Mushoku Impact

At the end of a massive hall lined with stone archways more than thirty meters tall, a circular dais supported a ten-meter tall statue of a beautiful woman with wild hair that ran to her ankles, goat-like horns, and a pair of bat-like wings.
Similar to the throne room of Fort Necross, the gallery-like hall housed large, stained glass panels depicting various scenes. However, unlike those found in Fort Necross, each panel depicted the same person, a woman with violet-purple hair whose appearance matched the statue at the end of the hall.
Disturbing the silent ambiance of the hall, a series of spheres resembling black holes burst into existence near the base of the statue. From within, a group of seven people was unceremoniously tossed out onto the thick red and gold carpet that ran the length of the hall.
"Oh, God..."
Feeling as though his insides had been reorganized, Paul placed his hand against the square base of the statue and bent over. As he did, Kishirika, appearing unaffected by the teleportation, exclaimed, "Don't you dare! At least go behind one of the columns...!"
As hilarious as it would be to see Paul throw up, Kishirika didn't want him vomiting on or around her statue. Fortunately, Ganyu immediately made her way to his side, icy blue light emanating from her palm as she gently caressed his back.
Feeling much better, Paul exhaled a sigh of relief before rising to his full height and smiling back at the always-reliable Adeptus.
"Thanks...I owe you one..."
Returning a smile of her own, Ganyu resisted the almost instinctual urge to say she was just doing her job. Paul 'owing' her generally meant they would be spending more time together, so she didn't mind allowing him to accrue a debt...
"Bleeeeeh~! Now isn't the time to be getting all lovey-dovey, fools. This place might be safe, but there are enemies just beyond those doors. Get your heads in the game...!"
Though he exhaled loudly through his nose, Paul ultimately nodded his head in response to Kishirika's words, replying, "Right." before directing his attention to Zhongli, Ei, Yae, and Sayu.
"Sayu will take point and scout ahead. Zhongli, I want you to focus on defense and keeping everyone safe. Ei, you're our trump card against powerful foes, so stick back and only take action if it looks like the rest of us can't handle it..."
Focusing his gaze on Yae, Paul briefly paused as he had never seen her in action. He knew she was a Catalyst-user, however, so he quickly regained his senses and said, "I'll be acting as the forward Vanguard. I want you to provide support alongside Ganyu."
Pulling out a bamboo fan from her sleeve, Yae popped it open to cover the lower half of her face as she remarked, "Oh, my...don't tell me you intend to take on all the enemies on your lonesome? Is it not our duty to protect you...?"
With his brows furrowed, Paul replied, "I am well aware of that...however, I can't just sit back and allow myself to be protected. I know it's the right thing to do, but what manner of man would I be if I spent my days hiding away and indulging myself?"
Unable to contain herself, Yae narrowed her eyes and playfully replied, "A wise and competent one~?"
Though she suspected her lifelong friend was just playing around, Ei's expression became serious as she muttered, "Yae..."
Snapping her fan shut, Yae revealed an alluring smile as she said, "Oh, come now. Our Master is well aware that I'm simply teasing him. Besides, I'm more than happy to sit back and enjoy the show. My hair gets all puffy and disobedient when I use my powers."
Inserting himself back into the conversation, Paul interrupted what Ei was about to say, stating, "It's okay, Ei. I'd rather be a courageous idiot than a competent coward."
Shifting his attention to Kishirika, Paul said, "You don't have to fight, but I expect you to give us accurate directions..."
Adopting a toothy grin, Kishirika gave a thumbs-up gesture and answered, "Just leave it to me. This chamber is part of the castle's inner sanctum, so my private quarters aren't too far away. From there, we can enter a secret passage that connects to one of the throne room's antechambers."
Furrowing his brows, Paul asked, "Weren't you able to reach your room during your previous visit? When's the fighting supposed to take place?"
Maintaining her smile, Kishirika replied, "Calm down, Mr. Courageous. As I told you before, there are Magic Armors and Anti-Magic Golems guarding the throne room. Once we take care of them, we'll be able to enter inside. However, that's only the first step. To regain control of the castle, we'll first need to activate six crystals, each protected by a powerful Guardian."
Voicing the thought in nearly everyone's minds, Paul asked, "Isn't that a little...convoluted?"
Shrugging her shoulders, Kishirika replied, "I don't know; I find it rather novel. It prevents random and ambitious fools from taking over the castle and keeps invading Heroes occupied long enough for us to mobilize our forces and come up with a solution."
Though Kishirika's statement left him with more questions than answers, Paul shook his head and said, "Whatever...for now, let's just head to your room and get this party started."
Beating Yae to the punch, Kishirika covered her grinning mouth, narrowed her eyes, and replied, "Oh, my~" in a playfully seductive tone.
Rolling his eyes, Paul took the initiative to head towards the large double doors separating the gallery from the adjoining corridor. Sayu had already disappeared to God knows where, but he wasn't too concerned about her. She was technically still a child, but her stealth and infiltration skills were beyond comprehension. Back when they were playing hide-and-seek in the subsurface tunnels of the Strife Zone, she managed to remain hidden for three whole days, even when he eventually got worried and employed the assistance of the entire Service Corps...
After pushing open the massive, nearly 20cm wide stone doors, Paul and Party emerged into a corridor with a checkered, black and white floor. The ceiling was much lower than the gallery, but there was still around 10m of headroom, disregarding the areas with ornate black chandeliers emitting pale, ghostly blue light.
Though he didn't spot any enemies, Paul immediately became suspicious of the statues lining the interior side of the hall. However, upon activating his Demon Eyes of X-Ray Vision, he quickly confirmed they were ordinary statues. Well, as ordinary as statues of Kishirika posing could be...
Showing a complete lack of caution, Kishirika chimed, "Not bad, are they? I held a contest a few thousand years ago to see if anyone could capture my beauty in sculpture form. None were able to, but these were the ones that came the closest. If you look closely, you can even see the outline of my nipples on a few."
"..."
Instead of responding to Kishirika's words, Paul carefully observed both ends of the corridor before deactivating his X-Ray Vision and questioning, "Didn't you mention there were enemies waiting for us just beyond these doors?"
Raising her brows, Kishirika retorted, "What, did you think they would be lined up in a formation, spears at the ready? This is still within the inner sanctum. There are a few teleportation traps and anti-theft measures in place, but most of the enemies are waiting outside."
"..."
Though he didn't completely lower his guard, Paul released the vice-like grip he had on the hilt of his sword. Kishirika had told him that it would take a Party of A-Rank Adventurers to take on a single Magic Armor, so his tensions were high. He was confident he could fend off two or three, but there were purportedly hundreds roaming the castle's interior. Even with his tremendous stamina, he could still be overwhelmed if the enemy was well-coordinated.
Pointing toward the shorter end of the corridor, Kishirika said, "My room is in that direction. We'll take a right at the corner and continue walking until we reach a topless statue near the end of the hall. If you trace your finger around the left nipple in a counterclockwise motion, the wall behind it will open to reveal a hidden chamber containing a teleportation pad. We'll use that to reach the corridor connecting to my room."
Resisting the urge to smack his head, Paul took a steadying breath before walking in the direction Kishirika had indicated. There were no enemies on the way, so it wasn't long before they reached another life-sized statue of Kishirika performing a seductive pose in little more than a corset, panties, and stockings...
Seeing the lifeless expression on Paul's face as he stared up at her statue, Kishirika elbowed him in the ribs, a broad, teasing smile on her face as she asked, "Well, what are you waiting for? Get on up there and give 'em a good rub."
Instead of responding to Kishirika's words, Paul activated his Demon Eyes of X-Ray Vision to ascertain if there was actually a mechanism connected to the statue's nipple. Kishirika immediately clicked her tongue as he did, muttering, "Boring..." before pressing down on the statue's left pinky toe. As she did, a section of the wall next to the statue emitted a brilliant white before appearing to dissolve away completely.
"The door will remain dematerialized for twenty seconds. If it reappears while someone is crossing over the threshold, they're going to have a bad time."
Seizing the initiative, Kishrika stepped through the rectangular hole and into the circular chamber on the opposite side. Fortunately, just as Paul was about to suggest they wait for Sayu to arrive, the tanuki-garbed girl abruptly walked past him, entering the chamber and checking it for traps.
"..."
Amused by Paul's befuddled expression, Yae exhaled a soft chuckle as she linked her arm through his and teased, "Right this way, Master. Now's not the time to be getting distracted."
"Right..."
With Yae practically pulling him into the room, those waiting for Paul to enter had just enough time to do the same. Ei was the very last person to do so, and her braid nearly got snagged as the wall materialized at nearly the exact moment she crossed over.
Realizing that his focus was diminishing, Paul attempted to give himself a light smack, but Yae beat him to the punch, channeling a thread of Electro Energy into his body. It wasn't painful, but it was more than enough to get him back in the appropriate mental state as the pink-haired woman issued an amused chuckle and subsequently released his arm.
Though her brows briefly furrowed when she saw the interaction between Paul and Yae, Kishirika didn't comment on it. Instead, she motioned to the complex magic circle engraved into the foundation and revealed, "This was previously an emergency escape passage, so it only permits a single person to pass through at any given time. There's also a built-in delay, so we'll need to wait around five minutes between activations. If you attempt to activate it before then, it will send you someplace completely random."
Speaking for the first time in quite a while, Zhongli remarked, "That's quite the useful function. It gives the person attempting to escape a chance to relocate or sends their pursuers somewhere else entirely. Quite the useful function, indeed..."
As if she hadn't heard Zhongli speaking, Kishirika kept her focus on Paul as she added, "It doesn't matter, but I'll leave it to you to determine the order in which we pass through. There's another concealed chamber on the other side, so there isn't any real danger of an attack."
Nodding his head in affirmation, Paul shifted his attention to Zhongli and asked, "Mind going ahead? I would send Sayu, but I'd rather be safe than sorry..."
Placing her right hand over her heart, Zhongli offered a courteous bow as she replied, "As you will, Master Paul." before rising to her full height and stepping onto the teleportation pad without a moment of hesitation. The moment she stepped into the very center, a projection of the circle carved into the floor rose from the ground, seemingly erasing Zhongli's body as it rose just past the top of her head before promptly disappearing...
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Following Zhongli, Sayu, Yae, and Kishirika, it was finally Paul's turn to step through the teleporter. Ganyu used an Intermediate Detoxification Magic known as Clarity before he departed, but he emerged on the other side feeling like someone had yanked on his guts.
Fortunately for Paul, Yae was waiting on the other side to receive him with a full-breasted hug, a faint chuckle emanating from her throat as she ran her fingers through his hair and whispered, "There, there...deep breaths..."
Seeing Paul relax into Yae's embrace, his hands gravitating toward her waist, Kishirika rolled her eyes and remarked, "For someone who prattles on about wanting to fight and becoming strong enough to protect others, you sure seem to enjoy being coddled..."
Raising his face from Yae's fragrant and pillowy breasts, Paul revealed a serious expression as he retorted, "It's because I have the support of so many incredible and beautiful women that I can push myself as hard as I do..."
Exhaling another throaty chuckle, Yae tightened her hold on Paul's head, nuzzling his scalp with her cheek as she mused, "I'm starting to see why Ei loves you so much. You can be remarkably adorable when you want to be..."
Though he wasn't particularly fond of being called adorable, Paul smiled and allowed Yae to do as she pleased. Her aroma was reminiscent of the taste of honeysuckles, a faint yet sweet fragrance that overwhelmed the feelings of nausea and vertigo that had plagued him moments prior.
Feeling a little peeved, Kishirika's expression became uncharacteristically icy as she glared at Yae and asked, "Just what are you to my fiance? I get that you're having sex, but that doesn't explain why he lets you look down on him to this extent..."
Blinking in surprise, Yae looked directly toward Kishirika and asked, "I beg your pardon? I don't recall looking down on my Master..."
Pointing at Yae's face, Kishirika retorted, "There you go! He's your Master, not a child or a pet that needs your pampering! Show some respect...!"
Taken aback by Kishirika's castigation, Yae opened her mouth but found herself at a loss for words. She enjoyed teasing Paul, sure, but she never once viewed him as a child or a pet. Quite the opposite...
Believing she understood why Kishirika was upset, Yae released her hold on Paul's head as she declared, "I am willing to fight, die, and suffer any form of humiliation for my Master. If he wanted to leash me and keep me as a pet, I wouldn't offer any resistance whatsoever. Instead, he chooses to love, respect, and support each of us. I understand your desire to see him grow, mature, and reach his full potential. Each of us here shares that desire. However, it is not something we have any intention of forcing. So long as my Master finds comfort in my bosom, I will always be ready and willing to receive him..."
Seeing the resolution in Yae's amethyst purple eyes, Kishirika averted her own, staring at Paul as she asked, "Are you okay with this? I understand you have no desire to rule, but others will view you as incompetent if you permit the members of your harem to do as they please. Imagine how the public would view you if they knew you needed emergency healing or the embrace of a woman every time you had a tummy ache...?"
Though he couldn't help smiling affectionately in response to Yae's words, Paul's smile cramped when he heard Kishirika's counter. He didn't think it was that big a deal, but he could kind of see where she was coming from. If he stumbled across someone like Orsted or Perugius being doted on or receiving headpats from a motherly woman, he presumably wouldn't fear or respect them nearly as much as he did.
Believing Paul was about to apologize, Kishirika shook her head and said, "Don't. You haven't done anything to merit an apology. I'm only telling you these things now so that shitty god can't manipulate you in the future. It's fine to lower your guard and indulge in private, but you should never lower relax in a dungeon or labyrinth. For all you know, the four of us could have been illusions. Had that been the case, you'd be dead right now, your final moments denoted by an idiotic smile as your flesh and body became part of the biomass of a Mimic Slime or Doppelganger..."
Picturing such a scene, Paul's body shuddered involuntarily. He wanted to argue that the odds of such an occurrence were astronomical, but that would take ignoring the fact that their primary antagonist, Hitogami, could peer into the future.&nbsp;
Instead of apologizing, Paul adopted a serious expression and said, "I'll do better." in a solemn tone of voice.
Nodding her head in approval, Kishirika replied, "I know you will." before shifting her gaze to Yae and adding, "A faithful maid, servant, or whatever you want to call yourself, doesn't simply permit their Master to do as they please. Excessive pampering leads to dependency and frailty of the mind. Respect and reverence lead to independence and dignification. Keep that in mind the next time you compel your Master to act like a fool..."
"..."
Though she wanted to refute Kishirika's claims, Yae wasn't incapable of seeing the logic contained within. She had first-hand experience seeing how a person could break down upon losing their pillar of support; she just hadn't considered that Paul would follow a similar path...
As if responding to Yae's thoughts, Ei abruptly appeared at the center of the summoning circle. The latter immediately noticed the strange tension in the air but ultimately chose to remain silent as she positioned herself at Paul's side. She could be incredibly sloth-like in private but never dropped her guard while on duty. In other words, she pretty much behaved exactly how Kishrika expected all of Paul's subordinate spirits to act...
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With Ganyu arriving five minutes after Ei, the awkward silence permeating the hidden chamber promptly disappeared. At nearly the exact same time, a section of the wall furthest from the teleportation pad evaporated into motes of white light, followed by Sayu stepping in to say, "I was unable to detect any enemies between here and our destination."
As she had informed Sayu that the inner sanctum was largely devoid of enemies, the sole exception being the treasury in the basement, Kishirika scoffed and replied, "Wow, who could imagine such a thing...?"
Confused by Kishirika's unprovoked hostility, Sayu tilted her head to the side and inquired, "Did you eat something bad...?" in her usual monotone.
Blinking in surprise, Kishirika was about to ask if Sayu was an idiot but stopped herself when Paul narrowed his eyes and directed a genuinely angry look her way. She wasn't actually trying to upset anyone; she was just feeling antsy about reclaiming her status and home after living the life of a pauper for more than four millennia.
Surprising nearly everyone, Kishirika averted her eyes and offered a faint, almost inaudible, "Sorry..." before crossing her arms and pretending to be oblivious to the fact everyone was staring.
Shaking his head, Paul elected to shelf the matter of Kishirika's behavior, suggesting, "Let's get a move on. Same strategy and formation as before. If you notice anything even remotely out of the ordinary, don't be afraid to speak out. Communication is the key to teamwork."
With everyone responding with either an understood, roger, or very well, Paul focused his senses and stepped toward the wall Sayu had entered through. There was a square-shaped panel on the wall, so he placed his hand in the center and pressed down until he could feel a faint vibration spreading through his palm. He was briefly blinded when a section of the wall disappeared but recovered almost immediately and said, "Let's go." in a firm tone...
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As Kishirika's quarters weren't far from the secret chamber, it only took a few minutes for Paul and Party to arrive outside a set of ornate black and gold doors. It was comprised of the same material as the castle walls, but it had been reinforced further, making it nearly indestructible.&nbsp;
Though he wasn't surprised by the makeup of the door, Paul's expression morphed into a deadpan when he saw the image carved into the surface. He half-expected it to show Kishirika. Instead, he was greeted with a life-sized relief of Badigadi standing proudly, two arms crossed over his chest, and the remaining four spread out as if he was barring entry into the room behind him.
Noticing the expression on Paul's face, a nervous chuckle emanated from Kishirika's throat before she exhaled a sigh and explained, "Badi had this door commissioned the first time we were engaged. He wanted it to serve as a reminder to everyone in the castle that entry into my chambers came at the risk of offending him. I honestly never thought I would be escorting another man to this point..."
Feeling slightly nostalgic, Kishrika extended her hand towards the relief but stopped herself halfway. She suspected that Badi had something to do with the loss of her 'identity,' so, while she still adored the six-armed brute, it had been thousands of years since she trusted him...
"Anyways, let's go inside..."
Without waiting for a response, Kishirika raised her right hand to produce a complex, palm-sized magic circle. There were no handles or keyholes on the door, so the only way to enter inside was to know the exact spell to access it.
As the relief of Badi split in two, the nearly meter-wide doors slid open to reveal a sickeningly pink bedchamber. Kishirika generally wore black and dark-purple clothes, so even Zhongli was surprised to see the interior of her room. Not merely due to the color scheme but because there were at least a hundred stuffed animals, some nearly as large as the animals they were based on, populating the interior.
Noticing everyone's reactions, Kishirika questioned, "What's with the astonished looks? Did you expect torture racks, bloodstains, and bondage equipment? This is a bedroom, not a sex dungeon..."
Picking up one of the plushies, a paradoxically disturbing yet cute 'bear' with a patchwork exterior, bulbous eyes, stitch lines, and several nails sticking out of it, a nostalgic smile developed across Kishirika's face. She didn't explain its significance, but everyone could tell the doll meant a lot to her, especially with how gently she placed it among the remainder of her stuffed animals.
As if realizing something, Kishirika unexpectedly turned towards Sayu, a borderline predatory smile on her face as she remarked, "You know, now that I get a better look at them...your clothes are pretty cute. What animal is that outfit based on...?"
Before Sayu could respond, Paul said, "We have more important things to take care of right now. Let's save the idle chatter for later."
Resisting the urge to point out that Paul was the one fooling around less than twenty minutes prior, Kishirika rolled her eyes and said, "The hidden passage is in the closet, behind a rack of dresses. Come on, I'll show you where it's at."
Taking the lead, Kishirika opened one of the room's five doors to reveal a walk-in closet filled with hundreds, if not tens of thousands, of outfits. A number of powerful enchantments prevented items within the castle from decaying over time, so all of the clothes Kishirika had stockpiled over the years were present within. More importantly, so was the prototype armor developed by Dragon God Laplace...
As if reminded of the armor's presence the moment she opened the door, a shark-toothed smile spread across Kishirika's face as she made her way toward it.
Expecting a golden Gundam, Paul was surprised to find that Kishirika's personalized Golden Armor more closely resembled that of a Judge from the Final Fantasy series. It looked badass, but it was only around 170cm tall despite some prominent heels. It also left gaps in the side, back, and thighs, likely due to the horn-like protuberances sticking out of Kishirika's body, so there were some pretty obvious flaws in its design...
At least it wasn't bikini armor...not that Paul would have complained...
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As the teleportation mechanism Kishirika used to traverse between her castle, Fort Necross, and three other locations required something akin to biometric data, Paul and Party had no choice but to travel to the Capital City of Rikarisu directly. It was more than 1300kms away, but, thanks to Ganyu and Venti, it only took around two and a half hours to reach their destination, a colossal, 8km wide crater surrounding a futuristic-looking black castle that was elevated hundreds of meters above the actual city.
Though most people were forced to travel through one of three gates, all of which were massive cracks in the rim of the crater, Kishirika had given Ganyu her 'permission' to fly over the natural barrier. At first, Paul thought this was just Kishirika pretending to be magnanimous, but the reality was quite a bit different.
With the intention of making good on her promise to share her wisdom, Kishirika eagerly explained, "A few thousand years ago, the First King of Man, a man you may know as Ars Anemoi Asura, launched an attack on my castle from high in the sky. His attack devastated the surroundings and formed the crater you see before you. To prevent similar attacks, we installed several countermeasures, chief among them being a network of magical lasers that can take down even drakes. Did you ever wonder why there were so many holes in the surrounding crater...?"
Shaking his head, Paul reminded, "This is my first time visiting the Capital. I've read about it, but objective information about the Demon Continent and its history is difficult to come by. There's a reason the King of Asura sent me to conduct a survey."
Narrowing her eyes, Kishirika adopted an increasingly alluring smile as she mused, "Oh, yeah...I almost forgot you were a spy..."
Seeing Paul's face scrunch up, Kishirika covered her mouth to stifle an impish snicker before quickly changing the subject, stating, "Have your little Qilin friend land atop one of the towers. It doesn't matter which as Fayde will be able to teleport us to the Main Hall once we summon her."
Though Ganyu could hear the conversations on her back, Paul dutifully repeated Kishirika's words. There was no genuine hostility between the two, but Ganyu didn't like taking orders from people she didn't respect or admire. She would obey Kishirika if ordered to do so, but she wouldn't be happy about it...
As if she had been waiting for them to appear, a fairly demonic-looking woman appeared a few meters away from the spot Ganyu touched down. The skin of her chest, abdomen, and inner thighs was a pale, bluish-white that resembled the underside of a snake, while her arms, legs, and much of her back were covered in obsidian-black scales that reflected a purple hue. She had black hair that faded into a luminous blue near the tips, ears even longer than an Elf's, and blue eyes set with red, slit-like pupils. A set of four glowing blue horns protruded from her scalp, much like a crown, while a smaller yet equally luminous horn parted her bangs at the center of her forehead. Crystal-like protrusions released a similar light above and below her breasts, but, as striking as her apparent nudity was, a person's eyes would invariably be drawn to her draconic wings, the tail protruding from her lower back, and the fierce, glowing blue talons at the ends of her fingers...
Elbowing Paul in the ribs, Kishirika adopted her characteristically shark-toothed grin as she asked, "What do you think? If you ask nicely, I might let you bed her."
Answering before Paul could even roll his eyes, the demonic-looking woman adopted a venomous glower as she said, "I heard that...don't go thinking I'll obey your every command just because you're on the verge of regaining your authority. My contract is to protect the castle, not entertain its guests."
Though her words were directed at Kishirika, the demonic beauty, known to only a select few Fayde the Twilight, stared into Paul's eyes with a hint of confusion in her otherwise icy gaze. Very, very few people were aware of it, but she was actually the daughter of Almanfi the Bright and Adrienne the Dark. She had inherited her father's ability to ascertain the nature and identity of a person by observing their 'soul,' but Paul was unlike anything she had ever seen...
Interrupting Fayde's thoughts, Kishirika leaned close to Paul, her hand pointlessly covering the lower half of her face as she loudly whispered, "I think she likes you..."
Clicking her tongue, Fayde crossed her arms in a defiant posture as she said, "If you're going to keep messing around, I'm going to return to my slumber. Even doing absolutely nothing is more productive than listening to you prattle on like a fool."
Though she was tempted to let Fayde depart only to order her to return, Kishirika ultimately shrugged her shoulders and said, "Fine, fine, no need to be such a curmudgeon. Once you teleport us to the Main Hall, you can go about your business."
Snorting through her nose, Fayde responded with a faint, "Whatever..." before casting her gaze over the members of Paul's Party and stating, "It seems your memory has finally begun to fail you. In accordance with the Ancient Covenant, I can only allow seven people to enter and attempt the castle's trials. Including you, there are nine people present..."
Dismissively waving her hand, Kishirika said, "Some of them are only here to explore after the fact. For now, you can teleport me, this man here, the two big-breasted monsters, these two wannabe exorcists, and the horny goat woman."
Realizing she was among the group being excluded, alongside Yae, Sayu adopted a concerned expression and said, "It's probably for the best if I enter with the main group. I'm skilled at avoiding detection, mapping, and locating traps."
Catching Kishirika a little off guard, Paul adopted a wry smile, nodded his head, and added, "If anyone should remain outside, it's probably me. As much as I've improved these past three months, I still have a long way to go before I can consider myself powerful. I'll wait here..."
Though some might misinterpret Paul's words as cowardice, everyone present could tell he really wanted to enter the castle. It hadn't received a classification from the Guild, but the interior of Kishirika's palace could be considered an S-Rank Dungeon due to the complexity of its structure and the strength of its automated defenses. He had been yearning for a chance to test his skills in live combat, so it took a considerable amount of restraint for him to just sit back and leave everything to the girls from the IOF...
Fortunately for Paul, Kishirika trusted him a lot more than the 'Spirits' in his employ. There was no way she was going to enter her castle alongside monsters such as Zhongli and Ei without some form of assurance, so she immediately made a cross shape with her arms and said, "Bzzzt! Rejected! You're coming along, and that's final!"
Understanding that Paul really wanted to enter the castle, Yunyun came to Kishirika's aid, calmly suggesting, "Lady Ganyu and my Great Aunt are far more skilled at exorcising spirits than me. I can remain here alongside Lady Yae while you join everyone in exploring the castle's interior..."
Though she had no interest in exploring Kishirika's castle, Yae narrowed her eyes and mused, "You're pretty bold to nominate me without asking for my thoughts on the matter."
Feeling goosebumps develop across her body, Yunyun could be seen visibly sweating as she positioned her aunt, Shenhe, between herself and Yae. She wasn't good at dealing with 'devilish' women such as Yae, so she was already beginning to regret her decision to stay behind with the pink-haired vixen...
Catching Yae a little off guard, Shenhe gave her a fairly icy glare as she said, "I'll remain behind with Yunyun. You should accompany our Master and look after your Mistress..."
Sensing genuine hostility exuding from Shenhe, Yae blinked in surprise and muttered a faint, "Oh my..." She knew about Shenhe's murderous split personality, but this was the first time she had experienced being on the receiving end of the silver-haired woman's bloodlust.
Stepping between the two beauties, Paul adopted his characteristically wry smile and said, "Let's leave it at that. Shenhe and Yunyun will remain here while the rest of us enter the castle. Better yet, why don't the two of you go and explore the city while we're away? Here, this should be more than enough money to tide you over..."
Since Shenhe lacked common sense due to her prolonged isolation, Paul handed Yunyun a pouch filled with nearly three hundred Green Ore Coins. It was a paltry amount if converted to Asuran currency, but it was a small fortune in a place like Rikarisu.
Accepting the rather sizeable pouch, Yunyun adopted a rare smile as she said, "Thanks..." in a faint, almost bashful tone. Presumably realizing this, she quickly cleared her throat, adopted a serious expression, and added, "Good luck. If you encounter anything dangerous, please prioritize your safety over everything else."
Adopting a smile of his own, Paul was about to thank Yunyun for her concern when Fayde chimed in to pointedly inquire, "Just how long do you fools intend to keep me waiting? If you don't make up your mind soon, I'm disbarring you from entering the castle for at least a month."
Though she couldn't stop Kishirika from entering whenever she wanted, Fayde could prevent 'outsiders' from challenging the castle's trials. The Ancient Covenant only required her to permit Heroes and their respective Parties to enter, so if Paul's group continued to annoy her, she could send them away until they earned the qualifications to return.
As she was also beginning to feel a little antsy, Kishirika followed Fayde's threat by saying, "The horny, wannabe dragon spirit is right. I'd like to be able to sit on my throne and inspect what remains of my treasury, so let's get a move on."
Annoyed by Kishirika's words, Fayde barred her row of razor-sharp, pearly white teeth. If not for the contract she had made to spite her parents, she would never put up with Kishirika's antics.
Fearing that Fayde would make good on her promise to deny them entry, Paul promptly covered Kishirika's mouth from behind, his left eye visibly twitching as he said, "Please teleport us inside. We've already made our preparations."
Seeing Kishirika struggle in Paul's embrace, an amused smile developed across Fayde's face as she replied, "Very well. Just know that once you enter, the only way to leave is by completing the trials within. I'm not sure what this fool promised to procure your aid, but there'll be no turning back once she reclaims her throne..."
Maintaining his smile, Paul left Fayde at a momentary loss for words as he expressed, "I appreciate your concern, but I promised I would help her. If I turned back now, I would be leaving one of the most important pieces of myself behind...my dignity..."
Recovering almost immediately, Fayde raised her right hand and bit down on the sharpened tip of her right pinky. She had suspected that Paul was a Hero candidate, but hearing him speak all but confirmed it. Since Spirits were obligated to aid Heroes, Fayde would be lying if she said Paul hadn't piqued her interest...
"Very well, then...you have clearly formed your resolve, so I have nothing more to say. I wish you and your allies the best of luck..."
Without waiting for Paul's response, Fayde removed her finger from her mouth and tapped on empty air. As she did, what appeared to be a blue holographic display appeared. Unfortunately, Paul could only get a brief glimpse of it before his stomach felt as though it was being twisted and pulled in multiple directions...
...
..
.

Chapter 170: MI170: Rising Tensions