Mushoku Impact

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...
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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...
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In between mouthfuls of food, Paul took a moment to swallow before saying, "Now that I think about it, there's something I needed to tell you about, Gorou."
As her brain immediately jumped to conclusions, Hina's legs instinctually closed as she tentatively inquired, "Wh-what is it...?"
Raising his brows, Paul asked, "What's with the bashful behavior?" before shaking his head, adding, "Forget it. The thing I wanted to tell you is that I ended up summoning Kokomi last night. If I'm not mistaken, you used to be her subordinate, right?"
After blinking in surprise, Hina sat a little straighter, her ears perking up as she replied, "It would be more accurate to say I was one of her retainers. The Shiba Clan has served the Sangonomiya Clan for generations..."
As her words trailed off toward the end, Hina's narrowed her eyes in a suspicious, ostensibly threatening manner as she asked, "Did the two of you...?"
Understanding what Gorou was trying to ask, Paul nodded in affirmation, admitting, "Yeah." despite the dog girl's ears angling backward as if she were about to attack him.
Inserting herself into the conversation, Rosaria narrowed her own eyes as she asked, "Just who are you baring your teeth at...?"
Realizing what she was doing, Hina stopped growling, averted her eyes, and softly muttered, "Forgive my impertinence. It's just...I have protected Mistress Kokomi since we were children. Back in Inazuma, I even led her armies to oppose the Vision Hunt Decree. I just...didn't expect something like this to occur..."
As she had at one point intended to 'sacrifice' herself in order to preserve Kokomi's purity, even if only for a short while, hearing Paul admit they had already slept together was like a slap in the face to Hina. She wasn't too surprised, understanding well the kind of person her 'former' Master was, but the suddenness of the revelation left her reeling.
Running her fingers through her hair, Hina shifted her gaze to the ceiling, a wry smile marring her face as she muttered, "So this is the price of my indecision. The Heavens must be laughing..."
Furrowing his brows, Paul asked, "You good...?" in a concerned yet mildly annoyed tone. The way Gorou was behaving made it seem as though him sleeping with Kokomi had tainted her. He understood why she was upset, but it wasn't like he had forced the salmon-haired Priestess to sleep with him...
More so in admonition of herself, rather than denial of Paul's query, Hina shook her head and replied, "I'm lamenting my decision to conceal myself the previous night. I was given the opportunity to join you in the bath but refused for fear of being judged. Had I been bolder, I may have been able to-"
"Seriously, Gorou? I hate to break it to you, but your presence wouldn't have had any impact on the outcome of last night. Don't get me wrong, you've certainly become more attractive these past three years, but I had already decided to spend the evening with Diona by then. My summoning of Kokomi was completely random, so, even if you threw yourself at me in the bath, the only thing you would have achieved is getting your cheeks clapped first."
"..."
While Rosaria exhaled a sigh at the side, Hina was completely silenced by Paul's repudiation. Knowing there was nothing she could have done didn't exactly make her feel better...
Shaking his head in mild exasperation, Paul began cutting into a piece of steak as he suggested, "Look, just talk to Kokomi, okay? If you still think I did something wrong after that, well, I don't really know what to tell you? I can apologize and perform a dogeza for you, but it's not like I can undo what's already been done."
Finished with what he had to say, Paul picked up the cut piece of steak and began chewing it with a visibly annoyed expression on his face. He had wanted to break the awkward tensions by mentioning something he believed would make Gorou happy. Her reaction, while understandable, had ruined his mood completely.
Realizing she had severely wronged Paul, Hina wanted to apologize but didn't know how to go about it. Back in her previous world, her previous life, she would have had no trouble apologizing and attempting to make amends. Ever since she had been summoned into the world of Mushoku Tensei, things that used to be so simple had now become progressively harder...
Hanging her head and shoulders, Hina's ears drooped as she stared at her plate with a listless expression on her face. Before she could even think to excuse herself, however, Rosaria surprised her by lazily asserting, "Relax. You didn't really do anything wrong, and our Master isn't the type of man who would condemn someone for wanting to protect the people they care for. Behaving all depressed like that is just going to make the both of you feel guilty over nothing..."
Raising her head, Hina briefly met Rosaria's gaze before looking up to find Paul with a visibly conflicted look on his face. His brows furrowed further when their gazes met, but he didn't say anything and just kept chewing on his food.
Furthering the feelings of awkwardness sprouting within Paul and Hina, Rosaria rested her cheek atop the knuckles of her right hand as she said, "Since you seem to have forgotten, allow me to remind you. Our Master might like to put on a strong front, but he's fairly sensitive just below the surface. He's also prone to negative thoughts, so he's probably thinking he actually 'did' do something wrong now that you've made a big deal out of it..."
"Rosaria..."
Setting down his fork, Paul gave the ashen-skinned beauty a disproving look that was undermined by the consternation in his eyes. He knew she was trying to 'help' him, but it was never pleasant hearing people casually reveal things he at least pretended to keep secret.
Rolling her eyes, Rosaria moved to exit the booth as she said, "Whatever. I finished eating a while ago, so I'm gonna head out. If you need me, I'll be in my or Lynette's room. Just be sure you don't bring that depressive cloud with you when you come."
Finished with what she had to say, Rosaria emulated Paul by raising her hand in a casual gesture of farewell. She would usually leave without so much as a word, but seeing Paul depressed over nothing always bothered her. Even if he was just putting on a mask, she preferred seeing him happy and behaving like an idiot...
With neither of them speaking as they followed Rosaria's departure, the atmosphere between Paul and Hina became tense the moment it was just the two of them. Neither really knew what to say, so Paul just focused on eating while Hina just stared at her plate, this time without the depressive aura.
Interrupting Hina's introspection, Paul surprised her with a faint, "Sorry...I should have taken your relationship into consideration before choosing to sleep with Kokomi..."
Opening her mouth, Hina's first instinct was to refute Paul's words and tell him he had done nothing wrong. Instead, she remained silent, a conflicted look marring her face as various thoughts assailed her mind. Even in her previous world, the notion of a Lord/Daimyo apologizing to their Retainers bordered on the absurd. Paul's status was inarguably much, much higher than that, so Hina couldn't help feeling as though she had betrayed both him and her former Master by baring her teeth at him...
"Hyan-!?
Snapping Hina from her despairing thoughts, Paul used the index finger of his right hand to poke her in the boob. He hadn't done anything special, but her body reacted as though it had been electrocuted, her ears and tail standing on end as she nearly jumped from her seat.
Surprised by the rather unexpected response, Paul's expression revealed a hint of incredulity as he remarked, "You're pretty sensitive, huh...?"
Covering her breasts with both hands, Hina adopted an aggrieved, almost teary-eyed expression as she half-turned away from Paul and said, "You wouldn't understand...everything about a woman's body is more sensitive than a man's. Wearing thicker clothes helps a little, but this body is prone to overheating if I cover too much..."
Though she was tempted to complain to Paul about the woes of sweat accumulating in specific areas and causing chaffing, Hina eventually came to her senses, frowning as she questioned, "Why did you touch me all of a sudden?"
Shrugging his shoulders, Paul replied, "You looked like you were about to say or do something stupid." before stacking his plates atop Rosaria's and adding, "Well, I'm off to see what Albedo wanted to discuss. Also, the last time I saw Kokomi, she was on her way to meet with Ningguang. If you go to her, I'm sure she'll be able to reunite you with your beloved Master."
Hearing Paul address Kokomi as her Master, a feeling of anxiety began to permeate Hina's chest. She had recognized Paul as her Lord and pledged to follow him shortly after her summoning. The time they had spent apart had evidently affected her views of him, but he was still her one and 'only' Master.
As Paul moved to leave the lounge, Hina ignored the fact she was wearing a kimono, practically leaping from the booth and dropping to one knee as she exclaimed, "Master Paul, please wait...!"
Though he was startled as shit by Gorou's behavior, muttering, "What the flying fuck...!?" under his breath, Paul managed to collect himself by the time he turned around and asked, "What is it?" in a calm tone.
Thinking the standard prostration wasn't enough, Hina transitioned into a full-on dogeza, her forehead pressed to the ground as she affirmed, "You are my Master...!" in a loud, firm tone.
As the corner of his lips twitched, Paul resisted the urge to say, "Yeah, and...?" Instead, he took a moment to choose his words before saying, "Then raise your head and follow my previous instructions by going and talking to Kokomi. As for the matter from before...just forget it. I learned from someone in a similar situation as you that it's best if we just forget about such things and move forward. While your memories of it remain in the past, the restoration of your world is a matter for the far future. Don't get so caught up in the present you stumble trying to move forward..."
Turning away from Garou, Paul didn't see it as the buxom dog girl stared at him with a look typically reserved for members of a cult staring at their Founder. Her previous movements had ripped and loosened her kimono, but, for the first time in years, she didn't consider her appearance as she adopted a radiant smile and replied, "Understood, Master." before rising to her feet and ostensibly following after him. In truth, she was heading off to carry out Paul's instructions; their destinations just happened to lay in the same direction...
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After separating with Gorou, who he now knew as Hina, Paul could finally breathe a sigh of relief. He didn't really know how to explain it, but it was like the entire atmosphere around the dog girl had changed from the time of their first meeting to the moment she affirmed he was her Master.
As the changes in Hina weren't necessarily a bad thing, Paul elected to simply ignore them for the time being as he made his way into one of the more secure regions of the underground compound. He even had to pass through an entire corridor where the ceiling was designed to drop twenty blocks of incredibly dense stone, each weighing more than 70,000kgs, as a countermeasure against theft and enemy attacks.
With projects that included the development of Elemental Explosives that could already rival Emperor-Ranked Ritual Magic, Albedo took the security of her labs very seriously.
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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.
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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.
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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...
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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...
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Chapter 111: MI111: Admission