Mushoku Impact

"Wake up. We've got company."
Hearing the sound of Reida's voice, Paul stirred just as a faint knocking emanated from the door.&nbsp;
Without Paul needing to ask, Reida explained, "It's that Noble-looking lass with the golden hair. I think her name was Jean...?"
Rolling his eyes, Paul remarked, "It's been three weeks. We both know you've memorized their names by now..."
With Reida rising from the sofa, Paul attempted to do the same before she pushed him back down and stated, "I'll take care of it. If I'm not mistaken, she just wants to confirm you're not in any danger."
Raising his left brow, Paul questioned, "Then wouldn't it be better for me to answer?"
Shrugging her shoulders, Reida didn't respond to Paul's words. Instead, she made her way over to the door, opening it to find Jean staring back at her with a hint of caution in her cerulean blue eyes.
Preempting anything Jean might have said, Reida asked, "What's with the hostility? Do I strike you as the kind of person to seek revenge? If you're that worried, feel free to come inside."
Without waiting for Jean's response, Reida turned around and made her way back to the living room. Jean immediately followed suit, the tensions in her body increasing until she saw Paul raise his hand, an awkward smile on his face as he said, "Yo. Sorry for not stopping by earlier. I intended to, but something came up..."
Contributing to Paul's case, Reida surprised both him and Jean by stating, "I was drunk and in a bad mood. Your beloved little Master here came to comfort me..."
Though she was half-tempted to point out the reason for her dour mood, even Reida wasn't entirely sure why she was upset. She might not be the most intelligent person in the world, but she could imagine what her son had come to the Citadel to do. If Paul's companions weren't monsters in the guise of people, a far more terrible tragedy would have occurred...
Shaking such thoughts from her mind, Reida plopped down next to Paul and questioned, "Did you finish your business with that brat from House Boreas...?"
While making a so-so gesture with his hand, Paul replied, "We managed to reach an accord, but things are up in the air until the King approves of his nomination as Heir Apparent. I can't imagine his brother just sitting on his hands as his 'birthright' is stripped from him."
Shaking her head, Reida assured, "So long as the two of you have worked something out, the King will take care of the rest. He has been looking for a way to make 'amends' after being forced to strip away your Noble status and title. Not with you, specifically, but House Notos..."
Before continuing, Reida gave Jean a look questioning look as she asked, "How much longer are you going to keep standing there? Either sit down or make yourself useful by telling the others to pack their things. You'll be leaving the Capital before dawn."
Furrowing her brows, Jean was about to protest before Reida added, "I didn't mean just you girls. Your Master will be leaving alongside you. The death of a Sword King isn't easily covered up. Even if you're acquitted of all charges, the trial could drag for months, potentially even years. Paul's reputation isn't exactly clean, either, so there are going to be a lot of fools seeking to curry favor with the Prince by making accusations and pointing fingers."
Adopting a frown of his own, Paul suppressed his other questions to ask, "Won't fleeing the city lend credibility to their accusations...?"
Rolling her eyes, Reida retorted, "Yeah, and? You have no land or titles for the First Prince and his cronies to demand, and the King isn't going to risk making you an enemy unless he could guarantee your friends in the East wouldn't come seeking retribution. You just need to do your duty and stay away from the Asura Kingdom for a while. As for your training, well, you're plenty strong as is. You also have a ludicrous amount of Touki, so you just need to learn how to use it. If you can't figure it out on your own, just fight that purple-haired monster until something sticks."
Finished with what she had to say, Reida gave Jean a 'are you seriously still standing there' kind of look before subsequently shaking her head and rising to her feet. She had wanted to have sex one last time before Paul departed but figured it was probably for the best if they hastened things along. The King wouldn't be awake at this time, but if someone got to him before her, it would cause a lot of unnecessary headaches.
With such thoughts on her mind, Reida said, "Grab your girls and be ready to leave within ten minutes. The sooner we can get you out of the Capital, the better."
Rising to his feet, Paul found himself suppressing a sigh as Reida walked with purpose toward her room. She had clearly made up her mind, so he just shook his head, looked toward Jean, and teased, "It's a shame, really. I was kind of looking forward to kicking your would-be suitor's teeth in..."
Exhaling a sigh, Jean crossed her arms as she remarked, "I understand your need to fool around when you feel uneasy, but I'd prefer if you didn't make jokes that call into question my feelings or resolve. Having that man and several others ogle me every day was unpleasant enough as is. Let's &nbsp;just forget about them and move on."
"..."
Realizing he had crossed a line, Paul's expression turned apologetic as he said, "Sorry...I didn't mean to imply anything..."
Nodding her head, Jean expressed, "I am well aware of that. I just don't want such off-handed remarks to become a habit. You know full well how I...how many of us feel about you. Never make light of that..."
"Right..."
Since he didn't know what else to say, Paul tentatively approached Jean for a hug. She immediately returned the favor, but before they could enjoy each others' warmth, Reida emerged from her room with an annoyed look on her face, half-shouting, "What the hell are you still doing here!? You'll have plenty of time to fuck around once you escape the Capital. Now get a move on...!"
Without waiting for the duo to respond, Reida grabbed Paul by the back of his collar before giving Jean a firm kick in the backside. She was a little surprised by how springy and toned the golden-haired woman's butt was, but that was a matter for the future. For now, she threw the not-so-young but still naive couple out of her room, shouting, "Seven minutes...!" before slamming the door behind them...
"..." x2
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With Reida leading the way, Paul, Jean, Ei, Eula, Ghislaine, Xinyan, and Lilia were escorted through more than a hundred kilometers of tunnels before emerging less than 400m from the main city gate. In the past, the tunnel would have brought them to the center of a forest, but the Capital had expanded quite a bit over the last four hundred years. Now, the only thing preventing people from freely accessing the tunnel was a massive metal statue of Ars, the legendary hero for whom the city was named.
Once everyone had climbed out of the small hatch concealed beneath the statue's cloak, Reida preempted any questions by explaining, "There is a Saint-Ranked Illusion Barrier in place to prevent vandals and malicious actors from approaching or seeing anyone emerge from the statue. As for the hatch, the mechanism to open it only triggers from the inside, so don't go thinking you can use it as a means to bypass the gate during your next visit to the Capital. Understood...?"
Nodding his head, Paul replied, "Don't worry. We're not going to get you in trouble by sneaking in and out of the Capital."
Snorting through her nose, Reida violently ruffled Paul's hair as she said, "Say things like that when I'm not helping you escape the city. Also, if you aren't at least a King by the time you return, don't blame me if I shove the pommel of my sword up your ass."
"..."
Taking advantage of Paul's silence, Reida surprised him by hugging his face to her breasts, deliberately smothering him as she whispered, "Don't get yourself killed in the Demon Continent..."
Leaving Paul no opportunity to respond, Reida shoved him toward Jean before casually bounding several hundred meters up and away from the group. She wasn't particularly good at goodbyes, and the sun had already begun its ascent from the horizon. The King was early to rise, so she had to hurry if she wanted to catch him before his daily routine...
"There she goes..."
"Indeed..."
Helping Paul to his feet, Jean took a moment to fix his hair and clothes as he stared in the direction Reida had departed. When he realized what she was doing, a wry smile developed across his face as he waited for her to finish. Once she had, he turned toward his group to find Ei standing with her head and shoulders slumped.
"Hey, no need to be so glum. I doubt any of us were enjoying our stay in the Capital, so this is probably for the best. Now we just need to wait for Ganyu to track us down. After that, we'll make a quick stop at the Notos Estate before heading up to Sharia. I still need to deliver Roxy her Hydro Vision, and there's a reasonably high chance she'll want to accompany us to the Demon Continent."
Unaware of Ganyu's ability to track Paul virtually anywhere, Xinyan asked, "I was meaning to ask about that. How's Ganyu supposed to find us now that we've left the Capital...?"
Though he shrugged his shoulders, a tender smile expanded across Paul's face as he replied, "She mentioned something about our souls becoming linked after we had sex for the first time. Unless I'm dead or sealed away somewhere, she can apparently track me to the ends of the world."
"That...certainly sounds like Ganyu..."
Nodding his head in agreement, Paul mused, "Doesn't it...?" before shifting his attention to the still glum Ei and saying, "Tell me what do I need to do to get you to stop sulking. And be warned, if you suggest I need to punish you, I'm going to spank you in front of everyone present."
With Paul seeing through her intentions, Ei found herself swallowing the words she was just about to speak. She frankly didn't mind if he spanked her, but the notion of being spanked in front of others gave her all manner of conflicting emotions.
Taking advantage of Ei's silence, Paul adopted a helpless smile that gradually transitioned into a ruthless look as he said, "Listen, Ei. It's okay to apologize and simply let people forgive you. However, that's beside the point. In this particular instance, you didn't actually do anything wrong. Hell, if I had been present, I would have continued beating that piece of shit until his face was shaped like a bowl..."
Having heard the details during their long trek through the tunnels, Paul would be lying if he said he wasn't a little disappointed in Ei's actions. Not because she had killed Reida's son, but because she had done it in such a 'clean' manner.
While Paul didn't consider himself a particularly malicious person, certain things triggered him more than others. People like Vuldar didn't deserve a quick death. They deserved to be strung up with tourniquets tied around their arms and legs while someone used a dull knife to peel their dick like a potato. Then, once their arms and legs were amputated, they should be thrown into a pit with a bunch of goblins. Maybe then he would regret his actions...
Though girls like Xinyan and Lilia were a little unnerved by the bloodlust exuding from Paul's body, Ei had the opposite reaction by exhaling a sigh of relief. So long as Paul wasn't disappointed in her, she didn't really care about anything else. At least, not in this world...
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With nothing better to do, Paul and Party made their way eastward along the route leading to the Milbots Region. They intended to find a town or a small village to wait for Ganyu's arrival, but they weren't even on the road for twenty minutes before Ghilsaine stated, "She's coming." in a confident tone.
As if given form by Ghislaine's words, Ganyu appeared next to Paul like a phantom in her most diminutive form. Her speed when traveling alone was incomparable to when she was carrying passengers, so she could escape or sneak up on people in an instant if she felt so inclined.
After rubbing her back against the underside of his chin like a cat, Ganyu came to rest in Paul's arms before revealing, "I was unable to sense you for several hours. Did something happen...?"
"Ah..."
Since Ganyu was supposed to show up in time to 'assist' with his training, Paul could imagine her arriving just after they had left. The underground city doubtlessly had enchantments to prevent people from sensing within, so Ganyu had presumably spent the last few hours searching for them in a controlled panic.
Squeezing the lovable Qilin and burying his face into her fur, Paul took a moment to appreciate her softness before saying, "Sorry for worrying you. As for what happened, well...let's just say some monster got less than he deserved..."
"Mmm..."
Since the only thing she truly cared about was Paul's safety, Ganyu didn't bother asking for additional details. Instead, she nuzzled against him for a few moments, drinking in his scent and warmth before asking, "Would you like me to take you somewhere...?"
Nodding his head, Paul explained, "I need to speak with my Father and say goodbye to my kids. If we don't stay the night there, we'll head up to Sharia or make a quick stopover at the Strife Zone. It depends on what Ningguang had to say...?"
As ground mail and carrier hawks could be intercepted, Paul had asked Ganyu to help deliver weekly messages to Sharia and the Strife Zone. He felt guilty about sending her thousands of kilometers just to deliver a few letters, but Ganyu insisted she needed the exercise. She also stated that the 'ambiance' of Ars was like a poisonous miasma to her, so she needed to get out and get some fresh air to avoid becoming sick.
Though Paul did not doubt Ganyu's claims about the Capital's ambiance, he knew the actual reason she wanted to get out was to take care of her milk issue. She preferred to dispose of it high in the mountains, so letting her act as his messenger gave her a convenient excuse. As for why she didn't just bottle it up or pour it down the drain?&nbsp;
According to Ganyu, the milk of a Qilin was a natural elixir, one with the ability to treat virtually any wound and suspend the aging process. The caveat was that it was highly addictive, and, once consumed, a person would need to consume it regularly to keep its benefits. Taking in small amounts was relatively safe, but overconsumption could result in death if you weren't weaned off it slowly.
In response to Paul's question about Ningguang, Ganyu answered, "The Tianquan says everything is going smoothly, and she encourages you to keep doing as you please."
"Sounds about right..."
As he didn't really have anything to report the past three weeks, most of Paul's correspondence with Ningguang was them informing one another that everything was fine. She would occasionally update him on what the others were up to, but only if he specifically asked about them.
Thinking of the others, Paul was about to ask if Ganyu had any letters for him, but she beat him to the punch by transforming into her human form and pulling a stack of letters from her adorable, goat-themed satchel, one of the many experimental products of Xiao Qing.
Though he was a little perturbed by how easily Ganyu was able to read him, Paul managed a genuine smile as he accepted the letters and said, "Thanks." before placing them into his breast pocket. He had intended to read them while riding atop Ganyu's back, but without Venti, both he and they would probably get blown off if he didn't hold on tightly.
While making a mental note to release the lascivious Archon from the Intersection of Fate, Paul shifted his attention to Lilia, saying, "The wind is going to be a lot worse than the last time. Stay close to me, okay...?"
Though she was a little surprised by Paul's sudden address, a faint smile formed across Lilia's face as she habitually folded her hands over her lap and bowed her head. She wouldn't dare to complain, but three weeks of separation after their first night together had left Lilia feeling more than a little bitter. If Paul didn't show her at least a little consideration, she was planning to 'attack' him the moment an opportunity presented itself.
Unaware of Lilia's impending assault, Paul didn't even need to ask before Ganyu transformed back into her Qilin form. Afterward, everyone donned their cold-weather gear before climbing onto her back and huddling close together. Lilia was a little confused by this at first but quickly understood the reason for their caution when Ganyu took off like a rocket, followed by a sudden and drastic decrease in temperature.
Compared to the relatively pleasant experience of traveling with Venti, it was like charging face-first into a blizzard. If not for Paul shielding her with his body, Lilia was certain she would have either frozen to death or been blown off...
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After a fairly tense three-hour flight, Ganyu touched down in the central courtyard of the Notos Estate. She had previously received permission to land there from Paul's Father, so the sentries didn't even bat an eye as she flew over and dropped everyone off near the bath.
Noticing Lilia, Xinyan, and even Ghislaine were a little worse for wear, Paul suggested the girls hop into the bath while he entered the Estate to meet his parents and children. He would have joined them, but the last thing he needed was his Mother dropping in because he neglected to greet her.
After most of the girls accepted his proposal, Paul made his way into the Estate alongside Ganyu and Eula. The latter was unaffected by the cold, to the point she preferred ice over hot baths, so she was in a pretty good mood after the 'refreshing' flight on Ganyu's back.
Flagging down the first Maid he saw, a young yet buxom woman with pale brown hair and purple eyes, Paul asked, "Is my&mdash;is the Lord of the Estate present...?"
Though she was a little startled by the sudden appearance of Paul and his two companions, the Maid dutifully lowered her head and replied, "I'm afraid the Lord is away, surveying the region. As for Lady Valentine, she is commonly in her room around this time."
Since it was rarer for his Father to be home than away on business, Paul wasn't particularly surprised by the Maid's response. Instead, he caused the Maid to fluster a bit by thanking her for her assistance before making his way over to his Mother's room. There, Ganyu briefly disappeared into one of the servant's tunnels, followed by the door promptly jerking open to reveal Valentine's smiling face.
Noticing Eula at Paul's side, Valentine resisted the urge to pounce on him as she fixed her posture and said, "My Little Sun has returned to me. And much sooner than I expected..."
Spreading her arms, Valentine waited for Paul to lower his head before embracing and smothering him with breasts. She wanted to kiss him as well but held herself back due to the presence of Eula and Ganyu.
Once Valentine had finally released him, Paul adopted an affectionate smile as he said, "You're looking even more radiant than the last time I saw you. I'm guessing..."
Catching himself before he could comment on the benefits of his Father possessing a Dendro Vision, Paul transitioned into asking, "Did you ever talk with Father about the upcoming succession battle between the First and Second Sons of House Boreas?"
Understanding what her son had avoided asking, an amused chuckle emanated from Valentine's throat as she covered her mouth to conceal a mischievous smile. Amarant had never been a slouch in the bedroom, but he had become a complete 'monster' after receiving his Dendro Vision. In the past, she and Flute could keep up with him fairly easily. Now, they had to rope in random Maids just to stand a chance...
After suppressing her urge to tease Paul, Valentine adopted a more lady-like expression as she nodded her head and replied, "Indeed. Since you're bringing it up now, I suppose you managed to reach an accord with young Philip...?"
Though he still had mixed feelings about the arrangement, Paul nodded his head and said, "Yeah. That's one of the reasons I returned so soon. I also wanted to stop by and bid farewell to you and the twins before I ran off to the Demon Continent..."
As Paul had already sent Ganyu over to inform them about his exchange with the King, Valentine wasn't particularly surprised by his words. That didn't mean she wasn't concerned, however, her smile dissolving into a fretful look as she asked, "Must you go...?"
Making clear it wasn't merely the King's prompting that compelled him to go, Paul's expression became solemn as he answered, "I must. Rather, I have wanted to go ever since I was a child. The King has just given me a reason to head there sooner..."
Exhaling a sigh, Valentine's response was to spread her arms for another hug. She would prefer if Paul just stayed home and allowed her to protect him, but she knew from the moment he first opened his eyes and looked at the world around him in awe that her son could never be contained in a&nbsp;
'cage' such as the Notos Estate. If he hadn't had his Noble status and title stripped away, she had no doubts he would have someday fled of his own accord...
After holding Paul for the better part of three minutes, Valentine released him from her embrace and assured, "You need not worry about Aiden and Aria. With your Father and siblings away all the time, they understand that duty and obligation often preclude us from doing whatever we please. So long as you return safely, you can always make it up to them..."
"Right..."
Though it would only take Ganyu about nine or hours to cross the ocean separating the Central and Demon Continents, Paul didn't want to ruin the moment or give his mother unrealistic expectations. If she knew he was only ever a half day's journey away, she would probably insist he come to visit at least 2-3 times a month.&nbsp;
While Paul didn't particularly mind visiting his family, he wanted to avoid treating Ganyu like a convenient shuttle. She didn't mind in the slightest, but it bothered Paul quite a bit as he wanted to explore the world directly, not watch it pass below at supersonic speeds. Thus, once he reached the Demon Continent, Paul was intending to walk around, fight monsters, and explore rather than rushing to each town and meeting every Demon Lord as quickly as possible. After all, with nearly twenty years until the Fittoa Incident and more than a hundred years until the resurrection of Laplace, he had a considerable amount of time to kill...
With such thoughts in his mind, Paul spent the better part of an hour with his Mother before she joined him in his journey to the East Wing. The third floor had remained relatively untouched since his departure, so whenever they weren't receiving lessons from their Governess, Aiden and Aria could usually be found in Paul's former study, the former with his nose buried in a book and the latter sleeping soundly nearby...
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After refusing Philip's offer to travel back via carriage, Paul spent the half-hour it took him to reach the Citadel ruminating over the future.
Though it felt like an entire lifetime had passed since he gained access to the Intersection of Fate, Paul knew that he was barely at the start of his journey in the world of Mushoku Tensei. The current year was only K401, and while he had little knowledge of the actual timeline, he recalled that events such as Laplace's resurrection didn't occur until around year K500. Since Laplace held half of the key required to access the Void World, that meant, unless the IOF provided them with a solution, there were still more than a hundred years until they could even attempt to defeat Hitogami...
Realizing how long the road ahead was, a pensive expression developed across Paul's face as he took a moment to stare up at the darkening sky overhead. A hundred years might not sound like a long time for races that lived for thousands, but it was a remarkably long period for humans. Even back in his previous world, humans only lived around 76-78 years with all manner of medical intervention. In a world like Mushoku Tensei, a century was roughly 6-10 generations as humans typically started having children around the age of ten and generally died in their mid to late thirties...
Though he intended to give them Visions, Paul felt a sensation akin to 'emptiness' as he imagined watching his children growing, having children of their own, becoming grandparents, great grandparents, and even great great great grandparents before he got anywhere near to completing his objective...
Shaking away such thoughts, Paul forced a smile as he continued along his way and stated, "I need to find a hobby..." in a faint yet decisive tone.
As much as he enjoyed practicing swordsmanship and spending time with the girls, Paul couldn't imagine 'only' swinging his sword and fucking for a hundred years. He would need to find something to occupy his time when he wasn't traveling around the world, so, as strange as it was to consider, Paul began humoring the idea of promoting technological advancements to the point he could get back into game design.
In Paul's original world, humanity had gone from building the world's first electronic computer to landing on the moon in something like twenty-six years. From there, they went on to develop a global telecommunications network, automatic assembly lines, the internet, smart cars, smartphones, and things like the Large Hadron Collider in less than forty.
With the proper stimulus, humans were capable of some pretty amazing feats. In a setting with magic, multiple races, and even Gods, Paul felt like they should be capable of much, much more. The only caveat was, much like his world, meaningful change only came about as a result of political upheaval and literal wars.
Imagining people other than Albedo developing explosives on par with Emperor-Ranked Attack Spells, a shudder passed through Paul's body. As impressive as his previous world's technology was, greed and nepotism had reached such extremes that Paul genuinely couldn't decide whether the politics of Mushoku Tensei or his previous world were worse. The one thing he knew for certain was that the humans of his previous world were on a fast track toward ruining the only planet they could call home...
Though he was in a peculiar situation where he could realistically regulate how technology grew and developed within the world of Mushoku Tensei, Paul was under no illusion that asshats wouldn't figure out a way to game the system and ruin everything. Just like how the Holy Church of Milis did its best to maintain a monopoly on Healing Magic and Holy Water, there would always be people seeking to take advantage of advancements and those who vehemently resisted even minor changes.
As selfish as it sounded, Paul reasoned that the best course of action was to develop advanced technology in secret and let competent rulers such as Ningguang and the future Princess Ariel determine which technologies would disseminate to the public. He would have resented the government of his previous world for doing the same, but comparing those blundering fucknuts to people like Ningguang was like comparing the luster of literal shit against the appeal of the polished jade...
With his rumination bringing him to the Citadel, Paul decided to shelve the matter until the IOF gave him access to people from Snezhnaya or Klee's mother, Alice. According to numerous sources, Snezhnaya had advanced to the point of creating factories powered by perpetual motion machines. As for Alice, she was, as described by Albedo and Jean, an enigmatic and near-omnipotent sorceress who dabbled in engineering and inventing new things. She had a fondness for explosives and exoskeletons, one of which was purportedly capable of exploring ruins more than 6000m beneath the ocean's surface.
Though Snezhnaya gave off a kind of Nazi-ish vibe due to their general disregard for human life, Alice was the manner of genius that could propel civilization by leaps and bounds in just a few short years. Assuming, of course, she didn't get distracted, wander off, or inadvertently teleport to a completely different world...
Recalling the mixture of fondness and exasperation on Albedo's and Jean's faces when they talked about Alice, Paul knew she was going to be at least a moderate pain in the ass. Not just because of her eccentric personality, but because he didn't really know how he would deal with a woman who was happily married before agreeing to become a potential summon. Sure, both she and her husband had perished when Teyvat was destroyed, but it didn't change the fact that he would someday be sharing a bed with both a married woman and her daughter...
"I'm just gonna stop thinking for a bit..."
Though his remark earned him a strange look from one of the sentries he passed along the way, Paul ignored the young man as he began imagining waves crashing against a beach at sunset. He knew there was no sense in worrying about such things, so he just enjoyed the white noise of his mind until reaching the corridor containing instructor residences.
With Reida's residence being located at the far end of the hall, Paul had to pass the rooms housing Jean, Eula, Ei, Lilia, Ghislaine, Xinyan, and Ganyu. The latter was currently running an errand for him, quite literally, but the others were usually back in their rooms by now.
Recalling that he had wanted to speak to both Jean and Eula, Paul made his way over to the duo's shared abode but stopped short of knocking as Reida suddenly emerged from her door, saying, "We need to talk." before turning around and leaving her door wide open for him to follow.
"..."
Retracting his hands from Jean's and Eula's door, Paul walked over to Reida's room, goosebumps developing across his arms and legs as he stepped into the inordinately chilled interior. It wasn't actually any colder than the outside, but Paul felt as though he had wandered into a freezer due to the aura permeating the dimly lit residence.
Noticing several emptied bottles of wine strewn about, a slightly cautious but predominately concerned expression marred Paul's face as he closed the door behind him and asked, "Are you okay...?"
Unsure of how to answer Paul's question, Reida replied with a faint, "I'm not really sure..." as she picked up two glasses and a half-emptied bottle of wine. She offered one to Paul, but he shook his head, taking both the cups and wine away from her as he said, "Let's talk..." as he ushered her toward the sofa where they frequently cuddled.
Though she furrowed her brows when Paul took away her win, Reida offered no resistance as he sat down and pulled her to sit next to him. When he guided her head to his lap and began caressing her hair, a faint moisture began to build in her eyes before she promptly closed them and allowed the tensions to drain from her body...
Despite hearing Reida's faint snoring shortly after she put her head down, Paul continued running his fingers through her somewhat oily black hair in complete silence. She had clearly spent hours drinking alone, so while he didn't regret his decision to meet with Philip, Paul regretted not returning to the Citadel sooner. He didn't know the reason for Reida's binge, but the thought of her nursing a bottle of wine as she stared listlessly at her door caused his heart to feel as though it was twisting in his chest...
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Though she didn't know how long she had slept, Reida was unsurprised to find Paul still awake, gently stroking her hair even after several hours had passed. He did his best to act casual and cocky, but he was easily one of the most sentimental people she had ever met. When someone he cared about was hurting, he hurt right alongside them...
Asking the first question that came to mind, Reida inquired, "Did you just use Detoxification Magic on me...?"
Nodding his head, Paul adopted a faint smile as he answered, "You kept groaning, and your body started to tremble. I figured you would wake up needing to go to the bathroom, so I used Detoxification Magic to ensure you wouldn't be grumpy or have a migraine..."
Instead of thanking Paul for his care, Reida made a show of rolling her eyes before adjusting her position slightly to get more comfortable. She didn't know what time it was, but she didn't really care as she didn't feel like getting up or doing anything. She just wanted to sleep and cuddle, so even though she could tell Paul wanted to ask her what was wrong, she closed her eyes and pretended to sleep.
Despite seeing through Reida's intentions, Paul didn't say anything. Even if she didn't tell him what was wrong, he could figure it out from context clues later. For now, he rested his head against the back of the sofa and continued caressing her hair until they both fell asleep...
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As it was pretty rare for Paul not to keep his word, Jean emerged from her room shortly after 8 PM. She doubted anything bad had happened to him, as both the Citadel and the Capital would be abuzz, so she made her way next door to Ghislaine's and Xinyan's room to see if he had stopped by for a visit. When they answered in the negative, she assured them everything was okay before making her way three doors down to the residence of Ei and Lilia.
Though it was well past the time most people went to sleep, Lilia quickly answered the door when Jean used one of their secret knocks. When she did, Jean immediately noticed the faint bruising under her eyes, a look of concern marring her face as she asked, "Is everything okay, Lilia? You're looking a little...haggard..."
Exhaling a sigh, Lilia replied, "You should come inside..." before stepping aside to allow Jean entry into the room. Ei had already emerged from her room by then, so Lilia encouraged them to sit around a square, low-lying table while she prepared tea.
Recognizing Lilia's behavior as a form of coping that caused people to stick to routines after experiencing tragedy, Jean's concerns increased as she sat adjacent to Ei and asked, "Did something happen? Please explain the situation." in a firm tone.
Since Jean was 'technically' the leader of their group in the absence of Paul, Ei only hesitated for a brief moment before answering, "A man came by spouting nonsense about teaching our Master a lesson for consorting with the Water God. He intended to brutalize Lilia and I before moving on to you and everyone else affiliated with our Master. Adhering to what our Master decreed, I made sure to deal with him without leaving so much as a single strand of evidence. Is there a problem...?"
Though she opened her mouth to speak, Jean found herself at a loss for words. She couldn't fault Ei for protecting herself and Lilia, but the notion that she had basically erased someone felt like it had crossed a line. With Ei's power, even apprehending someone as 'robust' as Reida wouldn't take too much effort. Instead, she not only killed someone but did so in a way that didn't even leave a trace...
Sensing Jean's disapproval, the ruthless expression on Ei's face began to melt away, her dignified aura giving way to a nervous tension as she tentatively inquired, "Did I, perhaps, misinterpret our Master's words...?"
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Chapter 144: MI144: Change of Plans