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 61   After the End: At the Research Institute

“——Well, I was really surprised, you know? I knew it was a call from Miyano, but I had completely forgotten and thought it might be some kind of scam or something.”

“Oh, well, I mean, if a person who was supposed to be dead suddenly calls you, that’s a natural reaction.”

“Yeah, true. And even if not, the first thing you said was ‘It’s me.'”

Encountering Miyano and meeting again—there were tears, hugs, and scolding after that. But for now, we decided to catch a taxi and head to the research lab to find a place to calm down. Of course, it was on Miyano’s dime.

During that time, I borrowed Miyano’s phone and contacted Saeki, but I was mistaken for a fraudulent call, and even after arriving at the lab, I was surrounded by stern security. It seemed like they thought I was someone from somewhere… a spy or something in disguise.

It was surprising, but well, it couldn’t be helped. After disappearing for so many years, suddenly showing up was bound to raise suspicion. Moreover, I had changed in appearance. It was just getting younger, but it was a change significant enough to doubt.

In the end, Miyano and the others being together, some questioning, and a bit of blood sampling led them to believe me, and that’s how we ended up sitting here, facing each other and talking.

By the way, Miyano had contacted Abe and Kitahara, and they are currently waiting outside the lab for those two, so they are not present here.

“Well, anyway, I’m glad you came back safely. Congratulations on another ‘return’ in one piece.”

“Thank you.”

I didn’t really think I could come back, and in fact, I had planned to die before returning, but in any case, it’s good to be alive and back.

“So, what are your plans from now on?”

“What do you mean? I plan to continue living as usual…”

Since Miyano and the others’ mentorship is most likely over or they’ve been forced to quit, it’s doubtful whether I’ll continue being an adventurer. However, there are plenty of other jobs, and with the savings I have, I shouldn’t have any problem living without working.

That’s the plan, to live a normal life. Is there any problem with that?

“No home, changed appearance, no license or credit cards, and various complications due to the changed appearance… Well, the appearance can be handled. The rejuvenation drug, even if not seen by many, at least the name might ring a bell. But the house must have been abandoned by now?”

“Ah… right. I forgot. So, no home, huh?”

It’s been three years. There’s no way the house is still there. Without a place to return to, living as usual would be impossible.

But, having lived there for so long, there was a certain attachment and memories…

Well, it can’t be helped.

Oh, speaking of which, there should have been belongings. What happened to them? And what about Satsuki? She lived in that house too…

“I couldn’t just leave it abandoned forever, especially considering there were things that ordinary people shouldn’t touch in your house. But, for the most part, I’ve collected them here. I disposed of the refrigerator and household appliances, sorry about that.”

“Oh, really? It’s fine, the appliances don’t matter. Thank you.”

There were tools in the room that only adventurers were allowed to own, so leaving them unattended would have been a bit risky, but it seems they’ve been collected. That’s good.

“No, no, once you have a new home, you can pick them up. Though if you want to thank someone, it should be your daughter, not us.”

“Nina?”

Why Nina? It’s not like she took charge of collecting the belongings, right…

“Ah, well, to be honest, we tried to treat you as if you were dead. The hero who saved the world. The mentor who sacrificed his own life to save the world. That narrative seemed convenient in many ways. However, when we told her that you had died, she got furious, saying, ‘Father is not dead. Don’t say random things.’ Even though no one died, there was quite a bit of damage.”

It’s as if I can visualize that scene. I was prepared to die myself, and I thought I understood that Nina would be upset, but hearing the story now, I feel a sense of apology.

“I’m sorry for that.”

“No, it’s fine. In the end, Satsuki stopped her.”

“Satsuki?”

“Yeah. She’s like a sister or an interesting older sister to your daughter, right? Your daughter calmed down once her younger sister, crying, intervened. Oh, by the way, she has graduated from school now and is working as an adventurer normally. She seemed quite down after she thought you had died, but meeting your daughter seemed to have helped her recover.”

“I see. I’m glad she’s doing well. Well, if Nina is doing fine without me, that’s good. I did think that relying only on Miyano and the others to restrain Nina in case I’m not around might be weak, so if that worked out, it’s good.”

There was a sense that both of them considered each other as sisters. Perhaps she felt she couldn’t cry in front of her younger sister, and that’s why she intervened.

Originally, Satsuki was introduced to Nina as a ‘family’ to restrain her, but it seems Nina also became a support for Satsuki.

“Well, with all that happening, if we officially declare you dead, this place… no, this country might get burned down this time. So, you are officially listed as missing. Therefore, if you decide to return, it should be relatively easy to reacquire your family registry.”

“I see. Nina might be reckless, but I appreciate it, I guess.”

If it weren’t for her, I might have been officially declared dead, causing even more trouble.

“Well, here’s the thing. Even if there’s no problem with the family registry, it will still take some time to live normally, right? Not just the family registry, but you’ll need to reapply for your license, mobile phone, bank stuff, and oh, your adventurer qualification too. In total… well, it might take about a month, I guess? If there are issues with personal identification or something, the country will handle it, but generally, they won’t interfere.”

“Yeah, that sounds about right. The ‘higher-ups’ like to use me, but they don’t seem too eager to treat me favorably.”

That’s been the case until now. Despite using me, there were hardly any special treatments. If I were to try to escape or rebel, I wonder what their plan was… well, they probably had something in mind. Surely.

“So, for a while, you won’t be able to rent a place on your own… What do you want to do? If necessary, I can arrange a room here. Or maybe you want to stay overnight with your daughter? Going back to your parents’ house is also an option, but if possible, I’d prefer you to stay here for a while. After all, your body was thrown into an unknown situation, and I’d like to conduct various examinations.”

“Well, for about a month, I wouldn’t mind sharing a room with Nina.”

We’ve been apart for a while, and she wouldn’t be satisfied with just spending one or two days together. I can already picture her throwing a tantrum about wanting to be together for a while. Considering that, living in the same place as her seems like a good choice. Well, Nina is around eighteen now, so she might say she doesn’t want to live with her father… If that happens, I’ll be quite hurt.

Well, it should be fine. If she says she doesn’t want to… I’ll think about it when the time comes.

“I see. Then, let me arrange the procedures so that you can stay together. …Oh, about the bed? Should I prepare two, or is it better to get a queen or king-sized bed?”

“We don’t need to sleep in the same bed just because we’re in the same room. Separate beds are fine. I don’t even mind sleeping on a futon if that’s available.”

“If I treat you poorly by giving you just a futon, I might get burned, so I’ll find something suitable.”

Well, personally, I’m fine with just a futon directly on the floor. I’ve slept worse in dungeons, and as long as I have a blanket, I can sleep without any issues. Just having a place to shelter from the rain and wind when I have no home is already better than nothing.

Well, it’s always better to get proper rest, and if they’re offering, I’ll accept it gratefully.

“Now then. You should go meet your daughter as soon as possible. Lately… well, by lately, I mean the three years you’ve been absent, she has been in a pretty bad mood. It would be nice if you could calm her down before we get burned.”

Hearing that, I felt a bit sorry, but I still understood that she still cherished me as her father. It brought a slight feeling of joy.

When I meet Nina, what should I talk to her about? Well, before that, how should I even face her?

While thinking about such things, as I stood up from my seat, I suddenly remembered something.

“Ah…”

“What’s wrong?”

“Sorry. There’s just one thing I’d like to ask…”

It might seem a bit inappropriate to ask for something like this, but I can’t help but make the request.

“When I came back here, I was kinda naked, so I borrowed some clothes lying around… Can I apologize in advance? I think there might be a report to the police or something.”

“…You’re still the same, huh… Alright, I’ll handle that for you.”

It was probably an unexpected request. After blinking a few times, Saeki sighed in apparent exasperation and then agreed.

“Thank you. It would make more sense for me to go and apologize in person, but realistically, even if the person who stole the clothes apologizes, it’s probably still uncomfortable for the other party.”

“Well, to be blunt, you are a bit of a pervert.”

After all, I’m the guy who stole clothes while being completely naked. …I said it myself, but it’s a bit disheartening.