Mushoku Impact

After parting ways with Revaan and the rest of the former slaves, Paul made his way to a brick building that resembled a miniature bastille. Like the rest of the Academy, it was constructed from a combination of Magic-proof bricks and rudimentary concrete that could resist up to Saint-Rank Magic. The exterior was predominantly red, but there was an ashen-grey trim around the base, while the expensive glass windows were shielded metal bars and bright green awnings.
Passing through the invisible, Saint-Ranked Barrier that surrounded the property, Paul was slightly startled when Lynette attempted to pounce on him. Unfortunately for her, Paul's training at the Sword Sanctum had made him a lot more difficult to surprise. The moment she attempted to jump on his back, he promptly spun around, startling the petite and lithe-looking cat girl quite a bit as he caught her in his arms.
"Well, hello there..."
Since she had intended to ride on Paul's back, Lynette's legs ended up locking around his waist as his hands supported her bottom. Her usually impassive expression remained so, but her face became beet red as she averted her amethyst purple eyes and muttered, "I didn't say you could touch my butt..."
"That just makes me want to enjoy it even more..."
Contrasting his words, Paul released Lynette's butt from his grasp and hugged her as he said, "I know I've already said this, but I missed you..."
"Nn..."
Though she promptly released her leg lock, Lynette made no attempt to escape Paul's embrace. It had been more than two and a half years since their separation at the Red Dragon's Upper Jaw, and, while she had never come out and said it, Lynette was rather fond of Paul. Her original reason for getting close to him was to incentivize him to summon her sister. It was only after seeing how tirelessly he worked to achieve his goals that Lynette began viewing her interactions with Paul as something more than just a means to an end.
He also smelled nice...
...
..
.
After his brief reunion with Lynette, Paul made his way into the Bastille-like residence to find a young, silver-haired girl waiting for him. Unlike the others present, including a very mature-looking Rosaria, Andromeda had not benefitted from the near-death experience that caused Paul and the others to mature. She looked much older than twelve, especially around the chest, but she still had a lot of growing to do.
"Welcome back, Master Paul, Lynette..."
Though Paul had lost his status as a Noble, the time Andromeda spent at the Notos Estate had opened her eyes and fundamentally changed her worldview. She believed it was only a matter of time before Paul regained his position or attained an even greater one, so she had no qualms about referring to him as her Master. Everyone else seemed to.
Returning a smile, Paul said, "Sorry for the delay. I had to meet with the Principal and grease his palms a bit. How have you been, Andromeda? I trust the Academy staff have treated you well...?"
Nodding her head in affirmation, Andromeda answered, "Thanks to your Lord Father's recommendation and the contributions of Lady Ningguang, my life at the Academy has been nothing but pleasant. My only regret is that I could not prepare a more fitting abode. I had not expected Master to visit the North personally..."
While waving his hand dismissively, Paul sat on the luxurious sofa across from Andromeda and said, "It's nothing to fret over. It's not like I enjoyed having to travel more than a kilometer just to move between the wings of the Notos Estate. So long as they have the essential amenities, I actually prefer cozier residences such as this. Now, about your schooling..."
Lowering her head, Andromeda expected Paul to admonish her since she had been slacking off ever since reaching Saint Rank in Earth, Water, and Fire Magic. Instead, he adopted a friendly smile and said, "Principal Georg was full of praises about you. When he discovered I was your Benefactor, he even attempted to return my bribe."
Exhaling a silent sigh of relief, Andromeda raised her head and was about to reply to Paul's words when he caught her off guard, asking, "Have you given up on your revenge? Where's the Vision I entrusted you?" in a much more severe tone.
Swallowing hard, Andromeda raised the silvery chain wrapped around her neck to reveal a nearly inert Geo Vision. She hadn't given up her revenge, but, after living the relatively peaceful life of Ranoa Magic Academy's top student, she no longer cared as much about the affairs of the Kingdragon Kingdom.&nbsp;
Surprising Andromeda yet again, Paul nodded his head in approval rather than shaking it in admonition as he said, "Good. Living solely for the sake of revenge isn't healthy. If you've found happiness here in the North, you should pursue it. I heard you received a marriage proposal from the First Prince of the Neris Kingdom...?"
"Yes...I would not be the Queen, but he has promised me a position as his Court Mage if I accept..."
"Mmm...well, as long as he isn't pressuring you, I have nothing else to say on the matter. Just do what you believe is necessary for your happiness. I know I am."
Hanging her head, Andromeda began to feel ashamed of herself as she asked, "Is it okay for me to be so selfish? After everything Master Paul and Lady Ningguang have done for me...I feel as though-"
Raising his hand, Paul said, "Just stop. If you'll recall, I never once asked you to become a weapon or fight at my behest. When I granted you that Vision, it was to provide you with the opportunity to seize your destiny by the reins. If you truly wish to respect my and Ningguang's intentions, then live your life to the fullest without compromising your integrity and beliefs. That is the essence of Geo."
Seeing the Vision around Andromeda's neck regain a bit of its luster, Paul nodded his head in approval before rising to his feet and saying, "I'll be on my way, then. I wouldn't want to cause a misunderstanding or jeopardize your standing with the First Prince. I'm also not a student of the Academy, so it wouldn't exactly be proper for me to stay here."
Without waiting for Andromeda to recover from her stupor, Paul turned to depart, adding, "Take care of yourself, Princess." before gesturing for the others to follow.
"W-Wait a moment! Please wait just a moment, Master Paul...!"
Feeling more than a little panicked, Andromeda rose to her feet and tried to block Paul's path. She couldn't just kick her Benefactor out of his own home. Sure, she may have been using it for the better part of four and a half years, but the miniature castle was still Paul's. If he checked into an Inn while she was allowed to continue occupying a dwelling he had paid for using his own money, she would have no face left to give.
Surprising Andromeda for the umpteenth time, Paul plopped his hand atop her head as he said, "We were able to have this place constructed because it was a donation to the Academy. You owe me nothing, kiddo. Just keep doing your best to be happy...okay?"
"..."
Taken aback by Paul's words and actions, Andromeda found herself at a loss for words. A part of her wanted to insist they stay together from now on, but, just as when they were kids, Paul's existence was too large, too free to be held down by someone like her. She was constantly looking to make her life as comfortable as possible, while Paul never stopped trying to pursue something...more...
With her head hanging low, Andromeda's voice was barely a whisper as she said, "I wish I could go with you...I just...I don't have the strength..."
Adopting a wry yet affectionate smile, Paul wrapped Andromeda in his arms, gently caressing her back as he said, "Don't worry about me, kiddo. I have plenty of people walking this path with me...don't feel guilty about walking your own..."
...
..
.
After bidding farewell to the teary-eyed Princess, Paul, accompanied by Ei, Eula, Xiangling, and Ghislaine, departed the Academy grounds to find a place to stay in the surrounding city.&nbsp;
The City of Magic, Sharia, was one of the largest cities in the Kingdom of Ranoa, as it had to cater to the more than 10,000 students attending the Ranoa Magic Academy. It also had to accommodate the people that had failed to enroll in the Academy, so there were hundreds of Inns, a thriving marketplace, and a massive Adventurers Guild.
Since they would be staying in the city for at least four months, Paul was planning to make some headway on his Adventurer's Rank in the weeks to come. For now, however, he just wanted to find a place where he and the girls could stay without disturbing others or being harassed.&nbsp;
One of the biggest downsides to traveling with beautiful women was the amount of attention they drew. Even when he had just been traveling with Reida, Paul had to fend off innumerable goons and scumbags. He thought things would improve once he matured, but, despite possessing the face and body of an Adonis, Paul could rarely enjoy so much as a walk without someone glaring at him or trying to hit on his women.
"Hey, what are you lasses doing with this baby-faced punk? How about ditching the kid and coming to experience what it's like to be with a real man?"
Though they were both wearing winter clothing, the beauty of Ei and Eula was such that other people couldn't help staring. Ghislaine and Xiangling certainly had charms of their own, but the aura of elegance and nobility exuded by Ei and Eula put them in a league of their own.
With Paul raising his hand, more so to stop Ei from cutting the men down than to prevent anyone from speaking, everyone else remained silent as he adopted a 'friendly' smile and said, "Each and every single one of us is a Sword Saint or higher. Are you sure you want to go through with this?"
While Paul's words sounded like absolute nonsense, they were more than enough to sober up the group of half-drunken men. The strongest person within their group was merely Advanced Rank in the North God Style, and, while that was nothing to scoff at, it couldn't compare to a Sword Saint.
Looking Paul and his group over, the party of drunkards realized that their would-be quarries were outfitted with exceptionally high-quality weapons and armor. Only Paul's and Ghislaine's weapons showed any signs of wear and tear, but the size of Eula's Whiteblind was enough to give the group a reason for pause.
Realizing they may have bitten off more than they could chew, the man at the front of the group forced a smile as he said, "We may have had a little too much to drink. Sorry for bothering you, lad..."
Catching the men off guard, Paul flicked an Asura Gold Piece toward the group, saying, "The next few rounds are on me. Just make sure you get to bed without causing anyone else any trouble, understood? The next time something like this happens, I won't be nearly as friendly..."
Though they were a little stupefied by Paul's offering, the group of men promptly thanked him before making way and disappearing into a nearby tavern. This nearly tempted a few other groups to block Paul's path, but after hearing him mention how everyone in his party was at least a Sword Saint, they promptly decided against it...
...
..
.

Though he was planning to frequent the Guild a lot in the near future, Paul searched for places on the opposite side of Sharia to stay. He didn't want to share an abode with other Adventurers, so, rather than searching for an Inn closer to the town center, he investigated the small, comparably cozy hostels along the periphery.
In the process of searching for a place to stay, Paul's progress was halted by a young girl wearing a winter frock and carrying a basket of bread. Her black, cat-like ears made it pretty obvious she was a member of the Beast Race, but, unlike Ghislaine, she had a black, button-like nose reminiscent of an actual cat.
"Nya? Strong-looking big sis! Are you looking for a place to stay, nya~?"
Instead of acknowledging anyone else in Paul's group, the black-haired cat girl zeroed in on Ghislaine as if she were the only person present. In response, Ghislaine simply nodded her head, answering, "Yes." in a curt tone.
Thumping her chest, the tiny cat girl replied, "Great, nya! Follow Esme! Esme will show you a good place, nya~!"
Demonstrating a bit of her gullibility, Ghislaine allowed herself to be pulled along by the diminutive cat girl without a fuss. She did look back at Paul for confirmation, but, seeing him smiling wryly, she made no attempt to break free as the five, maybe six-year-old girl dragged her to a building that was more like a rundown bakery than a hostel.
"Mooooomnya~! Esme found customers, nya~!"
"Nya~?"
Demonstrating where Esme had acquired her verbal tick, a considerably more mature cat girl with long black hair, black eyes, and a plump figure emerged from what Paul assumed to be the kitchen. Her black tail looked as though more than two-thirds had been cut away, but her most notable trait, at least for the time being, was the fact she was pregnant.
Seeing the large group of people, Esme's mother gave her daughter a helpless look before meeting Paul's gaze and saying, "There seems to be a misunderstanding, nya. We have two rooms available, but I planned to rent them out to members of the Beast Race. They aren't really furnished for humans, nya..."
"Nya? Did Esme make a mistake, nya!?"
Before Esme's mother could respond, Paul surprised her by asking, "Mind if my companions take a look at the rooms while we discuss terms...?"
Since he could tell the bakery-like domicile was a bit worse for wear, Paul couldn't help wanting to lend a hand to the clearly struggling mother and her child. Members of the Beast Race typically had around three children, yet Esme was the only one present. The residence was also too small to have more than two proper bedrooms, so Paul assumed the woman and her daughter were sleeping in the pantry while leasing out their rooms to guests. Either way, they weren't doing well.
Though she exhaled an exasperated sigh, Esme's mother didn't refuse Paul's request. She really was at her wit's end, so, after giving Ghislaine's and the other girls a once-over, she eventually nodded her head and said, "Very well...Esme, please show our guests to the rooms upstairs, nya."
"Leave it to Esme~! Follow me, nya~!"
Grabbing Ghislaine's hand a second time, Esme dragged the much taller cat woman upstairs while Eula and Xiangling followed after them. Ei was Paul's defacto bodyguard, so unless he specifically told her to go away, she would linger around him like the Kagemusha she once was.
Once everyone else had gone upstairs, Esme's mother offered Paul and Ei a loaf of freshly baked bread before saying, "Forgive my manners, nya. My name is Amalie, nya. I am Esme's mom and the owner of the former Cat's Tail Bakery."
Seeing a rather potent melancholy in Amalie's expression and eyes, Paul was very tempted to ask what had happened. Instead, he offered a polite nod and said, "My name is Paul. This remarkably beautiful woman next to me is Ei. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ms. Amalie."
Returning a half-nod of her own, Amalie hesitated for a moment before asking, "Why do you want to stay here, Paul? Though we could use the help, humans don't usually involve themselves with the troubles of the Beast Race..."
Since she could somewhat sense that Paul intended to help her, Amalie wanted to know his reason for doing so. She wouldn't mind sleeping with him if he was just curious and willing to pay, but he already has a member of the Beast Race traveling with him. He also didn't give off the smell of a man in heat, so Amalie genuinely had no idea what he wanted from her.
Shrugging his shoulders, Paul maintained a friendly smile as he answered, "I just like helping people. Since your daughter called out to us, I consider it fate that our paths crossed like this. It has nothing to do with your race. If I can help someone without having to compromise myself or my beliefs, I see no reason not to."
Punctuating his statement, Paul pulled out an ornate pouch filled with a few Asura Gold and Silver Coins, adding, "My companions and I intend to stay within Sharia for around 4-6 months. I believe this should suffice as payment?"
Since the pouch was relatively large, Amalie expected it to be filled with a few dozen Large Copper Coins. When she saw the smallest denomination of currency was a Silver Coin, roughly what she earned in an entire month of operating the bakery, she removed her hands from the bag as if it were a hot stove, exclaiming, "I can't accept this!" in a panicked tone.
In an attempt to allay the woman's concerns, Paul revealed, "Everyone in my Party is at least Saint-Ranked in Swordsmanship or Magic. We earn a lot more than this through the Guild, so don't worry and accept it without a fuss. If not for yourself, then your children."
Nodding his head towards Amalie's rather prominent belly, Paul made it clear he wasn't just helping her. He knew about the Beast Race's habit of culling their weaker offspring during difficult times, and while he could understand their reasons for doing so, he would rather not have to live with the knowledge that Amalie had to kill off one or more of her children just to get by...
Though she was still reluctant, Amalie ultimately accepted the pouch with visibly shaky hands. She genuinely believed Paul was out of his mind, but she also really needed the money.
After pocketing the unnervingly heavy bag, Amalie lowered her head as far as her pregnant belly allowed, saying, "Thank you very much. If there is anything you require during your stay, anything at all, please do not hesitate to ask, nya..."
Understanding that Amalie really did mean anything, Paul's smile became slightly wry as he replied, "I'll keep that in mind...for now, how about you show me the kitchen? I wouldn't call myself a baker, but I'm familiar with the process."
Regaining her smile, Amalie happily replied, "Of course." before gesturing towards the kitchen and saying, "Follow me, nya~."
...
..
.
Matching Paul's expectations, the rooms being leased out within Amalie's house were the master bedroom and what he assumed was a refurbished nursery. Only the former had an actual bed, while the latter was filled with surprisingly comfortable furnishing resembling large beanbags. According to Ghislaine, such beds were the norm back in the Great Forest, so Amalie hadn't been lying when she said they weren't really furnished for humans.
Since Eula wasn't too enthusiastic about staying in what was effectively a kennel, Paul gave all the girls the option of resting within the Intersection of Fate during the evenings until he could refurbish the place. The month or so he had spent with Ghislaine during the Mating Season had bolstered his resistance to stench and odors quite a bit, so he didn't mind the smell nearly as much as they did.
Though Xiangling and Ei did their best to put on a front, they eventually retreated to the Intersection of Fate after failing to fall asleep. This gave Paul and Ghislaine the bed to themselves, so, with her no longer being in heat, the two just cuddled for the first half of the night. That was around when Lynette snuck in through one of the second-floor windows, briefly alerting both Paul and Ghislaine until they realized who it was. After that, the three of them snuggled up together until around 3 AM, the time when Paul had to release the rest of the girls from the IOF...
...
..
.
While Xiangling helped out in the kitchen, Paul left Amalie feeling at a loss for words as he discussed refurbishing the entire residence. He wanted to rebuild the bakery from the ground up, not just to make it more habitable for himself and the girls but to give Amalie the chance to resume business once they left.&nbsp;
After counting the amount of money Paul had given her, Amalie regarded herself, the bakery, and pretty much everything in her possession as his property. Even if she were to sell herself into slavery, she might not earn more than 5 Asura Silver Coins due to her age and damaged tail. Paul had given her eighteen Asura Gold Coins and thirty-seven Asura Silver Coins. If he hadn't asked them not to, she and her daughter would be referring to him as Master.
"Is it okay if I use the money you gave me to hire a Carpenter I'm familiar with? This year's Winter was especially harsh, so there are a lot of people in need of work and money."
Causing Amalie to feel even more fretful, Paul pulled out another pouch, this one filled with two hundred Asura Silver Coins, as he explained, "The money I gave you was for food, lodgings, and hospitality. You can use this to purchase new furniture, a larger stove, and have a bath installed. As for who you hire, that's ultimately up to you. I'm new to Sharia, so you're a lot more familiar with these kinds of things than I am."
Since Paul had practically shoved the pouch into her hands, Amalie had no choice but to accept it as she lowered her head and muttered a meek, "Thank you, nya..."
Shaking his head, Paul said, "Don't thank me. I'm being pretty selfish by imposing on you like this. Offering adequate compensation is the least I can do."
Though she wanted to refute Paul's words, Amalie assumed that anything she said would be futile. Their community was also in desperate need of assistance, so she didn't want to say or do anything that might offend her new benefactor. Instead, she just bowed her head, her large, cat-like ears twitching due to a combination of frustration and excitement.
Resisting the temptation to give Amalie's head a pat, Paul interrupted the sudden silence by saying, "I'm going to leave Xiangling back to help look after things. The rest of us are going to the Adventurer's Guild to meet up with an informant and take on some Quests. We should be back by lunch, but there's a chance we'll be back much later. Don't feel the need to wait up for us, okay?"
Nodding her head in understanding, Amalie was about to say something when Xiangling emerged from the kitchen with a far more fragrant loaf of bread than the ones she usually prepared. The diminutive yet buxom chef was familiar with far more advanced baking methods than those typically available within the world of Mushoku Tensei, so Paul was going to have her teach Amalie a few tricks to turn the bakery into one of Sharia's future hotspots. That way, she would never have to worry about money again...
...
..
.

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.)

Chapter 66: MI66: Reunion : Parting