Mushoku Tensei (LN) - Volume 17 - Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Ariel’s Choice

ARIEL AND I walked together in the moonlight, making our way between the trees.

It was just the two of us. Sylphie, her attendants, and Luke were nowhere to be seen.

Ariel carried a torch herself, and led the way. If she kept pressing ahead like this, we were going to end up back at the spot where I’d spoken to Orsted.

“I’ve been meaning to have a private conversation with you ever since we set off on this journey, Rudeus.” Sylphie and Cleane had wanted to come along, but Ariel had stopped them. Explaining that we had “important matters” to discuss, she’d led me back into the forest.

I wasn’t sure what this moonlit rendezvous was about, honestly. Presumably, I wasn’t escorting her to the toilet. Some people might get off on having others watch them do their business, but I didn’t see any reason why she’d pick me for that role.

We’d been walking for about five minutes when Ariel finally paused and turned to face me. I guess she felt we’d come far enough from the campfire now.

“It seems that you value your secrecy, so I decided to arrange things in this way.”

This probably wasn’t the time to crack any dumb jokes. From the sound of things, Ariel really did have something important to discuss with me.

“…What did you want to discuss with me, Princess Ariel?”

I had a general idea what this was about, but it felt safer not to jump to any conclusions.

Still smiling boldly, Ariel reached out and took my chin in her fingers. “Try to be patient. The night’s still young.”

Uhm, could we make a no-touching rule, please?

“I guess it might be, but I’d prefer to sleep for most of it.”

“Oh, don’t be such a stiff. I want this to be a more casual conversation.”

Ariel withdrew her hand and sat down on a nearby tree root. Just as a precaution, I decided to activate my Eye of Foresight. It wasn’t that I expected Ariel to do anything. I just couldn’t risk anything unexpected happening to her.

“I must say… Sylphie and Eris certainly get along nicely, don’t they?”

Had she really brought me out here to talk about this? Probably not. She was just trying to break the ice, surely.

“…I suppose you’re right. At first I was afraid they’d fight more frequently, but they seem to genuinely like each other.”

In all honesty, I’d half-expected Eris’ addition to the family to transform our house into a chaotic battleground. I was worried she would clash with Sylphie and Roxy on a regular basis. To my surprise, though, she hadn’t gotten into a single real fight with any other members of the family.

“You know, when you went off to patrol the area the other night, they were chatting with each other as they lay in bed.”

“Oh yeah? What about?”

“Eris was grumbling that everyone should just stop arguing and do exactly what you say. Sylphie tried to convince her that even you make mistakes at times, and they needed to be ready to step in and support you.”

It was nice to be trusted, of course, but Eris seriously gave me way too much credit. Sylphie was always trying to help me out in subtle ways behind the scenes, and I really appreciated that. 

I had to assume they were both uneasy about my decision to join forces with Orsted. But so far, they were following my lead without a word of complaint.

“They’re like polar opposites, aren’t they?” Ariel continued. “Eris throws herself to the frontlines to fight your enemies, and Sylphie stays behind to support you in other ways…”

“I’m very lucky to have them around,” I said. “They both complement some of my glaring weaknesses.”

My affection for them had developed out of gratitude. They’d both done so much for me, and I wouldn’t forget it as long as I lived.

“The amusing part, to me at least, is how Sylphie treats Eris like a little sister.”

“Uhm… a little sister?”

“A rather impulsive one, in need of scolding. Eris seems to accept that role herself. She tends to do what Sylphie tells her, although a bit begrudgingly.”

Huh. I hadn’t noticed myself, to be honest. Now that I thought about it, though… I hadn’t spent that much time talking with either of them recently. Maybe I was getting tunnel vision again. Once I saw that Eris was adapting to our family, I’d figured that I didn’t need to keep too close an eye on her. But it was only going well because Sylphie had been stepping in to look after her.

“It’s funny, don’t you think?” said Ariel with a smile. “Sylphie’s the younger and smaller one, but somehow she’s the big sister.”

“You’re very perceptive, Your Highness.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that. I just have fewer things to keep my eye on than you do. And fewer matters on my mind.” 

Ariel chose this moment to shoot me a look that could only be described as seductive. 

Okay, I could do without the flirting, if you don’t mind…

“Now then… I know you’re an attentive man yourself, Rudeus. Your gaze is constantly in motion, and your thoughts are sometimes occupied with things that can’t be seen at all.”

Ariel’s tone had taken a turn for the theatrical, but she was staring me right in the eyes now. Apparently we were coming to the real topic of this conversation.

“And so, there’s something I’d like to ask you. What are your thoughts on Luke?”

Luke? Wait, Luke? This isn’t about Orsted?

“Well… I’m not sure what to say, exactly…” Hmm. What answer was she looking for here? 

“This is a bad habit of yours, Rudeus.”

“What?”

“You’re trying to figure out what I want to hear, aren’t you? Granted, that’s a reasonable approach under certain circumstances, but you don’t need to take it with me. Not here. Not now.”

Was that really a “habit” of mine? I didn’t feel like it was… but when I looked back, it was something I’d been doing a lot of lately. When I spoke with Orsted or the Man-God, at least.

No, it was worse than that, wasn’t it? I was doing it with my own family, too.

“In all honesty,” said Ariel flatly, “I think that Luke has betrayed us.”

Wow. That was unexpected. It must have been that argument around the campfire that did it.

“I haven’t breathed a word of this to Sylphie or the others, though.”

Yeah, no surprise there. I was still kind of shocked she’d even reached this conclusion so quickly. 

“…I thought you trusted Luke a little more than that, Your Highness.”

They wrapped things up so neatly at the end there, I’d assumed Ariel had reaffirmed her faith in Luke. It felt like she’d decided that he wasn’t capable of betraying her, any more than Sylphie or her two attendants were.

“I do trust him,” Ariel said.

“…”

“Luke has no reason to betray me. And he could have done so at a much earlier stage, if he so desired. It would be easy enough for him to kill me in my sleep.”

“…So why suspect him?”

“Despite his loyalty, he could still be coerced into betraying me somehow,” said Ariel quietly. “For example… Luke takes great pride in his family and its history. Perhaps they took his loved ones hostage.”

The idea hadn’t occurred to me before. But it could explain his actions so far, even if he wasn’t being directly manipulated by the Man-God. Let’s say Darius kidnapped his family and convinced him to accept some kind of deal. Then he went ahead and sent the Notos Greyrat soldiers after us, breaking his word to Luke somehow. That could explain both Luke’s odd behavior and his shock at finding those troops among our enemies.

Since that conversation, Luke had kept oddly quiet. Maybe he was trying to decide whether to rejoin Ariel’s side or continue following Darius’ orders. That was probably what it looked like to the princess, at least.

“And so, I’m asking for your opinion,” Ariel continued. “You agreed to join my cause quite recently, and rather suddenly. Perhaps you know certain things I don’t?”

It sounded like she might have her doubts about me, as well. That was understandable, considering the way Luke was talking about me. Was she suggesting I might have played some part in manipulating him?

“I have a question of my own, if you don’t mind. Why are we talking about this out here, alone in the woods? I could assassinate you out here if I really was your enemy.”

“Yes, I’m sure you could manage that easily enough. But if I’ve misjudged you that completely, I’d only have myself to blame.”

Hmm. This princess had some guts, clearly.

Then again, it wasn’t like there was any chance I was actually going to betray her. There were all sorts of obvious reasons why I wouldn’t, really. She was probably just playing mind games with me.

“…I don’t believe Luke has betrayed you, exactly. I think he’s just being…misled.”

“By whom?”

Well, that’s a tricky question. Was it wise for me to tell her about the Man-God at this point? It would certainly make things simpler if I could explain the whole truth, but…

Wait. What if Ariel was one of his disciples? What if that was the whole reason she was having this conversation with me? Orsted didn’t seem to think it was a possibility, but you never know…

Calm down, damn it. 

What are the risks of telling her the truth? What are the benefits? Let’s start there…

“Ah, my apologies,” said Ariel. “I’m putting you in a difficult position. I’m sure you would have shared this information already, if you were at liberty to do so.”

I blinked in surprise at that. Ariel wasn’t done yet, however.

“And so, I’d like to ask you to introduce me.”

It was hard to see her face in the darkness, but the smile on her face looked warm and genuine.

“I want to see the man who controls you from the shadows. That is to say, the Dragon God Orsted.”

“Huh?!”

Hold on, what?

My line of thought had been derailed completely. I had no idea what to make of this.

Why had she brought up Orsted? Weren’t we talking about Luke a moment ago?

“…How did you know?”

“It was obvious from the moment he had you lead us to the Library Labyrinth. The timing of that was simply too convenient.”

“…”

“At the moment, my main concern is determining whose side Orsted is on.”

Uh. She was talking about the conflict between her and Grabel, right? Or was she talking about his loyalties in general? It was getting hard to decipher all these vague hints and insinuations. Princess Ariel was usually so clear and to the point, too…

“What are you planning to do once you determine that?” I asked.

“If he’s on the right side, I plan to welcome his support,” said Ariel. “No matter how horrifying he might be, I’m prepared to tolerate him.”

“That’s easier said than done, you know.”

“I’m royalty. A princess. We know how to maintain our composure around those we fear or loathe. It shouldn’t be an issue.”

Well, if you say so. I feel like Orsted’s curse is more powerful than you think, though.

“Okay. What if he’s on the wrong side?”

“Then I’ll pull him to the other,” Ariel replied confidently.

Wow. She really believes she can do that, doesn’t she?

“He’s somewhere close by at present, isn’t he? Or perhaps you’ve been communicating with him by messenger?”

I had a tough call on my hands with this one. It was hard to say if I could even make this decision on my own. Ariel seemed to think she could endure Orsted’s curse, but I knew just how potent its effects were. Anyone who got a good look instantly classified him as an enemy. She might end up putting me in that category, too.

That said, if I flat-out refused her proposal, it would basically announce that we had something to hide.

This felt more complicated than it needed to be. We had no intention of interfering with Ariel’s plans to seize the throne. The Man-God was the one who wanted her to fail, and our main goal was to stop his plans.

Still, it wasn’t going to be easy to explain all that to her. Hmm…

“There’s no need to overthink this, Rudeus.” 

The voice had come from somewhere behind me.

Startled, I turned to find a golden-eyed, silver-haired demon lurking in the woods. By which I mean Orsted, of course.

“If Ariel Anemoi Asura wishes to speak with me, I would not refuse her.”

Orsted’s sharp, intense gaze focused on Ariel’s face. She reacted as if she’d been hit with a jolt of electricity. Her eyes opened wide, her legs trembled violently…and a small puddle began to form at her feet.

“Ah… ah…”

There was sheer terror on her face. It was the expression of someone trapped in a living nightmare.

Oh boy, this does not look good. I guess I’m definitely going to be the traitor now…

“Aaah…”

In the next moment, however, a look of ecstasy suddenly spread over Ariel’s face. She was…pretty clearly feeling pleasure now. Interesting.

Huh. I guess this might work out after all.

***

Ariel managed to regain her composure after a little while. As of this moment, she appeared totally unruffled. You’d never know anything had happened in the first place.

I’d washed her dirty pants and underwear with my water magic, then dried them out quickly with my original spell “Steam Dry,” a combination of wind and fire magic. It worked almost instantly, but it wasn’t good for most fabrics, so Aisha had angrily forbidden me from using it at home. This was kind of an emergency, though.

I’d lived for many years at this point, but I’d never expected to see the day where I’d be washing the underwear of a princess. In this world, the expensive stuff seemed mostly to be made of silk. Ariel wrapped herself in my robe while I was taking care of all this. It was a good thing it was nice and long.

Right now, Ariel had put her clean clothes back on, and seemed to have forgotten all about the incident. And I was wearing a robe that a half-naked princess had been using just a few minutes earlier. It smelled kind of nice…

Whoops. Not the time to be getting all excited.

There hadn’t been any time for “fun” in the last few days, so my horny meter was getting dangerously full. I’d have to deal with that later.

Orsted was waiting nearby with an awkward expression. Now that the princess was ready, she turned to face him once again. 

“I do apologize for that unfortunate display, Lord Orsted.”

“It’s all right.”

Ariel still looked kind of pale, but I couldn’t see any terror in her eyes now. 

“…”

“Please, you don’t have to glower at me like that…”

“This is what my face always looks like, I’m afraid.”

“Ah, I see. So this is another effect of your curse, then?”

“Correct.”

I had to wonder why Orsted had shown up like that in the first place. Well. The boss could make his own decisions. At this point, I should just keep my mouth shut and see how things played out.

“I see. I’ve met a number of both Blessed Children and their Cursed counterparts… but I can tell that your affliction is far more powerful than most.”

“Indeed. But it seems you know some way to resist its influence.”

“I am a member of the Asuran royal family. We’re taught how to suppress our more negative emotions.”

“That doesn’t mean that you trust me, either. Not in any real sense.”

“True enough. But that’s exactly why I wanted to speak with you like this.”

So far, this was like two boxers trying to size each other up with a few light jabs. It was starting to make me feel kind of uneasy. Still, it was probably important for me to listen closely to everything they were saying. That pleasant smell wafting from my robe was a little bit distracting, but I needed to focus.

“I’ll get straight to the point. Why are you assisting me, Lord Orsted?”

“Because my sworn enemy is pulling Darius’ strings.”

“Hmm? Do you… mean my brother, Prince Grabel?”

“No.”

“Who is it, then?”

Okay, here we go. Right back to the awkward question. What’s the call, boss?

“An evil thing who styles himself as the god of men. His name is Man-God.”

Oh wow, he actually went for it. Tossed out the whole name and everything. How much was he planning to tell her, anyway? It still felt possible that she might turn against us at some point…

“The Man-God? Isn’t that one of the creator gods from ancient myth?”

“I can’t say if he’s one and the same, but he has taken that name, at least.”

“You’re telling me…that a god has given Darius his support? But why?”

“He wishes to see you murdered, and Grabel take the throne.”

“Err…”

Looking kind of nonplussed, Ariel turned slowly in my direction. For a moment, she just studied me in silence.

“I see. It’s certainly a bizarre story, but Rudeus’ face seems to suggest that you’re not lying.”

Am I your lie detector now?! And here I thought I had a decent poker face…

I’d have to check in with Sylphie later and see what she thought about my face. Maybe she’d call it handsome. That was always nice to hear.

“I have to wonder why this god would support my brother, however. Is Grabel simply… more deserving of the throne?”

“No. The Man-God’s motivations are purely selfish.”

“Could you… elaborate, perhaps?”

Orsted glanced over at me and frowned uncertainly for a moment, but then looked back to the princess. “Roughly one hundred years from now, the Kingdom of Asura will face an existential threat.”

Ariel blinked in surprise.

“In that moment of crisis,” Orsted continued, “the Kingdom’s response will depend on whether you or Grabel seized the throne.”

Uh, what? Hey, I don’t think you even told me about this part yet…

“Should Grabel triumph, Asura will answer the threat with military force. And if you triumph, they will respond with magic.”

“Surely neither of us will even be alive a hundred years from now,” Ariel said.

“Your policies as sovereign will guide the Kingdom down different paths. Grabel will focus on enlarging its military, and you will strengthen its magical forces instead.”

Boss? Hey, boss? Why am I just hearing about this now, huh? Come on, man…

“If Asura relies upon its armies, it will fall. But if it turns to its mages, the Kingdom will endure. The Man-God wishes for Asura to be destroyed.”

Was it… possible Orsted was lying to her? Telling her a nice, convenient story to get her on our side? That didn’t seem like a great idea. Not with my face around to give the whole thing away.

“Why would the Man-God want to see Asura fall to ruin?”

“Because it will produce an individual who plays a key role in his defeat.”

“He wants to prevent this person’s birth?”

“Precisely.”

Ariel brought a hand to her chin, clearly trying to make sense of all this. After a moment, she shot an uncertain look in my direction.

Stop it! Stop looking at me! I’m not your lie detector, woman!

This time, I tried my best to keep a perfect poker face. Maybe it would help a little.

“Well. In all honesty, I’m a bit perplexed at the moment. This isn’t remotely what I expected to hear, and I can’t quite decide if I should believe you…”

Damn it. Failed again.

“You don’t have to trust me,” said Orsted in a slightly pompous tone. “I’ll tell you what you want to know regardless.”

“What are you referring to?” replied Ariel, looking somewhat surprised.

“Luke Notos Greyrat has not betrayed you. He’s simply being manipulated by the Man-God.”

Ariel’s smile disappeared. It had been her default expression for this entire conversation, but now it had vanished without a trace. 

“Rudeus also suggested that might be the case. But how exactly is Luke being manipulated, if I may ask?”

“The Man-God is leading him down the wrong path. Promising him all the while that it’s for your benefit.”

“Luke is wiser than he might appear. I’m not sure he would be so easily deceived.”

“Even clever men are prone to trust those who tell them what they want to hear.”

Hmm. I felt like Orsted usually told me things I didn’t want to hear, but I did trust him. Maybe that rule wasn’t universal.

“…This is all rather difficult to believe. Do you really find this credible as well, Rudeus?”

Ariel had turned to me again. I was back on lie detector duty, apparently.

I had to admit, this was a smart strategy. If Orsted really was making up a bunch of crazy nonsense, I’d have to improvise something that sounded consistent on the spot. Any slip-ups on my part would give it all away. 

Fortunately, I had a good answer to her question.

“The Man-God manipulated me for many years. He would appear in my dreams and give me suggestions about what I should do next. I gained all sorts of things from following his advice. But it was all just part of his game—he was always planning to betray me in the end. He fooled me into trusting him, and then he turned against me. In the end, he even forced me to fight Orsted. I think he’s doing something very similar to Luke right now.”

The words came out more easily than I’d expected. I even managed to keep my tone relatively neutral. 

Ariel heard me out expressionlessly, then turned back to Orsted. She opened her mouth to speak, then shook her head and paused. For a long moment, she stayed silent, apparently lost in thought.

“In other words… Luke isn’t working for Darius after all?”

“Correct. He serves the interests of your enemies, but he does so unknowingly. I would imagine that he remains loyal to you.”

We’d taken a long detour, but ultimately this seemed to be the thing Ariel cared about the most. It mattered more to her than the truth of Orsted’s story, even.

“…It’s quite a relief to hear that.”

“You believe the things I’ve told you, then?” Orsted asked.

“Under ordinary circumstances, your story would have sounded ridiculous. However, it does seem consistent with my own observations. It explains why Rudeus was glancing in Luke’s direction so frequently, for example…”

Huh? Was I looking at him that much?

“To be frank, your timing was suspiciously perfect. But I’ve decided to accept the risk of trusting you.”

As she spoke those words, Ariel had turned her eyes in my direction. Maybe she’d chosen to trust me, if not Orsted? The idea was flattering, but it also concerned me a little.

“Tell me, does this Man-God have anyone else under his control?”

“He’s likely using Darius as well.”

“That does seem like a logical choice. Is there anyone else?”

“The odds are that his third disciple is either the North Emperor Auber or the Water God Reida. But it’s hard to say for certain.”

“Are there only three of these…disciples, then?”

“Correct. No more at any given time.”

“I see,” said Ariel with a slight nod. “So you and Rudeus are here to fight off these three disciples, and interfere with the Man-God’s plans. Is that correct?”

“It is. You’re quite quick-witted, I must say.”

“Thank you. I do consider myself relatively clever.”

There was a hint of real pride in Ariel’s voice, but she still hadn’t cracked a smile. It felt like her face was stuck on a blank expression.

“Now then, Lord Orsted, I have a proposal.”

“Oh?”

“Since it seems we share the same objective, I’d like you to consider me your…subordinate. If you give you me orders, I’ll follow them.”

“…I doubt your companions would accept that.”

“I see no need to tell them. They can’t accuse me of selling my soul to the devil if they don’t know it even happened.”

“…”

Oh. He’s a little hurt that she called him the devil, huh?

“I’m willing to use any means at my disposal to ensure our victory,” said Ariel. “I want as many powerful allies as I can find.”

“You’re not concerned I might betray you in the end?”

“I’m not foolish enough to throw away my opportunities to avoid all risk.”

That all sounded impressive enough, but I got the sense that Ariel thought she was swearing allegiance to some evil demon king. I’d felt the same way when I kneeled to Orsted. As it turned out, though, the Dragon God Corporation was a legitimate business with excellent benefits and reasonable deadlines. The CEO did look like an evil bastard, but he treated his employees pretty well.

“One last thing, Lord Orsted… For the time being, I’d like you to place the problem of Luke in my hands.”

“Why?”

“Rudeus can focus his entire attention on our battle against the Man-God’s disciples, while I devote my attention to handling Luke and the Asuran nobility. Dividing our responsibilities should allow us to use our time more efficiently.”

“…Very well. I’ll let you deal with Luke for now. Win him over if it’s possible, and kill him if it isn’t.”

“So be it. Thank you, Lord Orsted.”

With those words, Ariel kneeled before her new superior. He responded with a simple nod, his face as stern as ever.

***

I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt this…baffled? Perplexed? Hmm. Maybe befuddled was the word. All of a sudden, Ariel had sworn allegiance to Orsted. From now on, we’d be sharing our plans and working toward the same goals. I had the Second Princess of Asura as a coworker.

“I hope you’ll keep this a secret from Sylphie and the others, Rudeus.”

“Of course. I have to ask, though… are you sure about all this?”

“Yes. I feel profoundly relieved, to be honest. And I’m not talking about the condition of my bladder.” 

Judging from the energized expression on her face, she really meant that. I wasn’t sure what to say.

“I suppose you and I are truly allies now, Rudeus. At long last.”

“I suppose we are.”

To be honest, I still felt a little uneasy about the details of this arrangement. But Orsted had made the call, and I had to respect that.

“There’s just one thing, Your Highness…”

“Yes? What is it?”

“I think I should make this clear in advance. Luke’s your responsibility now, but if I think he’s actively trying to harm Sylphie or Eris, I’ll step in and take him out.”

“…You won’t respect Orsted’s decision, in other words?”

“The entire reason I’m working for Orsted is to protect my family.”

It seemed best to get this out in the open as a precaution. That said, Ariel seemed very confident that she could handle the situation with Luke. There was no telling how things might play out, but I was willing to leave it in her hands for now. She certainly had a much better chance than me of talking some sense into the guy.

“I understand completely, Rudeus. And incidentally, I’m looking forward to working with you.”

“Glad to have you on our side.”

Just like that, Orsted Incorporated had secured its second official employee.

It probably goes without saying, but Sylphie was none too pleased when the two of us strolled back into camp looking friendlier than before.