Festive

"Holy sh-"

"Ah, ah, ah...language."

After gently chastizing Paul, Ningguang turned to address the gallery of beautiful and scantily clad women present, stating, "Our beloved Master has decided to grace us with his presence ahead of schedule. Get in your positions, everyone."

While most everyone began moving around in a hurry, Ningguang guided Paul over to where Kishirika and Kishirisu were seated, musing, "I'll leave him in your care."

Though they were as surprised as everyone else by Paul's sudden arrival, Kishirika and Kishirisu didn't show it. Instead, they adopted near-identical smiles and replied, "Oh, but of course~." in singsong tones.

With the two Demonesses pulling him between them, the smile on Paul's face became slightly awry as he remarked, "Rather than a birthday party, it's starting to seem like I've died and gone to Heaven..."

Drawing their lips to Paul's ears, Kishirika and Kishirisu briefly traced their ruby-red tongues around the interior before whispering, "If you'd like, we can take you pretty close..."

Punctuating their words, Kishirika began to undo the fastener of Paul's trousers while Kishirisu unbuttoned the tunic beneath his overcoat. Their actions earned them a slightly disproving look from Ningguang, but they largely ignored her. So long as Paul permitted them to do as they pleased, no one could protest their actions.

With everyone walking around in bunny suits or incredibly skimpy attire, Paul couldn't be blamed for assuming the surprise party was basically an orgy. He was severely outnumbered, but so long as they didn't line up to take turns, he was fairly confident in his ability to endure.

Interjecting before Paul could be led astray by the twin temptresses, Diona practically shouted, "What do the two of you think you're doing!? That kind of thing is supposed to come 'after' the party! Don't think you can sneak a head start...!"

Prompted by Diona's outburst, everyone in the room directed their gazes toward Paul, Kishirika, and Kishirisu. Not even the two Demon Empresses could endure such an intense pressure, so they immediately ceased their overt seduction attempt, Kishirika smiling wryly as she said, "We were just teasing him a bit. You know, to try and lighten the mood?"

Snorting through her nose, Diona retorted, "Likely story!" before stomping over and planting herself atop Paul's lap. Her actions earned her deadpan stares from Kishirika, Kishirisu, and several others, but Diona just crossed her arms in defiance, declaring, "Don't look at me like that! I'm only sitting here to prevent further misconduct!"

Though Diona's words weren't even remotely compelling, everyone returned to what they were doing beforehand when Ningguang clapped her hands together and appended, "Now, now, we still have a show to put on. Everyone into position."

With everyone turning away from her to complete their respective tasks, Diona couldn't help flashing a faintly triumphant smile. A part of her felt ashamed of what she had done, but she also believed she had done the right thing by preventing Kishirika and Kishirisu from ignoring the plan and doing as they pleased.

Noticing the expression on Diona's face, Kishirisu narrowed her eyes and remarked, "This cheeky cat..."

Prompted by Kishirisu's remark, Kishirika was about to supply a barb of her own when Paul interjected to say, "Relax. Now is neither the time nor the place for an argument. Besides..."

As he already had his arms wrapped around the two Empresses, Paul reached up to grope their nearly naked breasts as he added, "We don't need to have sex to enjoy our time together..."

Punctuating his statement, Paul planted a kiss on Kishirika's lips before turning to Kishirisu a few moments later. He was keenly interested in the preparations being made just meters away, but he knew where his focus was required.

Though they were still a little annoyed by Diona's behavior, Kishirika and Kishirisu promptly discarded the notion of petty revenge. Neither of them was particularly fond of the petite cat girl, but the drinks Diona prepared were enough of a reason to forgive her.

Seeing Paul concentrating his attention on Kishirika and Kishirisu, Diona couldn't help feeling a trace of envy. However, before she could voice a complaint or start grinding against the sizeable bulge poking against her bottom, Paul tilted her head back and proceeded to kiss her. At the same time, Kishirika and Kishirisu began caressing her abdomen, causing Diona to frown until Paul whispered, " It's okay... " in a soothing tone.

Though she felt differently, Diona resisted the urge to protest and instead reached up to hook her left hand around Paul's head and neck. She didn't enjoy others touching her body without permission, but she was willing to endure it so long as Paul continued kissing her...

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With their preparations finished, the mana crystals casting light within Paul's room began to dim, imposing a sense of stillness in the previously chaotic room. Then, just as complete silence had descended, the sound of a lyre began to echo around the room as Venti emerged from behind a partition in a green and white bunnysuit, albeit without the ears.

Noticing Paul staring directly at her, Venti supplied a playful wink as her fingers danced gracefully across the silvery strings of her lyre. She had been designated as the MC(Master of Ceremonies) for the night's events, but she simply couldn't resist giving a performance of her own.

"My heart is like a singing bird~ whose nest is in a watered shoot. My heart is like an apple tree~ whose boughs are bent with thickset fruit. My heart is like a rainbow shell~ that paddles within a halcyon sea. My heart is gladder than all of these~ for my love has come to me~."

Just as it was beginning to seem like Venti's performance would end without incident, the mischievous Archon abruptly tore away the fabric of her bunnysuit to reveal her voluptuous, nearly naked body. She had been 'inspired' by the costumes of Kishirika and Kishirisu, so, when no one was looking, she donned a pair of pasties over her nipples and crotch with the intent of punctuating her performance with a surprise.

As everyone was used to Venti's behavior by now, the principal response from the crowd was a series of sighs. Seemingly oblivious to the reactions of everyone else present, Venti performed a sensual pose with her hands raised, her face red and eyes narrowed as she practically purred, "Happy Birthday, Paul. I hope this evening carries with you for the entire year that follows..."

Returning a smoldering smile, Paul playfully replied, "It's certainly left an impression thus far..."

Though Paul's expression and words caused beads of sweat to begin forming on her body, Venti suppressed her growing urges and did her best to execute her duties as MC, broadcasting, "Then let's keep the excitement going with our first performer, the ever-illustrious Yun Jin~!"

Immediately following Venti's words, the room briefly became pitch black until Yoimiya illuminated the improvised stage with a mana-powered stage light. Lightbulbs weren't really a thing in the world of Mushoku Tensei, but magic crystals were a convenient, albeit very costly, substitute.

Contrasting virtually everyone else, Yun Jin appeared on stage in her usual gothic attire. She took her performances 'very' seriously, so, while she had on a pair of 'special' undergarments, her outerwear and makeup were impeccable, much like her singing voice.

While he wasn't able to understand much of what Yun Jin was saying, primarily due to the fact she sang and spoke in different languages, Paul enjoyed her performance quite a bit. There was something mysterious about the way she enunciated each word, and, thanks to the efforts of Shenhe, Xinyan, Ganyu, and Shinobu, the performance benefitted from the distinct sounds of a zither, shamisen, flute, and drums.

Though the song lasted less than two minutes, even Kishirka and Kishirisu were practically enchanted by Yun Jin's performance. Theatre culture and performance arts had yet to take off within the world of Mushoku Tensei, so unless a musician or a theater buff transmigrated over, there were very few developments in that regard. There was a Bard's College in the Holy Capital of Milishion, but only the most dedicated of Minstrels were willing to fork over the exorbitant entrance fee.

Unable to contain themselves, Kishirika and Kishirisu joined in after Paul initiated a brief ovation. Yun Jin wasn't particularly fond of clapping, but she still performed a flawless curtsy before making her way off the stage and disappearing behind the partition set up as a backstage area. She still had two more songs to perform, but they would be at the middle and end of the other performances.

Directly following Yun Jin's departure, Venti, now wearing a mantle that Ningguang had forced upon her, stepped out to announce that Xinyan would be up next. This immediately got Paul excited, not because he felt Xinyan was a better singer than Yun Jin, but because he had helped her write a number of songs based on those he could remember from his past life.

With a shamisen that had been modified to sound identical to an electric guitar, Shinobu on the drums, and Hu Tao on the bass, Xinyan was able to perform a remarkably faithful rendition of the pop-rock song 'Girlfriend' by Avril Lavigne. They even used a variation of Voice Magic, taught to them by Ghislaine, to amply their voices, similar to a microphone. As a result, the trio gave off the impression of a legitimate punk-rock band, complete with wild hairstyles and an abundance of spiked accessories.

Though the performance only lasted three and a half minutes, Xinyan was out of breath and caked in sweat by the song's end. This was far from her first 'live' performance, but singing her heart out while wearing little more than a bikini top and loincloth increased her excitement ten, maybe even a hundredfold. The content of the song also sounded like she was issuing a challenge to every other girl present, so Xinyan needed to be supported by Hu Tao to avoid passing out after their collective bow...

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After several additional performances, ranging from traditional songs to elegant dances and stripteases, the crystals within Paul's room gradually regained their luminance. He was a little reluctant to have things end, but Ningguang promptly reminded him that he was expected at dinner. Klee and Sayu hadn't been permitted to participate in the birthday celebration, so he was supposed to be eating dinner with them, Lilia, and a few others.

Though he was still a little reluctant, Paul would rather deprive himself of a good time than see Klee in a depressive state after he failed to show up for dinner. He also knew an exhilarating night waited for him upon his return, so, after a quick romp with Yae and Ei, primarily to get his boner under control, Paul took a bath and hurried over to the main banquet hall.

Having calmed down a bit after their previous separation, Klee was in high spirits by the time Paul burst into the hall, followed closely by Ganyu. She was one of the only people not actively partaking in Paul's not-so-secret birthday party, as, compared to most of the other girls from the IOF, she spent a considerable amount of time at his side.

Adopting a smile that could rival the Sun with its radiance, Klee shouted, "Big brother~!" as she dropped out of her chair and sprinted over to him with her arms spread like wings. Sayu, Lilia, and Falina were also present, but they elected to stay in their seats and observe the scene with varying degrees of a smile.

Since she had run headlong into his knees in the past, Paul bent down to receive Klee with open arms. His efforts were rewarded with a headbutt to the chest, but the pain disappeared almost immediately as Klee buried her face into the fabric of his tunic, stating, "I missed you..." with as much sincerity as she could manage.

Wrapping his arms around the petite pyromaniac's body, Paul replied with a faint, "I missed you as well..." before picking her up a few moments later and carrying her back to the table...

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