I Was Caught up in a Hero Summoning, but That World Is at Peace (WN)

2465 - Extra Chapter: Connections Found in Unexpected Places

<Author’s Notes>

I’m working flat out even on New Year’s Eve, so I haven’t been able to secure any time for writing. Because of that, this side story will be the final update of the year.

Thank you very much for everything this past year, and I hope you’ll continue to support me next year as well.

Okura Shigenobu, once a Hero Actor and an immigrant to this world, could be called the oldest of the still-living Otherworlders, setting aside special cases like Neun and Miyabi, who had reincarnated as Demons. Now, he lived a semi-retired life in a quiet rural backwater of the Hydra Kingdom.

Shigenobu had two children with his wife, Hannah, one son and one daughter, and a total of four grandchildren.

One day, one of those grandchildren came to visit the home Shigenobu and Hannah lived in.

[Grandpa, Grandma, I’m here~~]

[Oh, you made it, Nicole.]

[Welcome. Wasn’t it hard, coming all this way from the teleportation gate?]

[I’m fine, I’m fine. I usually travel much longer distances as an adventurer, so this is nothing.]

The visitor was Nicole, Shigenobu and Hannah’s granddaughter, who was currently working as an adventurer based in the Archlesia Empire.

After exchanging words with Shigenobu and Hannah with a bright smile, Nicole stepped into the house and handed over the paper bag she had brought with her.

[This is a souvenir from Dad.]

[Sorry about that. Tch, so he sent his daughter in his place while he stayed behind to work?]

[He said he couldn’t get any long stretches of vacation. He was complaining that where you live is way too rural, and just visiting is a pain.]

[Well, it is the middle of nowhere.]

Nicole’s father, Shigenobu’s son, was currently employed at a trading company in the Archlesia Empire. Since it dealt in foodstuffs and related goods, business connected to the Ritch Barony was especially lively right now, making this a busy season. Because of that, he hadn’t been able to take a long break.

Seeing Shigenobu’s wry smile, Hannah brought tea over to Nicole, who was wearing a similar expression.

[So, Nicole-chan, how’s life as an adventurer?]

[Oh, you know, Leo is just so stupid and reckless. I mean, he’s skilled and has guts, I’ll give him that, but he rushes into things without thinking, and that’s such a headache. Seriously, he’d be hopeless if I weren’t around~~]

[Fufufu, is that so?]

Nicole worked as a duo with an adventurer named Leonhardt. Though she spoke as if complaining, her expression was cheerful, making it easy to tell that, one way or another, she harbored feelings for Leonhardt.

Watching her endearing granddaughter, Hannah smiled warmly as well.

[Is Leo-kun not with you today?]

[Apparently, he got a letter from his family telling him to show his face once in a while, so he went back home with the grumpiest look on his face. He always looks really unhappy whenever his family comes up, so I didn’t ask. But he’s oddly knowledgeable about noble affairs, so maybe Leo’s from a noble house? Lately, he’s been saying that the nobles of the Archlesia Empire are in quite a panic or something like that.]

[Hehh. Well, it doesn’t really concern us, but nobles have their own messes to deal with, I suppose…… Oh, that aside, Nicole, you came at just the right time. I’ve got something good.]

[Unn? What is it?]

As Nicole tilted her head in curiosity, Shigenobu took out a finely crafted wooden box and placed it on the table.

[……I got this from an acquaintance not long ago. It’s Spearmush.]

[Eh? No way!? Spearmush, it’s that, right? That super-rare high-grade mushroom from the Demon Realm? Hehh, it’s my first time seeing it…… and there are 10 of them!? Your acquaintance is incredible, Grandpa.]

[Well, there’s no doubt he’s something else entirely…… Anyway, it’s a bit too much for just Hannah and me. You should eat some before you go.]

[Yay! Thank you~~!]

Spearmush was an ultra-high-end mushroom. Nicole had known the name, of course, but this was the first time she had ever seen the real thing. Not only was it expensive, but it was also extremely hard to obtain simply because so few ever made it onto the market.

She did find herself wondering how Shigenobu had managed to get his hands on it, but Nicole also knew that her grandfather had an unusually wide network of acquaintances. Concluding that he must have acquired it through one of those connections, she accepted it happily.

[By the way, how’s Emiru doing these days?]

[My sister? I saw her a little while ago, but…… errr…… she looked really busy with work.]

[Unn? Emiru’s a monster scholar, right?]

[Unn. Apparently an abnormal variant of a White Dragon was confirmed, so she’s swamped with research. That White Dragon seems to be the pet of some extremely high-ranking noble, so direct investigation is difficult. She begged them to give her even a single scale, and she’s been desperately studying it ever since, but reproducing the mutation seems almost impossible, so she was saying it’s hard to even write a paper and didn’t know what to do, just holding her head in frustration.]

[I don’t really get it, but…… I guess if a new species turns up, scholars are bound to be busy.]

[She also said some really important Count contacted her, and that her posting might change too~~]

As for Nicole’s older sister, Shigenobu and Hannah’s other granddaughter, it seemed she was too busy with work to spare the time to visit them. After nodding in understanding, Hannah turned toward Nicole and smiled mischievously.

[……More importantly, I’d like to hear more about Nicole-chan and Leo-kun. How is your romance progressing?]

[Bfuh!? G- Grandma!? W- W- What are you saying……? I- It’s not like that between Leo and I at all……! He’s just, you know, like a troublesome little brother or something, no romance or anything like that!]

[Ara ara…… then have you been on any dates?]

[In a sense, our usual adventurer work is kind of like a date…… no, wait, that’s not it at all!!!]

Watching their granddaughter blush furiously as she protested, both Shigenobu and Hannah wore amused smiles.

<Afterword>

Serious-senpai : [O- Oh, this is an unexpected connection…… Nicole is the granddaughter of Shigenobu and Hannah…… And Emiru?]

??? : [A monster researcher employed exclusively by the Victor Trading Company. The one that made the appraisal when Kaito-san went there to buy brushes.]

Serious-senpai : [Ah, I see……]