Mushoku Impact

With their respective allies forming a loose encirclement around them, obviously prepared to intervene if shit hit the fan, Paul asked, "Just how far do you intend to take this? First to be disarmed, first to give up, or..."
Lowering himself into a reverse drawing stance, Timothy maintained a look of conviction as he declared, "I just want to measure the distance between you and me..."
Punctuating his words, Timothy launched himself forward with enough momentum to kick up a swirl of snow and ice. The essence of the Sword God School was to strike first and end the battle as quickly as possible. Some might consider it cheating to strike in the middle of a conversation, but history was a mouthpiece for the victor. Most people didn't care how a fight was concluded, only who won.
"Little shit..."
Catching Timothy by surprise, Paul didn't immediately draw his sword. Instead, he stepped just outside of Timothy's attack range, the tip of the latter's blade nearly a fine line through his jacket.
"Wha-"
Taking advantage of Timothy's confusion, Paul decked the little kid in the side of the face. To his credit, Timothy managed to react by reversing his grip and swiping towards Paul's wrist, but it ultimately didn't matter. Paul was nowhere near the level of Gal, but he could still use Touki. Something Timothy had yet to grasp fully.
As Timothy was sent reeling by his punch, Paul took a moment to stare at the shallow cut along his forearm. It was a lot slower than when he used his Lesser Regeneration, but he could see the gash slowly mending itself.
Bounding to his feet much sooner than Paul expected, Timothy's speed suddenly increased as he shot forward, shouting, "Draw your sword...!" as he swung his own.
Noticing a faint shimmer along the edge of Timothy's blade, Paul couldn't help muttering, "Little monster." as he dodged backward and released the clasp of his reforged, custom broadsword.
Feeling a chill spread through his body, Timothy sliced upward just as his sweeping lung missed its mark. Doing so allowed him to intercept Paul's sword, but it wasn't enough. Even without using Touki to strengthen his cutting power, Paul was a paragon pushing the limits of the human body. There was also a nearly 30cm difference in their height, so the moment Paul's blade impacted Timothy's, the latter was forced to a knee.
Though surprised, Timothy was undaunted by the difference between his and Paul's strength. The moment his knee hit the ground, he grit his teeth and attempted to sweep towards his opponent's legs. Unfortunately, Paul had anticipated this, sending his sword flying with a parry that resembled a one-handed golf swing.
"Let the great protection of fire arrive at the place thou seekest. I call forth the heat of a torch here and now. Fireball...!"
Worried for her friend's life, Leilah raised her staff and launched a Fireball at Paul. The rest of Party Lion's Head looked at her as if she had lost her mind, but they still leaped into action to try and save their friend's life.
Before things could get too out of hand, Paul cut down the Fireball and shouted, "Stand down...!" in an authoritative tone. The Lion's Head Party believed this was directed at them, pausing in place, but the truth of the matter was that Paul was ordering Ei and Ghislaine not to kill them.
With everyone freezing in place, Paul exhaled a tired sigh before kicking the befuddled Timothy towards his Party and complaining, "Seriously, you people must have a death wish or something. I never intended to kill your friend, so why the fuck are you overreacting?"
Shaking his head, Paul didn't wait for Rolan and the rest to respond before appending, "Forget it. Just grab your stuff and get the hell out of here. I'm tired of looking at your suicidal asses."
Though he had initially intended to offer Timothy some friendly words of advice, Paul's mood was ruined by Leilah's surprise attack. Not because the Fireball was even remotely a threat, but because it had nearly gotten her entire Party wiped out.
Realizing she had made a mistake, Leilah lowered her head with the intent to apologize. However, before she could find the words to do so, Timothy pushed himself to his feet, ignoring the tense atmosphere as he glared at Paul and said, "This isn't over...now that I've experienced your strength, I can tell you're not much faster than me. The next time we fight-"
"Shut the fuck up, kid. Stop acting like I'm some great antagonist or villain for you to overcome. If you want to become a powerful swordsman, that's on you. I have literally done nothing to merit your dumb ass trying to track me down and murder me. Stop acting like a self-righteous little twat."
Taken aback by Paul's words, Timothy opened his mouth but couldn't find the words to argue. He expected a swordsman like Paul to look forward to a future challenge. Instead, the latter's words made it sound as though he was being wronged and inconvenienced for no reason...
What Timothy didn't know was that Paul's desire to become strong was simply that. He wanted to be strong, not so he could harvest people's lives like wheat, but so he could enjoy his life without being suppressed and taken advantage of by others. The last thing he needed was a future Sword Emperor tracking him down and potentially targetting the people he cared about just to prove which of them was the strongest.
Taking advantage of Timothy's stunned silence, Paul added, "Seriously, just think about your actions till now. You accuse me of being a bandit for no fucking reason, attempt to pressure your Party into attacking mine just because you're butthurt, and then try to cripple me during a match where it's evident to everyone I'm going easy on you. It's pretty fucking obvious which one of us is the villain here..."
"..."
Hanging his head, a wave of shame washed over Timothy for maybe the second time in his entire life. He wanted to refute Paul's words, but there wasn't much he could say. Everything Paul said, while brazen and harsh, was the truth. Paul hadn't committed any crimes. He had even gone out of his way to deescalate the situation multiple times. The only thing Timothy could fault him for winking at Leilah, but that wasn't exactly a crime...even if it annoyed him...
Realizing that he had attempted to goad his Party into killing or arresting someone just because they had flirted with his childhood friend, another wave of shame washed over Timothy's mind. He and Leilah weren't even in a relationship. He had confessed to her when they were both children, but she had refused because she wanted to travel around and become a Mage, not waste away in their village. After that, he had trained hard just so he could accompany her, eventually following her to Sharia and joining the Adventurer's Guild to help pay her tuition...
Looking toward Leilah, Timothy's mood diminished even further when he found her staring at Paul with a pensive look on her face. She had come to his aid and even treated his injuries with Healing Magic, but now that things had calmed down, she seemed more concerned about finding the words to apologize to Paul than supporting him.
Returning his gaze to the front, Timothy looked past Paul at the bevy of beautiful women standing behind him. Two of them were so remarkably attractive he couldn't even find the words to describe them. They were looking forward and staring at him, but, a stark contrast to how Leilah was looking at Paul, they didn't seem particularly concerned about him or his Party mates. They were just ready to act the moment things escalated...
Inhaling a deep breath, Timothy attempted to suppress his negative thoughts before meeting Paul's gaze and calmly stating, "I will become stronger...not for anyone else, but to prove to myself I have what it takes to become strong..."
Following his words, Timothy turned away with the intent to go and pick up his fractured sword. Paul's parry had caused nearly a third of the blade to shatter, but it was still usable and could be reforged.
"Hey, kid..."
Catching Timothy and pretty much every member of his Lion's Head by surprise, Paul tossed over a small coin purse, adding, "I'm pretty famous for having a discerning eye. This may sound a little ridiculous after the other things I've said, but I can tell you have a monstrous talent. If you were to travel to the Sword Sanctum and train seriously, I bet you could become a Sword Emperor before you're 25. That should help you prepare for the journey and then some."
Peeling open the coin purse, Timothy was stunned to find ten Asura Gold Coins within. It wasn't exactly a fortune, but it was more than enough to cover Leilah's tuition and upgrade his equipment. His current sword and outfit had only cost him around six Asura Silver Coins, ten of which made a single Asura Gold Coin.
Clenching his fist around the bag of coins, a resolute expression appeared on Timothy's youthful face as he said, "I will never forget the lessons you have taught me this day..."
Shrugging his shoulders, Paul said, "I'll be happy so long as you don't go around causing trouble for myself and others. If you do manage to reach the Rank of Sword Emperor, feel free to seek me out. I have no intention of fighting you to the death, but I can at least buy you a drink."
Realizing he had severely misjudged Paul's character, a frustratingly sour feeling began to spread through Timothy's nose. Fortunately, it was well below freezing, so pretty much everyone's eyes were watering...
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"Was that boy someone you recognized...?"
After refusing Lion's Head's offer for an escort, Paul returned to pulling his overburdened cart while Eula and Ei walked alongside him. Ghislaine was keeping an eye on Lion's Head, so Paul had no qualms about responding to Eula's question, explaining, "Yeah. Unless something drastic happens in the interim, Timothy is fated to become the father of the next Sword God, Jino Britts. I doubt he'll become an ally in the future, but investing 10AGC to prevent him from becoming an enemy seemed like a smart decision..."
Understanding that Paul didn't have the heart to kill people he 'knew', Eula just nodded her head before asking, "And what of the girl? What part does she play in all of this...?"
Shrugging his shoulders despite the burden his arms were supporting, Paul answered, "No clue. I can't recall anyone named Leilah, and unless I'm misremembering things, I'm relatively certain that Timothy ends up with the current Sword God's younger sister. I don't know her name, but I doubt the younger sister of the Sword God is a relatively average Mage."&nbsp;
"Mmm...I see...I thought you may have been flirting with her because she was someone important..."
Slowing his pace a bit, Paul looked towards Eula with a slightly amused look on his face as he asked, "Could my little thigh goddess be jealous...?"
Furrowing her brows, Eula stated, "You know I don't like it when you call me that. Also, what reason could I have to be jealous? I'm just concerned about everyone else, that's all..."
Having learned to speak Eula's language, Paul maintained his moderately cheeky smile as he said, "I was just teasing her since I caught her staring at my abs. Besides, with amazing women like you around, I'm not exactly hurting for companionship. There are bound to be a few exceptions, sure, but I'm ultimately loyal to our cause...in fact, if it bothers you that much, I don't mind swearing off women outside the IOF..."
Exhaling a sigh, Eula replied with a terse, "That's unnecessary..." before shifting her eyes skyward and muttering, "How you choose to live is up to you. We're already being selfish by thrusting the fate of our world on your shoulders...I dare not-"
"I've said this before, but I'll repeat it a thousand times if I have to. I've already made my decision, Eula. I'm not just living for myself, but for all of us. If you're not happy about something, you have every right to express it. I may not be able to change immediately, but you've all seen how much of an effort I'm willing to make..."
Though he would be lying if he said he didn't want to bed certain women, most of the people Paul was interested in from the original series weren't even born yet. Since he wasn't a pedo, that meant most of them were off-limits. More importantly, even Ghislaine couldn't hold a candle to the girls he had summoned from the IOF, so if someone as dutiful as Eula were to put her foot down, Paul wouldn't mind forgoing sexual relations with other women. He was already one of the luckiest people in the world just being able to use her thighs and ass as a pillow...
Seeing the sincerity in Paul's eyes, a rare smile developed across Eula's face as she softly replied, "I'll keep that in mind..."
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After paying a rather exorbitant fee at the Eastern gate, Paul and Party made their way over to the staging area at the side of the Guild.&nbsp;
While it was rare for individual Parties to own wagons, the Guild would sometimes stage large-scale expeditions when a monster horde or a new Dungeon appeared. Such ventures would require hundreds of Adventurers and dozens of wagons, so any Adventurer's Guild worthy of its name had a large staging area that served as a bulk drop-off location.
Upon learning of Paul's return, Lisa, accompanied by an Elven woman with short blonde hair, pointed ears, and leaf-green eyes came out with seven other Guild employees. While the latter immediately proceeded to process Einherjar's bounty, Lisa and the Elven woman approached Paul, the former initiating the dialogue by saying, "Welcome back, Paul, Einherjar. Allow me to introduce you to Sharia City's Guild Master, Lady Sionia Barrows."
Nodding her head in response to Lisa's introduction, the profoundly flat-chested Sionia met Paul's gaze with a faint smile on her face as she said, "Lisa has regaled me with many a tale of your exploits, Sir Paul. I see now that she wasn't exaggerating..."
Demonstrating she was in possession of some form of Demon Eyes, likely the Demon Eyes of Magic Perception, Sionia gave Paul a quick once-over, surprised by the quantity and purity of his Mana. The only forms of Magic he actively endeavored to use were Healing and Detoxification Magic, so his 'aura' was a shade of leafy green that matched his eyes.
"Very impressive. It's almost a shame you've chosen to waste your talents on swordsmanship...you would have made an excellent Mage..."
Smiling wryly, Paul refuted, "You'd be surprised. Before I consumed some Mana Draught, I couldn't even cast a Beginner Waterball or Healing Spell. What you see now has come about due to arduous training and...well, let's say I'm very 'proactive' when it comes to increasing my Mana pool..."
&nbsp;Raising her brows, Sionia asked, "You've discovered a method to increase your Mana?"
Shrugging his shoulders, Paul answered, "Something like that." before asking, "Is there something you required of my Party? I don't imagine you came out just to say hello."
Nodding her head in affirmation, Sionia answered, "Sir Paul is correct. I actually came out here to thank you."
Tilting his head to the side, Paul asked, "Thank me? For what...?" in a marginally confused tone. Several things came to mind when he heard Sionia's words, but he wouldn't know for sure until she explained herself.
Placing her hand over her heart, Sionia offered a sincere smile as she said, "I heard about what you did for Revaan and all the other people you freed from slavery. The Guild has also conducted an official investigation into you and your Party, so I am aware of your contributions to the Ranoa Magic Academy and your ongoing efforts to improve the conditions of the Beast people living in the Western slums. Sir Paul is truly a generous and charitable man..."
Crossing his arms, Paul furrowed his brows slightly and asked, "What are you getting at? I appreciate your gratitude, but I can't imagine it's the real reason you came out to meet me. You don't get to be a Guild Master if you lack social and political awareness..."
Looking around at the growing number of people closely monitoring his conversation with Sionia, Paul was pretty confident in his assertion. The slim and noble-looking woman clearly had a request to make. Either that or she was publically praising him as a sort of publicity stunt...
Realizing there was a reasonably high possibility of the latter being the case, especially with Lisa present, Paul's smile immediately cramped as he uncrossed his arms and adopted a less standoffish posture.
Amused by Paul's quick change in demeanor, a soft chuckle emanated from Sionia's throat before she whispered, "It appears we're now on the same page. I was a bit worried you were going to make a scene..."
Scratching the back of his head, Paul explained, "Sorry. It's just, we were stopped by a Surveyor's Party on the way back, and there was a bit of an incident. Hearing you mention the Guild conducted an investigation kind of put me on edge..."
Nodding her head, Sionia offered a curt, "Understandable." before raising her voice and adding, "In recognition of your services to the City of Sharia and its people, the executives of the Guild have convened with the Mayor and the Principal of the Ranoa Magic Academy to discuss a fitting reward. In short, we have decided to reward Party Einherjar with the provisional status of an A-Rank Party. You'll need to increase your actual Ranks if you want to be viewed as A-Rank elsewhere, but for the duration of your stay in the Ranoa Magic Kingdom, you will enjoy the status and benefits of an A-Rank Adventurer. Congratulations, and thank you for your services."
As Sionia bowed her head, many of the Guild staff present, Lisa included, began to clap. Their ovation prompted several citizens and a few curious Adventurers to join in, much to Paul's chagrin...
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After having their materials processed, Paul and Party followed Lisa to upgrade their Guild Cards from F to D-Rank. While that was taking place, Paul had Lisa sit astride atop his lap, his hand caressing the interior of her left thigh as he asked, "What was that about? Some ploy by the Kingdom to bait us into staying long-term?"
Tearing her eyes away from Paul's mischievous hand, a naturally alluring smile developed across Lisa's face as she met his gaze and teased, "I'm surprised you actually caught onto that. It seems your time at the Milbots Academy for Nobles wasn't completely wasted..."
Raising his brows, Paul slid his hand further up Lisa's thigh as he asked, "Are you taunting me...?"
Showing no signs of fear or trepidation, Lisa leaned into Paul, her ample bosom pressing into him as she replied, "Maybe..." in a hot, purring tone.
Inhaling a deep breath, Paul resisted his almost instinctual urge to tear apart the mature vixen's skirt. Instead, he slid his right hand up the side of her body before sinking his fingers into her pillowy breast and asking, "Do we know who's responsible? As far as I know, Princess Andromeda's connections lay with the Neris Kingdom. Unless this is Ranoa's attempt to poach her, I can't imagine why they would show me any favoritism..."
Though there were actually several reasons why a Kingdom like Ranoa would want to recruit him, Paul dismissed most of them as he had yet to form any actual connections. Approaching him at this point would be an extreme gamble for even the most desperate of factions, so unless they viewed him as an idiot, it wouldn't make sense to try and curry favor with him before introductions had been made.
"Mmm...we're still looking into it. Though I'm pretty close with the Guild Master, she doesn't trust me implicitly. I know she is acting at the behest of someone affiliated with the Royal Family, but their identity is currently unknown. However, considering their ability to influence an 'independent' organization such as the Adventurer's Guild, I imagine their titles include Highness or Majesty..."
"Do you-"
Before Paul could ask for information about the Royal Family, Lisa placed her index finger on his lips and said, "If you keep teasing me, I'll have no choice but to go on the offensive..."
Causing Lisa to feel a marginal amount of disappointment, Paul stopped tracing his finger over her silken panties. Fortunately, he didn't leave her completely hanging, stating, "Tomorrow evening. Make sure to clear your schedule or get off of work early. I'm not letting you sleep a wink..."
Having already made 'arrangements' with Eula and Ei, Paul, unfortunately, couldn't ravish Lisa. He really, really wanted to, but she was currently in the midst of her shift, and he still needed to check the IOF to see if there had been any changes.
Catching Paul by surprise, Lisa drew her face closer to his, her expression comparable to a Succubus as she purred, "I have two years' worth of sick days stockpiled...I could take an entire month off if you think you're up for it..."
Though he could feel the pressure in his pants increasing, Paul managed to maintain a relatively relaxed smile as he planted a quick peck on Lisa's lips and said, "Tempting, but I'm pretty sure we both have a lot going on. Besides, as 'capable' as you present yourself, I have a feeling you're not very experienced in bedroom affairs. I don't want to break you..."
Squinting her emerald-green eyes, Lisa was tempted to regale Paul with tales of her bedroom exploits. While some people attributed her behavior to her particular preference in books, she was the author and inspiration for many of the books she circulated among the female members of the Knights of Favonius. She didn't have any official partners during her stay in Mondstadt, but she had been rather 'prolific' during her studies at the Sumeru Academia. She may have been their most distinguished graduate in 200 years, but not all of her grades were legitimate...
Bringing her face even closer to Paul's, Lisa's eyes glistened with magical energy as she said, "You're adorable..." before sealing his lips with a kiss. When she did, Paul felt as though a warm balloon had popped in his mind, its heat permeating through the rest of his body as Lisa's tongue invaded his mouth...
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Though he would usually be the one to leave women panting or in a state of borderline unconsciousness, Paul found himself breathing heavily with his forearm resting over his eyes. At his side, smoking an ornate pipe filled with something other than tobacco, Lisa had an amused smile on her face as she remarked, "You aren't wrong to feel confident in your technique. By and large, you are the most 'capable' man I've ever bedded..."
Following her words, Lisa grabbed Paul's still-erect member, faint Electro Energy emanating from her palm as she stroked him up and down, adding, "Unfortunately for you, I've been stimulating myself using Electro Energy since I was a tween. As capable as you are, nothing quite compares to a controlled surge of Electro Energy to the clitoris..."
Squeezing the base of Paul's penis, Lisa's eyes sparkled as he produced a veritable geyser of semen. Paul had held out better than most, but, after a few hours of careful guidance, he invariably ended up as putty in the palm of her hand. If he didn't have several other women he needed to pleasure, she might have sculpted him to her particular preferences...
Licking up the semen that had stained her gloved hand, Lisa shifted her gaze to Paul's muscular body, an unconcealed thirst glistening within the depths of her shimmering green eyes. Including the time she had spent in Mondstadt, it had been more than a decade since she last 'experimented' with such a fine specimen. In fact, Paul might very well be the finest she ever worked with...
Missing the feeling of Paul inside of her, Lisa lay next to him, her lips close enough to tickle his earlobe as she caressed his chest and whispered in a half-moaning voice, "I've had my fun...it's your turn..."
Though he didn't immediately respond to Lisa's words, Paul had enough of his mental faculties intact to understand what she was saying. A part of him wanted nothing more than to get even with her, but, fearing she might awaken something within him, Paul promptly suppressed any thoughts of 'revenge.' It only took having his ass licked, and prostate stimulated once to understand that Lisa was anything but inexperienced. Even if he could get even with her, he would have to pay a very steep price...
Eliciting an amused chuckle from the lascivious brunette, Paul adopted a slightly wry smile as he asked, "Can we just cuddle for a bit...?"
Leaning forward, Lisa planted a kiss on Paul's cheek before playfully repling, "Just for a bit..."
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After spending ten days in the wilderness, Paul finally gave the order to return. Ghislaine and Eula had managed to hunt down a relatively rare B-Rank monster known as a Sun Bear, so he wanted to pawn off the parts to the Guild before they could spoil.
Fortunately, as the land to the East was commonly used by Adventurers, there were significantly fewer bandits and slavers. The Adventurer's Guild would deploy A or even S-Ranked Parties to annihilate groups that hunted or enslaved its members, so, unless they had a very powerful backing, the average bandit or slaver group avoided areas frequented by Adventurers.
In the end, it wasn't a group of bandits or slavers that Paul and his Party had to worry about; it was other Adventurers. Wagons weren't exactly all-terrain vehicles, so they needed to travel along established paths to avoid having their wheels or axels give out on them.&nbsp;
Under normal circumstances, a group of Adventurers wouldn't even bat an eye towards a covered wagon. They might offer their services if the wagon was traveling in the same direction as them, but, more often than not, Adventurers avoided Merchants.
The thing that made Paul and his Party an exception, excluding the fact the majority of their members were beautiful women, was that they were traveling without a horse or another means to pull their wagon. Instead, it was drawn along by none other than Paul himself, his body appearing to release steam as he pulled the overburdened wagon without a shirt on.
Seeing Paul pulling the covered wagon while Ghislaine and Eula walked alongside him, a Party of Adventurers consisting of three human males, a fully armored Dwarf, a bookish-looking girl with slightly pointed ears, and a dog-like woman from the Beast Race.
Seemingly representing the group, a relatively handsome man with red hair and matching red eyes stepped forward to ask, "Did your horse run off or something...?"
Unlike most people, who fell into the role of swordsman or Mage, the red-headed ikeman had a sizeable crossbow strapped to his lower back and a red, expensive-looking longbow. There were only five arrows in his quiver, but the runic pattern engraved into their shafts made it clear they were no ordinary arrows.
Since he had already ceased pulling the wagon once the group began their approach, Paul was able to manage a relatively casual smile as he answered, "You don't become strong by skipping out on training."
Though it probably didn't earn him any favor from the men in the group, Paul punctuated his statement by flexing his right arm and winking at the bookish-looking girl in a stereotypical Mage outfit. A lifetime of dedicated training had given him a body that appeared to be carved from marble, so he couldn't help showing it off. He was pretty proud of it.
Believing Paul had caught her staring at his chiseled abs, the relatively youthful-looking Mage pulled down the brim of her hat to cover the beet-red face. Noticing this, the black-haired youth standing next to her, a kid with messy hair, padded winter clothing, thick leather gloves, and a fang-like shortsword strapped to his lower back, furrowed his brows and asked, "How do we know you didn't rob a huntsman and steal their wagon? Only an idiot would roam around the countryside pulling a carriage."
"Timothy...!"
After barking at the black-haired youth, the red-headed archer adopted an apologetic expression as he turned back to Paul, rubbing the back of his head as he said, "Sorry about that. Though, it is pretty suspicious of you to be pulling a wagon full of furs and preserved meats this far away from the city. Your clothes don't exactly look like they belong to a group of Hunters, so I can only assume you're Adventurers...?"
Pulling out his own Guild Card, the red-headed archer revealed that he was a B-Rank Adventurer. More importantly, his card was engraved with the seal of the Adventurer's Guild itself.
"The names Rolan. I'm the Leader of the B-Rank Party known as Lion's Head. I'm also a Surveyor with the Guild, so I'd appreciate it if you could answer some of my questions."
Showing no particular concern in his expression or body language, Paul shrugged his shoulders, saying, "Ask away." before immediately turning to Eula and adding, "Mind grabbing me something to wear? Now that I'm no longer moving, my body is starting to cool down."
Nodding her head, Eula answered, "Of course." before walking around to the back of the wagon. This caused Rolan to squint his eyes, but before he could say anything or order his companions to check the wagon, Paul interrupted, stating, "You have ten questions. After that, we'll be on our way. I've read the Guild's bylaws, and your status as a Surveyor doesn't grant you the right to interrogate or search people."
Furrowing his brows, Rolan was about to ask why Paul would bother to read the Guild's bylaws when his final human companion, a bearded man with short brown air, blue eyes, and a rather fierce-looking scar running across his left cheek stated, "I'd be careful with my words if I were you. Out here in the wild, people get lost and go missing all the time. It would be a shame if that mouth of yours got you and your lasses into trouble..."
Showing no signs of being intimidated, Paul maintained a smile as he gave the roguish-looking man a once-over. He had three dagger-like swords of varying lengths strapped to his waist and an almost excessive number of pouches near his hip, lower back, and thighs.&nbsp;
"Are you a practitioner of the North God Style...?"
Resting his left hand on the pommel of his longest blade, the man asked, "And if I am...?"
Adopting a slightly more serious expression, Paul stated, "I'm only going to say this once. Everyone in my Party is at least Saint-Ranked. The next time you try to threaten or pressure us, you only have yourselves to blame for what happens next."
Not believing Paul's words for a moment, the roguish-looking man snorted through his nose while the black-haired swordsman adopted a scowl and said, "Hogwash. You're full of crap." before placing his hand on the sheath of his sword and adding, "Rolan...these people are obviously bandits...just give me the order..."
Instead of giving the order to attack, Rolan raised his hand in a stopping gesture, barking, "That's enough! Even if they were bandits, we don't just attack people! Now, let me do my job...!"
Finished with his outburst, Rolan took a deep breath to compose himself. Paul's words had reminded him of something, so, after calming down, he looked back and asked, "Are you Paul Greyrat, the Leader of the Einherjar Party?"
Confirming Rolan's suspicions, Paul nodded his head, answering, "That's me." in a matter-of-factly tone.
Resisting the urge to curse under his breath, Rolan suddenly brought his hands together, bowing as he shouted, "Please forgive my comrades for their imprudence! We did not mean to offend the apprentice of the Sword and Water Gods...!"
Surprised by Rolan's spontaneous apology, the members of Lion's Head didn't immediately process his words. When they did, the roguish-looking man became a little pale as he raised his hands away from his blades as if they had suddenly become scalding hot. Then, noticing Timothy was still ready to strike, he smacked the glowering, black-haired youth in the back of the head, shouting, "Do you have a death wish!?"
Not expecting his friend to smack him, Timothy shouted, "What the hell, Jace!? Why did you hit me...!?" while rubbing the back of his head. At the same time, the petite yet discernibly buxom Mage stepped in front of him, a nervous smile on her face as she stared at Paul and said, "Please don't be mad...Timothy has always been a little slow in the head..."
"Lei-!?"
Before Timothy could finish speaking, the brown-haired Magus, known to her friends as Leilah, smacked him over the head with her club-like staff, shouting, "That's Paul Greyrat, the person everyone was talking about a year ago! You know, the youngest Sword Saint in history...!"
Rubbing the top of his head, Timothy refuted Leilah's claim, shouting, "Are you an idiot, or just blind!? Sword Saint Paul should only be around twelve or thirteen years old! That guy is clearly in his twenties...!"
Without taking his eyes off of Paul, Rolan attempted to alleviate Timothy's confusion by stating, "It's because he gave up the latter half of his life to awaken his Touki forcibly. I can also confirm that the Sword Saint recently came to Sharia, so the odds of this being the real deal are very high..."
Though he was a little annoyed that his name and position had apparently been exposed, Paul wasn't too surprised. Most of the people living within the world of Mushoku Tensei lived extraordinarily mundane lives. Famous Adventurers, Swordsmen, and Mages were the closest things they had to idols, so it wasn't too weird that his name had started to circulate in areas with heavy traffic and diverse populations...
Accepting the fur-lined coat that Eula had brought out for him, Paul wore it but didn't bother to close it up as he asked, "So? Are we done here, or did you still have questions?"
Rubbing the back of his head, Rolan answered, "If possible, I would like to check your Guild Card. After that, my companions and I will be sure to apologize for our behavior..."
"Yeah, yeah...here..."
Pulling out his Guild Card, Paul tossed it towards Rolan with an almost bored expression on his face. He didn't enjoy killing, but he was a little disappointed that things were wrapping up without a fight. At the very least, he felt like he owed the scarred man a solid punch to the face...
Confirming Paul was who he said he was, Rolan found himself swallowing a knot in his throat as he handed back the metallic card and said, "We've inconvenienced you..."
Shrugging his shoulders, Paul accepted the card and said, "Just be careful who you insult, heckle, or harass in the future." Then, looking towards the scarred man, Jace, he added, "It would be a real shame if your words and actions came back to bite you in the ass..."
Understanding how close he had come to relinquishing his life, a nervous chuckle emanated from Jace's throat as he kept his hands raised. He was fairly confident in skills as an assassin and a scout, but he was only at the Intermediate Rank of the Sword and North God Styles. He could probably hold his own against an Advanced Rank Swordsman, but Paul was a Saint known to apprentice under two different Gods. Squaring off against him in a fair fight was practically suicide.
"Listen...I-"
Before Jace could apologize, Timothy earned aghast looks from nearly every one of his comrades as he shouted, "Sword Saint Paul Greyrat! My name is Timothy M. Britts, Advanced Rank Swordsman of the Sword God Style! I challenge you to a match...!"
Recognizing the name from the original series, Paul's expression revealed a fair amount of surprise as he asked, "How old are you...?"
Thinking Paul was looking down on him due to his age, Timothy's already serious expression became grave as he answered, "Older than you..." in a nearly growling tone.
"Right..."
Realizing he was standing in front of one of Sword God's future disciples, a boy with the potential to become a Sword Emperor, Paul became a little more serious. In the original series, Timothy had gone on to sire the next generation Sword God, Jino Britts, so it wasn't much of an exaggeration to say talent flowed through his veins.
"Very well, Timothy. I, Sword Saint Paul Greyrat, accept your challenge...!"
...
..
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Chapter 73: MI73: Reflection