Raising the Lowest-Ranked Adventurer, the Heroic Girl – Wasn’t I Just a Substitute Old Man?

Raising the Lowest-Ranked Adventurer, the Heroic Girl – Wasn’t I Just a Substitute Old Man?

Volume 2  Chapter 17   Introduction of the Research Institute.

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“So, what does that mean?”

Why am I being interrogated like this?

After yesterday, I went to the meeting place with the car for pick-up without having any conversation with Asada and the others.

Since I was already running late, I couldn’t afford to waste time on unnecessary matters.

…It’s definitely not because I wanted to postpone or avoid the problem.

“You said you didn’t have a girlfriend, right?”

Well, I did drop off Nina as I mentioned, but because I was asked about my words to her, the staff at the research institute and even higher-ups started questioning me, asking things like, “Why did you do something so arbitrary?”

I suppose those higher-ups were concerned about what would happen if Nina went wild because of my lecturing.

In fact, there have been cases where individuals who were assigned as Nina’s educators were killed after giving her a lecture.

Moreover, I had also considered the possibility of her going berserk. But, well, I still went ahead with it.

For the time being, things seem to be heading in a favorable direction, and they let me go without punishment, probably because they realized that if they dealt with me, Nina’s collar would be removed.

And so, I came to school the next day, intending to resume my normal life and continue training these guys. But for some reason, whenever I encounter Asada and the others, I get caught, pushed against the wall, and interrogated like this.

…Is this how bullying is usually done?

“No, that girl…”

What should I answer?

Technically, it’s classified information about her.

We do have Miyano in this team, so I could say it’s fine to talk, but…

“The strongest in the world.”

“Huh?”

As I was pondering that, Abe slowly voiced it out.

“Is that not it?”

“You knew?”

“I’m a mage, after all. It’s easy to tell when someone uses white and black flames.”

Ah, I see. While the situation of where she is or what she’s doing is a secret, the fact that her existence is known. And considering that her abilities have been captured in photographs, it wouldn’t be strange for Abe to know.

…Well, eventually, the time will come when I’ll have to talk to Miyano, the “hero,” and his comrades. So it might not matter even now.

“Well, then I’ll take you there on our next day off.”

Besides, these guys are close in age to her.

I don’t think it’s possible. I really don’t. But still, if they could become someone she can talk to, even just as a conversation partner, that would be great.

—Mizuki Miyano—

Two days after Kana confronted Koosuke, Mizuki and the others arrived at a large building with tight security—a research institute as Koosuke had described.

Just like before, Saeki was waiting at the entrance of the building, but perhaps because he knew Mizuki and the others were coming, he wasn’t smoking.

“Saeki-san, please take care of us today.”

“Yeah.”

Saeki nodded and shifted his gaze towards Mizuki and the others who had been following Koosuke.

Being brought to such a heavily guarded place, Mizuki and the others couldn’t help but wonder what this place was. While discreetly surveying their surroundings so as not to draw attention, they quickly redirected their focus towards Saeki as soon as they realized he was looking at them.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Hiroshi Saeki, the person in charge here.”

After Saeki’s self-introduction, Mizuki and the others also briefly introduced themselves, concluding the face-to-face introductions.

“Alright then, let’s go. Oh, and make sure not to stray, okay? We don’t want anyone getting lost,” Saeki said.

Without waiting for a response from Mizuki and the others, Saeki turned around and began walking towards the building, without even checking behind him. Koosuke and Mizuki followed, entering the building.

“Hey, why is this place designed to be so complicated?” Kana questioned as they made numerous turns, expressing her doubts to Koosuke, who was leading the way.

“We’ll talk about that later. For now, just stick with me,” Koosuke replied, his response lacking his usual banter and offering no further explanation.

Not only Kana, but the other members also felt perplexed by this unusual behavior. While Kana muttered, “What’s with him…” the group continued moving forward.

After walking for about ten minutes, they finally reached their destination. Koosuke and the others halted their steps.

“Saeki-san, can we leave the rest of the guidance to you?”

“Of course. I’m prepared for that. You should go to that place,” Saeki responded.

“Then, we’ll leave it to you.”

With a brief exchange, Koosuke turned towards Mizuki and the others.

“I’ll let that person explain the details about this place. Just a reminder, be polite,” Koosuke said.

With those words alone, Koosuke averted his gaze from Kana and the others and started walking.

“Hey, wait!”

“What is it?”

Reacting to Kana’s hurried attempt to stop him, Koosuke halted and turned back towards them.

“Are you not coming with us?”

“Nah, I have some other business to attend to.”

Giving a brief answer to Mizuki’s question, Koosuke turned away from them once again and descended the nearby staircase, walking off to somewhere else.

“Then, this way for you. Come.”

Saeki said so as he passed through the door in front of him. Mizuki and the others exchanged glances and followed Saeki into the room.

The first thing that caught their eyes was a variety of equipment. Though neatly arranged, there were some large objects that wouldn’t typically be found in an ordinary room, drawing immediate attention.

And after noticing those, their attention was captured by something else—walls covered entirely in glass.

Inside a room enclosed by walls on all sides, one side was almost completely covered in glass.

“Please, go ahead. It’s better to take a seat,” Saeki suggested.

In the direction Saeki indicated, there were two sets of sofas arranged with a table in between.

Although Mizuki also felt a strong temptation to see the scene beyond the captivating glass, as the leader, she resisted the temptation and took the seat that was recommended first.

The other three followed suit and sat down, and a staff member, presumably from this place, placed drinks in front of each of them.

Observing this, Saeki began speaking in a slightly playful tone, perhaps to put Mizuki and the others at ease.

“Well, it’s quite surprising to meet the ‘Thunderous Hero’ so quickly. Ah, here’s my business card.”

Saeki handed his business card to Mizuki and the others.

The term ‘Thunderous Hero’ mentioned by Saeki was the title given to Mizuki as a chosen hero. While Mizuki felt embarrassed by such a nickname and being addressed by it, it had become widely accepted in society, and there was no avoiding being called that in their future activities.

Mizuki reached out for the cup placed in front of her, perhaps to disguise her embarrassment of being called by the bestowed title, and took a sip.

“By the way, what kind of place is this?” Mizuki asked, directing her gaze at Saeki after placing her cup down.

“This place is dedicated to the research of Awakened individuals and Gates. It’s also a facility for isolating Awakened individuals who have committed crimes,” Saeki explained.

It was a simple and concise explanation, but precisely because of its simplicity, the words were clearly conveyed, causing Mizuki and the others to widen their eyes in surprise.

But that reaction was only natural. To put Saeki’s words in simpler terms, this place was essentially a prison.