Mushoku Impact

After passing toll-free through the monster-infested route, Paul and Ghislaine found themselves at a decently sized village known as Tria. It was only around 19km from their actual destination, but the duo decided to rest, mainly at Paul's behest.
"Before we go any further, there's something I've been meaning to tell you but couldn't due to our circumstances."
Though he was tempted to keep traveling as just the two of them, Paul knew Barbara and the others would get upset if he was on the move but still left them inside the IOF. Thus, after reserving a party-sized room in an Inn, he apprised her of his past, his 'power,' and his intentions for the future.
When everything was said and done, Ghislaine surprised Paul by simply stating, "I knew you were special." in a matter-of-factly tone of voice. It didn't matter to her that Paul was a 'former' Noble or that he might be in contention with the Asura Kingdom in the future. She would fight and, if necessary, die to protect her partner.
Feeling a little sheepish, a wry smile developed across Paul's face as he said, "Wait till you meet the others...I feel like I've closed the gap these past two and a half years, but some of my companions are on a different level..."
Having sparred with the matured Ei, Jean, and Barbara, Paul knew he still had a long way to go before being considered powerful. Ei, in particular, gave off an even more dangerous feeling than Gal. Paul didn't know if this meant she was more powerful than him, but the difference in their 'intent' was like heaven and earth. Since Gal was in his last forties while Ei was in her two-thousands, it wasn't difficult to imagine why.
"Okay, wait here. I'll be back in a few minutes."
Without explaining how his 'powers' worked, Paul placed his palm against the door leading to the bathroom. The Kingdoms belonging to the Magic Triumverate had a progressive mentality regarding magical and scientific studies, so they had relatively advanced plumbing, recycling, and waste disposal methods. It was genuinely a breath of fresh air.
After opening the IOF, Paul reminded Ghislaine that he would be back in a few minutes before stepping through the seemingly innocuous door and vanishing. The ashen-haired cat girl immediately shot up from her bed to investigate, so Paul poked his head out and told her to stay put with a wry smile on his face. This time, knowing he hadn't vanished on her, Ghislaine complied.
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"That's the situation. What do you think?"
After explaining his situation and plans for the next year, Paul opened the floor to discussion. The first to speak was Jean, suggesting, "If you're not in too much of a hurry, I propose having Barbara, Ei, and Xiangling travel with you while Eula, Razor, and myself venture to the Sword Sanctum. We still need to obtain official Ranks for ourselves, and it would be extremely inconvenient to do so later."
Hearing her sister's remark, Barbara asked, "What about me? Don't I need a rank...?"
Shifting her attention to Barbara, Jean stated, "I assumed you would have opposed traveling to the Sword Sanctum in order to spend more time with Paul. If you wish to come along, I'm not going to object."
"Ah..."
Realizing she might be apart from Paul for an additional four months, at the very least, Barbara's brows creased. Seeing this, Eula suggested, "You should go. I will stay and protect our Master. My style of swordsmanship is better suited to the Water God Style, so I see no reason to travel to the Sword Sanctum."
Believing that the reason for Barbara's hesitation was safeguarding Paul, Eula puffed out her chest with pride as she readily ceded her spot on the expedition Westward.
Staring at Eula, or, more accurately, the former's perfectly sculpted body, Barbara's face morphed into an accusatory glower. Before she could say anything, however, Paul interposed himself into the conversation, stating, "We only needed official Ranks if we planned to operate in the bounds of the Asura Kingdom. Now that we're heading Eastward and looping around to the Strife Zone, we may not even be returning to the Asura Kingdom for years. I'm down to wait in Sharia if you want to attain Ranks of your own, but they're no longer as necessary as they were."
Though she understood what Paul was trying to say, Jean expressed, "I believe it is better to have a Rank than not. There's no knowing what the future holds, so it's best to take advantage of these opportunities as they come."
"Then what about me? Should I not travel to the Sanctum as well...?"
Listening to the conversation, Ei, having long regained her transcendental beauty, decided to chime in. In response, it was Paul who answered, "You and the rest of the Archons are in a league of your own. If you were to go to the Sword Sanctum and attain the Rank of Emperor, it would draw a lot of unnecessary attention."
"Mmm...I see..."
No longer caring about the Sword Sanctum in the slightest, Ei shifted her attention to the door connecting to the outside world as she added, "Then I will stay with Master and fulfill my duty as the Electro Archon..."
Understanding what Ei meant when she mentioned fulfilling her duty, the smile on Paul's face became noticeably wrier. Ei had already given birth to one Seelie thus far, and while Paul found the nebulous little Electro Spirit to be incredibly adorable, the notion it was more than technically his child gave him goosebumps...
"Right..."
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Following the discussion, it was decided that Jean, Barbara, and Razor would be venturing to the Sword Sanctum while Ei, Eula, and Xiangling would be accompanying Paul and Ghislaine to Sharia, globally renowned as the home of the Ranoa Magic Academy.&nbsp;
Despite seeing Paul emerge from the bathroom alongside numerous girls, Ghislaine wasn't particularly surprised. She had frequently smelled their scents on Paul's body, so, while she had never met them, she had known about their existence for quite some time.&nbsp;
The only people Ghislaine really cared about from the IOF were Ei, Razor, and, after tasting her food, Xiangling. Ei caused her body to tense just by being in the same room, while Razor's striking resemblance to a member of the Dedoldia Tribe caused Ghislaine to feel a kinship toward her. Razor felt the same way towards Ghislaine, so the two girls became surprisingly close, literally overnight.
With Ei, Eula, Xiangling, and Razor keeping Ghislaine company, Paul ended up renting a second room to 'bid farewell' to Jean and Barbara. The trip to and from the Sword Sanctum would take approximately three months, so, including the time it took to acquire their Ranks, it would be around four to six months before they saw each other again. Thus, more so for Barbara's sake than Jean's, Paul dedicated the entire night to giving the two sisters something to remember him by.
After the time he had spent with Reida, Paul was even more confident in the bedroom than on the battlefield...
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"Take care of yourselves. And remember, if any bandits attempt to harass or exploit you, spare them no mercy. Doing so is the same as consigning the group of girls after you to an even worse fate."
As the words were addressed to her more than Jean and Razor, Barbara nodded her head in understanding, an inordinately serious expression on her face as she said, "Don't worry. Even if I don't have the heart to take a life, I won't get in the way of my sister and Razor finishing them off."
Since he would prefer it if Barbara never had to kill, Paul returned a nod of his own, saying, "That will suffice..." before wrapping the petite beauty in his arms and whispering, "Take care of yourself, Pipit..."
"Nn..."
Taking advantage of her short stature, a mere 162cm compared to Paul's 187, Barbara nestled her face into his chest. It annoyed her that she had never even come close to her sister's level of development, but, at times like this, she enjoyed being small as it made her feel as though Paul was enveloping her entire body in his embrace.
Releasing his dainty songbird after a kiss to her crown, Paul turned to the much taller Jean and asked, "Can I get a goodbye hug...?"
With a faint smile on her face, Jean turned her eyes up at Paul and asked, "Do you still need to ask questions like that?" before wrapping her arms around him and adding, "We'll be back as soon as possible..."
While enjoying the feeling of Jean's rather sizeable and pillowy breasts pressing against him, Paul nodded his head lazily in response. Barbara wasn't lacking in charm, but Jean was a beauty from top to bottom. The moment he had seen her mature form within the IOF, Paul felt as though she had stabbed her hand into his chest and gripped his heart directly. It was almost scary how beautiful she was, especially in form-fitting white trousers.
Feeling Paul's hands making their way down her back, Jean separated from him with a playfully admonishing look on her face. It made her heart flutter whenever he showed just how much he wanted her, but she would prefer it if he showed a bit of restraint in front of Barbara...
Demonstrating his increasing shamelessness, a teasing smile developed across Paul's as he gestured to Barbara and said, "C'mere, Pipit."
With Barbara sheepishly returning to his side, Paul 'hugged' both girls, this time taking a firm grasp of their bottoms as he asserted, "I love you both." before planting kisses on each of their lips and adding, "Take care of each other for me, okay?"
Nodding their heads in affirmation, Jean replied with a curt, "Understood." while Barbara responded with an even more straightforward but bashful, "Nn..."
Though he would have liked to continue holding them for an eternity, Paul reluctantly released the sisters' soft and pliant bottoms before turning to Razor and asking, "What about you? Want to say goodbye...?"
Since his relationship with Razor was closer to that of sex friends than lovers, Paul often found himself unsure of how to act around her.
Nodding her head in affirmation, Razor answered, "Master Paul is Lupical. Lupical should always say goodbye before parting."
Punctuating her words, Razor stepped forward to give Paul a firm hug and a lick on the lips. She knew what kissing was but favored licking since she often forgot to breathe when she got too immersed in the former...
Though it was noticeably awkward, Paul managed a smile in response to Razor's affections. Then, more so for the sake of 'fairness' than anything else, he gave the wolfish girl's remarkably toned bottom a firm squeeze as he said, "Take care of yourself, protect our family, and make sure to listen to Jean..."
Surprising Paul a bit, Razor gave his butt a firm squeeze of her own as she nodded her head and replied, "Leave it to Razor. Razor will protect Master Paul's Lupical...!"
With a paradoxically wrier yet sincere smile on his face, Paul issued a soft chuckle before raising the earnest wolf girl from the ground and giving her a chaste kiss on the lips. It was a shame she wasn't an actual wolf girl, as Paul could easily imagine her tail wagging from side to side as she tensed excitedly within his arms...
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After seeing off the trio of Jean, Barbara, and Razor, Paul, accompanied by Ei, Eula, Xiangling, and Ghislaine, departed Tria through the Northern gate. Their destination, Sharia, was a relatively leisurely four-hour journey away, so by leaving early in the morning, they were guaranteed to reach it before lunch. At the very least, that's how things should have gone...
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With two Kingdoms and a Dukedom occupying a relatively small 680,000 square kilometers of land, common sense would dictate the road between Tria and Sharia to be reasonably safe. Unfortunately, despite their relative progressiveness, accepting all races without discrimination, the nations of the Magic Triumverate also had a very active Slave trade.
Since it wasn't exactly feasible to import Slaves from other countries, the Ranoa and Neris Magic Kingdoms had made a secret agreement with the various bandit troupes in the region. So long as they didn't plunder towns or assault convoys bearing the seal of the Royal Trade Commission, they were permitted to act with relative impunity. The Aristocracy would even pay a premium for young, beautiful, and exotic women, so while monster attacks were relatively rare, kidnapping and slave trafficking ran rampant throughout the North.
"Master..."(A/N: This is Ei.)
"Yeah, I know..."
Though he had sensed them beforehand, Paul activated his Demon Eyes of X-Ray Vision to find nearly twenty people waiting to ambush his party near a chokepoint in the forest path. Such numbers practically guaranteed the group was filled with weaklings, but the enchanted nets in their hands could prove troublesome if they knew how to use them.
The thing that aggravated Paul the most about the situation was that the group of bandits had employed a disheveled-looking girl with pale brown hair and long ears as bait. Paul didn't know if the girl was an Elf, a Hobbit, a Dwarf, or a hybrid of some sort, but seeing a young girl half-beaten and starved on the side of the road made his skin crawl.
"Spread out...the moment they attack, break away from each other and cut them down. You don't have to kill if you don't want, but know I won't be showing any mercy..."
With the final few words directed towards Xiangling, Paul was somewhat surprised to hear her firmly declare, "I won't forgive anyone who makes others into slaves."
What Paul didn't know was that Xiangling had befriended many of the people Ningguang had saved from slavery. She had been the leader of a therapy group that allowed the younger girls to unload their burdens in a safe environment. Some of the things Xiangling had heard were enough to make her want to hunt down and burn people alive. Thus, when it came to Slavers and Slave Traders, Xiangling had very little mercy to spare.
While thinking he should spend more time with Xiangling, Paul nodded his head in approval, saying, "Well said." before returning his attention to the path ahead and adding, "When the fighting begins, I'll entrust the scouts to you, Ghislaine...hunt them down like the animals they are..."
As someone that had been hunted by Slavers in the past, Ghislaine didn't hesitate to nod her head, growling, "No survivors..." in a murderous tone. Then, without waiting for a signal or the enemy to attack, she immediately charged into the underbrush to behead the masked Beast person that had been tailing them.
Slapping his forehead, Paul groaned, "This damned berserker..." before shaking his head, manifesting his Black Sword, and shouting, "Attack..!" in a commanding tone.
Surprising Paul even more than Ghislaine, Ei's figure vanished with a purple thunderclap, a zig-zagging trail of Electro energy darting through the trees as she cut down more than four people before his voice could echo through the area.
"Holy shi-"
"I will secure the girl."
Interrupting Paul's stunned utterance, Eula dashed low and swiftly to the ground, easily evading a series of nets before grabbing the malnourished girl seated on the side of the path. Her charge forward compelled Paul to do the same, the glowing edge of his blade cutting flesh, armor, and trees as if they were made of gelatin. There was some resistance, but it was so negligible that Paul only noticed the feedback when he happened to land a crit.
"P-Please! I have a-"
Before the man could finish his begging, Paul unhesitantly cut through his throat before swiftly raising his sword overhead and bifurcating the man from crown to stomach. It was an unbelievably ghastly sight, but Paul's expression and eyes remained firm as he leaped toward the next human-shaped monster.
In a surprisingly short period, Paul and his group had cut down a total of twenty-three people. Of these, Paul killed four, and Ghislaine killed three. The remaining fourteen were cut down mercilessly by Ei, her movements so swift and efficient that she would have been invisible to the naked eye if not for the vibrant purple trail of Electro Energy left in her wake. When she emerged from the forest, there was even a ring of it floating behind her back, an empowering phenomenon known as the Chakra Desiderata.
Though he had just murdered four people, Paul couldn't help muttering, "Beautiful..." when he saw Ei brandishing her Musou no Hitotachi in her left hand. When he did, her generally stoic expression developed a faint smile as she lowered her head and softly replied, "Master Paul is too kind with his words..."
Understanding that the aftermath of a slaughter probably wasn't the best time for flirting, Paul just returned a smile of his own before calling out to Eula, asking, "How's the girl...?"
Surprising Paul quite a bit, Eula, carrying the child-like Slave in her arms, corrected, "It's a boy. I believe he's an Elven child."
Since the only thing distinguishing male and female Elves in the world of Mushoku Tensei was their ears and privates, Paul couldn't be blamed for mistaking the Slave as a young girl. It also didn't really matter, so he just nodded his head before asking, "Is he injured anywhere...?"
Squinting her eyes in the closest thing to a scowl Paul had ever seen on her face, Eula answered, "Too numerous to count. Please apply Healing and Detoxification Magic at your earliest convenience."
"Got it. We'll move further up the path and create a small camp. Once I'm finish treating his injuries, I imagine he'll want to-"
Understanding Paul was about to mention food, Xiangling could no longer hold down the contents of her stomach. She hadn't killed anyone, but the smell of blood and slaughter was heavy on the air.
Patting Xiangling's back, Paul suggested, "Move first. Talk later." in a curt tone. In response, everyone picked up the baggage they had discarded before the battle. Then, despite being a little more than an hour out from their destination, they set up camp to care for the little Elven boy...
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"What do you mean everyone was wiped out!? We had more than half our boys out today...!"
As the person assigned to view the group from a distance, just in case, the sole survivor of the group of Slavers that targetted Paul trembled like a newborn faun as he explained, "I-I-It all ha-ha-happened so fast! We s-s-saw a gr-group of beautiful girls traveling with some ba-ba-bastard and thought they would be easy prey! The-"
Without waiting for the fumbling scout to finish, the mountain of a man he was reporting to slapped him aside with enough force to make his head explode. Then, with a demonic expression on his face, he rose to his full height of 220cm and said, "We're going. No one antagonizes our Red Oni Hunting Party and gets away with it. We'll capture the women and force them to watch as I wear their man like a codpiece."
Though the remaining thirteen people in the group issued loud cheers in response to their leader's words, they couldn't help feel chills run along their spines and spread through their bodies. Their leader was a member of the Ogre Tribe, one of the most muscular and physically intimidating species in the entire world. Their shoulders were nearly as broad as they were tall, but their most prominent features, at least in the eyes of many, were their tusk-like teeth, their singular red horns, and their nearly 40cm long penises...
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After treating the young Elf's injuries and providing them some potato stew, provided courtesy of Xiangling, Paul asked, "Got a name, kid...?"
Demonstrating he was likely a fair bit older than he appeared, the youthful-looking Elf nodded his head and answered, "Though those bastards thought they could take it away from me, my name remains Revaan Oakwood. I traveled here with the hope of studying Magic at Ranoa Magic Academy, but these miscreants seized my belongings and attempted to sell me as a Slave. When they realized I wasn't a female, they turned me into a punching bag and elected to use me as bait..."
Realizing he was being a little rude, Revaan lowered his head toward Paul and the others, saying, "Forgive my carelessness. Here I am complaining about my situation when I've yet to thank you for your assistance. I have nothing else to offer, so I hope my gratitude will suffice as compensation."
Waving his hand in a dismissive gesture, Paul said, "Don't worry about it. My companions and I aren't particularly fond of Slavers. Now, before I ask anything else, there's something I need to know. Are you a slave, or were you just being held captive...?"
Slumping his head and shoulders, Revaan replied, "I managed to avoid a brand but was still bound by Slave Contract. My would-be Master is a member of the Ogre Tribe named Saikon. I imagine he and his Red Oni Hunting Party will be appearing shortly to try and capture you..."
Raising his brows, Paul noted, "You don't seem particularly concerned."
Shaking his head, Revaan adopted a rather fierce smile as he said, "That demon may be powerful, but I've never seen anyone as powerful as you and your companions. If you were Mages, you might have had trouble due to the inherent Magical Resistance of the Ogre Tribe, but you appear to be swordsmen and women. I believe you will make short work of Saikon and his goons."
"Mmm..."
Though he would only be able to ascertain Saikon's strength when he met the man, Paul had read extensively about the various races that inhabited the world of Mushoku Tensei. The Ogre Tribe was mentioned as being the third most physically powerful species in the world, right behind Dragons and Titans. Even their children were rumored to be able to break through trees, while Malta, the Ogre God, was known to have leveled a mountain during his ten-day 'spar' with Badigadi.
Shifting his gaze to Eula, Paul asked, "Want to see how your Water God Style fares against a physically superior opponent? I'm pretty sure even Xiangling could wipe the floor with him, but you know I've always enjoyed watching you dance."
Blushing slightly, Eula muttered a meek, "Unforgiveable..." intended only for her ears. Then, in response to Paul's words, she nodded her head and said, "If I must, I will give Master a performance deserving of his praise."
Adopting an amused smile, Paul was tempted to tease Eula a bit when Revaan asked, "Why do these women refer to you as Master? Don't tell me..."
Answering in Paul's stead, both Eula and Ei exclaimed, "Do not insult our Master...!" at the same time. Fortunately for Revaan, Paul waved the two inordinately dutiful girls down before explaining, "I was once a relatively high-ranking Noble of the Asura Kingdom. Though my standing and title have been stripped away, I am blessed to have steadfast allies who still regard me as their Master..."
"Ah...that's why you speak so eloquently. Most of the humans I've met are, for lack of a better descriptive, wantonly barbaric. It would appear Master Paul is a highly educated gentleman. Perhaps you also wished to study at the Ranoa Magic Academy...?"
Though Paul was about to answer Revaan's question, his senses alerted him to the presence of numerous people even before Ghislaine said, "We are being surrounded."
Nodding his head, Paul said, "We'll need to put this discussion on hold. Ei, Xiangling, protect the camp. Eula, Ghislaine, and I will handle this."
"Understood."
"Okay..."
With the two girls responding in the affirmative, Paul manifested his Black Blade while focusing his Demon Eyes of X-Ray Vision on the most potent and bloodthirsty intent. He was slightly surprised by how massive Saikon was, but he had long learned that size didn't matter. Well, it did, just not in such a 'small scale' battle...
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"Still pouting? It's not like I blamed you or anything..."
Instead of replying to Paul's words, Ghislaine continued blowing bubbles in the warm bath he had created for them using Beginner Rank Water and Fire Magic. She had come to her senses about three weeks after the start of the mating season, and she had been in a glum and gloomy mood ever since.&nbsp;
Shrugging his shoulders, Paul allowed Ghislaine to continue sulking and just focused on cleaning her thick mane of ashen-grey hair. Their bestial lifestyle had left them smelling like sex and roadkill, so he was giving her a good cleaning after wiping down his own body.
Interrupting Paul's rhymic scrubbing, Ghislaine muttered, "I did something awful...you shouldn't let me off so easily..."
Without missing a beat, Paul asked, "And who is it that decides that? Last I checked, I was the boss between us. Since I already forgave you, who are you to insist I punish you? Now, close your eyes and cover your ears. I'm going to rinse you off."
Flattening and covering her ears, Ghislaine continued to sulk as Paul used a weakened version of the Water Ball imbued with Fire Magic. It required him to suppress his Touki, but he could still use Magic if he remained calm and focused.
Leaning forward, Paul gave Ghislaine's hair a sniff test to make sure it no reeked like a stray cat's ass before rising from the improvised hot spring and asking, "Want to continue camping here for a few days? With a bit of cleaning, this place should fix up pretty nicely."
Instead of immediately answering Paul's words, Ghislaine crawled out of the bath, belly up as she lay on the cold ground, and said, "Please punish me..." with her hands drawn up like a cat's paws.
"..."
Realizing Ghislaine wasn't just going to let matters lie, Paul paused for a moment before exhaling a sigh and saying, "How about this...instead of a punishment, I'll have you make a promise..."
Without rising from her back, Ghislained tilted her head and body in an adorably alluring manner as she asked, "What promise...?"
Squatting down, Paul traced his hand on the explosion-shaped birthmark on Ghislaine's belly, gently caressing her smooth yet toned muscles as he said, "I'm actually a pretty possessive person...I may philander about and do stupid shit, but there are certain women I want to keep all to myself..."
Tracing his fingers down the line of Ghislaine's abdomen, Paul whispered, "Promise to be mine, and mine alone...at least until you find someone you truly love..."
Observing Paul's actions, Ghislaine could feel her body beginning to heat up. She was no longer in a frenzy, but the mating season typically lasted from the third week of the ninth month to the second week of the first. It varied from person to person, but most girls would be in a lesser state of heat for around fourteen weeks.
Though she felt a little muddleheaded, Ghislaine didn't need to be clear of mind to answer, "Okay...I promise..." in a voice that sounded like a purr. As far as she was concerned, Paul was her lifelong mate unless a member of her tribe managed to defeat both of them in a duel. Even then, she would give it her all to keep her promise.
Feeling gratified by Ghislaine's response, the corners of Paul's smile hiked upward as he traced his fingers further south and whispered, "Sit up...now that you've recovered your senses, there's a lot I want to teach you..."
Nodding her head, Ghislaine sat up before leaning with her back against Paul's chest. What followed caused her back, toes, and tail to curl...
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Returning to the Sword Sanctum around the end of the first month, Paul and a very clingy Ghislaine were surprised to learn that Gal was currently on a mission for the King. Paul, in particular, found himself at a complete loss for words as the mission in question was rumored to be suppressing a group of rebels that had established themselves in the Strife Zone.
Since the Asura Kingdom never involved itself with disputes in the Strife Zone, it wasn't difficult to imagine the actual reason for Gal's deployment. Ningguang had probably done something drastic, and they wanted to get rid of her before she could become a threat to the Kingdom.
Upon returning to his room, Paul surprised Ghislaine by saying, "It's a little sooner than I planned, but I plan to depart the Sword Sanctum and head East. Will you come with me...?"
Without needing to consider her response, Ghislaine nodded her head and said, "I'm going." in a firm, almost threatening tone. She could tell Paul was planning to head into danger, and there was no way she was going to let him go alone.
Seeing through Ghislaine's intentions, a soft chuckle emanated from Paul's throat as he gave the slightly taller woman a head pat and said, "You're cute when you worry."
"Nn..."
Though she would punch anyone else that called her cute, Ghislaine let Paul say and do as he pleased. She could defeat him nine times out of ten if they were to fight, but he was still her Boss and, more importantly, the Master of her body...
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Deciding to strike while the iron was hot, Paul and Ghislaine departed first thing the following day after informing the instructors of their intention to become Adventurers and head to the Begaritt Continent. Their status as Sword Saints allowed them to leave the Sanctum whenever they wanted, so, after saying farewell to some of his past flings, Paul and Ghislaine set out for the East rather than the South.
Before their separation, Ningguang had explained many of her short and long-term plans to Paul. One of her plans involved installing Andromeda as the Queen of the Kingdragon Kingdom, so Paul intended to check in on her, Rosaria, Lynette, Fischl, and Lisa at the Ranoa Magic Academy before traveling nearly 3600km along the Red Dragon Mountain Range. Once he reached the Eastern coast of the Central Continent, he would then take a ship around the mountains and enter the Strife Zone from the East.
If they hurried, Paul and Ghislaine could cover the nearly 5400kms to their destination in around 130 days. In actuality, Paul imagined the trip would take closer to a year depending on how many people he brought out of the IOF and how many stops they made along the way. Regardless, much like his original counterpart, Paul's expedition had officially begun at the ripe old age of twelve...
It was a little uncanny...
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Before reaching the border of Ranoa, one of the three Magic Nations that had formed an alliance in the North, travelers had to pass through a forest known as the Wyrm's Whiskers.
As the name implied, the Wyrm's Whiskers were located near the 'head' of the Red Dragon Mountain Range. However, what made the forest unique was that it had become a den for bandits, thieves, and criminals who had fled the Asura Kingdom. There, they had gathered to form a community for mutual protection, championed by a man known as Faceless Jing, the self-anointed King of Bandits.
So long as you could afford the toll fee, the most dangerous thing about the Wyrm's Whiskers were the monsters who inhabited them. Most were relatively weak, such as Horned Rabbits, Flying Snakes, and Leopard Bats, but others, specifically the various Wyvern subspecies, needed at least a B-Rank Party of Adventurers to take down...
"Not gonna lie...that's kind of cool..."
Seeing a Wyrm that reminded him of a Nargacuga, a panther-like Wyvern from a game called Monster Hunter, Paul was seriously tempted to track the beast back to its lair and see if it had any eggs. He wasn't going to, as that would be a pretty dickish, albeit human move, but the idea was very, very tempting.
"Should we attack it? The Sword God always told me that the materials from Wyverns sell for a lot."
Since even lesser Wyverns were graded as B-Rank monsters, Paul wasn't even remotely surprised by Ghislaine's words. Their bones were as tough as metal, used to forge powerful and durable weapons, while their scales could sell for as much as an Asura Silver Coin a piece.
The real question on Paul's mind was whether or not he and Ghislaine could even hurt the agile-looking creature. There was a reason the best armors in the world were assembled from Dragon and Wyvern Scales. It was exceptionally durable and resilient, so much so that a Saint-Ranked Longsword of Light might not be able to cut through it.
After mulling over their options for a short while, a bit of conviction began to form in Paul's heart and mind as he muttered, "We'll never reach our full potential if we fear a challenge. A Wyvern of that size shouldn't be higher than A-Rank, so I'll draw its attention while you look for an opportunity to strike its weak spot..."
Recalling the time Reida stopped a massive, rhino-like Wyvern in its tracks using nothing but her bare hand and Touki to 'reverse' its momentum, Paul decided to put his own Water God Style and Touki to the test. He couldn't really imagine himself stopping a monstrous rhino's charge without it even disturbing the ground beneath his feet, but the fact it could be done at all was more than enough to compel him to try his best.
Without waiting for Ghislaine's response, Paul emerged from behind the snow-covered rock they had been hiding behind, his acceleration kicking up a storm of ice and snow as he bellowed, "Come at me, you Nargacuga wannabe...!"
Reacting more so due to Paul's intent than the sounds he was making, the panther-like Wyvern issued a surprisingly high-pitched screech that gave off the impression of an irate bird rather than a dragon. Then, as it dug its forepaws into the dirt, spear-like spines began to protrude from its glossy, black, almost metallic fur.
Trusting in his instincts, Paul ceased his forward charge and held up his Black Sword in a 'middle stance,' the tip pointed towards the Nargacuga wannabe and his weight perfectly distributed between his feet.
Matching Paul's expectations, the enraged Wyvern unleashed a volley of eighteen exceptionally lethal-looking spines. Fortunately, only four were actually in line to hit him, so Paul skillfully deflected them before charging towards the startled creature with even greater momentum.
Realizing the danger Paul presented, the panther-like Wyvern decided not to try and face him directly. Instead, it dodged to the side before spinning around to displace a considerable quantity of ice and snow using its thick, spine-covered tail.&nbsp;
To Paul's considerable satisfaction, he actually managed to slice through the thick blanket of snow using the shockwaves generated by his sword swings. Unfortunately, even though he managed to break through almost immediately, the panther-like Wyvern had already turned tail and run...
"Are you fucking serious...?"
Though he could understand why the Wyvern had simply chosen to run away, that didn't stop Paul from throwing his Black Sword at the fleeing beast. He didn't get anywhere close to hitting it, but the gesture was more symbolic than anything.
Appearing at Paul's side, Ghislaine's ears and shoulders were drooping a little as she said, "Sorry...I didn't see any opportunity to attack..."
Shaking his head, Paul said, "It's okay. Even I didn't expect it to run away so quickly. I sometimes forget that 'monsters' are just animals doing their best to survive..."
"Nn..."
Looking in the direction the Wyvern had fled, Ghislaine asked, "Should we hunt it? A creature that size shouldn't be difficult to track..."
Shaking his head a second time, Paul answered, "Nah. If it wants to live that badly, then let it. Spending hours or days tracking a monster we're not even guaranteed to kill is a waste of time. Let's go."
Though he would have fought tooth and nail if the Nargacuga wannabe stood its ground, Paul had never approved of the very human mentality of hunting monsters to extinction. He would cut down those who barred his path or tried to kill him, but he wasn't going to go out of his way to track down an animal that just wanted to live. He wasn't a complete asshole...
...
..
. &nbsp;

Chapter 63: MI63: Introductions and Departures