Mushoku Impact

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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As it had been more than an hour since they entered the bath, Paul was unsurprised to find Ghislaine, Jean, Ei, Xinyan, and Lilia within his former study, not just his kids. Ghislaine was seated on a sofa with Aria using her lap as a pillow while the rest of the girls were either reading or catching up on the sleep they had lost the previous night.
Though Aria briefly stirred at the sound of people entering the room, Paul couldn't help smiling wryly when she immediately went back to sleep. At least, that seemed to be her intention before she promptly sprang up and shouted, "Ganoo...!" in an excited tone.
Ignoring everyone else in the room, Aria, quite literally, leaped at Ganyu the moment she was close enough to pounce. She adopted an apologetic smile in response, but Paul just shook his head with a moderately helpless smile on his face. He couldn't exactly blame Aria for not being attached to him when he had only been around for a few weeks of her life.
Fortunately, though he might never fully come to terms with the fact his son was a reincarnator, Paul had at least one kid who at least pretended to care about their status as parent and child.
Setting aside his book, Aiden hopped to his feet before bowing slightly as he said, "Welcome back, Father. It's good to see you, Grandmother, Dame Eula, Miss Ganyu."
Ignoring the mild annoyance in his son's eyes, likely the result of the girls giving him a wide berth, Paul replied, "Hey, kiddo. How go your studies...?"
Not wanting to ruin the impression his GILF of a Grandmother had toward him, Aiden remained respectful as he politely replied, "Without issue. The Lord and Lady of the House were kind enough to procure me a teacher, so my aptitudes have been improving by the day."
"Oh...?"
As Paul shifted his gaze to her, Valentine happily explained, "Since your time at the Milbots Academy for Nobles, several Mages from around the world have come seeking employment with House Notos. Among them was a Saint-Ranked Spirit Mage from the Great Forest, an Elven woman by the name of Mariana Lemongrass. She claimed that the ambiance of the Estate was similar to the Great Forest, so she has been staying here as a live-in tutor for Aiden."
As Spirit Magic was the 'original' form of Magic, Paul was more than a little surprised to learn that Aiden's tutor was a Spirit Mage from the Great Forest. If she could actually teach him how to summon Elemental Spirits, Aiden may actually be able to 'follow in his footsteps' by contracting High, Great, or even Ancient Spirits. It was kind of uncanny...
Expressing his genuine thoughts on the matter, Paul adopted a slightly wide-eyed expression as he remarked, "Wow. You really lucked out this time, Aiden. Spirit Mages rarely abandon the safety of the Great Forest, and I've never once heard of one teaching a human. With a teacher like that, you're going to become a little monster in the future."
Though he didn't like Paul speaking to him casually when he was 'forced' to be polite, Aiden couldn't help returning a smile. He was fairly certain that Mariana had only accepted the position due to Amarant disclosing Paul's affinity with 'Spirits.' That didn't change the fact he was fortunate, however, as Mariana was an excellent teacher and, more importantly, a bonafide 'legal loli.' So long as his Riajuu of father didn't snatch her away, he was fairly content with the present situation.
Fortunately for Aiden, Paul soon revealed his intentions to travel to the Demon Continent and that he might be gone for upwards of 2-3 years. He promised to return in time to celebrate their fifth birthday, but neither of the twins was particularly moved by this. Aria was far more interested in cuddling Ganyu while Aiden was secretly weighing the risks and rewards of trying to poach a pair of panties before the girls' departure...
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With his mother insisting they stay at least one night, Paul spent the rest of the day trying to bond with his kids before eventually retiring to his old room in exhaustion. He wasn't physically exhausted, by his mental energy had tanked after several failed attempts to coax Aria into playing or letting him read to her.
"My daughter hates me..."
Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Eula replied, "No, she doesn't..." while stroking her fingers through Paul's hair. Ganyu was sleeping in the twins' room, specifically in Aria's bed, so she was lending her lap to Paul as he wallowed in self-pity.
In an effort to distract Paul from his depressive state, Jean, wearing little more than white panties and a negligee, questioned, "Shouldn't you be releasing Lady Barbatos from the IOF? If we're planning to set out early in the morning, it would be good to have her with us."
"Eeeeh...."
As he wasn't really in the mood for a fuckathon right now, Paul didn't feel like releasing Venti. He knew he should, but he also knew she was going to be disappointed when she found out they weren't going to be going at it for five days straight...
Expelling such thoughts from his mind, Paul forced himself to a seated position, smiling as he said, "You're probably right. However, before we let that pervert out of her cage, I believe we have three weeks of lost time to make up for..."
Focusing his gaze on Lilia, the only one wearing a 'proper,' cream-colored nightgown that concealed most of her frame and extended to her ankles, Paul's smile gained a hint of wolfishness as he asked, "What do you say?"
Though she swallowed nervously, a serious expression developed across Lilia's face as she replied, "I'm ready." in a firm tone. She could still vividly recall the state Paul had left her in the first time they had sex. Fortunately, though she wasn't entirely sure what she would do while Paul was having sex with other people, she wouldn't be facing him alone.&nbsp;
Ignoring his initial apprehensions and mental fatigue, Paul's smile became a toothy grin as he playfully mused, "We'll see..." Then, despite feeling like he just wanted to sleep, he ended up going at it with the bevy of beautiful women for a solid three hours before releasing Venti and continuing well into the following day...
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"Owie...not so hard..."
Ignoring Venti's protest, Paul continued to suckle and bite her nipple, his hands sinking into the flesh of her full and shapely ass as she rocked her hips of her own accord. His brain had practically shut off at that point, so he was moving purely on instinct as Venti trembled with each shake and twist of her hips.
Interrupting the duo's slow but passionate ministrations, Jean, having already donned her clothes, remarked, "We should be getting ready to leave soon..."
Answering in Pau's stead, Venti exhaled a sigh that was equal parts an impassioned moan as she replied, "I know...just...just five&mdash;maybe ten more minutes. I'm so close to producing another Seelie...I can feel it..."
Furrowing her brows, Jean was tempted to chastize Venti but stopped as Paul ceased suckling her visibly swollen nipple long enough to say, "It's fine...another ten minutes won't hurt..."
Though she was equally tempted to chastize Paul for pushing himself too hard, Jean ultimately shook her head. She knew Paul was doing what he believed was necessary to keep them satisfied, so the person she really needed to talk to was Venti. Jean could empathize with Venti's desire to indulge in the pleasure Paul was capable of administering, but there were times when their relationship bordered on toxic...
"Ah...! I can feel it coming...!"
Pushing herself away from Paul, Venti plopped onto the bed and began breathing rapidly as she spread her legs wide and placed her hands over her lower abdomen. For a brief moment, something could be seen moving beneath her hands before her back arched violently, fluids erupting from her visibly palpating vagina as a glowing green creature began to wiggle its way out.
Overwhelmed by stimulus, Venti clutched the sides of her head, her face distorted like something straight out of a doujinshi as a grapefruit-sized Anemo Seelie plopped out of her and into Paul's hands. Afterward, all the tension drained from her body as she collapsed like a broken marionette, a peal of eerie laughter emanating from her throat as she softly remarked, "Thank Barbatos..."
Ignoring the lascivious woman sprawled out in front of him, Paul took a moment to caress the rabbit-eared Seelie's head with his index finger, an affectionate smile on his face as he whispered, "Welcome to the world of Mushoku Tensei, little guy..."
Though it didn't have eyes to stare back at him, Paul got the impression that the Seelie was staring back at him as the white orb representing its core appeared to shift in his direction. The rabbit-like ears atop its head also waggled a bit before it abruptly levitated from his palms and rubbed against his face in a clear display of affection.
"How enviable..."
Blinking in surprise, Paul and nearly everyone else shifted their attention to Ei. She immediately realized she had voiced her thoughts aloud, but instead of owning up to it, she adopted a cold and expressionless mask as she inquired, "Is something the matter? Why has everyone suddenly turned their attentions to me...?"
Choosing to let Ei save face, Paul suppressed a chuckle as he grabbed the Anemo Seelie, nestling it between his palms and whispering, "Good luck..." before planting a kiss atop its head and releasing it like a dove at a wedding ceremony. Seelies were free-spirited by nature, Anemo Seelies even more so. Thus, the moment Paul released it, the Seelie flew off like a rocket, phasing through the manor walls before disappearing somewhere in the vineyards surrounding the Estate...
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After eating breakfast with his mother and children, Paul bid farewell to the three of them before mounting Ganyu and immediately falling asleep as she began her nine-hour flight through the Red Dragon's Upper Jaw and over the Wyrm's Whiskers Forest. Ei could presumably deal with any Dragons they encountered trying to fly directly over the mountain range, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
With Ghislaine straddling him in an apparent attempt to prevent him from being swept off of Ganyu's back, Paul was able to experience one of the most restful periods of sleep in his entire life. Ganyu's cloud-like fur was more comfortable than any bed, and Ghislaine's increasingly soft body was a perfect blanket due to her pillowy breasts and naturally high body temperature. He ended up waking with a rather extreme case of morning wood, but that was nothing new.
After refusing Venti's offer for a blowjob, Paul slid off of Ganyu's body and did some light stretching as he eyed the familiar, snow-covered city in the distance. Once the tent in his trousers had started to die down, he turned to the girls, specifically Ganyu, and mused, "Remind me to take more naps with your Qilin form. Your fur is ridiculously comfortable..."
Blushing faintly, Ganyu returned a smile as she replied, "Understood." in a polite tone. She knew Paul was just joking around, but that wouldn't stop her from reminding him. After all, she really enjoyed taking naps with him, and he could always use more sleep.
Unaware of Ganyu's thoughts, Paul briefly cast his gaze over the others as he asked, "Should we make camp in the forest or stay in the city? I'm not against it, but I'd rather avoid meeting with the Count if we can avoid it."
Since his only reasons for coming to Sharia were delivering Roxy's Vision and asking if she wanted to accompany him to the Demon Continent, Paul wanted to avoid making a scene. If the residents of the Western District or the Governor heard he was visiting, they would invariably wish to meet him. He didn't really mind, but it could lead to them being 'trapped' within Sharia for several days.
Speaking as the group's representative, Jean suggested, "You and Ganyu should sneak into the Academy and wait for Roxy at the Bastille. We'll set up a light camp and await your return."
With no one offering a counterargument, Paul bid farewell to the larger group of girls before mounting a horse-sized Ganyu and following Jean's advice. Ganyu was incredibly sneaky when she wanted to be, and, thanks to their spiritual link, he could apparently pass through barriers alongside her...
That could be very useful in the future...
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"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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Chapter 145: MI145: Fleeting