Mushoku Impact

With Yaoyao eventually giving up out of frustration, Paul made it up to her by carrying her back to her room like a princess. She rejected his offer at the start, but it didn't take long for her to accept her fate after Paul picked her up regardless.
Following Yaoyao's directions, Paul soon found himself in one of the few sections of the underground compound he was familiar with. There were tiny, alphanumerical placards located at the ends of each corridor, so he quickly realized they were heading in the direction of his room.
Since it wouldn't be strange for the girls to be living in the same section of the compound as him, Paul didn't immediately call Yaoyao out. This ended up being the correct choice, as, rather than turning down the hallway that led to his chambers, her directions brought him to a handless door in the adjoining corridor. The curious thing about this was that the door was part of the same 'block' as his room, indicating they were side-by-side.
Though he knew it wasn't, Paul asked, "This is your room?" in a curious tone. In response, Yaoyao immediately replied, "No." before shifting in his embrace and adding, "And you can let me down now."
Resisting the urge to simply drop her, Paul set Yaoyao down and awaited her explanation. Instead, she placed her palm on the door and whispered, "Here our spirits commune, mind and body, for the sake of two worlds..."
Reacting to Yaoyao's words, the door's surface lit in a manner uncannily similar to the Intersection of Fate. However, instead of opening to a sea of clouds and mysterious stone pillars, the interior resembled a dressing room on one side and a strip club on the other. There was even a catwalk leading to a circular stage, complete with a pole in the center...
If the setting wasn't surprising enough, Paul was even more surprised to find that the room wasn't vacant. Xinyan was styling Xiangling's hair at one of the cosmetic stations while Jean and Barbara were in the process of changing into costumes that were little more than bikinis with cat ears and a tail. That would have been the most eyecatching thing if not for the fact that everyone in the room was sporting lingerie, including Eula, who, as far as Paul could tell, was teaching Razor, Ghislaine, Ei, and even Qiqi how to strut down the catwalk like a supermodel...
As the door lit up and produced a soft ringing sound when opened, Paul wasn't the only one caught staring like an idiot. The moment he entered, everyone in the room shifted their gazes to him before promptly freezing in place like a bunch of statues. The only notable exceptions were Xinyan, Ghislaine, and Eula, the former waving what appeared to be a rudimentary curling iron as she hollered, "Hey, it's about time you showed up...!" in her characteristically bold and cheerful tone.
Though he raised his hand by pure reflex, Paul's expression was still one of bewilderment as he looked down at Yaoyao and asked, "What's going on here...?"
While struggling with the clasps of her frock-style tunic, Yaoyao dutifully replied, "This is something Ningguang came up with to try and strengthen everyone's bonds. It was originally just a place where we could hang out, but it eventually turned into this after we took into consideration the type of person our Master is..."
After loosening her dress enough that she could pull it off, Yaoyao did precisely that before throwing it at Paul's face and adding, "Some of us were worried that you would have trouble choosing girls to sleep with. To that end, anyone who enters this place is effectively giving you an open invitation to invite them to your room. If that isn't an option, there is also a 'red' and a 'black' room in the back."
Though her face was bright red by the time she was finished, Yaoyao still managed to remove her tube-top style bra, revealing diminutive yet well-shaped A-Cups. This left her wearing little more than a pair of pure white knickers and stockings as she half-turned away and said, "I'm gonna go find something to change into. You should head over to the bar and read the rules..." before scurrying over to a circular rack filled with some very skimpy-looking outfits.
"..."
Noticing that people were watching but not approaching him, Paul shook his head and made his way over to a small yet fully stocked bar. It had all the fixings and equipment to indicate a bartender worked the counter, but it was currently empty. That wasn't too surprising, considering Diona was probably still asleep in the next room.
Upon reaching the counter, Paul noticed that the board on the left listed twenty-six rules while the one on the right displayed the names of various cocktails. Most of the rules only applied to the girls, mentioning things like wearing the provided clothing and staying in groups of three or more, but a few were set aside, specifically, for him.
-------------------------------
1: Touching is permitted, but it must occur over the clothes.
2: Kissing is permitted, but it must involve all members within a group.
3: If you have sex with someone in the showroom, you must accept responsibility for everyone present at the time.
4: Service acts within the showroom should be for educational purposes only.
5: There is a registry hanging outside of the Red Room. If possible, please refer to it before deciding whether or not to make use of its facilities.
6: The Black Room is Off-Limits without qualified medical personnel and a supervisor present.
-------------------------------
Though he got goosebumps reading the last rule, the others weren't that big a deal. He imagined it would be pretty uncomfortable for the others if he suddenly started making out or fucking someone without some kind of stipulations involved.&nbsp;
Looking to his left, Paul noticed a dark hallway he previously believed to contain bathrooms. It probably did, but the thing he focused on were the red and black doors located on either side of the hall.
Ever the curious individual, Paul pretended not to notice the many gazes following him as he made his way over to the red door. Hanging next to it was a simple clipboard with several sheets of paper resembling a sign-in sheet. To his surprise, the first seven pages were already completely filled in, each line representing a one-hour time slot.
Flipping to the eighth page, Paul wasn't as surprised to find the names of Jean, Barbara, Eula, Ei, Ghislaine, and Xiangling recorded. To get to them, however, he would need to spend nearly three hundred hours having sex.
Assuming he was allowed to skip the names of individuals who weren't present, Paul flipped back to the first page. There, he found that Yaoyao's name was listed before Xinyan, so she would technically be the first if he decided to follow the list.
"Hmmm...?"
Seeing a few names he didn't recognize, Paul muttered aloud, "Who the fuck are Hina, Kaede, and Betty...?"
Though an image immediately popped into his mind when he voiced the name Betty, likely referring to Bennett, Paul wasn't entirely sure who the other aliases belonged. The only thing he had to go on was the fact that Hina and Kaeda both sounded Japanese. If that were the case, the most likely candidates would be Gorou, Kazuha, and Thoma...
Deciding to worry about matters of the future in the future, Paul set down the registry and returned to the showroom. As he did, nearly everyone in the room briefly shifted their gazes toward him before at least pretending to focus on other things. The room was meant to be a social club of sorts, so one of the rules prevented the girls from approaching or crowding him.
Despite feeling as though the rules bordered on bullshit, Paul made his way over to the stage group consisting of Eula, Razor, Ghislaine, Ei, and Qiqi. Instead of joining them, however, he plopped onto the leather sofa surrounding the stage and decided to enjoy the show. He was curious to see how the girls would behave if he just sat and watched them, so that's exactly what he did...at least for a short while...
...
..
.
After sleeping in well past noon, Diona eventually awoke with the sort of groan commonly attributed to night owls. She had never been a morning person, but the previous night's exertions made her want to sleep in the entire day. Part of that was predicated on the possibility of spending yet another night with Paul, but sex, unfortunately, wasn't the only thing her body was craving.
"So hungry..."
Freeing herself from Amber's embrace, Diona only stared at the former's face for a brief moment before promptly crawling to the edge of the giant bed. It wasn't hard to imagine how Amber had come to be in Paul's room, but, as grateful as she was, Diona had more pressing things to consider...
Having familiarized herself with Paul's room long before his arrival, Diona made her way over to a closet, retrieving a garment similar to a bathrobe before walking over to the nearby bookshelf. Placing a certain number of books on the third shelf caused a mechanism to trigger in the bathroom, revealing a secret tunnel just large enough to accommodate an adult male crawling on all fours.
As she was quite a bit smaller than an adult male, Diona had absolutely no trouble crawling through the passage. When she reached the other side, a ventilation grate blocked her exit, but it was fairly easy to remove so long as you knew the trick.
Pushing up on the grate rather than outward, Diona's ears twitched at the sound of ball bearing hitting the end of a hidden track. After that, she just needed to hold the grate in position for 2-3 seconds before it would pop loose on its own.
With the grate eventually giving way, Diona pushed it to the side before crawling out and bouncing to her feet behind the previously vacant bar. She immediately noticed the presence of several others, but that wasn't particularly surprising. What left her feeling a little annoyed was the fact that Paul had a front-row seat as Ei and Eula seemed to be competing to see who could perform the best pole dance.
Resisting the urge to shout and ask what the hell everyone was doing, Diona poked her head under the counter and slid open a cooler made possible thanks to Albedo's research. It was where Diona kept most of her ingredients for cocktails and, more importantly, where she kept her favorite snack, a type of ice cream produced from a certain blue-haired Adepti's milk.
Though she always felt a little guilty whenever she saw Ganyu's stressing out over the disappearance of her milk, Diona couldn't just let her dispose of it off the edge of a cliff located near one of the Red Dragon Mountain Range's peaks. The quality completely outclassed cow and goat milk, so whenever Ganyu was looking particularly 'tender,' Diona would look for a chance to swipe one or two of the dozen or so bottles she produced each month.
While doing her best to ignore the sounds of people having fun a few meters away, Diona rocked her body from side to side with a gleeful smile on her face as she finished off her current reserves. Fortunately, now that Ganyu was back from her unexpected trip to the North, and with Paul, no less, Diona knew it wouldn't be long before she could replenish her stock.
Others might not notice such things, but Diona could tell that Ganyu had produced even more milk than usual this month. Sleeping with Paul likely ramped up her production, so even though she was a little annoyed that the former was having fun while she was asleep in the next room, Diona's heart and stomach had already forgiven him...
...
..
.

As much as he was enjoying the girls' performances, Paul took advantage of a natural lull in the action to ask, "Are you girls okay with this? I kind of get what Ningguang was aiming at, but doesn't this all feel a little, I don't know, forced...?"
In response to Paul's question, it was Xinyan, wearing tight, black leather shorts, fishnet stockings, and skull-shaped stickers over her nipples, who answered, "I get that. Back when this place was still a work in progress, it was kind of a ghost town. Over time, however, it became a fun little place where we could just hang out, sing, dance, and cut loose without having to worry about how the people outside viewed us."
Nodding her head, Yaoyao, wearing a lace bodice, panties, and stockings, added, "If you look closely, this place incorporates elements that reflect each of the people you have summoned through the IOF. Diona came up with the idea for the bar, Xinyan and Yun Jin came up with the idea for the stage, and I'm the one who pitched the idea for the Red Room's registry. I know you enjoy spending time with certain girls, but you shouldn't ignore the rest of us..."
Seeing Yaoyao briefly shift her gaze to the pair of sisters flanking him, a wry smile developed across Paul's face. While it was true he had stronger feelings for Jean and Barbara than most other girls, the only reason he invited them to sit next to him was that they had finished changing shortly after he sat down. If Yaoyao had come over first, he probably would have had her sit on his lap.
Shaking his head, Paul said, "You're mistaken. Your words make it sound as though I'm actively avoiding certain people. You're not wrong, but the simple truth is that there are some lines I just didn't want to cross. I can set aside my reservations and fuck a loli if they're legal, but even if they were as hot as Ei, I wouldn't lay my hands on someone I still viewed as a child. And I mean by my standards, not societies."
Though he knew the current legal age was the result of humans having short lifespans and nearly going extinct, twice, Paul believed society was long past due for a reformation. At the very least, 30, 40, and even 50+-year-old men shouldn't be marrying girls as young as ten. It was a little more acceptable for tweens to get engaged and marry one another, but letting old ass Nobles legally prey on young girls was unbelievably fucked up.
Conveniently forgetting that Reida would be included among the people Paul found disgusting, Paul went on to say, "Not that that matters in this situation. It's been more than six years since I summoned you, and you were around twelve years old at that time. That makes you a fine, albeit adorable, adult. The only reason I didn't drag you off to a broom closet or something while you were chasing me is that I didn't feel like it. Sex might be one of the defining characteristics of my life, but it's not what gets me up in the morning...well, most of the time..."
Shaking away his lascivious thoughts, Paul adopted a serious expression as he said, "I never want to view you girls as little more than an outlet to express my desires. Truth be told, I miss the days when we could all just hang out and mess around without it leading to sex. Hell, I even miss our bath times..."
Though he still took baths with the girls, Paul reminisced of a time when everyone was still uneasy and worried about being seen. Girls like Xinyan had been an exception, but even that had its charms. Now, the majority of his baths included blowjobs, titjobs, or full-blown sex. Paul enjoyed every single second of it but spending nearly a third of his life fucking had a way of building up stress rather than relieving it...
"Paul..."
Hearing Paul's words, Barbara couldn't help feeling guilty. The same could be said for the others gathered around, but she knew she was one of the most 'fervent' when it came to spending time with Paul. She wanted to be the first person that entered his mind when he thought of people he could rely on to endure anything he could throw at her, so she used Healing and Water Magic so that she could continue until the end.
"Hey, what's with that face? You didn't do anything wrong..."
Since he already had his arms wrapped around the two sisters, Paul was able to pull Barbara close and press a kiss to her lips. It only lasted for a few seconds, but it was enough to return the smile to her face when they separated.
Adopting a faint smile of his own, Paul returned his gaze to Yaoyao and the group as a whole as he said, "So, yeah, I'm down to give you a good shunting if you doubt my willingness, but I'd rather we get to know each other first. I would have liked to do the same with Diona, but she kind of burst into Ningguang's bedroom, and, well, the rest is history..."
Not wanting to reveal that Diona was on the verge of tears and that he was in a bad mental state at the time, Paul just smiled and allowed the silence he had created to linger. It wasn't his intention to make the girls feel guilty, but his intuition told him he would be fucked three ways from Sunday if he didn't come forward now. After all, even with a few people being away on missions, he was outnumbered at least thirty to one. After tonight, that disparity would increase even further...
As confident as he was in his abilities to satisfy his partner, Paul wasn't foolish to believe he could compete with 30+ women. He could probably manage if Ningguang or someone created a schedule similar to the Red Room's registry, but that just felt so...disingenuous. He would much rather encourage the girls that had accompanied him from the North to catch up and reintegrate with the others while he focused on doing the same.&nbsp;
Feeling that the silence had lingered long enough, Paul opened his eyes, smiling as he said, "So, yeah, let's talk. Preferably over lunch. A piece of sausage and a single bite of toast isn't much of a breakfast. I'm not sure what time it is, but I'm sure it's well past time for lunch."
Though the other girls kept their eyes on Paul, Xinyan and Yaoyao looked toward a clock located by the bar. When they saw that it was already past 2 PM, they were genuinely surprised as it didn't really feel like eight hours had passed...
Following the girls' gaze, Paul's smile widened as he said, "Time flies in good company." before surprising Barbara and Jean by rising to his feet and adding, "I'll see you girls in the canteen. If you're not really feeling hungry, then I guess I'll see you when I see you."
Ignoring the feeling of 'wrongness' that accompanied walking away from a bevy of beautiful women wearing little more than lingerie, Paul departed the showroom with a listless smile on his face. Throughout his speech, he had been willfully hoping that the girls would, at least for the time being, focus less on him and more on getting to know each other. It wasn't that he didn't want to spend time with them, quite the opposite; he just didn't want them basing their every decision on whether or not it would satisfy him.&nbsp;
Being the center of other peoples' lives was as exhausting as it was gratifying...
...
..
.
After reaching the canteen, guided by a peculiar Maid with dark skin, lime green hair, and leaf-green eyes, Paul thanked the apparent Half-Dryad for her assistance before making his way over to the buffet tables. He wasn't on the verge of starving, but his stomach had been protesting even during his impromptu game of tag with Yaoyao.&nbsp;
While it allowed him to stay awake and continue fighting for days on end, one of the downsides to possessing a Dendro Vision was a rather drastic increase in appetite. Paul wasn't sure of his exact caloric intake, but even a glutton like Ghislaine couldn't compete with him in terms of food intake. She had tried on several occasions, but while she could put down food at a rather ridiculous rate, he always came out ahead in terms of quantity.
With the bouncers allowing him to pass without issue, Paul was prepared to find a table for himself but paused when he noticed three people sitting within. Most people ate lunch between the hours of 10 AM and 1 PM, so it was a little strange to find three people present and, more notably, seated apart.
As Paul stepped into the lounge, the trio of women eating alone all shifted their attention to him. The one closest to the entrance had teal eyes, pale skin, and ashy, light brown hair that extended past her shoulders. She had a slender frame and modest breasts, but her eyes gave off the impression she could see through all the secrets of the universe.
Sitting a little further away from the woman Paul had instantly identified as Albedo was yet another person he immediately recognized as she had appeared during his impromptu summoning the previous night. Not in her physical form, but as a naked Constellation. She was a little taller than the average woman, but the traits most people would take notice of were her Ei-tier breasts, her voluptuous figure, and her distinctive, brown and white hair. She also had dog ears and a tail, but those were fairly common in the world of Mushoku Tensei.
As the final girl was someone who had returned with him from the North, Paul raised his brows and inquired, "Albedo, Gorou, Rosaria? Why are the three of you sitting so far apart...?"
Being the closest to the entrance, and, as a result, Paul, Albedo took it upon herself to answer, "I do not like to tarry during meals, so I typically eat alone. If Ningguang had not prohibited it, I wouldn't bother coming to the canteen and just dine in my lab. Speaking of which..."
Rising to her feet, Albedo left the food on her tray as she walked over to Paul and added, "I have been meaning to speak with you. If time permits, please have someone escort you to Research Block 3."
Assuming that Paul would invite them to eat together, Albedo promptly excused herself after she was finished conveying her message. She didn't particularly mind socializing, but there were more productive uses of her time. After all, while she had been teaching a few promising students, she was singularly responsible for the scientific and alchemical advancements of their group. Even a few minutes of her time was equivalent to a nation's entire research and development department taking the month off.
"..."
After following Albedo's departure with his eyes, Paul shook his head, a wry smile developing across his face as he turned toward the other two present and asked, "Are the two of you going to run off as well...?"
In response to Paul's words, Rosaria exhaled one of her characteristically exasperated sighs, muttering, "How troublesome..." before picking up her plate and moving over to where Gorou was sitting, her voice a lazy drone as she asked, "Mind if I sit here...?"
"Uh...by all means...?"
Since she wasn't planning to encounter Paul this early, Hina's mind was a mess. Despite that, she had always been someone who cared deeply for her comrades, so she didn't have the heart to run away or refuse Rosaria's request.&nbsp;
"Mmm..."
Placing her plate a little bit away from Hina's, Rosaria looked toward Paul and asked, "Happy...?" with a lazy deadpan on her face. In response, Paul just smiled as he made his way over to the girls' table, understanding why Rosaria had left some space and was still standing. She was clearly giving him the middle seat, so Paul slid into the booth before her, pretending not to notice Gorou's body momentarily tensing like a statue as he proceeded to make light conversation...
...
..
.

With the assistance of another Maid, Paul found himself at the entrance to a relatively large canteen. There was a self-service buffet located at the center of the room, several long tables that could seat up to twenty people each, and a roped-off lounge that was clearly reserved for senior staff and people summoned through the IOF.
"Jeez...that woman doesn't know the meaning of the word restraint..."
Hearing Paul's comment, the Maid who had escorted him, a young woman with cat ears, a tail, and long burgundy hair that extended past the backs of her knees, calmly replied, "Lady Ningguang encourages us to strive for excellence in all things. A person's private quarters and workspace are a direct reflection of their inner character and work ethic, so we continually strive to improve these underground facilities."
Shifting his gaze to the petite yet serious-looking girl, Paul could see the shadow of Ningguang lingering behind her. As far as he could tell, she had not a single hair out of place, and her Maid uniform, while a little short in the skirt department, was prim, proper, and without fault. Considering she was a member of the Beast Race, it was rather impressive...
As Paul gave her an appraising look, the burgundy-haired cat girl, known as Niah, involuntarily curled her tail into the standard s-shape that implied excitement. Her expression didn't change in the slightest, but having Paul, the man everyone revered as their Lord and Master, stare at her was like a dream come true...
Smiling wryly, Paul extended his hand to give the prim and proper girl a pat on the head as he said, "Thanks for showing me the way. You likely have other duties to attend, so I appreciate you going out of your way to guide me here."
Closing her eyes, Niah raised her head a bit, pushing into Paul's palm as she relished his touch. The words Paul had spoken the previous night had already spread through the Service Corps; they had the opposite effect of deterring the girls that dreamed of personally serving him. The more care and magnanimity he displayed, the more highly they regarded him.
Pulling his hand back, a soft chuckle nearly emanated from Paul's throat as Niah instinctually attempted to pursue it. She quickly stopped herself, but it was still pretty cute.&nbsp;
"Well, I guess I'll see you around. Good luck with your work."
Not wanting to linger and get the girl's hopes up, Paul raised his hand in a casual gesture of farewell before turning around to enter the canteen. The Mating Season had largely concluded at this point, but even if it hadn't, he had no intention of having sex with members of the Service Corps. Even if the vast majority of them weren't between the ages of twelve and sixteen, it just didn't feel right...
Seeing Paul turn around, a faint melancholy marred Niah's expression as she lowered her head and bowed towards his back. She knew the odds of Paul groping or accosting her were slim, at best, but so long as there was even a 1% chance, she would continue hoping for it.
"Enjoy your meal, Master..."
...
..
.
After yoinking a piece of smoked sausage from one of the buffet trays, Paul made his way over to the lounge area that was guarded by one of the most Butler-like men Paul had ever seen and yet another youthful-looking Maid. The former has slicked back, raven black hair, angular red eyes, and facial features that almost made him resemble a vampire. As for the Maid, she had grey hair fashioned into a ponytail, pale pink eyes, and long, pointed ears that identified her as a half-elf.
Without stopping Paul or needing to ask his identity, the Butler/Maid duo each grabbed one end of the felt rope barring entry into the lounge area before pulling it aside and bowing steeply. There wasn't a single person in the Service Corps that wasn't intimately familiar with Paul's facial features and appearance, so he had free rein to go wherever he pleased, even the women's bath and dormitory.
Not that he had any intention of doing the latter...
Since neither of the bouncers had bestial traits, Paul offered them a curt, "Keep up the good work." as he made his way into the carpeted lounge to find Ganyu, Kokomi, and, somewhat surprisingly, a chestnut-haired girl he immediately recognized as Yaoyao. At the very least, he had never met a second person who wore oversized bells in their hair...
What Paul found rather amusing was the fact that Yaoyao had developed around the same amount as Xiangling. The only noticeable difference in her appearance was her height, increasing from around 126cm to 153cm. As for the rest of her...well, she and Diona probably got along very well.
As if she could read his mind, something Paul realized he would need to be wary of in the future, Yaoyao adopted a pouty expression as she said, "You're thinking something very rude right now..."
While gesturing for Ganyu and Kokomi to remain seated, Paul shook his head and replied, "There's nothing wrong with being cute. If you're not convinced, I don't mind giving you the same treatment as Diona..."
Though she was momentarily confused by Paul's words, Yaoyao's face became bright red once she had processed what he was implying. She knew it was only a matter of time before she got 'devoured' by the beast that was her Master, but she didn't expect Paul to be so 'brazen' during their first encounter in three years...
Fortunately for Yaoyao, Paul dismissed the transient notion of having her sit on his lap. He did, however, look to Ganyu and Kokomi, informing them that Ningguang asked to speak with them in her office. Since the two had finished eating long ago, Yaoyao subsequently found herself in a situation where it was just her and Paul in a relatively private setting.
"..."
Feeling nervous, especially with Paul sitting next to her, Yaoao focused intently on her nearly empty plate. She was tempted to just finish up and excuse herself, but she didn't want to make it seem like she was running away.
Interrupting Yaoyao's thoughts, Paul said, "Relax. I may have come here to eat, but that doesn't mean I'm going to eat you. I'm not such a horndog that I can't just sit and talk with people..."
Looking towards Paul with an accusatory expression on her face, Yaoyao retorted by saying, "Maybe, but what happens after you've eaten your fill? I heard from Xiangling that you spend upwards of ten hours a day having sex. Since it's just the two of us, it's only natural that I suspect something is going to happen..."
Rolling his eyes, Paul snitched a piece of half-eaten toast from Yaoyao's plate, musing, "Not with that attitude." in a teasing tone. There was a time when Yaoyao had been just as eager as Diona to 'prove' she was an adult. She also viewed Xiangling as something of a rival, so she was more than a little annoyed when the latter was allowed to cross the line into adulthood while she was forced to wait.
"Kuh..."
Resisting the temptation to activate her Dendro Vision's Elemental Ability and poison Paul, just a little, Yaoyao adopted a serious expression as she asserted, "You really are a beast..." before snatching what remained of her toast and munching it down like an angry squirrel. When she was finished, she piled her plate atop Ganyu's and Kokomi's, pushing them to the center of the table as she added. "I'm returning to my room. You're free to follow, but there's no guarantee I'll let you inside."
Having said her piece, Yaoyoa scooted out of the circular-shaped booth they were sitting in before storming toward the exit. However, instead of leaving outright, she turned back with an even angrier expression on her face as she asked, "Well? Are you coming or not?"
While wondering when Yaoyao had turned into a tsundere, Paul slid out of the booth to follow after her. She had turned to leave the moment he started to get up, but he quickly spotted her standing near the canteen's entrance. It was apparent she wanted him to follow, so Paul couldn't help pulling a prank on her when she rounded the first corner outside. Instead of taking a right and following after her, he took a left with no destination in mind.&nbsp;
Hearing the pitter-patter sound of feet, Paul broke into a sprint, passing several confused Maids and a single Butler as Yaoyao chased after him, shouting, "Stupid Master! You're going the wrong way...!"
...
..
.
While Paul was busy teasing Yaoyao, a beautiful woman with dog ears, a fluffy tail, and peculiar brown and white hair was simultaneously dreading and making preparations for their reunion. This involved standing in front of a changing mirror and trying on various types of lingerie, not because she particularly looked forward to them being seen, but because she felt an obligation to at least try and look her best.
Experiencing an excessive amount of difficulty while trying to fasten the clasp of her bra, a depressed sigh emanated from the woman's throat as she groaned, "Don't tell me they're still growing..."
As her ears and tail drooped, the woman tossed the useless brassier off to the side before pulling retrieving a roll of measuring tape typically used by Tailors and Seamstresses. Luckily, even after measuring six times, she was relieved to confirm that her bust was still 'only' 88.3cm. The bra she was trying on had most likely just shrunk in the wash.
After trying on a different bra and confirming her suspicions, the brown and white-haired beauty went through the arduous process of changing into a teal-green kimono. She would have preferred to wear something less breezy, but as a resident of Inazuma, she believed kimonos were the pinnacle of womens' fashion.
Seeing her fully garbed figure in the mirror, the doggish woman's ears and tail, once again, drooped pathetically. The image reflected was stunningly beautiful, but that was actually the issue. She was a warrior, not someone to be gawked at and coveted by men who took one look at her figure and determined she was something to conquer or subdue...
Exhaling a sigh, the woman, formerly known as Gorou and more recently known as Ms. Hina, fell onto her bed without caring about whether or not her kimono would become loose or wrinkled. In order to calm herself, she kept repeating phrases like, "You're doing this for the sake of the world..." and, "All the people of Inazuma are counting on you..."
Though she knew she wouldn't be the one to defeat Hitogami and save the world, Hina didn't doubt her reason for being here. As someone who had once led an army, she understood that even the lowest-ranking foot soldier served as an important cog in the military machine. If she could reduce the strain on the more critical members of their group, even just a little, she would contribute to their mission's success.
What Hina was most worried about was losing herself in a similar manner as Kaeya, unaware that she was now going by the name Kay. She did her best to ignore them, but she wasn't immune to the pheromones released by Beast People and even Humans. She wasn't sure how much longer she could hold out, so, now that Paul had returned, Hina wanted to at least try and perform the duty expected of her. If she did well, she might even be able to become a permanent member of Paul's party, contributing to their mission in a more 'proactive' manner rather than spending day-in, day-out digging tunnels with her Geo Vision...
While she knew her actions were actively contributing to the success of their mission, two and a half years spent primarily underground had left Hina feeling more like a mole person rather than a proud member of the Shiba Clan. If it meant leaving the compound and returning to active duty, she was willing to swallow more than just her pride...
...
..
.

Chapter 110: MI110: Intrigue : Satiety