MI134: Expectations (Patreon)

Though the most sensible thing would have been to say no, Paul got Reida to sweat a little by answering, "Yes." in a calm tone.

"Hoooo...?"

Turning around so he could face Paul directly, King Ansalem gave him another scrutinizing gaze as he mused, "What an interesting response. Tell me, Paul Greyrat, how might you threaten the Asura, 'my' Kingdom?"

Shaking his head, Paul elucidated, "I would not. However, just because I would not do something does not mean I'm incapable of it. If I didn't care for the people or about the means I employed, I could cause incalculable amounts of damage to the Kingdom."

"Hmmm...so you mean to say you're only a threat if you 'choose' to be...?"

Shaking his head a second time, Paul met the King's gaze directly as he answered, "No, Your Majesty. I have already made my decision. Asura is the land of my forebears, the home of my parents, friends, and countless others I wish to protect. It is not my decision whether or not I become a threat to the Kingdom..."

Understanding, or at least believing, Paul was alluding to his son, King Ansalem nodded his head in a sagely manner. Paul had a lot of secrets, but based on the investigation his men had conducted into the Milbots Region, there was no evidence to show he had any intentions against the crown. From the moment of his debut to the time of his exile, Paul's entire life had revolved around improving himself and the lives of people around him.

Recalling the reports he had received about Paul's actions in the Ranoa Magic Kingdom, a setting where he had, once again, focused on helping others, a faint yet approving smile developed across King Ansalem's face. 

Forcing a wry smile on Paul's face, King Ansalem remarked, "It's a shame you weren't born a member of the Royal Family. Though your compassion likely wouldn't have survived your adolescence, the Kingdom would have prospered under your direction..."

Shaking his head, a weary, faintly lamenting expression marred the King's face as he compared his children to Paul. His eldest son, Prince Grabell, was a wastrel whose only natural talents included gratifying himself and ensuring the deaths of anyone who might oppose him. Not even his four-year-old brother was spared Grabell's machinations, leaving Ansalem with very few options regarding his successor...

Staring into Paul's crystal clear green eyes, King Ansalem felt as though he could see the future contained within them. Unfortunately, there would be far too much pushback if he attempted to proclaim Paul his successor. Fortunately, Paul's and Reida's union had inadvertently given him at least two additional options...

"According to reports, you stopped at the Notos Estate before coming to the Capital. Tell me, how are your children...?"

Though he would rather not say, Paul revealed, "They are of exceptional health and show tremendous promise. Aria possesses inordinate strength for her age, and Aiden had exhibited a remarkable intellect."

With a visible twinkle in his eyes, King Ansalem mused, "Not surprising, considering who their parents are..."

Looking between Paul and Reida, King Ansalem's smile broadened as he asked, "And what of the two of you? Reida has previously expressed her intention to declare you her successor. Have you accepted...?"

Though he nodded his head, Paul admitted, "While my original intent was to explore the world and accumulate experience, I've come to realize that home is what's most important. For the futures of the Asura Kingdom and all those who inhabit it, I have accepted the Water God's offer."

Seeing Reida lower her head as a sign of affirmation, an approving smile developed across King Ansalem's face. If everything went as planned, he would have Paul, his children, and the Visions serving the interests of the Asura Kingdom. He just needed to get Paul out of the Kingdom, produce a viable heir, and prevent his eldest son from having them eliminated before they could mature...

Unaware that he was following Ningguang's plan as if he had memorized her script, King Ansalem suggested, "It's not too late to travel the world, you know? The Asura Kingdom is not an isolated nation focused purely on domestic affairs. We are perpetually in need of reliable men and women to serve as foreign diplomats, envoys, or frontiersmen, individuals who can venture into other nations and delve into the most inhospitable regions to report the secrets therein."

Instead of asking for an explanation, Paul bowed his head respectfully and said, "If His Majesty wills it, I would travel to the furthest reaches of the Demon Continent." These were words he had rehearsed dozens of times, but he never expected the King to immediately reply, "Excellent, as that's precisely where I intend to send you. The Asura Kingdom never has enough eyes and ears in the Demon Continent. It's been several decades since a proper survey was conducted, so I've been looking for someone with the power and pedigree to investigate the area and establish contact with the thirty-six Demon Lords that govern it."

"..."

Unsurprised by Paul's silence, a chuckle emanated from the King's throat before he added, "It's a significant undertaking, I know. However, there is no better way to accumulate knowledge about the past than exploring the Demon Continent. There, people who have experienced the things you've read about still live. Go to them, accumulate their knowledge, and return a stronger and wiser man."

Since he didn't have the leeway to refuse, Paul only hesitated for a brief moment before bowing his head and stating, "Your will be done..." in a solemn tone. Exploring the Demon Continent had always been on his to-do list, but, ever since the birth of his children, it wasn't as high a priority. Now, even if he had Ganyu to transport him, it would likely take years to complete the mission His Majesty had assigned...

Believing he had seen through Paul's concerns, King Ansalem stated, "You need not set out this instant. We initially gave you until the end of the year to greet us, so you may postpone your departure until then. That ought to give you enough time to secure your status as the Water God's successor. Just try not to venture too far from the Citadel. Our son rarely leaves the protection of the Silver Palace, but the influence of his affiliates extends far beyond. You have our blessing to defend yourself, but even we cannot protect you if you take things too far..."

Walking up to Paul, King Ansalem astonished him by abruptly patting his shoulder. Then, with a mischievous yet equally serious expression on his face, he added, "If you do, ensure it can't be traced back to you. If there is anything you can learn from our son, it's that..."

Giving Paul's shoulder one final pat, King Ansalem made his way toward the exit without another word. In truth, there were innumerable things he still wished to discuss with Paul, but that could wait till later. For now, the most important thing was ensuring Paul remained loyal to the Kingdom. If he pressed too hard and tried to force the boy to reveal all of his secrets, doubt and suspicion would be seeded in his heart. Thus, at least for the time being, King Ansalem would permit Paul to act freely. After all, he still had Reida reporting to him.

When it came to extracting secrets from idealistic young men, the care and attention of mature women were without equal...

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After departing the castle and boarding a carriage bound for the Citadel, Reida waited for a few minutes before asking, "How was it? Everything go as your little fiancee envisioned...?"

Shaking his head, Paul answered, "Not exactly. At the very least, I never expected to be sent to the Demon Continent as my first assignment. We knew the King would try to get me out of the country, but this seems a little...excessive."

"Mmm...if I had to guess, he wants to keep you away from the Strife Zone. The King isn't a fool. Even if I hadn't reported to him, the Sword God and countless others would have apprised him of the situation. Destabilizing a region and laying the groundwork for a nation isn't something that can be accomplished in secret..."

Raising his brows, Paul remarked, "I'm surprised you're telling me this. I must have performed pretty well last night..."

Snorting through her nose, Reida crossed her arms in defiance, stating, "You improved a bit..." before going on to add, "You've seen what kind of man the King is. Now that you've told him about your decision to become my successor, he wouldn't care if I provided you with information. So long as you're acting in the interests of the Asura Kingdom, he'll leave you be."

"Yeah...I was honestly a little taken aback. I sure as hell wasn't expecting that advice he gave near the end..."

Though it was likely the result of them meeting in private, King Ansalem's behavior was quite a bit different from what Paul was expecting. The man had a sort of hands-off policy when it came to intervening in the affairs of the broader Nobility, so Paul had assumed he was just a lazy pervert who couldn't be bothered with proper governance. There was likely some truth to that, but it was evident there was more to the King than Paul originally believed...

Shrugging her shoulders, Reida stated, "That's how it is with Nobles in the Capital. So long as you don't leave any meaningful evidence or witnesses, you can get away with just about anything. Still, you shouldn't wander too much. Now that you're my successor, everyone is going to want a piece of you, not just my brats. I can deal with any Emperors that come looking for trouble, but you're on your own when it comes to the rest. You can't reach the top if you're constantly being protected."

"Right..."

Just as Paul was about to consider how he could possibly defeat a Water King, Reida interrupted him, adding, "Speaking of which...those lasses you have with you. You mentioned that purple-haired cow was strong enough to defeat me, but what about the rest? They any good...?"

Since Eula, Ghislaine, and even Xinyan had expressed a desire to train at the Citadel, Paul didn't hesitate to answer, "They're phenomenal. Even on the low end, every one of them can be classified as a Saint. If they make use of their Visions, they could even rival Kings..."

Narrowing her eyes, Reida's expression and tone became serious as she remarked, "If that's true, that little Party of yours possesses the strength to rival a nation. Some Kingdoms, take Shirone, for example, only possess around five Saint-Ranked individuals. The Dragon King Kingdom is one of the larger ones with around ten Saints and a single King..."

Shrugging his shoulders, Paul said, "It doesn't matter. I've said it before, but I have no intention of becoming the ruler of a nation. If it didn't mean leaving our kids, this assignment to the Demon Continent would be like a dream come true..."

Though she couldn't help thinking Paul was wasting his potential, Reida ultimately nodded her head in response to his words. Not everyone had the desire to stand at the peak and rule over others, so even though Paul clearly had the means to do so, she wasn't going to try and talk him into it. 

As bland as it sounded, there was nothing wrong with desiring a peaceful life or simply wanting to protect your loved ones.

Deciding to steer the conversation towards a more pertinent issue, Reida asked, "So, what are you planning to do these next five months? I'd like to spend this time training you, but I guess you'll be heading back to spend time with our kids?"

As much as he would like to, Paul surprised Reida by shaking his head and saying, "I might get a little distracted with the whole Philip situation, but I intend to use these next couple of months to shore up my foundation. My strength, speed, and Touki have continued to improve, but I slacked off a little too much during my stay in the North. With you offering to train me, I would be remiss to pass on the opportunity..."

Though she frowned when Paul mentioned slacking off, a rather vicious smile developed across Reida's face when she imagined getting to train him. She had gone easy on him in the past, as he was still maturing, but now that he was her successor, she wasn't going to hold anything back. She probably couldn't turn him into a King before his departure, but she would be damned if he wasn't on the cusp.

Sending shivers up Paul's spine, the look on Reida's face became even scarier as she mused, "You and I are gonna have some fun..."

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