Aside from Shigenobu Okura—the migrant who served as the former Hero-role—and those like Noin or Miyabe who had the unique experience of being reincarnated as demons, Shigenobu was practically the eldest of the surviving otherworlders. Currently, he spent his days in a quiet, semi-retired state in a remote corner of the Hydra Kingdom.
Shigenobu and his wife, Hanna, had two children—a son and a daughter—and four grandchildren in total.
One day, one of those grandchildren came to visit their home.
"Grandpa, Grandma, I'm here!"
"Ho, welcome, Nicole."
"Come in, dear. Wasn't it a long trip from the teleport gate?"
"It was fine, totally fine! I travel way further as an adventurer all the time. This much is easy."
The visitor was Nicole, Shigenobu and Hanna’s granddaughter, an adventurer who used the Arclesia Empire as her home base.
After a bright smile and a brief chat, Nicole stepped inside and handed over a paper bag.
"Here, this is a souvenir from Dad."
"I appreciate it. Good grief, that boy... sending his daughter out while he stays at work?"
"He said he couldn't get a proper break. He also said that where you live is so far out in the sticks that it’s a whole ordeal just to visit."
"Well, it is the middle of nowhere. That’s for sure."
Nicole’s father was Shigenobu’s son. He worked for a trading company in the Arclesia Empire. Since his firm dealt in food products and business was currently booming due to the developments in the Rich Baron Territory, it seemed he was in the middle of his peak season and couldn't take a long holiday.
Hanna brought tea over to Nicole, who offered a sympathetic grin to match Shigenobu’s bitter one.
"So, Nicole, how has the adventurer life been treating you?"
"Ugh, don't even get me started! Honestly, Leo is such an idiot—no sense of caution whatsoever. I mean, he’s got the skills and plenty of guts, but he just acts on impulse without thinking things through. It’s such a hassle. He’s completely hopeless without me there to watch his back!"
"Hehe, is that so?"
Nicole worked as a duo with an adventurer named Leonhardt. Though she spoke as if she were venting her frustrations, her expression was bright. It was painfully obvious that she held quite a bit of affection for him.
Hanna watched her granddaughter with a fond, knowing look.
"Is Leo not with you today?"
"Apparently he got a letter from home telling him to show his face for once. He had a look of pure dread when he said he was going back. Whenever the topic of his family comes up, he looks so disgusted that I don't really pry, but he’s strangely well-informed about noble business. I bet he’s actually from some noble house. He did mention something recently about the nobles in the Empire being in a total frenzy."
"I see. Well, it doesn't have much to do with us, but I suppose the nobility has its own mountain of problems... Anyway, you picked a great time to come by, Nicole. I’ve got something special for you."
"Hmm? What is it?"
Nicole tilted her head. Shigenobu placed a high-quality wooden box on the table.
"...I got this from an acquaintance recently. It’s Spear Mush."
"Wait, seriously?! Spear Mush... as in the Spear Mush? Those super rare, high-end mushrooms from the Demon Realm? Whoa, it’s my first time seeing the real thing... And there are ten of them?! Your friend must be someone incredible, Grandpa."
"Well, he’s certainly an outrageous fellow, that's for sure... Regardless, ten is a bit too many for just Hanna and me. Why don't you have some too, Nicole?"
"Yes! Thank you!"
Spear Mush was an ultra-luxurious ingredient. Nicole knew the name, but this was her first encounter with the actual product. Beyond the price, they were notoriously difficult to obtain because so few ever made it to the market.
Nicole wondered briefly how Shigenobu had managed to get his hands on them, but she knew her grandfather had a surprisingly wide social circle. She simply assumed it was another one of his mysterious connections and focused on being happy about the treat.
"By the way, how is Emil doing?"
"Big sis? I saw her a little while ago, and... well... she seemed incredibly busy with work."
"Oh? Emil was a monster scholar, right?"
"Yeah. Apparently, an abnormally mutated White Dragon was discovered, and she’s been swamped with research. It belongs to some ultra-high-ranking person as a pet, so she can't exactly investigate it directly. She begged them to let her have a single scale, which she’s been studying like her life depends on it. But she says reproducing that mutation is basically impossible. She was holding her head in her hands, agonizing over how she’s going to write her thesis."
"I don't really follow the science, but I guess a new species would keep any scholar busy..."
"She mentioned some important Count reached out to her, and that she might be changing where she works soon."
It seemed Shigenobu and Hanna’s other granddaughter was also too overwhelmed with work to make the trip. Hanna nodded understandingly, then turned back to Nicole with a mischievous smile.
"...More importantly, I want to hear more about you and Leo. How is the romance progressing?"
"Pfft—! G-Grandma?! Wh-What are you talking about... It's not like that with Leo... R-Right! He’s just a handful, like a troublesome younger brother. It’s not love or anything!"
"My, my... Have you two gone on any dates?"
"In a sense, our usual adventuring is a kind of date—wait, no it’s not!!"
Watching their granddaughter turn bright red and stumble over her words, Shigenobu and Hanna shared a hearty, satisfied laugh.
Serious-senpai: "Whoa, talk about an unexpected connection... I had no idea Nicole was Shigenobu and Hanna’s granddaughter. And who was this Emil?"
???: "She's the monster scholar personal attendant for the Victor Trading Company. She’s the one who appraised the brush Kaito-san went to buy."
Serious-senpai: "Ah, that makes sense..."