Mushoku Impact

"This is where Ningguang's secret base is located? It looks more like a refugee camp..."
After a rough but ultimately uneventful journey, Paul and his group found themselves at the outskirts of a makeshift 'city' formed almost entirely of tents. The only building resembled a yurt hut surrounded by a moat and a series of wooden barricades, its perimeter guarded by a group of rugged, clearly demonic men wearing little more than leopard skins and loincloths.
Looking closer, Paul noticed that, among the hundreds, if not thousands of refugees present, the majority belonged to the various demonic, beast people, and magic races. Humans were a minority, and, as far as he could tell, there were very few women present.
Just as Ganyu was about to apprise Paul of the situation, a veritable mob began to form, many wielding simple farming tools such as pitchforks and hoes as they assembled into a rough formation. Only a handful of people were equipped with genuine weapons and armor, but they all stood in the back, cautiously observing the disturbance from a safe distance.
Grabbing the hilt of his sword, Paul was prepared to draw it but didn't. His mastery of the Water God Style had given him a keen sense when it came to things like killing intent, so he could immediately tell something was off about the group forming against them.
Confirming Paul's suspicions, Ganyu placed her hand over the one he was using to grip his sword, assuring, "These people are not our enemies."
Lending credibility to Ganyu's assertion, someone that Paul recognized managed to squeeze their way through the crowd. Her face was covered in black soot, and she was dressed like someone forced to work in a coal mine, but Paul immediately recognized the petite figure as Lamilette, the former slave his father had purchased for him so many years prior.
"Master Paul~!"
Despite her diminutive height and short legs, Lamilette was able to cover the hundred or so meters to Paul in less than five seconds. Dwarves had naturally strong and inordinately dense bodies, so this was an impressive feat for someone whose training revolved exclusively around mining and processing ore.
"Oof-!"
Raising his hands, Paul managed to catch Lamilette but was still pushed back a few steps as her rock-hard cranium impacted his diaphragm. The air was forced from his lungs, but Paul still managed a forced smile as he set the overexcited Dwarf on the ground and groaned, "It's...good to see you...Lam..."
Though she would have ordinarily greeted or apologized to Paul for her actions, Lamilette was feeling dizzy after her head smacked what felt like a block of solidifying concrete. Paul might not have been pushing himself during his stay in Sharia, but he rarely slacked in his training. He was also rather fond of his abdominal muscles, so he would spend upwards of four hours a day working his core. If he included the time he spent having sex, the number would be closer to eight.
Seeing that Lamilette recognized the group of outsiders, the posse that had formed along the perimeter of the tent city began to break up. A few people lingered behind out of curiosity, but most people had better things to do than concern themselves with others. Those that remained were either busybodies or people that had once served Paul back at the Notos Estate. In fact, upon closer examination, Paul actually recognized a few of the people wearing proper equipment...
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Instead of being guided to the rather conspicuous yurt hut, Paul and co were shown to a secret tunnel located within a nearby copper/lead mine. The yurt was the property of a mercenary group that Ningguang had both created and hired as a front, while her actual operations occurred as deep as 300m below the surface.
Though he had seen the tunnels Zhongli had helped construct beneath the Notos Estate, Paul found himself at a loss for words when Lamilette led them into a series of neatly carved, excessively clean corridors. It was well lit with thick carpets covering the ground, art pieces on display, and a veritable army of Maids roaming about in traditional uniforms modified for combat. Of course, the thing that stood out the most was the beyond-regal beauty waiting for them to arrive.
"You've finally arrived, my dearest Master. And my, how you've grown..."
As Paul was checking her out, Ningguang made no effort to conceal her appraising gaze. She had known he would mature into a fairly attractive man, but his present appearance far exceeded even her expectations.
"If I had known you would turn out this handsome, I might have insisted we go forward with our marriage..."
Unamused by Ningguang's remark, Barbara groaned, "You..." while balling her hands into fists. She had never liked Ningguang, not because she was Paul's fiancee, but because of how she always acted like she was 'above' everyone, even the man chosen to be their Master.&nbsp;
Plopping his hand down on Barbara's head, Paul said, "Calm down. We're all on the same side..." in a soothing tone.&nbsp;
Inhaling a deep breath, Barbara averted her eyes from Ningguang and did her best to heed Paul's words. It wasn't easy, but she managed thanks to Paul continuing to caress her head.
Waiting until Barbara had released her clenched fists and exhaled a sigh, Ningguang suggested, "I believe a change of venue is in order. You've all just completed an arduous journey, so I'm sure you'd like to rest. We have rooms prepared for each of you and a large bath where you can ease the tensions of your bodies. There is also a fully stocked kitchen, so our chefs can prepare something to eat if you're feeling peckish."
Answering before Barbara could potentially blow a gasket, Paul replied, "Sounds good." before turning to his group and saying, "You girls can go on ahead. I need to talk with Ningguang. Once I'm finished, we can take a bath and blow off some steam together."
Though people like Barbara and Amalie wanted to stay with Paul, nobody protested as Ningguang directed a group of maids to show them to their rooms. The sole exception to this was Ganyu, who, as could be expected, accompanied Paul and Ningguang to the latter's private quarters.
Upon entering the luxurious chamber, filled with expensive furniture and a veritable library of books, Ningguang took the initiative to pull at the cord holding her gown in place. She had the benefit of a Geo Vision and having Zhongli around, but the crest on her abdomen had been aching ever since her separation from Paul. As someone who had absorbed his 'essence' in the past, her body craved the energy that only he could provide.
Though he was briefly surprised by Ningguang's actions, that didn't stop Paul from admiring her perfectly shaped bottom, emphasized by a pair of white, gold-trimmed panties.
Without bothering to remove her shoulder-length gloves, stockings, and heels, Ningguang turned to Paul with a desirous look on her face as she said, "At the risk of sounding imprudent, I thought we could make up for lost time while we carried out our discussion. Though Barbara might scoff if she heard me express this, I have missed you. The moments we shared back at the Notos Estate have become some of my fondest memories..."
Recalling the times she teased or simply cuddled with Paul, the smile on Ningguang's face became markedly more genuine than usual. She could emulate such an expression at will, but this was one of the few times she didn't need to. Paul had enabled her to carry out all of her plans, so even if she didn't love him the same way as some of the other girls, Ningguang both respected and admired him. After all, she half-expected him to break by now...
"Mmm..."
Distracted by Ningguang's flawless, Paul wasn't paying as much attention to her expression and words as he should. She was like a skillfully crafted doll when she was younger, but now that she had matured, only ethereal beauties like Ganyu could even hope to compete. It might sound strange as there were literal Gods among the people he had summoned, but Paul felt like she was a Goddess descended to the mortal world.
Seeing the tempered passion in Paul's gaze, Ningguang's smile gained a touch of lasciviousness as she ran the solid gold, talon-like extensions of her fingers down the central line of her body as she inquired, "I already told you what I thought about your development...perhaps you would like to return the favor~?"
Catching Ningguang slightly off guard, Paul's expressions became severe and focused as he stared directly into her eyes and said, "I'm not a poet, but even if I were, words could never capture the essence of your beauty. Instead, I will show my appreciation with actions..."
Having already removed his coat, Paul grabbed the collar of his tunic and tore it away with all his strength. He had been looking forward to this day since the moment Zhongli first explained the nature of the Intersection of Fate. It might sound unbelievably scummy, but Ningguang was one of the few women he wholeheartedly intended to conquer. To that end, he owed her for four and a half years of constant teasing...
Instead of exhibiting fear, Ningguang simply smiled in response to Paul's words and actions. He might have thought he was being sneaky, but she had seen through his intentions years ago. She wasn't able to prevent a shiver from spreading through her body when he ripped his shirt off, but her gloves and stockings prevented Paul from seeing the goosebumps on her arms and legs.
Simply put, things were developing exactly how Ningguang imagined they would. Her only oversight was that she hadn't accounted for Lisa teaching Paul techniques and weaknesses she didn't even know were a thing...
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While Paul was busy teaching Ningguang the value of practice over theory, news of his arrival naturally spread to others he had summoned through the Intersection of Fate. This included a certain pink-haired cat girl who, upon learning that Paul had returned, rushed over the room that had been set aside for him.
Without bothering to knock, said pinkette kicked open the door to Paul's room, shouting, "You sure took your time!" in a chastising tone that was undermined by the excited smile on her face. Unfortunately, rather than the person she was looking for, the pinkette was greeted by the scene of Barbara and Jean discussing something near the foot of Paul's bed. The others who had accompanied him from the North had temporarily split up, so just the two of them were present.
"..." x3
Recovering sooner than the other two, Jean adopted a friendly, albeit slightly surprised smile as she asked, "Diona? Is that really you? You've grown so much."
Though they had all grown considerably due to Paul's mishap with Touki, most of the girls resembled the versions of themselves Jean was familiar with back in their world. Diona had only been twelve back in their world, so this was the first time Jean was seeing her mature form.
Instead of responding to Jean's words, Diona slumped to the ground and began drawing circles with a depressed look on her face. She had been looking forward to her reunion with Paul ever since she miraculously grew up overnight. It had always annoyed her that she was one of the few girls he refused to touch before his departure, so she intended to get back at him for always treating her like a child.
Before Jean could recover enough to ask if Diona was okay, the latter abruptly sprung to her feet and ran off in the direction of Ningguang's office. If Paul wasn't in his room, that seemed like the most likely place for him to be.
After waiting for an additional three years, Diona's patience had reached its limit...
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"This...isn't...quite...what I had...in mind..."
"Shhh...just relax. You're in safe hands..."
With Ningguang sitting with her back against his chest, her legs spread apart by his own, Paul rhythmically bounced his left knee while his fingers pressed, probed, and prodded her insides. At the same time, he peppered her neck and shoulders with kisses while the fingers of his left hand, very gently, traced her body. He enjoyed groping and massaging, but Lisa had taught him that, at times, a more delicate touch was required...
As her pleasure continued to build, Ningguang found her jaw trembling as she looked towards Ganyu with a silent plea in her eyes. Unfortunately for Ningguang, Ganyu had been on Paul's side from the moment she was first summoned. Them having sex just further solidified their bond, so much so that Ganyu just smiled and waved in response to Ningguang's plea.
Noticing the interaction due to Ganyu, Paul's expression morphed from a smoldering, appreciative look to a wolfish grin as he asked, "Trying to run away...?" in an almost sing-song tone. Then, before Ningguang could even hope to refute his claim, Paul inserted the index and middle fingers of his left hand in her mouth, pressing the center of her tongue as he began to knead her clitoris.
When Ningguang instinctually closed her legs, Paul's smile widened as he asked, "Why are you so afraid? You're surrounded by people who care for you. All I'm trying to do is make you feel good..."
Since Ningguang closing her legs did very little to restrict his actions, Paul continued to rub and gently pinch her clitoris. At the same time, he began to suckle and play-bite her neck, his teeth leaving faint marks on her pure, unblemished skin as his fingers drew circles on her tongue.
Reaching a peak she had never experienced before, Ningguang's red eyes began to tear up as she bit down on Paul's fingers, her back attempting to arch but stopped due to her former fiance's arms. When Paul noticed this, he whispered, "It's time..." before removing his fingers from Ningguang's mouth at the most critical moment.
Before Ningguang could understand what was happening, Paul casually scooped her up by the pits of her arms and set her off to the side, saying, "I promised the others we would take a bath and cut loose together. We'll continue this tomorrow..."
Feeling the urge to curse for the first time in her life, Ningguang grabbed Paul's belt and attempted to pull him back to her as she asked, "What do you...think you're doing? You're not the type of man...to leave things half-finished..."
Just as Paul was about to see if he could get the ivory-haired woman to spread her legs and beg, a loud impact sounded from the door. The smile immediately faded from his face, replaced by a deep furrow as he joined the two women in directing their gazes to the magically reinforced door.
After a brief period of silence, a distinctly patterned knock emanated from the door, prompting Ningguang to exhale a heated sigh and mutter, "What awful timing..." with a rare, annoyed look on her face.
As Ganyu made her way over to the door, Paul looked to Ningguang and asked, "Who is it?" in a curious tone.
Returning Paul's question with an accusatory glare, Ningguang retorted, "How should I know? I can tell you it's neither Zhongli nor Kusanali, but everyone else from the IOF uses the same sequence of knocks."
Undaunted by Ningguang's glare, Paul's smile widened as he said, "It's pretty rare to see you this upset. Were you that eager for me to get you off?"
Squinting her eyes, Ningguang elected not to respond to Paul's words. She knew what kind of game he was playing, and, for a while, she even intended to play along. So long as none of the other women witnessed her shame and embarrassment, she didn't really care what Paul wanted her to do.
Interrupting his exchange with Ningguang, Paul's body briefly tensed as a familiar voice followed Ganyu opening the door, shouting, "Is he in here!?" before a petite, pink-haired cat girl poked her head into the room.
"There you-ah!? What's the heck is going on in here...!?"
Slipping past a befuddled Ganyu, the girl Paul very clearly recognized as Diona stomped her way into the room before pointing at Ningguang and shouting, "This isn't fair! You've already had plenty of chances to be with Paul! Give someone else an opportunity for once...!"
Seemingly finished lambasting Ningguang, Diona then shifted her gaze to Paul, her angered expression briefly wavering before she shook her head and said, "And you...why are you here having sex with other people when you promised we would do it once you got back? I've waited a really long time, you know...?"
Though she was no longer shouting, it was clear from Diona's expression and tone that she was upset. She was the type that wanted to grow up as fast as possible, so she saw Paul's avoidance of her as an indication that he still viewed her as a child. Sure, she might be a little on the small side, and her breasts hadn't really developed as much as she would have liked, but she was already nineteen. There were girls a little more than half her age getting married and starting families...
Recovering from his momentary stupor, Paul habitually slapped his lap, saying, "Come here." in a soothing tone and with a wry smile on his face. He wasn't entirely sure what was going through the pinkette's head, but he felt obligated to try and comfort her.
Feeling that Paul was still regarding her as a child, Diona's brows furrowed as she said, "I refuse..." in a sulky, ill-tempered tone. She didn't want Paul to try and calm her down; if she was going to sit on his lap and let him pat her head, it would be with his penis inside of her.
Surprised by Diona's refusal, Paul found himself at a momentary loss for words. There were times when she would get upset and even lash out at him in the past, but she had never refused to cuddle and make amends.
In Diona's own words, only children held grudges against family and the people they cared about.
Having regained a bit of her composure, Ningguang crossed one arm over her body and used her free hand to comb back a few loose strands of hair as she expressed, "You're right, Diona. I should have taken the feelings of you and everyone else who has been awaiting our Master's return into consideration. However, can you blame me? Just look at how our Master has grown..."
"Huh...?"
As she hadn't really been paying attention to anything other than Paul's face, Diona, for the first time, got a look at the former's body. When she did, the tips of her calico-like ears twitched as her tail promptly curled up into an s-shape. A faint shade of red also spread through her cheeks, but she still managed to appear angry as she retorted, "So what? He's just...a little bigger, that's all. That doesn't justify you keeping him to yourself...!"
Shrugging her shoulders, Ningguang adopted her characteristically calm and confident smile as she rebutted, "You would do well to remember that yourself. Master Paul does not belong to any of us. It's understandable to desire his care and affection, but intruding when others are in the process of receiving it is selfish. How would you feel if our positions were reversed and I was the one interrupting~?"
"..."
Realizing how childish her actions had been, Diona began to grow teary-eyed as she hung her head and balled her hands into fists. She wanted to refute everything Ningguang had said, but she didn't know how to do it without sounding petty or impertinent.
Fortunately for Diona, a lot had happened during Paul's journey. First and foremost, at least in terms of things that benefitted her situation, he had met Roxy. Diona was just a few centimeters taller than the latter, but Paul was no longer bothered by such things. He still preferred girls with big tits and fat asses, but that didn't mean petite girls were lacking in charm.
Rising his feet, Paul caused Diona's eyes to widen as he towered over her by well over a full head. However, even though she felt a sudden urge to turn around and try to flee, she stood her ground, a defiant look replacing her brief stupefaction.
Adopting an appreciative smile, Paul was briefly tempted to scoop the petite pinkette into his arms. Before that, he half-turned to Ningguang, initially intending to inform her they would continue tomorrow. What stopped him was the look she was giving him, a mixture of acceptance and thinly veiled disappointment that compelled him to consider his next words very, very carefully...
Surprising everyone present, Paul proceeded to tousle his hair violently, his frustration immediately exceeding the threshold of his tolerance as he exclaimed, "God fucking damnit...!" before internally lamenting, ("Why the fuck does this shit have to be so god damn complicated!?")
Thinking Paul had finally snapped, some of the admiration Ningguang had been harboring toward him spontaneously disappeared. However, before she could even think to initialize her carefully laid plan to piece his psyche back together, Paul suddenly turned toward her and ordered, "Get on the bed." in a commanding tone. He didn't tap into his authority as Champion of the Intersection of Fate, but Ningguang still felt a shiver pass through her body as he stared at her with a serious yet fiery look.
Though she could feel the tensions in her body increasing, Ningguang did her best to appear calm as she smiled and replied, "As you will..." in a hot, sultry tone. What she didn't anticipate was Paul all but ignoring her as he suddenly picked up Diona, eliciting a surprised, "Nyaa!? Wha-what do you think you're doing!? You...you...nnn-!?" from the diminutive cat girl.
Instead of lifting Diona and holding her in a conventional manner, Paul left her experiencing an array of emotions that included fear, confusion, and a growing amount of excitement as he held her upside down and buried his face and nose into her crotch. She had no idea what was happening, but feeling Paul was finally starting to view her as a woman, she didn't put up much resistance as she began panting.
Feeling a fair amount of heat and a faint moisture permeating the dark-blue fabric of Diona's romper, Paul left her feeling further disoriented as he spun her right-side-up and stared into her beet-red face.
"Do you still think I view you as a child...?"
Though she didn't answer immediately, Diona eventually shook her head as clarity gradually returned to her luminous green eyes.
Nodding his head in approval, Paul said, "Good." before surprising Diona with a lengthy kiss. Then, taking advantage of the fact she had wrapped her legs around him when he flipped her around, he supported her back with his left hand while squeezing her butt and caressing the base of her tail with his right.
As Diona's tail began to swish and flick due to her growing excitement, Paul surprised her for the umpteenth time by freeing her from the invasion of his tongue and whispering, "Listen to my words very carefully, Diona. I want you to go to my room. If anyone is there, tell them I'll meet them in the bath in one hour. As for you, I want you to remain in my room. When I get there, it will be just the two of us, alone, for the entire night...do you understand?"
Swallowing hard, Diona nodded her head and replied, "I understand..." in an uncharacteristically meek tone of voice. She should be mad that Paul was clearly prioritizing Ningguang, but the thought of spending an entire night with him made her heart feel like it was trying to crawl up and out of her throat.&nbsp;
Not satisfied with Diona's reply, Paul brought his face closer to hers as he said, "Repeat what I said back to me..." while gently squeezing her tail. It was one of the most sensitive spots on Diona's body, so she immediately started to twitch and spasm as he slowly ran his hand along its length.
Though her voice and jaw quivered the entire time, Diona demonstrated that she had been listening by repeating Paul's words nearly verbatim. It was kind of impressive, so much so that Paul felt compelled to reward her with one final kiss before sending her off with a gentle smack to the butt.
Freed from Paul's grasp, Diona sprinted full speed from the room in order to carry out his orders. As for Paul, he turned towards the casual-looking Ningguang who, by appearances, was patiently awaiting him on her large and lavish bed.
Adding a few cracks to Ningguang's facade, Paul began to roll his neck and shoulders, loud pops echoing through the room as he warned, "One hour may not sound like a long time, but let me assure you...it will feel like an eternity once I have you screaming my name in ten..."
Despite another powerful shiver spreading through her body, Ningguang was able to maintain a mask of calm as she smiled, playfully squinted her eyes, and said the words that would seal her fate, "We shall see..."
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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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Chapter 100: MI100: Strife Zone