl with oversized bells in her hair quickly returned a smile, replying, "It's good to see you, Xiangling." in a markedly calmer tone.
Releasing Yaoyao from her stranglehold, Xiangling gave her good friend and junior disciple a once-over before grabbing her hand, turning to Paul, and saying, "This is Yaoyao. We both apprenticed under the same Master before she went on to become the Attendant of Lady Ganyu. If you don't mind, can I be the one to introduce her to this world?"
Before Paul could answer, it was Yaoyao who exhaled a sigh and said, "Xiangling, while I appreciate your concerns, I am no longer the young girl you used to drag around by the hand. I was the Chief Attendant of Liyue's Emissary. If I could take care of an Adeptus like Lady Ganyu, Master Paul should not be a problem."
Pulling her hand free from Xiangling's, Yaoyao performed a formal curtsy, head lowered in the direction of Paul as she calmly stated, "Yaoyao greets her Master."
Gesturing for Yaoyao to rise, Paul's expression revealed a hint of concern as he said, "Your courtesy is both acknowledged and greatly appreciated. However, I am in agreement with Xiangling on this matter. While I will not forbid you from performing your duties as a Maid, I think it would be best if the two of you spent time together..."
Adopting a pouty expression, Yaoyao explained, "Xiangling is only twenty months older than I am. And back when we were apprenticing under the same Master, it was always me trying to keep her out of trouble..."
Shaking his head, Paul said, "I don't doubt that in the slightest. It's just; I would feel considerably less concerned if you stuck together. Not for you, but both of you."
Exhaling a sigh, Yaoyoa answered, "Very well..." before looking towards the almost bereaved-looking Xiangling and asking, "What's wrong?" in an audibly concerned tone. In response, Xiangling just shook her head and said, "It's nothing important. I was just a little hurt that you didn't want to spend time with me."
"..."
Resisting the urge to exhale yet another sigh, Yaoyao grabbed Xiangling's hand and said, "You know that wasn't my intention, Xiangling. I just don't like being treated as a child."
Though she nodded her head in understanding, Xiangling effectively shot herself in the foot by saying, "But you are a child."
"..."
Willfully ignoring Xiangling's remark, Yaoyao directed a polite nod towards Paul before pulling her 'senior' off to the side. She got the impression that she and Xiangling were in the way, and she didn't want her new Master to think she was incapable of reading the room.
After following the duo with his eyes, Paul returned his gaze to the front. Yaoyao wasn't the only prize he had obtained. A glossy black sword with a red line running down its center could be seen emanating a pale purple light among the seventeen other weapons present. Its guard resembled a dragon's face or some kind of helmet, complete with red eyes that glowed with malicious, bloody light.
Picking up the surprisingly light sword, Paul gave it a few practice swings before remarking, "This is a good blade..."
Supplementing Paul's statement, Zhongli explained, "The Black Sword, a cursed weapon that thirsts for blood and leads even the purest of hearts astray. While it is known to increase the power of attacks and regenerate its user with the blood of his enemies, it is a perilous weapon in the hands of mortals..."
Raising his brows, Paul questioned, "Are you saying this sword can make people evil? That certainly wasn't a feature in the game..."
Refuting Paul's words, Zhongli said, "Good and evil are subjective. While The Black Blade invariably leads its wielder down a path of slaughter, it is the nature of all blades to cut down their enemies. So long as you wield it responsibly, you need not fear The Black Blade's corruption."
Nodding his head in implied understanding, Paul summoned his previous weapon before synching The Black Black with his Vision. As terrifying as the notion of a cursed sword was, a blade that dealt increased damage and healed its user was a tremendous advantage in a situation where his life was on the line.
Once the synchronization process had finished, Paul asked for the girls' help clearing out the other weapons before continuing his Gacha spree. He immediately regretted this when his next four 10-pulls were all misses but soon forgot about them when the fifth meteor turned a vibrant shade of purple.
Though he was initially stoked by the prospect of obtaining a new ally or weapon, Paul became visibly confused when a young girl with dark blue hair and amber eyes appeared wearing a dark-blue Maid outfit appeared. He could tell she was a Hydro(Water) user based on the patterns sewn into her apron and headdress, but he didn't recognize her as a character from Genshin.
Once again, it was Xiangling who broke the silence, asking, "Xingqiu...is that you?" in a tentative tone.
Thought the blue-haired girl nodded in response to Xiangling's question, her attention was focused on Paul as she asked, Are you, perchance, my new Master, Paul Notos Greyrat?"
Seeing Paul nod his head in affirmation, the boyish-looking girl performed a flawless curtsy as she said, "My name is Xingqiu. In my previous world, I was the Second Son of the Feiyun Commerce Guild's Guild Manager. In this world, I am your humble servant. If there is anything you need of me, please do not hesitate to ask."
Realizing that the diminutive girl before him was one of the genderbent characters he had been dreading to summon, Paul responded with a soft, "Right..." before asking, "How do you feel? Any...discomfort...?"
Tilting her head to the side, Xingqiu asked, "I'm afraid I don't understand the reason for Master Paul's concerns. Am I injured somewhere...?"
Giving her body a once-over, Xinqiu quickly realized what Paul was asking about when she noticed the drastic differences in her form. When she did, an uncannily bashful smile developed across her face as she said, "It will undoubtedly take some getting used to, but I had prepared myself for this outcome when I signed the contract. If there is one thing I might request, it's that you wait until I'm a bit older before-"
Before Xingqiu could finish her appeal, she was promptly dragged off to the side by Xiangling and Yaoyao. They didn't know exactly what she was going to request, but it didn't take a virtuoso to surmise it was something lewd.
Though she was more than a little confused by Xiangling's and Yaoyao's actions, Xingqiu didn't resist. She just assumed they were following Paul's orders and allowed herself to be dragged over to where the others were waiting. She attempted to greet Zhongli, Xinyan, and Jean there but was ultimately hindered when Xiangling dragged her further away to whisper something into her ear.
Exhaling a tired sigh, Paul briefly considered praying to the RNG gods that he didn't pull another genderbent character. Unfortunately, even thinking such thoughts drastically increased the odds of such an event happening, a fact Paul was promptly reminded of when the next 10-Pull shifted to a purple hue and impacted the platform.
"Oh? Is it time for the main character to make an appearance...?"
Seeing a petite figure with dark-blue hair, bronzed skin, hazy blue eyes, and an eye patch emerge from within the purple light, Pual's expression became solemn. Even if he was genderbent, Paul immediately recognized the mischievous-looking girl, muttering, "Kaeya..." in a deflated tone.
"Hmmm~?"
Hearing Paul mutter her name, Kaeya gave him a quick once over before looking down and giving her body the same. A curious glimmer promptly appeared in her singular, uncovered eye as she said, "One sec...I need to check something..." before turning around with her back facing Paul and the rest.
Before Paul could ask what Kaeya was up to, his expression became even gloomier when the chocolate girl hiked up the front of her dark-blue Maid outfit, stretched the band of her white hose, and remarked, "Farewell, my brother..." before adding a cheeky, "Helly, little kitty..."
Preventing Kaeya from examining her new form even further, Jean threw her wooden sword so that the pommel impacted the former's head. Kaeya was immediately knocked unconscious by the blow, faceplanting into the ground as Jean walked over with a furious blush on her face and said, "I'll take care of this idiot..." before hastily dragging the unconscious blunette away.
"..."
Deciding to entrust the matter to Jean, Paul returned his attention to the stone dais in a vain attempt to forget he had summoned one of the more troublesome characters in the game. Kaeya wasn't a bad person, but he, now she, was the type that got off on teasing and messing around with others. Paul couldn't even imagine the number of headaches her former self had caused Jean. Now, mere weeks after she was finally 'free' of her tormentor, Jean and Kaeya had been reunited. Paul legitimately felt sorry for them both...
Shaking such thoughts from his mind, Paul muttered, "Time to find out if Pity is a thing..."
Back in the original Genshin Impact, players that had failed to get a 5-Star within 90 Rolls were guaranteed to get one on their ninetieth roll. Before the start of his spree, the last person Paul summoned had been the 5-Star Jean. Since then, he had performed eight consecutive 10-Pulls, so if the Pity System did exist, he was guaranteed to get a 5-Star on the next one.
Rubbing his hands together, Paul silently whispered, "Come on, Albedo or Ganyu..." in a hopeful tone. He had already gotten Jean, so if he could get Ganyu, Paul would have all pulled both of his favorite female characters in short order. Hopefully, Yaoyao's appearance was a precursor to obtaining the loveably awkward Qilin girl...
Seeing the meteor shift from pale blue to a luminous shade of gold, Paul couldn't help leaping to his feet and shouting, "Come on...!" with a scary look in his eyes. He was like a gambler that had just placed his house on the line in one last bet. It was a very apt comparison considering that 90 pulls were equivalent to $9,000,000 back in his previous world.
Shielding his eyes to block the shockwave that occurred when the golden comet impacted the central platform, Paul was momentarily unable to see the form of the person that had appeared. Despite this, he instantly knew who it was as a soft yet cold voice asked, "Are you the one who will help me reclaim Eternity...?"

Though she was only around 108cm tall, Paul's body froze the moment he met the gaze of the purple-haired, amethyst-eyed girl staring back at him. Her long, singular braid and predominately lavender Maid outfit gave her a charming appearance, but her glowing purple pupils radiated an intensity that made Paul feel like a massive dragon was staring him down.
With Paul failing to respond to her question, the purple-haired girl looked past him to take in her surroundings. Everyone else present was someone she vaguely recognized, so, by process of elimination, the boy standing in front of her had to be her Master.
Despite possessing knowledge of the Asura Kingdom and its culture, the petite, purple-haired girl surprised Paul by kneeling, placing the tips of her fingers on the ground, and lowering her head until it did the same as she said, "Raiden Ei humbles herself before the brilliance of her Master, Paul Notos Greyrat. As I am inept in the arts of servitude, my body and sword are yours to command..."
Freed from his insensibility the moment Ei looked away, Paul exhaled a breath he didn't know he was holding before breathing in and patting his chest. Though she certainly didn't look like it in her current form, the little girl bowing before him was one of the Seven Archons. More specifically, she was the Electro(Thunder) Archon, the Shogun of Inazuma, and the greatest swordswoman in all of Teyvat.
"You need not prostrate yourself before me. I may be the Champion, but not through any merit of my own. I would-"
Raising her head, Ei interrupted Paul's words, her voice paradoxically calm yet penetrating as she said, "Forgive my impertinence, but I cannot permit anyone, not even my Master, to insult my Master. Merit or not, Master Paul is the Champion ordained by the Gods. Until such a time as our world has been restored, I will honor you as my Lord and Master."
"..."
Realizing he wouldn't be able to argue with someone who was obstinate to the point of closing off her country and isolating herself from everyone she cared about, Paul just closed his eyes and exhaled a sigh through his nose.
("At least I managed to acquire another Archon...")
Though Ei was clearly going to be an issue, Paul would have to be a fool not to realize how lucky he was to obtain her. Zhongli was able to defeat Advanced users of the Water God Style while holding back. Considering her power in the game, Ei could conceivably attain the title of Sword God in her teens...
Recalling how Ei summoned her sword in the game, Paul's gaze lowered to the exposed skin between her collar and Kimono-like Maid attire. She had a sizeable section of exposed skin, but, unlike her adult counterpart, the only thing there were hopes and dreams.
Noticing Paul's gaze, Ei reached up to touch her clavicle, her eyes losing a bit of their luster as she asked, "Does Master require Ei's services...?"
Though he would never imagine himself doing such a thing in his previous world, Paul crossed his wrists to make an 'x' shape as he answered, "No!" in a loud, audibly flustered tone. The last thing he needed was a six-year-old Archon lacking common sense trying to seduce him.
Furrowing her brows, Ei was about to ask if Paul found her appearance somehow lacking. As far as she knew, she was one of the most sought-after women in her previous world. His reaction didn't make sense until she realized the present condition of her body.
"Ah...this complicates matters..."
Believing she had nothing to offer but her body, blade, and Vision, a conflicted look appeared on Ei's face. Outside the Plane of Euthymia, she couldn't even dress without the assistance of several attendants. When it came to things like cooking, cleaning, and laundry, she was what her best friend referred to as a Natural Disaster. Everything she cooked turned into black or purple sludge, and the last time she tried to do laundry, her entire wardrobe needed to be replaced...
Before Ei could suggest something improper, Paul interrupted her pensive silence, stating, "You shouldn't concern yourself with such matters in the present. For now, I am happy just having you around. The Electro Element is my favorite among the seven, and your insights into swordsmanship will be instrumental to mine and several others' growth."
Smiling in response to Paul's words, Ei removed the gently pulsing Electro Vision from her hips, holding it in both hands as she lowered her head and said, "Raiden Ei presents the Electro Vision to her Master..."
Adopting a wry smile of his own, Paul reached forward to receive the glowing purple crystal with three, lighter purple, blade-like swirls in the center. The moment he accepted it, the hairs on his arms immediately stood on end. At the same time, his hair became noticeably sharper as bright purple electricity danced between the digits of his left hand.
"Wow...it feels like my entire body is surging with power..."
Thinking Paul was speaking to her, Ei nodded her head, explaining, "The Electro Element has the side-effect of supercharging the user's body and drastically increasing their speed at the cost of stamina. Once Master has become more proficient in its application, you will be able to infuse it into your weapons to increase their sharpness and paralyze your opponents."
Unable to contain himself, Paul muttered, "Nice..." before pulling out the pendant bearing his Geo Vision. He could only channel a single Vision at a time, but nothing prevented him from wearing multiple. If they weren't the size of golf balls, he might have had them implanted into a gauntlet to be worn on his left hand...
Seeing the Geo Vision attached to Paul's necklace, Ei squinted her eyes in dissatisfaction. She didn't say anything, but she would prefer it if Paul left his Geo Vision someplace secure, preferably the bottom of the ocean, so he wouldn't be tempted to use it in place of her Electro Vision. Mastering even a single Vision was a challenge in and of itself; attempting to master several would ultimately undermine your progress.
"Master, it might be imp-"
Before Ei could recommend Paul remove Zhongli's Geo Vision, the latter stepped in, saying, "Master Paul, the time for our return is long overdue. If we tarry much longer, the stability of the Intersection of Fate will become compromised."
Though he picked up on the fact that Zhongli had intentionally interrupted Ei, Paul quickly nodded in affirmation, saying, "You're right. Let's gather up the remaining weapons and return to the estate. Tomorrow is bound to be a busy day, and we still need to sort out sleeping arrangements..."
Following his words, Paul surprised Ei by offering his hand to help her rise. She had been on her knees since the moment she first knelt down. While it didn't appear to bother her, Paul couldn't imagine Ei complaining even if he ordered her to kneel on a stone washboard for several hours.
After staring at Paul's outstretched hand for several tense moments, Ei eventually extended her own to accept it, remarking, "Master Paul is a man of righteous character..."
Smiling wryly in response to Ei's words, Paul helped her to her feet before promptly releasing her surprisingly cool hand. It wasn't comparable to ice, but Paul felt like Ei's hands were markedly smoother and colder than the average person's. It was almost like touching cool, polished marble veiled in fine silk...
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After exiting the Intersection of Fate, a short 'discussion' resulted in Jean being appointed as Paul's Chambermaid. Ei, Yaoyao, and even Xiangling nominated themselves for the position, but Zhongli promptly denied their requests using her authority as Chief Maid.
Though Ei also took issue with Zhongli's status as Chief Maid, she quickly withdrew her objection upon learning what the position entailed. Despite being the ruler of a country, she was terrible at things like administration and management. She could settle disputes well enough but preferred to delegate such responsibilities to others.
In the end, Ei was given the crucial role of occupying the tiny servant's quarters attached to Paul's room. If an assailant attacked in the middle of the night, she was expected to emerge and aid him at a moment's notice. This, unfortunately, left Jean without a place to stay, so it was ultimately decided she would sleep in Paul's bed after he rejected the proposals to have her sleep at his feet or on the floor.
With Paul's roommate and bedfellow decided, Zhongli used her authority to assign rooms and duties to everyone within the group. Xiangling and Yaoyao were made roommates and given the task of preparing meals for the entire group. Xingqiu was appointed as Paul's Secretary and Scribe, while Xinyan and Kaeya would be helping Zhongli perform duties such as cleaning and laundry. As for their living arrangement, Kaeya was forced to share a room with Zhongli while Xinyan and Xingqiu, at least for the time being, had servants' quarters of their own...
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In an effort to ignore the girl sleeping less than an arm's length away from him, Paul turned away and tried to focus on counting sheep. Instead, his mind kept replaying the sequence of events that resulted in Jean sharing his bed.
Breaking Paul from his reverie, a rustling sound occurred behind him as the faint warmth radiating nearby became markedly more prominent. In fact, he could feel it directly as Jean had moved closer to him, seemingly drawn to his body heat. It was currently the eighth day of the first month of the year, so it was nearly 10 degrees even within the relative comfort of the Notos Estate. Paul had a small hearth within his room, but there were numerous reasons why it couldn't be lit at night.
"Jean...?"
"Mmm..."
Seemingly stirring due to Paul's words, Jean asked, "Is something the matter...?" in a sleepy tone.
"..."
Not sure how he should tell the sleepy beauty to move to her side of the bed, Paul ultimately remained silent. Before he summoned Xiangling, Jean and Ganyu were two of the 'characters' Paul was most looking forward to summoning. He had never been the type to crush on anime girls and other kinds of waifus, but he would be lying if he said the designs of characters like Jean, Eula, Ganyu, and Ei didn't leave a lasting impression.
As scummy as it made him feel, Paul couldn't stop himself from thinking about how things might be once he matured. He had no intention of using his authority to compel any of the girls to obey him, but there would have to be something wrong with him if he felt nothing surrounded by women who made the models in his previous world look mundane in comparison.
With Jean appearing to show an interest in him, Paul was worried that he might jeopardize his chances if he pushed her away. Thus, even though it felt wrong, he didn't say anything even as she snuggled up close enough that he could feel her head and nose against his back. Instead, he closed his eyes and continued counting sheep until well after midnight...
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"You're not going to try and stop me? I figured that was the whole reason you forced me to share a room with you."
Without even sparing a glance at the nearly-naked girl gawking at herself in front of a standing mirror, Zhongli answered, "It's your body. Unless our Master has need of it, you are free to do as you please. Just don't let him find out if you want to wander off and...experiment."
After rolling her eyes, the bronze lolita looked over at Zhongli and asked, "What about you? Don't tell me you haven't at least tried 'experimenting' a bit. I mean, I'm not exactly looking forward to getting my guts stirred up, but I've always wondered what it was like to be a woman. If our 'beloved' Master isn't up to the task, can you really blame me for taking matters into my own hands?"
Setting aside the quill she was using to record the day's events, Zhongli turned to meet the young girl's, Kaeya's gaze as she answered, "Better yours than someone who can leverage your actions against our Master..."
Clicking her tongue, Kaeya returned her attention to her mirror image as she lazily droned, "Yeah, yeah, the mission comes first...you're speaking to the choir on that one, sister..."
"Mmm...so long as you remember our duty, then it's okay. Also, if things get particularly difficult, I will assist you. After all, that is the true reason I had us share a room."
Raising her brows, Kaeya intoned an amused, "Oh~?" before turning to face Zhongli with a mischievous smile on her face. In response, the latter revised her previous statement, saying, "Better someone you know than a stranger..."
Unable to contain herself, Kaeya tittered in response to Zhongli's words, her singular blue eye glimmering with amusement as she said, "I retract back my previous misunderstandings. Things just got a hell of a lot more interesting..."
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"Your da-I mean, Lord Notos really gave you all of this...?"
Seeing the medium-sized chest a group of burly servants had brought to Paul's private quarters, Xiangling couldn't help staring in disbelief. It was far from the largest chest she had seen, but it was filled to the brim with neatly stacked Asura Gold Coins. She didn't know how deep each stack was, but there were thirty-five across and twenty wide.
Guessing what Xiangling was thinking, Paul explained, "There are 70,000 Asura Gold Coins within this chest. It was initially intended to be used as funds to furnish my annex, hire personnel, and purchase books. Now, my father has given it to me to spend as I please..."
Despite his relatively calm tone, Paul was staring at the contents of the chest with even greater bewilderment than Xiangling. 70,000 Asura Gold Coins were enough to bankroll 700 consecutive 10-Pulls. Even if he only acquired a new ally every 70 pulls, he would have ten more people in his entourage. The question was whether or not that was a good thing...
Noticing Paul's hesitation, it was Jean who asked, "What are you thinking about, Master Paul? If you talk with us, we may be able to help."
Adopting a wry smile, Paul closed the lid of the chest as he explained, "I was just wondering if it was a wise decision to sink all of this gold into the Intersection of Fate. While I'm eager to acquire new allies and help each of you get stronger, I feel like it will completely derail my original plans..."
Since he had only ever discussed such plans with Zhongli, Paul exhaled a sigh before turning in the direction of the three girls and adding, "I'm just going to be honest with you. Before I gained access to the Intersection of Fate, my intentions for this world weren't entirely pure. There are people I intended to track down, befriend, and if the opportunity presented itself..."
Averting his eyes from Xiangling in particular, Paul muttered, "I intended to sleep with them..."
Surprised by Paul's revelation, Jean looked to Zhongli, asking, "Were you aware of this?" in a calm yet forceful tone.
Nodding her head in affirmation, Zhongli answered, "Indeed. However, if you listened till the end, you would discover that Master Paul's intentions were not as impure as he makes them out to be. Our Master intended to track down the companions of his original self to ensure their fates were not worsened as a result of his presence in this world. Sleeping with them was never his primary objective; it was merely something our Master took into consideration when he was planning his future."
Exhaling a sigh of relief, Jean looked towards Paul, an sincerely apologetic expression on her face as she bowed her head and stated, "I owe you an apology. I should not have assumed the worst..."
Raising his hands, Paul shook his head and said, "No, you're not wrong. I mean, Zhongli isn't lying, but...well...it's complicated..."
Scratching the back of his head, Paul contemplated how best to convey his point. In his stead, Zhongli attempted to explain, "Our Master intends to track down six people, each an outcast in their respective tribes. The first is a woman named Ghislaine. Without-"
Raising his hand, Paul interrupted Zhongli's explanation, saying, "I have it all recorded in a journal. It's best not to discuss this type of thing aloud..."
As Zhongli adopted a faint smile and nodded her head, Paul regained a bit of composure, explaining, "All that really matters is that I intend to set out on a journey shortly after my twelfth birthday. If we acquire a lot of allies, I fear I may be too distracted with planning and other matters to focus on my training. I'm also concerned that certain people from your world might not be all that enthused about being summoned as a child..."
Though being summoned as children gave them more time to train, Paul couldn't imagine a female version of Diluc or Xiao being happy with such an arrangement. At the very least, Paul would hate having to go through puberty as a girl and experiencing what it was like to have a period...
Speaking out in the silence that followed Paul's statement, Zhongli stated, "While I can understand your apprehensions, I believe they are baseless. You seem to be under the impression you need to interact and get along with the people you summon through the Intersection of Fate personally. In actuality, you are free to travel, team up with, and generally do as you please. You appear to have forgotten this, but you have the authority to tell anyone that has accepted the Gods' Contract what to do. If you gave us the order to attack an enemy or venture to the other side of the world, we would have no choice but to comply."
Blinking in surprise, Paul could feel a nervous tremor building from his abdomen as he asked, "What do you mean?"
Squinting her eyes and crossing her arms, Zhongli's voice became even more resonant than usual as she said, "You are well aware of the meaning within my words. I suspect you have been since our first conversation."
Unable to meet the gazes of the three girls staring at him, Paul hung his head, his voice barely a whisper as he said, "It isn't right..."
As Zhongli had implied, Paul understood how much power he possessed ever since they first 'discussed terms.' Simply put, anyone he summoned through the Intersection of Fate had no choice but to obey him. It didn't matter if he ordered them to their deaths or commanded them to gratify him sexually. His orders were, very nearly, absolute.
Instead of refuting Paul's words, Zhongli nodded her head, saying, "That may be. However, for the sake of our restoring our world, each of us has agreed to obey the Champion. You need not make use of your authority, but you should not forget it exists. As for whether or not you should make use of the Intersection of Fate...well, let me ask you this. Do you think you can reach a level that exceeds even we Archons on your own...?"
Though he would like to pretend like he had some kind of plot armor that would allow him to exceed even the Gods if he worked hard, Paul wasn't so naive. Even with the means to increase his Mana pool, the odds of him exceeding the Rank of King in Magic or Swordsmanship were slim. A mere week of training with Jean had proven that...
"So what? I sit back and let everyone else do all the heavy lifting while I indulge myself in carnal pleasure...?"
Losing her composure for the first time since Paul had known her, Zhongli exhaled a sigh, hand caressing her forehead as she groaned, "Our Master really knows how to see the worst in every situation..."
Shaking her head, Zhongli quickly regained her impassive expression as she answered, "The important thing is that you're doing what you 'want' to do, not what you think you 'need' to do. If you want to go on a journey, then do so. You need not dedicate your entire life to our cause. By merely staying alive and summoning us into this world, you are supplying us with the means to help ourselves. It is for that reason we serve you. If not for your efforts, we simply wouldn't exist."
Hanging his head a third time, Paul's expression revealed a deeply rooted melancholy. Before he could wallow in self-doubt or depression, however, Xiangling surprised him with a hug.
"Xiangling...?"
While squeezing Paul with as much strength as her slender arms could manage, Xiangling said, "You're a good person, Paul. Though I don't agree with all the things Zhongli said, there is one thing I do know. You deserve to be happy. Please stop making such a scary expression...okay?"
Since he couldn't see his own face, Paul could only assume his furrowed brows and pessimistic gaze appeared scary. Fortunately, Xiangling's hug made him feel a lot better. She was a lot softer than he expected, but the thing he noticed more than anything else was the warmth that seemed to radiate from the very core of her being.
Reciprocating the petite blunette's embrace, Paul's expression and tone softened as he muttered, "Sorry..." before following it with a sincere, "And thank you..."
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After calming down and discussing the matter with a less negative point of view, Paul ultimately reached a similar conclusion as Zhongli. While not exactly baseless, most of his concerns were rendered invalid by the many benefits that came from accessing the Intersection of Fate.
One of the things that had slipped Paul's mind was his mother's chronic illness. She wasn't bedridden, but she would generally spend upwards of ten hours a day resting in her room or in the garden his father had built for her.
If Paul were able to summon someone like Albedo or Sucrose, they would be able to treat his mother's illness with relative ease. If he told him what he knew about things like Penicillin, they might even be able to introduce Antibiotics into the world of Mushoku Tensei. Either way, Paul would only benefit from their presence.
For that, and several other reasons, Paul waited until nightfall before he, Zhongli, Xiangling, and Jean entered the Intersection of Fate. He had no intention of using all 70,000 Asura Gold Coins, but he figured he could at least roll until he had seven allies, a 5-Star Weapon, or achieved 'pity' at 90 consecutive rolls.
Starting things off, Paul was pleasantly surprised to see the first set of meteors transition into a deep shade of purple before splitting off. Even a 4-Star Weapon would be an absolute win in his book, so he was looking forward to seeing what popped out.
What Paul never expected was for Xinyan, one of the most beloved and hated characters in all of Genshin Impact, to appear.
"Alright~! Let's get this party started...!"
Though she currently resembled a six-year-old girl with a black, red, and white maid outfit, Xinyan struck a pose and held up her hand in the almost universal symbol for rock-and-roll. She had basically pioneered the genre back in her world, but what made her stand out was her dark skin and the overall 'wild' vibe she gave off due to her fiery amber eyes and her stylish yet flame-like twin-tails.&nbsp;
Suppressing his shock, Paul adopted a friendly smile as he crossed his hand over his chest and said, "Welcome to the world of Mushoku Tensei, Xinyan. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Sizing Paul up, a somewhat 'scary' smile developed across Xinyan's face until she realized he wasn't the only one who looked like a child.&nbsp;
"Well, that's no fun. Didn't think I'd plop into this world as a brat..."
Shaking away her disappointment, Xinyan returned her gaze to Paul, hand raised in a friendly gesture as she replied, "Yo. You must be Paul. Nice to meetcha. The name's Xinyan, but you apparently already knew that."
Maintaining his smile, albeit with a bit of difficulty, Paul nodded his head, explaining, "Back in my previous world, when I believed you were just a game character, I managed to get you to Max Constellation. I'm not sure how your particular style will mesh with this world, but I would be lying if I said it couldn't use a musical renaissance. Dancing to the same handful of tunes has gotten old..."
A little surprised by Paul's words, Xinyan remarked, "Wow, you must have really liked my character if you managed to awaken all my Constellations. You're making me blush."
Though her face didn't have so much as a hint of a blush, Xinyan cupped her cheeks and pretended like she was a bashful maiden. Paul's lack of a reaction made her lose interest, however, so she stopped and asked, "So? What now...?"

Chapter 20: MI20: Pity