Mushoku Impact

Parting with his father, Paul was prepared to return to the East Wing but found his path blocked by a petite girl with cerulean blue eyes and muted, golden-blonde hair.
Though his body briefly tensed due to the girl appearing just after he left his father's room, almost like she had been trying to jump scare him, Paul quickly regained his smile as he said, "It's good to see you, Barbara."
Seeing Paul spread his arms, a bit of the severity in Barbara's expression faded away as she obediently stepped into his embrace, saying, "I missed you..." in a sincere yet melancholic tone.
"I know...and I'm sorry for leaving you alone so often..."
"Mmm..."
Nestling her face into Paul's chest, an action made easier by the fact she was nearly twenty centimeters shorter, Barbara surprised Paul by quietly muttering, "It's okay...I realized how selfish I was back then. I'll probably get jealous in the future, but I'm a little better now..."
Hugging the petite girl a little tighter, Paul nestled the lower half of his face into Barbara's hair, kissing the top of her head before pulling away to say, "You've grown..."
"Speak for yourself..."
Raising her head, Barbara stared into Paul's face as she asked, "How are you so tall? Aren't girls supposed to hit their growth spurts before boys?"
Adopting a faintly wolfish smile, Paul teased, "Who knows...? I've always been a big boy..."
Though it took her a moment to understand the hidden meaning within Paul's words, Barbara's cheeks blushed a faint shade of red as she softly muttered, "Naughty..." However, the thing that stood out most about this was the faint smile on her face.
"I'm certainly getting there..."
Emphasizing his point, Paul lowered his hands to the small of her back, just above her butt. She had a stylish tailcoat and was covered in several layers of fabric, but the proximity of his hands to her butt was enough to cause Barbara's face to turn bright red.
Unfortunately, while he was half-tempted to take things a step further, Paul punctuated the encounter with a fleeting kiss before releasing his hold on the befuddled beauty and saying, "We should head back. If I'm not mistaken, you snuck out to meet with me sooner, right?"
Lowering her head and averting her eyes, Barbara muttered, "Ningguang isn't the boss of me..." in a pouty tone.&nbsp;
"Barbara..."
Extending his hand for the pouty Knight Princess to grab, Paul waited until she did before beginning to lead her down the hall as he said, "Ningguang is doing her best to ensure the success of our mission. While I understand your reasons, try not to butt heads with her too much...okay?"
Having already reached a secret agreement with Ningguang, Barbara just nodded her head in response to Paul's words. She had been permitted to become one of the first people to accompany Paul when he ventures out into the world. The penultimate decision was Paul's to make, but Barbara refused to believe Paul would set out on a long journey without her. If he did, she would just follow him of her own accord...
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After reaching his section of the Estate, Paul was surprised to find the only two people waiting for him were Diona and Razor.
"Ah. Master Paul. You're back. Welcome home."
Though he had gotten used to Razor being a tomboyish girl with wild, remarkably long grey hair and carmine eyes, Paul couldn't help smiling wryly as he asked, "How have you been, Razor? Keeping the plantations free of pests and rodents...?"
Nodding her head, Razor maintained a completely serious expression on her face as she answered, "Razor kill big monster. Master's Lupical gives Razor big reward. Lots of meat."
Raising his brows, Paul looked to Barbara and Diona for a more detailed explanation. The latter had a characteristically pouty expression on her face, but she still explained, "A boar with Wyvern blood came down the Red Dragon Mountains. Razor was the one to deal the killing blow, but a lot of us worked together to weaken it with our bows."
Understanding that Diona was fishing for a compliment, Paul made an impressed expression as he remarked, "Wow. Excellent job, Diona, Razor. I'm proud of you."
Since the 'bestowal of praise' was one of the conditions that not only allowed but 'mandated' him to provide head pats, Paul punctuated his words by caressing Diona's and Razor's heads. The latter lacked bestial features, but her animalistic nature caused most people to regard her in the same light as a member of the Beast Race.
Grabbing Paul's wrist to stop him from retracting his hand, Diona squinted her eyes in satisfaction as she explained, "We're still working on the feast to celebrate your homecoming. For now, you should head to the bath and get yourself cleaned up. You wreak of alcohol and sweat."
Chuckling dryly in response to Diona's opposing words and actions, Paul answered, "Will do." before waiting for her to release his hand of her own accord. She would never admit it, but Diona 'really' liked having her head, back, and pretty much every part of her body caressed. The only notable exceptions were her tail, butt, and a few other dangerous areas Paul had never dared to venture.
"You coming along?"
Exhaling a sigh, Barbara shook her head and said, "I'm supposed to be preparing for the feast as well. I just couldn't wait to see you, so I snuck out when no one was looking."
Nodding his head in approval, Paul extended his hand to caress Barbara's head as well, saying, "Good girl..." before planting a kiss atop her head. An awkward smile developed across her face, but she didn't attempt to slap his hand away. Instead, she directed him to caress her right cheek as she said, "I'll see you at the feast..."
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With no one accompanying him, Paul started to wonder if he would be taking a solo bath for the first time in five years. It was a little strange to consider, but, ever since he had summoned Xiangling, there had always been at least one girl accompanying him in the bath. Now, the thought of bathing alone just felt...wrong.
Fortunately, at least one person had nothing to contribute to the feast preparations. Thus, when he entered the bathhouse to find Ei waiting patiently for his arrival, Paul wasn't even remotely surprised. What did surprise him was the presence of Eula, Lynette, Xinyan, and a ponytailed girl with pale, strawberry blonde hair and golden eyes.
"Ei, Xinyan, Yoimiya...it's good to see you all. Not that I'm not equally pleased to see the two of you..."
Directing his last couple of words towards Eula and Lynette, just for good measure, Paul managed to avoid inadvertently offending both. Eula was a 'very serious' girl who, if he were being perfectly honest, reminded Paul a little of Drax the Destroyer due to how she interpreted everything literally. As for Lynette...Paul honestly hadn't figured her out just yet. She was a lot like Diona, just...cattier...
"Welcome ba-"
Before Ei could return Paul's greeting, Xinyan interrupted, asserting, "It's about time you showed up, Paul! We haven't even entered the bath, and I'm already starting to get a little pruney. Let me guess; Barbara tracked you down, didn't she...?"
Instead of answering Xinyan's question, Paul began to unbutton his tunic, noting, "Your hair has grown a lot since we last met, Xinyan...it suits you."
Losing much of her bravado, Xinyan became markedly more bashful as she combed through the fringe of her bangs and muttered, "Well...you're the one who said I looked better with my hair down..."
"Mmm...if I remember correctly, I said you looked charming with your hair down and badass with your hair up. Either way, you look great..."
Feeling her face heat, more so due to Paul stripping than his actual words, Xinyan quickly turned around, hands cupping her fiery red cheeks as she remarked, "Geez, Paul...you really learned how to talk these past couple a' months..."
Directing her gaze to Eula and Lynette, Xinyan asked, "I wonder if you two had anything to do with it...?"
Before Eula could respond with one of her trademark absurds, Ei injected herself back into the conversation by calmly asking, "Master, may I have the privilege of washing your body?"
Nodding his head in affirmation, Paul replied, "Sounds good." as he tossed his tunic into a nearby bin and started to remove his black undertunic. He noticed an oppressive silence promptly descend upon the changing room but pretended not to as he stripped off his undertunic, exposing his bare and increasingly muscular form. He still had a lot of room for growth, but he was filling out remarkably well...
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After entering the bath, Paul had Xinyan and Yoimiya apprise him of what they had been doing the past ten months while Ei awkwardly washed his body and periodically got soap in his eyes.
Though both girls had continued their training, their reliance on Visions and general lack of hostility towards others meant Xinyan and Yoimiya were improving much slower than the more battle-oriented members of the group. Xinyan had even given up the claymore entirely, inspired by Barbara to specialize in something radically different than her past self.
Fortunately, much like Barbara, Xinyan had also obtained quite a number of Constellations. In fact, alongside Yaoyao, Yanfei, and Fischl, she was one of the few who had awakened her third Constellation.
With a fair amount of guidance from Yanfei, Xinyan had learned how to use a Catalyst. More importantly, she had already mastered most of the Beginner and Intermediate Fire Magic Spells. She was still struggling to master Chantless Casting, but her increasing familiarity with a Catalyst was helping.
A stark contrast to Xinyan, Yoimiya had decided to immerse herself even deeper into her specialty, firework production. Fireworks were frequently used during festivals in the Asura Kingdom, but their quality was poor due to a prohibition that prevented the research and study of propellants such as Black Powder. The Royal Family didn't want people experimenting with explosives, so unless you belonged to an extremely hazardous unit within the Royal Military, you would never be allowed access to black powder or the production method for fireworks.
Fortunately for Yoimiya, one of the people Paul had summoned was none other than Albedo. She had also memorized all of her family's production methods, including the formula for high explosives. It took the better part of two years, but she had recently developed a commercial-grade version of dynamite that was currently being used in a few mines Ningguang had failed to disclose to the Royal Family.
Though she still practiced with her bow, much of what made Yoimiya an exceptional archer was related to her Vision. Paul had been exceptionally lucky in regards to his summoning of Archons, even managing to secure a Constellation for Zhongli, but he was still missing four of the Seven. Until he managed to summon Murata, the Pyro(Fire) Archon, Yoimiya was just an ordinary, albeit very, very talented archer...
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"When do you plan to tell him? If you won't, I'll have to..."
"Hmm..."
Turning to look behind her, Zhongli, now appearing as a young girl closer to fourteen rather than ten, locked eyes with the bronze-skinned, dark-haired girl standing behind her. Their respective golden eyes glistened for a few moments, almost as if they were about to attack one another, but it only lasted for a fleeting moment as Zhongli answered, "Soon. I just didn't want to place an even greater burden on our Master before he was ready. Once he crosses the line into adulthood, I will broach the subject at the earliest possible convenience..."
Nodding her head in approval, the bronze-skinned girl stated, "Very well, Morax. I will continue to entrust this matter to you. However, should you fail to inform him before he summons Murata...well, just don't expect me to pick up the pieces..."
Squinting her eyes, Zhongli could feel her right index finger twitching with the desire to manifest her spear. Instead, she remained silent for several seconds before answering, "I'll keep that in mind...Lady Kusanali..."
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Just as Paul was beginning to wonder if they had stayed in the bath a little too long, a young girl with pale purple hair, even paler skin, and vibrant, purple-pink eyes entered into the room, stating, "Master Paul, everything has been prepared."
"Right. Thank you, Qiqi."
"Nn..."
Having carried out her mission, Qiqi promptly departed the bath to return to the party venue. When she was gone, Paul returned his attention to the bronze-skinned girl seated between his legs, saying, "Time to go."
"Boooo..."
While the others were beginning to feel a little lightheaded due to the extremely warm water, Xinyan could stay in the bath for hours at a time. Unfortunately for her, Paul had no intention of boiling himself, so, after a moment of Xinyan refusing to get up, he rose of his own accord...
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After changing into a fresh set of clothes and waiting for the girls to help Ei get dressed, Paul meandered his way towards the East Wing. He would be lying if he said he wasn't excited, but, at the same time, Paul couldn't help feeling as though his time was running out. Thus, even though it was colder than a witch's tit between the bathhouse and the back entrance to the Estate, he enjoyed the frigid yet refreshing air with a relaxed smile on his face.
"Welcome home, Master Paul~!"
With the girls leading the way, it wasn't long before Paul found himself in a small gallery that also served as a banquet hall. There, nearly every one of his summons had gathered in variations of the outfits they wore back in their previous world of Teyvat. It was astonishingly surreal, even though Paul had long since gotten used to the cel-shaded graphics of his present life.
Appearing in a courtly black, gold, and predominately white gown that left much of her increasingly long legs bared, Ningguang habitually linked her hand through Paul's arm in order to guide him to his seat. Paul had a habit of walking around and trying to greet everyone when he initially arrived at parties, so Ningguang did her best to take him to where he 'needed' to be.
With Paul occupying the seat of honor, a large wooden throne with space enough for three people, the banquet/party could officially begin. To that end, Yun Jin appeared atop a stage prepared at the center of the hall, the lights dimming before a sound reminiscent of Japanese instruments filled the gallery. Back in her previous world, Yun Jin was the most prestigious singer and dancer at the Heyu Tea House. She had also been the Director of the Yun-Han Opera Troupe, so she had trained a handful of servants to play instruments so she could perform.
While Paul hadn't been particularly interested in things like flag dances and kabuki performances in his previous world, he had learned to enjoy them quite a bit in this one. Yun Jin was extremely passionate about her art, so while he preferred watching Eula dance and listening to Barbara sing as he used her lap as a pillow, Paul enjoyed the petite, almost doll-like girl's performance. He did, however, feel a little bad when he got a hell of a lot more excited for Xinyan's shamisen guitar solo...
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"You want to travel to the Sword Sanctum for training...?"
With the party coming to an end after three and a half hours, Paul was seated within Ningguang's study, the latter sitting astride atop his lap while Ganyu prepared tea off to the side.
Nodding his head in affirmation, Paul stated, "I've already discussed the matter with my father. Shortly after my tenth birthday celebration, I plan to set out for the Sword Sanctum with Ei, Jean, Barbara, Razor, Eula, and anyone else who wants to travel up North."
Seeing through to Paul's innermost thoughts, Ningguang asked, "Are you trying to intercept that Ghislaine woman?"
Instead of getting defensive and denying it, Paul nodded his head, saying, "With all the decisions that have basically been made for me, I wanted to respect at least one of my original goals for this world. Even if she ignores or beats the shit out of me, I would at least like try and make her mine..."
"Hooooo...you've become a lot bolder these past ten months. Jean was right to suggest I send Eula with you..."
Smiling despite the insinuation he had been plotted against, Paul asked, "So? What do you think...?"
"Hmmm..."
Instead of answering Paul's question, Ningguang glanced down at her present form. She had already started puberty and looked a fair bit older than ten, but the notion of carrying a child when she had just entered her rapid growth period wasn't exactly pleasant.
"You said two years...?"
"Give or take. My actual goal is to develop my Touki and reach Saint Rank in the Sword God Style. Without the Longsword of Light, I'll be vulnerable against those who can use it."
"And what of the Adventurer's Guild? Once you reach the age of ten, you should be able to register."
Shaking his head, Paul explained, "I plan to stop by, but I'm not going to get into adventuring until I'm confident I can sufficiently protect myself. I don't want to leave everything to people like Ei and Jean while I just sit on the sidelines like a supporting character..."
"Mmm...very well..."
Though she felt he was taking unnecessary risks, Ningguang understood Paul's desire to be the 'main character' of his own life. She had even come to respect it a bit, so, as long as Paul didn't do anything foolish like asking to travel alone, she didn't mind if he was a little rash and self-indulgent.
"Just make sure to take Xiangling and with you. She hasn't said anything, but I can tell she has been feeling a little 'useless' as of late. She might not be able to learn anything at the Sword Sanctum, but she can prepare meals for your party and help care of Ei. If the opportunity arises, you can also 'convince' her of her value using other means..."
"Right..."
Instead of refuting Ningguang's words as he might have in the past, Paul just nodded his head in both affirmation and acceptance. He had held out for quite a while, but it wouldn't be long before his life became a mirror of the original Paul's. He might not be sleeping with a bunch of random girls, but his bed was bound to be filled with dozens of beauties over the next five to ten years...
Catching Paul by surprise, Ningguang softly inquired, "Who do you want to lose your virginity to...?"
Though it was purely coincidental, at least from Paul's perspective, his eyes briefly met Ganyu's. In reality, Ningguang had timed her question at the exact moment that Ganyu was handing them tea. She would prefer it if Paul's first partner in this life were someone gentle and service-minded rather than someone more selfish. Paul may not be a virgin, but if his first partner from the IOF was someone like Barbara, Ningguang felt as though things would become unnecessarily complicated.
Sensing the sudden surge of Paul's emotions as their gazes met, a faint blush spread through Ganyu's cheeks as she maintained eye contact and said, "If Master thinks I'm worthy...my heart is prepared..."
Having shed most of her 'baby fat' and changed into an outfit not all that dissimilar to the skin-tight garments she wore in her previous life, Ganyu had a very dangerous allure to her. She still had a ways to go before she regained her original appearance, but her charm was such that the Royal Family would 'demand' her inclusion into the Palace of Concubines if she ever appeared in public.
Strengthening Ganyu's chances, Ningguang whispered, "If you miss this opportunity, it would be years before you see each other again...are you truly willing to shun Ganyu's devotion just for a possibility of sleeping with some random girl you've never even met...?"
Though he had no intentions of sleeping with Ghislaine, at least not any time soon, Paul would be lying if he said Ningguang's words didn't affect him. Ganyu really was a very dutiful woman, so much so that Paul almost wished he could just take her wherever he went. If she had been the one to accompany him to the Academy, he might have already lost his faux v-card...
Like the Devil, or perhaps a Succubus, Ningguang pulled at the remnants of Paul's sensibilities, her voice a sultry purr as she said, "You wouldn't condemn members of the Migurdia Tribe for having intercourse, so why would you hold a three thousand year old Adeptus to a higher standard? Ganyu has been a maiden for more than three thousand years...don't you think she deserves some love...?"
Swallowing hard, Paul found himself at a complete loss for words. The things Ningguang was saying made a scary amount of sense. Mushoku Tensei was a world where Magical Races such as Hobbits, Migurdians, and a few subspecies of Demons resembled human children even after hundreds of years. He certainly wouldn't condemn them for procreating, so why was he so apprehensive about having sex with someone well over three thousand years old when she wasn't even human? The only reason she even looked as she did was because of him...
Making things both easier and exponentially harder on Paul, Ganyu's eyes lowered to the insuppressible tent in his trousers as she softly whispered, "Though you may think lesser of me for it...I have been looking forward to becoming one with Master. Ever since our very first encounter...I sincerely believed you were a man worthy of dedicating my everything to..."
With Paul saying nothing to stop her, Ganyu slowly unfastened the belt of his trousers, her purple-pink eyes glazing over slightly as the blush in her cheeks spread to the tips of her ears. She was more than a little nervous, but, at the same time, she was excited to experience what had compelled her mother to love a mortal man so many years ago...
Feeling a maddening fervor permeating his body, Paul's wavering eyes remained fixed on Ganyu as he said, "This is an order, Ningguang...if you or anyone else spiked my drink, tell me now..."
Tearing away the last vestiges of Paul's restraint, a sultry and amused chuckle emanated from Ningguang's throat as she placed her lips to his ear and whispered, "We spiked our own drinks with a mild sedative...this, these emotions you're currently experiencing, are entirely your own..."
As if to punctuate Ningguang's soul-shaking words, Ganyu managed to loosen Paul's trousers enough to unleash his not-so-little brother. It still had several years to grow, but it was already pushing fifteen centimeters when flaccid and twenty when erect. As strange as it sounded, it actually made Paul feel a little self-conscious as girls like Xinyan and Barbara had made minimal effort to conceal their increasingly fervid gazes whenever they bathed together...
Causing an awkward chuckle to emanate from Paul's throat, Ganyu, in her characteristically serene tone, calmly affirmed, "It's big..." before directing her watery eyes at him and asking, "May I...?"
Though he felt like his psyche was on the verge of fragmenting into tens of thousands of pieces, Paul managed an awkward smile as he answered, "Sure..." in an audibly shaky tone.
Returning a far more radiant and sincere smile, Ganyu tentatively reached forward to grab the base of Paul's inordinately prominent member as she muttered a heartfelt, "Thank you, Master...I might be inexperienced, but I promise to do my best..."
"Yeah..."
Not sure what else to say or do, a problem he hadn't experienced since he initially lost his virginity, Paul just stared in silence as Ganyu slowly figured things out. When she did, several waves of guilt immediately washed over Paul's mind, but they were quickly suppressed by far more prominent yet fleeting emotions...
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"What troubles you, Master?"
"Can't I just be thinking about nothing...?"
"..."
"It was just a joke, Eula...please don't apologize..."
"I see...I'll remember that..."
"..."
Suppressing a sigh, Paul just closed his eyes, the soft feeling of Eula's inordinately developed thighs helping to calm his turbulent mind.
Nearly five years had passed since Paul was first given access to the Intersection of Fate. Since then, he had summoned a total of 33 out of a purported 108 'characters'. Eula, the icy-blue-haired tween letting him use her lap as a pillow, was one of Paul's more recent summons. She was also one of only two people to attend him during his final year at the Academy, so Paul was nervous, excited, and a little afraid to return home.
As fate would have it, Barbara ended up being the person to accumulate the most Constellations among the people Paul had summoned. She was now at Constellation 4, and, due to her mastery of the Regeneration Spell, she could even give Jean a run for her money.
Before Paul set out for his final year at the Academy, Barbara had gotten into a pretty tense squabble with Ningguang, Jean, and a few others. She eventually calmed down, but Paul could still remember the frustration and pain in her eyes during their last parting.
"Is it too late to run away...?"
"Master Paul is not the type of man who flees from his troubles...however, if you wish to go, I will open a path..."
Placing her gloved hand on his head, Eula gently combed her fingers through Paul's unkempt brown hair. Her perpetually stoic expression didn't change, but there was a definite tenderness in her golden eyes.
"Mmm...if I wasn't certain that Barbara and the rest would hunt me down, I might have considered it..."
Imagining the angry face of Barbara after she had tracked him down, a faint shiver ran through Paul's body. Once she had obtained her second Constellation, it had become difficult for him to keep up with her. Since the effects of a Constellation compounded previous boosts, C4 Barbara was a 'monster' that Paul had spent the last years training to overcome.
"Did you catch a chill? Shall I warm you with my body...?"
Having long grown accustomed to such requests, Paul replied with a lazy, "Maybe later..." before rolling over so that he was now facing Eula. A very faint shade of pink spread through her cheeks, but that was generally the limit of her expressiveness.&nbsp;
At least when she wasn't angry...
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After a six-day journey, made shorter by the addition of several highways, Paul emerged from his carriage with a wry smile on his face. Not because Ningguang had gathered nearly half the Estate to greet him, but because Lynette, his self-assigned assassin/bodyguard, appeared from below the carriage with a ghastly pale countenance and a visible trail of snot coming from her left nostril.
"You wouldn't be so cold if you stayed inside..."
With lightly furrowed brows, the grey-haired cat girl responded with a curt, "Shut up..." before 'reluctantly' accepting the coat Paul had been proffering toward her.
Turning back to face Ningguang, who now resembled a young girl closer to the age of twelve than ten, Paul whispered, "You get more and more beautiful each time I see you..." as he made his way forward to kiss the back of her hand.
Giggling in amusement, Ningguang offered a soft, "Six out of ten..." before retracting her hand and linking it through Paul's left arm. Then, in an even softer voice, she delivered him a metaphorical punch in the gut by asking, "Have you made your decision...?"
Instead of responding to Ningguang's question, Paul looked around at the veritable army of incredibly disciplined Maids, Butlers, and uniformed staff members. There was a thin layer of snow covering some of them, but they didn't so much as shiver as he passed.
"How are Philemon and Aubert? I was hoping to see how much they had matured these past ten months..."
Squinting her eyes, a knowing smile developed across Ningguang's face as she answered, "Two-year-olds have no place venturing outside in frigid temperatures...fortunately..."
Timing her words just as a team of Maids opened the front doors of the Estate, Ningguang added, "That's what the entrance hall is for."
"Brother Paul...!" "Uncle Paul...!"
With their mothers, Valentine and Flute, remaining inside, two little boys, one with light brown hair and the other a deep shade of burgundy, ran towards Paul. Ningguang had already released his arm, so Paul was able to kneel in front of the remarkably similar duo, deftly snatching them in his arms as he asked, "Did you miss me?"
While the two boys laughed due to Paul picking them up and spinning them around, Valentine stepped forward to whisper her usual, "You've returned to me, my Little Sun..."
Adopting an even wider smile, Paul promptly set down his two younger brothers in order to welcome his mother's impending embrace. A year or two back, this would have meant consigning himself to having her either bend down or pick him up by his head. Now that he was just over 148cm tall, 17cm shorter than his mother, Paul was at the 'perfect height' for her to both embrace him and press his face into her bosom.
"Mmm...my cheeks are no longer cold..."
Hearing her son's remark, a bell-like laugh emanated from Valentine's throat as she held Paul's head tighter and whispered, "Rascal..." in an affectionate tone before eventually releasing him.
"How was your journey back? I hear the conditions of the road have improved tremendously these past few months..."
Directing her gaze towards Ningguang, Valentine made it clear who was responsible for their Region's recent improvements in infrastructure. The costs had been immense, but Ningguang had managed to get the Royal Family to bear the burden by transferring ownership of the various mines she had discovered to the King. Of course, Amarant had been the one to broker the deal, but he did so with Ningguang's coaching.
Returning a smile, Paul surprised his mother with a chaste kiss on the lips before releasing her from his own hold and saying, "It only took six days, even with the snowfall. Offering the villages tax exemptions in exchange for helping to maintain the roads was a stroke of brilliance..."
Directing his gaze to Ningguang, Paul surprised her by extending his hand and guiding her to stand in line with him. Then, for the first time in front of one of his parents, he placed his hand on Ningguang's waist, pulling her a little closer as he said, "I have a very capable fiancee..."
Though she was well aware of the arrangement between Ningguang and her husband, Valentine's eyes practically lit up when she heard Paul refer to the remarkably capable and breathtakingly beautiful girl as his fiancee. If not for the presence of several servants and staff, she might not have been able to suppress the girlish squeal threatening to escape her throat.
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After freeing himself from his increasingly excitable mother, Paul made his way to his father's study without an escort. He was keen to meet with the people he had summoned from the Intersection of Fate, but there were a few matters he wished to discuss before all hell broke loose.
*tok* *tok* *tok*
"Come on in, son. I've been expecting you."
Opening the once heavy door, Paul was a little surprised to find his father standing in front of his desk rather than sitting behind it. In his hand was an astonishingly expensive bottle of wine, a vintage so rare and valuable only Kings and successive generations of the Notos Family knew its taste. More specifically, the Lords of House Notos...
"Father..."
Waving his son over, Amarant's expression was solemn as he placed his hand on Paul's shoulder and said, "I'm proud of you, my boy...even if not by your hand, you have already done more for the Milbots Region in these short five years than I have in my past twenty. While it can't be officiated until you produce a viable heir, I intend to announce my retirement during your forthcoming birthday celebration. If you accept this drink, then from that moment onward, you will be the Lord of House Notos..."
Instead of waiting for Paul to take it himself, Amarant picked up the glass, proferring to his son as he said, "Take it..." in a firm tone.
Inhaling a deep breath, more to suppress the sour feeling in his nose than anything else, Paul accepted the glass and answered, "It was my greatest fortune to be born as your son. Thank you, father...and I accept..."
Following his heartfelt words, Paul downed the scantily filled cup of wine. The taste was actually beyond terrible, but he swallowed the entire thing in a single gulp.
Preempting any response Paul might have given, Amarant stated, "Tastes like piss mixed with spoiled grapes, doesn't it?"
Offering a wry smile, Paul replied, "I couldn't have said it better..." before setting the glass on the table and asking, "Got anything more 'recent' to wash it down?"
Adopting a rare smile, Amarant's leafy-green eyes glistened as he walked around to the back of his desk and pulled out a silver canister, explaining, "That little Beast Race girl is a genius in the art of mixing. I had her throw together a little something special for us this morning..."
Placing his hand on the canister's lid, Amarant hesitated a moment before removing it to reveal a haze of cold mist. A fragrant aroma of alcohol and fruit immediately permeated the entire room, its fragrance, alone, enough to stir the hearts and minds of men.
"Even once I retire to the Capital, promise you will send me at least one, no, three bottles of Diona's Brandywine to me..."
Raising his brows, Paul replied, "I'll send ten." before asking, "You intend to retire to the Capital? Isn't it a little...early?"
Pausing before he could fill his and his son's glasses, Amarant's smile faded as he answered, "After seeing how well Philemon and Aubert get along, I have decided to take Flute as my Second Wife. Once I pass the Lordship to you, I will move to our residence in the Capital so that your younger brothers may enroll in the Royal Academy. Their talent may not compare to yours, but I believe they can become competent Knights or Mages. Two-year-olds being able to use Beginner Level Magic is beyond extraordinary..."
Though he was initially a little surprised to hear that Amarant would be taking Flute as his Second Wife, Paul quickly regained a smile as he said, "That's excellent news, father. However, there was something I wished to discuss with you before you go traipsing about in the Capital..."
"Hmmm? Out with it, boy."
Taking the opportunity to fill the two glasses, Amarant nearly spilled both when Paul said, "I intend to go on a pilgrimage to the Sword Sanctum and train there for two years."
After reaching Advanced Rank in the Water God Style, Paul felt as though his progress had slowed drastically. Augusta told him this was because he was still growing, but he also speculated it was an issue with affinity. Paul had trained like a madman, yet even after besting one of the Saint Ranked Instructors in two out of ten matches, he only had a basic grasp of Touki.
Paul knew the actual reason for his stunted growth was his secret training with Visions, so he wanted to journey to the literal Holy Land of Swords to 'purify' himself. He also needed to go there if he wished for Ei and the rest to receive official titles, so Paul wasn't ready to 'settle down' just yet.
Since he had also dreamed of going on a journey to the Sword Sanctum in his youth, Amarant couldn't blame his son, a far more talented swordsman than he, for wanting to do the same. He also wasn't planning to depart for the Capital until the boys were nearing their fifth birthdays, so while Paul had initially expected him to protest, Amarant just shrugged his shoulders and said, "If that terrifying little lass of yours gives her permission, I have nothing else to say on the matter. Now, stop stalling, and let's drink. If you keep interrupting, I may actually punch you..."
Without waiting for his son to respond, Amarant emptied nearly the entire contents of his glass in six large gulps. When he was finished, he exhaled a loud sigh similar to a drunken Yakuza, stunning his already slack-jawed son to silence...
...
..
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Chapter 43: MI43: Apprisal