Gathering

"Master...shall I wash your back...?"

Having already made himself comfortable in the square-shaped bath, big enough for five people, Paul shook his head and said, "Maybe in a bit. For now, why don't the two of you take the seats next to me...?"

Since Barbara had entered alongside Ganyu, Paul made sure to address both girls to avoid any future problems. Barbara's mentality had improved during her stay at the Sword Sanctum, but there were still moments when her jealousy flared.

"Excuse/Pardon me..."

With Barbara sitting on his right and Ganyu sitting on his left, Paul wasn't entirely sure where to direct his gaze. As a result, he kept his eyes closed, head reclined against the thick padding that surrounded the tub.

Shattering Paul's false meditative state, Ganyu leaned her head against his shoulder and whispered, "It's been a long time since I've bathed with Master. I've missed it..."

"Mmm..."

Wrapping his arms around the shoulders of both girls, Paul pulled them a little closer, silence lingering between them for several seconds before he asked, "So what brings you to Sharia? Not that I mind, mind you..."

Though she didn't respond immediately, her eyes focused on the profile of Paul's face, Ganyu eventually replied, "Beidou has been killed. Most of her fleet has been destroyed, and the remaining ships seized..."

Snapping open his eyes, Paul immediately became more alert as he sat up straight and exclaimed, "What the fuck?" followed by, "Who killed her?" in a much more severe tone.

Nodding her head, Ganyu went on to reveal, "We don't know the specific details as of yet, but we do know she was attacked and defeated by the Sword God, Gal Farion. When we received notice of what had happened, Lady Ningguang immediately ordered me to come to you."

Understanding why Ningguang would send Ganyu rather than waiting for an investigation to be conducted, Paul's expression remained serious as he said, "I'll open the Intersection of Fate tonight. We'll find out the truth from Beidou directly."

Satisfied that Paul had understood Ningguang's intentions, Ganyu's faint smile became more prominent as she nuzzled her head against him and whispered, "Until then, please let me remain at your side..."

"..."x2

Feeling guiltier every time Ganyu spoke, Paul eventually forced a smile as he said, "You know...you could always stay with me. I'd have to be an idiot not to want you around..."

Understanding that Paul was expressing his sincerity, Ganyu's expression melted into a dreamy smile as she uttered, "I'd like that..." before adopting a marginally sadder look and asking, "But what about Lady Ningguang...?"

Answering in Paul's stead, Barbara pointedly remarked, "I don't see the issue here. Paul was the one chosen as our Master, not Ningguang. If he wants you at his side, you should stay."

Though she appreciated Barbara's support, Ganyu kept her focus on Paul, clarity gradually returning to her painting-like irises as she whispered, "If only things were that simple...isn't that right, Master...?"

Exhaling a weary sigh, Paul wanted to refute Ganyu's words but couldn't. As much as a part of him wanted to hide away and indulge himself in a life of lust and sensuality, he just couldn't. The past him might have been able to, but the moment he transcended death and reincarnated into a fantasy world, an ever-expanding list of things he wanted to do had formed in his mind.

Paul had already wasted one life...he couldn't waste another...

Shaking his head, Paul's expression and tone softened as he said, "Forget about that. For now, the only thing that matters is that we're together like this..."

Though his words were a response to Ganyu, Paul made sure to squeeze both her and Barbara before trading kisses with both of them. It had been years since the last time he saw the mesmerizing blunette. He didn't want to waste even a moment fretting over the few negative aspects of his life.

With a beautiful woman in both arms, even reasonable complaints would come across as whining to those envious of his position...

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After lingering in the bath for so long that the water had become cold, Paul led Ganyu and Barbara upstairs to find Jean, Ei, Eula, Razor, Fischl, Roxy, Xiangling, and Ghislaine waiting for them to arrive. Paul had asked Ghislaine to retrieve everyone before getting into the bath, so he gave her a pat on the head while Roxy remarked, "She's beautiful..." in response to seeing Ganyu for the first time.

Feeling a little more confident now that everyone had gathered, Paul playfully retorted, "You all are." before punctuating his statement with a wink. His words and actions managed to elicit a faint blush from the petite Migurdian, but she quickly recovered to ask, "Is it true she can transform into a white beast?" while scrutinizing Ganyu from horn to toe.

Though Ganyu would have readily demonstrated her ability to transform, Paul answered, "Questions like that can wait for later. For now, we need to discuss the reason for Ganyu's visit and our plans for the future. As much as I've enjoyed our stay in Sharia, there is a much larger world waiting for us."

With everyone's attention focused on him, Paul took a moment to make himself comfortable next to Ghislaine before directing Ganyu to sit next to him. Barbara had already taken the initiative to sit next to her sister, so he didn't have to worry about choosing between them.

Once he had made himself comfortable, Paul briefly exchanged glances with everyone around the table as he revealed, "The Sword God has killed Beidou and assisted in the destruction of her fleet. We'll know the specific details once I resurrect her, but-"

Hearing Paul mention resurrecting people, Roxy couldn't help exclaiming, "One moment. What do you mean, 'once I resurrect her.' Resurrection is a God-Ranked Healing Magic."

Though she had been given some insight into the Intersection of Fate and the nature of Visions, this was Roxy's first time hearing about Paul's ability to resurrect the spirits he had summoned. If he were telling the truth, that would put him in a similar category as Perugius, one of the most powerful and influential people in the world.

Before Paul could provide some clarification to counter Roxy's outburst, Ghislaine suddenly squeezed his hand and asked, "Do you intend to fight against the Sword God?" in an audibly nervous tone. She had started to believe that Ei was even more frightening, but Ghislaine still had a deeply rooted fear and respect for Gal's strength. He was, after all, Rank 6 of the Seven Great Powers.

Putting Ghislaine's heart and mind at ease, Paul didn't hesitate to answer, "There's no way in hell I'm fighting Gal at my current level. I might be able to pull it off in five to ten years, but even that's up for debate..."

Though he briefly shifted his gaze to Ei, Paul didn't point out that she was his countermeasure against people on Gal's level. Instead, he went on to add, "Besides, I'm not entirely sure Gal is our enemy, at least not in the truest sense. He's the type of person that only truly cares about fighting against strong opponents. Unless he was ordered to by the King of Asura, I can't see him going out of his way to track us down..."

As much as Paul was lauded as a 'prodigy' by the masses, Gal was one of the few people who knew the truth. Paul could imagine the man hunting him down, but, similar to Hisoka from Hunter x Hunter, the battle-crazed swordsman would wait until he had fully matured before seeking him out.

Shaking such thoughts from his mind, Paul straightened his back a little before hypothesizing, "If I had to guess, Gal was ordered to investigate the Shirone Kingdom where he ultimately encountered Beidou. She isn't the type of woman to back down from a fight, so it isn't unreasonable to think that she was the one to provoke him. After that, well, there's no way in hell the Shirone Kingdom wouldn't take advantage of the situation..."

Having suffered several bruisings due to Beidou's bodacious nature, Paul could easily imagine her picking a fight after Gal called her weak. It would also explain why Ningguang had dispatched Ganyu to ascertain the truth. There was no way she would have been ignorant of Gal's movements, so she was probably the most surprised by Beidou's sudden death.

Imagining the vexed expression on Ningguang's face, Paul couldn't help adopting a faint smile as he went on to explain, "Regardless of the truth, it doesn't change the fact that we need to depart Sharia. If we stay here for much longer, it's only a matter of time before the Nobility begins trying to pressure or tie us to them."

As both Count Schmidt and the Principal of the Ranoa Magic Academy had extended him invitations to attend various galas and other forms of social gatherings, Paul knew he was treading on thin ice. The longer he stayed in Sharia, the more vulnerable his position would become. He was already regarded as the 'Big Boss' of the Western District, so it was only a matter of time before someone risked leveraging their well-being against him.

Nobles would never allow a power beyond their control to prosper in their territory. Not without some extreme benefits.

Directing his gaze to Roxy, Paul's expression and tone became serious as he asked, "What do you want to do?"

"Pardon...?"

Though she wasn't as confused as she was letting on, Roxy wanted to hear what Paul had to say before giving her response. In truth, she had already decided to remain in Sharia and apprentice under Lisa, but she could always change her mind if Paul insisted she come with him.

Deciding to be honest, Paul explained, "You're a competent woman, Roxy, but the Nobility is filled with opportunistic fiends and complete bastards. I don't plan to stay for too long, but there is a good chance you would be jeopardized and harassed if you followed me to the Capital. Depending on how things develop, you may even end up being labeled an international criminal."

Suppressing the part of her that wanted to insist she could take care of herself, Roxy exhaled a muted sigh before answering, "I have also come to realize how weak I am compared to the other members of your Party. Even your cook is at least Saint-Ranked in Fire Magic while I'm struggling to reach the Advanced Rank..."

Before Paul could attempt to console her, Roxy shook her head and said, "Don't. Even if you were being sincere, I wouldn't be able to interpret your words as anything more than pretense. I understand that it's my fault for being weak, so just be prepared. If you don't write frequently, I'll...I'll hunt you to the ends of the world once I become stronger..."

Though she did her best to appear resolute, Roxy began to falter near the end of her statement. The eyes of nearly everyone present were focused on her, so she could feel her face and body heating up as a sudden urge to pull her cap over her face swelled from the back of her mind.

Making things significantly worse for the petite blunette, Ganyu couldn't help remarking, "You don't have to worry. He tries to behave casually, but Master is a very possessive man at heart. Even if you didn't come for him, he would eventually come to you."

With everyone around the table offering some form of acknowledgment to Ganyu's statement, Roxy wasn't the only one feeling embarrassed. He did his best to appear relaxed, but everyone could see that Paul's smile was a little forced as an awkward chuckle emanated from his throat...

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