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 46   Talking to Nina

“Father? You came again today?”

“Yes, I’m sorry for coming without giving you any notice.”

“Oh, not at all! Oh, let me prepare some tea for you!”

After talking with Miyano and the others, I immediately contacted Saeki-san and arranged for the protection of Asada and Kitahara’s families. It seems that the two of them had a phone call with their families before coming here, and once the call was over, they quickly packed their belongings and arrived at the research institute.

Currently, Miyano and the others must be settling into their assigned rooms and checking the layout of the facilities. I suppose they’ll be provided with a simple map or something similar to help them navigate this place, as memorizing the entire structure isn’t easy.

As for myself, I mostly packed equipment, tools for adjusting it, and some clothes that I brought in a backpack. Anything I need can be supplied here, whether it’s clothing or equipment.

They said they’ll collect the rest of my belongings from the apartment later. Well, considering the circumstances, it’s only natural to be frugal with things like armaments.

With the minimal luggage I brought, the research institute staff carried it to my assigned room while I decided to come here to speak with Nina and inform her about the situation.

“You must have had a tough time yesterday.”

Nina, who had prepared tea and placed it in front of me, sat down across from me with a cheerful expression.

After expressing my gratitude to Nina and taking a sip of tea, I broached the subject.

Though we may not be connected by blood, it’s still a conversation between a parent and child, even if it lacks emotions or depth. Nonetheless, I had to ask and listen to what she had to say.

“Yes. When they woke me up from my rest and told me to do five rounds of garbage cleanup, I couldn’t help but feel like I wanted to ‘do it’ right then and there. But somehow, I managed to endure it.”

Garbage cleanup, huh… For me, handling Gates that require risking my life and taking several days to resolve is one thing, but for Nina, it’s just a simple ‘garbage’ that she can deal with multiple times in a day.

I knew it, but seeing it firsthand still amazes me. She’s reliable, no doubt about it, but at the same time, it leaves me feeling helpless.

Having someone like Nina, who possesses such power, would easily resolve this abnormal situation. However, considering her history and upbringing, I think it’s best if there aren’t any more individuals like her.

“I see. That’s good to know. I’m happy to see you growing and becoming stronger.”

Even so, I don’t wish for Nina to die, not in the least. On the contrary, I want her to live, to live with happiness and laughter.

That’s why I genuinely hope that Nina will be able to control her powers and live well in human society. Sincerely delighted, I praised Nina.

“Really? If that’s the case, I’d love to go somewhere with you again!”

However, when she said that, my eyebrows furrowed slightly in reaction.

I do believe that if you’ve worked hard, there should be rewards to match, and I have no objections to going somewhere with Nina.

If she’s happy just going to an ordinary town, then she’ll enjoy herself wherever we go. Now that Nina has calmed down a bit, I can push the boundaries a bit, and with fewer time constraints, we have more options for destinations.

But the timing is bad.

“Ah, sorry, but that’s not possible. As you’re aware… The Savior’s Army is causing a mess right now, and I have to deal with that. Until it’s resolved, there’s no way I can find time to go out somewhere.”

“I see… Those people should have been taken care of, but it seems they underestimated them…”

More accurately, it was the precursor to the Savior’s Army, the organization that had kidnapped Nina and subjected her to inhumane experiments. She managed to crush that particular location, but there were other bases in different places and countries that they couldn’t eliminate, and the remnants of that organization eventually merged into the Savior’s Army, becoming even larger and more extremist.

And now, the Savior’s Army caused another “incident.”

Nina knew that this was the reason she couldn’t go out, and her elegant face twisted with frustration.

“Well, it’s not like it’s a replacement, but from now on, I’ll be staying here until this commotion settles down. So, we’ll have more time together. Just be satisfied with that.”

“Really!?”

“Yeah. Although I’ll still have to move to deal with the Gates, it won’t be all the time.”

“Then, does that mean we can talk more, sleep together, and take baths together!?”

…Wait. Let’s just slow down for a moment. Talking and sleeping together might be fine, considering we are like a parent and child. Despite her albinism and mysterious beauty, she’s still a child inside, and our relationship is that of a parent and child. So sleeping together isn’t too strange.

However, what did she say about taking baths together? Sure, if we were a normal parent and child, occasionally taking a bath together when the child is much younger, say in elementary school or so, would be okay. But Nina’s body and mind have matured, and she should be around twelve years old now, even if there’s a discrepancy in her physical and mental growth.

…But, even if she’s twelve, considering her unconventional upbringing, is it really strange for her to want to take a bath together? Our perception of what’s “strange” is shaped by our upbringing, and what may seem strange to us might not be so for someone who hasn’t received the same kind of education?

“Bathing together… Sorry, but let’s not do that.”

Even if Nina didn’t think of it that way, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy about it. So, bathing together was out of the question.

“…Okay.”

Nina responded with a slightly sullen tone, or rather, she seemed to be pouting. I couldn’t help but smile wryly, but I found that endearing too.

She’s become remarkably human-like – pardon the wording – developing clear emotions. She’s no longer the bored or angry Nina from before. Although she had been affectionate toward me from the beginning, there was always a certain distance or barrier, and she never really leaned on me like she does now.

While she showed signs of seeking comfort, it was mostly superficial. Perhaps Nina didn’t know how to approach our relationship. After all, she had never interacted with others as a proper human being; she had been treated as an experimental subject her whole life.

Seeing this drastic change in Nina over a short period made me feel genuinely happy about her growth. I’m not her real parent, and our relationship began in a rather forceful manner. I’ve acted as her parent, and I intend to continue doing so, but I don’t consider myself Nina’s true parent.

Yet, is this what it feels like to be a parent? I couldn’t help but wonder.

The current situation is likely to be far more challenging than anything we’ve faced before. I have a strong feeling about that.

However, Nina has learned to control her emotions to some extent, and she has Miyano and the others by her side. She’s not alone anymore.

So, even if I were to die during this turmoil, Nina would be alright.

Of course, I have no intention of dying. No, I shouldn’t even be thinking about such things. My role is to act and think to ensure I don’t die.

I shouldn’t dwell on thoughts about what happens if I were to die.

“I can’t take a bath together, but I’ll sleep with you at night occasionally, and whenever I have free time, I’ll be your conversation partner. So, please bear with that.”

Rather than comforting Nina, who pouted after being refused to take a bath together, I gently stroke her head, including various excuses. She responds happily, seemingly delighted by the gesture.

If this is how she reacts and finds joy in our interactions, then being a parent might be a rewarding experience after all.

My real parents are already deceased, but would it have been nice to have a more affectionate child?

“From tomorrow, things might get different, and it will be challenging, but please do your best with the gate processing.”

“Yes, I’ll do my best!”

Nina responds cheerfully and smiles. However, somewhere along the way, her smile seemed to take on a different quality. Her happiness remained, but there was a sense of playfulness or mischievousness mixed in. Not quite like a prankster, but her laughter carries a hint of sadistic enjoyment.

“But… hehe. It seems that man kept his promise.”

“Promise? Were you doing something with Saeki-san?”

“Yes. When he asked me to help with the garbage disposal yesterday, he promised to arrange a room for you to live here.”

It appears that Saeki-san made it a condition for Nina to listen to him, and that’s why she’s so happy about my living arrangement here.

Perhaps Nina herself doesn’t see it that way, but it’s a bit of a queen-like attitude. She finds joy in giving orders and having them fulfilled, it seems.

Well, not just Nina, but children in general have such feelings to some extent. In fact, it’s something that applies to all humans, not just children. Since Nina has been able to make everyone listen to her, she might have a particularly strong desire for that.

Wanting others to follow your instructions, having them move according to your words— it feels enjoyable, doesn’t it?

However, in this case, it was probably predetermined from the start. Even without any promises with Nina, Saeki-san would have called me and Miyano here.

So, he probably used this opportunity to make Nina listen to him and get her to cooperate with the gate processing.

Well, I don’t intend to mention that, though.

“I see. Well, the reason I’m here is thanks to that person’s influence, so I should be grateful.”

That’s not a lie. Whether it was prearranged or had some underlying intentions, the fact remains that he took action.

“Igami-san. We’ve finished carrying in the luggage.”

As we were discussing, the door suddenly opened, and Miyano and the others, all four of them, entered, guided by the staff.

“Oh, Mizuki, Kana. You’ve come.”

“Yes. It hasn’t been that long, has it?”

“It was about two weeks ago when we last met, so it doesn’t matter, does it?”

“It’s a bit ambiguous… but I suppose you’re right. It has only been two weeks.”

“Oh, did you not want to come here?”

“N-No, that’s not it. It’s just… sigh”

“A lot of things happened just yesterday, right? So, even though it’s only been a day, the sense of time feels… different.”

Certainly, even though Miyano and the others didn’t really do anything specific, they must have had a lot to think about, and it must have been a challenging day.

“Various… Yes, it’s true, things have gotten more complicated.”

“What might be a minor inconvenience to you is actually quite challenging for others.”

As Nina tries to dismiss the current commotion as a mere “minor inconvenience,” Asada shows a faint look of exasperation and shrugs her shoulders. Nina seems to understand that she’s different from others, so she doesn’t argue with Asada’s words and remains silent.

“By the way, they mentioned something about luggage. Could it be that Mizuki and the others will be living here too?”

“Yes, but only for a while.”

“You know too, right? The commotion outside. We’ll be staying here until that settles.”

“I see. Well then, please have a seat. I’ll make some tea for you.”

After guiding Miyano and the others to their seats, Nina gets up and heads to the kitchen area to prepare tea, just as she did for me.

Nina seems to enjoy taking care of others, but she only does it for those she recognizes as important to her.

“But it’s a tough decision, isn’t it?”

Nina returned with tea she had prepared for Miyano and the others and uttered those words as she handed them their cups.

“What’s tough?”

“It’s about you and Mizuki being here only until the pest extermination is finished, right? So, if we don’t finish it, does that mean you’ll stay here forever?”

It’s true. I won’t be staying here forever. Once the commotion caused by the Savior’s Army settles down, and I no longer need to worry about my safety and ease of communication, I intend to return to my original apartment.

Some part of me thinks, “Why not live here since I have a daughter?” But at the same time, another part of me negates that idea.

It’s hard to explain why, but maybe the reason is that I don’t see this place as my “home” in the true sense. That thought is closest to how I actually feel.

So, for Nina, who wants to stay with me and Miyano, it might be better if the abnormal situation doesn’t get resolved.

However, that would be problematic.

Regardless of how Nina acquired her powers, it’s undeniable that they are useful. In this commotion, Nina’s actions could significantly impact the outcome. That’s why I need Nina to destroy the gates and fight to defeat the enemy.

…As a parent, it’s frustrating to have to rely on a child’s powers like this.