192 Happenstance

After slicing his way from one side of the ravine to the other, Paul looked back to observe the destruction he had wrought. Hundreds of bodies now littered the ground, and while they were all monsters, it was still a jarring sight to behold.

Before Paul had time to reflect on his actions, Atofe dropped down next to him with a hero's landing, cracking the ground with her right knee and fist before rising to her full height and remarking, "Well done. An A-Rank Party would have taken days to clear out this many monsters, but you managed to cut your way from one side to the other in under two hours."

Shaking his head, Paul countered, "That's because they would need to set up a defensive encampment to collect materials and burn corpses...what I did amounts to little more than a pointless slaughter..."

Adopting a faint smile, Atofe replied, "You're not wrong. However, it wasn't entirely pointless. The snakes you killed utilized this ravine as a breeding pit. The females can lay up to three hundred eggs in a single clutch, so we have little choice but the cull their numbers before things get out of hand. Failing to do so would result in a monster wave."

As it wasn't uncommon for certain breeds of monsters to reproduce very, very quickly, Paul wasn't surprised by Atofe's words. In response, he just closed his eyes, regulating his breathing and deactivating his Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. They required very little Mana to keep active, but his brain would eventually feel as though it was vibrating, followed by intense feelings of stress and anxiety.

Waiting until Paul had calmed down, Atofe revealed, "Your equipment is with that goat woman. Once you've cleaned yourself up, make your way Eastward to the town of Makris. I informed the Guildmaster that you and your Party would be dealing with the annual snake extermination, so he'll be waiting to hear your report. If he gives you any crap, feel free to rough him up a bit."

Finished with what she had to say, Atofe gave Paul an unnecessarily firm pat on the shoulder, snickering as she said, "See you tomorrow, Mr. King's Greatsword..."

Without another word, Atofe spread her wings and took to the sky like a missile, her laughter briefly echoing through the ravine until she reached a distance where it was no longer audible to Paul. Shortly after that, Ganyu and Ei descended into the ravine, both appearing to defy gravity as they landed silently and gracefully next to him...

...

..

.

Contrasting how they initially treated one another, Kishirika and Kishirisu now got along exceptionally well. Both were borderline egomaniacs, but as they were technically the same individual, they got off on teasing and fooling around with each other.

After spending part of the morning helping Sucrose set up her lab in the atelier previously used by Laplace, Kishirika and Kishirisu returned to their shared chambers for some bonding time. It was difficult for them to focus on things like research for prolonged periods, so, with people like Sucrose more than happy to delve into Laplace's research on bio-alchemy, the duo spent most of their time lazing about and getting to know one another.

Though she had people like Atena, Azura, Vahka, and Vashti to keep her company, being trapped within her castle for four hundred years hadn't been easy on Kishirisu. There were times when minor disputes would lead to her and the Guardians not speaking to each other for years, so, in many ways, she had lived a life even more isolated than Kishirika.

As stressful as being ignored by her people was, the presence of other races meant Kishirika almost always had someone to speak to or interact with. Several had attempted to take advantage of or enslave her, but she was generally able to outsmart them and escape before things could get too out of hand. Thus, while she was isolated among her people, she was able to live relatively free and unfettered despite the curses Laplace had placed on her.

Fortunately for Laplace, though she still intended to give him a piece of her mind, Kishirika had already forgiven him for cursing her. Both had the objective of defeating Hitogami, so while she was still a little salty about being treated as a distraction, Kishirika no longer resented him. Instead, she directed all of her hatred and frustration toward Hitogami, the being responsible for manipulating Badigadi into killing her, destroying half the world, and fracturing the original Laplace's soul...

...

..

.

Interrupting Kishirka's and Kishirisu's naked skinship, Fayde appeared out of thin air, her expression a cold deadpan as she informed, "Your Imperial Majesties, there is a matter I must report..."

Though they were more than a little annoyed by Fayde's interruption, the two violet-haired Demonesses sat up, stating, "Out with it." with identical timing.

Snorting through her nose, Fayde made a show of rolling her eyes and crossing her arms as she revealed, "One of my familiars has spotted Lord Badigadi entering an underground passage alongside a young human girl. Just thought you should know..."

Understanding the significance of Badi traveling with a human, Kishirika and Kishirisu narrowed their eyes, the former remarking, "That big dumb oaf never learns..."

Though she felt the same way, Kishirisu attempted to ease tensions by stating, "Even if Hitoshit is guiding them, they shouldn't be able to enter the castle. Laplace personally restructured the underground pass to only allow passage in one direction. Unless he retrieves the Golden Armor and the Sword of Aldebaran, Badi shouldn't be able to penetrate the castle's defenses on his own."

Shaking her head, Kishirika retorted, "But he isn't alone. That girl he's with likely has an ability that will allow him to enter the castle. If not, she must be important in some other way. We need to figure out how."

While she could see where Kishirika was coming from, Kishirisu shook her head and said, "I disagree. With Hitoshit's foresight, it's better if we stay off his radar and leave things to Paul. We know he can't see what's going on in the castle, so we should resolve ourselves to stay inside until he has been defeated."

Shifting her gaze to Fayde, Kishirisu added, "Inform Zhongli to meet us in the throne room. We'll be there in 20-30 minutes."

With a somewhat begrudging expression, Fayde lowered her head and replied, "As you will..." before disappearing using her unique teleportation method. Her standoffishness gave the impression she might betray the duo at any time, but neither Kishirika nor Kishirisu were concerned. After all, few resented Hitogami more than the Spirits.

Following Fayde's departure, Kishirisu turned to Kishirika and said, "We have already entrusted this matter to Paul. I understand your desire to help, but anything we do could be playing right into Hitoshit's plans..."

Rolling her eyes, Kishirika lamented, "I am well aware of that..." before regaining her smile and asking, "Now, where were we...?"

Adopting a smile of her own, Kishirisu reached between Kishirika's thighs and replied, "Somewhere around here~?"

...

..

.

Staring at his updated Guild Card, a somewhat melancholic smile marred Paul's face as he remarked, "Even though I just ran through a horde of B-Rank monsters on my own, it doesn't feel like I should be A-Rank..."

Disagreeing vehemently, Ei stated, "Were it not for the Guild's regulations and requirements, you would be S-Rank by default."

Exhaling a light chuckle, Paul placed his Guild Card away as he replied, "I suppose you're right. It just feels weird to receive credit for completing a bunch of quests without accepting them..."

Shaking his head, Paul did his best to suppress his usual negativity as he turned to Ei and Ganyu, smiling as he said, "We still have a bit of daylight to burn. I know it's a little out of the blue, but would the two of you like to accompany me for a date?"

Without needing to consider their responses, Ganyu and Ei both smiled, the former answering, "Of course," while the latter replied with a curt, "It would be my honor."

Ignoring the looks of jealousy he received from a few random bystanders, Paul extended his arms to the two girls. Then, for the better part of three hours, they just walked around aimlessly sampling food and purchasing a few souvenirs. There wasn't much to do in the Demon Continent besides getting drunk or larking about in the Red Light District, but that didn't stop the trio from enjoying themselves.

Fortunately, while many gave Paul the stink eye during the impromptu date, no one attempted to harass him or the girls. The equipment they wore drew considerable attention, but it also served as a warning to any who would dare to accost them. After all, while anyone could wear high-quality equipment, only those with genuine strength would dare to traipse about without a care in the world.

While Paul didn't consider himself strong, he suffered from the pitfall of only comparing himself to people who were stronger than him. He was so far beyond the standards of an ordinary person that he might as well be a monster. However, with people like Ei constantly surrounding him, Paul couldn't help feeling like he was climbing a mountain that curved away from its face, effectively forcing him to ascend upside down as he aimed for a peak he could barely even fathom...

Though he was a little distracted, Paul could sense when people were paying attention to him even without a heads up from Ganyu or Ei. As a result, he could sense the gaze of someone locking onto him. However, when he looked over, he found a severely scarred woman with a slender frame, silvery-white hair that framed her face and flared outward above her shoulders, pointed ears that had sustained numerous cuts, and short black horns that curved away from her head.

Due to the extreme conditions of the Demon Continent, it wasn't rare to encounter people with disabilities or downtrodden individuals suffering from homelessness. Many Demons became Adventurers at a very young age, so, as unpleasant as it was to imagine, there were many towns where the number of orphans living on the street exceeded those living in actual orphanages.

Though it frequently made him feel like a bag of dicks, Paul had learned to ignore the plights of others unless they were under his care or jurisdiction. He would occasionally hand out alms, but he understood that most of the money he handed out ended up in the hands of the people exploiting the children behind the scenes. Thus, unless they were in dire need or under attack, he would generally turn a blind eye to the many Demons suffering from extreme poverty throughout the Demon Continent.

While the woman's physical condition garnered Paul's attention, the thing that held his intrigue was the fact she was 'staring' at him despite a black, severely tattered blindfold covering her eyes. There was a chance it was thin enough to see through, but the line of dirt between the woman's face and the fabric implied it was rarely removed.

Seemingly recognizing that Paul, Ei, and Ganyu were staring at her, the silvery-haired girl lowered her head and body steeply as she muttered, "Oh, great ones...please have mercy..."

Though such appeals weren't uncommon, Paul only hesitated for a brief moment before making his way over to the kneeling woman and asking, "Are you blind...?"

Without raising her head, the woman replied, "I have never observed the world's splendor, but I have been able to discern the presence of others since I was small..."

Providing some clarity to the woman's statement, Ganyu revealed, "She is a Cambion, a cross between a Succubus and a Human. Most Succubi only give birth to other Succubi, but there are cases such as this where a child is born with the traits of both parents."

In response to Ganyu's words, the silver-haired woman began to tremble, her body visibly tensing as if she was prepared to be hit or stomped upon. The countless cuts and scars covering her body made it apparent she had good reason to be frightened, but harming her was the last thing on Paul's mind as he asked, "What's your name?"

...

..

.