Mushoku Impact

While Roxy was busy getting changed into some dry clothes, Paul elected to helicopter around Xiangling in the kitchen. He knew better than to mess with her when she was cooking, but that didn't stop him from watching.
Unable to simply ignore Paul's presence, Xiangling flicked the end of a radish towards him, asking, "Don't you have anything better to do? What are Ei and Eula up to...?"
Catching the tail of radish out of the air, Paul tossed it into his mouth before answering, "Ei is upstairs in the nursery, and Eula is helping out by giving etiquette lessons at the school. As for everyone else, Lisa is at the Guild, Fischl is visiting Baba, Rosaria is off on a mission, Amalie is working the front counter, and Lynette only really shows up at night."
Giving Paul a sidelong glance, a playful pout developed across Xiangling's as she retorted, "Oh? I guess that means I was your last option..."
Instead of expressing concern at Xiangling's words, Paul offered a wink as he said, "Don't tempt me, woman."
Rolling her eyes, Xiangling shifted her focus back to the dishes she was preparing. She knew Paul did his best 'not' to prioritize any of the women he associated with. He just kind of went with the flow and did his best to make whoever was around him at the time happy.
Interpreting Xiangling's words and actions as a sign she might be feeling lonely, Paul waited for a few moments before asking, "Think you can take some time off tomorrow? We can go somewhere to hang out, just the two of us."
"Hmmm..."
Though she was tempted to agree immediately, Xiangling knew they both had other items on their plate. She was supposed to be giving cooking lessons around noon, and Paul had been spending the last few weeks assisting Roxy with her training. Making plans on the spur of the moment would inconvenience a lot of people.
Since it was pretty rare for Xiangling not to accept his invitation outright, Paul reasonably presumed she was busy the following day, appending, "If tomorrow's no good, just let me know when is. I can make time."
Adopting a faint smile, Xiangling answered, "I'll talk to Amalie and see if I can take the day after tomorrow off. That should give you time to consider where you want to take me. As much as I enjoy walking around, I'd prefer to go on more structured dates..."
Scratching the back of his head, Paul returned a wry smile as he said, "I'll see what I can do." just as Roxy poked her head into the kitchen. Paul had told her to rest and cover her Mana, but she evidently had something else in mind.
Noticing the petite blunette almost immediately, Paul called out, "Roxy? What's up...?"
"Ah..."
Stepping out from behind the door's threshold, Roxy revealed that she had substituted her usual Adventurer's garb for a comparably frilly blue and white dress. It made her look even more youthful than usual, but Paul knew better than say as such. He could tell when someone was fishing for compliments.
"Nice dress. Did you buy it recently...?"
Adopting a faint smile, Roxy made her way into the kitchen as she said, "It was a gift from my former mentor. She was also the one that gifted me my hat, wand, and cloak."
Taking the bait Roxy had thoughtfully dangled before him, Paul remarked, "Sounds like a pretty cool person. I'll have to thank her if the opportunity ever presents itself."
After briefly glancing toward Xiangling, Roxy turned her attention to Paul and asked, "For what...?"
Shrugging his shoulders, Paul adopted an easy-going smile as he replied, "I mean, she's the one that introduced you to Magic, right? If she hadn't, we wouldn't be talking right now."
Realizing what Paul was trying to say, a faint shade of red colored Roxy's cheeks as she hesitated to state the reason for her visit. There were some items she wanted to purchase at the city center, and she was hoping Paul would come with her.
Just as Paul was about to make things easier by asking if Roxy wanted to talk in private, Amalie stepped into the kitchen, revealing, "Paul, there is a group of girls here who claim to know you. Should I tell them you're here or send them away...?"
Though he smiled wryly due to the 'grim' expression that had developed across Roxy's face, Paul still asked, "What do they look like?" and "Did you manage to catch their names?"
Nodding her head, Amalie answered, "They are three human females. One of them introduced herself as Jean Gunnhildr."
As happy as he was to hear the answer he was expecting, Paul couldn't help muttering, "That timing..." as he cast a glance towards Roxy. When he did, she immediately looked away from him with a somewhat hurt look on her face.
Resisting the urge to pull Roxy up by her pigtails and ask why she was so quick to become depressed, Paul said, "That must be Barbara, Jean, and Razor. They've been training at the Sword Sanctum these past couple of months. Come on; I'll introduce you."
Without waiting for Roxy to protest, Paul reached down to grab her hand before looking back at Xiangling and asking, "You coming with, or are you okay with talking to them later?"
Waving her hand in a shooing gesture, Xiangling said, "Go on without me. I'll get started on something the celebrate their return."
"Sound's good."
Taking advantage of the fact Roxy had become statuesque, Paul pulled her from the kitchen while guiding Amalie at the waist. She was more than technically one of his women right now, so he felt compelled to introduce her before Barbara could potentially throw a tantrum. He didn't need her even angrier after finding out about his 'mishap' with Reida...
Seeing Paul emerge from the closed-off kitchen, Barbara garnered the attention of the entire dining room by shouting, "Paul~!" in a cheerful and bubbly tone. She hadn't changed much since the last time he saw her, but that was far from a bad thing.
With Roxy having already pulled her hand free, Paul was free to raise it as he said, "Hey there, Pipit. I've missed you. All of you."
Since Jean and Razor were also present, Paul knew better than to neglect them. However, compared to Barbara, they were a lot more easy-going. At the very least, they knew better than to shout in public.
Without minding the gazes from the surrounding Beast People, Barbara practically skipped over to Paul in order to give him a hug, affectionately nuzzling her face against his chest as she said, "It's been way too long."
"You're telling me..."
With Barbara looking up at him in confusion, Paul seized the opportunity to plant a chaste but lasting kiss on her lips. She had to stand on the tips of her toes in order to kiss him properly, but she didn't seem to mind it in the slightest.
Upon separating from the impassioned blonde's lips, Paul kept his hand wrapped around Barbara's waist as he gestured the retreating Roxy over, saying, "Come on, let me introduce you."
Following the direction of Paul's gaze, Barbara immediately noticed a little girl with matching blue hair and eyes. She had noticed her when Paul first emerged from the kitchen but didn't pay much attention to her as she was far more concerned with greeting the former.
Without Paul needing to complete the introductions, Barbara remarked, "You must be Roxy." with a genial smile on her face. Paul had revealed as much information as he could recollect about the significant people in this world. Barbara didn't remember all the details, but she had committed to memory the names and physical characteristics of every woman Paul had expressed an interest in.
Having come to realize many things during her stay in the Sword Sanctum, Barbara surprised even Paul by extending her hand towards Roxy and saying, "Let's try to get along, okay? If there is ever anything you need help with, please don't hesitate to ask."
Though she was briefly confused about how Barbara knew her name, it didn't take long for Roxy to realize the former was probably one of Paul's retainers. He had told her quite a bit about his past, just not the specifics.
Accepting Barbara's handshake, Roxy remained a little standoffish as she replied, "It's nice to meet you...?" with a considerable amount of confusion in her tone. She wasn't sure where the misunderstanding lay, but she got the distinct impression that Barbara had misunderstood something.
Making things transparently clear, even though he knew it was a bit of a gamble, Paul calmly pointed out, "Roxy isn't one of my lovers, Barbara. At the very least, she isn't at this very moment."
So Roxy didn't think he was completely shutting down her burgeoning affection, Paul punctuated his statement with a playful wink and a smile. He was past the point of mentally preparing himself, so she just needed to give him the go-ahead before their relationship advanced to the next level and became physical. It was entirely up to her.
While Roxy's mental state was in complete disarray, Barbara covered her mouth with a shocked expression on her face as she said, "Oh my! I hope my words didn't offend you. It's just, you're so cute, and Paul was always talking about wanting to meet you. Seeing you all dressed up and holding hands, I just assumed..."
Though she felt an almost overwhelming urge to dig a hole in the snow and bury herself in it, Roxy couldn't help keying in on Barbara's words, muttering, "You make it sound like he was always talking about meeting me..."
Since she didn't want to reveal more sensitive information, Barbara shifted Roxy's attention to Paul by staring directly at him. When she did, he made a show of appearing embarrassed as he said, "It wasn't that often..."
Realizing what Paul was doing, Barbara covered her mouth to suppress a giggle before demonstrating her emotional growth by looking toward Roxy and assuring, "Well, if you ever need advice, feel free to ask. As someone important to Paul, you can expect our full support."
Hearing Barbara mention she was important to Paul, most of the anxiety that had been welling in Roxy's chest was spontaneously abated. She had the urge to blast him in the face with a Water Ball for failing to mention he was entangled with even more women, but it was oddly relieving to know she had been 'accepted' by those close to him.
Fortunately for Paul, Roxy knew better than to cast Magic indoors. She was also in the process of recuperating her Mana, so she didn't feel like wasting what little she had on something petty and childish. Instead, she looked towards Paul with her characteristically unblinking expression as she said, "Thank you, Barbara...I'll be sure to keep that in mind..."
Though he had the distinct impression he had just been marked for some sort of revenge, Paul managed a light-hearted chuckle before continuing with the introductions. Then, as Amalie returned to serving customers, he directed the group upstairs to retrieve Ei and host an impromptu welcome party. The actual celebration would come later that evening, but a party was an excellent way to break the ice and get everyone in a good mood before broaching more serious subjects...
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Demonstrating one of the reasons she was known as Paul's songbird, Barbara made no attempts to hold in her voice as his hips smacked into hers with intensifying force.
Having grown used to her younger sister's shenanigans, Jean enjoyed a momentary reprieve on the opposite side of the bed, quietly conversing with Eula to get up to speed on everything that had occurred while they were gone.
Upon hearing about Paul's and Reida's unplanned children, Jean couldn't help exhaling a sigh as she quietly remarked, "I knew something like this would happen sooner or later..."
Shaking wayward thoughts from her mind, Jean met Eula's gaze as she asked, "I'm assuming you've already heard from Ningguang? What did she have to say on the matter?"
Though she was briefly distracted by the scene of Paul lightly smacking Barbara's bottom as the latter shouted, "Harder~!" Eula eventually nodded her head and explained, "Lady Ningguang recommended that Master Paul journey to the Capital and accept Water God Reida's invitation to train him as her successor. We make for the Milbots Region at the beginning of the Fifth Month."
"I see..."
Suppressing a second sigh, Jean took a moment to organize her thoughts before asking, "Has Master Paul said anything regarding our involvement in the matter? I can't imagine him being comfortable with having us in the Capital..."
To Jean's surprise, Eula nodded her head and explained, "We are to escort and attend him. Master Paul has expressed a willingness to 'play ball' with the Nobility, but his primary concern is securing and protecting his children. If it turns out to be a trap or someone attempts to use their status to coerce us, that's the end of the game. We will buy time and do as much damage as possible while Master Paul attempts to flee with his children. If that proves impossible, we will go to war with the Kingdom of Asura."
Furrowing her brows, Jean couldn't help questioning, "War? Is that truly the best course of action?"
Understanding Jean's concerns, Eula adopted a rare smile as she said, "Don't worry. Master Paul isn't the type of man that would order us to target civilians or raze cities. The peasantry is bound to suffer, but our primary targets will be the Nobles affiliated with the First Prince and his Faction. They will undoubtedly attempt to leverage our Master's children against him, but he has already mentally prepared himself. If we cannot save them outright, we will seek vengeance on their behalf."
Though she knew he would hesitate when the time came, Eula respected Paul's resolution to forgo negotiations if the Asura Kingdom attempted to use his children against him. Attempting to compromise with the corrupt was no different than giving them a license to do as they please. The only time such people even pretended to see reason was when held at the end of a blade.
Seeing the anticipatory light in Eula's amber-gold eyes, Jean couldn't stop herself from becoming somewhat sullen. After observing Paul for several years, she knew he would do what he thought was necessary to preserve both of their worlds. However, no amount of decisiveness could prepare a person to ignore the plight of their children. Paul might not admit it, but he was a caring man at heart. If his children were forced to suffer because of his unwillingness to compromise, he would never be the same...
"Are there no other alternatives...?"
Shaking her head, Eula calmly affirmed, "Not without transposing our will over our Master's. While this situation is less than ideal, it is ultimately the result of our Master living as he pleases. Is that not what we requested of him?"
Furrowing her brows, Jean intended to rebut but was interrupted by an ear-piercing scream. When she looked over her shoulder, she found her younger sister with her back arched; eyes rolled towards the back of her head as she gripped the sheets beneath them with enough force to tear into the fabric.
"..."
Taking advantage of Jean's pause, Eula took a moment to fix her hair as she sat up and confidently appended, "Our duty is to ensure our Master is safe and able to enjoy the life he has chosen for himself. Leave the more complicated affairs to Ningguang and The Seven."
Since Eula hadn't bothered to keep her voice down, Paul adopted a fairly cheeky smile as he looked toward her and remarked, "I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one enjoying myself. Now, bring- me- that- ass..."
"Hmph...!"
Though she loudly harumphed in response to Paul's boorish words, Eula didn't hesitate to crawl over Jean on all-fours. Paul had never been one to slack in the bedroom, but his skills and stamina had improved qualitatively under Lisa's meticulous 'guidance.' She would never admit it, but Eula had fallen in love long ago. Just not with Paul directly...
Ignoring the bodily fluids covering it from top to bottom, Eula placed a lingering kiss on the tip of Paul's penis before taking it into her mouth and cleaning it in preparation for her personal use. The taste made her want to gag, but it also caused the conflagration pervading her usually frigid body to turn into a veritable inferno...
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Though she usually stayed in an Inn located a few houses away from Amalie's Bakery, Roxy ended up spending the night after drinking herself unconscious earlier that evening. When she awoke, she found herself in a small, extremely odorous room that smelled heavily of Beast People.
As it wasn't the first time she had awoken in a place she didn't recognize, especially after a night of heavy drinking, Roxy didn't panic. Instead, she sat up and checked the state of her clothes before rubbing her head and groaning, "That's the last time I get drunk..."
Willfully ignoring the fact she had said the same thing nearly every single time she got drunk, Roxy searched the room for something to drink. She quickly noticed a large glass had been set out for her on a nightstand, so she immediately downed its contents without worrying about whether or not it had been laced with something.
Though it was nearing the end of Winter, the temperature inside the room Roxy was staying in was roughly 5 degrees. As a result, the water in the glass still tasted crisp and fresh despite a very prominent aftertaste.
Upon emptying the contents of the glass, Roxy exhaled a contented sigh before setting it on the nightstand and wondering aloud, "Now, where am I? The last thing I remember is..."
Recalling nothing since the time her Water Ball had exploded in her face, a rather prominent shade of red spread through Roxy's cheeks. It didn't persist for very long, but she suddenly felt as though the room was a lot warmer than it had been...
Recovering enough of her faculties to cast a Beginner-Rank Detoxification Magic, memories came flooding from the recesses of Roxy's mind as she groaned, "I remember now...some of Paul's 'friends' had returned from the Sword Sanctum. After that..."
Though she attempted to repress them, Roxy couldn't prevent the memories of her nagging and subsequently trying to flirt with Paul from resurfacing. It wasn't the first time she had badgered a guy she liked while drunk, but tonight was markedly different from the others as she actually managed to achieve some results.
"Oh, gods..."
Covering her face with both hands, a cocktail of emotions assailed Roxy as she fought the paradoxical urge to both squeal excitedly and smother herself with a pillow. She couldn't remember the conversation that had led up to it, but she could vividly recall daring Paul to kiss her.&nbsp;
Rather than simply giving Roxy a peck on the lips, Paul pulled Roxy across his lap, effectively cradling her in his arms as he bent down to provide her with a less than chaste kiss. Had things ended there, Roxy may have been beside herself with delight. Unfortunately, things ultimately went downhill when Paul slipped his tongue into her mouth.
While she had heard of and even witnessed a few tongue kisses before, Roxy had never experienced one. She did her best to reciprocate but barely managed to open her mouth before the contents of her stomach decided to come up and see what all the fuss was about.
Though Paul had laughed it off and even asked if she was okay, Roxy couldn't help thinking she had blown her chances with him. She was still on the fence about whether or not she wanted to be with him, so this felt like fate itself was telling her to get her act together.
In the midst of trying to gather her thoughts, Roxy became keenly aware of the fact that her surroundings had become quiet. She had been hearing loud creaking noises ever since she woke up, but the relative consistency of the sound had caused her to assume it was just the natural ambiance of wherever she was staying.
"Don't tell me..."
Directing her gaze to the ceiling, Roxy held her breath as she patiently awaited confirmation of her suspicions. It didn't happen immediately, but a rather prominent creaking sound began to permeate the room as Roxy's expression morphed into a deadpan.
Under normal circumstances, Roxy would have simply put a pillow over her head or gone outside to get some fresh air. From past experiences, she knew that such sounds typically only lasted for a few minutes before ultimately petering out.
A stark contrast to the norm, the sounds Roxy kept hearing would only stop for a few minutes before continuing with renewed vigor. She did her best to ignore it, but the sounds only seemed to become louder as time went on.
After nearly an hour of failing to fall asleep, Roxy's insatiable curiosity eventually got the better of her. She knew she should just reimain in bed, but she needed to be certain the sound was coming from the source she imagined. If it turned out to be a tree or something similar, she would feel like a complete idiot.
Sneaking out of the broom-closet-sized room, Roxy found herself in what she assumed to be an underground larder. There were ingredients all over the place, and she could sense the influence of a faint preservation charm in effect.
Ignoring her sudden hunger, Roxy made her way up a nearby set of stairs to find herself in the kitchen of Amalie's Bakery. This all but confirmed her suspicions, but she still made her way to the dining room and up the stairs leading to the second floor.
Just as Roxy reached the top of the stairs and was prepared to venture further, every hair on her body was forced to stand on end as a cold blade pressed to her neck, followed by an emotionless voice demanding, "State your name and intentions."
Though she wanted nothing more than to scream at the top of her voice, Roxy remained frozen in place for several seconds before softly replying, "Roxy Migurdia. I...I heard a sound and came to check it out..."
"Mmm..."
After removing the blade from Roxy's neck, the owner was revealed to be a lithe cat woman wearing a peculiar, form-fitting outfit beneath a hooded cloak. She had a star-shaped pattern on her left cheek, but the thing that caught Roxy's attention was her bright, amethyst eyes.
Liberating Roxy from her terrified reverie, the stone-faced woman said, "Sorry about that, but you really shouldn't be skulking about in the middle of the night. If Ei had been the one to detect you, you would have been a corpse before you could even blink."
Adding emphasis to her words, the ashen-haired woman snapped her fingers a few centimeters away from Roxy's face, appending, "Just like that." in a bone-chilling monotone.
Swallowing the knot in her throat, Roxy was about to ask who the woman was when the door near the end of the hall abruptly opened, light pouring forth and illuminating the previously dark corridor.
"Lynette? Roxy...?"
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Though her progress wasn't nearly as extreme as Paul suggested it might be, Roxy couldn't deny there had been results.&nbsp;
Over a two-week period, Roxy went from being able to cast an average of 22 consecutive Water Balls to a maximum of 27. While this might not seem like a lot at first glance, it indicated that her Mana Capacity had increased by roughly 27% in a relatively short period of time.
Using the Water Ball spell as a baseline, Roxy estimated her aggregate Mana to be around 240 when she started her training. If she experienced comparable results every two weeks, she would have more than doubled by the end of the following month.
Though she expected to hit a bottleneck at some point, Roxy couldn't help feeling excited by her progress. She had fallen in love with Magic from the moment she successfully cast her first Water Ball. Now, using that very same spell, she was strengthening herself with each passing day.
If the increase in her Mana Capacity wasn't enough of a reason to be grateful towards Paul and his Party, Roxy had been learning Magic from Lisa and Fischl. Lisa, in particular, had previously been invited to become a Professor at the Ranoa Magic Academy, so she was a veritable fountain of knowledge with an extensive collection of books.
Whenever she had questions, be they personal or academic, Roxy could always count on Lisa for the answer. The only downside was that she had to endure the mature woman's constant teasing.
Due to her appearance, Roxy had been forced to become accustomed to all manner of teasing. Migurdians didn't have the pointed ears or peculiar complexions typically associated with members of the Demon and Magic Races. Their only racial characteristics were their diminutive appearances and blue hair, traits not infrequent to other races. They could also live for several hundred years, but most humans couldn't really wrap their heads around such a concept as they lived much shorter and transient lives.
Fortunately, as much as Lisa teased her, Roxy quickly learned that it had little to do with her appearance. Rather, Lisa teased just about everyone she interacted with, be they young children, veteran Adventurers, or the members of Paul's group.
Speaking of Paul...
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As it was rather conspicuous seeing women like Ei and Eula constantly following Paul around, Roxy eventually summoned up the courage to ask him, "Just what is the relationship between you, Ei, and Eula? The three of you seem pretty close..."
Since it was as good a time as any, Paul decided to be honest with Roxy, answering, "It isn't just Ei and Eula. Xiangling, Fischl, Ghislaine, Lisa, and even Amalie. I'm 'pretty close' with all of them..."
With Paul naming off just about every member of his group, at least the members she had met, Roxy couldn't help staring at him in disbelief. He had been very nice to her thus far, never once mentioning her height or drawing attention to her 'youthful' appearance. She had kind of hoped he was different from the other human men she had encountered, someone who looked past appearances and saw the best in people.
Realizing that Paul's behavior could be an indication he simply didn't care about her, Roxy's mood diminished considerably as she slumped her head and shoulders, muttering, "I see...you're a lucky man to be surrounded by so many mature and attractive women..."
Though he could tell Roxy was disappointed with him, Paul nodded his head, appending, "You're right. Not a day goes by that I do not feel like the luckiest man in the world. It's one of the things that keep me moving forward, regardless of what this world may throw at me."
Hanging her head even further, Roxy repeated, "I see..." in a voice that was barely a whisper.
Adopting a wry smile, Paul resisted the urge to pat Roxy's conveniently placed head. He got the feeling she would become even more depressed if he did, so he waited a few moments before asking, "What's wrong? You look like you just found out your puppy died."
Exhaling a sigh, Roxy moved to stand up and walk away, but Paul grabbed her sleeve, saying, "Talk to me, Roxy. We're on the same side, remember?"
Shaking her head, Roxy refused to look back at Paul as she said, "I'm just feeling a little under the weather. Don't-"
Interrupting before Roxy could finish, Paul stated, "I've been nothing but honest to you. If you're going to lie, at least look me in the eye as you do."
"..."
Feeling a little guilty, Roxy suppressed the urge to pull her sleeve free from Paul's grasp. Instead, she hung her head for a few seconds before muttering, "I just want to be alone right now. I need time to organize my thoughts..."
Releasing his hold on Roxy's sleeve, Paul said, "If that's the truth, I won't stop you from leaving. However, if you need someone to talk to, I'm right here. I might not have all the answers, but I'm a pretty good listener when I need to be."
Looking back, Roxy found Paul staring at her with a comforting smile on his face. At the same time, she inadvertently revealed the fact she was on the verge of tears.
Having accumulated a considerable amount of experience dealing with all kinds of women, Paul's expression softened as he softly pointed out, "You don't look like you want to be alone..."
"..."
With Paul extending his hand to her, Roxy just stared at it for several seconds before asking, "Is this one of the tricks you use to make women fall for you?"
Instead of refuting Roxy's words, Paul chuckled lightly before answering, "Something like that. If you have any suggestions, I'm all ears."
"..."
Not expecting Paul's 'shamelessness,' Roxy briefly found herself at a loss for words. Her mind was racing, but she couldn't think of anything to say in response to such...brazen behavior.
Raising her hand, Roxy made as though she was about to place it into Paul's but stopped halfway, asking, "What happens if I let you grasp my hand?"
Instead of answering Roxy's question, Paul left her feeling at an even greater loss as he raised his hand and closed it around hers. Then, as her brain attempted to process his shamelessness, he answered, "That's up to you. Just make sure you don't have any regrets..."
With a crimson hue creeping up her neck and spreading through her face, Roxy retracted her hand from Paul's as if it were a hot stove. Then, even though it drew a lot of attention, she squatted down and covered her face as a variety of emotions assailed her.
Seeing how small Roxy was when she balled herself up, Paul briefly felt that he was tip-toeing a line he shouldn't. He had a sudden urge to slap some sense into himself but promptly disregarded it as he bent down to pick Roxy up, saying, "Don't scream. I'm carrying you back to the bakery, not some random alleyway."
Hearing Paul's words, the scream threatening to escape Roxy's throat got stuck. For a brief moment, she even forgot to breathe as Paul carried her towards Amalie's Bakery like a Princess or a bride.
"You good...?"
Noticing Roxy's face turning purple, genuine concern appeared in Paul's expression as he stared down at her. This was enough to bring Roxy back to her senses, a rather severe pout replacing her befuddled expression as she asked, "Just what do you think you're doing...!?" in a whispering shout.
Without missing a beat, Paul answered, "I already told you. I'm carrying you to the bakery. You'll feel better once you warm up and get something sweet in your belly."
Though she couldn't refute Paul's words, that didn't stop Roxy from trying to wriggle out of his embrace as she exclaimed, "Put me down! I can walk on my own!"
Catching the diminutive Magus by surprise, Paul slowed to a stop, asking, "Are you sure...?" before preparing to set her down. He wanted to make it transparently clear that she still had some semblance of control over the situation. If she didn't want him to carry her, he wasn't going to force the matter.
Realizing that Paul was serious about setting her down, a conflicted look promptly replaced Roxy's fretful expression. There was something about how willing he was to set her down that annoyed her...
"I changed my mind. Carry me..."
Shrugging his shoulders, Paul returned a smile and said, "If you say so." before continuing toward their destination. As he did, several members of the Beast Race community greeted him while absolutely none questioned why he was carrying Roxy in his arms...
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Recalling the previous day's events, Roxy briefly lost focus in the middle of trying to cast a Water Ball chantlessly. She realized it was happening and attempted to rein the spell in but ultimately failed, the head-sized ball of water exploding and soaking her entire body.
"..."
Having made a habit of accompanying Roxy during her afternoon training, Paul witnessed the uncommon phenomenon first hand, compelling him to ask, "Are you okay? Want to head back and grab a fresh pair of clothes...?"
With her back facing Paul, Roxy did her best to conceal the glowing of her face as she replied, "I'm fine. There's no sense in going back early when I only have a few more casts to go."
Though Roxy couldn't see him, Paul nodded his head and said, "So long as you don't catch a cold, it's fine. Good luck."
Returning a nod of her own, Roxy raised her hands and attempted to cast another Water Ball chantlessly. Things went a lot better this time around, but the size was much smaller than usual, roughly the size of a grapefruit despite expending a comparable amount of Mana.
Exhaling a sigh of relief, Roxy regained a bit of her usual confidence as she attempted several more Water Balls in quick succession. Paul had already informed her that chantless magic was weaker than traditional magic, but it had the benefit of being much faster. More importantly, it gave an absolute advantage against enemy Mages and people that had memorized specific incantations.
In a world where competent Swordsmen could easily shatter the sound barrier, being able to cast a handful of spells without chanting could be the difference between life and death.
Feeling the last of her Mana leave her body, Roxy suddenly became distinctly aware of the frigid temperatures. At nearly the exact same time, a thick overcoat plopped onto her shoulders as Paul asked, "Need me to carry you...?"
"..."
Though she felt compelled to refuse, Roxy's heart and body refused to listen to her commands. As a result, she soon found herself scooped up by Paul, a smile developing across the latter's face as he said, "Let's get you warmed up."
Since it was already too late to refuse, at least in Roxy's mind, she just nodded her head and intoned an affirmative, "Nn." She truthfully didn't know what she wanted from Paul, but she enjoyed his concern and the time they spent together. If he didn't have an evidently massive harem, she might have already confessed to him...
Noticing Roxy's unblinking stare out of the corner of his eyes, the smile on Paul's face became slightly strained. Despite his considerable experience, he wasn't very good at dealing with the before and after of a relationship. He was more than a little apprehensive about laying a hand on her, but a growing part of him wished Roxy would just make up her mind.
Fortunately for Paul, not that he was aware of it at the time, Roxy would be forced to make her decision pretty quickly as, around the time he was carrying her to Amalie's Bakery, a peculiar trio was trying to gain passage through Sharia's Western Gate...
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Chapter 87: MI87: Reunited