Mushoku Impact

Heralded by his father and several of his most trusted bodyguards, Paul, Zhongli, Jean, and Xinqiu found themselves outside a two-story building that looked more like a house than a sword dojo. There was a small annex attached to the side, but there were currently no students to be seen.
"Hmmm...strange. I could have sworn this was the place..."
Turning to his Bodyguard, a Saint-Ranked practitioner of the Sword God School named Earhart, Amarant questioned, "Are you certain this is the place?"
Bowing his head respectfully, Earhart answered, "I am absolutely sure, my Lord. My esquire personally dined with Sword King Augusta and his family on the eve my Lord's arrival in the city."
"I see..."
Trusting Earhart's information, Amarant took the initiative to step up and knock on the door of Augusta's home. Unless they were criminals, Sword Kings had status exceeding even Royal Knights. Amarant would not lower himself even by personally knocking on one's door.
Instead of the burly, middle-aged man that Amarant was expected, the person who answered the door was an attractive and voluptuous young woman with scarlet hair and amethyst eyes. Amarant's eyes instinctually gravitated towards the woman's ample bosom, but only for the briefest of moments before saying, "I am Amarant Notos Greyrat, Lord of the Milbots Region. Please inform the master of the house that I have brought my son and his companions for a demonstration."
Though she was more than a little surprised by Amarant's introduction, the scarlet beauty managed to appear calm as she folded her hands over her lap, lowered her head, and replied, "My husband went to the Market with our daughter. If it pleases the Lord, you and your entourage are free to enter. I will put on some tea."
While Roak was a Free City, it was still a part of the Kingdom of Asura. If a high-ranking Noble were to show up at someone's house, the option of turning them didn't exist.
"Very good. We'll take you up on your offer, Mrs...?"
"Flute. My name is Flute."
Hearing the woman introduce herself without a family name, Amarant, very briefly, regretted bringing his son along. He was feeling more than a little pent up after several weeks on the road. He had relieved himself at several points along the way, but Flute's appearance was perfectly suited to his tastes. If she wasn't married to a Sword King, he might have tried to purchase her on the spot.
After ordering his men to stay outside and create a cordon, Amarant had Paul, Zhongli, Jean, and Xingqiu enter alongside him. Flute guided them to the dining room, but before she could transition to the kitchen to prepare tea, Amarant caused her to tense as he asked, "You mentioned you had a daughter? How old is she...?"
Though it was only for a brief moment, Flute's mask of calm cracked as she tentatively replied, "She will be turning six in the next two months..."
Raising his brows, Amarant uttered a curious, "Is that so?" before taking the seat at the head of the rectangular table.
With her back turned to Amarant and the rest, Flute formed her hands into loose fists as she bit her bottom lip. This wasn't the first time a Noble had expressed an interest in her daughter, but Amarant's status was such that they wouldn't be able to refuse a requisition offer...
Seeing Flute retreat to the kitchen, Paul couldn't help furrowing his brows as he muttered, "Father...even if it's within your power as a Lord, it doesn't seem right to insinuate you might separate a mother and child..."
Though he expected his son's words, an exasperated sigh escaped Amarant's throat before he closed his eyes and took a few moments to organize his thoughts. When he had, he opened his eyes and explained, "Even if the lass is inordinately skilled in swordsmanship, her status as a peasant places her in a precarious position. If she is half as striking as her mother, she will invariably be forced to become someone's servant. If she takes after her father, she will be assigned to safeguard a Noblewoman or recruited to serve in the Palace of Concubines. Her status as the daughter of a Sword King virtually guarantees it..."
Similar to Flute, Paul couldn't help balling his hands into fists. However, instead of biting his lip, he hung his head with an indignant expression on his face...
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Returning a few minutes after her departure, Flute skillfully poured tea for Amarant and Paul as she said, " Forgive my late return. The magic crystal within our stove has been slow to heat as of late..."
With Flute bending over next to him, Amarant's eyes once again fell to her breasts as he hummed a terse, "I see..." before removing the ring from his left pinky finger and dropping it into his cup. It couldn't detect the poison specially concocted to kill members of the Royal Family, but it would emit bubbles if placed into liquids laced with toxic chemicals.
Though she briefly tensed due to Amarant's actions, Flute exhaled a soft sigh when the ring didn't produce any bubbles. Nobles were infamous for using fake versions of the ring to pressure people they intended to extort.
Nodding his head in approval, Amarant sampled his tea while Flute stood off to the side like a trained servant. Before she married her husband, she had spent eight years working for the Local Lord and his family. Such was the fate of most beautiful young women once they reached the age of 10. In exchange, they would receive a 'severance pay' between 10-20 Asura Gold Coins, enough money to support themselves or function as a dowry payment.
Like Amarant, Flute knew it was only a matter of time before her daughter ended up in a similar position as herself. It was just the way things were in the Asura Kingdom, so, while Amarant was silently enjoying his tea, Flute was directing periodic glances towards Paul and the trio of girls standing behind him. She didn't know if it was because Paul was the son of a Lord, but his servants had excellent dispositions and notably expensive-looking clothes.
As Flute was convincing herself that House Notos was far from the worst place her daughter could end up, the sound of the front door opening and closing reached the dining room. Soon after that, a tall and burly man with similarly scarlet hair and a stylish goatee appeared with a wicker basket in hand. Following closely behind was a very young girl whose height barely reached past his waist. She had the same scarlet hair and amethyst eyes as both of her parents. However, while that prompted many questions, it was the two small yet present mounds on the front of the girl's chest that regularly garnered people's attention.
"Hoooo-? It's been quite some time since I hosted a Regional Lord. I trust my wife has been nothing but courteous to you...?"
Though the soldiers outside had confiscated his sword, the scarlet-haired man radiated an aura that caused everyone in the room, sans Zhongli and the little girl hiding behind his leg, to tense. The rugged-looking man took notice of this peculiarity but elected to maintain focus on the middle-aged man sipping tea in his seat.
Maintaining his bearing despite the swordsman's aura, Amarant remained seated as he asked, "Sword King Augusta, I presume? You don't strike me as someone skilled in the Water God School. If anything, I would assume you belonged to the Sword God School..."
Despite his attempts to suppress it, a faint scoff emanated from Augusta's throat. He was tempted to ask what a 'mere Lord' knew of the Water and Sword God Styles, but Amarant's status was considerably higher than the average Noble's. He could effortlessly kill such a man, but it would cost much more than just his own life. Everyone even distantly related to him would be massacred, or worse, as an example.
"My disposition has changed rather drastically since my retirement. I have not upheld my title as King in many years. These days, people just call me Instructor Augusta."
"I see..."
Rising to his feet, Amarant adopted a 'casual' stance with his right hand on his as he explained, "I had hoped you could demonstrate some of your skills for my son and his companions. My son has nearly stepped into the Intermediate Rank of the Water God Style despite his adolescent age. As for his companions...this young lady here has demonstrated the ability to contend with Advanced-Ranked Swordsmen of both the Sword and Water God Styles..."
Though Augusta was moderately surprised to hear Paul was nearly at the Intermediate Rank, his eyes visibly widened when Amarant inferred that Zhongli could match swordsmen of the Advanced Rank. Even if she was a Half-Demon that aged slower than a Human, it was unheard of for such a small girl to possess such tremendous power. It wasn't like she could just hide additional muscles within her thin arms and legs.
"You mean to tell me this brat is nearing the Rank of a Saint? Just how old is she...?"
Had he not been made aware of Zhongli's true identity, Amarant might not have believed his own words. Thus, rather than take offense to Augusta's words, he nodded his head and explained, "She is presently six years old. As for the integrity of my words, I had hoped to demonstrate the truth by having my son and his companions compete against your students."
"Ah..."
Scratching the back of his head, Augusta's expression became awkward as he revealed, "I have my students complete commissions with the Guild to gain combat experience and accrue funds. They recently departed on a C-Rank Escort Mission. If everything goes well, they should return in two to three weeks."
Though he narrowed his eyes in dissatisfaction, Amarant didn't condemn Augusta for failing to anticipate his arrival. It wasn't exactly common for a Regional Lord to make house visits. If he weren't concerned about his son having no friends his age, he would not have imposed upon Augusta and his family.
"It would appear our timing was less than ideal. Unfortunate..."
Since it didn't look like his son would have the chance to demonstrate his skills, Amarant shifted his gaze to the young girl hiding behind Augusta's leg, asking, "Is that your daughter? Despite her young age, it can be seen that she takes after her mother..."
Adopting a smile that failed to reach his eyes, Augusta answered, "Yeah. Her name's Lilia. Her skill with the sword is sub-par, but she's pretty sharp for her age..."
Before his father could respond, Paul suddenly interposed himself into the discussion; his expression marred with disbelief as he parroted, "Lilia? Did you just say your daughter's name was Lilia...?"
Though Paul was the son of a Lord, Augusta couldn't help furrowing his brows when he heard the youth speaking out of turn. In spite of this, he dared not lambast Paul in front of his father. Instead, he answered with an annoyed, "Yeah, what of it? Got a problem with my naming sense, br-"
Stopping himself before he could call Paul a brat, Augusta stepped aside before giving his daughter a push forward and saying, "Introduce yourself the way your mother taught you."
"Huh? Ah, uh...please wait a moment..."
Setting down the basket she had been carrying, Lilia took a moment to smooth out some of the wrinkles in her dress before folding her hands over her lap in a way that squashed her developing breasts between her arms. Then, with an ostensibly emotionless expression on her face, she lowered her head and body nearly forty degrees as she said, "Greetings, Noble Sirs. My name is Lilia. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance..."
Nodding his head in approval, Amarant placed his hand on the stunned Paul's shoulder, stating, "This is my son, Paul Notos Greyrat, First Son of House Notos. Why don't the two of you go off somewhere while I have a chat with your parents?"
Not sure how to respond, Lilia looked to her father for guidance. He had a scary expression on his face, but he quickly nodded his head, saying, "Go. Children have no place in adult discussion..."
"Okay..."
Bending down, Lilia attempted to pick up her basket, but Augusta stopped her, stating, "Just go. Your mother and I will take care of it."
Though she was startled by her father's tone, Lilia didn't flinch. She had gotten used to him shouting in the dojo, so, after a moment of silence, she nodded her head, repeating, "Okay..." before making her way over to Paul, lowering her head, and saying, "Please follow me, Sir Paul..."
Still at a loss for words, Paul simply nodded in response to Lilia's. He was still trying to convince himself she was someone different from the person he was thinking about, but all the signs pointed to the possibility she was the same Lilia from the original Mushoku Tensei. If that was the case, he really might be loved...or perhaps cursed by fate...

Following Lilia, Paul and his group found themselves within a small dojo filled with wooden mannequins and a variety of different swords, shields, and faux armor. The room's dimensions were around 15x15m, with a floor covered in varnished wooden planks and walls constructed from a lower grade version of the magic bricks found at Milbots Academy. There were crates lined up on one side of the room, and, likely due to the presence of weapons inside, the windows were covered in thick iron bars reminiscent of a prison cell.
"This is my father's dojo. Please don't mind the mess..."
Though she didn't know Paul's official rank or title, Lilia recognized the name Notos as belonging to one of the four most powerful families in the Asura Kingdom, maybe even the world. Her experiences with Nobles had been less than pleasant thus far, so she was afraid he would lash out or try to grope her.
Noticing Lilia's nervousness, Paul wanted to tell her not to worry, but he knew there was a very high probability that their parents were discussing the topic of hiring her as an attendant. He could try to oppose it, but the truth of the matter was that Lilia would probably be a lot happier serving House Notos than any other family. The question was whether or not her absence from the Palace of Concubines would jeopardize the life of the future 2nd Princess, Ariel Anemoi Asura...
As suspect as it sounded, Paul had a lot of plans for the future Princess. In the original series, she was the driving force behind numerous positive changes in the Kingdom and the surrounding countries. She was sadistic and a massive pervert, but she was basically a Saintess compared to the other member of the Royal Family.
In the timeline Paul was familiar with, Lilia would eventually be 'invited' to serve in the Palace of Concubines. There, she would experience some of the worst parts of Asuran Noble society, but she would also be present to save Princess Ariel from an assassination attempt. If that happened, most of Paul's plans for his twenties would be set back years, if not decades. In the worst-case scenario, his desire to fix some of the Kingdom's systemic issues could lead to war...
"Sir Paul...?"
Seeing the grim expression on Paul's face, Lilia barely summoned up the courage to call out to him. In the very next moment, she was left feeling at a complete loss as a 'friendly' smile developed across Paul's handsome face as he replied, "Sorry about that. It's just...your name reminds me of someone...someone very important..."
Though she believed Paul was trying to flirt with her, Lilia couldn't prevent a faint blush from coloring her cheeks. He was a lot more 'subtle' about it than the other Nobles she had met.
Dumbfound by Lilia's timid reaction, Paul briefly found himself at a loss for before he shook his head free of thoughts and said, "Let me introduce you to my companions. The girls wearing the Maid outfits are my current Head Maid and Secretary, Zhongli, and Xingqiu. The girl wearing the pants and tunic is my Knight, Jean."
While calling Jean his Knight before she was given the title was a little dangerous, Paul honestly didn't care. He had no intention of taking her to a member of the Royal Family only to have her subsequently requisitioned from him. Fortunately, so long as she could attain the Rank of Saint in the Sword or Water God Styles, she would receive the status of an Honorary Knight automatically.
Observing how fancily dressed Zhongli, Jean, and Xingqiu were, Lilia felt compelled to lower her head to the trio as she stated, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Speaking at the group's representative, Zhongli adopted a faint smile as she remarked, "My, what a polite young lady. Your parents, or perhaps I should say your mother? Either way, they taught you well."
Nodding her head in agreement, Xingqiu chimed in with her smooth and melodic voice, stating, "Indeed." before offering a polite bow of her own and adding, "And the pleasure is mine."
Assuming it was her turn, Jean emulated a Noble's genuflection with her hand over her heart, politely bowing as she parroted, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ms. Lilia."
Surprised by the trio's responses, Lilia was stuck between the options of telling them their courtesy was unnecessary and thanking them. Before she could make up her mind, Paul left her feeling even more confused by suddenly asking, "Do you have any dreams? Like, dreams outside of what your parents want you to do...?"
Opening her mouth, Lilia tried to respond but found herself unable to find the words. Fortunately, her training in the Water God Style allowed her to recover quickly, her expression gaining a touch of impassiveness as she replied, "I wanted to become a swordsman like my father, but my reaction time is much slower than the boys. I still train, but I've spent most of the last year learning etiquette and how to perform chores. My mother says they'll be helpful when I go to work at the Lord's Estate..."
Seeing Paul's expression gradually morph into a furrowed pout, Lilia was afraid she had somehow offended him. She thought to apologize, but Paul preempted her addendum, stating, "That isn't what I meant. I mean, the whole wanting to become a swordsman thing is good and all, but haven't you ever dreamed of something...more? Like traveling around the world or becoming a great chef?"
Confused by Paul's words, Lilia's expression also formed into a pout as she asked, "Why would I want to do that? Traveling is dangerous, and there are countless people more skilled than me when it comes to things like cooking. All I want is to avoid causing trouble for my parents...if I can do that, I'll be happy..."
Though her expression implied otherwise, Lilia was convinced that her happiness was directly tied to her family. Like many children her age, she viewed the world through the filter of her parents' expectations. She once dreamed of becoming a princess or ascending to the Rank of Water God, but her parents had made it 'very' clear that such dreams were a waste of time. Princesses were born into their position, and becoming a Water God required incredible talent. In other words, there was nothing she could do to attain either.
Exhaling a sigh, Paul combed his fingers through his hair to try and calm himself. Various thoughts were racing through his mind, but none of them were particularly pertinent to the current situation. As was often the case, there was nothing he could do except go with the flow.
As that thought crossed Paul's mind, so too did a sudden realization. He had nearly forgotten about it, but the Lilia from the anime wore glasses, something the girl before him distinctly lacked.
"Do you know how to read...?"
Though she was more than a little surprised by the continuous changes in Paul's expression and tone, Lilia managed to answer, "No. Mother bought me a book to practice, but I'm still learning how to read it..."
Since Lilia's response didn't help clarify things, Paul thought for a moment before pulling out a small ledger from his breast pocket. Unfortunately, he didn't have a writing utensil on hand as quills weren't exactly the type of thing most people-
Interrupting Paul's reverie, Zhongli promptly proferred forth a quill and an ink well from her magical satchel. When he saw this, Paul's thoughts and expression momentarily blanked before he accepted them and muttered, "Thanks..." with a wry smile on his face.
Returning a smile of her own, Zhongli replied, "Your words are too kind, Master Paul. It is my duty as Head Maid to always be prepared. Please, reserve your gratitude for those more deserving..."
Punctuating her words with a courteous bow, Zhongli promptly returned to her original position. She still had a smile on her face, but her posture and demeanor were impeccable.
Suppressing his feelings of awkwardness, Paul took a moment to prepare the ink before wetting the quill and writing out a few of the most visually alike characters of the alphabet. The written Human Language, strangely enough, was basically just a substitute cipher for English. When Paul first learned this, he had been utterly gobsmacked as the spoken language, as far as he could tell, was similar to Japanese. It was for this reason he had taken more than three years to learn how to read and write. The grammar rules and syntax were just completely different...
Finished with his task, Paul held up his ledger and asked, "Can you tell me the differences between these three lines of characters?"
Though she suspected Paul was trying to make a fool out of her, Lilia only hesitated for a moment before answering, "I can try..." Then, somewhat confirming Paul's suspicions, she squinted her eyes and moved her face closer to the page. She managed to read the first line, but the remaining two were written with such fine handwriting that she suspected Paul had simply drawn squiggles.
"I think I know why your reaction time is slower than the other students..."
Rising to her full height, Lilia's face contorted into a glower as she asked, "What do you mean? Reading and swordsmanship have nothing to do with each other."
With an 'oh really' kind of expression on his face, Paul asked, "Then tell me, who would win in a fight between two equally skilled swordsmen if one of them was blind?"
Demonstrating she was as sharp as her father had attested, realization donned on Lilia's face as her complexion paled. She hadn't thought about it before due to always seeing the world in such a way, but the notion that others simply had better eyesight than her explained a lot. Unfortunately for her, while corrective lenses had already been invented, they were rare and 'very' expensive.
Seeing through Lilia's thoughts, Paul's expression became somewhat wry as he said, "While this might not sound very comforting, there is one thing I can promise you. If our parents arrange for you to come and work at the Notos Estate, I'll have a specialist test your vision. If my suspicions prove correct, you'll be able to train seriously once we commission you a pair of glasses..."
Though her expression dimmed at the potentiality of her being purchased, Lilia managed a strained smile as she said, "Thank you. If not for Sir Paul, I might not have realized my deficiency for many years..."
Offering a sad smile of his own, Paul wanted to say something to try and ease Lilia's concerns, but he wasn't exactly in a position to do so. If their parents managed to reach an accord, the only thing he could do for her was treat her with dignity and respect. At the very least, that was more than she would ever receive from other Nobles...
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"500 Asura Gold Coins and a promise she will not be seriously injured or harmed in the execution of her duties."
Since the 'going rate' for ten years of service was 20 Asura Gold Coins, even Augusta was taken aback by Amarant's offer. Even the sons and daughters of Noble families would only receive around 100-200 Gold for twenty years of service, so Augusta couldn't help asking, "Why so much? That's enough to purchase a small manor or support a large family for the rest of their lives. Is the Milbots Region so prosperous that you can afford to throw around hundreds of gold without batting an eye?"
Understanding Augusta's confusion, Amarant explained, "A man of your skill level should have noticed it, but the attendants who accompany my son are all remarkably skilled. I trust my son's discernment, so if he sees something special in your daughter, I am compelled to believe she is no ordinary lass."
Though he didn't know if his son had actually noticed anything special in Lilia, Paul's outburst was more than enough evidence for Amarant. His son wasn't the sort to speak out of turn, much less lose his composure. As far as Amarant was concerned, Lilia was worth her weight in gold if she could elicit such a response from his son...
Since he had initially intended to cow Amarant by asking for 200 Asura Gold Coins, Augusta found himself in an awkward situation. Even his wife had a conflicted expression on her face as 500 Asura Gold Coins was far too much for an unskilled child. Flute loved her daughter, but there was no way Lilia was worth such an absurd amount. After all, even she would only fetch around 10 Gold Pieces at an auction...
"1000 Gold..."
Though he immediately regretted it the moment the words left his lips, a wolfish grin developed across Augusta's face as he watched Amarant's expression form into a frown. What he didn't expect was for Amarant to almost immediately reply, "I will agree on the condition you relocate to the Milbots Region and allow your wife to serve within the Notos Estate for a period of five years..."
Tensing as if he had suddenly crossed paths with the Sword God on a bad day, Augusta looked to his wife with a silent plea in his eyes. In response, she briefly closed her own before answering, "Very well. Though the final decision is my husband's to make, I am willing to devote myself to House Notos for the next five years..."
Exhaling a sigh of relief, Augusta turned his attention to Amarant, saying, "It's settled then. I will relocate to the Milbots Region and open a school to help train soldiers for House Notos. I trust that was your intention...?"
Though the truth of the matter was that he simply wanted to have sex with Augusta's wife, Amarant nodded his head and said, "Since you will be doing a service for the Region, House Notos will provide the funds for construction and upkeep. However, should you fail to produce at least a single Saint-Ranked Swordsman within the next five years..."
Snorting through his nose, Augusta said, "So long as you don't send me complete rabble, it won't be an issue."
Nodding his head in approval, Amarant rose to his feet before reaching into his breast pocket to remove an envelope filled with enchanted paper notes. Carrying around a thousand gold was impractical, so high-ranking Nobles issued promissory notes that could only be redeemed within their respective regions. In other words, Augusta would have no choice but to travel to the Milbots Region if he wanted his money. As for Flute and Lilia, they effectively belonged to House Notos the moment the agreement was made.
"Retrieve your daughter. We leave in five minutes."
Anticipating the reason for Amarant's haste, Flute suppressed a sigh as she closed her eyes, offered a courteous bow, and answered, "By your will, my Lord." Then, without sparing her husband a glance, she carried herself with the dignity expected of a high-ranking Maid as she went to carry out her Master's orders...
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With little else to do with the time his father had given him, Paul split his time between training, practicing with his newly acquired Vision, reading the texts in his library, and speaking with his mother.
As tempted as he was to take the week off, Paul reasoned he wouldn't have much time to train while traveling with his father. With that in mind, he focused purely on swordsmanship between the hours of 3 and 7 AM. After that, he would eat before spending the period between breakfast and lunch reading or conversing with his summons.
Though Zhongli had continued to reinforce the notion that he didn't need to be actively involved with the lives of everyone he summoned, Paul felt it was his duty to at least try. It might not matter to some of them, but for girls like Xiangling, Paul could tell his efforts meant a lot to her.
Once lunch had finished, Paul would spend the first half of his afternoon conversing with his mother. He was trying to figure out exactly what was wrong with her, but, as far as he could tell from the tidbits she gave here and there, it was a sickness that had plagued her since childhood. Even if he knew the exact name of her condition, there was very little he could do about it at the present moment.
Fortunately, though their interactions often left Paul feeling as though he wanted to crawl into a hole and hide, Valentine seemed to enjoy spending time with Jean, Ei, and anyone else he brought by. She had initially taken an interest in their beautiful and exotic appearances, but, upon getting to know them better, she quickly realized the actual dynamic between Paul and his summons. Since then, Paul had 'suffered' quite a bit as a result of his mother's teasing.
With his mother having more people to converse and spend time with, Valentine's health improved drastically. She was far from healthy, but it was clear to everyone within the estate that she was happier, healthier, and far more energetic. So much so that Paul's father ended up delaying their trip a few days so he could spend more 'quality time' with his wife...
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"Still can't look directly at me...?"
After another hard day of training and self-study, Xinyan was helping Paul clean himself in the bath. It was a little excessive, but Paul would take up to three 'baths' per day. His status as a member of House Notos meant he had an actual bath, but, more often than not, he just suffered in silence as the girls wiped him down in his bedroom or his family's sauna.
Answering in Paul's stead, Ei cooly asserted, "Master Paul is a man of high morals. You should not test him so..."
Since they were prohibited from using the bath on their own, most of the girls in Paul's entourage would take turns attending him. Most had enough sense to cover themselves with thick towels, but Xinyan had always been a free-spirited girl. Since they would be spending the next twenty, thirty, or even more years together, she didn't see any reason to act bashfully in Paul's presence.
Ignoring Ei's remark, Xinyan continued scrubbing Paul's back without so much as a single covering. Her bronzed skin glistened in the low light of the humid chamber, but Paul was largely unaware of this. As a matter of principle, he spent nearly the entire bath with his eyes closed.
"While I don't exactly agree with a lot of what Zhongli puts out, I do think you're a little too sensitive. If me being naked makes you uncomfortable, you should just come out and say it. You don't need to sit here and silently accept everything, you know?"
Exhaling a sigh, Paul kept his eyes closed as he softly replied, "You're all going through a lot as is. The destruction of your world, the existence of a contract that forces you to obey someone you've never met, and a set of circumstances that forced you to effectively reincarnate as children. I just don't want to cause you any additional stress..."
Adopting a faint blush, Xinyan muttered, "Ei wasn't wrong...you really are a good person, Paul..."
Punctuating her words, Xinyan gave Paul a light smack on his back before rising to her feet and saying, "This place is starting to get a little too stuffy for my tastes. I'll leave the rest to you three."
Though they had been sitting in relative silence, Jean, Xiangling, and even Yaoyao were present within the bath. In response to Xinyan's words, Jean answered, "Leave it to me." before rising from her wooden bath stool and retrieving a fresh towel. Xiangling and Yaoyao looked like they wanted to say something but ultimately remained silent as they had been helping Ei clean herself.
As skillful as she was with the sword, Ei was fundamentally incapable of doing much else...
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"Do you not intend to take the others...?"
Seeing only Xingqiu, Jean, and Zhongli accompanying his son, Amarant couldn't help wondering where the rest of Paul's 'Familiars' were.
"Traveling with a large entourage will only draw unnecessary attention to myself. While I have no intentions of lying low, I know better than to stick my neck out and show my hand."
"Mmm...very good."
Nodding his head in approval, Amarant was more sure than ever that Paul was the best heir he could have hoped for. He was only a few weeks from his sixth birthday, but he already had the disposition of an adult. It was a little jarring at times, but Amarant was exceedingly satisfied with his son's growth...
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As Paul had expected, traveling alongside his father was an exceptionally mundane affair. His father had insisted they ride in the same carriage, but instead of using it as an opportunity to confer his wisdom, Amarant would spend most of the trip sitting in silence or sleeping. Paul had tried to make conversation initially, but the only interests he and his father shared were their general preferences in women.
Fortunately, while the carriage rides were almost unbearable, things got a little easier once Paul and Amarant reached their destination. The families they visited spared no expense to welcome and accommodate them. Paul was inconvenienced by having to entertain their children, but his standing and maturity compelled even the more profligate members of the younger generation to be on their best behavior when he was around.
If there was one thing Paul could complain about, it was the unconcealed interest every single House had in Zhongli, Jean, and Xingqiu. After a visit with one of the more affluent households in the region, his father revealed they had offered a startling 10,000 Asura Gold Pieces to purchase Zhongli and Jean. That was the equivalent of purchasing two Saint-Ranked Mages or five Saint-Ranked Swordsmen that had sold themselves into slavery to pay their debts.
Increasing Paul's feelings of frustration, Amarant speculated that it was very likely the 10,000 Gold had been set aside to purchase Zhongli alone. In other words, the family had simply lumped Jean into the exchange at the last moment. She had yet to gain a reputation for herself, but even a fool could tell she would mature into a breathtakingly beautiful woman.
Fortunately, the standing of House Notos placed them in a situation to dictate the terms of virtually any agreement. Amarant used the family's attempt to procure Jean as a 'bonus' to accuse them of disrespecting a Greater Noble House. He didn't pursue the matter, but the allegation was more than enough to compel the other family to both withdraw their offer and provide compensation.
Unfortunately, no matter how powerful the Notos Family was, they were still subordinate to the Royal Family. Amarant warned Paul that rumors of Zhongli's prowess had long since reached the ears of people in the Silver Palace. They were unlikely to take proactive measures to secure her, but Paul would need to be cautious if he visited the Capital. Due to Zhongli's perceived status as a servant, members of the Royal Family could simply requisition her on the grounds that any servant of their affiliate was also a servant of the Royal Family.
Though Paul had no intention of visiting the Royal Capital, it was only a matter of time before he received a summons. Zhongli's results may have exceeded his, but it was still 'common knowledge' that the Heir of House Notos was a prodigy. Unless he spontaneously started acting his age and performing poorly, the King would eventually want to meet and commend him. There was no way the Royal Family would simply ignore the presence of a genius 'lurking' about in the frontier regions...
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After nearly four weeks of traveling, Paul and his father had reached the southernmost territory of the Milbots Region, a neutral commerce town jointly governed by Houses Notos and Eurus.
As a town bordering two regions, the Free City of Roak was one of the most prosperous townships in the Asura Kingdom. It was home to many merchant guilds, sword schools, and, more importantly, the fourth-largest Adventurer's Guild in the entire world.
Though many of the towns they had passed through had smaller Guild offices, the Adventurer's Guild in Roak was nearly the size of the Local Lord's Estate. Roak's status as a Free City meant they were responsible for providing their own security, so the Adventurer's Guild looked more like a small fortress than a large tavern.
Unfortunately, with very few exceptions, people needed to be at least ten years of age to join the Adventurer's Guild. Paul was tempted to check it out but ultimately decided against it since it would only draw attention to himself, Jean, Zhongli, and Xingqiu. Instead, he just loitered around the Local Lord's Estate as he and his father awaited the arrival of the Wishiru Region's Lord Eurus. At the very least, that's what Paul intended to do.
"You shouldn't stay cooped up inside all day. I understand your desire to train and expand your knowledge, but there are some things only life can teach you."
Suppressing a sigh, Paul met his father's gaze and explained, "It's not that I don't want to explore; I simply wish to avoid placing myself in precarious situations before I have the strength to protect myself..."
Making no effort to suppress his own sigh, Amarant pinched the bridge of his nose as he said, "Be that as it may, there are some things you can only experience during childhood. After observing you these past few weeks, I have begun to doubt whether or not you possess friends outside the girls you've summoned..."
"..."
Seeing his son avert his eyes, a second sigh escaped Amarant's throat as he muttered, "I suspected as much..."
Rising to his feet, Amarant's expression and tone became stern as he said, "Come with me. There is a famous Water God Dojo located nearby. If the rumors are to be believed, the head instructor is a man who apprenticed under the previous Water God. He should have some students capable of giving you and your aspiring Knight a challenge..."
Shifting his attention to Jean, Amarant offered an approving nod when the perpetually stoic swordswoman supplied a shallow yet courteous bow. He had absolutely no complaints about Jean's disposition or character. Were it not for the fact she was a Summoned Familiar, Amarant wouldn't object even if Paul asked for support to take Jean as his wife. Instead, the young swordswoman appeared determined to become his Knight...
Realizing his father's mind was already made up, Paul offered a courteous bow of his own, answering, "I understand..." in an exhausted tone. He was actually looking forward to seeing the capabilities of a former Water God's apprentice. What bothered him was the remarkably high probability of him and Jean being forced to fight progressively stronger opponents. In other words, it was only a matter of time before he was left beaten and fatigued on the sidelines while Jean fought opponents he wouldn't even be able to touch at his current level. If Zhongli and Xingqiu got involved, Paul would be shown up by all three of his subordinates...
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Chapter 24: MI24: Invisible Hand