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 5 Chapter 39   New Year’s visit/Second year

“Actually, regardless of Igami-san quitting, Mizuki and Kana won’t let go of him,” Abe said, and at that moment, I felt a little warmth in my heart.

“Wha-!?” “Haruka!?”

Suddenly called out by Abe, Miyano and Asada turned towards her with surprise and concern in their voices.

But I must have had a subtle expression as well.

“A-ahaha… But, doesn’t the same apply to Haruka-chan?” “Mm, that’s right. Me too.”

…I think I understand their feelings to some extent.

But when it comes to responding… I’m not sure.

Moving from ‘not responding’ to ‘not sure’ might be progress in its own way… sigh. I can’t help but let out a sigh at my own indecisiveness.

I am well aware of it; I’m a coward and indecisive. It’s pathetic, but I won’t take action until it’s absolutely necessary.

But that’s not fair to them, and, to be honest, there’s a significant age gap between us.

So, I want them to find someone else. It’s for their own sake.

“Anyway! …What were you talking about with the teacher earlier? She seemed off somehow.”

“Oh, really?”

Asada forcefully changed the subject. Well, I appreciate that as it spares me from elaborating.

But, Asada mentioned that something seemed off about Momozono. Was that true?

Well, towards the end, it did seem a bit unusual, I suppose.

But I think that’s because she accidentally showed vulnerability and felt embarrassed about it. I didn’t intend to share my worries with my “students,” though.

“…However, I can understand the reason.”

Asada’s eyes seem to suggest she might have grasped the reason as she looked at me and said that.

But her slightly narrowed eyes or something like that make me feel like she’s getting the wrong idea.

“Is that so?”

“Probably because you tried to woo someone again.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’ve never tried to woo anyone.”

Hey, Abe. What’s with that look? It’s like you’re saying, “Are you serious?” or something.

I have never tried to woo anyone or confessed to anyone before.

“…Then, you said something nice.”

But apparently, my response wasn’t satisfying enough, as they looked at me with a puzzled expression and asked again.

“What do you mean, something nice?”

“Well?”

“Um… maybe you praised her for being a teacher?”

Oh, right. We were just talking about that. But is there a problem with that?

“Yeah, I did.”

“Then, that’s probably it. Momozono-sensei is young and a woman, so people tend to underestimate her. Moreover, being a new teacher and having students like Mizuki with special abilities caused some resentment among her colleagues. She seemed to be troubled by that.”

Ah, I see. It’s just typical workplace dynamics, isn’t it?

Well, that kind of thing happens everywhere, and I’ve experienced it too before becoming an adventurer. You just have to accept it and get used to it.

“So, during such a time, you complimented and wooed her, maybe?”

“Probably.”

“I didn’t woo her!”

Come on, Kitahara, don’t be so affirmative about it. Show a bit more of a denial or something.

“…How do you feel about Momozono-sensei, Igami-san?”

While Miyano usually carries herself in a mature manner, today she seems a bit childish.

“Seems like you’re being blamed or something.”

“What do you think?”

Miyano’s question is followed by Asada’s, but I don’t have any romantic feelings for someone I’ve barely met.

Well, I guess it’s possible to have love at first sight, but I can confidently say that’s not the case for me.

“I don’t feel anything like that. She’s just your teacher, that’s all… But at least it’s healthier than having feelings for you two.”

Even though I don’t have any romantic feelings, being involved with Miyano and Asada is definitely healthier than the alternative. After all, they’re underage, and I’m an adult.

“I’ll be the same in five years.”

“By then, I’ll already be in my forties. Look for someone else.”

“No way!”

She pouts and responds with a few words, looking just like a child.

Well, this behavior is typical of her, but today, both Miyano and Asada seem a bit more carefree. Perhaps it’s because of the New Year.

But strangely, their playful demeanor suits them. Even if I say they’re like children, they really are still kids.

As I’m lost in my thoughts, Miyano gives me a slightly contemplative look, then smiles cheerfully before speaking.

“igami-san, did you know that there’s a rejuvenation medicine available nowadays? More accurately, it’s not about reversing aging but rather utilizing healing to activate and strengthen cells, which results in a rejuvenating effect.”

“Why are you bringing this up now?”

I’ve heard about that before. It’s more like regaining one’s prime rather than actually turning back time. So, even if children who haven’t reached their prime take it, it just improves their health without any side effects. I remember hearing that the medicine is incredibly expensive and in limited supply, with reservations booked for many years to come.

But anyway, why is she suddenly talking about this?

“And there’s also an anti-aging medicine. It’s said to double your lifespan, but it’s quite expensive.”

“So, why are you bringing up this topic… Did you buy it?”

“Yes. After all, girls always want to stay beautiful forever.”

I can understand that sentiment, but… I see.

From the tone of her words, I had a hunch, but did she really buy it?

“Wait! You bought that, Mizuki!?”

“That’s not fair.”

“But, wait, wasn’t it rumored to cost a billion yen? And there’s a twenty-year waitlist for reservations, right?”

A billion yen and a twenty-year wait… Seeking rejuvenation and longevity is understandable, but to go to such lengths… Wait, is it considered cheap?

“Well, I am a ‘Hero’ after all. It would be troublesome if I died, so I managed to get a priority reservation.”

Miyano said with a mischievous smile.

But, something feels different. She seems a bit more childish. Not that it’s a bad thing—rather, I think it’s good since she used to be too uptight.

Could it be due to what was pointed out before, about improving the relationship with the team members, including Asada? I didn’t witness it directly, but maybe the outcome of reevaluating their relationships with each other resulted in her feeling more at ease, allowing her to laugh like this… Well, it’s fine.

“…Alright. Anyway, let’s go. It would be a hassle if we miss the bus.”

However, we can’t keep chatting here forever.

Buses come every few hours, so it’s not too scarce, but it’s not like they run frequently either. Maybe one every thirty minutes or so.

Well, it’s relatively frequent compared to some remote areas where they might run only once an hour.

With that, we concluded our conversation and started walking to the bus stop. From there, we would take the bus to the shrine.

“The place is as crowded as ever, huh?”

“Yeah. We don’t usually see this many people gathered in one place, so it’s quite refreshing.”

“…It’s noisy.”

“Haha, well, I guess there’s nothing we can do about it, Haruka-chan. If it’s too quiet, it lacks atmosphere.”

During the New Year’s season, every shrine is crowded. Especially in larger ones like this, there are numerous food stalls, so it can’t be helped.

Normally, we don’t wander around crowded places much. Just school, the dungeon, and occasionally near the station – that’s about it. After all, it’s the countryside.

For them, seeing so many people here must be unusual, and they seem to be getting a bit more excited.

“So, we’re going to line up in this queue again this year…”

While Asada was happily talking, she suddenly turned back to us with a displeased expression.

She was pointing to a long queue with not dozens but hundreds of people lined up. They were all visitors coming to offer their prayers.

“What’s wrong? If you don’t like it, we can skip it.”

“Like that would happen.”

“Well, since we came all the way here, might as well make the visit, right?”

That’s true. I also want to make a normal New Year’s visit if I’ve come this far.

Well, I don’t really have any specific prayers or wishes.

I don’t believe in gods, to begin with, and even if they exist, I doubt they’d listen to people who only ask for something when they don’t even believe in them most of the time.

So, I don’t make any wishes. Instead, this is more like a ritual to mark the end of one year and prepare for the next.

I’m telling myself that I survived another year and that I’ll do my best in the coming one as I address a god I don’t really believe in.

If there really are gods, I’m sure they’d prefer to just listen to reports rather than being bothered with unnecessary requests.

Well, if they truly exist, I’d give them a punch for good measure.

“By the way, the other day, I tried using a different one, but now I’m thinking of getting a new one again. What do you guys think?”

So, after deciding to offer our prayers, we lined up in the queue. It takes some time for such a large crowd to pass through.

Even though Miyano and the others call themselves adventurers, their basic sensibilities are just like those of regular girls their age.

That’s why, not necessarily because of that, but if there’s waiting time, it wouldn’t be strange for them to chat happily. Unlike me, a tired old man, they’re enjoying their conversation.

“Well, I guess so. We’ve been using our current ones for quite a while, so it should be fine.”

“In that case, should we all change?”

“I haven’t used mine as much as Kana-chan, but I’ve made some modifications, so I do have some concerns.”

Listening to their conversation, it seems quite ordinary. Talking about making modifications and having some concerns, there’s a subtle mix of topics that wouldn’t be out of place for high school girls.

… If only they weren’t talking about weapons.

It appears that they are contemplating whether to change the weapons they currently use.

Considering they are high school girls, I would think they could talk about something a bit more glamorous, but I suppose deciding what to do with their weapons is an important matter for adventurers, so it can’t be helped if their conversation lacks excitement.