Mushoku Impact

Just as things were beginning to get uncomfortable within the dojo, Flute arrived, shocking both Paul and her daughter as she bowed towards the former and said, "Your Lord Father wishes to depart. Please make way to the entrance, Young Master."
"Mother...?"
Raising her head, Flute responded to Lilia without looking at her, adding, "You will be accompanying the Young Master from this point onward, Lilia. Make sure you listen and serve him well."
Though it had yet to be established that Lilia would be Paul's attendant, it was the most reasonable conclusion. In other words, though they would be living and working within the same estate, Flute and Lilia served wholly separate Masters. Lilia was not yet aware of this, but it was frowned upon for servants to acknowledge one another unless their duties compelled it. Thus, with her new Master's orders conveyed, Flute offered another polite bow towards Paul before promptly turning around and departing the dojo.
While Lilia was understandably confused, Paul quickly realized what must have happened, mumbling, "That damned father of mine...how can he be such a good father and a piece of shit at the same time?"
Though he knew he was the true outlier in this scenario, Paul couldn't help feeling annoyed. How was he meant to get Lilia to trust him when they both knew her mother was probably getting harassed and plowed daily by his pervert of a father? Even if he never laid a hand on her, she would always wonder when it was her turn to endure similar treatment...
("I swear to God...it's like this world is doing everything in its power to turn me into a degenerate...")
Shaking such thoughts from his mind, Paul did his best to form a relaxed, disarming smile as he turned to meet Lilia's gaze. When he did, his body briefly tensed as all the emotion had vanished from her face. There was nothing like anger or sadness visible within her amethyst eyes, only calm and disquieting resignation.
"Lilia..."
Before Lilia or Paul could say anything else, Zhongli chimed in to advise, "Master Paul, it would not do to keep your father waiting. We can discuss the specifics of Miss Lilia's circumstances once we have returned."
Exhaling a sigh, Paul muttered, "You're right..." before shaking his head for the umpteenth time, looking towards Lilia, and stating, "Let's go..." in what he hoped to be a kind-sounding tone. Whether or not it came across that way was difficult to ascertain as Lilia simply returned a polite bow, stating, "As you will, Master Paul..." in a calm monotone.
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After returning to the Local Lord's Estate, Paul asked his father about the specifics of Lilia's and Flute's servitude. There were actually a number of laws that prohibited children younger than the age of ten from serving in a Lord's Estate. Exceptions were made for slaves, but Lilia was obviously not a slave.
In response to his son's questioning, Amarant revealed that Lilia's duties would not officially begin until her tenth birthday. In the simplest possible terms, she would be apprenticing within the Notos Estate before formally beginning her servitude at the age of ten. This was made possible due to a number of exceptions written into law to account for female attendants and Maids who ended up getting pregnant in the execution of their duties.
By contracting Flute to serve in the Notos Estate for five years, Amarant had effectively killed three birds with one stone. He obtained a beautiful and experienced young woman to 'accompany' him for the remainder of their journey, acquired a new servant for his son, and gained a powerful asset in the form of a Sword King willing to train his soldiers. All in all, at least from Amarant's perspective, he had made a great deal...
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With Paul's guest room located next to his father's, his face had become an expressionless mask comparable to Lilia's as the not-so-distant sound of pounding and loud moans penetrated the wall separating them.
In an attempt to lighten the mood, Zhongli's expression formed into a wry smile as she remarked, "Your father certainly is...vigorous..."
Shifting his deadpan stare to the petite brunette, Paul droned, "Seriously, Zhongli? At least pretend to show some consideration for Lilia..."
Since he didn't trust the servants and attendants of the Nobles he and his father had been visiting, Paul had been having Zhongli, Jean, and Xingqiu share his quarters. He didn't want to hurt Lilia's feelings by having her be the only exception, so, even though he had anticipated something like this happening, Paul had the stoic girl stay with them.
What Paul hadn't anticipated was his father ostensibly going to town on Flute for the better part of four and a half hours. He knew descendants of the Greyrat houses were supposed to be prodigious in the bedroom, but that was just ridiculous...
Hearing Paul speak out of consideration for her, Lilia, seemingly with the intent to allay his concerns, shook her head and stated, "Thank you for your concern, Master Paul, but I'm fine...this isn't..."
Though she was about to say this wasn't the first time she had heard her mother crying out and moaning, Lilia's words gradually trailed off. While it was true that she had listened to her parents having sex, it typically only lasted for fifteen to twenty minutes before things cooled down. Whatever was happening next door had to be drastically different from what her parents did together...the intensity of her mother's voice made that very clear...
Seeing Lilia enter a momentary daze, a soft yet exasperated sigh escaped Paul's throat. He was half-tempted to walk over and tell his father to calm the fuck down. Unfortunately, while trust between them was fairly stable, Paul knew it would fracture pretty quickly if he tried preaching to Amarant and telling the man how to live. After all, in Amarant's and potentially even Flute's mind, there was absolutely nothing wrong with what he was doing. Nothing at all...
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Roughly six days after Paul and his father's arrival, the Lord of the Wishiru Region, Marcos Eurus Greyrat, finally entered the city. Paul was given the opportunity to meet the man and his fourteen-year-old son, but that was about it. He was still a little too young to participate in private discussions between two Lords, so Paul was effectively kicked out of the room shortly after his introduction. Later that same day, Paul's father informed him they would be setting out the following morning.
Though Paul was a little annoyed that they had waited for nearly a week just so his father and Marcos could chat for a few hours, he wasn't going to complain about it. He had been looking forward to returning home ever since their initial departure, so, as far as Paul was concerned, the sooner they could leave, the better.
Fortunately, though they had to stop at many estates along the way, the return trip was far less stressful than the outset. Amarant had permitted him to ride in his own coach for the return trip, so he didn't have to worry about spending 6-8 hours a day sitting in silence. More importantly, it was an excellent opportunity for Lilia to open up to the others as it was pretty difficult not to when you spent the better part of three weeks confined to a small space.
By the time they had reached the Notos Estate, Lilia had shed much of her initial worries and discomfort. Children were remarkably adaptable, so while she was dispirited by the fact her mother was basically ignoring her, she did her best not to let it show. She could tell everyone was making an effort to be friendly and inclusive, so she didn't want to worry them.
What Paul didn't know was that Zhongli had discreetly approached Lilia during the first evening of her stay with the group. She didn't reveal any sensitive information, but she gave the surprisingly sensible young girl a basic explanation of their circumstances and Paul's character. She also promised to teach Lilia everything she would need to know to become a proper Maid, so the two of them had become surprisingly close by the time of their arrival at the Notos Estate.
Though Paul suspected 'foul play' of some kind, he elected not to pry too much into things. He was happy so long as Lilia was happy, so, seeing her smiling more with each passing day, he trusted that whatever Zhongli had done had been for the best. The only downside was that, with the gradual loss of her apprehensions, Lilia began trying to emulate Jean. She viewed the latter as her idol, so, with Jean constantly 'doting' on him, Paul quickly found himself at the mercy of the two inordinately 'dutiful' young girls...
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"This entire wing belongs to Master Paul...?"
After being given a quick tour of Paul's relatively isolated section of the Notos Estate, Lilia couldn't help paling. She didn't know exactly how many rooms there were, but there was no way she and the others could keep them clean with just her and Zhongli.
Answering in Paul's stead, Zhongli explained, "Worry not, Miss Lilia. We are not the extent of Master Paul's servants. There are five others, and, depending on our Master's decisions, several more may be joining us in the near future."
Since he hadn't even mentioned summoning more people, Paul's face formed into a frown as he met the petite Archon's gaze and asked, "How did you know...?"
Adopting a faint smile, Zhongli answered, "I didn't. However, until you manage to acquire the Tiangquan and obtain a cure for your mother's chronic illness, I presumed you would be accessing the Intersection of Fate fairly frequently."
Opening his eyes as round as saucers, a wave of panic washed over Paul as he grabbed Zhongli's hand, dragged her to the side, and asked, "What the hell are you thinking!?" in a hushed exclamation.
Without lowering her voice, Zhongli flatly asked, "Did you intend to keep it a secret these next fourteen years...?"
"..."
Releasing Zhongli's wrist, Paul's expression became hesitant as he looked toward Lilia. He didn't know if it was because of her relationship with the original Paul or because she had given birth to one of his favorite support characters in the Light Novel. Either way, it felt wrong to even think about excluding her...
Just as Paul was about to reveal the version of the truth he had prepared for his father, Lilia took the wind out of his sails by calmly revealing, "The Head Maid has already explained the situation. For the sake of the future, I will never reveal any information related to Master Paul and his abilities."
Feeling his right eye beginning to twitch, Paul looked towards Zhongli to find the latter staring back at him with a faint smile. He could guess why the latter had taken the initiative to explain things, but he hated the idea of her going behind his back. She could have at least brought it up so he wouldn't end up feeling like an ass...
Taking a few deep breaths, Paul suppressed the urge to lash out and forbid Zhongli from taking action without his consent. If he made it into an order, she would have no choice but to obey. However, now that Lilia was here, Paul felt even less willing to make use of his 'authority.' He might not view himself as a good person, but he didn't want to become a complete piece of shit...
Exhaling one of his deep breaths, Paul regained enough of his composure to calmly reply, "I see..." before walking over and placing his palm against the surface of his door and adding, "Let's hope fate's on my side today..."
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After opening the Intersection of Fate, Paul, more so out of curiosity than anything else, turned back to ask Lilia, "What do you see...?"
Confused by Paul's words, Lilia didn't immediately respond. Instead, she just stared at him for several seconds before asking, "Is there something out in the hallway...?"
"Right..."
Though he had already been informed that others could neither see nor interact with the Intersection of Fate, Paul was still a little surprised by Lilia's reaction. He could see the entrance perfectly fine, and, if he looked closely, there was even a reflection of the interior within her eyes.
Deciding he would worry about such things later, Paul said, "Wait here. We'll be back in a few minutes." before stepping through the door. From Lilia's perception, his body had abruptly vanished the moment he crossed over the threshold. From Paul's, he could look back and see her staring at the entryway with a completely bewildered look on her face.
Just as Paul was about to ask if Lilia could see him, a voice from behind caught his attention as Xinyan asked, "Did you forget something?"
Turning around, Paul noticed Xinyan, Xiangling, Yaoyao, Kaeya, and Ei waiting on the center platform. He had seen them when he first looked inside, but they had been frozen in time, much like the rest of the world around them. Now that he was inside, time began flowing at the same rate as the outside world.
"No. We just got back earlier this afternoon. Nearly eight weeks have passed since I asked everyone to stay here."
Though she knew time was supposed to stop while Paul was away, Xinyan was still surprised by his words, asking, "Eight weeks?" before giving herself a quick once-over. It wasn't that noticeable, but she did feel a little taller than before.
Before Paul could ask what Xinyan was thinking, Ei took the initiative to bow, saying, "Welcome back, Master." At the same time, Zhongli and Jean stepped through the portal-like door behind Paul, leaving only Xingqiu to keep Lilia company.
With people on both sides of him, Paul became keenly aware that he was standing on a sky bridge without handrails.
Resisting the urge to peer over the edge, Paul made his way over to the comparably less dangerous central platform before nodding towards Ei and saying, "Thanks. It's great to see everyone in good health."
"I wouldn't say that..."
Shifting his attention to Kaeya, Paul's expression revealed a mixture of concern and confusion as he asked, "What do you mean...?"
Shrugging her shoulders, Kaeya adopted a teasing smile as she mused, "I was holding it in before we came inside, so I've basically needed to poop for like eight weeks. Mind if we hurry this along?"
Closing his eyes, Paul inhaled a deep breath before exhaling through his nose and saying, "If you need to go, then go. Now that we're back, you don't need to stay in here."
"Sounds good to me."
Without waiting around, Kaeya slipped past Zhongli and Jean, giggling as the latter sent her an unamused glower. In truth, she didn't actually need to poop; she just wanted to mess with Paul. He was too serious, so Kaeya couldn't help teasing both him and Jean. It helped that they were almost always together...
Waiting until Kaeya had exited the Intersection of Fate completely, Paul exhaled a sigh before turning to the group and explaining, "I'll be leaving for school in a few days, so I wanted to try my luck at summoning before I go. My goal is to summon Ningguang, so I'm going to keep pulling until I obtain either her or Albedo."
Raising her hand, Xinyan asked the question on hers and several other people's minds, specifically, "What's your deal with Ningguang? Plannin' to use her to increase your fortunes, eh?"
Without any hesitation, Paul nodded his head, explaining, "I'm doing my best, but I don't think I have what it takes to govern the Milbots Region properly. I hate dealing with Nobles, and that's bound to affect my ability to make deals. And don't even get me started on our finances..."
Though he had taken a few economics classes during high school, Paul didn't need to be a financial expert to understand that removing hundreds of thousands of gold from circulation would have an adverse effect on the economy. After all, the entire Milbots Region, the most prosperous of the four major regions, only had around 3,750,000AGC in circulation.
Since she was more curious than anything else, Xinyan responded to Paul's words with a simple, "Cool." before adopting a cheeky smile and asking, "Want a kiss for good luck?"
Furrowing his brows, Paul was going to mention it was unnecessary when Xinyan held up her hands, adding, "Hey, now. It was just a joke. You don't need to take everything people say seriously, Paul. Lighten up a little..."
"..."
Lowering his eyes towards the ground, Paul took a moment to consider if Xinyan was right. Well, he knew she was, but it was hard not to be serious when the fate of two worlds was on the line...
Shaking his head, Paul offered a faint, "Sorry..." before looking towards the summoning circle and supplanting, "Who knows? Maybe a good luck kiss really would help..." in a muted tone.
As those words left his lips, Paul bent down and began slotting 100AGC into the groove for currency. It was a slow and monotonous process, but Paul could feel his excitement compounding each time an Acquaint Fate manifested into existence.
When all ten Fates had appeared, Paul took a moment to rub his hands together, muttering, "Come on, Ningguang..." before bending down and placing his hands into the oversized handprints. He knew the RNG Gods rarely rewarded those that coveted specific draws within a Gacha, but it wasn't like he could conceal his desire for Ningguang. Even as far back as his first pull, Paul had considered Ningguang to be the best possible pull...
"Confirm...!"
Gaining a hit of fervity in his eyes, Paul immediately shifted his attention to the blue meteor that had appeared high in the sky. He knew it would have no effect, but, for a very brief moment, Paul attempted to 'will' it to change colors. Instead, his expression gradually formed into a deadpan as the meteor maintained its blue hue even after splitting into ten.
"I should have accepted the kiss..."
Since his words were more of a joking complaint than anything else, Paul was a little surprised when Xinyan squat next to him, arms resting on her knees as she remarked, "It isn't too late, ya know?"
Rolling his eyes, Paul managed a snarky smile as he tapped his left cheek and droned, "Sure. Go ahead and plant one on me. If it works, I'll worship you as my lucky goddess from this moment onward..."
Rewarding Paul's words with a light shove, Xinyan adopted a cheeky smile and suggested, "How about this. If I kiss you and it goes well, you have to stop acting so bashfully when we're in the bath together. I can't explain it all that well, but it makes me feel really weird when you won't even look at me."
Furrowing his brows, Paul considered refusing, but Xinyan preempted him by grabbing his head and planting a long and unnecessarily loud kiss on his cheek. Then, with a faint red hue coloring her cheeks, she pretended to ignore him and began slotting gold coins into the summoning circle on his behalf.
"..."
Figuring nothing would come of it, Paul ultimately remained silent and just began helping Xinyan slot gold into the tiny, coin-sized notch. If her good luck charm really did net him Ningguang, he wouldn't complain even if her condition had been to meticulously wash every inch of her body. It would have been incredibly awkward but ultimately worth it if he could preserve his funds. After all, even Ningguang would find it difficult to turn an empty coffer into the mountain of gold he would need to obtain everything from the gacha...
"Want another...?"
"Huh...?"
Looking to his side, Paul found Xinyan staring directly at him with a far more prominent shade of red coloring her cheeks. He didn't think it was possible, but he couldn't help asking, "Do you like me...?"
Instead of responding to Paul's words with her own, Xinyan gave him a much stronger push than the playful shove from before. As a result, Paul ended up being knocked onto his side as Xinyan stood up and returned to her original position in an apparent huff. When she noticed him staring at her, however, she adopted one of her characteristically playful smiles and just stuck her tongue out at him...
("Did I fucking miss something...?")
Looking to Jean as if she would somehow be able to explain things, Paul was left feeling at an utter loss as she pointed to herself and asked, "Did you want a kiss from me as well...?"
"Oh, gods..."
Covering his forehead and eyes, Paul did his best to suppress his growing feelings of exasperation. Then, even though it made him feel like a bit of an asshat, Paul ignored Jean's inquiry and focused all of his attention on the summoning circle, whispering, "Please just come out..." before taking a deep breath and shouting, "Confirm...!"
Following Paul's outburst, the sky in the distance split open as a vibrant blue meteor appeared from within the void. When Paul saw its color shift to purple, equal parts excitement and trepidation washed over him as he asked, "There's no way, right...?"
Demonstrating that Xinyan really might be his lucky star, the blindingly purple meteor split into three purple and seven blue comets. This was enough to cause even Zhongli to mutter a soft, "Oh my..." as everyone else became nearly as excited as Paul usually was.
Though two of the purple lights turned out to be weapons, one bow, and one catalyst, Paul's jaw nearly hit the floor when the person that emerged from the center was a young girl with white hair bound into a very stylish hairdo. She was wearing an Maid outfit not all that dissimilar to Zhongli's, but the thing that stood out the most was the reddish-orange tassel that dangled between her neatly parted bangs.
"No fucking way..."
Crossing her arms, the elegant-looking girl brought one of her fingers up to the side of her lips as she remarked, "That's quite the peculiar thing to say to someone you just met. Are you disappointed by my arrival...?"
Though she could tell Paul was the furthest thing from disappointed, the white-haired girl couldn't help teasing him. She was a little concerned by the youthful state of her body, but she found Paul's youthful stupefaction rather endearing.
Breaking Paul from his reverie and taking the white-haired girl by surprise, Xinyan burst into a laughter so jubilant she eventually keeled over, falling onto her butt before lying down and holding her stomach. As for everyone else, they were nearly as bewildered as Paul. The only exception was the ever-stoic Zhongli, who asserted, "Welcome, Ningguang. Our Master has been awaiting you for some time."
"Oh...?"
Hearing Zhongli's words, the white-haired girl, none other than the famed Tianquan of Liyue, Ningguang herself, adopted a faint smile as she looked to Paul and mused, "That makes things a little easier..."
Before Paul could ask what Ningguang meant, the latter took a few steps forward before kneeling down so that their faces and eyes were less than 20cm apart. Then, with a half-smiling expression that exuded equal parts confidence and severity, she inquired, "Paul Notos Greyrat...what are your thoughts on marriage?"
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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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Chapter 26: MI26: Increasing Tensions