Mushoku Impact

Though their late-night activities prevented them from making as much headway as they could have, Paul and Reida managed to reach a town large enough to support an Adventurer's Guild after twenty-six days of travel. It should have taken around eighteen, but neither Reida nor Paul were in a particular hurry.
"Don't go getting yourself killed the moment I take my eyes off of you, okay? And if anyone gives you trouble, make sure they regret it for the rest of their life. Understood?"
Resisting the urge to answer, "Yes, mom." Paul nodded his head and said, "Sure. I'll see you back at the Inn."
Noticing Paul's subtle and unintentional eye roll, Reida squinted her own before smacking him in the head with her right fist and saying, "Take this seriously, brat. You might be considered an adult, but don't think you're a man just yet. One slip up is all it will take before you're nothing more than a footnote in your family's history..."
Sobering up more as a result of Reida's words than the pain in his head, Paul's expression became serious as he affirmed, "I know. Trust me...I am well aware of what's at stake..."
Surprised by the rather drastic change in Paul's demeanor, Reida found herself at a momentary loss before answering, "Good...so long as you're aware, then it's fine..."
Feeling as though she may have gone a little overboard previously, Reida punctuated her words by smiling and ruffling Paul's hair. Then, with a soft, "See ya around..." she turned on her heels, raised her hand as a gesture of farewell, and made her way towards the Inn.
Exhaling a sigh, Paul took a moment to fix his hair before making his way into the small, single-receptionist Guild Hall. The Milbots Region was one of the safest in the Asura Kingdom, so, while there were branches of the Adventurer's Guild interspaced throughout it, there might not even be a single Adventurer within the town.
Since it was mid-afternoon, Paul was unsurprised to find the tavern-like hall empty. The Receptionist, a young woman with red hair and an ample bosom, was even in the midst of a nap. She had her head leaning against the wall, and, though it was very faint, Paul could hear her snoring before a soft ringing sound promptly awoke her.
"Jackson...?"
As there was only a single Adventurer away on missions at the present moment, the young Receptionist thought the sound of the bell chiming was her friend returning. When she saw Paul, her eyes briefly became as round as saucers as she tentatively inquired, "Can I...help you...?"
Seeing how neat and tidy Paul's appearance was, at least compared to the average commoner, the young Receptionist wasn't sure if she should address him as Sir or an even higher title. Fortunately, Paul made things a lot easier for her by raising his hand, smiling, and saying, "I stopped by to register with the Guild. Can you help with that...?"
"Uh...one moment, please..."
Though she was still a little nervous, the young Receptionist calmed down a lot after Paul's casual greeting. By the time she returned from the back room carrying a large, flat, and transparent piece of crystal, she had even regained a professional smile as she cheerfully inquired, "Is this your first time registering with the Guild? If so, I'll need you to fill out a form. If you can't read or write, I can help you."
Maintaining his smile, Paul casually replied, "I should be able to handle it, thanks."
Accepting the linen parchment the girl handed him, Paul left her slack-jawed by dipping the provided quill into an ink well and writing out his information with smooth and elegant handwriting. He nearly made the mistake of including Notos in his name but managed to fix it at the last moment by making it a simple initial.
"Paul N. Greyrat? Does that mean...are you-"
Raising his hand to silence the girl's murmurings, Paul maintained a relaxed smile as he said, "Please check the paperwork so we can move on with the registration. I have a companion waiting up for me, and I'd rather not keep her too long."
Unable to respond, the young Receptionist just nodded before checking over the information Paul provided. Seeing no obvious issues, she placed the piece of paper on the table before setting the crystalline slab on top of it. Once that was finished, she pulled out a thin, palm-sized, dull metal card before placing another piece of paper in front of Paul and muttering, "Please read this carefully..."
Staring down at the piece of paper labeled 'Code of Conduct', Paul took a moment to read through its relatively few contents while the Receptionist stared at him like he was some sort of exotic animal...
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Code of Conduct(I borrowed this from the Wiki) 1. Use of the Adventurer's Guild
If one registers with the Adventurer's Guild, they will receive services available to Adventurers.
2. Service Content
All Adventurer's Guilds throughout the world offer these services: job offerings, delivery of compensation and rewards, purchase of raw materials, and exchange of currency.
3. Registration Information
Adventurers receive a card with their own information under their control upon registering for the Adventurer's Guild. It is possible to re-issue it if lost, but rank will be reset to F. Also, each area has it's own fine for it.
4. Withdrawal from the Adventurer's Guild
If you request it, withdrawal from the guild is possible.
Re-registration is possible, but rank will restart at F.
5. Prohibited Conduct
The below actions are considered prohibited.
Actions which go against a countries laws. Actions which disgrace and cause the reliability of the guild to fall. Actions which interfere or obstruct other Adventurers jobs. Buying, selling, and trading of jobs. If prohibited actions are discovered, a fine will be applied and Adventurers guild qualifications will be revoked.
6. Breach of Contract Compensation
If you fail a job you have accepted you must pay compensation for the breach of contract, two times the amount of the job reward compensation. Repayment period is half a year. If compensation is not paid, Adventurers guild qualification will be revoked.
7. Rank
There are seven ranks from F to S based on Adventurers proven skills. As a general rule of thumb, you can only take jobs within one above or below your current rank.
8. Rank Promotions and Demotions
It is possible to raise your rank by succeeding a regulated number of jobs. However, if you feel that your ability isn't up to standard it is possible to remain at your current rank as well. Also, if you fail a certain number of jobs in succession, your rank will be demoted by one.
9. Obligation
In the case that a country is under attack by monsters and a request for assistance is made from the guild, you have an obligation to obey.
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After committing the more essential details to memory, Paul uttered a soft, "Neat." before meeting the Receptionist's gaze and asked, "Are we about done here?"
Though she was a little startled when Paul looked up at her after only a few seconds had passed, the bewildered Receptionist managed to force a smile as she answered, "Y-Yes. So long as you understand and accept the rules, I just need to issue your Guild Card..."
Placing the flimsy-looking piece of metal on the crystalline tablet, the complex magical formation engraved upon its surface briefly lit up. Then, as if there were a laser engraver within the glistening, rainbow-hued crystal, the surface of the card was promptly inscribed with all of Paul's information.
Once the card was finished being engraved, the marginally less nervous Receptionist proffered it toward Paul, smiling as she said, "Work hard, but don't jeopardize your life trying to increase your Rank quickly. If you end up crippled or lose your life in the process, it doesn't matter if you were F or S-Rank...the most important thing is making it back to the people who care about you at the end of the day. Okay...?"
Accepting the card, Paul nodded in both affirmation and approval as he said, "Excellent advice. I'll be sure to remember it...miss?"
"R-Rufina..."
Nodding his head a second time, Paul surprised Rufina by producing an Asuran Gold Coin and saying, "Keep the change...buy yourself and the people you care about something nice..."
More sure than ever that the handsome boy before her was a Noble, Rufina folded her hands over her lap with the intent to bow, but Paul had already turned to depart, emulating Reida's casual gesture of farewell as he said, "Take care of yourself, Ms. Rufina..."
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"You're earlier than expected. I figured you would walk around town and try to meet up with those two girls that have been tailing us."
Though he was unsurprised by Reida's words, Paul's smile turned wry as he asked, "You noticed them...?"
Giving Paul an 'are you serious?' kind of look, Reida decided to ignore his question and question, "Why not ask them to travel with us? I'm starting to feel a little self-conscious having that little cat girl spying on us all the time..."
Understanding that Reida was talking about Lynette, Paul's smile became even wrier as he said, "Yeah...that one, Lynette, can be a bit of a handful. Still, she and Rosaria are the types that operate better in the shadows. If we were to travel together, they wouldn't be able to move as freely."
Feeling as though she had just lost her scapegoats, a soft sigh escaped Reida's throat as she began to peel away her clothes. Now that she and Paul were alone, she had no delusions about what came next. Since the day they had met nearly two months ago, the only time they hadn't had sex was when she was on her period.
As it had been nearly three years since her last period, Reida had been more than a little surprised by its sudden resurgence. When she asked Paul about it, he hesitated for a moment before revealing that the Visions had the rather ridiculous side-effect of maintaining a person's 'prime' for as long as their ambitions remained. In other words, so long as she never lost sight of herself or her goals, she could offset the effects of aging by years, potentially even decades.
Since she could sense when Paul was telling the truth, Reida would be lying if she said she wasn't a little shaken by the revelation. At the same time, however, she felt excitement comparable to the moment she first entered the realm of Saints. Her age was something that had concerned her for years, not because she was afraid of dying but because she was fearful of atrophying and becoming weak.
Unlike male swordsmen, who could hold the title of Emperor or God for decades, the path of even the most talented female swordswomen went down the drain once they started menopause. If Paul hadn't given her a Vision, Reida knew she only had another five, maybe six years before her physical condition began to deteriorate on a daily basis. Instead, she got to maintain her beauty and physique for as long as she continued trying to improve her swordsmanship.
As grateful as she was for Paul giving her a Vision, Reida also knew it was only a matter of time before the King asked her the glowing purple crystal on her hip. When he did, she would have no choice but to reveal the details due to the magical contract that bound her. She didn't like it, but as the sworn-protector of the King, there wasn't much Reida could do until he killed over.
Fortunately, Paul didn't seem to care in the slightest when Reida warned him about revealing too much information. Instead, he actually thanked her for being honest with him before jokingly saying that if she were ever tasked to kill him, to do it after they were finished making love. In Paul's own words, he had said, "I think I could die with a smile on my face if it were after making love to a beautiful woman..."
In the days following Paul's joking, Reida willfully became a little more proactive whenever the two of them had sex. Before, she just let Paul do her from behind since it was meant to be a way for him to release stress after carrying her for half the day. Now, when she wasn't riding on top of him, Reida allowed Paul to pin her beneath him, her nails digging into his hair and back as he forced her to climax over, and over, and over again...
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With Reida taking a nap on his back, Paul slowly meandered his way through a forest on the northern side of the Donati Region. Nearly four months had passed since the start of his journey, but due to his decision to walk and their intermittent stops for training, Paul had only managed to cover a distance of around 1400km. He would be lying if he said it hadn't been an enjoyable experience, but there were times when he just wanted to bash his face into a tree.
"You guys seeing this? It's a little shit walkin' around with a dame on his back."
"You think he brought her here for us?"
"I don't give a rat's ass why he brought her here. Neither of them is going anywhere."
"That's right. Just look at the lad's face. A few swallows of grog, and he may as well be a lass."
Seeing the group of middle-aged assholes surrounding him with a bunch of poorly kept daggers and swords, an exasperated sigh escaped Paul's throat. Not because brigands were surrounding him, but because Reida had tightened her hold on him, purring, "Good luck..." instead of getting off his back.
Since the Water God Style focused on defense and counters to protect yourself and others, Reida had been making Paul fend off monsters and people while carrying her on his back. She would get off if anything truly dangerous showed up, but a bunch of peasant bandits who didn't even appear to possess Intermediate Swordsmanship might as well be inert stones on the side of the road.
"Drop the woman and take off all your clothes. Make for your sword, and me and my men will skewer you like a fucking pincushion."
"Yeah, yeah..."
A stark contrast to his casual, almost lazy-sounding words, Paul's mind was focused to its limits as he waved his hand towards the man that had spoken. The action caused the yellow-green Vision attached to his belt to pulse, thorny vines suddenly erupting from the ground to entangle the man's feet. In the same motion, Paul's somewhat malicious-looking Black Sword manifested, flying from his hand and stabbing the bewildered man in the chest before disappearing into motes of light as the latter's body collapsed without being able to fall to the ground.
"Holy shit! This bastard's a Mage! Attack! Attack! Attack!"
Despite the instantaneous loss of their leader, the group of highwaymen didn't retreat. Turning your back to a Mage was the same as asking to be struck in the back by a ranged attack, so the most common tactic to deal with them was to charge wantonly. So long as you could interrupt their chanting, Mages were often even weaker than normal people.
What the poorly educated brigands failed to consider was the fact that Paul had neither chanted nor made use of a ranged attack spell to deal with their boss. The thorny vines were the ability his Dendro Vision had granted him, and while the sword strapped to his lower back was more so a seat for Reida than anything more practical, he was most definitely not a Mage.
With his Black Sword reappearing in his hand, Paul leaned to the side in a manner that almost made it appear as though he was faltering. Instead of falling to the ground, however, he spontaneously accelerated halfway through the fall, reversing direction like a whip as he slipped past one of the men, casually slicing open his stomach in the process.
Though the act of killing had caused him to vomit and have the shakes the first couple of times, Paul had never felt guilty about it. He knew what would have happened to him if he were an ordinary person, so even if the men had wives and children waiting for them back home, Paul cut them down regardless. Those who exploited, tormented, and claimed the lives of others didn't get a free pass just because they behaved differently at home.
With the 'cooldown' of his Elemental Ability up, Paul stopped one of the three remaining assailants with his vines while casually raising the tip of his sword to intercept another's charge. The man had performed a full-force overhead swing, so Paul just needed to sidestep the attack and let gravity do the rest.
Without realizing he was essentially the only one left, the shortest of the five assailants, a man Paul was pretty sure was a Hobbit, jumped at him with daggers in hand. It was a stunning display of agility for someone so small, but Paul wasn't in the business of handing out compliments to his attackers. His enhanced kinetic vision and virtually superhuman senses, refined over years of training, allowed him to track the man's movements as if they were in slow motion. More importantly, he didn't need to pull his sword out of corpses like a normal person.&nbsp;
Raising his empty left hand towards the ostensibly suicidal Hobbit, Paul's Black Sword disappeared from his right before reappearing to impale the diminutive, middle-aged man through the chest.
Though Paul initially intended to fling the man away to prevent a possible counterattack, it proved unnecessary as a small shockwave erupted from his blade the moment it pierced into the man's body. As a result, not only was the man blasted away, but a gaping hole the size of a grapefruit ran clear through his body.
Suppressing his urge to throw up, Paul's expression remained cold as he shifted his attention to the last remaining assailant. The man had noticed this and immediately ceased trying to hack away the resilient vines that had wrapped around his legs, stammering, "P-P-Please b-b-be-"
Without waiting for the man to finish asking for a mercy he would have never afforded another, Paul hurled his Black Blade through the air, its absurd sharpness allowing it to sink up to the hilt as Reida opened her eyes to remark, "You know I hate seeing you throw your sword around like that..."
Recalling the aforementioned sword to his hand, Paul promptly stored it within his Vision before turning toward the direction he was previously walking in and saying, "Rules and techniques are reserved for duels..."
Exhaling an exasperated sigh, Reida decided not to press the matter and simply tightened her hold on Paul. She would have preferred it if he just stuck with the Water God Style, but Paul's use of Healing Magic and his Vision made him better suited to the North God Style. More annoyingly, his inhuman drive to achieve any goal he set for himself made him better suited to the Sword God Style than any other...
"At this rate, you'll end up becoming a Saint in all three Schools without mastering any..."
Catching Reida somewhat by surprise, Paul refuted her words, saying, "I won't stop until I reach the Rank of Emperor..."
Recovering from her momentary shock, a teasing smile developed across Reida's face as she asked, "Not God...?"
Shaking his head, Paul surprised Reida a second time as he adopted a teasing smile of his own and said, "I'm not braindead enough to be the Sword God, shameless enough to be the North God, and I like the Water God too much to see her replaced any time soon..."
"You..."
Feeling a fluttery feeling in her chest, it took a fair amount of restraint for Reida not to put Paul into a chokehold. Instead, she planted a kiss on his cheek and affirmed, "You're definitely shameless enough to be the North God..."
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With the nearly impregnable Red Dragon Mountain Range surrounding the territories of the Asura Kingdom, the only conventional method to travel to other countries was passing through the massive, fortress-like checkpoints known as the Red Dragon's Upper and Lower Jaws.
As the only routes in and out of the Asura Kingdom, the Red Dragon's Upper and Lower Jaws were exceptionally well guarded. Every person attempting to pass through would need to have their identities checked, and, in the event you were trying to enter the nation, you would need to pay a rather hefty toll.
Fortunately for Paul, Reida's status as the one and only Water God not only allowed them to stay at hostels and Inns for free, she was able to pass through virtually any checkpoint for free. After all, if she wanted to pass through, who could stop her?
"This is it, boy. From here, you just need to keep traveling Northwest, and you'll eventually reach the Sword Sanctum."
Though she was tempted to escort Paul the entire way, Reida wasn't on friendly terms with the current Sword God, Gal Farion. He was one of the people she wanted to kill more than any other, so if the two met without the King ordering it, she would either kill him or die trying.
Since Reida had revealed bits and pieces of her past to him during their travels, Paul wasn't too surprised by her words. He was a little sad, but instead of making things more difficult for them both, he adopted a smile and said, "I'll savor every moment of it..."
Though she was momentarily confused by Paul's words, it only took a few seconds for Reida to recall his comment about hating to see her go but loving to watch her leave. A smile immediately developed across her face, and, instead of slugging him in the arm like she originally intended, she half-turned away from him and said, "Burn it into your eyes, brat..." before slowly and seductively meandering her way back to the entrance of the checkpoint. When she finally passed through and looked back, she found Paul still staring at her in the distance, her heart fluttering one last time before they both turned and walked away...
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"They've finally separated..."
"Yeah, but he's no longer within the territory of the Asura Kingdom. If we follow him into the Holy Land, we'll be violating the treaty..."
"He's a ten-year-old Advanced Swordsman who received the personal tutelage of the Water God. If we let him walk away now, there's a good chance he may return as a King or an Emperor in the future. The Prince's orders could not be clearer. We are to eliminate Paul-"
Before the beautiful female assassin could finish her words, everyone in the group tensed as an overwhelming bloodlust pressed down on them like a mountain. In the very next moment, the breathtakingly beautiful figure of a woman with short black hair and cerulean blue eyes appeared in their midst, declaring, "That man is not yours to kill..." in a cold, bone-chilling tone.
Unfortunately for the group of Maid Assassins, the woman, Sword God Reida, wasn't there to give them a warning. The moment her words fell, each and every assassin within the group collapsed, their bodies sliced into neat chunks that briefly crackled with purple lightning.
Brandishing the predominately blue and white longsword, the fierce look on Reida's face melted into a smile as she muttered, "Alley Flash...a very fitting name..."
As someone who had grown up in the slums of the Asura Kingdom, there was a time when Reida was referred to with names such as Street Urchin and Alley Rat. Now, thanks to the Vision and sword Paul had granted her, it wasn't too much of an exaggeration to say her attacks were as fast as lightning.
Allowing the longsword to dissipate and return to her Vision, Reida's eyes wandered to the Northwest as she wistfully uttered, "Come back strong, Paul..." before placing her hand on her abdomen. She would never admit it, but she was pretty sure he had reshaped her insides to be a perfect fit for his ostensibly insatiable manhood. At the very least, that's what Reida believed as, even now, she could feel Paul's lingering presence inside her abdomen, gently pulsing as a feeling skin to longing filled her bosom...
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"You sure you don't want to turn back and say goodbye to your mother? Never know what'll happen on the road. For all you know, this is the last chance you'll ever have to see her."
Without looking back at the raven-haired woman following behind him, Paul answered, "If that were true and I turned back now, the last memory I would have of my mother is her tear-stained face. There's also a chance she would try and convince me to stay. If that happened, I would be filled with regret my entire journey..."
"Mmm...well, if you say so. Just don't go calling me mommy if you begin to feel homesick."
Exhaling a sigh, Paul suppressed the image Reida's comment placed in his mind before asking, "Are you sure you want to follow me? Now that I'm no longer a Noble, there are no real benefits to being on good terms with me. I mean, other than the obvious one..."
Understanding what Paul was saying, an amused chuckle emanated from Reida's throat before she suddenly hugged him from behind. She wouldn't say it aloud, but she was even more interested in Paul now that he wasn't a Noble. Without the burden of inherited duty and obligation, each of the actions he took from this moment forward would shape him into the man he made himself. She might not be able to accompany him as long as she would like, but Reida was interested in seeing the man he would grow into without the public backing of his family.
"I said I would accompany you to the Holy Land of the Sword, so that's what I intend to do. Besides, you spent all that time and effort trying to 'conquer' me. Would you be satisfied if I just walked away now?"
Though he had never once mentioned trying to conquer the inordinately beautiful swordswoman, Paul would be lying if he said the thought hadn't crossed his mind. Reida was perceptive enough to distinguish the minute fluctuations in a person's emotions, so she had probably sensed his intent during their daily fuckathons. She was currently the only woman he could release his tensions with, so they had been going at it like rabbits for five to six hours a day since she started training him.
"The question you should be asking is if you'd be satisfied walking away before I fully mature. My father is 185cm tall, and I'm pretty sure I'm on track to outgrow him. If you think I'm a 'little monster' now, just wait until I become a 'big beast'..."
"You cheeky little rascal...are you sure you're a Noble...?"
Removing Reida's arms from his neck and shoulders, Paul turned around to face her before surprising her with an embrace that resulted in both of his hands grasping her bubbly yet incredibly toned bottom.
"Didn't you hear? By order of King Enel Anemoi Asura, Paul Notos Greyrat was to have his noble status and title revoked. Now, I'm just Paul Greyrat, Lord of nothing but myself..."
Demonstrating a degree of strength uncommon for a ten-year-old, even if he appeared much older, Paul easily hefted Reida by her ass cheeks as he added, "My most meaningful claim to fame right now is that I'm the fuck buddy of the beautiful and courageous Water God Reida Reia...so yeah, I would be sad to see you go, but I'd love to watch you leave..."
Though it was only for a moment, Reida felt her heart flutter in response to Paul's words and actions. It was to his benefit that she actually had a thing for younger men, or, more accurately, boys on the cusp of becoming men. A lot of her traumas were related to older men having their way with her, so many of her most pleasant memories were from a time long before she became the Water God...
"You cheeky...no...forget it..."
Deciding to see if she could turn the tables, though she seriously doubted it, Reida once again wrapped her arms around Paul's shoulders. This time, however, they were face to face. As a result, she was able to lean forward and plant a kiss on his lips, the first they shared despite an ample amount of what Paul increasingly referred to as fucking.
Despite being tremendously surprised by Reida's actions, Paul didn't react negatively or release her. Instead, he surprised her by slipping his tongue into her mouth and pressing his semi against her crotch. She had on a pair of thick yet form-fitting black trousers, but he could still feel the contours and warmth of what lay beneath if he pressed and ground hard enough...
Surprising Paul this time, Reida's jaw briefly trembled before she slapped his shoulder, pushed away from him, and said, "There's a time and a place for everything, brat. We might 'fuck' like animals, but we're still human. I'm not fond of walking around with semen dripping between my thighs in the middle of the forest..."
Since Paul had been releasing his seed inside of her upwards of ten times a day, it wasn't an embellishment to state that he had cum inside her well over a hundred times. It was partially her fault for egging him on, but she honestly didn't care at this point. She just didn't want Paul ruining her only outfit. At the very least, they should find a stream or something first...
Realizing she was actively considering conditions that would let Paul have sex with her, Reida's thoughts and expression temporarily blanked before she gave him a firm shove and said, "Get a move on. You're supposed to know this Region, so I'm expecting you to get us to a town before it gets too late. If we end having to rough it, I'm using your blanket and clothes as a pillow."
Understanding the futility of trying to argue with a normal woman, much less one that could conceivably turn him to meat paste with a slap, Paul just smiled wryly and said, "The village I'm taking us to, Kroft, is around 23kms from the Estate. At a marching pace, it takes about four hours to reach. Given how long we've been on the road, we should reach it within the next hour, two at the most."
Nodding her head in approval, a somewhat mischievous smile developed across Reida's face as she said, "I see..." She then started to remove her sword belt and loose, open-sleeved jacket as she appended, "We won't be able to train much on the road. To prevent you from slacking off and getting lazy, I'll have you carry me."
Though the actual reason was because she was getting annoyed walking through rough terrain in heeled boots, Reida wasn't lying when she said it was to prevent him from slacking off. He also had an entertaining habit of picking her up, so she figured she was doing him a favor by letting him get accustomed to her weight.
Instead of arguing with the raven-haired swordswoman, Paul allowed her to tie her sword belt and jacket to his rucksack before letting her clamber onto his back. She was only around 47kgs, and the feeling of her thighs in his hands and breasts pressing into his back were pretty solid motivators. He also knew they would be able to engage in their nightly activities once they reached the town, so, after making sure the voluptuous woman was secured to his back, Paul began jogging, rather than walking, toward their destination...
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One of the fundamental rules of business, and a good idea in general, was that you never placed all your eggs in one basket.
Despite the efforts she had made to secure her position and improve the Milbots Region, Ninnguang had been preparing contingencies from the moment Paul first placed her in charge. Not because the Kingdom was bound to interfere, but because there was always a possibility that Paul simply wouldn't want to be the Lord.
By focusing on infrastructure and training capable personnel, Ningguang had created conditions that would allow House Notos to succeed even if she and Paul were no longer in the picture. As for her actual plan, she had been eyeing the East even before Paul summoned her.
Though she had to have Zhongli tunnel nearly 270km through the base of a mountain before she could get started, Ningguang had been setting up an underground command center West of what many colloquially referred to as the Strife Zone.&nbsp;
As the name implied, the Strife Zone was a region perpetually at war. It had been a place where the strong gathered to prove themselves for well over 4200 years, and, according to legend, it was the source of the Ranks popularized by Mages and Swordsmen.
Though the Strife Zone occupied a plot of terrain roughly 70% the size of the Asura Kingdom, it had been divided into more than a hundred warring Fiefdoms, Kingdoms, and Countries depending on the individual strength of the people in charge. Saints ruled over Fiefdoms while Kings, as could be expected, ruled over Kingdoms. As for Emperor-Ranked Swordsmen and Mages, they could typically bully Kings and Saints to form countries, but the belief was that a powerful Emperor could one day unify the entire region and make it into an Empire.
Since the notion of handing over between 40-70% of her earnings didn't sit well with Ningguang, she had always planned to cut ties with the Asura Kingdom at one point or another. Not entirely, but enough that she could form an autonomous trade nation similar to the Liyue of her homeworld.
By consolidating personnel, wealth, and resources for the better part of four years, Ningguang was already in a position to establish a nation of her own the moment she stepped into the Strife Zone. Instead, she had Zhongli and the Dwarves she hired construct a fortress in the base of the Red Dragon Mountain Range.&nbsp;
As eager as she was to charge into the center of the Strife Zone and expand outward, Ninnguang knew better than to underestimate even ordinary people. The most powerful faction presently within the Strife Zone was the Markien Mercenary Country.&nbsp;
As the name implied, the Markien Mercenary Country was a nation of mercenaries led by an Emperor-Ranked Earth/Fire Mage known as Eura Wyne Kurr. He was a half-demon who had governed over the region for nearly ninety years, backed by a group of two Sword Kings, six Sword Saints, and a bevy of Saint-Ranked Mages he had raised from a young age.
Though she was confident that Ei and Zhongli could move about freely within the Strife Zone, Ningguang could also imagine the former getting taken advantage of and the latter getting lost. Thus, while Paul was off away on his training voyage, trailed by Rosaria and Lynette, Ningguang aimed to spread her influence into the region from West to East. When she finally reached the sea, that's where she would construct the new and improved Liyue Harbor, a port she was determined to make into the center of trade between the Central, Millis, and Demon Continents...
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"Seriously...kid...show...some...restraint..."
Though her hands and the pillow beneath her muffled her words, Reida was confident Paul could hear her. Instead of slowing down, however, he spread her ass cheeks with his hand, pushing her butt up as he increased his speed and continuously adjusted his angle. He could see Reida's toes curling, so there was no way in hell he was going to let up when she was on the verge of a massive climax.
Despite her efforts to resist, Reida began squirting as Paul's glans struck and scraped a few of her more sensitive spots. Paul had learned most of her weak spots by now, so, after nearly four hours, Reida was beginning to get a little teary-eyed due to the pleasure. Her face was red up to her ears, and, no matter how she attempted to suppress them, small moans that only served to motivate Paul further periodically escaped her lips...
Reida would never admit it, but if Paul didn't let up a bit, she really might break. Ironically, the very notion was enough to cause the depths of her vagina to tense like a vice...
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..
.

Chapter 51: MI51: Registration : Relief