Mushoku Tensei:The Successor Arc

"Hah... see? I'm totally fine."

"Before you say that, ma'am, how about you get off my back first?"

I really want to just leave her here. ...That's an excellent idea. Maybe I'll do just that. The travel funds are in my care, after all—

"Sorry, I can't even sit steadily on Leo right now... Wait! Please don't let go! Don't leave me here!"

"Woof woof!"

Leo circled me with a serious expression, as if trying to figure out a solution with his doggy brain.

...

Never mind. This girl is still useful, for now. Her divination isn't useless, it's just that its accuracy isn't as high as one might think—or rather, it seems Lara doesn't like to use the methods that have high accuracy. According to her, they're very tiring.

"I'm telling you, please don't just eat random things next time. Haven't you been adventuring for decades? Do you have no experience..."

"If I were alone, I wouldn't do this."

Huh? My brow furrowed slightly.

"You should be even less like this when there are two of you. Your current state is very dangerous, you know."

No strength in her body, and being carried by a man she's only known for a short time.

"Dangerous? Are you referring to suddenly being bitten by a snake?"

"No. For example, I'm considering something right now."

"Oh-ho? What kind of crooked thoughts are you having?"

Her tone didn't sound scared at all. No, actually, after I said that, she seemed to pause for a moment. She's just pretending not to be scared. Does she think I can't see through her little thoughts? Lara is just very good at bluffing and being mysterious, but she can't hide much in front of me.

"I'm considering—if I were to kidnap you, how much money could I demand from your family..."

It should be worth quite a bit. But, the risk is a bit high. There's a risk of being killed. Better not to do it.

"Let me think... If you could really succeed, you probably wouldn't have to worry about food and drink for the rest of your life."

"You're really valuable, huh."

"Naturally."

...

"Unfortunately, Lug, you're a little too late."

"What do you mean?"

"If my old man were still alive, if we pulled something like this, we probably could have scammed a lot of money."

"You're actually seriously considering being kidnapped."

...

We chatted idly, a sentence here and there. But in reality, we still had no idea how to get out. Yet Lara remained very calm, as if she wasn't worried at all.

...

"Oh? You cut off the stamen? Pretty smart. This can be used as a medium for divination..." She suddenly reached out, trying to grab the stamen I had cut from around my neck.

I didn't give it to her. In your dreams. This is mine.

...

"That divination of yours is less accurate than my coin toss." A coin toss at least has a fifty-fifty chance of being right. Besides, I have no intention of letting Lara waste this precious stamen. I need to keep it for research.

"A coin toss? Alright. Heads for right, tails for left. Let's do it that way."

"Are you serious?"

"You just have to believe in me. Leave the rest to miracles."

"Woof!"

"Huh?"

...

"We actually got out—"

Are you serious? I stared blankly at the exit, then looked at the coin in my palm. Could it be that I'm a divination master? I couldn't help but stare at my palm. Or maybe my right hand hides some kind of magical power... Should I wrap it in bandages?

"Just as I thought. As recorded in the books, the stamen itself can guide one out of the mist," Lara nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world, revealing the answer.

Alright, so much for my excitement.

...

But, to get out so easily was indeed a great fortune. I had even started to consider how we would survive, being trapped in there for so long.

...

"To think we got out so easily." The Land of Buried Bones—the Bewildering Forest—isn't so tough after all.

"Easy? If it weren't for a master like me, could we have gone to the center to get the stamen?" Lara's disdainful voice came from behind me.

"A master..."

I have no energy to retort. Have some self-awareness, girl.

"What's with that tone?" Lara's dissatisfied voice came through.

Do you even need to ask? It's a mocking tone, of course.

"You can walk now, right? If you can walk, please get down."

"I'm still a little weak..."

I dumped her onto Leo's back. At least now she can hold on tight.

Get off me.

"In that case, this stamen should also have a certain amount of poison."

"You want to try some too? It's a bit astringent..."

"Only an idiot would taste this thing."

...

"I say, Lug."

Even though she had no strength, this girl's mouth never stopped. Strange, she feels a bit more talkative than usual today.

"What is it now, ma'am?"

If you have something to say, just say it.

"Isn't your attitude towards me, a woman, a bit too cold?"

"Is it? I feel like I've been taking pretty good care of you, Lara." Because she's a loli beauty, my attitude towards Lara has actually been very good. Does she have a problem with that?

"I mean, at a time like this, isn't it usually the woman who says 'let me down,' and then the man reluctantly lets her go?"

"That's just your fantasy..."

...

I'm still a bit wary of Lara myself and don't trust her completely. So this is unavoidable. Before I get horny, it's best to remain suspicious. It's better for survival. You have to remember, Lara is no helpless maiden. A King-Rank magician is practically at the top tier of humanity. It's necessary to be on guard.

...

—Trusting others too easily will cost you a lot.

...

Lara Greyrat's POV

...

In the inn...

...

"Hah... strange..."

I tried to recall what Lug said and did... and then make deductions. This time, he really didn't show any suspicious signs.

Mmm, that's right. This time, I was the one testing him. Ever since I discovered that I subconsciously hold a sense of trust towards Lug, I suspected he might have some kind of mind-affecting magic. So, I deliberately tested him in the Bewildering Forest. I intentionally got the divination result wrong and even ate the poisonous flower on purpose—I wanted to see if he would make any suspicious moves.

However, the fact is, he didn't. He acted as he always did. Is he still pretending? Or was I just being paranoid...

...

Whatever. Let's put this problem aside for now. Let's think about the next problem.

Which is... this guy, Lug—

"Does this kid not see me as a woman?"

"Woof?"

No, I mean, the way he just dropped me without any hesitation, what was that about??? That is definitely not how you treat a girl. When we first met, he would occasionally cop a feel. But gradually, after he got to know my personality, for some reason, his attitude started to change. It's like he sees me as a hedgehog he doesn't want to touch at all.

When he was carrying me, the first thing he thought of was selling me for money.

...

Especially given that I know Lug is actually a bit of a pervert, his interest in me has been decreasing more and more.

...

I feel like... my identity as a woman—has been negated.

Ah...!

"This is annoying..."

Super annoying!

...

"Ahem... never mind, that's not the important part..."

What am I even thinking? Ugh, I wonder if it's because this guy Lug's power of Fate is too strong; I feel like my own head is spinning.

...

In any case, I'll try to guide Lug's Fate to a side that is advantageous for defeating the Man-God.