MI145: Fleeting (Patreon)

With nothing better to do, Paul and Party made their way eastward along the route leading to the Milbots Region. They intended to find a town or a small village to wait for Ganyu's arrival, but they weren't even on the road for twenty minutes before Ghilsaine stated, "She's coming." in a confident tone.

As if given form by Ghislaine's words, Ganyu appeared next to Paul like a phantom in her most diminutive form. Her speed when traveling alone was incomparable to when she was carrying passengers, so she could escape or sneak up on people in an instant if she felt so inclined.

After rubbing her back against the underside of his chin like a cat, Ganyu came to rest in Paul's arms before revealing, "I was unable to sense you for several hours. Did something happen...?"

"Ah..."

Since Ganyu was supposed to show up in time to 'assist' with his training, Paul could imagine her arriving just after they had left. The underground city doubtlessly had enchantments to prevent people from sensing within, so Ganyu had presumably spent the last few hours searching for them in a controlled panic.

Squeezing the lovable Qilin and burying his face into her fur, Paul took a moment to appreciate her softness before saying, "Sorry for worrying you. As for what happened, well...let's just say some monster got less than he deserved..."

"Mmm..."

Since the only thing she truly cared about was Paul's safety, Ganyu didn't bother asking for additional details. Instead, she nuzzled against him for a few moments, drinking in his scent and warmth before asking, "Would you like me to take you somewhere...?"

Nodding his head, Paul explained, "I need to speak with my Father and say goodbye to my kids. If we don't stay the night there, we'll head up to Sharia or make a quick stopover at the Strife Zone. It depends on what Ningguang had to say...?"

As ground mail and carrier hawks could be intercepted, Paul had asked Ganyu to help deliver weekly messages to Sharia and the Strife Zone. He felt guilty about sending her thousands of kilometers just to deliver a few letters, but Ganyu insisted she needed the exercise. She also stated that the 'ambiance' of Ars was like a poisonous miasma to her, so she needed to get out and get some fresh air to avoid becoming sick.

Though Paul did not doubt Ganyu's claims about the Capital's ambiance, he knew the actual reason she wanted to get out was to take care of her milk issue. She preferred to dispose of it high in the mountains, so letting her act as his messenger gave her a convenient excuse. As for why she didn't just bottle it up or pour it down the drain? 

According to Ganyu, the milk of a Qilin was a natural elixir, one with the ability to treat virtually any wound and suspend the aging process. The caveat was that it was highly addictive, and, once consumed, a person would need to consume it regularly to keep its benefits. Taking in small amounts was relatively safe, but overconsumption could result in death if you weren't weaned off it slowly.

In response to Paul's question about Ningguang, Ganyu answered, "The Tianquan says everything is going smoothly, and she encourages you to keep doing as you please."

"Sounds about right..."

As he didn't really have anything to report the past three weeks, most of Paul's correspondence with Ningguang was them informing one another that everything was fine. She would occasionally update him on what the others were up to, but only if he specifically asked about them.

Thinking of the others, Paul was about to ask if Ganyu had any letters for him, but she beat him to the punch by transforming into her human form and pulling a stack of letters from her adorable, goat-themed satchel, one of the many experimental products of Xiao Qing.

Though he was a little perturbed by how easily Ganyu was able to read him, Paul managed a genuine smile as he accepted the letters and said, "Thanks." before placing them into his breast pocket. He had intended to read them while riding atop Ganyu's back, but without Venti, both he and they would probably get blown off if he didn't hold on tightly.

While making a mental note to release the lascivious Archon from the Intersection of Fate, Paul shifted his attention to Lilia, saying, "The wind is going to be a lot worse than the last time. Stay close to me, okay...?"

Though she was a little surprised by Paul's sudden address, a faint smile formed across Lilia's face as she habitually folded her hands over her lap and bowed her head. She wouldn't dare to complain, but three weeks of separation after their first night together had left Lilia feeling more than a little bitter. If Paul didn't show her at least a little consideration, she was planning to 'attack' him the moment an opportunity presented itself.

Unaware of Lilia's impending assault, Paul didn't even need to ask before Ganyu transformed back into her Qilin form. Afterward, everyone donned their cold-weather gear before climbing onto her back and huddling close together. Lilia was a little confused by this at first but quickly understood the reason for their caution when Ganyu took off like a rocket, followed by a sudden and drastic decrease in temperature.

Compared to the relatively pleasant experience of traveling with Venti, it was like charging face-first into a blizzard. If not for Paul shielding her with his body, Lilia was certain she would have either frozen to death or been blown off...

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After a fairly tense three-hour flight, Ganyu touched down in the central courtyard of the Notos Estate. She had previously received permission to land there from Paul's Father, so the sentries didn't even bat an eye as she flew over and dropped everyone off near the bath.

Noticing Lilia, Xinyan, and even Ghislaine were a little worse for wear, Paul suggested the girls hop into the bath while he entered the Estate to meet his parents and children. He would have joined them, but the last thing he needed was his Mother dropping in because he neglected to greet her.

After most of the girls accepted his proposal, Paul made his way into the Estate alongside Ganyu and Eula. The latter was unaffected by the cold, to the point she preferred ice over hot baths, so she was in a pretty good mood after the 'refreshing' flight on Ganyu's back.

Flagging down the first Maid he saw, a young yet buxom woman with pale brown hair and purple eyes, Paul asked, "Is my—is the Lord of the Estate present...?"

Though she was a little startled by the sudden appearance of Paul and his two companions, the Maid dutifully lowered her head and replied, "I'm afraid the Lord is away, surveying the region. As for Lady Valentine, she is commonly in her room around this time."

Since it was rarer for his Father to be home than away on business, Paul wasn't particularly surprised by the Maid's response. Instead, he caused the Maid to fluster a bit by thanking her for her assistance before making his way over to his Mother's room. There, Ganyu briefly disappeared into one of the servant's tunnels, followed by the door promptly jerking open to reveal Valentine's smiling face.

Noticing Eula at Paul's side, Valentine resisted the urge to pounce on him as she fixed her posture and said, "My Little Sun has returned to me. And much sooner than I expected..."

Spreading her arms, Valentine waited for Paul to lower his head before embracing and smothering him with breasts. She wanted to kiss him as well but held herself back due to the presence of Eula and Ganyu.

Once Valentine had finally released him, Paul adopted an affectionate smile as he said, "You're looking even more radiant than the last time I saw you. I'm guessing..."

Catching himself before he could comment on the benefits of his Father possessing a Dendro Vision, Paul transitioned into asking, "Did you ever talk with Father about the upcoming succession battle between the First and Second Sons of House Boreas?"

Understanding what her son had avoided asking, an amused chuckle emanated from Valentine's throat as she covered her mouth to conceal a mischievous smile. Amarant had never been a slouch in the bedroom, but he had become a complete 'monster' after receiving his Dendro Vision. In the past, she and Flute could keep up with him fairly easily. Now, they had to rope in random Maids just to stand a chance...

After suppressing her urge to tease Paul, Valentine adopted a more lady-like expression as she nodded her head and replied, "Indeed. Since you're bringing it up now, I suppose you managed to reach an accord with young Philip...?"

Though he still had mixed feelings about the arrangement, Paul nodded his head and said, "Yeah. That's one of the reasons I returned so soon. I also wanted to stop by and bid farewell to you and the twins before I ran off to the Demon Continent..."

As Paul had already sent Ganyu over to inform them about his exchange with the King, Valentine wasn't particularly surprised by his words. That didn't mean she wasn't concerned, however, her smile dissolving into a fretful look as she asked, "Must you go...?"

Making clear it wasn't merely the King's prompting that compelled him to go, Paul's expression became solemn as he answered, "I must. Rather, I have wanted to go ever since I was a child. The King has just given me a reason to head there sooner..."

Exhaling a sigh, Valentine's response was to spread her arms for another hug. She would prefer if Paul just stayed home and allowed her to protect him, but she knew from the moment he first opened his eyes and looked at the world around him in awe that her son could never be contained in a 

'cage' such as the Notos Estate. If he hadn't had his Noble status and title stripped away, she had no doubts he would have someday fled of his own accord...

After holding Paul for the better part of three minutes, Valentine released him from her embrace and assured, "You need not worry about Aiden and Aria. With your Father and siblings away all the time, they understand that duty and obligation often preclude us from doing whatever we please. So long as you return safely, you can always make it up to them..."

"Right..."

Though it would only take Ganyu about nine or hours to cross the ocean separating the Central and Demon Continents, Paul didn't want to ruin the moment or give his mother unrealistic expectations. If she knew he was only ever a half day's journey away, she would probably insist he come to visit at least 2-3 times a month. 

While Paul didn't particularly mind visiting his family, he wanted to avoid treating Ganyu like a convenient shuttle. She didn't mind in the slightest, but it bothered Paul quite a bit as he wanted to explore the world directly, not watch it pass below at supersonic speeds. Thus, once he reached the Demon Continent, Paul was intending to walk around, fight monsters, and explore rather than rushing to each town and meeting every Demon Lord as quickly as possible. After all, with nearly twenty years until the Fittoa Incident and more than a hundred years until the resurrection of Laplace, he had a considerable amount of time to kill...

With such thoughts in his mind, Paul spent the better part of an hour with his Mother before she joined him in his journey to the East Wing. The third floor had remained relatively untouched since his departure, so whenever they weren't receiving lessons from their Governess, Aiden and Aria could usually be found in Paul's former study, the former with his nose buried in a book and the latter sleeping soundly nearby...

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