Kuma ch 388

388 Bear-san, Stays Overnight at the Bear House

After we had our dinner, I left Ruimin to clean up, so Fina and I took a rest after having a meal while touching Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear’s belly. It’s fluffy and comfortable. Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear also seem to be comfortable, so it’s a win-win situation.

However, Fina, who is touching the belly of Swaying Bear next to her, repeatedly says, <I cannot dismantle the Cockatrice>. If that’s the case then, should I go to the adventurer’s guild to have it dismantled? Or maybe Mumroot-san might be able to do it? He was a former adventurer after all and has lived for a long time, so he may have experience in dismantling a cockatrice or two. Although, even if I got him to dismantle it, the adventurer’s guild may still be the better choice considering the seller. But the problem is the commotion that will come afterward.

The most inconspicuous way is to sell it to the King. The King already knows a lot about what I did, so even if I add the cockatrice on the list, it won’t matter much. Also, considering the buyer of the material, the King is the best option.

As I was thinking about that while rubbing Hugging Bear’s fluffy belly, the white bear puppet I left on top of the table began to cry, <Kuu-n, ku-n>.

[Yuna-oneesan, your bear glove is crying.] Fina

[It’s my bear phone. Maybe it’s Shuri?] Yuna

I put on my white bear puppet and took out the bear phone from the bear box.

[Hello, Shuri?] Yuna

{Yuna-oneechan?} Shuri

[What’s wrong? Did something happened?] Yuna

{I’m just checking on my sister if she’s okay. Dad was a bit worried though, and he wanted to hear her voice.} Shuri

[Dad is worried?] Fina

Fina asks through the bear phone

{Yeah, were you injured, or what if you were attacked by monsters? He was worried during the whole meal. Mom and I told him you have Yuna-oneechan with you, but even if we said you’re okay, he kept going on with what if she got lost because she got separated from Yuna-oneechan.} Shuri

[Dad……] Fina

Gentz-san really seems to have become a complete doting parent. I wish I could have cute girls like Fina and Shuri. Though, overprotection is also a drawback.

[Etto, Dad doesn’t know about the bear phone, so no wonder he’d worry… Shuri, please tell mom and dad about the bear phone. Also, the bear phone doesn’t connect directly to me. So if anything happens, please tell Yuna-oneesan.] Fina

{OK I got it. Oneechan, be careful out there.} Shuri

After the call is over, Ruimin comes in.

[Yuna-san, I’ve finished washing. Was that Fina-chan’s little sister you were having a conversation with just now?] Ruimin

[Yeah, Shuri is a cute girl who looks just like Fina.] Yuna

They have different personalities, but they are both good girls.

[That was Shuri-chan? I want to see her next time.] Ruimin

Both Ruimin and Shuri knew about the bear gate, so I can go to take one of them to see the other from either side. I can take Ruimin to Crimonia or Shuri to the Elven Village.

[That’s right. I should take either one of you next time.] Yuna

[I want to go to the city where Yuna-san and Fina-chan live.] Ruimin

[I want to walk around the elven village with Shuri.] Fina

Both seem to want to go to the place where the other party lives.

[Well, we have the bear gate, so you guys can go back and forth between places. Not often though, just some other times.] Yuna

[Thank you, Yuna-san. I’m counting on you.] Ruimin

Ruimin and Fina look happy.

[Now then, let’s take a bath and take a rest.] Yuna

[Usually, it’s a luxury to take a bath, and you can’t really take a bath while camping outdoors.] Ruimin

[Yuna-neechan, is it okay if Swaying Bear-chan and Hugging Bear-chan join us in the bath? I want to wash their bodies to thank them for letting me ride them.] Fina

[Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear?] Yuna

I look at Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear.

[What do you want to do?] Yuna

I asked them.

They replied with a cry <Kuu-n> and approached Fina.

[Let’s enter together.] Fina

[Then, Yuna-san let’s join in as well. It’s a waste of time to bathe separately.] Ruimin

[I’ll take one later] Yuna

It is better to enter alone.

Even though I said that, Ruimin and Fina grabbed my wrist and pulled me in.

[I’ll wash your back.] Ruimin

[I will wash your hair.] Fina

Furthermore, Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear rubbed their bodies against me. I let out a sigh.

[Okay. Stop pulling me. I’ll head there together with you.] Yuna

I couldn’t fathom these 4 will go to the bath, yet I decided to make that 5 by partaking in it.

---

The next morning, maybe they slept well, they were already awake when I woke up.

[You’re up quite early, huh.] Yuna

[Yes, when I got into the futon, it was so fluffy and comfortable, and I fell asleep immediately.] Fina

[I actually wanted to talk to Fina-chan, but the futon was so comfortable that I fell asleep immediately and that made me wake up early.] Ruimin

Oh, of course, the futon was fluffy and comfortable. Maybe it’s because I dried the futon the other day. After drying, I returned it to the bear house and put it in the bear box, so it may have been maintained in the freshly dried state at that time.

That’s why they fell asleep as soon as they entered the futon. It looks like it since they woke up early in the morning.

Every day, I wear comfortable bear clothes and sleep surrounded by the finest fur of Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear. If you sleep comfortably, you can wake up comfortably in the morning. So I understand that feeling well.

However, if you wake up in the morning and leave yourself feeling comfortable, you may go to sleep for the second time. How many times have you slept comfortably?

[I dried the futons before we left Crimonia.] Yuna

After breakfast, we left for the city of Ludnik.

Ruimin goes on, saying uneasy words such as <I must have been here>, <I think I’ve seen that mountain…>, <Try to remember it, me!>

Checking the bear map, we are moving in the right direction. But I’ll leave it to her until she says we’re lost.

I enjoy the surrounding scenery while eating potato chips and ice cream while riding on Hugging Bear. Of course, I shared it with the other two.

[If we proceed here.] Ruimin

Swaying Bear rushes out with Ruimin and Fina riding him. Through the forest, the grasslands spread far and wide. Apparently, we passed through the forest.

[If we keep going in this direction, we should see a road.] Ruimin

Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear are running on the grassland.

[Yuna-oneesan. There’s a road.] Fina

Just like Ruimin predicted, there was a road big enough for carriages to come and go.

[If we go from here, we will find the dwarven city of Ludnik.] Ruimin

Ruimin, who had been anxious until earlier, declared so with confidence.

Apparently, Ruimin was a child who could do it if she tried really hard.

[Ruimin, what kind of city is the city of Dwarves?] Yuna

[Hmm, I’ve only been there once, so I don’t know the details, but there are a lot of dwarves.] Ruimin

[Yeah, that should be obvious.] Yuna

It’s a Ruimin-like answer.

[Also, adventurers come to buy weapons and armor, and merchants buying various products. Of course, not only that, but a lot of metal products are on sale.] Ruimin

[What did you do when you went there before?] Yuna

[We went to buy weapons to give to the young adult elves. The weapons to protect the elven village. Male elves have a role to protect the village, so when they get old enough, the elders will give them the weapons. I went with my dad to buy those.] Ruimin

Oh yeah, when I came to the village for the first time, Ravirata and his crew were looking at me cautiously while hiding in the forest.

I can imagine that an elf can make a bow, but they can’t make a sword, so they have to go out and buy it.

---

And so, we went down the road and came near the city of Ludnik while avoiding people passing by so that they wouldn’t be surprised by Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear.

[Let’s get off Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear and walk from here.] Yuna

Everyone would be surprised if we kept going on while riding Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear in a city unfamiliar with us. If we’re in Crimonia, that’s wouldn’t be the case, but since we’re in this city for the first time, we have to be careful.

[But if we walk, wouldn’t they think it’s strange?] Ruimin

[Ruimin, are there any towns or villages around here?] Yuna

If there is a town or a village nearby, it will not be suspicious even if they see us walking.

[I don’t know the area around here because I’ve only been here once and we went back straight to the elven village once we got what we came for.] Ruimin

Ruimin looked at me apologetically. Well, it can’t be helped. You’ll never know about the surroundings of a city that you’ve only visited once without doing any sightseeing.

I hit the bear puppet with the other bear puppet as if I’m trying to clap. Moments like this, are embarrassing because I’m not using my bare hands.

[Everyone time for a question! Which is more suspicious? A child, an elf girl, and a bear walking into the city? Or riding Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear to get closer to the city?] Yuna

I pointed the bear puppet to Fina, Ruimin, and me. And finally, I look at Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear.

In my question, they look at themselves. It’s suspicious after all. There is no unity. If the three of us are all elves, we wouldn’t be a bit suspicious. But our ages, races, and even appearances are all different.

Ruimin raised her hand.

[I think it’s okay if Yuna-san takes off her bear clothes!] Ruimin

[Rejected!] Yuna

I answered immediately.

It’s the first time I’ll go to that city. I don’t know what’s in there. We may get entangled in some sort of trouble. It is also my role to protect Fina and Ruimin. But, if I take off the bear costume here, the possibility of getting in trouble is low. Wait, I don’t need a tsukkomi.

[But they’ll panic if they see Swaying Bear-chan and Hugging Bear-chan.] Ruimin

---

We can’t come up with an answer, and while we were discussing what to do, Swaying Bear cried <Kuu-n> and turned to look behind us. Tracing where Swaying Bear is looking, a covered wagon is coming at us with a tremendous speed.

When I try to bring Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear to the edge of the road, I saw a person in the carriage waving at us.

Don’t tell me… That is?

As the carriage approaches, it slows down and stops in front of us. Why are they here?

[I knew it! It’s Yuna-chan!] Mel

[Mel-san?] Yuna

Mel-san, who is sitting on the coachman, is looking at me happily.

[I knew my eyes weren’t seeing things.] Mel

[Oi Mel! Don’t speed up the carriage so suddenly!] Jade

Jade-san appears from behind the coachman’s seat.

[Why are Jade-san and Mel-san here?]

[I am also here.] Senia

Senia-san also shows up. Which means, there should be another person.

[That hurts! My hips might be broken.] Toya

Toya’s voice can be heard from the back of the carriage.

Why are these four here?

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Author’s Note:

Jade-san and his friends are back.

Well, you’ll know why.

Toya [My a…]

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