Uma Musume Pretty Derby: To The Basement

Chapter 396 396: Uma Musume Pretty Derby: To The Basement [396] [200 STONES]

"Huh? Trainer, you can walk now?"

On the way back to the tent with Mizuno Sora, Tokai Teio suddenly realized he was not sitting in his wheelchair as usual. He was walking on his own two legs.

"Yeah." Mizuno nodded and explained, "My recovery's been going pretty well lately. I probably won't need the wheelchair anymore."

"You still look a little weak, though." Tokai Teio looked down at Mizuno's unsteady legs.

"…"

"It's fine." Tokai Teio lifted her head confidently and patted her slightly developed chest. "I'm here, so you can go wherever you want, Trainer. I'll keep supporting you just like this."

"Uh… thanks."

"Hmph-hmph~ No need to thank me. This is what I should be doing. If you need me to, Trainer, I don't mind taking care of you for the rest of your life…"

Tokai Teio's little face flushed faintly as she gave him an adorable smile.

"But…"

Her tone shifted. Then she looked up at Mizuno, her face full of anticipation.

"Trainer, do you still remember our promise?"

"Our promise?" Mizuno searched his memories and recalled that he did seem to have promised Tokai Teio that once his legs healed, he would go on a date with her. Just the two of them.

Though his date was the terrifying master of the Monarch's Basement, Mizuno had no intention of going back on his word. Since he had promised her, he had to keep that promise.

"Oh, the date, right? Are you free tomorrow?" Mizuno asked.

"Huh?" Tokai Teio froze, not expecting Mizuno to actually remember.

She had thought Trainer Mizuno disliked her a little and would find some excuse to refuse her request again. So it turned out Trainer Mizuno had been looking forward to their date too!

"I am! Of course I am!" Tokai Teio was overjoyed. She pressed her chin against Mizuno's chest, and the tail behind her wagged even more happily.

"Then when are we going tomorrow?! Morning?! Noon?! Afternoon?! Or night?! Can we spend the whole day on our date?!"

Tokai Teio's eyes sparkled with stars. Imagining the wonderful date they would have tomorrow, she tightened her grip on Mizuno's arm.

"Wait, Teio! You're holding on too tight!" Mizuno cried out in pain.

His constitution had toughened up quite a bit, but even he could not take Tokai Teio manhandling him like this. At this rate, she was going to crush him straight into herself!

"Oh! Sorry…"

Tokai Teio hurriedly let go of Mizuno and awkwardly raised both hands. Though she had restrained herself considerably, the excitement on her face had not faded in the slightest.

"When are we going? When are we going?" Tokai Teio kept pressing him, as if she would keep asking forever unless he gave her a specific time.

"Hmm…" Mizuno thought for a moment, then answered, "Any time is fine…"

"Then six in the morning!" Tokai Teio could no longer hold back her excitement and happily threw both hands into the air. "Tomorrow morning, I'll come wake you up myself, Trainer, and then we'll go out for a who~~le day date! What do you think, Trainer?"

"Sounds good." Mizuno nodded and did not refuse.

His own brisk attitude surprised even Mizuno himself.

He realized that ever since that kind of relationship had happened between him and Symboli Rudolf last night, he no longer seemed as afraid of Tokai Teio as he had been before. Instead, he had the strange feeling that he was looking at his own daughter.

Have I already gotten into the role of "the Emperor's consort"?!

Mizuno's pupils quaked. He found it a little hard to believe that his outlook had been subtly altered without him noticing.

Symboli Rudolf was Tokai Teio's father, and since he had gotten involved with Symboli Rudolf, did that make him Tokai Teio's "stepmother"?

Cold reason clearly told Mizuno that last night had merely been a forced XO. Even if he did not take responsibility for Symboli Rudolf's future, no one could say anything about it.

But his soft, fragile feelings were telling him that since Symboli Rudolf had given him her love, he had to do everything he could to answer that love.

The same went for Air Groove. The same went for Maruzensky. They all liked him, and last night, they had all offered their love to him, so it was only right that he answer their feelings…

Under the influence of that mindset, Mizuno's goal for struggling on in this world had, without him realizing it, actually degraded from his original "don't get Uma Pyoi'd by an Umamusume" to "don't get locked in a basement."

This was not a good thing. After all, when a person lowered their goals, it meant the environment they were in had become even harsher.

Human desires rise when the conditions for survival are comfortable, and fall when the conditions for survival are cruel. Just like how, in times of peace, everyone wants to drink and laugh together, while in times of chaos, one mouthful of food is already enough to be grateful for.

No one knew whether Mizuno's goal for struggling would keep dropping. For example, from "don't get locked in a basement," it might gradually become "only get drained five days a week," then become "still get five hours of rest a day," before finally reaching the achievement of "sleeping at all means I win"…

If it really came to that kind of ending, then what meaning was there in all the struggling he had done to survive until now?

"Guh…"

The more Mizuno thought about it, the more panicked he became. A trace of confusion about the future crept into his eyes.

And right then, Fortune's sarcastic voice rang out in his mind.

'Ah, what a fussy man. And to think he's my apostle. How embarrassing.'

'Hah? What's that supposed to mean?' Mizuno frowned unhappily when he heard her. 'You, of all people? Someone who slacks off every day has the right to criticize me?'

'Eh! I'm warning you, don't slander me. How am I slacking off every day?!' Fortune planted her hands on her hips and lifted her head without the slightest guilt. 'I merely work for five minutes and sleep for two hours. How is that slacking?'

'How is that not slacking? If you'd come out and helped me a little when I got surrounded last night, maybe I wouldn't have been time-to-eaten by Rudolf and the others.'

'Who said I didn't help? I did help, okay!' Fortune retorted, pointing at Mizuno's crotch.

'I increased your pelvic durability.'

''Fuck you! How does that count as helping?!'

'Ow, stop yelling. In that situation last night, even if a god came down, there was no saving you… Oh, right. I am a god.' Fortune belatedly reacted, then shrugged helplessly. 'Still couldn't save you. Not even Jesus could've helped. I said what I said!'

'Then what use are you?'

'Hmm… serving as a mental-health counselor to help troubled youths resolve their worries?'

"…"

Mizuno's face collapsed in speechlessness.

'Then can you wear black stockings?'

'Eh? You want to see black stockings?' Fortune gave him a meaningful smile. Lying on the sofa in the mental space, her two long, slender, jade-like legs were instantly wrapped in black stockings. 'Of course~'

'What about white stockings?'

'Those are fine too.'

'Then… can you fall for me?' Mizuno asked seriously.

'If that's what you want.' Fortune smiled back at him, not refusing his request.

'Then never mind…'

Mizuno shook his head and sank back into emo mode.

'Mizuno-dono, could you tell me what exactly is troubling you right now?'

'Troubling me…' Mizuno gave a helpless smile. 'I guess it's that I don't want people falling for me, and I don't want them getting on me either.'

'I can understand not wanting people getting on you, but why don't you want people falling for you?' Fortune asked, puzzled.

'Because…'

Mizuno looked away, glancing toward Tokai Teio beside him, who was currently hugging his arm.

'I want everyone who likes me to be able to receive the happiness they deserve…'

'Mm. A very noble ideal. What's the problem?'

'The problem is right there!' Mizuno shook his head and sighed. 'I can't do it…'

'Why?'

'Hey! Is asking 'why' the only thing you know how to do as a mental-health counselor?!' Mizuno could not help snapping.

'Ahaha~ It's my first time giving someone counseling, so I don't have much experience. Please be understanding~' Fortune scratched her head in embarrassment, then put on a professional expression again.

'So why can't you do it? You haven't even tried.'

'Hah? Is this something I can accomplish just by trying?'

'You never know. Anything is possible. Isn't that itself a manifestation of hope?' Fortune said.

'Here's a suggestion. You can try thinking more about the people who like you. For example, me~'

Fortune threw him a flirtatious wink.

'Uh…'

Not a single ripple stirred in Mizuno's heart.

'Think about Tokai Teio.'

'This…'

A slight ripple stirred in Mizuno's heart.

'Think about Rice Shower.'

'Holy—! Now we're talking!'

A certain big brother person's psychological illness was cured in an instant.

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T/N: he lasted almost 400 chapters without getting pyoid, pretty good