Mushoku Impact

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...
...
..
.
"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...
...
..
.
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...
...
..
.

Though he had expected Paul's group to be decently powerful, Saikon never expected to see his Lieutenants sliced through, weapons and armor included. Neither did he expect to be sent crashing through several trees by a human female whose waist was so thin he was pretty sure he could have grasped it with a single hand.
"Dance of Sacrifice, Act I, Shimmering Waves."
Following her initial attack, Eula effortlessly brandished her massive, predominately blue and white claymore known as the Whiteblind. It had the moderately broken effect of increasing attack power and defense by 6% every time it landed a blow, but, as impressive as the claymore was, it paled in comparison to its wielder's beauty.
The moment Saikon recovered and attempted to smash the upper half of her body with his massive fist, Eula pirouetted around it with such perfect timing that her figure appeared to disappear. At the very least, that's what Saikon felt before her claymore impacted his side, breaking several of his ribs and sending him flying a second time.
While Saikon was still in the midst of his flight, Eula moved like a phantom under and past him before spinning around and slashing upward, this time sending him flying into the sky. To the Ogre's credit, he was actually able to right himself in mid-air. However, the moment he did so, he found Eula waiting above him, her powerful and muscular thighs allowing her to leap more than 20m into the air in order to send him crashing into the ground like a meteor.
Erupting from the ground with a thunderous cry, Saikon shouted, "I will wear you...!" as he charged toward Eula like a berserk rhino. His durable hide, resilient muscles, and steel-like bones had allowed him to endure Eula's onslaught with only mild injuries. There was also steam rising from his body, a tell-tale sign that he had inherited at least a lesser form of his race's exceptionally rare and cheat-like regeneration.
Harumphing in response to Saikon's words, Eula cooly remarked, "How uncivilized." before adopting an elegant yet defenseless-looking posture with her back slightly arched and her sword strung behind her, supported by a single arm. If she were an ordinary person and the Whiteblind were a standard, extremely heavy claymore, swinging from such a posture would have been impossible.
Demonstrating that both she and her claymore were beyond exceptional, Eula used her hips as a pivot to initiate an extremely swift yet graceful flip using the Whiteblind's momentum. The path of the blade traced a perfect crescent that impacted Saikon's head the moment he got within range. It wasn't enough to crush his skull, but it was more than enough to send him crashing face-first into the snow and dirt as Eula landed gracefully atop his back.
With the intent to finish Saikon off, Eula gripped the hilt of her claymore with both hands, a resolute expression on her face as she aimed for the connecting point between his neck and skull. At this point, her attack and defense had increased by 24%, so there was a hazy shimmer covering the length of her claymore as she brought it down like the merciless blade of a guillotine.
Fearing for his life, Saikon attempted to roll to his side and dislodge Eula from his back, but the only thing he accomplished was exposing the side of his neck, an area without bone and a lot of vital arteries. Whiteblind cut through nearly a third of his neck as Eula used the force of his movement to propel herself high into the sky, flipping at the apex of her arc to bring her claymore down a second time. Had this been a normal strike, Saikon might have been able to react to it. Unfortunately for him, Eula's descent effectively disregarded the laws of physics as she accelerated toward the ground several times faster than its natural pull.
Had her opponent been virtually any other species, Eula would have won the moment she decapitated them. Instead, as Saikon's head rolled along the ground, glaring at her, his body pounced forward to try and tackle her. Not expecting this, Eula was nearly caught in the muscular Ogre's grasp when crisscrossing beams of light passed through his torso, courtesy of Paul and Ghislaine.
Recovering from her brief and momentary stupor. Eula cast a rather frosty gaze on the detached head that appeared to be trying to regrow its body. Ogres had tremendous vitality, not enough to regrow their body, but more than enough to pull themselves back together after being sliced apart.
Seeing Eula staring at him, Saikon released a largely soundless, gurgling roar that caused bloody foam to erupt from his mouth and the base of his neck. He knew he was about to die, so he didn't hesitate to use one of the trump cards of the Ogre Tribe, Blood Eruption.
Sensing danger, Eula immediately dodged backward with Whiteblind in between her and Saikon's head. At the same time, Saikon's head and the individual sections of his body all exploded, a corrosive, blood-red mist immediately filling the area. Fortunately, while it was an incredibly lethal attack up close, Blood Eruption only had an effective kill range of around 8m. At their levels, Paul, Ghislaine, and Eula were easily able to escape to safety, dodging all but a few stray droplets of the corrosive mist.
"What a cunt...he inherited two of his race's most extraordinary abilities and used them to enslave others? I thought the Ogre Tribe was supposed to be one of the nobler species of Demons..."
While using a ball of bubbly water to wipe away some of the stray, visibly smoking blood droplets from her body, Eula remarked, "The actions of a single individual are not representative of their entire race. While this man was undoubtedly reprehensible, it would be discriminatory to consider the rest of his species as loathsome."
Not expecting to hear such a remark from Eula, Paul briefly found himself at a loss for words before awkwardly replying, "It wasn't my intention to sound racist or anything...I just..."
Shaking his head, Paul added, "Forget it. I said something out of line, and for that, I apologize. Thanks for helping to keep me in check, Eula."
Returning the faintest of smiles, Eula placed her hand between her fairly modest but immaculately sculpted breasts as she offered a curt bow and said, "It is my pleasure to be of service."
Resisting the temptation to say something flirtatious in response, Paul adopted a faint smile of his own before shifting his gaze to Ghislaine and asking, "Think you can track their scent back to their lair? I want to check and make sure they don't have any slaves locked up somewhere. I would feel pretty shitty if I just left them alone to starve to death..."
Nodding her head in affirmation, Ghislaine said, "Leave it to me." before bolting off in the direction Saikon's group had initially approached from. When she found the base and returned to inform Paul about it, the latter felt both relieved and vindicated as there were a total of eighteen slaves being held captive in a surprisingly large cave. The condition of some of them made Paul's brain buzz with frustration and anger, but he was glad he hadn't simply left them to die...
...
..
.
Though he had every right to keep it for himself, Paul allowed the victims affected by the Red Oni Hunting Party to divvy up the spoils found within Saikon's lair. The only articles he kept for himself were the group's ledger and a few letters proving their affiliation with various Nobles. He couldn't really do anything with them right now, but they would be handy to have if he decided to oppose or punish the Aristocracy of the Magic Triumvirate.
In his previous life, Paul had always looked down on people who tried to play the part of a hero. His mentality had changed once he gained access to the Intersection of Fate, but unless he could be relatively certain of his success, he would rather not stick his neck out for others.
For the time being, Paul's top priorities were gaining strength and simply enjoying his life until shit invariably hit the fan. He didn't consider himself a good person, but he also wasn't a complete piece of shit. Thus, while he was more than willing to both save and free the slaves he had rescued, he had no intention of looking after and caring for them after the fact. There were simply too many people suffering in the world of Mushoku Tensei for him to drop everything he was doing to help a bunch of random people he had never met nor stood to gain anything from.
Fortunately for the former slaves, Paul, as he was so fond of mentioning, wasn't a complete piece of shit. He wasn't willing to look after them, but he didn't mind handing over the additional twenty-three gold pieces they needed to enroll into the Ranoa Magic Academy. That would give them a solid eight years to figure something out for themselves, as, regardless of the age they enrolled, Ranoa Magic Academy allowed students to stay for eight years before they were forced to graduate.
While 23AGC wasn't exactly a small amount, Paul had more than 153,000 stored within the Intersection of Fate. If he wanted to, Paul could roll for pity seventeen times in a row, purchase several castles, or finance a literal army. Instead, he typically just used his funds to give hardworking people surprise, often life-changing tips. After that, it was up to them to turn their lives around and improve them for the better.&nbsp;
With the lives of billions of people resting on his shoulders, Paul literally couldn't afford to live for others...all he could do was give them a push in the right direction and hope for the best...
...
..
.
"I guess this is where we part ways. See you around, Revaan."
Since he had genuinely expected Paul to make him work off his debts, Revaan couldn't even begin to describe how grateful he felt. Not only had Paul saved his and the lives of several others, but he went out of his way to help them enroll in the Ranoa Magic Academy. It was an unbelievably noble and selfless act, so much so that Revaan still couldn't believe there were no strings attached.
"I will never forget the kindness you have shown me these past two days, Paul Greyrat. If ever the opportunity presents itself, I will do everything in my power to repay this debt. If not to you, personally, then your children and your children's children. I swear it upon my name, Revaan Oakwood."
Clapping the youthful-looking Elf on the shoulder, Paul said, "Worry about that when the time comes. For now, just focus on your studies and making your family proud. After that, so long as you live a proper and just life, the debt between us can be considered null and void."
Inhaling a deep breath, Revaan's respect for Paul grew tenfold in a matter of seconds. He had never even heard of such a kind and generous human before. Even compared to Demons, humans were known to be greedy and borderline insatiable in their desires. They generally regarded every other race, even the ancient and noble Dragons, as beneath them. If he were to tell the people back at the Motherwood of Paul's existence, Revaan knew not a single person would believe him...
"Were there more humans like you, Paul Greyrat, this world would be a much better place..."
...
..
.
(A/N: I started feeling ill around two days ago and have been sick since then. I'm starting to feel better, but I just wanted to let everyone know since I've only been releasing 2 chapters instead of 3-4.)

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.
...
..
.
"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..."
...
..
.
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...
...
..
.
"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...
...
..
.
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...
...
..
.

Chapter 64: MI64: Duplicity