Mushoku Impact

After a 'very' eventful evening, stretching well into the morning, Paul, once again, found himself in the main banquet hall. This time, however, nearly everyone was present, happily relishing the breakfast prepared by Xiangling and her growing number of 'disciples.'
As she hadn't been allowed to participate in the evening's 'entertainment,' Klee was seated atop Paul's lap with a radiant smile, feet dangling as she enjoyed her favorite meal, slightly charred, fish-flavored toast. The aroma and appearance of the meal were more than a little...unique, but Paul had long grown accustomed to it. Klee had a habit of wanting to sit on his lap, and while he knew it probably wasn't the wisest decision, Paul struggled to deny the earnest Elfette's requests when she appealed to him with her patented, puppy-eyed stare.
With a somewhat exasperated expression and tone, Paul gently brushed a few crumbs from Klee's lap as he instructed, "Sit still, Klee. You're getting crumbs all over your dress..."
Though she stopped dangling her legs, Klee didn't appear to take Paul's words to heart as she replied, "It's okay, Big Brother~! Klee's clothes are stain and dirt-proof~!"
Smiling wryly, Paul considered how he might gently admonish the young blonde before exhaling a sigh and abandoning the notion. Fortunately, he was not the only one involved in Klee's rearing. Jean wasn't present, but Albedo had no qualms articulating, "Klee. While there is a certain degree of truth to your words, that's no excuse to disregard manners. When you make a mess, others have to clean it up. A proper adult does their best to avoid making trouble for others..."
"Oh..."
Not wanting to cause trouble, Klee visibly deflated but focused intently on her toast. Paul had told her she would need a few years and the approval of Jean, Albedo, and her mother before she could be considered a proper adult, so she did her best to take their words and advice seriously.
Feeling appreciative of Albedo's assistance, Paul directed a grateful smile in her direction as he asked, "How's your research going? Have you made any headway on repairing the teleportation circle to Betobe's Library?"
Exhaling a faint sigh, Albedo replied, "We've repaired the magic circle and triple-checked the spell formula. However, without exact coordinates, the probability of teleporting directly into the corrosive lake slime is far higher than reaching our destination. Trying to pinpoint spatial coordinates in an area spanning 226,000 square kilometers isn't easy..."
Though she had no intention of giving up, the amount of magical energy required to trigger long-distance teleportation wasn't insignificant. Each attempt required thousands of gold worth of high-quality magic crystals, so unless they began raiding dungeons or slaughtering B-Rank monsters by the thousands, they were limited to around 2-3 attempts per day.&nbsp;
Thinking he may have touched a nerve, Paul adopted an apologetic smile and said, "I appreciate the efforts of the entire research department. Just inform me if there is any progress..."
Nodding in affirmation, Albedo replied, "Certainly." before adopting a faint smile and segueing back into her research, revealing, "Speaking of which, our resident bio-alchemist has made notable progress in her study of the 'Black Armor.' Were she here, she could speak more on the matter..."
As Sucrose was one of the girls Paul elected to spend his evening with, she was currently a little...indisposed. She had attempted to come down for breakfast, but Paul forced her to stay behind and get some rest.&nbsp;
While Paul was looking somewhat embarrassed, Kishirika and Kishirisu decided to chime in, the former remarking, "Oh, that little puppy girl was able to make sense of Laplace's notes?" while the latter added, "Not bad. She doesn't give off the impression of a particularly reliable individual, so I assumed it would take a decade or two before she made any significant headway. Hell, even Laplace took fifty years..."
Narrowing her eyes, Albedo adopted a rare, prideful look as she asserted, "Sucrose is the student I am most proud of. When she adequately applies herself, there is very little she can't achieve."
Not wanting an argument to break out, Paul inserted himself back into the conversation, asking, "So, what was she able to figure out? I'll ask her for the details later, but a sneak preview is more than welcome."
Shifting her crystal clear, brilliantly teal eyes from the twin Empresses to Paul, Albedo took a moment to collect her thoughts before revealing, "She has identified the mutagenic compound that allows Slimes to evolve from their standard, river-dwelling variant to the sort capable of ingesting and processing metals. She is currently in the process of trying to synthesize it into a transplantable compound. If her experiments are successful, well, the possibilities are endless..."
Recalling the discussion he and Sucrose had once had after analyzing the structure of Azura's 'blood,' Paul understood what Albedo was alluding to. He had told them about how scientists in his previous world postulated using nanomachines for everything from automation and construction to modifying human genetics. He also warned them about the dangers of a 'grey goo' scenario, but that hadn't deterred the alchemically-inclined duo from looking into it between their other projects.
Though he felt like they were on the threshold of opening Pandora's Box, Paul couldn't help smiling as he jokingly replied, "If we're seriously able to develop functional nanites before processors and computers, I'm going to feel bad for the scientists of my previous world..."
"Ah, yes...computers..."
As Paul had frequently talked about computers and the possibilities they opened up as far as technological innovation was concerned, developing a working prototype was high on Albedo's list of priorities. However, while she had a basic understanding of what she was supposed to be making, it was difficult to conceptualize binary and create a programming language when she had experience with neither.
Interpreting Albedo's utterance as an expression of exasperation, Paul's smile waned as he said, "Don't push yourself. The work you and Sucrose are doing is already well ahead of its time. We can worry about things like computers and the development of the internet once Hitoshit has been dealt with. I don't even want to imagine what that jackass could do with access to social media..."
Understanding that Paul was trying to cheer her up, Albedo regained her smile and replied, "Very well. I'll continue to look into it, but I'll reduce its priority to C-Class until Master Alice's arrival. With her help, we should be able to complete a working prototype for use in automation."
Hearing mention of her mother's name, Klee, having long finished her fish-flavored toast, promptly perked up to ask, "Is mommy going to be joining us soon!? Yaaaaay~!"
Realizing she had inadvertently stepped on a landmine, the expression on Albedo's face resembled Paul's usual wryness until the latter wrapped his arms around Klee, forcing her to stop bouncing around as he revealed, "It all depends on luck and fate. I intend to perform a mass summoning this evening, but there are no guarantees your mother will be among our new allies. If you can promise not to cry, I'll let you enter the IOF and watch..."
Though she was a little disheartened by Paul's words, his warmth and the possibility she could be reunited with her mother brought a smile to Klee's face. The days she spent with Alice in the Intersection of Fate were some of her fondest memories before her summoning. She had experienced lots of new and exciting things since then, but she believed everything would be even better with her mother present.
Smiling at the notion, Klee looked up at Paul and said, "Okay, Big Brother. Klee promises not to cry, so can Big Brother hold me nice and tight?"
Restraining a sigh, Paul's expression melted as he replied, "Sure thing, Klee..." Then, even though it made him feel incredibly awkward, he gave the petite Elfette a firm hug while nearly everyone at the table observed him with various degrees of amusement and sympathy...
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After what felt like an incredibly long yet paradoxically short day, Paul found himself standing at the entrance to the IOF while Kishirika used a variety of Demon Eyes to try and visualize it. Kishirisu was also present, but most of her Demon Eyes had been lost during the encounter against Ei and Zhongli. She didn't keep her Demon Eyes when she transferred to a new body, so she was still in the process of recovering even the base set Kishirika was known for.
"This is ridiculous...a doorway to another world can't just open up without leaving behind some sort of trace..."
As he was nowhere close to uncovering the secrets of the IOF, Paul just shrugged his shoulders and said, "I don't know what to tell you. I've tried carrying in others who couldn't see the interior, but they just disappear in a kind of 'ripple' before falling to the floor."
Shifting her attention from the door to Kishirisu, Kishirika earned an eye roll from her counterpart before she begrudgingly volunteered to let Paul demonstrate his claim with her body. He obliged, but, as purported, the buxom Demoness nearly fell onto her rump as he stepped into the portal. From the perspective of those that couldn't see the IOF, Paul was the one who appeared to disappear into an invisible membrane while Kishirisu was left levitating in the air.
Though she couldn't quite believe what she was seeing, Kishirika had no choice but to admit the IOF was, at least for the time being, an existence beyond her comprehension. It had to be a form of spatial magic, yet, even while observing the process of Paul disappearing and reappearing, there wasn't so much as a single trace of magical or even elemental energy.
Throwing her hands up, Kishirika groaned, "Whatever, I give up trying to make sense of your powers. Just get on with your summoning and return as quickly as possible. I'm eager to meet m&mdash;your new subordinates..."
Shaking his head in mock exasperation, Paul lazily replied, "Yeah, yeah..." before stepping into the IOF and joining everyone waiting for him atop the summoning platform. He took a moment to greet Katherine and ask if she had any additional merchandise available for purchase, but that was more of a courtesy than anything else. Unless he increased his Adventure Rank or cleared a Labyrinth, her stock didn't change.
With all the formalities out of the way, Paul took his place between Ganyu and Xinyan. They had already slotted in enough gold for him to perform a summon, so after a brief kiss from his residential Goddess of Luck, Paul closed his eyes and readied himself for another intense, hopefully fruitful, round of summoning...
Expecting a series of misses, Paul wasn't the only one surprised when the very first ritual manifested a resplendent golden meteor. The approximate odds of this occurring were a mere 0.6%, so Paul couldn't help turning to Xinyan and playfully remarking, "Remind me never to summon without you at my side..."
Feeling her cheeks heat up, Xinyan reached up to cover her blush and massage them as she averted her eyes and replied, "Right...I'll keep that in mind..."
Though he was tempted to tease the bronze-skinned beauty even more, the luminosity of the meteor forcefully drew Paul's attention. He doubted the person within would be Alice, but so long as it wasn't the Tsaritsa, he would be content with just about anything. If it 'was' the Tsaritsa...well, he still had twenty-one months before his return to the Central Continent...
Fortunately for everyone, the fortuitous 5-Star was not the infamous Cryo Archon. It also wasn't Alice, but that didn't prevent Klee from bouncing up and down as she excitedly cheered, "Yaaaaaaay~! Klee's going to be even stronger now~!"
While many had yet to obtain even a single Constellation, Paul's third major summoning spree was commemorated by the acquisitions of Klee's third. This made her the 5-Star Character with the highest Constellations thus far. Since they had also obtained her personalized weapon during his previous spree, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that Klee was the luckiest person Paul had ever summoned...besides himself, of course...
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"This has got to be some kind of joke..."
Though he had obtained a few Constellations and a new ally in the form of a Sumerian woman with white hair and red eyes named Cyno, Paul's third significant summoning spree was turning out to be more of a Klee upgrade event than anything else.
Over the course of 63 10-Pulls, Paul had 'missed' 39 times, obtained 17 4-Star Weapons, and 14 Character Constellations. Among these, there were some pretty interesting pulls, such as acquiring Lisa's sixth Constellation, Eula's second, and firsts for Shenhe, Mona, Yae, and Yoimiya. However, as exciting as these pulls were, they were overshadowed by the Intersection of Fate's almost blatant favoritism of Klee...
After feeding gold coins into the platform for the 63rd time, at least in this particular session, Paul once again welcomed the almost titillating sight of a beautiful golden meteor. His heart raced and his scalp tingled, but when the meteor invariably impacted the platform, the smile on his face became noticeably cramped as an increasingly familiar loli popped out.
"Yaaay~! Another one for Klee~!"
While he was happy that Klee had obtained another Constellation, it was the fact she was now on her fifth that left Paul at a loss for words. As far as he knew, the odds of obtaining a specific 5-Star Character were equal across the board, the only exception being the Archons. Yet, as if the IOF couldn't bear to see her sad, Paul had obtained two more copies of Klee's personal weapon and her fifth Constellation while the vast majority of his 5-Star allies were still in their fragmented base states.
Suppressing his mild incredulity, Paul adopted a smile that was equally sincere and awkward as he said, "Congratulations, Klee. If things keep going at this rate, you'll be the first 5-Star to awaken max Constellations. How are you feeling?"
Cupping her cheeks, Klee appeared even more bubbly than usual as she happily replied, "Klee feels amazing...it's like my whole body is filled with warmth and ready to explode~!"
Though he knew Klee's words were hyperbole, the corner of Paul's smile briefly twitched as he said, "Well...try not to..."
"Ehehehehe~"
Shaking his head, Paul returned his attention to the summoning circle and continued his spree. The eighty pulls that followed rewarded him with a fifth Constellation for Yun Jin, the final upgrade for his Black Sword, and a 4-Star Bow known as Predator.
While he was more than a little happy to have his favorite weapon finally uncapped to the max, Paul shelved his excitement for later. He had a Pity roll to knock out, so he quickly fed an additional hundred gold coins into the summoning circle before placing his palms down, adopting a serious expression, and shouting, "Confirm...!"
Though the sheen of the golden meteor caused his heart to pound, Paul was far more 'sober' than usual. This particular Pity roll was his 72nd for the evening, yet he had only obtained a single new ally. While that wasn't even remotely a bad thing, spending thousands of gold with very little to 'show' for it was a little unnerving.
As the golden meteor struck the platform, Paul had mixed feelings about seeing ethereal versions of Beidou and Kokomi pop out. He was happy for both of them, but the notion he wasn't going to obtain anything new was beginning to solidify within his mind. He still had abundant gold to spend, but he was starting to feel a considerable 'gacha fatigue.'
Unwilling to give up just yet, Paul began his ninth round of summoning in earnest. His first 10-Pull was a miss, but his second rewarded him with a Constellation for Tama(Thoma), her second one. What came after was yet another purple meteor, but rather than a Constellation, what popped out was a petite, roughly 156cm tall woman with pale, silvery-purple hair, soft green eyes, and a maid outfit reminiscent of a knight's attire.
Unable to control himself, Paul practically bounced to his feet, shouting, "Hell yeah!" while pumping his fist. He immediately recognized the young woman as Noelle, who, despite only being a 4-Star Character, had eluded him for years.
Though she was a little befuddled by Paul's behavior, Noelle maintained a calm and professional smile, waiting for him to calm down before offering a courteous bow and stating, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Master Paul. My name is Noelle, Noelle Gainsbury."
Blinking in surprise, Paul asked, "You have a family name...?"
Nodding her head in affirmation, Noelle replied, "My family is one of the many that helped to found the Knights of Favonius. It is my dream to one day join their ranks. To that end, if there is anything you require of me, you need only ask."
Feeling a lot better now that Noelle had joined their ranks, Paul managed a sincere smile as he said, "That's great to hear. Welcome to the world of Mushoku Tensei, Noelle. Glad to have you with us."
While returning a smile of her own, Noelle took a moment to look around, her eyes immediately locking onto Klee. She was hoping to see Jean and Albedo alongside her, but the radiant smile on the young girl's face made it clear she hadn't been mistreated.&nbsp;
Noticing the deviation in Noelle's gaze, Paul looked over his shoulder to find Klee staring back at him with her upgraded Dodoco Tales in hand. His attention brought an even more radiant smile to her face, so Paul returned one of his own before turning back to Noelle and asking, "Mind helping us look after Klee? I'm assuming Alice asked you something similar."
Though her eyes briefly widened, Noelle made no attempt to conceal the truth, admitting, "Indeed. Ever since Klee was summoned, Lady Alice has been beside herself with concern. She asked those of us that remained to please take care of her if we were summoned in advance."
As he would also be worried if his children abruptly disappeared and fell into the hands of someone he wasn't knowledgeable of, Paul didn't take offense to Alice's apparent mistrust. He was a little curious to know why Cyno hadn't mentioned something similar but decided not to inquire as it might inadvertently offend the white-haired, incredibly taciturn girl from Sumeru.
Setting aside his concerns, Paul supplied a curt nod before suggesting, "Please join Klee and the others. I'm currently in the middle of a spree to try and obtain 'Lady Alice,' so it will be dangerous for you to remain on the platform."
Pleasantly surprised by the revelation, Noelle's practiced smile gained a hint of sincerity as she lowered her head and replied, "As you will." in an audibly chipper tone. First impressions were very important, so she was relieved to see how straightforward and kind Paul appeared to be. There was a chance he was putting on airs, but that didn't make a lot of sense, considering he could order them to do whatever he wanted.
With Noelle joining the others, Paul returned to his summoning spree with renewed vigor. His subsequent two pulls were misses, but the three that followed rewarded him with a third Constellation for Ningguang, a fourth for Xiangling, and the first for Cyno. Then, as if Noelle's summoning had liberated him from his dry streak, his 5-Star Pity pull was yet another new summon, a bespectacled, incredibly buxom beauty with stylish green hair and yellow eyes.
Resisting the urge to stare at the woman's exposed navel, Paul adopted a welcoming smile as he questioned, "If I'm not mistaken, you're Dr. Baizhu, correct? If so, welcome to the world of Mushoku Tensei."
Nodding her head in affirmation, Baizhu replied in a soft yet husky tone, "Your assumption is correct. My name is Baizhu Lengshi, Chief Physician and former proprietor of Bubu Pharmacy. If there is anything that ails you, I will do my best to be of service."
Noticing an incongruency between Baizhu and virtually everyone else he had summoned, Paul remarked, "You're not wearing a maid outfit...?" in a marginally confused tone.&nbsp;
"Hmmm...?"
Looking down at her body, Baizhu somewhat playfully inquired, "Does my attire not suit your tastes?"
Deciding it was probably for the best if he didn't harp over the matter, Paul shook his head and said, "You look great." before gesturing toward the peanut gallery and adding, "Why don't you join the others. Ningguang will help you get up to speed. I'm currently in the middle of a summoning spree."
Shifting her gaze to Ningguang, Baizhu narrowed her snake-like eyes and mused, "Ah, if it isn't the Lady Tianquan. How has my Qiqi been...?"
Adopting a business-like smile, Ningguang replied, "Why don't you come over here, and I'll tell you all about her?"
Nodding her head, Baizhu stepped off the summoning platform and joined Ningguang. In her wake, Paul, Ganyu, and Xinyan took a few moments to clear away some of the weapons clutter before returning to their positions and continuing with the summoning spree.
With three new allies at his side, one of which was regarded as the best Physician in their world, it was fair to say Paul was in high spirits. His next set of summons didn't reward him with anything new, but obtaining 4-Star Weapons and Constellations for Shinobu and Lynette weren't exactly 'bad' things. Rather, as the only source for Vision-based weaponry in the world of Mushoku Tensei, he was going to need an abundance of extra weapons to gift out and sell to Vision-bearers in the future.
Moving on to his next set of pulls, Paul was somewhat disappointed to obtain nothing but 4-Star Weapons during his first eight pulls, but that changed rather swiftly when he performed what would ultimately be his final pull for the night.&nbsp;
Though the meteor possessed the same golden luminance as every other 5-Star Character Paul had received, he quickly realized something was off when Ei abruptly appeared at his side. She didn't speak, but her presence was enough to suggest that the person contained within the meteor was either very powerful or dangerous.
Making it pretty obvious who Paul had summoned, the temperature atop the summoning platform began to increase as the Visions adorning Klee's and Xinyan's outfits began to glow. The temperature became even more intense when the meteor impacted the platform and practically exploded, but Paul forced himself to continue staring forward as a vermillion-haired woman with fiery eyes, and an incredible figure emerged with a confident yet fierce expression on her face.
Ignoring the presence of Ei, the vermillion-haired woman, none other than the Pyro Archon, Murata, adopted a wolfish grin as she stared at Paul and inquired, "So, you're the lucky bastard that gets to call himself my Master, eh? Your face and body ain't bad, but how are your aptitudes as a warrior? Don't tell me you make a habit of hiding behind this brat...?"
As one of the 'original' Seven, preceding Ei's rule by nearly 4000 years, the only other Archon Murata respected was Zhongli. As far as she was concerned, Ei was just a weak-willed brat who couldn't accept the loss of her sister. She might not be able to compete with her in terms of speed, but in an actual war, she was confident she would come out ahead more often than not.
Interjecting before a fight could break out, Paul adopted a serious and resolute expression as he replied, "I'll do whatever I must to ensure the survival of my world and the restoration of Teyvat. Ei has been keeping me safe until I am strong enough to stand independently. You're free to look down on me, but I won't tolerate you picking fights or insulting those who work tirelessly to achieve our shared objective..."
"Hoooo...?"
Crossing her arms, a somewhat predator smile developed across Murata's face as she stared at Paul with her thin, dragon-like pupils. She was also willing to do whatever it took to restore her world, so if Paul hadn't been up to the challenge, she would have searched for a few good men to help her sire some children. Seeing Paul stand his ground despite his dried skin beginning to crack and splinter gave Murata the impression she might not have to...
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(A/N: This is the end of Volume 2. If you've enjoyed the story thus far, feel free to let me know in the comments section. However, as I want to focus on finishing EPIC, this is the last chapter of MI unless the story somehow ends up in the top 3 on webnovel. My priority will always be writing stories that the community wants to read, so if enough people want me to focus on MI, that's exactly what I'll do.)

Recognizing Yun Jin's very distinctive voice, Paul elected to pretend he hadn't noticed her. He knew she would be even more embarrassed if he attempted to catch her, so he slowly pivoted his head from side to side before moving toward where he believed one of the remaining six people to be.
"Oh my..."
Taking advantage of Paul's outstretched hand, Ningguang repositioned herself so that his fingers would come into contact with her right breast. She understood that Paul was trying to help Yun Jin save face, so letting her voice out was completely intentional.
Though his blindfold somewhat obscured them, Paul raised his brows in mock surprise before giving Ningguang's breast a tentative squeeze. She was wearing a bunnysuit that emphasized her cleavage, so his pinky, ring, middle, and index fingers came into contact with her bare, incredibly soft skin.
Giving Yun Jin the time she needed to sneak back to the relative safety of his bed, Paul traced his fingers across the surface of Ningguang's breast as he remarked, "It never ceases to amaze me...how can your breasts be so soft yet maintain such a perfect shape...?"
Adopting a slightly gratified smile, Ningguang replied, "I would like to say it's the result of a tremendous amount of effort on my part, but my status as a Spirit has made things a lot easier. Even if I eat five meals a day or go on a diet for months at a time, my figure remains wholly unaffected. It's a little disconcerting but exceedingly convenient."
"Mmm...I'm certainly not going to complain.."
Amused by Paul's response, a faint yet throaty chuckle emanated from Ningguang's throat. She was half-tempted to remind him that the only reason she, and many others, retained her 'original' appearance was due to his perception of how they 'should' look. In other words, her features remained flawless because that's what Paul expected. Had there been something about her appearance he didn't like, she would have changed similarly to Zhongli, Kay, and, most notably, Qiqi.
Reaching up to grasp Paul's wrist, Ningguang narrowed her eyes as she mused, "Though I certainly wouldn't mind continuing, I believe you have other matters to attend. There are still five of us remaining..."
Nodding his head, Paul retracted his hand and said, "I definitely won't allow you to return to the Strife Zone before we have a chance to spend some time together..."
As she had very similar thoughts on the matter, Ningguang just exhaled another light chuckle before casually orienting Paul in the direction of his next quarry, Lynette. She was perched atop Paul's wardrobe, so he had passed her by during his initial circuit around the room.
Realizing what Ningguang had done, a slight frown formed on Lynette's face. She was aiming to be the last person Paul located, so having her position exposed in such a 'wanton' manner annoyed her more than she would ever vocalize.
Fortunately for Lynette, Paul also realized what Ningguang had done, so, rather than going in the direction she had picked for him, he smiled wryly and decided to head elsewhere. His actions brought the faintest of smiles to Lynette's face, but she quickly regained her frown upon seeing the 'as expected' look on Ningguang's...
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Though it took much longer than he expected, Paul eventually managed to locate Yoimiya, Hina, Yae, and Ei before finishing off the game with his discovery of Lynette. Yoimiya and Hina had kind of cheated by concealing themselves in the bathroom, but even they were easier to locate than Yae and Ei. The former had reverted to her fox form, lazily observing the game from the comfort of a chair. As for Ei, she had erased her presence to the point Paul passed her by more than a dozen times before she gave him a break and allowed some of her sword intent to leak out.
Waiting until Paul had located and correctly identified Lynette, Ningguang clapped her hands together and said, "Congratulations, Master Paul. Not only were you able to locate everyone, but you were also able to identify each of us without so much as a single mistake, a feat as impressive as it is reassuring."
Exhaling a sigh of relief, Paul reached up to remove his blindfold before smiling as he came face to face with Lynette. He had 'identified' her by pulling her close and running his hands up and down her incredibly lithe body while she sat atop his dresser, so their faces were a lot closer than he had visualized.
Having anticipated Paul's reaction, Ningguang waited until he removed his blindfold before adding, "And congratulations to Mademoiselle Lynette for being the last to be discovered. As the penultimate winner of our revised game of hide-and-seek, she is permitted to make a single request of our champion. Make it count~."
Hearing Ningguang's words, Lynette immediately perked up. The look on her face didn't change, but her back became straighter, and her tail began to swish slowly behind her. Unfortunately, not everyone was as enthused about the revelation as she was.
With a severely disproving expression on her face, Kishirika's brow was visibly twitching as she remarked, "This isn't fair. If there were a prize on the line, you should have told us from the start. We would have taken the game a lot more seriously."
Fully expecting a bit of dissent, Ningguang maintained a perfect mask of calm as she replied, "If you knew there was a prize on the line, everyone would have competed to be the last woman standing. Keeping the reveal a secret until the end was the best way to expedite things while keeping the game fair and objective."
Though she couldn't fault Ningguang's logic, Kishirika made her disproval known by clicking her tongue and crossing her arms in defiance. Kishirisu emulated her behavior, but while many others felt the same way, none of the girls from the IOF protested as openly as the two Empresses.
Stumbling directly into the 'trap' Ningguang had set for him, Paul adopted a wry smile and inquired, "I'm more than happy to grant Lynette's request, but, as the victor, don't I get a reward?'&nbsp;
Nodding her head in affirmation, Ningguang casually revealed, "Of course. We agreed beforehand that you would be entitled to petition each of us for a request so long as you didn't make any mistakes. Inversely, had you misidentified anyone, they would be allowed to shadow you for upwards of three weeks, a single day for each person you identified correctly. That way, you would have plenty of time to memorize their shape and scent..."
Swallowing the bait dangling in front of him, Paul's expression became serious as he stated, "Then the solution is simple. I'm already working hard to make my dream a reality. Beyond that, my only wish is that the people I care about are happy, healthy, and safe. To that end, I would rather hear each of your requests than make selfish ones of my own. I mean, just look around. I'm surrounded by beautiful and capable women willing to put on performances and don sexy outfits just to celebrate my birthday. If I met a guy who wasn't satisfied after all of this, I would feel obligated to crack their head open to see what the fuck was wrong with their brain..."
Though Paul's final remark was a little distasteful, his impromptu speech brought smiles to the faces of nearly every woman present. Even Kishirika and Kishirisu were no exception, but, unlike the others, their smiles held a trace of chagrin as they cast narrowed, sidelong glances at Ningguang.
Prompted by the looks on everyone else's faces, Paul adopted a smile of his own as he proclaimed, "Then that's that. My request is that each of you makes a request of me. In Lynette's case, she gets two. Just try and keep your requests reasonable...I intend to do my best, but I'm ultimately just one man..."
Nodding her head in both approval and affirmation, Ningguang mused, "We'll keep that in mind." before focusing on gaze on Lynette and adding, "As for the order, we'll start with Lynette, then those preparing to return to the Strife Zone, and finally everyone who will be remaining behind. I trust there are no objections?"
Understanding there was no point in arguing, even Kishirika and Kishirisu remained silent in response to Ningguang's words. Upon seeing this, the ivory-haired prodigy supplied a supplemental nod before redirecting her gaze to Lynette, silently encouraging her to kick things off.
While she wasn't a genuinely shy person, Lynette wasn't comfortable with making her wishes and desires known to others. Thus, instead of voicing her request aloud, she gestured for Paul to lean closer, whispering into his ear, "Please forgive my sister..."
Surprised by the request, Paul's eyes briefly widened. He didn't consider himself the type to hold grudges, so he wasn't entirely sure what Lynette meant by asking him to forgive her sister. If anything, Lyney was the one that was hostile toward him...
Instead of thinking too deeply about the request, Paul nodded his head and replied, "Sure. No problem."
As if a heavy burden had been removed from her slender frame, a faint yet relieved sigh escaped Lynette's throat. She often felt guilty about how far apart she and Lyney had grown, so Paul's willingness to forgive was the same as giving her permission to try and mend things between them.
Feeling warm, light, and a little fluttery, an uncharacteristically expressive smile bloomed across Lynette's face as she narrowed her eyes and asked, "Can I make my second request now?"
Nodding his head, Paul leaned in to hear what Lynette had to say, his eyes progressively rounder as she narrated, "Once I make up with my sister, I want to try lying on top or underneath her as you take turns doing each of us. I want her to stare into my eyes as I call your name, and I want to see her face as you force her to do the same..."
As he generally did Lynette from behind, her preferred position, Paul was surprised to hear her asking to change things up. She hated being on her back, but here she was asking him to effectively go to town on her sister while she lay beneath her. It was a little unorthodox, but he only hesitated for a brief moment nodding his head and responding, "Sure...just keep in mind that I don't enjoy forcing people against their will. If Lyney doesn't consent, you'll have to come up with a different request..."
Confident she could get her sister to agree, Lynette narrowed her eyes in delight as she practically purred, "Just leave it to me..." before planting a brief yet meaningful kiss on Paul's cheek. Then, with noticeably reddened cheeks, she extricated herself from Paul's embrace, descended from the dresser, and swiftly made her exit...
Though he was a little taken aback by Lynette's sudden departure, Paul had long grown accustomed to her cat-like behavior. Instead of fretting over it, he adopted a wry smile and turned to the sizeable group of girls awaiting their turn, asking, "Who's next...?"
As the second to last to be discovered, Ei would ordinarily be the next in line. However, as she rarely separated from Paul, Ningguang took the initiative to suggest, "I believe Lady Jin, Director Tao, and Miss Yanfei are the most suitable candidates. After them, it should be Miss Hina, Shenhe, Yunyun, and myself."
Since everyone mentioned would be departing within the next 3-5 days, no one protested Ningguang's suggestion. As a result, Yun Jin reluctantly stepped forward, emulating Lynette by instructing Paul to bend down so she could speak directly into his ear. However, before revealing her actual request, she said, "Don't act shocked or surprised by my request..."
Though he was briefly confused, Paul quickly understood the reason for Yun Jin's caution when she made her request. Unfortunately, while he did his best to maintain a blank expression, the extremity of Yun Jin's request forced an awkward smile onto his face. After all, it wasn't every day one of his lovers solicited him to sneak into their room and 'attack' them while they slept...
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Chapter 199: MI199: Results