Chapter 538 - Chapter 479: The Successor of the Ise Family
"Grandpa. You look well."
"Shota, you've grown so tall."
Grandpa said happily, placing both hands on my shoulders. I had surpassed grandpa's height the summer before last, but has I grown tall enough to warrant that comment since then? He then gently looked at Mion, who stood beside me.
"And this young lady?"
"Um, she's my classmate, in the same club... and, well, we get along, Izumo-san."
"I-I'm Izumo Mio. It's a pleasure to meet you."
When I answered, he looked very pleased.
"Please take care of Shota. He can be a bit stubborn, but he's a good boy."
"Y-Yes!"
Stubborn? I don't really think I'm stubborn...
"Mashiro and Miki are here too, aren't they?"
"Yeah, they're helping grandma prepare snacks."
"I see. I'm going to wash my boots for a bit, so could you take this dog to the kennel?"
He said, petting Kagemaru's head. There was apparently a dog kennel near the courtyard entrance, but I hadn't noticed it earlier.
"Okay. By the way, what's this dog's name?"
"Kagemaru. He's cool, like a ninja, isn't he?"
"Wafun!"
Grandpa looked at me smugly, seeking agreement. Is poor naming sense hereditary too?
...
...
...
Dinner was yakiniku. When we visit, dinner is usually something easy and celebratory, so it's either yakiniku or curry. Well, Mashiro-nee eats a ton. After dinner, as promised, ice cream was served, and we had our usual chat, or rather, caught up on each other's lives.
"Eh? Grandpa and grandma are playing IRO too!?"
"Yeah. Sumire and I just started recently."
Sumire is grandma's name, and grandpa always calls her by it. Grandma, incidentally, calls grandpa Shoichi-san. They're close, aren't they?
"Where did you two choose as your starting point?"
"The Demon Kingdom. We only play when there's less work, like on rainy days."
Grandma said, taking a sip of hot tea. We were having ice cream, but they were having their usual hojicha.
"I didn't think you'd play games..."
"Don't you remember playing games with Kashiwahara's child when you were in elementary school?"
"Ah, I think I do..."
I vaguely remembered Mashiro-nee, Miki, Nat, my grandpa, and grandma playing an old competitive board game. Nat and I got totally crushed back then.
"It was my first time with Full-Dive, but it's fun, like being young again."
"I've fallen in love with Sumire-san all over again, seeing her youthful self."
"Oh, Shoichi-san, in front of your grandchildren!"
...I'm just glad they seem so happy together. Mashiro-nee and Miki gave wry smiles, but Mion was all smiles, so they couldn't say anything. However, the two of them weren't playing to level up furiously; they were apparently leisurely spending their time in a small village east of the Demon Kingdom's capital.
"Hmph. I thought I might be able to play with grandpa and grandma..."
"Haha. Well, maybe someday."
"No need to humor old folks' hobbies."
Mashiro-nee looked relieved at that remark. Grandpa and grandma were apparently playing as ogre/demon characters. Mashiro-nee muttered "demon hag" under her breath, and grandma...
They went hunting in the forest together, and grew vegetables in the fields. They were doing pretty much the same things we were.
"Oh? By any chance... do you know about Mion and me?"
"I suspected it, but seeing Mio-chan today confirmed it."
So that's why grandma was surprised...
"Shota, you're putting what I taught you into practice well," said grandpa.
I'm happy to be praised, but knowing that all my screw-ups are exposed... it's super embarrassing.
...
...
...
"The bath is ready. Girls, go in together."
"Alright! Let's go!"
"Hmph." "Y-Yes."
We were watching Bell-bucho's daytime archive (private stream for Miki) in the living room. Four people from Silver Manor had arrived on the Southern Island, and next up was probably meeting Gaju's Kijimunaa. No point watching by myself, so I paused it and saw the three girls off.
"Are Shohei and Ritsuko-chan doing well?"
"Ah, um, yeah, they're doing well. Mom's gone for good, but Dad comes home occasionally."
"I see..."
Mashiro-nee, Miki, and I all think it's inevitable that Mom won't come back, but grandpa still doesn't seem to accept it.
"It's too late for that now. Shota's got it handled, so just leave it to him."
"I understand that, but still..."
"More importantly, tell him about that matter."
"Ah..."
What matter?
"I'm thinking of making Shota the heir to this house, the mountain, and the fields."
"Eh!?"
I thought he could just give it to Dad, but apparently, handing it directly to me would result in lower inheritance tax. Dad would probably be constantly with Mom anyway and wouldn't intend to take up farming, but...
"Wait, wait. I don't intend to take up farming either."
"It's not about right now. We intend to live a long time, too."
"It's about afterwards. If you don't want it anymore, you can sell it to someone who wants to farm, or worst case, to the state."
"Hmm. Well, if that's the case..."
Inheriting a house or the like might be an old concept now, but I can agree with the house, mountain, and fields eventually going to me. Mashiro-nee is like that, and making Miki shoulder it feels wrong...
"By the way... does Mio-chan seem like she'd make a good wife?"
"That child is better than Ritsuko. She looked me in the eye and greeted me properly."
"Ah, um, well, yeah..."
[Update History]
3/22 Chapter 477 "Invitation to the Main Ise Family Residence" ~ Up to this chapter
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