Rapid Progress
Feeling it would be rude to leave after eating, Paul accepted Gustav's invitation to spend the evening in Doldia Village. He didn't sleep, but he enjoyed the crisp evening air, the sounds of the forest, and the pristine, unpolluted sky.
Sitting next to him, or, more accurately, curled up at his side, Ghislaine abruptly muttered, "You didn't have to do that..."
Understanding that Ghislaine was referring to her nomination as the Delodia Tribe's Representative, a faint smile developed across Paul's face as he softly replied, "I don't 'have' to do anything, muscle cat. I 'choose' to care for the people closest to me..."
Though Ghislaine had yet to reach the 'muscle mommy' status she was known for in the Mushoku Tensei community, she still had an eight-pack, pronounced obliques, and well-defined back and shoulder muscles. As a result, Paul had taken to affectionately calling her muscle cat, albeit only when they were alone.
Catching Paul a little off guard, Ghislaine abruptly questioned, "Want me to suck your dick...?"
"..."
As enticing as the offer was, Paul eventually replied, "Not right now. Let's just stay like this for a bit..."
Nodding her head, Ghislaine issued an affirming "Nn..." before snuggling a little closer to Paul. She still wasn't very good at ascertaining what people wanted from her, and Paul almost always carried at least a subtle scent of arousal. Not because he was constantly in the mood for sex but because he was surrounded by beautiful and sometimes voracious women...
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Early the next morning, Paul found himself witness to the iconic yet incredibly awkward situation of Ghislaine's brother, Gyes, lying on his back in a submissive posture. He had an exceedingly reluctant look, but he forced himself to say, "I was wrong...please forgive me..."
Though she was tempted to stomp on her brother's stomach, indicating she didn't forgive him, Ghislaine ultimately crossed her arms and looked to Paul before replying, "Whatever..." in a dull monotone. She didn't truly forgive him, but she was willing to accept his apology to avoid making things difficult for Paul.
Climbing back to his feet, Gyes glared at Ghislaine with clenched teeth before averting his eyes when she turned to meet his gaze. The tensions between them were palpable, but the beatdown Ghislaine had given him was enough to dissuade Gyes from seeking further conflict. Instead, he hesitated for a moment before asking, "How did you get so strong...?"
Narrowing her eyes, Ghislaine briefly considered remaining silent. She didn't share Paul's sentiment of helping others grow as giving power to those outside your control invited misfortune unto others. However, as Gyes was her brother, she eventually answered, "Find something you want to protect and train with the notion the most powerful people in the world are planning to take them away from you..."
Directing his gaze to Paul, a frown marred Gyes's face as he asked, "Are you protecting this man...?"
Shaking her head, Ghislaine answered, "It's different for me. I got strong to fill my belly. Paul seeks strength to protect those closest to him and to ensure everyone, regardless of their race, has the opportunity to succeed. His potential is far greater than mine..."
As he couldn't tell how strong Paul was, Gyes had a look of incredulity on his face as he asked, "Seriously?" in a disbelieving tone.
Nodding her head, Ghislaine left her father, brother, and even Paul at a loss for words as she casually revealed, "I'm not even in the top ten of Paul's subordinates. I consider myself fortunate to be able to stay at his side..."
Smiling wryly, Paul remarked, "That sentiment goes both ways. There's only been a few instances where I wasn't grateful to have you at my side. And even those were enjoyable in their own way..."
Though it took her a moment to understand what Paul was referring to, Ghislaine's ears perked up and twitched once she did. He was obviously alluding to her behavior when she was in heat, so a faint red hue colored her cheeks as she looked away in embarrassment.
Seeing his sister with such a 'maidenly' expression, Gyes's mouth opened in disbelief. In his mind, Ghislaine was all muscle, no brain. She only knew how to lash out and take what she wanted, so he wouldn't have been able to fathom her looking embarrassed if he hadn't seen it personally.
Noticing her brother's reaction, Ghislaine raised her right fist and asked, "What the fuck are you gawking at?" with her teeth bared.
Furrowing his brows, Gyes thought, 'there's the Ghislaine I know' as he replied with a faint, "Nothing..."
Snorting through her nose, Ghislaine muttered, "Whatever..." before turning to Paul and saying, "I'll be waiting at the edge of the village..."
Before Ghislaine could take off, Paul shook his head and said, "We'll go together." He didn't have much else to say, so the impromptu sibling spat was a reasonable excuse to hasten their departure. Thus, after a few parting words with Gustav, Paul bid the cat-eared duo farewell before climbing atop Ganyu and having her race back to the convoy's campsite...
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As Ganyu had returned the previous night to inform Dimsaul they would be returning early that morning, the convoy was packed up and ready to depart the moment Paul's party arrived. They had picked up an additional thirteen children by then, bringing their total count to twenty, but the Beast People within the convoy were doing an excellent job keeping them in line using food prepared by Xiangling.
Though the Beast Race had its own unique cuisine, a lot of the meat they consumed was either raw or lightly smoked to kill parasites. Their staple foods were fish and fruit, so many of the children collected by the convoy had never eaten a cooked meal in their entire life. Xiangling took this into account, preparing sashimi, sushi, and other fish dishes, but the quality was so far beyond anything the children had experienced that many burst into tears.
After exchanging recipes with the current Food God, Demon Lord Bagura Hagura, Xiangling's cooking had risen to another level. The piggish Demon Lord even offered to take her in as an apprentice, but she refused on the grounds she was Paul's personal chef. The notion of preparing human and demon meat also wasn't particularly appealing to her, so most of their recipe exchanges occurred when Atofe invited Bagura and other Demons over for a meet-and-greet with Paul.
With direction and oversight from Xiangling, even the simplest dishes prepared by and for the convoy were comparable to the meals served to high-ranking Nobles and Kings. More importantly, any dish Xiangling had an active role in preparing carried various effects, the most useful among them being Lesser Regeneration and Stamina Recovery. This even applied to the roughage she prepared for the horses, allowing the convoy to cover much greater distances than a typical procession.
On average, convoys escorting multiple carriages and stagecoaches traveled around 13km/h. Thanks to Xiangling, their marching pace was closer to twenty kilometers per hour, and they could travel upwards of fourteen hours a day compared to the usual ten. As a result, a journey that typically took other groups around a month only took the convoy escorting Paul seventeen days. Considering they had picked up a total of 73 children during the journey, it wasn't an exaggeration to say Xiangling's influence on their progress was immense, borderline god-like...
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Staring up at the vast Blue Dragon Mountain Range, named as such due to their distinct cobalt hue, Paul felt a sudden urge to ascend the tallest peak. Ganyu sensed this, asking, "Would you like me to carry you up?" but Paul promptly shook his head, replying, "Some other time. Besides, there wouldn't be much meaning in ascending the peak if someone else carried me to it..."
Adopting a slightly apologetic expression, though it was difficult to tell due to her animalistic features, Ganyu replied, "I see..." in a muted tone. Her reaction caused Paul to feel a pang of guilt, but rather than changing his mind, he gave her a firm pat and said, "Don't worry. The two of us will eventually explore this entire world once we begin actively spreading the Teleporation Network. For now, let's focus on the road ahead."
Feeling better, Ganyu responded with a happy-sounding "Understood~!" before proceeding forward with a discernible pep in her steps. They were coming up on the checkpoint separating the Great Forest from the Holy Milis Kingdom, but Ganyu remained chipper even as the sights of a dozen anti-wyvern ballistae came to bear on her.
Fortunately, while the tensions at the checkpoint could be felt from more than a kilometer away, none of the soldiers manning the ballistae opened fire. Dimsaul had dispatched a herald to announce Paul's arrival, so there was even a reception waiting for him, led by a golden-haired man bearing the plate armor and sigil of the Holy Knight Order.
Waiting until Ganyu had approached within twenty meters, the golden-haired man abruptly shouted, "That's far enough! Dismount your beast and approach on foot...!"
With Ganyu turning sideways to allow him a better vantage of the man and his troops, Paul's expression soured as he said, "I'll get down, but I don't appreciate you calling my companion a beast. The next time you do, don't expect me to be courteous..."
Though Ganyu was technically an Illuminated Beast, Paul knew the man was attempting to denigrate her as if she were some ordinary pack mule. His navy blue armor and the clasp keeping his cape in place denoted him as a Captain in the Order of the Temple, but Paul wasn't going to tolerate him being racist or xenophobic towards anything that wasn't human.
Narrowing his eyes, the Captain remained silent as Paul slid down from Ganyu's back. When the latter abruptly transformed into her human form, a fierce glimmer flashed across his eyes, but he held his tongue since Milishion and the Asura Kingdom were currently allied. Seeking trouble with their Envoy, especially one bearing the title 'King's Greatsword,' was a good way to cause an international incident.
Waiting until Paul was within speaking range, the golden-haired man caught him a little by surprise as he stated, "My name is Rudigan Latreia, Captain of the 22nd Order of the Temple. I have been tasked with seeing your group safely to Milishion."
Raising his brows, Paul questioned, "You're from the Latreia Household...?"
Nodding his head, Rudigan stood a little straighter as he replied, "I am the Third Son of Ralkan Latreia, the current Head of House Latreia."
Though he couldn't recall the specifics of the Latreia Family, even after researching them in his youth, Paul had heard of Ralkan Latreia. He was a Company Commander of the Order of the Temple and had been given the status of an Honorary Bishop for his service. His efforts had raised House Latreia from a mid-tier family to one of the most powerful in Milishion, but Paul only remembered him because he was Zenith's Grandfather...
Adopting a practiced smile, Paul remarked, "I've heard of your father. His accolades have even reached the rumor mill of the Asuran Nobility. If the opportunity presents itself, I would like to meet him."
Feeling marginally less confrontational, Rudigan adopted a practiced smile of his own as he replied, "I am certain that can be arranged. For now, please cooperate with our customs officers so they can get you through the checkpoint as swiftly as possible."
Though he could pressure the group to let him pass with only a cursory inspection, Paul nodded in affirmation before exchanging a few parting words and returning to the convoy. Just as Rudigan didn't want to cause an international incident by overly antagonizing him, Paul wanted to avoid a confrontation with Milis. He was planning to stay there for several days, if not weeks, so getting into a skirmish at their border probably wasn't the best idea.
So long as the other side didn't start it...
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(A/N: Praise the muscle cat...!)