Mushoku Impact

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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Seeing Roxy and Lynette standing near the landing of the stairs, a memory resurfaced in Paul's mind. It was a scene from the original series where the main character, Rudeus, stumbled across an impassioned Roxy panting as she sneakily masturbated to Paul and Zenith making love.
Shaking such thoughts from his mind, Paul half-closed the door behind him, questioning, "What's up? I doubt the two of you came to join in on the fun."
Since he had yet to summon Lyney, Paul knew better than to pressure or tease Lynette. There were occasions where they would kiss and cuddle, but that was about the extent of their intimacy.
Answering before Roxy could think of an excuse, Lynette calmly revealed, "I caught this one skulking around, so I stopped and questioned her."
With an indignant expression on her face, Roxy quietly yet exasperatedly exclaimed, "I wasn't skulking around! I came to investigate the source of a sound that was keeping me awake...!"
With Lynette not sparing Roxy a glance, it was up to Paul to ask, "What kind of sound...?"
Though it was incredibly obvious what Roxy was referring to, Paul still felt compelled to ask. He had invested a considerable amount of gold toward ensuring their room was adequately soundproofed. If the magical wards were already beginning to break down, he would be demanding his money back.
Hearing Paul's casual inquiry, Roxy blushed to the point it was perceptible even in the low-lighting of the hallway. She had never been very good at lying, so she didn't know how to respond without sounding like a pervert. It didn't help that Paul was currently standing topless with nothing but a bedsheet wrapped precariously around his waist.
With Roxy too overwhelmed to supply a response, Lynette took it upon herself to clarify, "There are no sounds coming from inside the room. It's the floorboards. They're creaking."
Not expecting such a response, Paul found himself at a momentary loss for words. He knew that Roxy had been laid to rest in the room previously used by Amalie and Esme. If she could hear the creaking all the way from the basement...
Exhaling a sigh, Paul's expression became noticeably sincere as he said, "Sorry. Had I known, I would have taken extra precautions..."
With Paul directing his gaze toward her, Lynette looked toward the nearby wall as if she had suddenly spotted something interesting.&nbsp;
"..."
Understanding it wasn't Lynette's fault that the floorboards were creaking, Paul just shook his head before shifting his gaze to Roxy and asking, "So? What do you want to do...?"
Realizing that Paul was addressing her, Roxy's expression revealed her confusion as she asked, "Pardon...?"
Shrugging his shoulders, Paul said, "It doesn't exactly take a genius to figure out the cause of the floorboards creaking. Someone as intelligent as you would have been able to put two and two together in a heartbeat. Yet here you are."
&nbsp;Unable to refute Paul's words, Roxy found herself clenching the hem of her dress as she muttered, "I...I just..."
Though he had the impression he was pushing the petite Migurdian a little too hard, Paul explained, "Listen, Roxy. I'm not going to pretend to be a good guy. It's pretty much impossible for me to stick with a single woman due to my circumstances, so you're setting yourself up to be disappointed if you think I'll stop sleeping with other girls. I respect you; I really do, so I'm warning you ahead of time...you would probably be a lot happier if you found someone else to fall in love with. I would treat you well, but I could never love you or anyone else as much as they deserve..."
Seeing Paul's usually carefree expression briefly replaced by a pained, self-deprecating smile, a solemn atmosphere suddenly permeated the dimly lit hallway. Both Lynette and Roxy felt like they should say or do something, but the atmosphere had completely overwhelmed them. They were like bystanders witnessing a tragedy, wanting to help but afraid they would only make things worse.
Fortunately for the reticent duo, they weren't the only ones listening in on Paul's words. The door behind him was abruptly flung open, followed by a naked Barbara wrapping her arms around him and fretfully asserting, "You shouldn't say things like that...!"
Correcting his expression, a light-hearted chuckle emanated from Paul's throat as he peeled away Barbara's hands and turned to face her. Then, with his hands cupping her increasingly toned yet still pliant buttcheeks, he raised her to face level as he said, "Relax...I'm talking about right this instant. Once everything has been settled, I'd be more than willing to fall in love..."
Without allowing Barbara the opportunity to respond, Paul planted a deep and passionate kiss on her lips. He hated receiving pity, so he had always put a tremendous amount of effort into concealing his vulnerabilities from others. The last thing he needed was a bunch of people trying to counsel or console him.
Though she could tell Paul was trying to distract her, Barbara couldn't help immersing herself in his kiss. His caress caused her body to tremble with anticipation while his saliva functioned like a powerful aphrodisiac, suffusing her brain and body with a fiery yet pleasant numbness. Kusanali had hypothesized this was due to Paul's desire to make them fall in love with him, but Barbara had never cared about such speculations. She had fallen for Paul the moment he acknowledged her and asked if she would grow stronger alongside him.
After more than a minute of passionate kissing, Paul allowed Barbara a moment to breathe, smiling as he gazed into impassioned, cerulean blue eyes and stated, "You're so fucking beautiful right now..."
Slapping Paul's chest, Barbara promptly chided, "Language...!" despite the silly smile plastered across her face. She generally presented herself as a very earnest and polite woman in public, but she secretly enjoyed it when Paul behaved like a rogue.
Suppressing the sudden urge to eat up the petite woman dangling in his embrace, Paul planted a comparably chaste kiss on Barbara's lips before setting her down and whispering, "Go back to bed. I'll be there shortly..."
Shaking her head, Barbara left Paul speechless as she suddenly looked toward Roxy and said, "Paul is a good man and a very considerate lover. Even if it's just for the remainder of our stay in Sharia, I recommend you indulge yourself in his care. You'll regret it otherwise."
Finished with what she had to say, Barbara supplied a playful wink before retreating into the comparably bright bedroom.
"That girl..."
Though he was tempted to ask what the hell happened while Barbara was at the Sword Sanctum, Paul momentarily shelved the matter as he shifted his attention to the petite duo standing further down the hallway. Lynette appeared as calm and collected as usual, but Roxy was blushing up to her ears as she gripped the hem of her blue and white dress.
Thinking Barbara's tantalizing may have been a little much, Paul was about to apologize and ask if Roxy wanted him to escort her back to her Inn. Before the words could even begin form in his throat, however, Roxy left him utterly speechless as she averted her eyes, raised the hem of her dress, and revealed, "I wore these especially for you..."
Rather than the plain white panties she typically wore, Roxy was sporting a pair of expensive black lingerie that she had managed to acquire during her brief stint through the Milbots Regions. When she initially formed the resolve to ask Paul to accompany her into the city, she had changed into them at the last moment. Not because she wanted them to be seen, but just in case Paul caught a glimpse...
Though it was one of the most awkward scenes he had ever witnessed, Paul managed a smile as he said, "Nice. I think dark blue would suit you a little better, but they're not bad at all."
Hearing Paul's 'compliment,' Roxy managed to meet his gaze as she said, "The merchant I purchased them from didn't have any dark blue ones..."
Restraining a laugh, Paul squinted his eyes slightly before making his way toward the petite blunette. Despite the low light of the corridor, he could make out that she was trembling slightly as she craned her head quite a bit to maintain eye contact with him.
Instead of kneeling down and meeting Roxy face-to-face, Paul mimicked what he did to Barbara. He had to stoop slightly, but he managed to grab the blunette's comparably small, almost palm-sized bottom before lifting her up and smiling as he said, "Caught you..."
Confused by Paul's words, Roxy was about to ask what he meant when her eyes suddenly became round as saucers. She had expected him to ask if she was sure about her decision. Instead, he sealed her lips with a kiss, his fingers writhing about beneath her dress as he massaged and squeezed her butt.
Though she panicked near the beginning, smacking Paul's chest with both of her hands, Roxy felt her heart and stomach fluttering when he released her lips and whispered, "I've been looking forward to this..." in a voice that seemed to pierce directly through her.
While it was true that he had been looking forward to becoming intimate with Roxy, Paul didn't reveal the actual reason why. It didn't truly matter in the end, so he allowed her to think whatever she wanted as he shifted her to a princess carry and planted another kiss on her lips. Lynette had already leaped into the rafters by that point, so Paul didn't bother asking if she wanted to join them as he turned around and carried the quivering Migurdian towards his bedroom.
Since the soundproofing didn't work when the door was ajar, none of the girls sharing Paul's bed were surprised to see him enter along with Roxy. Instead, it was Paul who was left confused as everyone had changed into their nightgowns or casual attire, clearly intending to leave the room.
Clearing any doubts Paul may have still had, Jean calmly explained, "A woman's first time is an important event. At least for tonight, the two of you should enjoy yourselves without disruption. We can worry about the rest later."
Before Paul could ask if they were certain, Barbara chimed in to tease, "We're not children, Paul. We can go one or two nights without having you dote on us."
Taking advantage of the fact she was standing near him, Barbara planted a quick peck on Paul's cheek before directing another wink towards Roxy and mouthing the words, 'Good luck.' Then, before she could change her mind, she departed the room with a bit of a skip in her step.
Following Barbara's example, Jean, Eula, and Ei all planted kisses on his cheeks before departing. This left Paul and Roxy as the only two people left in the room, both stunned to silence as they stood near the entrance with dumbfounded expressions on their faces.
Recovering significantly faster than his diminutive companion, Paul forced a smile as he mused, "Those girls...how considerate of them..."
"..."
Feeling even more nervous now that it was just her and Paul, Roxy could barely manage a nod as she shrank within his embrace. She had originally planned to observe from the sidelines so she wouldn't make any mistakes. Now, she felt like she had studied for a test only to realize that the subject was something completely different come exam day...
Fortunately for Roxy, Paul was actually pretty spent after blowing his load in Barbara, Jean, Eula, and Ei a total of eleven times. He didn't mind taking things slow, so he softly assured, "We'll go at your pace and only move on when you're ready. No need to force yourself."
Thinking Paul was overly concerned due to her size, a faint pout formed on Roxy's face as he laid her down on his surprisingly large bed. It was big enough to hold five people comfortably, so it made Roxy appear even smaller as Paul stared down at her with a knowing smile on his face.
Resisting the temptation to point out how her pouting only made her appear even cuter, Paul quelled any arguments Roxy may have had by abruptly removing the sheet covering his waist. When her crystalline blue eyes observed what he was working with, even she began to have doubts about her ability to handle it. It only lasted for a moment, but Paul noticed a hint of fear in Roxy's eyes before she suddenly adopted an adorable yet incomparably resolute expression on her face...
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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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Chapter 88: MI88: Curiosity and Cats