Mushoku Impact

Upon entering Amalie's Bakery, Paul immediately spotted Beidou sitting at a table with Jean and Ganyu. They noticed him around the same time, so Jean and Ganyu promptly rose to their feet while Beidou simply observed his approach with a knowing smile on her face.
Speaking before her more dutiful counterparts could greet Paul, Beidou remarked, "You're looking more manly than the last time I saw you. That's good."
Returning a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, Paul replied, "I guess you could say I had my eyes opened. Don't worry; from now on, I won't be making that same mistake."
Nodding her head in approval, Beidou downed the contents of her glass before slamming it on the table with a bit of force and drawing looks from the entire dining room as she half-shouted, "Well said!" before following it up with a much quieter, "We'll make a King out of you yet."
Creasing his brows, Paul felt compelled to refute Beidou's statement but ultimately decided against it. He had no intention of overthrowing any of the established countries, but if becoming King would allow him to attain his objectives, he would consider it.&nbsp;
"I've decided we'll be leaving within the next two to three days. It's a few weeks earlier than we originally planned, but there are some things I need to prepare before our journey to the Capital. First and foremost, I need to meet with Ningguang."
With Paul directing his words at her, Ganyu dutifully nodded her head and replied, "There are some risks, but I should be able to ferry everyone over the mountains. I'll just need to travel slower than I would on my own."
Though she could travel well over the speed of sound, Ganyu knew from past experiences that ordinary people couldn't endure the conditions of high-speed travel. The atmospheric pressure would force the air directly from their lungs, and the wind chill was so biting that the air temperature would drop as low as -60&deg;C. With moisture condensing on their bodies due to the temperature differential, the average person would be dead in as little as three minutes.
Rather than questioning Ganyu's reasoning, Paul asked, "At your reduced speed, how long would it take to travel from here to the Strife Zone?"
Having already calculated how long it would take her to transport Paul to pretty much every major destination in the world, Ganyu readily replied, "If we took the route over the mountains, it would take approximately twelve hours. The safer route around the mountains would take around two and a half days if I ran without rest."
Since her form of flight involved literally running across the sky as if there were invisible footholds, it was a little more taxing than the more common forms of aviation employed by dragons and other magical creatures. They used mana to propel themselves through the sky on invisible membranes, a feat aided by their large and magically conductive wings.
Without having to consider between the two options, Paul declared, "We'll travel the safer route. I'm not in that much of a hurry, and I'm not going to jeopardize everyone's safety to save a bit of time."
Adopting a faint smile, Ganyu replied, "I understand. When you're ready to leave, please let me know. And please tell everyone to dress warmly. Even if I travel at a reduced speed, it's bound to get cold very quickly."
Nodding his head, Paul shifted his attention to Jean, asking, "Can I leave this to you? I need to talk with Amalie, and I should probably spend some time with Esme. She isn't going to be happy about our departure."
Returning a nod of her own, Jean confidently replied, "Leave it to me. We had already started to purchase supplies when you expressed your desire to depart a few days ago. We can have everything prepared by tomorrow morning if necessary."
Feeling that tomorrow was a little too soon, Paul shook his head and said, "Let's make it the morning three days from now. I still need to speak with Princess Andromeda and ensure Roxy's enrollment goes without a hitch. After that, I'll need to talk with Count Schmidt to nominate someone as a proxy to maintain our agreement. I'm hoping the Guildmaster will accept, but there are a few others that come to mind if she refuses."
After his many contributions to the Ranoa Magic Academy, Paul was fairly confident the Principal would agree to just about anything he proposed. It would probably cost him several hundred AGC, but that was a small price to ensure the relative stability of the Western District.
Children like Esme deserved to have a future that didn't involve becoming slaves, laborers, or prostitutes...
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After parting ways with Jean, Ganyu, and Beidou, Paul ascended to the second floor in search of Amalie. When she wasn't working the floor or helping out in the kitchen, she could usually be found watching over her rather rambunctious children.
Opening the door to the former nursery, Paul's expression softened as he found Amalie sitting in a rocking chair as her triplets, Leo, Leon, and Thea, fumbled around with the letter blocks he had a carpenter create for them. They were nearing ten months old, but due to the rapid maturation of the Beast Race, they resembled 2~3-year-olds.
Hearing the door open, Leo's, Leon's, and Thea's heads and eyes abruptly snapped towards the entrance. When they realized the intruder was Paul, their momentary caution was immediately replaced by excitement as they charged toward, leaped at, and climbed on him.
Though Leo and Leon crawled up to his shoulders and used his hair to maintain their positions, Paul was marginally more concerned by Thea slipping into his undertunic and squeezing her head through the opening of his shirt. Members of the Beast Race relied on physical contact and marking to express themselves, so as the triplets' surrogate father figure, Paul had to get accustomed to receiving scratches and getting peed on.
As that thought crossed his mind, Paul felt a warmth spreading across his shoulders, courtesy of Leo. His smile immediately cramped, but he did his best to appear calm as he met Amalie's apologetic gaze and asked, "How have they been?"
Exhaling a sigh, Amalie rose to her feet as she replied, "Thea has started trying to mouth out words, but Leo and Leon are more interested in play-fighting than learning how to speak, read, or write."
Since he was aware that it was common for Beast Race children as old as six to be unable to speak, Paul wasn't too concerned with the triplets' lack of progress. Even Ghislaine didn't learn to speak coherently until she was around ten.
Though he had to jerk his head to the side when Leo tried to bite his ear, Paul maintained a smile as he said, "Don't let bother you. I bought these toys because I wanted to, not because I expected you to turn your kids into geniuses. I'm happy so long as the five of you can live comfortably. You deserve it."
Feeling her body heating up despite the mating season concluding a few weeks prior, an affectionate smile developed across Amalie's face as she asserted, "We might not even be here if it wasn't for you...you saved mine and Esme's lives and created a future for everyone in the Western District. Even if I-"
Interrupting before Amalie could finish, Paul plopped his hand down on her head and said, "Stop. You know well I was only doing what I believed was right. Neither you nor anyone else owes me a damn thing..."
Running his hand over Amalie's ears and along the side of her head, Paul was about to lean forward and kiss her when Thea kicked out her feet to prevent him from doing so. From the infant cat girl's perspective, she was about to be smothered between them, so she had an adorably panicked expression on her face as she fought to prevent it.
Exhaling a soft chuckle, Paul used his free hand to caress Thea's head before adopting a more serious expression and revealing, "I actually came to talk to you about something important. I'm planning to leave three days from now...I-"
Interrupting Paul this time, Amalie shook her head and said, "It's okay, Paul. I've been steeling my heart ever since we first discussed this a few months ago. Go, be with your family and pursue your dreams. You've done enough...Esme and I..."
Unable to keep up her supportive facade, Amalie's eyes began to tear up as she hugged herself and began to shake. She knew she didn't have the right to impose on Paul, but she had never felt more safe and secure than when he was around. He had provided them everything they would need to thrive, but Amalie knew it would only take a single man forcing his way into her life to ruin everything they had built together. She would do her best, but she wasn't strong enough to suppress her instincts and protect the things Paul had given her...
Sensing their mothers' duress, the triplets promptly dismounted from Paul in an attempt to comfort her. Leon, ever the mama's boy, even went as far as to hiss as Paul reached out his hands to caress Amalie's face and wipe away her tears.
Voicing his thoughts aloud, Paul muttered, "I hate seeing women cry..." in a gentle and soothing tone. In hindsight, he probably could have come up with something better, but he made up for it by saying, "I guess you'll just have to come with us. I can't take you with me to the Capital, but I can at least take you someplace safe. Somewhere I'll be able to visit you, Esme, and the triplets whenever I'm free from my travels..."
Though her hearing was exceptionally sharp, a trait common among the Beast Race, Amalie couldn't help thinking her ears were playing tricks on her. She knew she was nothing more than a burden to someone like Paul, so she didn't think it was possible for her to accompany him. Sure, he had promised to escort her to the Great Forest sometime in the future, but she was pretty sure he was just trying to give her hope...
With Amalie continuing to cry, Paul was beginning to feel anxious. He was bad at trying to comfort people under ordinary circumstances, much less when there was a trio of cat-eared toddlers glaring at him.
Fortunately for Paul, Amalie eventually came to grips with what she had heard, tentatively inquiring, "Do you mean it? Can we...can we really come with you...?"
Forcing a smile, Paul replied, "If it gets you to stop crying, I'll carry you on my back the whole way..."
Though she felt a sudden urge to scratch him for making a joke, Amalie's smile promptly returned as she realized her ears weren't playing tricks on her. She felt terrible about imposing on Paul, but the thought of being able to leave Sharia and build a life together somewhere else was like a dream come true. Paul had brought so much warmth and light into her world that she could no longer imagine being happy without him...
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After helping Amalie to calm down, coaxing the triplets with sweets, and changing into a fresh pair of clothes, Paul met up with Ei and Eula before heading to his next destination. Esme's popularity had skyrocketed ever since she became the de facto 'Little Boss' of the Western District, so she could often be found loitering around the school with a rather large group of her fellow children.
Upon finding the increasingly confident cat girl trying to teach some of the younger children how to read, Paul attempted to avoid any potential waterworks by directly informing her that she would be accompanying him, her mother, and all of her siblings when they departed Sharia in a few days. She was a little sad knowing that she would be parting with her newfound friends, but the thought of separating from her family was a lot scarier. Thus, even though they wouldn't be leaving for a few days, Esme mustered up all of her courage to say bye to her friends before returning to Paul with a resolute yet teary-eyed expression on her face...
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Since Lisa would linger in Sharia until Roxy graduated from the Ranoa Magic Academy, Paul began spending most of his free time tending to the magically-inclined duo. Lisa had been teaching Roxy ever since she joined their group, so the two already had a fairly developed Master-Apprentice relationship.
Though she initially respected Lisa for her vast knowledge of the arcane arts, Magic was far from the only thing Roxy had been learning from the emerald-eyed brunette. In the original series, Roxy was described as the type of lover who was very technical and detail-oriented. She was always trying out new things to satisfy her curiosity and make her partner happy, so Lisa was a veritable treasure-trove of information and wisdom for the earnest yet surprisingly perverted Migurdian.
"This is harder than I expected..."
While Lisa observed from the sidelines with her characteristically squinty-eyed smile, Roxy was doing her best to give Paul a footjob. She was doing her best, but her movements were somewhat awkward as, before meeting Paul, she had never worked to improve her flexibility.
Maintaining her smile, Lisa relaxedly assured, "Don't worry. At times like this, it's okay to be a little clumsy. Though they can experience greater pleasure from sleeping with more skilled women, most men get a greater sense of fulfillment from being part of an inexperienced woman's descent into sensuality and desire. It's similar to the contrast between purchasing a masterwork painting, something everyone can appreciate, and being the one to hold the brush."
Shifting her borderline predatory gaze to Paul, Lisa went out of her way to lick her lips before appending, "He might not admit it, but for someone as experienced as Paul, your clumsy ministrations are undoubtedly a breath of fresh air..."
With Roxy looking toward him for confirmation, Paul had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. While it was true that he could appreciate the charm of an inexperienced woman, things like footjobs and handjobs didn't really do it for him. He was far more into things like facesitting and heavy petting just out of view from others...
Seeing through Paul's smiling facade, a low and naturally seductive laugh emanated from Lisa's throat before she went on to add, "Of course, there are times when more 'consequential' action is required..."
Extending her hand forward, Lisa was about to send a thread of Electro Energy into Paul's right nipple but stopped when Roxy insisted, "I don't need help." with a determined expression that closely resembled a pout.
Exhaling another soft chuckle in response to Roxy's words, Lisa retracted her hand and said, "That's the spirit." with an ostensibly amused smile on her face. She often forgot how prideful her youthful-looking protege could be...
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After a very 'educational' evening with the scholarly duo, Paul exchanged lingering embraces with Lisa and Roxy, promising, "I'll be sure to send at least one letter a month. And if anyone gives you trouble, just-"
Before Paul could finish what she assumed would be a long speech, Lisa gave him a gentle push, saying, "Go. This isn't the last time we'll be seeing each other. You don't have to be so dramatic."
Nodding her head in approval, Roxy added, "Lisa's right. We'll be fine, so just go and do what you need to do. Once I'm sure I won't drag you down, I'll come and find you of my own accord."
Though he wanted to shake his head and say she wouldn't drag him down, Paul just forced a smile in response to Roxy's words. He was Saint-Ranked in both the Sword and Water God Styles, yet he still needed Ei to protect him from harm. If Roxy were killed because his enemies regarded her as the weakest link in his Party, Paul would never forgive himself...
Surprising the blunette with a final embrace that left her feet dangling off the ground, Paul affirmed, "Once I obtain a Hydro Vision, I'll rush over as soon as possible..."
Though she had been doing her best to present a calm and composed demeanor, Roxy began to tear up as Paul enveloped her in his warmth. She didn't want him to see her cry, however, so she surprised him in turn by nudging his crotch with her knee and responding, "When you do, I'll be sure to reward you appropriately..."
"..."
With Lisa suppressing her laughter off to the side, Paul weakened his hold on Roxy in order to stare her in the face. She was blushing up to her ears, but the look on her face was one of the most resolute and determined he had ever seen.
Forcing a wolfish smile, Paul rewarded Roxy's resolution by hefting her up by her diminutive yet perky bottom and asserting, "I'm looking forward to it..." with a smoldering expression and tone...
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Though he felt it would be incredibly rude, Paul was seriously considering asking Ganyu to get fitted for a saddle and harness as she galloped over snow-covered treetops at a 'casual' 200km/h. Her indescribably graceful movements caused no discomfort as her hooves created watery ripples in the sky, but the frigid temperatures and incredible height were more than a little daunting.
Having been entrusted with the safety of Esme and her younger siblings, Paul was nearing his wit's end after only three hours of travel. Esme was fairly obedient, but her younger brothers and sister were fearless as they kept trying to peek out and escape the relative safety of Paul's frame. He had fastened each of them to his body with rope, but Paul's brain buzzed as he imagined them tearing out of their bindings and getting swept away by the wind pressure...
Fortunately for Paul, Esme was a lot less reserved about disciplining her younger siblings than he was. Whenever one of the triplets tried to sneak away, she would seize them by their hair or tails before growling them into submission. When they would hiss at or try to bite her, she didn't hesitate to do the same.
As troubling as Esme's behavior would have been in human society, Paul knew it was fairly common among members of the Beast Race. Her bites never drew blood, so he never chastised her even when she was clearly trying to assert dominance over her much younger siblings.
Sensing Paul's distress, Ganyu began searching for a suitable place to land. She eventually spotted a clearing next to a partially frozen creek, so she slowly doubled back, gradually reducing her speed as she started her descent. She could ordinarily arrest her momentum in an instant, but that wasn't really an option with passengers on her back.
Noticing the treeline rising above their elevation, Paul exhaled a sigh of relief as he realized Ganyu was about to land. His apparent complacency prompted Leon to try and break free under his left arm, but Esme dutifully grabbed his collar while tightly clinging to her other siblings.
With Ganyu's speed reducing to a velocity he was more than comfortable with, Paul released his grip on her rein-like fur and said, "Good girl." as he caressed Esme's head. A low purring sound emanated from her throat as he did so, causing Paul's smile to broaden until Thea abruptly grabbed his hand and bit it.
"..."
Since she had been just as mischievous as her brothers during their flight, Paul resisted his urge to pet Thea's head, stating, "Bad children don't get head pats."
Though she wasn't yet able to speak, Thea could vaguely understand the words of others. Her expression immediately formed into an intense pout before she suddenly leaped at Emse and tried pulling her hair.
Surprised by her younger sister's actions, a startled, "Nya!?" escaped Esme's throat before she promptly smacked Thea's hand and shouted, "Bad!"
With what could best be described as a betrayed look on her face, Thea began tearing up and sniffling before subsequently burying her face into the fabric of Paul's winter coat. This caused the latter to feel more than a little guilty, so he picked her up and began to pat her back as Emse stared at him with a disproving look.
Revealing one of the inherent truths of the world, Paul justified his actions by explaining, "Adults can be very hypocritical at times. Don't worry. Once she's a bit older, throwing tantrums like this won't be nearly as rewarding. Don't copy her and start misbehaving, okay?"
As she always took Paul's words to heart, Esme regained her usual smile and affirmed, "Esme is a good girl~!" before giggling as he affectionately ruffled her hair.
With nearly everyone else having already dismounted, Paul picked up the three triplets and slid from Ganyu's back. Esme had grown stronger and more nimble in the past year, but he still helped her descend after passing over the triplets to Amalie and Ghislaine.
Free from her burden, Ganyu transformed back into her human form and suggested, "For the children's well-being, we should rest here for a few hours. This is also a chance for everyone to warm their bodies, so please make yourselves comfortable as I go and collect some edible plants and herbs."
Nodding his head in approval, Paul added to Ganyu's suggestion by asking Ghislaine and Razor to hunt a few rabbits while Fischl scouted the area using Oz. They had prepared more than enough supplies to complete their journey, but one of the core tenets of surviving in the wilderness was resupplying whenever possible. Only fools assumed their food and water would last without issue.
Not wanting to leave everything to the girls while he just sat around, Paul worked with Jean and Eula to erect a tent, leaving Xiangling to prepare a fire while Barbara drew water from the nearby creek. Rosaria and Lynette were also accompanying them for the journey, so Paul asked them to help secure the perimeter alongside Beidou and Kaeya.
As she was still inordinately inept at mundane tasks, Ei left setting camp to everyone else while she assisted Amalie with wrangling her children. It was a duty she surprisingly suited to as, even as toddlers, Leo, Leon, and Thea knew better than to annoy their purple-haired nanny.
With everyone working together harmoniously, it only took a few minutes to finish setting camp. Ghislaine and Razor were even able to hunt a Giant Radikh, a type of flightless bird monster covered in shaggy, moss-covered fur that typically ambushed their would-be prey from the canopy of trees. They were only C-Ranked in terms of strength, but their ability to blend in with their surroundings had earned them a B-Rank classification.
Unfortunately for the Giant Radikh, the individual members of Paul's Party far exceeded the average S-Rank Adventurer. Their official Ranking was only B now that they had left the Ranoa Magic Kingdom, but that was only because Paul had prioritized the development of the Western District. He would eventually secure the status of an S-Rank Adventurer, but it was no longer as important now that he had decided to play politics and contend for the position of Reida's successor.
When there were Intermediate and Advanced-Ranked Swordsmen able to refer to themselves as S-Rank Adventurers, it didn't carry nearly the same weight as titles like Sword Saint, King, or Emperor.
After helping to dismantle and dress the edible parts of the Giant Radikh, Paul was able to relax and enjoy the warmth of Amalie and her children as everyone huddled together in the tent. It was only a brief respite from the freeze and frustration that were bound to accompany the forthcoming trip on Ganyu's back. Still, it was a fairly positive start to a journey that would ultimately last just under six days...
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Though he had only ever tried it once or twice in his previous life, Paul felt a sudden urge to smoke a cigarette as he stared off into the dimly lit room he and Kaeya had leased for the night. The latter was lying next to him on the sofa, a similarly dazed expression on her face as she absentmindedly caressed the glowing seal on her abdomen.
*tok* *tok* *tok*
Hearing a knock at the door, Paul wrapped a towel around his lower body while Kaeya just rolled over so that her back was facing the door. She was beyond exhausted, so she didn't feel like getting up to get dressed.
Opening the door, Paul found a short, freckle-faced girl with pale blonde, nearly white hair staring up at him with a faint blush on her face. Paul was far from the tallest person in the world of Mushoku Tensei, but he towered over the average person by nearly a full head.
Breaking the tensions, Paul asked, "What's up...?" in a lazy-sounding tone.
Fearful of Paul's gaze, the petite woman lowered her head only to blush further as she caught sight of his perfectly sculpted abs. For the briefest of moments, she imagined herself tracing her fingers across them before finally mustering the sense to mutter, "Honored guest...the matron asked me to inform you that it's already morning...if you'd like to continue using the room, you'll need to pay a fee..."
"Mmm..."
Leaving the girl standing at the door, Paul walked over to his coin purse to grab a single Asura Gold Coin. The suite they were renting only cost two silver, but he wasn't of the mindset to care about such things as he flicked the coin to the startled girl and ordered, "Bring us something to eat."
After biting the coin to ensure it was real, the pale-haired woman bowed in a manner that accented her rather large breasts as she replied, "Please, take your time. We'll have food and drink prepared shortly."
With Paul waving her away, the woman promptly closed the door behind her before hurrying downstairs. As for Paul, he made his way over to the sofa where Kaeya was currently curled up, plopping down beside her and staring up at the ceiling as he repeated, "It's morning..."
"I heard..."
"..."
As a tense silence began to permeate the ambiance of the VIP suite, Paul eventually exhaled a sigh. He honestly didn't know what to feel right now, but that didn't stop him from muttering, "It was good..."
"Mmm..."
Since she also didn't know what to say, Kaeya just hummed as memories of the previous night repeated in her mind. She wasn't lying when she said she preferred women, but having sex with Paul was just...different from anything she had ever experienced. She suspected the Intersection of Fate was to blame, but their compatibility was ludicrous...
She didn't want to admit it, but for the first time since she was summoned into this world, Kaeya genuinely felt like a woman.
*tok* *tok* *tok*
With the passage of several minutes, a trio of women carrying plates of food and pitchers of various liquids arrived at the luxury suite. Their faces flushed a deep crimson when they saw Paul but subsequently paled when they noticed Kaeya, seemingly despondent, curled up on the sofa.
Noticing the pitying looks the girls were directing at Kaeya, Paul rolled his eyes and said, "Leave us." in a firm tone. They immediately complied, but that wouldn't stop them from speculating and spreading rumors. Paul was a pretty popular subject among the residents of Sharia, so the fact he had spent nearly ten hours fucking a single woman was bound to circulate.
Since he had intended this to be the first and last time he and Kaeya had sex, Paul kept his word and kept going until the very end. Ironically, that was pretty much the only rule that survived the evening, as, less than an hour into their carnal exchange, Kaeya was crying out intensely, and Paul was kissing her without regard for his previous apprehensions.
Now that he had calmed down, Paul felt like he should be disgusted with himself, but the only thing he felt was a peculiar feeling of emptiness. It was like he was in a perennial state of post-nut clarity, forcing him to stop and reflect on his previous words and actions...
Freeing Paul from his endless reflection, Kaeya abruptly sat up and said, "We did nothing wrong." with an uncharacteristically serious look on her face.
Though he was momentarily surprised by Kaeya's sudden outburst, Paul eventually nodded his head and replied, "Yeah...if anything's to blame, it's the IOF for forcing us into this situation. If it had let-"
Shaking her head, Kaeya interrupted Paul's words, saying, "Stop. What's done is done. You're the Champion, and I'm a chick. All we can do now is move forward and make the most of the hand we've been dealt. Agreed?"
Seeing Paul nod his head, Kaeya forced a smile and added, "Then that's that. From now on, let's only think about the future. To make things easier, you can call me Kay from this point forward. Since this is a new life, I may as well adopt a new name to go along with it."
As if the matter was settled, Kaeya, now Kay, combed through her silky blue hair with her right hand, a marginally more genuine smile adorning her face as she mused, "Also, you're wrong about last night..."
Recovering from his momentary stupor, Paul furrowed his brows as he asked, "What do you mean?"
Adopting a squinty-eyed smile reminiscent of Lisa, Kay stared directly at Paul as she asserted, "It wasn't just good...it was amazing..."
Unable to refute the blunette's words, a wry smile formed across Paul's face as he exhaled an awkward laugh. He still wasn't entirely sure how he felt about the previous night, but he could appreciate Kay's willingness to move forward. Paul often struggled to do the same, but he was willing to make an effort if she was.
Forcing a smile of his own, Paul held eye contact with Kay as he asked, "What now...?"
Shrugging her shoulders, Kay replied, "That is literally up to you. If you're giving me the option, I wouldn't mind going another round or ten, but the others might complain if I continue monopolizing your time and attention. I'm frankly a little surprised that Barbara hasn't come by to check on us. I remember her being a lot...clingier."
Understanding better than anyone what Kay was referring to, another soft chuckle emanated from Paul's throat before he went on to state, "I guess we're all moving forward, one way or another..."
"Nn...can't argue with that..."
Grabbing one of the glass pitchers brought to them nearly an hour prior, Kay downed nearly half its contents before exhaling a refreshed sigh and proposing, "One more round and we call it? Either that or I can give you a tit job. Since I'm embracing my newfound femininity, I may as well try all the things I had been avoiding."
Lowering his gaze to Kay's large and ostensibly flawless tits, Paul would be lying if he said he wasn't tempted by the offer. Thus, without thinking too hard, he replied, "Sure. You can top me off, and then I'll blow another load or two in your vagina. That's the original reason you asked Jean and Eula to talk to me, right...?"
Adopting a sly smile, Kay replied, "Something like that..." before pushing her breasts together and adding, "Let's do this..." in a faintly nervous tone. Seeing it up close, Kay couldn't help wondering how her body, much less Roxy's, was able to accommodate such a monstrous object...
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With Kay choosing to return separately, Paul meandered his way back to the Western District. He still had some lingering doubts, but he didn't feel any regret concerning what he and Kay had done. Instead, his mind was preoccupied with thoughts regarding the others whose genders had been flipped by the IOF.
Though the girls hadn't expressly told him anything, Paul wasn't an idiot. Sure, he had his moments, but even he could deduce that something was amiss when people like Jean and Eula were coming to him and performing dogezas. Eula, in particular, wasn't the type that would lower her head to others unless she had a good reason.
Upon realizing there were even more secrets about the Intersection of Fate being kept from him, Paul would be lying if he said he wasn't more than a little annoyed. At the same time, however, he understood why the girls felt compelled to keep secrets from him. His mind wasn't nearly as stable as he feigned it to be, and he was already under a lot of pressure having the fates of two worlds thrust upon him.
While he would have been justified lashing out and demanding to be told the truth, Paul knew he would regret it. If he compared his circumstances to the situation people like Kay had found themselves in, he might as well be living the most blessed existence in all of creation.
Piecing together what he thought he knew, Paul reached the distasteful conclusion that the girls summoned through the Intersection of Fate were far more reliant on him than he had initially believed. Just as the Archons 'needed' him to produce Seelies and circulate Elemental Energy into the world, Paul postulated that the crests carved into the girls' bodies served the additional purpose of helping to stabilize their existence.
Though Paul wasn't aware of the 'exact' reason for Kay being the first to experience adverse effects, it wasn't difficult to extrapolate the answer based on the information available to him. She was one of the very first people he summoned through the Intersection of Fate, and, though he did his best to act like it was none of his business, Paul was aware that Kay had been very 'active' from the moment she was summoned.
With a body comprised of Cryo Energy, even if Kay were to look to others to stabilize her condition, the average person had a minuscule amount of Mana. To make matters worse, even if she was able to find someone with a decent amount of Mana, the chances of them having an affinity with the Ice Element were slim. Water was pretty common, but the vast majority of Water Elemental Mages were female.
If Paul's assumptions were correct, Kay had been slowly poisoning herself by absorbing contaminated and incompatible forms of Mana. The reaction she had shown the previous night was like a drug addict getting a fix after failing to quit cold turkey. It was a combination of profound relief and pure ecstasy, almost like morphine had been pumped directly into her system.
Recalling Kay's intoxicated look as she gradually entrusted herself more and more to him, Paul couldn't help shuddering. He no longer felt anything like disgust towards the dark-skinned blunette. Rather, when he imagined himself in her position, a feeling of dread that was impossible to put into words descended upon him. If he were thrust into a female body and told he needed to have sex with some random man just to stay alive, he would probably kill himself...the fate of the world be damned...
Resolving himself to never again look down on Kay, or anyone else in her position, Paul made his way towards Amalie's Bakery with a severe look on his face. He would continue to sleep with everyone, but a resolution to free them from the Intersection of Fate's influence gradually took form in his heart. To manage that, he would need to become much stronger than he currently was, so, as much as he had enjoyed his stay in Sharia, it was time for him to depart...
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Chapter 98: MI98: Burden