A few days later, the news on television and the internet was still buzzing with talk of the terrorist incident, the video, and testimonies from the rescued hostages. Unlike the previous explosion, this incident was far too large in scale to settle down quickly.

All I could do was wait for time to pass and hope no other major incidents would occur before this one faded from public attention.

"Ahh, I’m so tired."

"Welcome back, Mom. Dinner’s ready."

"Thank you as always. It’s been so busy at work lately. I really wish they’d hire more nurses."

She wasn’t wrong—she’d been coming home late every day because of overtime. Though her mornings started slightly later than most, the workload was clearly tough. Still, hers was a noble profession, and I hoped she could keep at it without overexerting herself.

Now and then, I secretly used healing magic on her to ease her strain, so she should be a little better off than others. Though, when it came to sheer fatigue, healing magic wasn’t all that effective.

"Just don’t push yourself too hard, okay?"

"Don’t worry. A nurse ending up hospitalized would be the real irony, wouldn’t it? Oh, by the way, after a long delay, I finally have some time off coming up, so let’s go on a trip. Lately, Masayoshi, you’ve been going out on your days off, and we haven’t spent much time together."

Oof. She wasn’t wrong—I’d been spending most of my days off visiting the other world lately, leaving little time for family.

"Sorry, I’ve just had a lot I wanted to do recently..."

"What are you apologizing for? As a parent, I’m happier knowing my child is out enjoying themselves instead of cooped up at home. Keep doing what you like, but, if possible, could you keep making meals? That really helps me out."

"Got it, Mom. Thanks, and don’t worry about meals—I’ve been really enjoying cooking lately, and I’m glad I picked it up!"

Incidentally, the meat I’d harvested or bought in the other world was also making its way onto our table. The vast wealth I had in the other world was a significant boon to our household finances.

I didn’t foresee any issues, but just in case, I tested the food from the other world without using my status immunity skill. After a few days of observation, I confirmed there were no adverse effects.

Given that my body had inherited the powers of the great mage, it might just be me who was unaffected, but as long as it wasn’t inherently toxic, it seemed safe for this world’s people to eat.

That said, I hadn’t yet served her dragon meat. I had introduced wyvern meat as premium cuts on sale, but dragon meat was far too flavorful—it could easily lead to unnecessary complications.

Ding-dong.

Huh? That’s unusual. A visitor at this hour? A delivery, maybe? I hadn’t ordered anything, but maybe Mom had.

"I’ll get it, Mom. You keep eating dinner."

"Okay, thanks."

I grabbed the stamp and headed for the door.

"Coming!"

Opening the door, I found not a delivery person but a young man in a suit. Was he a friend of Mom’s?

"Good evening. I apologize for the late hour. Are you Masayoshi Tachihara?"

"Yes. Are you a friend of my mom’s?"

He wasn’t a courier, and I didn’t recognize him. That left the possibility of him being Mom’s acquaintance.

"My name is Mamoru Yagi. I’m here to speak with you, Masayoshi. Could we have a moment to talk outside?"

With me? I didn’t know this man at all. Besides, hadn’t he just said, "Nice to meet you"?

"I wish to discuss the explosion incident and the terrorist attack with you."

"...!"

What!? Could he know my secret? Was he with the police? Had they tracked down my address?

"Let me assure you: only I and one other person are aware of this. And we are on your side."

...Not the police? And claiming to be on my side? I didn’t know this man, though.

"Mom, it’s someone I know. I’m going to step out for a bit to talk."

"Okay, don’t stay out too long!"

I notified Mom and stepped outside with the man to an empty lot in front of the apartment. Using my detection skill, I scanned the surroundings. No suspicious figures—this man had come alone.

"Who are you? How do you know about me?"

Though he claimed to be an ally, I had no reason to trust him. He could be lying or planning to use me for his own ends. I needed to be cautious. If it came down to it, I’d use my intimidation skill.

"Please, calm down. Perhaps this will jog your memory," he said, handing me a photograph.

A photo? In this day and age?

The image showed a cute girl, probably in her last years of elementary school.

...Who was this? I didn’t recall knowing any girls that age.

Wait. No. I had seen her before. Somewhere... Oh! Could it be?

"The girl who was in that traffic accident..."

"Exactly! I’m so glad you remember her!"

Shortly after inheriting the great mage’s powers, I’d healed a girl who’d suffered grave injuries in a car accident. She resembled the girl in this photo.

"That girl is my sister. I’m here today to thank you for saving her life!"