Capítulo 219: Confrontation
Though there wasn't much he could do to improve his physical condition any further than he already had, Paul still enjoyed exercising. The feeling of endorphins pumping through his brain and nervous system was second only to sex, so he was somewhat annoyed when Noelle interrupted his and Ghislaine's workout to inform him that someone wanted to meet him.
"What's their identity?" asked Paul. "I'm not really in the mood to entertain self-important Nobles or members of the Church."
Realizing that Paul was annoyed, Noelle bowed her head apologetically as she replied, "She introduced herself as Sienna Revelle, a half-succubus Adventurer hailing from the Begaritt Continent. She asserts she wants to return home and desires to join our convoy as an escort."
Raising his brows, Paul parroted, "A half-succubus...?" in confusion. Half-succubi were even more scorned than their full-blooded counterparts, so it didn't make sense for one to be in a place like Milishion.
Nodding in affirmation, Noelle's expression became melancholic as she explained, "According to the person herself, she was a slave brought to Milishion by a Master who recently became deceased. Before drawing his last breath, he bequeathed Sienna her freedom. Since then, she has been looking for a way to return home without the Order of the Temple tracking her."
Furrowing his brows and crossing his arms, Paul muttered, "That's quite a story..." while mulling over his thoughts. It wasn't difficult to imagine why a half-succubus would seek him out, especially with rumors of his actions at the White Palace still circulating, but there were some significant issues with Sienna's backstory. If it was true that she was an Adventurer hailing from the Begaritt Continent, what possible reason could her 'Master' have for bringing her all the way to Milishion?
Shaking his head, Paul muttered, "Whatever..." in a muffled tone before meeting Noelle's gaze and adding, "I'll meet within the next twenty to thirty minutes. Show her to the second floor's lounge."
Bowing a second time, Noelle replied, "As you will," before raising her head and quickly departing to carry out Paul's orders. In the wake of her departure, Paul invited Ghislaine to accompany him to the bath but was summarily denied. She wasn't satisfied with the amount of training they had done, so she intended to keep going while Paul set off to search for someone else to vent his lust. This would be his first time meeting a half-succubus, but he had learned the hard way never to underestimate them after Atofe invited a full-blooded one over for his training. He also learned the true reason they were feared by three of the four Greyrat Houses...
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After preparing himself, both physically and mentally, Paul made his way over to the lounge with Ganyu. Her ability to discern the truth would come in handy, but the main reason he was bringing her along was to avoid any 'mishaps' that might occur if the half-succubus inherited the illusion and allure skills associated with her mother's lineage.
Upon entering the lounge and spotting a petite woman with carmine hair, demonic horns, and decently sized breasts, Paul's brows perked up as he asked, "Is this your true form?"
Rising to her feet, Sienna offered a courteous bow as she replied, "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me. And yes, this is my true form."
Raising her head, Sienna remarked, "If you're asking that question, I take it you've encountered a full-blooded Succubus?"
Smiling wryly, Paul deflected by saying, "That isn't important right now." before gesturing to Ganyu and revealing, "This is Ganyu, one of my most trusted companions. She has the ability to discern truth from lies, so I'm expecting you to be forthright in our coming conversation."
Though there was a possibility Paul was lying, Sienna's pupils contracted when she heard his words. Most wouldn't have noticed it, but as someone on the threshold of becoming a bonafide Water King, Paul easily detected the change in Sienna's aura and degree of alertness.
Adopting a faint smile, Paul gestured for Sienna to take a seat, stating, "Relax. Even if it turns out you're an enemy, I have no intention of harming you. That may change in the near future, but it ultimately comes down to the decisions you've made throughout your life. A wise person once said that if you're prepared to kill, you must prepare to be killed..."
With the glow from Paul's Mystic Eyes of Death Perception intensifying, Sienna found herself unable to move. She knew he was powerful, but she didn't expect the gap between them to be this immense. It was difficult to believe, but Paul's aura was nearly as terrifying as Randolph's...
Narrowing his eyes slightly, Paul gestured toward the chair and said, "Sit." in a firm, bone-chilling tone. This time, Sienna immediately complied, her body moving on its own as she became clammy with a cold, exceptionally aromatic sweat.
Sitting in the chair opposite Sienna's, Paul got straight to the heart of the matter, asking, "Why were you sent here? Were you tasked with killing me or one of my subordinates?"
Gritting her teeth, Sienna hesitated for several seconds before replying, "I can't say..." in a faint, nearly inaudible tone. To her surprise, Ganyu almost immediately nodded her head, proclaiming, "While not the complete truth, she doesn't appear to be lying."
Offering a nod of his own, Paul openly supposed, "It's likely that she 'can' say, but doing so would have disastrous consequences. Then my second question is fairly straightforward. Are you truly a slave?"
Realizing that Ganyu's senses could be fooled with half or partial truths, the tension in Sienna's body lessened considerably. In response to Paul's question, she answered, "Yes," before adding, "I can't reveal my Master's identity, but it's true that I came here from the Begaritt Continent."
With Ganyu nodding in affirmation, Paul issued a curious "Hmm..." before asking, "Would you like to be free?"
Believing she had misheard, Sienna stared at Paul with an expressionless, uncomprehending deadpan. The only being known to be able to annul or, more accurately, destroy a slave contract was the legendary 'Dotbath of Destruction,' one of Perugius's eleven subordinates. Thus, while she was fairly certain she had heard correctly, Paul's question went in one ear and out the other.
Furrowing his brows, Paul cautioned, "I'm not particularly fond of being ignored..."
Realizing she hadn't misheard, Sienna gave Paul a puzzled look and asked, "Unless they're broken or have some kind of fetish, who in their right mind would choose to remain a slave...?"
Nodding in affirmation, Paul replied, "That makes things easier..." before abruptly leaping toward Sienna in a flash. She reacted by flipping over her chair and attempting to roll backward, but the disparity in their speed was comparable to an infant trying to escape a fully grown adult. The moment she bounded to her feet, the tip of Paul's sword pierced her sternum, just under her collarbone.
Seeing Paul's sword piercing her body, Sienna's pupils contracted to the size of pinholes. She didn't feel any pain, but she was absolutely certain she had been stabbed.
Confirming Sienna's suspicions, Paul pulled roughly twenty centimeters of sword from her chest, nearly twice the amount it would have taken to pierce her torso. Despite this, there wasn't so much as a trace of blood. Instead, the crimson Slave Crest she usually kept hidden with her Illusion Magic slowly came into view, glowing brightly before 'shattering' into tiny black flakes...
Breaking Sienna from her statuesque confusion, Paul rested his sword on his shoulder and explained, "Don't ask me how, but I've 'killed' your slave contract. Once you've collected yourself, you can confirm it by answering my questions."
Though Paul told her not to, Sienna couldn't help asking, "How...?" with an expression of profound disbelief. As a half-succubus, she was sensitive to Mana and its derivative form, Touki. She could tell her slave contract was gone, but she couldn't make sense of the method Paul had used. As far as her senses were concerned, his previous attack was a swift but otherwise mundane stab...
Seeing Sienna's gaze shift to his sword, Paul shook his head and said, "Just drop it. The important thing is that you're no longer a slave. Now, take a seat and drink some tea. Once you've calmed down, I expect you to answer my questions."
Realizing she was dealing with someone whose means defied common sense, Sienna quickly nodded before complying with Paul's instructions. She hadn't completely given up on killing him, but even if he extended his neck and requested her to slit his throat, she doubted she would have the courage to go through with the attempt...
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With Sienna disclosing everything, including her background, the identity of her Master, and the details of her mission, Paul decided against holding her accountable for the 'many' people she had killed. She admitted to not feeling any remorse for her actions, but that wasn't wholly unexpected for someone in her situation. Her earliest memory was being taken advantage of in an alleyway, and things didn't improve much from there.
Though Sienna hadn't inherited the powerful allure associated with pure-blooded Succubi, she still possessed a body inordinately suited for carnal acts. Her sweat and bodily fluids functioned as a powerful hallucinogenic that stimulated males from virtually any species. More tragically, so long as her head or heart weren't destroyed, she could recover from any injury with a bit of blood or 'vitality.'
Needless to say, Sienna hadn't lived a very colorful or pleasant life. If not for her Master picking her up, granting her strength, and promising to free her when he died, she likely would have broken.
When Paul asked how she had ended up in Milishion, Sienna revealed that her Master had a rare necrotic disease that could only be treated with the highest grade Holy Water. A one-ounce vial of the sanctified solution cost upwards of 10,000AGC(roughly 500kgs), so Sienna had little choice but to acquire the money for its purchase 'after' reaching Milishion. After all, not everyone had an interspatial ring/storage device capable of housing tens of thousands of gold without issue.
To Paul's surprise, Sienna still intended to return to the Begaritt Continent with the Holy Water she had acquired. She attested to not caring whether her former Master lived or died, but she wanted to return the favor for him 'saving' her more than forty years prior. After that, she intended to use the rest of her savings to start over, of all places, in Teyvat. Rumors of it being a free nation that didn't discriminate against individuals based on race or class had begun to spread worldwide. As a result, people from across the globe were migrating there in search of freedom and opportunity.
Supportive of Sienna's decision, Paul gave her permission to travel with the convoy until they reached the Dragon King Kingdom. She would be on her own from there, but as an assassin and S-Rank Adventurer with more than forty years of experience, she should be fine. Rather, unless she ran into a stray King or Emperor, she had an absolute advantage against most male monsters and people.
When Sienna invariably asked why he was helping her, Paul responded by rejecting the assertion outright. Letting her travel with the convoy didn't cost him anything. After all, they were already headed in that direction, so it wouldn't matter if they had an extra mouth to feed. More importantly, by appearing before him, Paul was able to learn of the greater threat looming over the horizon. Letting her travel alongside them was a paltry reward for letting them know the literal Death God was on their tail...
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(A/N: You know what they say, the shortest route to a woman's heart is through the sternum...)
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