Mushoku Impact

After mulling things over for a couple of days, Paul elected to take Fischl out on a date while the two of them waited for Oz to complete his journey across the Red Dragon Mountain Range.
As it was the first time they had accompanied each other outside of the Western District, Paul couldn't help furrowing his brows as everyone gave him and Fischl a very wide berth. The people of Mushoku Tensei were an extremely superstitious bunch, so they tended to avoid Fischl ever since rumors circulated regarding her being a harbinger of misfortune.
"These assholes..."
Squeezing Paul's hand, Fischl adopted a faint smile as she whispered, "Pay no heed to this ill-mannered lot, for they know not what they do. Fate has brought us together on this most auspicious of days, so let us indulge to our hearts' content."
Adopting a wry smile of his own, Paul squeezed Fischl's hand back and replied, "As you wish, mein Prinzessin..."
Feeling gratified by how Paul had addressed her, Fischl rewarded him with a quick peck on the cheek before pulling him along to one of the few stores that hadn't barred her entry. It was an antique/magical item shop that specialized in processing obscure, borderline occult items, so it was one of Fischl's favorite places in the city.
Hearing the bell to her shop ringing, a youthful-looking girl with pointed ears and long grey hair that obscured milky white eyes looked over from her perch atop a rocking chair and said, "Ah...if it isn't the Prinzessin der Verurteilung. What brings you...oh~?"
Noticing Paul enter alongside Fischl, the seemingly youthful girl stood up and approached them. She barely came up to Paul's chest, but the latter still felt uneasy due to the woman's strange garb, consisting of a tattered grey robe and a dirty, weatherworn shroud that gave off the impression of an old crone that lived in the woods. An aroma of soil and herbs followed her every movement.
Staring up at Paul's face despite her apparent blindness, the presumably Elven woman mused, "You must be the Master of the Abyss. Your aura is certainly not of this world..."
Tensing in response to the woman's words, Paul was about to say he had no clue what she was talking about when Fischl said, "Choose thy words carefully, Witch of the Ancient Relics. Thee never knoweth who could be listening in."
Shifting her 'gaze' to Fischl, a strangely grandmotherly smile developed across the relatively youthful-looking woman's face as she said, "You're in high spirits today. Are the two of you on a date?"
Though she was unable to prevent a blush from coloring her cheeks, Fischl puffed out her chest with pride as she replied, "Forsooth. Mine soul has't forever become interwoven with the Master of the Abyss."
"Oho~"
Adopting an ostensibly lecherous grin, the grey-haired Elf returned her gaze to Paul as she stated, "You're a lucky man. The Prinzessin is a little odd in the head, but she's a good girl. You'd better take care of her."
Though he didn't need others to tell him to take care of his women, Paul still nodded his head in response to the Elven woman's words, answering, "Leave it to me."
Returning a nod of her own, the as-of-yet-named Elf turned around and asked, "So? What compelled today's visit? While I enjoy the ambiance of my shop, it isn't exactly the ideal location for a date."
Shaking her head, Fischl's face turned even redder as she stated, "With the person thee loveth, all places art suitable for a date."
Amused by Fischl's words, the grey-haired Elf issued a soft chuckle as she made her way over to her rocking chair and sat down. Once she had made herself comfortable, she closed her eyes and said, "You're welcome to make use of the back. Just stay out of the basement and my bedroom."
Before Paul could think to ask why they would want to make use of the woman's house, Fischl responded with a curt, "Thank you, Baba." before dragging him through the door located behind the counter.
Allowing himself to be pulled into the surprisingly normal-looking abode, Paul waited for Fischl to stop before asking, "What's this about? Who is that woman...?"
Exhaling a soft sigh, Fischl dropped her usual speech pattern to explain, "This is one of the only places I can visit that isn't operated by the Guild. Baba sheltered me for a short while when I was searching for a place to stay. Most people believe this shop to be cursed, so it wouldn't hurt her business even if I stayed here..."
"Fischl..."
Combing his fingers through Fischl's perennially smooth hair, Paul briefly scoured his mind for words of comfort before deciding to simply place a kiss on her lips. His stay at the Sword Sanctum had compromised much of his education as a Noble, so there were times when his trained eloquence failed him. Fortunately, especially when it concerned matters of the heart, actions generally spoke louder than words...
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With the distance between Sharia and the Strife Zone requiring Oz to fly for roughly sixteen hours, Paul's message reached Ningguang around 3 AM the following day.
Though she had been asleep at the time, Ningguang emerged from her bedchamber without even changing out of her nightgown when she heard that a message from Paul had arrived. It had technically been years since their last communication with one another, so she was eager to hear what Oz had to say.
Standing approximately 90m tall and with a wingspan exceeding 2m, Oz was a relatively large member of the Corvus species with violet feathers that exuded pure Electro Elemental Energy. Its full name was Ozvaldo von Hrafnavines, but it allowed those close to Fischl to refer to it as Oz.
Upon entering the room where Oz was being handfed by Ganyu, a smile developed across Ningguang's face as she said, "Sir Ozvaldo, it's good to see you. How was your journey across the mountains? I hope the Winter conditions did not inconvenience you too much."
"Hmmm..."
Staring back at Ningguang, Oz briefly squinted his eyes before answering, "Several Lesser Drakes beset me, but they easily dispatched due to Mein Fraulein's continuous supply of Electro Energy."
Understanding the implication behind Oz's words, an amused chuckle emanated from Ningguang's throat before she shifted her attention to Ganyu and requested, "Ganyu, can you grab me something to drink? My throat is parched."
Bowing courteously, Ganyu replied, "Certainly." before raising her head and promptly exiting the room. She knew that Ningguang preferred to control the flow of information as much as possible, so she would rather hear what Oz had to say in private before personally conveying it to the rest of their group.
With Ganyu gone, Ningguang initiated things by questioning, "Are Paul and Fischl together at this moment? Can you convey our words in real-time?"
Nodding his head, Oz replied, "It is within my power, but Mein Fraulein is presently asleep. You will need to wait until she awakens if you desire to converse with Master Paul directly."
Exhaling a sigh, Ningguang softly grumbled, "That man can be so careless at times..."
Realizing that Ningguang had misunderstood his words, Oz clarified, "Master Paul is presently awake and patiently awaiting Mein Fraulein's rousing. I believe he is being courteous, not careless."
"Ah...I see...that certainly sounds like Paul."
Crossing her arms, Ningguang adopted a contemplative posture as she briefly considered waiting for Fischl to rouse. In the end, however, her curiosity got the better of her, so she asked, "And? What did our Master have to say? I imagine he entrusted you with a basic message of sorts."
Following another nod, Oz answered, "Master Paul intends to heed your advice and return to the Asura Kingdom around the onset of Spring. For the sake of expediency, he wishes to employ the services of Lady Ganyu so that he can visit his home before proceeding to the Capital City of Ars."
"Hmmm..."
Tapping her chin, a conflicted look developed across Ningguang's face as she considered how Ganyu's absence would adversely affect her plans. It would be fine if she were only gone a few days, but there was a fairly high possibility that Ganyu would want to remain at Paul's side. Ever since she gave her virginity to him, she would periodically get lost in thought as she stared off longingly towards the presumed direction of Paul.
"Ah...wait a moment. You mentioned Paul intends to visit his family? That could work..."
Since she couldn't really refuse if Paul asked for Ganyu, Ningguang's mind immediately came up with a solution that could benefit everyone. She had been stockpiling resources to feed into the Intersection of Fate for quite some time, so she could always rendezvous with Paul back at the Milbots Region around the time he was visiting his family.
Seeing Ningguang get lost in her machinations, Oz snorted through the nostrils of his beak. Ever since Ningguang had dispatched Fischl to the Ranoa Magic Kingdom, he had developed a general disdain for the goal-oriented woman. He knew she was acting in the interests of everyone, but he hated how she seemed to view everyone as little more than a cog in a machine of her making.
Noticing Oz's penetrating gaze, a somewhat wry smile developed across Ningguang's face as she inquired, "How has Fischl been doing? I imagine things have improved since Paul's arrival...?"
Though he briefly squinted his eyes, Oz eventually replied, "Indeed. She would be happier if it were just her and Master Paul, but she has enjoyed the extra companionship. The residents of Sharia have not treated Mein Fraulein with due kindness..."
Exhaling a sigh of her own, Ningguang appeared genuinely apologetic as she said, "For that, you have my deepest apologies. I never imagined that such an incident would occur..."
Unconvinced by Ningguang's words, Oz stated, "I understand that it was not your fault that Mein Fraulein suddenly advanced in age. However, you could have sent Lady Ganyu to retrieve her once she began experiencing difficulties. Having her remain in Sharia was incredibly foolish..."
Furrowing her brows, Ningguang wanted to argue but ultimately decided against it. This was far from the first time she and Oz had discussed this topic, so she knew he wouldn't listen to her justifications. In his mind, she was responsible for everything Fischl had experienced. It didn't matter to him that Fischl was the one that chose to remain in Sharia...
As the tensions within the room reached a palpable level, Ganyu finally arrived with a warm glass of milk. She immediately sensed that something was amiss but knew better than to ask as she carried the glass of milk to Ningguang and said, "Here you are. I added a bit of sugar to help bolster your energy."
Accepting the proferred glass with a smile, Ningguang tried to lighten the mood by asking, "This isn't your milk, is it~?"
With a faint shade of pink coloring her cheeks, Ganyu adopted a slightly pouty expression as she groaned, "Lady Ningguang..."
Restraining a laugh, a teasing smile developed across Ningguang's face as she said, "As adorable as always..." before downing the contents of the glass Ganyu had provided...
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Unaware of the events taking place thousands of kilometers away, Paul had had an affectionate smile on his face as he traced his fingers around the pattern on Fischl's lower abdomen. He knew she was only pretending to sleep, but that didn't prevent him from playing along and admiring her sleeping face...
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After a fairly long conversation with Ningguang, Paul agreed to meet up with her around the beginning of the fifth month. He was tempted to hurry home in time for his birthday, but the news that Roxy was on her way to Sharia made him hesitant to leave before her arrival.
Though he had no way of knowing when he would summon Varuna, the Hydro Archon, Paul couldn't think of a better candidate to receive a Hydro Vision than Roxy. She had managed to claw her way up to the pinnacle of the world through sheer hard work and effort, so, even though she was an eternal loli, Paul had a considerable amount of respect for the prodigious Migurdian.
With nothing else to do but wait for the arrival of Jean, Barbara, Razor, and eventually Roxy, Paul spent his days training, watching over the construction, educating the younger members of the Beast Race, and generally enjoying life.&nbsp;
If he was being completely honest, Paul felt as though his growth had stunted ever since he entered Sharia. At the same time, he also knew this might be one of the last times he could relax before establishing himself as a powerful and influential figure. Once he became Reida's successor and became entangled with the politics of the Asura Kingdom, his life was bound to be filled with stressors.
Fortunately, Paul didn't have to wait nearly as long as he expected, as, in the midst of Winter, a relatively large convoy carrying materials and goods from the Asura Kingdom entered the City of Sharia. Paul wasn't present to see it arrive, but he received a message from Lisa informing him that Roxy was among the Adventurers serving as an escort.
As he had been dining with Ei, Eula, Fischl, and Xiangling when the courier arrived, Paul didn't immediately set out to try and meet Roxy. Instead, he looked to the girls for advice, asking, "How do you girls think I should go about this? The longer I think about things, the creepier it seems to just approach her out of the blue..."
Though he could have easily managed with his youthful appearance, Paul couldn't shake the feeling that approaching Roxy now was like an old man trying to lure a little kid with confection. He didn't know what to say, much less how to broach inviting her to join his Party, a group filled with women he was actively boning.
Never one for subtlety, Ei suggested, "If she is as you described, a simple explanation of the situation should suffice. She would learn far more while traveling with us than attending the Ranoa Magic Academy."
Rather than immediately rejecting Ei's idea, Paul briefly considered the banes and boons of such an approach. The older Roxy was an incredibly rational woman, but that was when she was in her late thirties or forties. He didn't know exactly how old she was at the present moment, but she was still pretty naive even during her tutelage of Rudeus, something that would have initially taken place around ten years from now.
By informing Roxy of the truth, at least a version of it, Paul was basically binding the young Migurdian to their cause. Sure, it might be the 'best' for everyone involved, but it didn't change the fact they would be taking hold of her life. He had done the same with Ghislaine, but Paul excused that as she kind of needed someone to look after her.
In an effort to provide Paul with an alternative, Eula suggested, "If you're worried about her growing attached to you, why not send her to the Strife Zone?"
Raising his brows, Paul asked, "What makes you think I'm worried about that?"
Without missing a beat, Eula replied, "You can be overly sentimental at times. If a woman were to travel with us, they would eventually begin to feel left out if they were the only one denied your affection. After enough time has passed, they would feel compelled to leave the Party unless you proactively convinced them to stay."
As similar thoughts had crossed his mind in the past, Paul found himself unable to refute Eula's words. However, instead of beating himself up over it, he just shrugged his shoulders, adopted an awkward smile, and said, "I suppose this is a different world. So long as it doesn't bother you girls, I'm sure I can adapt pretty quickly."
In response to Paul's words, Ei, Eula, Fischl, and Xiangling exchanged glances. Ei and Eula weren't particularly bothered by the situation, but Fischl and Xiangling still had a bit of possessiveness towards Paul. They were in the camp of girls that had accepted they had to share the same man but preferred when it was just Paul and themselves.
As the two girls seemed to be conversing with just their eyes, the tense atmosphere was promptly shattered when Esme and a few of her recent followers burst into the room, shouting, "Boss! Come quicknya! There are baddies trying to stir up trouble...!"
Though she still had a verbal tick, Esme's speech had improved by leaps and bounds ever since Paul told her it was her responsibility as the Little Boss to set a good example for the other children. She received the most instruction from Paul and his group, so her growth was rather monstrous.
Rising to his feet, Paul replied, "Lead the way." without bothering to ask for the details. It didn't matter if Esme was making a mountain out of a molehill. During a crisis, even a moment's hesitation could spell disaster for the potential victims.
With Esme's group leading the way, it wasn't long before Paul learned the reason for her urgency. A group of fairly powerful Beast Race Adventurers had entered the city along with the recent convoy and were attempting to receive free room and board by asserting their dominance.
Since Ghislaine was currently leading a hunting party to secure meat and other supplies from the forest, it fell to Paul and his group to deal with any 'strays' that happened to wander into their territory uninvited. Fortunately, they were exceptionally good at it.
Activating his Dendro Vision, Paul manifested vines to restrain two of the assailants while surprising a man that resembled a gorilla with a punch to the face. The latter seemed like the strongest of the group as he was just standing back and intimidating the crowd while his lackeys kicked around the owner of a recently established tannery.
"Who the hell...!?"
Since Paul was just gauging the man's strength, he held back quite a bit with his punch. With his current strength, it was terrifyingly easy to blow up a person's head or punch clean through them, so he had to be careful if he wanted to avoid killing his opponents.
While people in the surroundings celebrated by shouting out things like, "Boss!" and "Teach these strays a lesson!" Paul was cracking his knuckles with a smile on his face as he said, "I'm only going to say this once. If you intend to stay in our community, you have to follow the rules. If you have a problem with that, your options are to leave or suffer the consequences. Which will it be?"
Snorting through his nose, the gorilla-like man raised himself to his full height of 218cm as he said, "Among the Beast Race, the strong make the rules. A shitty human brat like you should mind his own business."
Maintaining his smile, Paul said, "Wrong answer." before stepping forward like a blur. The gorilla-like man puffed out his chest as if he were about to drum it, but he wasn't even able to unleash a battle cry before Paul sent him flying with a spartan kick.
Demonstrating the resilience the Beast Race was known for, the gorilla-like man quickly recovered after tumbling head over heels seven times. Fortunately for him, he seemed to understand that they were engaged in a contest of strength as he promptly stripped away his upper body armor and weapons before charging toward Paul on all-fours.
Resisting the urge to tear away his own tunic, Paul leaned forward with a battle-crazed smile on his face as he shouted, "Come get some, banana breath...!"
Intending to do just that, the gorilla-like man leaped once he reached the halfway point between him and Paul, arms raised over his head in a very obvious precursor to a smash. Paul could have easily dodged to the side, but such actions were generally frowned upon by members of the Beast Race. Instead, he performed a half-squat, tensing the muscles in his body as a Beast Race child shouted, "He's about to do the Shoryuken...!"
While several other Beast Race children shouted and cheered, Paul shot up into the air, his fist connecting with the gorilla-like man's jaw as he landed a devastating uppercut using the man's momentum against him. Then, as the latter traced a beautiful arc through the air, he touched down on the ground before kicking off with tremendous speed, shouting, "Ever been air juggled!?"
Having suffered a concussion, the gorilla-like man couldn't process Paul's words as the world spun around him. The only thing he knew was that he had picked the wrong opponent as a series of painful impacts prevented him from hitting the ground. After that, darkness overtook his vision until he awoke several hours later in the unfinished but still functional hospital wing.
Realizing he had knocked the man unconscious, Paul prevented his head from hitting the ground as he lowered him down and shouted, "Someone bring over a stretcher!" Then, seeing the man's lackeys staring at him with vindictive glowers on their animalistic faces, he adopted a fairly malicious smile and said, "Make that three..."
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While Paul was busy performing his duties as the Big Boss of the Western District, a youthful-looking girl with blue hair that appeared to shine green in the setting sun was making her way through the streets of Sharia along with a markedly more mature woman with wavy brown hair and expensive purple clothing. At a glance, most people would peg the former to be 10-11 years old, but the truth of the matter was that she was nearly the same age as her escort.
Noticing that the buildings were becoming increasingly shoddy as they advanced, the youthful-looking girl began to feel wary as she looked up at the much taller woman and asked, "Miss Lisa, are you sure this is the right way to go? I can't help feeling as though we're about to reach the slums..."
Aware of the rumors regarding the Magic Triumvirate's slave trade, the blue-haired girl was understandably suspicious of her guide's intentions. Her guide may be a celebrated member of the Adventurer's Guild, but the organization wasn't exactly free of corruption.
Amused by her acquaintance's remark, Lisa covered her mouth to stifle a giggle before surprising the girl by answering, "The place we're heading can, indeed, be considered a part of the slums. More specifically, we are heading to the Western District, the location of a dedicated community of Beast People."
Stopping in place, the blue-haired girl brandished a magic wand as she asked, "What are you after? If you think I'm easy to take advantage of due to my appearance, you're sorely mistaken..."
Without losing her smile, Lisa looked towards her vigilant charge and said, "Please put your wand away, Miss Roxy. As I said before, the person I'm introducing you to has tremendous sway within the Academy. He just so happens to be the 'Big Boss' of the Western District, so-"
Interrupting Lisa's explanation, the sound of exuberant cheering reached the two girls. It was currently the dead of Winter, so sounds had a habit of traveling further due to the limited pedestrian traffic and the presence of snow.
Understanding what must be happening, Lisa's smile became even more prominent as she said, "If you're truly concerned, you're free to return to the Guild. I can always arrange a meeting between the two of you at a later date and in a far more secure location. However, if you follow along, I can all but guarantee you'll see something interesting..."
Without turning to see if Roxy was following her, Lisa sped up her steps as she made her way towards the sound of cheering. Her actions made Roxy feel even more suspicious, but, at the same time, she couldn't help feeling a little curious. Curiosity was everything to an aspiring Mage, so while her reason was telling her to be cautious, her inquisitive nature was telling her to move forward, never back.
"Damnit, Roxy...what are you getting yourself into...?"
After muttering to herself under her breath, Roxy slipped her wand into the holster in her sleeve before raising her hand and shouting, "Lisa! Wait for me...!" as she hurried to catch up.
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With weeks turning months, Paul found himself staring up at the ceiling with a listless expression on his face, softly muttering, "I wonder when Jean, Barbara, and Razor are going to return...?"
Lying beneath Paul, or, more specifically, laying on her stomach and allowing Paul to use her butt as a pillow, Eula replied, "There is a good chance they will wait out the Winter. What you should be worrying about is what you're going to do once the mating season begins..."
"Mmm..."
Prompted by Eula's words, Paul recalled the increasing 'enthusiasm' some beast girls had exhibited as of late. He was no longer something as simple as the Big Boss within the beast person community. After everything Paul had done, many regarded him as an honorary member of the Beast Race and, more importantly, their Chief.
Though he was more than content with his current 'harem,' Paul would be lying if he said he wasn't enticed by some of the uninhibited beauties that had been approaching him. He had always had a fondness for mature and shapely women, and that just about described every mature beast person he had ever met.
Giving voice to Paul's thoughts, Ghislaine, who had been lying with her head in his lap, remarked, "You're aroused."
Without missing a beat, Paul casually replied, "The cheeks of a goddess are cushioning my head, and I have a horned-up cat girl nuzzling against my junk. It would be stranger if I weren't aroused..."
Furrowing her brows, Ghislaine matter-of-factly retorted, "I'm not horned up..."
Instead of arguing with the ashen-haired cat girl, Paul just caressed her head. Ghislaine wasn't unduly happy about this, but after a few moments had passed, she resumed sniffing his crotch as if it were perfectly natural.
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In preparation for the forthcoming mating season, Paul coordinated with Count Schmidt to have the Western District made inapproachable to the general public of Sharia. It was common for opportunistic individuals and Slavers to take advantage of the season, and he wasn't going to tolerate such behavior during his stay.
Unfortunately, while Paul's efforts helped to ensure the relative safety of the beast race community, there was little he could do to protect himself. Near the beginning of the ninth month, nearly every male beast person within Sharia began challenging him for the right to challenge Ghislaine to a duel. Inversely, every female began challenging Ghislaine.
Though he was able to best everyone that challenged him, Paul began to regret his decision to stay in the Western District when his clothing began to disappear. Amalie informed him that it would most likely be returned at the end of the season, but it was still annoying to have everything except the clothes on his back stolen. It didn't help that he discovered Esme and her growing group of friends passing around one of his undertunics as if it were some kind of narcotic.
Fortunately, while the mating season continued for three months, only the first few weeks were chaotic. After that, most of Paul's possessions were returned, while others brought him monetary compensation for the items they had inadvertently destroyed. This included Amalie, who, as it turned out, made something of a 'nest' out of Paul's clothes.
After cohabiting with Paul for several months, Amalie had developed more than a passing fondness for him. He had improved her life and the lives of everyone in her community and, more importantly, helped take care of her children. Thus, even though she felt incredibly guilty about it, she was the one that had stolen most of his clothes.
While Paul was initially taken aback by Amalie's confession, he didn't lash out at her as she expected. Instead, the two talked for a while before Paul unfailingly fucked the infatuated cat woman silly. Amalie understood from the beginning that their paths would inevitably diverge. Thus, even if it was only for a single night, she wanted to experience what it was like to be loved by such a 'great' man.
To Amalie's considerable relief and moderate concern, her time with Paul wasn't just a one-off event. Once they crossed the line from cohabitants to provisional lovers, he became considerably more affectionate towards her. It was a little stressful at times, but she enjoyed having her butt and breasts fondled as Paul playfully nibbled the tips of her ears.
Amalie's only regret was that she couldn't keep up with Paul. Even when he invited her to participate in threesomes with Ghislaine, she would be left utterly exhausted long before the event had ended. Paul told her not to worry about it, but Amalie couldn't help feeling a combination of shame and self-loathing.
Since there was very little he could do about other people's self-esteem issues, Paul just did his best to show an interest in Amalie whenever they were together. He didn't prioritize her over other girls, but he did his best to give her pleasant memories of their time together. Fortunately, though he doubted his prayers had anything to do with it, Paul was able to do so without knocking up either her or Ghislaine.&nbsp;
Though he would do his best if push came to shove, Paul wasn't ready to be a father...
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"You've got to be kidding me..."
Reading one of the many letters Rosaria had delivered to him, a dull look was plastered across Paul's face as he asked, "I make it through two mating seasons without incident, and you're telling me I already have a pair of brats running around...?"
After rolling her eyes and crossing her arms, Rosaria coldly retorted, "You spent nearly a thousand hours having sex like wild animals. What did you think was going to happen?"
Cradling his forehead in his left hand, Paul didn't immediately respond to Rosaria's words. Instead, his mind wandered to the memories of his time together with Reida. He would be bullshitting if he said he wasn't fond of the raven-haired woman, but he never expected her to be the mother of his children...
Suppressing a sigh, Paul returned his attention to Reida's poorly penned letter. It informed him that his twins, Aiden and Aria, were living with his parents. She had gotten permission from the King to let them stay there for their safety, but it was only a matter of time before she was forced to relocate them to the capital.
"Hmm..."
After the shock of his sudden fatherhood, very little could surprise Paul. Thus, when he read that Reida wished to nominate him as her successor, he merely hummed before setting the letter aside and picking up the one penned by Ningguang. It provided very little information, undoubtedly as a countermeasure against interception, but encouraged him to prove his loyalty to the King.
Since he had explained his intention to support Ariel rather than starting a war, Paul wasn't too surprised by Ningguang's letter. He also understood the pros and cons of becoming Reida's heir, as they had discussed it more than once during their journey.&nbsp;
"So my options are to be an asshole who abandons his kids, a slave to the Kingdom, or an international criminal...fan-fucking-tastic..."
Though he knew he was to blame, Paul couldn't help feeling that fate had conspired against him. After all, him having children around the same age, or slightly older, as Ariel virtually guaranteed they would be made into her Guardians. If he viewed his children as nothing more than a means to an end, that was arguably a good thing...
Unfortunately, as much of an asshole as he was, Paul wasn't a complete piece of shit. If both of his children had been boys, he might have thought about delaying his return. Since one of them was a girl, he couldn't just let her be shipped off to the Concubine's Palace to protect the Princess. The children of the Royal Family lived in an isolated section of the Palace, but it was only a matter of time before some pretentious piece of shit tried to have his way with her.
Knowing he would never be able to forgive himself if he turned a blind eye to the suffering of his children, Paul didn't have to think about his decision to return. His primary concern was keeping his children and the girls from the Intersection of Fate safe.
Exhaling a sigh, Paul opened the final envelope, a formal summons by the King of the Asura Kingdom, Ansalem Anemo Asura. It gave him until the end of the following year to appear, but Paul knew the sooner he showed up, the better. It didn't exactly scream loyalty to postpone until the very last moment before answering a summons.
Shifting his gaze to Rosaria, Paul questioned, "How did you acquire these letters? I mean, I kind of anticipated you were in contact with Ningguang, but what about these letters from the King and Reida?"
In an almost bored-sounding tone of voice, Rosaria replied, "Though it's still a little sparse, Ningguang's network spans more than just the Milbots Region. When she sent Lisa, Fischl, and Princess Andromeda to the Ranoa Magic Academy, she had several informants follow along."
"Ah..."
Unsurprised by Rosaria's response, Paul returned his attention to the trio of letters, returning them to their respective envelopes as he asked, "How long does it take to send a letter from here to the Strife Zone?"
"Using land routes, around six months. However, if you ask Fischl, she can send over Oz. The odds of him being intercepted while trying to cross the mountains are fairly high, but it's only a sixteen-hour flight."
"Holy shit..."
Though he knew that flight was overpowered, Paul never considered that Oz could cover half of the largest continent in less than a day. If only he had a floating fortress like Perugius...
Amused by Paul's reaction, a rare smile developed across Rosaria's face as she said, "If you think that's impressive, you should see Ganyu. If she transforms into her Qilin form, she can complete the journey in less than an hour. There is a reason she served as the General Secretary and Envoy of the Qixing."
Opening his mouth, Paul wanted to say something but found himself lost for words. He knew Ganyu could transform into a Qilin. When he inquired about it in the past, she had readily shown it to him. At the time, she was only around the size of a small horse, but he recalled that her adult form should be large enough to ferry dozens of people to safety.
Seeing through Paul's thoughts, Rosaria nodded her head and said, "It's said that only the pure of heart can ride a Qilin, but I'm sure Ganyu would make an exception for you."
Scrunching his brows and nose, Paul retorted, "That's not very nice. I may not be pure of heart, but I'm far from evil."
Adopting a faint smile, Rosaria casually countered, "As I see it, you're an irredeemably wicked man. You just balance things out with your relatively caring and compassionate nature..."
Realizing that Rosaria was teasing him, Paul's brows perked up. However, before he could return the favor, she appended, "I'll do it if I have to, but I'd rather not become another one of your victims."
Since it was against his policy to try and force people, Paul just clicked his tongue before shrugging his shoulders and saying, "Your loss."
Rolling her eyes, Rosaria flatly replied, "If you say so." before rising to her feet and adding, "Before I go, there is one last thing I intended to inform you about."
After rising to his feet, intending to see Rosaria off, Paul asked, "What is it?" in a curious tone.
Returning a curt nod, Rosaria explained, "According to reports, a young Migurdian named Roxy Migurdia recently appeared in the Donati Region. They were delayed due to inclement weather, but she should be arriving in the next couple of weeks along with a merchant convoy."
Blinking in surprise, Paul asked, "Are you certain...?"
Rolling her eyes for the umpteenth time, Rosaria retorted, "What reason could I possibly have to lie?" before promptly making her way towards the exit. Paul was about to follow after her, but she left him slackjawed in his original spot when she added, "Try not to knock her up."
...
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Chapter 81: MI81: Message