Paradigm Shift

"I may have underestimated the genes of the Greyrat families..."

Even after several minutes had passed, Ningguang could barely retain her focus as she stared up at the ceiling with an absentminded expression on her face. She was covered in sweat, and, despite taking a medicine that was supposed to dull a person's senses, everything from her brain to her toes was tingling with a pleasant numbness.

Though he heard Ningguang's remark, Paul continued staring blankly into the hearth crackling a few meters away. He felt like he had just crossed a dangerous line, but the thing that frightened him the most was the fact he didn't really care. He had apprehensions near the beginning and regretted it once everything had calmed down, but, during the act, he had been just as much of a beast as his father...

Seeing Paul lost in his thoughts, a steamy yet exasperated sigh escaped Ningguang's throat as she rolled onto her side. She wanted to try and sit up, but her legs were completely numb.

"I should have learned Healing Magic..."

Placing her hand on her abdomen, Ningguang concentrated on the hot sensation deep within her as she traced her index finger around the tiny Geo Symbol inscribed above her uterus. The symbol immediately pulsed to life, and, moments later, the unpleasant stickiness between her thighs completely vanished as the semen coating her body and insides turned to pale golden light.

Though he had noticed the elemental symbols inscribed on all of the girls' lower abdomens, seeing the light out of the corner of his eyes compelled Paul to ask, "Is that like a contraceptive or something...?"

Shaking her head, Ningguang forced herself to a seated position before explaining, "While it can certainly be used that way, its actual purpose is a little different. Hmmm..."

Though she had anticipated Paul's question, Ningguang was feeling more than a little spaced out at the present moment. Her only consolation was that Paul had likely gone easy on her. At least that's what she felt seeing an Adeptus like Ganyu sprawled out, completely unconscious.

"Think of it as a converter...for one reason or another, the semen of men in this world is rich with mana. What these seals do is convert mana into elemental energy. In other words, it's kind of like a battery that allows us to use our powers even without an Archon. Since there was no guarantee you would summon an Archon any time soon, these were inscribed on our bodies as a failsafe of sorts..."

"Yeah...that sounds about right..."

Recalling the mana drought incident, Paul wasn't even remotely surprised by Ningguang's words. Everything about the IOF seemed geared towards making him into a pervert or a degenerate. At this point, he wouldn't even be surprised if it was revealed he needed to produce a certain number of offspring in order to strengthen the connection between Mushoku Tensei and the world of Teyvat...

Snuggling up next to Paul, Ningguang waited nearly a minute for him to link his arm around her before asking, "Do you regret gaining access to the IOF?"

"Not really..."

Surprised by Paul's listless yet immediate response, Ningguang was about to ask more, but he beat her to the punch, adding, "The only thing I regret is making use of it so soon. These last few years feel like a blur, and even though I've gotten far more powerful, I feel like a background character in my own life...a footnote in someone else's story..."

"Hmm..."

Instead of immediately responding to Paul's words, Ningguang placed her head against his shoulder and just enjoyed the warmth from both his body and the nearby hearth. He was her partner in more than name now, so she felt compelled to help bolster his confidence. No powerful woman wanted a partner without a bit of backbone...

After quickly organizing her thoughts, Ningguang stated, "I believe you're mistaken...instead of viewing yourself as a character within the story, you should consider the possibility that you're the author. After all, if you were to tell us to burn down the Notos Estate or wreak havoc across the entire world, we would be forced to comply. Thus, instead of comparing yourself to us, you should be thinking about how you can use us to bring about the ending you want to see..."

Though he opened his mouth to speak, Paul found himself at a genuine loss for words. His situation hadn't actually changed, but if he looked at things from Ningguang's perspective, he was no longer a character within the story but the person dictating it. He would never do such a thing, but if he ordered her to grab the nearby poker, heat it in the hearth, and stab it into herself, she really would have no choice but to obey. She was able to bring an entire Region under her control in less than four years, but she was still at his mercy...

Exhaling a sigh, Paul found himself caressing his forehead and temples as he groaned, "I think swinging around a sword for 10-12 hours a day might have turned me stupid..."

Amused by Paul's self-deprecating remark, a soft chuckle emanated from Ningguang's throat. His words prompted her to tease him, but before she was able to, Ningguang was left at a loss of her own as Paul stated, "You should be careful with your words and actions in the future...now that we have already crossed the line, I'm tempted to punish you for all the times you were cheeky..."

"..."

Though she knew Paul was messing with her, Ningguang had detected a hint of genuine caution in his tone. She doubted he would do anything too extreme, but she could imagine him spanking her or crushing her beneath his body as he had done to Ganyu. The latter appeared to enjoy it quite a bit, but Ningguang couldn't help feeling a tad sheepish after what she had endured not long ago...

...

..

.

Departing Ningguang's office shortly after Ganyu had awoken, Paul felt as though a substantial weight had been removed from his shoulders. He still felt like he had crossed a line he shouldn't have, but it wasn't like he could go back in time and unfuck the two girls. The more pressing concern was whether or not he should just throw his inhibitions to the wind and do the same with others. He could think of at least eight girls who would jump at the chance...

As if on cue, Barbara literally popped out of a wall via a concealed service hatch, a pouty expression on her face and the tell-tale sign of dried tears staining her cheeks.

Preempting anything the somewhat possessive sword maiden might say, Paul stated, "Make no mistake, Pipit. I care for you immensely. If I didn't think it would make me sound like a hypocritical asshole, I would tell you that I love you ten thousand times over. I just can't do that to you..."

Hanging her head, a fresh batch of tears began to pool in the corners of Barbara's eyes as she muttered, "I hate this...even though I understand what's at stake, I can't help wanting to keep you to myself..."

Feeling a twinge in his heart, Paul reached to caress Barbara's cheek but stopped himself halfway. He wanted to comfort her, but, as the principal source of her pain, he wasn't sure he had the right.

Fortunately for Paul, Barbara made things significantly easier by throwing her arms around him and crying into his chest. It made him feel a hell of a lot worse, but at least he didn't have to think too deeply about things; he just needed to console the girl crying in his arms...

("Well, here goes nothing...")

"Wise...men...say...only fools rush in...

But I...can't...help...falling in love...with...you..."

Hearing Paul suddenly begin singing, Barbara's crying almost immediately stopped. His voice had started to deepen as he matured, so while he was a bit pitchy, his song had the rich quality that could only be achieved with a low, baritone voice...

"Shall...I...stay? Would it be...a....sin...

If I...can't...help...falling in love...with...you...?

Like a river flows...

Surely to the sea...

Darling, so it goes...

Some things...are meant to be...

So...

Take...my...hand...

Take my whole...life...too...

For I...can't...help...falling in love...with...you..."

Though there were still a lot of words to the song, Paul allowed his voice to trail off as he rocked Barbara in his arms. This was the first time he had ever sung to someone, so a single verse and chorus were the limit of what his psyche could handle.

"I didn't know you could sing..."

Chuckling softly in response to Barbara's words, an affectionate smile developed across Paul's face as he whispered, "Anyone can sing...what matters is that it comes from the heart..."

"I want a baby..."

"..."

Feeling as though he had just received a punch in the gut, Paul's smile became cramped as he asked, "Right now...?"

Shaking her head, Barbara ceased squeezing Paul as if her life depended on it, eyes still watery as she stared up at him and answered, "No...I just don't want that woman to be the only one with your child. It isn't right for a baby to be born for the sake of convenience..."

Though he honestly didn't want to be a father at all, Paul nodded his head and said, "Sure...once things settle down and we manage to restore your world, let's find a nice place in the country to start a family...I can't say for sure that we'll be the only ones there, but I'm willing to work my ass off to make things work..."

Since she knew at least four people who loved Paul nearly as much as she did, Barbara also couldn't imagine them living alone. Xiangling and Xinyan had practically become her sisters at this point, so she would feel guilty if she tried cutting them off from Paul. As for her actual sister, Jean, Barbara didn't want to admit it, but the two of them probably loved Paul about the same amount. Jean was just a lot better at concealing her emotions...

"That's fine...as long as we can be together without having to worry about anything 'bigger' than our family, I'm fine if there are other girls there with us...just promise me you'll give me a baby before Jean..."

Shaking his head, Paul said, "I'm not going to make such a promise. If Jean is one of the people who ends up staying with us, we'll discuss it together...as a family."

Though she would have preferred it if Paul had lied to her, a faint smile developed across Barbara's face. She knew her request was more than a little selfish, so she didn't blame Paul for shutting her down. Instead, she left him reeling a second time by asking, "Since you did it with Ganyu and Ningguang...does that mean...you know...?"

Resisting the almost instinctual temptation to say no, Paul held Barbara closer as he questioned, "You were seventeen back in Teyvat, so you'll be turning twenty-one in a few months, right?"

Nodding her head in affirmation, Barbara meekly replied, "My birthday is July 5th...in this world, that's the seventh month..."

Though he realized he had never mentioned how dates worked in his past world, Paul figured that could wait till later. For now, he surprised Barbara by picking her up in a bridal carry and asking, "Are you sure you're ready?"

Dealing yet another critical blow to Paul, Barbara balled her hands into fists, a terrifyingly serious expression on her face as she assured, "Don't worry. If something bad happens, I can always cast Regeneration Magic or X-Healing...!"

Smiling with a bit of incredulity in his expression, Paul began carrying Barbara toward her room as he remarked, "That...good to know...?" in a helpless tone. He didn't know what Barbara imagined when she thought of sex, but it was apparently pretty intense...

("This is going to be a long night...")

...

..