Focus

Following Zhongli, Sayu, Yae, and Kishirika, it was finally Paul's turn to step through the teleporter. Ganyu used an Intermediate Detoxification Magic known as Clarity before he departed, but he emerged on the other side feeling like someone had yanked on his guts.

Fortunately for Paul, Yae was waiting on the other side to receive him with a full-breasted hug, a faint chuckle emanating from her throat as she ran her fingers through his hair and whispered, "There, there...deep breaths..."

Seeing Paul relax into Yae's embrace, his hands gravitating toward her waist, Kishirika rolled her eyes and remarked, "For someone who prattles on about wanting to fight and becoming strong enough to protect others, you sure seem to enjoy being coddled..."

Raising his face from Yae's fragrant and pillowy breasts, Paul revealed a serious expression as he retorted, "It's because I have the support of so many incredible and beautiful women that I can push myself as hard as I do..."

Exhaling another throaty chuckle, Yae tightened her hold on Paul's head, nuzzling his scalp with her cheek as she mused, "I'm starting to see why Ei loves you so much. You can be remarkably adorable when you want to be..."

Though he wasn't particularly fond of being called adorable, Paul smiled and allowed Yae to do as she pleased. Her aroma was reminiscent of the taste of honeysuckles, a faint yet sweet fragrance that overwhelmed the feelings of nausea and vertigo that had plagued him moments prior.

Feeling a little peeved, Kishirika's expression became uncharacteristically icy as she glared at Yae and asked, "Just what are you to my fiance? I get that you're having sex, but that doesn't explain why he lets you look down on him to this extent..."

Blinking in surprise, Yae looked directly toward Kishirika and asked, "I beg your pardon? I don't recall looking down on my Master..."

Pointing at Yae's face, Kishirika retorted, "There you go! He's your Master, not a child or a pet that needs your pampering! Show some respect...!"

Taken aback by Kishirika's castigation, Yae opened her mouth but found herself at a loss for words. She enjoyed teasing Paul, sure, but she never once viewed him as a child or a pet. Quite the opposite...

Believing she understood why Kishirika was upset, Yae released her hold on Paul's head as she declared, "I am willing to fight, die, and suffer any form of humiliation for my Master. If he wanted to leash me and keep me as a pet, I wouldn't offer any resistance whatsoever. Instead, he chooses to love, respect, and support each of us. I understand your desire to see him grow, mature, and reach his full potential. Each of us here shares that desire. However, it is not something we have any intention of forcing. So long as my Master finds comfort in my bosom, I will always be ready and willing to receive him..."

Seeing the resolution in Yae's amethyst purple eyes, Kishirika averted her own, staring at Paul as she asked, "Are you okay with this? I understand you have no desire to rule, but others will view you as incompetent if you permit the members of your harem to do as they please. Imagine how the public would view you if they knew you needed emergency healing or the embrace of a woman every time you had a tummy ache...?"

Though he couldn't help smiling affectionately in response to Yae's words, Paul's smile cramped when he heard Kishirika's counter. He didn't think it was that big a deal, but he could kind of see where she was coming from. If he stumbled across someone like Orsted or Perugius being doted on or receiving headpats from a motherly woman, he presumably wouldn't fear or respect them nearly as much as he did.

Believing Paul was about to apologize, Kishirika shook her head and said, "Don't. You haven't done anything to merit an apology. I'm only telling you these things now so that shitty god can't manipulate you in the future. It's fine to lower your guard and indulge in private, but you should never lower relax in a dungeon or labyrinth. For all you know, the four of us could have been illusions. Had that been the case, you'd be dead right now, your final moments denoted by an idiotic smile as your flesh and body became part of the biomass of a Mimic Slime or Doppelganger..."

Picturing such a scene, Paul's body shuddered involuntarily. He wanted to argue that the odds of such an occurrence were astronomical, but that would take ignoring the fact that their primary antagonist, Hitogami, could peer into the future.

Instead of apologizing, Paul adopted a serious expression and said, "I'll do better." in a solemn tone of voice.

Nodding her head in approval, Kishirika replied, "I know you will." before shifting her gaze to Yae and adding, "A faithful maid, servant, or whatever you want to call yourself, doesn't simply permit their Master to do as they please. Excessive pampering leads to dependency and frailty of the mind. Respect and reverence lead to independence and dignification. Keep that in mind the next time you compel your Master to act like a fool..."

"..."

Though she wanted to refute Kishirika's claims, Yae wasn't incapable of seeing the logic contained within. She had first-hand experience seeing how a person could break down upon losing their pillar of support; she just hadn't considered that Paul would follow a similar path...

As if responding to Yae's thoughts, Ei abruptly appeared at the center of the summoning circle. The latter immediately noticed the strange tension in the air but ultimately chose to remain silent as she positioned herself at Paul's side. She could be incredibly sloth-like in private but never dropped her guard while on duty. In other words, she pretty much behaved exactly how Kishrika expected all of Paul's subordinate spirits to act...

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With Ganyu arriving five minutes after Ei, the awkward silence permeating the hidden chamber promptly disappeared. At nearly the exact same time, a section of the wall furthest from the teleportation pad evaporated into motes of white light, followed by Sayu stepping in to say, "I was unable to detect any enemies between here and our destination."

As she had informed Sayu that the inner sanctum was largely devoid of enemies, the sole exception being the treasury in the basement, Kishirika scoffed and replied, "Wow, who could imagine such a thing...?"

Confused by Kishirika's unprovoked hostility, Sayu tilted her head to the side and inquired, "Did you eat something bad...?" in her usual monotone.

Blinking in surprise, Kishirika was about to ask if Sayu was an idiot but stopped herself when Paul narrowed his eyes and directed a genuinely angry look her way. She wasn't actually trying to upset anyone; she was just feeling antsy about reclaiming her status and home after living the life of a pauper for more than four millennia.

Surprising nearly everyone, Kishirika averted her eyes and offered a faint, almost inaudible, "Sorry..." before crossing her arms and pretending to be oblivious to the fact everyone was staring.

Shaking his head, Paul elected to shelf the matter of Kishirika's behavior, suggesting, "Let's get a move on. Same strategy and formation as before. If you notice anything even remotely out of the ordinary, don't be afraid to speak out. Communication is the key to teamwork."

With everyone responding with either an understood, roger, or very well, Paul focused his senses and stepped toward the wall Sayu had entered through. There was a square-shaped panel on the wall, so he placed his hand in the center and pressed down until he could feel a faint vibration spreading through his palm. He was briefly blinded when a section of the wall disappeared but recovered almost immediately and said, "Let's go." in a firm tone...

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As Kishirika's quarters weren't far from the secret chamber, it only took a few minutes for Paul and Party to arrive outside a set of ornate black and gold doors. It was comprised of the same material as the castle walls, but it had been reinforced further, making it nearly indestructible.

Though he wasn't surprised by the makeup of the door, Paul's expression morphed into a deadpan when he saw the image carved into the surface. He half-expected it to show Kishirika. Instead, he was greeted with a life-sized relief of Badigadi standing proudly, two arms crossed over his chest, and the remaining four spread out as if he was barring entry into the room behind him.

Noticing the expression on Paul's face, a nervous chuckle emanated from Kishirika's throat before she exhaled a sigh and explained, "Badi had this door commissioned the first time we were engaged. He wanted it to serve as a reminder to everyone in the castle that entry into my chambers came at the risk of offending him. I honestly never thought I would be escorting another man to this point..."

Feeling slightly nostalgic, Kishrika extended her hand towards the relief but stopped herself halfway. She suspected that Badi had something to do with the loss of her 'identity,' so, while she still adored the six-armed brute, it had been thousands of years since she trusted him...

"Anyways, let's go inside..."

Without waiting for a response, Kishirika raised her right hand to produce a complex, palm-sized magic circle. There were no handles or keyholes on the door, so the only way to enter inside was to know the exact spell to access it.

As the relief of Badi split in two, the nearly meter-wide doors slid open to reveal a sickeningly pink bedchamber. Kishirika generally wore black and dark-purple clothes, so even Zhongli was surprised to see the interior of her room. Not merely due to the color scheme but because there were at least a hundred stuffed animals, some nearly as large as the animals they were based on, populating the interior.

Noticing everyone's reactions, Kishirika questioned, "What's with the astonished looks? Did you expect torture racks, bloodstains, and bondage equipment? This is a bedroom, not a sex dungeon..."

Picking up one of the plushies, a paradoxically disturbing yet cute 'bear' with a patchwork exterior, bulbous eyes, stitch lines, and several nails sticking out of it, a nostalgic smile developed across Kishirika's face. She didn't explain its significance, but everyone could tell the doll meant a lot to her, especially with how gently she placed it among the remainder of her stuffed animals.

As if realizing something, Kishirika unexpectedly turned towards Sayu, a borderline predatory smile on her face as she remarked, "You know, now that I get a better look at them...your clothes are pretty cute. What animal is that outfit based on...?"

Before Sayu could respond, Paul said, "We have more important things to take care of right now. Let's save the idle chatter for later."

Resisting the urge to point out that Paul was the one fooling around less than twenty minutes prior, Kishirika rolled her eyes and said, "The hidden passage is in the closet, behind a rack of dresses. Come on, I'll show you where it's at."

Taking the lead, Kishirika opened one of the room's five doors to reveal a walk-in closet filled with hundreds, if not tens of thousands, of outfits. A number of powerful enchantments prevented items within the castle from decaying over time, so all of the clothes Kishirika had stockpiled over the years were present within. More importantly, so was the prototype armor developed by Dragon God Laplace...

As if reminded of the armor's presence the moment she opened the door, a shark-toothed smile spread across Kishirika's face as she made her way toward it.

Expecting a golden Gundam, Paul was surprised to find that Kishirika's personalized Golden Armor more closely resembled that of a Judge from the Final Fantasy series. It looked badass, but it was only around 170cm tall despite some prominent heels. It also left gaps in the side, back, and thighs, likely due to the horn-like protuberances sticking out of Kishirika's body, so there were some pretty obvious flaws in its design...

At least it wasn't bikini armor...not that Paul would have complained...

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