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Though he was charged a steep tariff for transporting 'merchandise' through the checkpoint, Paul wasn't exactly hurting for money. He could always use more, but he(Ningguang) had enough to bankroll the creation of an entire nation if he wanted.

Fortunately, while it was clear the members of Rudigan's Order weren't enthused about escorting a bunch of non-humans, they avoided saying or doing anything to antagonize Dimsaul and his people. Things were pretty tense, but they managed to reach the outskirts of Milishion without any major incidents or mishaps.

Seeing the so-called 'most beautiful city in the world' from a distance, Paul had to admit there was some truth to the claim. He knew with certainty that Milishion was nearly as corrupt as the Kingdom of Asura, but it looked like a city of cobalt blue and white from a distance.

Floating on a massive lake that dominated the city's center was the White Palace, a structure exceeding even the Silver Palace in terms of scale and grandeur. Surrounding it, separated by a large body of water and linked by numerous bridges, was a ring of buildings that served as the estates of various Noble families. Further outward, separated by an even larger body of water, were the city's seven districts, each constructed around massive white obelisks that served as catalysts for the city's world-famous barrier.

With the exception of the Adventurers District, the southernmost region of the city, entering the other districts required filling out paperwork, passing a lie detector test, and paying a hefty fee. Millishion was a city of law and order that considered itself the bastion of humanity, so they were strict to the point of conducting random checks on locals and publically executing anyone deemed to be 'suspicious.'

To Paul's surprise, Rudigan wanted them to enter the city through the northernmost Residential District before guiding him and three of his 'servants' to the Royal District at the city's center. Since he was a foreign dignitary and something of a celebrity, the Crown Prince and King Regent wished to meet him before he continued on his way.

Similar to the Asura Kingdom, the Holy Kingdom of Milis was a veritable cesspool of nepotism and corruption. The previous King had been killed less than a year after his inauguration, so until his son was old enough to wear the crown, the Kingdom was being governed by a representative of the Church. Many believed the Church had disposed of the previous King for being 'too progressive,' so it wasn't difficult to imagine the true reason Paul was being summoned for an audience.

Due to his philanthropy and ever-increasing accomplishments, Paul was considered one of the most 'progressive' people in the entire world. Many believed he was ushering in a new era, so it wasn't an exaggeration to say he was one of the greatest threats to the Milis Religion and its iron grip on the faith of humanity.

With the most common cause of death in the various Knight Orders being assassination, Paul chose Ei, Ganyu, and Yae to accompany him during his stay in the White Palace. Rudigan tried to insist he select someone other than Ganyu and Yae to accompany him, but Paul effectively told him he could fuck off if it was going to be a problem, albeit using marginally more polite language.

Since he didn't have a say in the company Paul kept, Rudigan had no choice but to begrudgingly escort a 'demon' and 'beast person' into an area typically reserved for humans. The Knights at each checkpoint made it clear they didn't want Ganyu and Yae entering the Royal District, but they also had no choice but to allow it as Rudigan was escorting them under Royal Ordinance. As a result, Paul, Ei, Ganyu, and Yae eventually found themselves in a large, lavishly decorated room where they were expected to remain until their audience.

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While lying on his bed and reclining against Ganyu's plush body, Paul lazily remarked, "This is starting to get on my nerves..." with a deadpan expression on his face. He knew they would be compelled to wait before being permitted an audience, but it had already been ten, going on eleven days.

Raising her head from Paul's lap, Yae, in her adorable kit form, playfully mused, "You could always get Ei to perform a dance or play the Koto..."

Hearing Yae's remark, Ei ceased knitting the scarf she was working on, a disproving frown marring her face as she stated, "While I am willing, it's not proper to volunteer someone for something you're perfectly capable of doing yourself..."

Stretching out her body like a cat, Yae responded, "I'm pretty comfortable right now. Besides, this is an excellent opportunity for you to improve our Master's favorability of you. It's not often we get to have him to ourselves for such a lengthy period."

Though she knew Yae was being lazy and passing responsibilities to her, Ei couldn't refute her words. It was true that Paul was often 'preoccupied' with other women, so the past ten had been fairly pleasant, at least from her perspective. She enjoyed peaceful, quiet, and unchanging settings, so she wouldn't mind if things remained as they were a while longer.

Seeing through Ei's thoughts, Paul adopted a wry smile and said, "We'll be sure to take it easy once we reach the Capital. With the amount of info we collected on the Demon Continent, no one will be able to complain about my designation as a Special Envoy. Not without risking censure."

Following his words, Paul annoyed Yae by leaning forward and picking her up from his lap. It was clear at this point that the King Regent, or whoever was pulling his strings, just wanted to flex their authority. He had far more important things to do, so he set Yae aside before getting up from the bed and saying, "We're leaving." in a decisive tone.

Returning to her human form, Yae asked, "Are you sure that's wise? We've already waited this long. What's a few more days?"

Shaking his head, Paul replied, "A person can yield their pride in just a few seconds. We've waited long enough. At this point, they're either 'trying' to piss us off or simply looking down on us. Regardless, I've completely lost interest in this little 'game.'"

Finished with what he had to say, Paul approached the door to the room, ripping it from the hinges. The door locked from the outside to keep them from wandering around the palace, but his physical strength had reached the point where he could even trade blows with Atofe. Unless they were made from Adamantine or concrete mixed with powdered dragon bones, few doors could stop him.

Reacting to Paul's vandalism, the veritable platoon of heavily armored Knights in the hallway readied their weapons. Paul was famous as the youngest Water King in history, so there were no less than fifty Knights out in the hall, more so as a deterrent than anything else.

Representing the group, a surprisingly beautiful woman with golden hair and blue eyes stepped forward to question, "What is the meaning of this? If there is something you require, we will bring it to you."

Unlike the heavily armored Knights, the golden-haired woman was garbed in a cloak and what could best be described as a white bodysuit. It was comprised of two distinct pieces of fabric, but there were golden clasps and a zipper at her waist, fusing the skin-tight outfit into a singular piece. It was quite the sight to behold, especially with her voluptuous figure, but Paul's attention was primarily focused on the lance-like staff in her right hand.

Adopting a faint smile, Paul remarked, "I wasn't aware that the Order of the Temple employed Mages. In fact, I'm fairly certain they string people up for practicing anything other than Healing, Detoxification, and Barrier Magic..."

Though others might not be able to sense it, Paul's Mystic Eyes of Death Perception allowed him to perceive the woman's Mana as a bluish, flame-like aura radiating from her body. A faint bluish color would have denoted her as having a natural affinity with Water Magic, but her aura was more a deep, sapphire blue. Based on Mana's density, Paul suspected she was at least a Water Saint-Ranked Magician.

Furrowing her brows, the golden-haired woman replied, "I am Ophelia Laskaris Leos, Sub-Commander of the 3rd Order of the Temple, Oracion. House Leos has been permitted by His Holiness to research and practice Magic as a countermeasure against Demons. Do not insult me by lumping me in with those who practice the mystical arts for personal gain..."

Angering Ophelia further, Paul made a show of clapping his hands as he replied, "I'm happy for you. Now, mind showing us the way out, or do we need to find it ourselves...?"

Frowning deeply, Ophelia's expression and tone hardened as she said, "You are presently a guest of the Crown Prince and King Regent. Leaving before you've been permitted an audience would be a grave insult to both the Church and Crown..."

Adopting a deadpan expression, Paul asserted, "Your people have been insulting me and my people since you intercepted us at the Blue Dragon Mountain Range. His Majesty, the King of Asura, is awaiting my arrival, so I would appreciate it if you got out of my way. I didn't come here to have a dick-measuring contest with the Holy Church, nor do I give a rat's ass about currying favor with the Pope."

Leveling her lance-like staff at Paul's face, Ophelia shouted, "You dare speak of His Holiness in such a manner!? Such brazen disregard cannot be overlooked...!"

In response to Ophelia's outburst, the platoon of Knights charged forward with swords in hand. When the Knight closest to him aimed for his throat, clearly intending to kill rather than capture him, the emotion drained from Paul's face and an icy glimmer flashed across his eyes.

As the strongest among the group was merely Advanced-Ranked in the Sword God Style, Paul's body appeared to flicker, leaving behind a series of afterimages as he zig-zagged through the Knights faster than most of them could perceive. Ophelia was one of the few that could, but she had made the mistake of approaching him before the skirmish broke out. For a Mage without Teleportation, that was tantamount to a death sentence.

Interrupting Ophelia's chant, Paul sliced through one of the three Lines of Death that denoted her lance as a fairly high-ranking Artifact. The number of Enchantments applied to it would have been enough to finance several estates, but Paul cut through it like soft tofu before leveling the tip of his sword at Ophelia's throat, stating, "Your men just tried to murder a Special Envoy of the Asura Kingdom. Is it the will of His Holiness to start a war...?"

Recovering from the shock of losing one of her family's heirlooms, Ophelia glared menacingly as she asserted, "You may be a Special Envoy, but there are many in the Asura Kingdom who oppose that status. Do you honestly believe your King would go to war against us to avenge such a volatile individual?"

Catching Ophelia off-guard, Paul instantly replied, "He would." before spartan kicking her several tens of meters. He held back to avoid killing her, but she would be nursing at least seven broken ribs and a bruised sternum until someone showed up to heal her.

Turning around, Paul regained his smile as he saw Ei standing amid the unconscious bodies of the fifty Knights. He had knocked out several of them when he initially passed through, but the rest were dealt with by Ei, with a little help from Yae. Their Electro Energy was remarkably effective at disabling people without killing them.

Extending his hand to the purple-haired beauty, the corners of Paul's smile curled upward as he asked, "Shall we~?" in an overtly casual tone. His actions were bound to have tremendous fallout, but anyone not a part of the Milis faith knew they had it coming...

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(A/N: Nb4 Milis accuses Paul of being the resurrected Laplace, causing Perugius to come for him...)