Mushoku Tensei:The Successor Arc

Atop a certain hill...

[Silent Sword]

In an instant, I split open a wolf's skull, then simultaneously spun my blade in a defensive arc against a biting attack. The reason I didn't use the Sword of Light was to conserve stamina.

"Three—"

Hearing Lara's countdown, I immediately lowered my body, then retreated while swinging my sword.

"...Two... One!"

The moment Lara raised her staff, I had also retreated out of her spell's attack range.

[Saint-Rank · Frost Nova]

Instantly, water droplets condensed, and a frigid air enveloped the entire area. The bodies of several hundred wolf-type monsters were all frozen solid. The range covered several hundred meters; the power of a Saint-Rank spell was on full display.

...

"Alright, work's done!"

Lara looked with satisfaction at the wolf pack she had annihilated with a single spell, lightly dusted off her robe, and then waved at me.

I casually sheathed my sword and walked up to the high ground where she stood.

"After completing this request, your adventurer rank should be close to C-Rank, right?"

"Yeah... since it's completing a request above my rank, it rises fast."

The current situation is basically two S-Ranks carrying a single rookie.

...

...

Time quietly marched on.

...

Sigh...

Lara found out about my adventurer rank in the end. As usual, she nodded with a calm expression—as if. Lara's cheeks were clearly puffed out at the time. She was definitely laughing, wasn't she? She was holding back laughter!

...

Damn it, don't you dare laugh!

...

However, Lara still patted my shoulder comfortingly and said, "Alright, alright, don't be so shy. Big Sis will carry you to a higher rank."

And so, Lara and I formed a party. This created the spectacle of two S-Ranks and one D-Rank teaming up. Then again, I've always wanted to complain: why can a dog be an S-Rank adventurer? Although Lara did clarify that this dog is currently at least King-Rank in terms of power level... limited to its physical constitution; its intelligence is another matter.

...

But speaking of which, as long as I don't show any hostility towards Lara, this big dog named Leo is actually very clingy. It seems to understand that we're in an alliance now, so it loves to rub its body against me. It even wags its tail at me sometimes—before immediately stopping when Lara reminds it with a cough. Then it repeats the same behavior the next day. Am I really that popular with dogs? I don't get it...

By the way, this dog can understand human nature, and Lara can communicate with it. So I decided to just ask directly.

...

"Lara, is there a reason Leo likes me so much?" I asked Lara, who was off to the side, while stroking Leo's head.

Hearing my words, Lara's brow furrowed slightly, and then her gaze drifted towards the horizon.

"That... Your Fate is a bit like my father's, so that's probably why Leo is so clingy with you."

"Fate? Similar?"

What's that?

"Well... think of it this way—every Fate is like a fingerprint. It has its own trajectory, it's unique, and it's impossible to change."

Oh, so there's a concept like that. I don't really get it.

...

"So, Leo sees me as—"

I stopped myself. Maybe it's better to drop this topic. Discussing Lara's deceased relative... it's probably best not to talk about it carelessly.

However, Lara herself turned back and started to explain.

"Didn't I say it before? Everyone's Fate is unique. Not even a god has the ability to change a person's Fate."

"So, I knew with one glance that you, of course, couldn't possibly be my father himself."

"Leo knows that too, so it's just that the feeling is similar... Don't worry about it too much. After all, you are a bit like—"

As she spoke, she suddenly shook her head nonchalantly, then didn't continue, silently looking ahead and continuing on our way.

...

Ah... I feel like I made the conversation heavy. Maybe I should talk about something else? Like teasing her a bit.

"Big Sis Lara, how old are you?"

"Fourteen. I'll be thirteen next year."

Yeah, right. Like I'd believe you. But just based on her appearance, Lara really is that size. Mmm... the demon races are truly mysterious.

...

...

"By the way, Lug, are you of the demon race too?"

"That... I'm not entirely sure, but I feel like I lean more towards human."

Under normal circumstances, the genetic traits of the human race have a lower priority. For example, even though Lara only has half demon blood, she's almost no different from someone of the Migurd Tribe. As for me, with my black hair and yellow skin... honestly, there isn't much difference from a regular human. If you had to say I have demon blood, it would be the very diluted kind.

"Based on my deduction, Lug, you might be a type of 'Mixed Demon'," she said, twirling a strand of her blue hair with her finger.

The so-called 'Mixed Demon' is a half-breed of human and demon. However, it's slightly different from someone like Lara. Simply put, only those whose characteristics are mostly human but who have some demon blood are considered 'Mixed Demons.' It's not really a good race to be. Neither the demon nor human races look favorably upon them. If I ever have to reveal my race in the future, it would be less trouble to just call myself human. It would also avoid some problems.

...

"That black hair of yours... when the light shines through it at night, there's an extremely faint green after-image at the edges—that's probably proof of your demon blood." Lara suddenly turned to look at me, then said it as if it were nothing.

"Huh? There's something like that?"

I was a bit surprised that Lara had observed so closely. After all, I hadn't even noticed it myself.

"I did promise to help you find your hometown, after all. So the more information, the better."

"Looking at it this way, it seems divination isn't unconditional, huh."

"Of course not. The more information you have, the more accurate divination usually is."

Hmm? Then it doesn't really feel like premonition, does it? It's more like deduction... No, that doesn't seem right either—ugh, I don't really get it. Divination seems to be a particularly complex thing.

...

Ignoring my half-comprehending look, Lara suddenly gazed towards the horizon and said thoughtfully, "The Man-God's 'Future Sight,' I deduce that it also requires information to make predictions... Oh, combined with his clairvoyance, he can indeed obtain a massive amount of information—"

Halfway through her sentence, Lara's eyes suddenly widened a little, as if she had realized something incredible.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" I asked, a little puzzled.

At that moment, Lara looked at me strangely. In her eyes—I could see a trace of vigilance towards me.

Huh? Why am I suddenly being looked at so warily...?

...

Did I do something? Did I ask something I shouldn't have? Or what? Hey, hey, I'm really an amnesiac, I haven't done anything suspicious. Please, Lara, whatever you do, don't call for backup to come drag me away...

...

However, that look in Lara's eyes was only for a fleeting moment. She then withdrew her gaze.

"Sorry, I was thinking about something else."

With that, she mounted Leo and began to think with her eyes closed.

...

Lara Greyrat's POV

...

Unbelievable. To think I would speak such important information about the Man-God so unguardedly.

This kind of thing, about the extent of my own understanding of the Man-God's Future Sight... if the Man-God himself were to find out, the consequences would be unimaginable. Therefore, I only ever recite such words in my heart. Even to my own brothers and sisters, I would never say a thing. Because I know that even they have a faint possibility of becoming an apostle of the Man-God. I can't even tell my mothers, because if the Man-God were to read their minds, it would be over.

...

Yes. Right now, the only one I can absolutely trust is probably Orsted. It's impossible for him to leak it to the Man-God. This isn't trust; it's just common sense.

...

But today, I just blurted out such important information to Lug, completely unguardedly and subconsciously.

No... that's not right. This isn't logical.

...

And recently, too. I don't know why, but even though we've only known each other for a short time, I've found it troublesome to keep my guard up around Lug. It's not that I don't want to; it's that my body trusts him subconsciously.

...

I can feel it very clearly. I hold a very abnormal sense of trust towards him. This is too strange. The only method that can create a sense of trust between complete strangers is—the Man-God's curse. But, it should be useless against the members of the Greyrat family...

...

I secretly glanced at Lug again. I feel that this sense of trust in my heart appears for no reason. What's wrong with me...? Is it a special curse on him?

...

Huu—!

No. I have to find a way to test him...