Dealings

Upon reaching the Citadel and deboarding their carriage, Reida turned to Paul and said, "About those lasses you brought along...the Citadel doesn't exactly entertain guests. If they're going to stay here, they'll need to work or train. I'm also not particularly fond of sharing, so..."

Narrowing her eyes, Reida stared directly into Paul's as she added, "You'll need to choose. If you decide to stay with me these next five months, we can behave as brazen as we please. If you'd rather fool around with those little ducklings of yours, you'll have to live among the other male disciples. I don't care if people know about our relationship, but I'd lose all face if they knew I was just one of the women you were fucking. I am the Water God; I still have a reputation to uphold..."

Though he furrowed his brows, Paul wasn't incapable of empathizing with Reida's predicament. Most people would automatically presume she was the one that had taken an interest in him, grooming him into her successor with a carrot and stick approach. That view would shift rather drastically if it became known she was just one of many women he slept with.

"I'll talk with them once we get back. I can't promise I won't sleep with other women these next five months, but I can at least take it outside the Capital. That should suffice, right...?"

Nodding her head, Reida replied, "That's fine by me. So long as you aren't acting all lovey-dovey with other women during your stay in the Citadel, I couldn't care less what you do in private. Just remember that while you're here, you're mine."

Though she was now quite a bit shorter than Paul, that didn't stop Reida from pulling his collar and planting a kiss on his lips. Quite a few people had been eyeing them with curiosity, so even if Paul didn't truly belong to her, Reida intended to make it appear that way...

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After hearing Paul's explanation, a low-spirited sigh emanated from Venti's throat as she remarked, "If I had known something like this was going to happen, I wouldn't have held back these past couple of weeks..."

Adopting a mildly incredulous look, Paul retorted, "Held back? We've been doing it like rabbits nearly every day for the past three months..."

Raising her hands and shrugging exaggeratedly, Venti replied, "Well, yeah. I've got nearly three millennia of abstinence to make up for. At least we've stopped to take breaks."

"..."

Deciding to ignore the perpetually horny Archon, Paul shifted his attention to the rest of the group, asking, "So, what do you girls want to do? I know some of you plan to train here, but what about the rest of you? Reida has said she can arrange teaching positions for you at the Royal Academy, but waiting in the IOF is also an option."

Disregarding the fact Paul was at least pretending to ignore her, Venti was the first to answer, "I don't mind roleplaying as a teacher. The question is, what should I teach? Poetry, song, or perhaps Wind Magic? I'm not overly familiar with this world's Magic, but I'm fairly confident I can play the part of a Wind King. Maybe even an Emperor~?"

Shaking his head, Paul asserted, "Emperor is too excessive. If you exhibit that kind of might, everyone in the Kingdom will take notice. Also...not to sound rude, Venti, but you're one of the last people I would trust to act on their own. That isn't to say you aren't capable, but with your appearance and playful disposition, everyone from the faculty to the students would be trying to take advantage of you..."

Instead of taking offense to Paul's words, Venti stuck out her tongue and said, "Praise will get you everywhere~." in a playful tone.

"Right..."

Shifting his attention back to the others, Paul focused his gaze on Jean as he asked, "How about it? Any preferences...?"

Without needing to consider her response, Jean calmly stated, "I would like to stay and train within the Citadel. Though I wouldn't mind teaching, I see this as an excellent opportunity to refamiliarize myself with the use of my Vision."

Nodding his head in approval, Paul remarked, "Sounds reasonable." before shifting his attention to Ei. The moment he did, her eyes narrowed ever so slightly as she insisted, "It is my duty to remain at your side and keep you safe..."

Unsurprised by Ei's remark, Paul adopted a faint smile as he remarked, " I guess that about settles it, then. Venti will hang out in the Intersection of Fate for a bit while the rest of us focus on training."

Though she wasn't legitimately angry, Venti interjected, saying, "Now wait just one moment. What about Ganyu? She doesn't even use a sword...!"

In response to Venti's remark, Ganyu promptly reverted to her miniature Qilin form before moseying over and making herself comfortable in Paul's lap. As she did, Venti's brow twitched ever so slightly as she said, "That's cheating..."

While running his fingers through the velvety smooth fur of Ganyu's coat, Paul attempted to cheer Venti up by saying, "Look on the bright side. If you enter the IOF, it will only be a blip in time before we're out exploring the world together."

Tilting her head to the side, Venti brought a finger up to her chin as she remarked, "Hmmm...you do make a fair point. However...!"

Pointing directly a Paul, the former could swear he saw steam coming out of Venti's nose as she declared, "The next time I come out, we're going at it for two—no—five whole days! A day for each month you kept me locked away...!"

"..."

Though he felt like smacking the perverted woman upside the head, Paul surprised everyone present by appearing to consider it. The longest he had gone at it thus far was with a heated Ghislaine, but they had taken a lot of breaks in between. Five days was a little ridiculous, but Paul felt he could pull it off if he paced himself...

Surprising even Venti, Paul ultimately shrugged his shoulders and said, "Sure. Truth be told, I am a little curious to know my 'maximum' in terms of sexual stamina. I doubt we can go non-stop for five days, but I should be able to keep it up until you tap out."

Feeling the muscles in her abdomen tense, a combination of fear and excitement swelled within Venti's chest. Ever since her first time having sex, she had wanted to experience even greater levels of pleasure. Paul had messed her up pretty badly in the past, but their longest session was around thirteen hours with other people present. Five days was nearly ten times that amount, and unless she sought outside assistance, she would have to accept his everything by herself...

As her heart began to race, the smile on Venti's face became somewhat distorted as she said, "You, my dearest Master, have got yourself a deal."

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With his discussion with the girls finished and Venti safely secured in the IOF, Paul made his way to Reida's room and knocked on the door. There was no response for nearly three full minutes, but, just as Paul was about to turn around and leave, the door cracked open to reveal a panting Reida wearing little more than a silken robe that clung to her voluptuous body...

Though he would ordinarily be captivated by such a sight, Paul couldn't help narrowing his eyes as he asked, "What's going on?" in a pointed tone. He could feel the pressure in his veins immediately skyrocket, but instead of appearing angry, his expression became a cold stone mask of calm.

Seeing the sudden and rather drastic change in Paul's demeanor, a mildly incredulous look marred Reida's ruddy face as she asked, "What's gotten into you? I went through all this effort to celebrate us becoming Master and Disciple, and you're behaving—ah, I see..."

Realizing what Paul must have been thinking, a teasing smile developed across Reida's face as she asked, "Seriously? I haven't slept with anyone since you unceremoniously got me pregnant. Why would I invite another man over when I'm waiting for your stupid ass to arrive...?"

Feeling a bit of warmth flow into his cheeks, Paul honestly had no idea how to respond to Reida's words. Fortunately, she seemed more amused than upset by his behavior, promptly pulling him into the room and kissing his lips until they were a little swollen. Then, despite him insisting it wasn't necessary, she walked him through checking every inch of her room, even a few secret compartments, to confirm there was no one else present...

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"What the heck happened to you? You look like a zombie..."

Seeing Paul emerge from Reida's room, alongside the Water God herself, Xinyan couldn't help commenting upon seeing the dark circles around his eyes. In response, Paul just forced a smile while Reida openly admitted, "This oversized idiot thought I snuck another man into my room last night, so I-"

"Reida..."

Though he had no authority over the woman, Paul interrupted Reida with a soft yet forceful tone and a silent plea in his eyes. She crossed her arms and frowned deeply in response but, upon casting her cerulean gaze over the other women present, promptly decided against embarrassing him too much.

Snorting through her nose, Reida muttered, "Whatever..." before adopting a serious expression and saying, "Paul told me you girls intend to join the Citadel. Under normal circumstances, that would be impossible without a Noble background or a referral. However, since you're apparently a bunch of Saints, I've decided to bend the rules a bit. So long as you're willing to assist in the training of other Disciples, you're free to stay in the instructor housing area. Just remember, so long as you're within the confines of the Citadel, your beloved little Master belongs to me..."

In a blatant attempt to assert dominance, Reida pulled Paul close to her and adopted a taunting smile as she wrapped her arms around his neck and attempted to kiss him.

Unfortunately, while he might be willing to play the part of simple Party members for the sake of Reida's reputation, Paul wasn't going to tolerate her behaving selfishly and trying to show off in front of the other girls. As she moved in for a kiss, Paul pressed his forehead to Reida's, saying, "Not cool..." in a disproving tone.

Furrowing her brows, Reida countered, "I only have you for five months. Can't I be a little selfish before you go galavanting around the world...?"

Instead of waiting for Paul's response, Reida released her hold on his neck, muttering her usual, "Whatever..." before looking towards Ei and saying, "This fool standing behind me claimed you have what it takes to defeat me in a battle. Once we reach my private training grounds, I intend to confirm whether or not his words are pure bluster. Prepare yourself."

Narrowing her eyes, the overwhelmingly dignified aura Ei usually kept in check surged outward with physical force as she straightened her back, raised her chin, and replied, "Very well." in a frightfully calm tone. As she did, goosebumps spread across the entirety of Reida's body as her hand instinctually moved to the hilt of her sword. At the same time, every single person within the Citadel of Reida, be they Kings or simple Beginners, felt as though they had a blade pressed to their throats...

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