193 Stray

Just as the silvery-haired Cambion was about to answer Paul's question, a heavily scarred man with red leathery skin, devil-like horns, and pointed ears walked over to say, "Aye, what do we have 'ere? A young lhrd and his lasses? Eider way, it's ten scraps an hour 'n wan iron fhr de night."

Looking toward the fork-tongued man, Paul briefly noted the scars on the man's face, the severely worn quality of his thief-like attire, and the series of knives poorly concealed beneath his overcoat. His right eye and part of his right horn were missing, but the feature that stood out the most was his smile. The man had incredibly sharp-looking teeth, but, unlike Kishirika and Kishirisu, the man's resembled yellow, severely stained needles.

Understanding who the man was, Paul's eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he inquired, "Are you this woman's handler?"

Brandishing a devilish smile, the man replied, "Aye, dat is chrrect. Now, do we have a deal hr what?"

"Hmmm..."

Instead of responding to the man, Paul returned his gaze to the Cambion woman kneeling with her body hunched over. Compared to her front, her back was a latticework of scars. Several still had scabs and oozed puss, but, as fucked up as her situation was, helping her wasn't necessarily the best course of action. After all, everyone outside of his 'knowledge' was a potential plant by Hitogami...

Shaking such thoughts from his mind, Paul ignored the annoyed-looking handler, kneeling in front of the woman to ask the same question he had asked many others, "Tell me...what is your dream? If you had the power to achieve anything, what would you do with it...?"

Aggravated by Paul's behavior, the devilish-looking man flicked his forked tongue before hissing, "Oi! This isn't a social, mate! If you're not 'ere to do business, den piss awf with yh...!"

Reacting to the man's words, a few other Demons began surrounding Paul and his group. The quality of their equipment made the thugs more than a little hesitant, but they couldn't just ignore someone behaving brazenly on their turf.

Realizing that the Cambion was too scared to answer him in the presence of the people exploiting her, a faint sigh emanated from Paul's throat. The woman's behavior indicated that she had resolved herself to her fate. She could still change, but she lacked the willpower and determination to rise without assistance.

Rising to his feet, Paul pretended not to notice the men surrounding him as he eyed the other women and children lining the streets or peering out from alleyways. The Cambion was far from the only person who needed a helping hand, so, as much as he wanted to help, there were limits to what he could do without taking drastic action.

Just as Paul was about to turn around and tell the devilish man and his goons to move aside, a faint, almost inaudible voice reached his ears. He couldn't make out the first few words, but as he half-turned to stare down at the emaciated Cambion, he could hear her weakly reply, "I would make sure none had to suffer as I have..."

Hearing the woman's words alongside Paul, the devilish man sneered as he said, "What d'yh mean, suffer? Me 'n me boys've been takin' good care of yh fhr years!"

Standing between the man and the kneeling Cambion, Paul's expression hardened as he said, "Enough." Then, before the red-skinned man could react, he pulled out an Asura Gold Coin and flicked it with enough force to graze the man's ear and embed it into the building behind him as he said, "Take that and piss off."

Though a few of the surrounding thugs were tempted to escalate things when Paul revealed he had gold coins in his possession, none were daring enough to make the first move. Not even the red-skinned man whose ear had been cut dared to complain, as, the moment Paul turned around to flick the golden coin, his eyes briefly shifted to his Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.

Realizing that Paul wasn't someone he should mess with, the red-skinned Demon cupped his hands together and bowed like a greedy merchant as he said, "Thank you fhr yhr business." An Asuran Gold Coin was more than he would make whoring out the Cambion woman every night for six years, so, as far as he was concerned, Paul had just purchased damaged goods off his hands at a premium.

After retrieving the gold coin from the wall behind him, the red-skinned man gestured for his men to follow him, 'pissing off' as Paul had advised. The man knew he was pushing his luck when he initially confronted Paul, so he didn't want to be around when the latter realized just how damaged the goods he was purchasing were.

Ignoring the man's retreat, Paul extended his hand toward the Cambion woman, asking, "Can you stand...?" in a soft tone.

Though she could sense Paul's aura, the Cambion woman couldn't make out his stretched hand. As a result, she kept her emaciated body hunched as she replied, "Forgive me, milord..."

Shaking his head, Paul replied, "It's fine..." before looking to Ganyu and asking, "Can you treat her?"

Adopting her characteristically gentle smile, Ganyu replied, "I could cast Healing Magic on her, but she lacks the stamina and nutrients to support the regenerative process. For now, I suggest we take her someplace safe and start her on a proper diet. Healing Magic is at its most effective when the target is healthy."

As he was well acquainted with the banes and boons of Healing Magic, Paul just nodded in response to Ganyu's explanation before taking a knee in front of the Cambion and asking, "Do you mind if I pick you up...?"

Surprised that Paul would even bother asking, the Cambion woman didn't immediately respond to his question. When she did, her voice was audibly trembling with emotion as she replied, "Thank you..."

Interpreting the woman's words as assent, Paul habitually nodded before picking up her heartbreakingly thin and light body in a princess carry. She was fairly petite, only around 156cm, but her weight made her feel much, much smaller. Paul didn't know her precise weight, but she couldn't have been more than 35, maybe 36kgs...

Sparing one last look at the others lining the street, Paul shook his head, suppressing his guilt as he turned to Ei and Ganyu, saying, "Let's go." in a firm tone. Even helping the Cambion woman was already going against his usual policy, but his intuition was telling him she had the potential to be a significant person in the future. At the very least, he intended to give her a chance...

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"Have you gone soft in the head? Fort Necross isn't a daycare or a place where you can invite outsiders to stay at your leisure. Just how badly do you want to piss my men off?"

After hearing Paul's report, Atofe couldn't help staring at him with a hint of disdain in her ruby-red eyes. She knew Paul was a busybody, but bringing a prostitute to Fort Necross and expecting the troops within to protect her was beyond laughable. Many already resented him for keeping a group of powerful and beautiful women to himself; keeping a legitimate prostitute from them was crossing the line.

Understanding Atofe's concerns, Paul pulled out a large pouch containing one hundred Asura Gold Coins, stating, "The supplies I've provided to you and your men should be more than enough compensation. However, if the concern is a lack of female 'personnel,' this should be enough to obtain and accommodate hundreds. My only request is that they be treated well, not as pieces of meat."

"..."

Accepting the rather hefty bag of gold, Atofe briefly considered her words before remarking, "This will undoubtedly go a long way toward appeasing my troops. However, it isn't the lack of females that gets men riled up. It's the thought that others are keeping the 'best' women for themselves..."

Shrugging his shoulders, Paul replied, "Yeah, and? It makes me sick just making this kind of arrangement. If I didn't respect your position, do you think I would waste my time trying to appease asshats who view women as some kind of trophy to be obtained?"

Not wanting to argue, Atofe set the bag of gold aside and said, "I'll have Bhathia take care of it. Just try not to pick up any additional strays during your stay in the fortress. I realize it's in your nature, but you aren't here to play Hero. Finish your training, and then you can do whatever the hell you want."

As he could understand how his actions put Atofe in a difficult position, Paul nodded his head and replied, "I intend to do precisely that. Meeting and helping Falina was pure happenstance. I don't intend to make a habit of it."

Though she was tempted to point out that 'happenstance' was probably the greatest threat to Paul's ambitions, Atofe didn't feel like lecturing him. There were far more productive things they could be doing with their free time, so, after a moment of silence, she adopted a mischievous smile and asked, "What are you doing after this...?"

Adopting a smile of his own, Paul replied, "Well, if it will keep you from harping over my decisions, I suppose the most pertinent response would be 'you.' At the very least, that was my intention..."

Understanding what Paul was trying to imply, Atofe narrowed her eyes as she asked, "So, what you're trying to say is that the penultimate decision is mine to make? Is that it...?"

Nodding his head, Paul answered, "While a bit of forcefulness can be a good thing, consent supersedes everything. Even if I had the power to take you by force, nothing compares to the feeling of accomplishment that comes from knowing a strong and competent woman desires you in equal measure..."

Though she was the type that believed the strong should take what they want, Atofe would be lying if she said Paul's words didn't give her a slight sense of gratification. Having a partner that exceeded her in strength but treated her with respect didn't sound all that bad...

Spreading her legs in an unladylike yet alluring manner, Atofe narrowed her eyes even further as she mused, "You talk too much. At moments like this, actions speak louder than words..."

Exhaling through his nose, Paul's smile revealed a trace of helplessness as he kneeled in front of Atofe and placed his hands on her knees. She could grant herself functionally infinite pleasure, but stimulation was only one aspect of sex. There were also psychological aspects, so, instead of trying to 'conquer' Atofe like some kind of hentai game protagonist, Paul plucked at her heartstrings by willfully demonstrating some of the service techniques Lisa had ingrained into him.

As much as Atofe enjoyed forcing people against their will, her heart fluttered the most when otherwise proud and assertive people treated her tenderly. Most men only cared about themselves, so Paul's meticulous yet passionate ministrations amused and excited her to no end...

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Though she couldn't see it, Falina, the Cambion woman rescued by Paul, trembled as she 'stared' at the contents of the bowl she had been given. Most people within the Demon Continent would be lucky to eat meat even once a month, but here she was with her second bowl of meat stew, some of the most delicious she had ever eaten.

Noticing Falina's hesitation, Ganyu adopted a sad smile and stated, "This is not a dream. Please, continue eating. You'll need to regain your strength if I am to use Healing Magic on you."

Shifting her 'gaze' toward Ganyu, Falina's voice was tettered on a sob as she inquired, "Why me? Surely there are people more deserving than I..."

Shaking her head, Ganyu insisted, "Everyone deserves to be happy. You have simply been given a chance to obtain it ahead of others. If you feel obligated to repay our Master in the future, do so by obtaining happiness and helping to better the lives of others. Attempting to repay him through dedication or service will only encumber him..."

Though she didn't grasp the broader meaning of Ganyu's words, Falina nodded her head to imply her understanding. She knew she was beyond fortunate to have been picked up by someone willing to feed and nourish her, so, even if Paul discarded her the moment she was healed, she would never, ever forget his kindness...

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