Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear

Chapter 820

Bear-san Listen to the Adventurer’s Story

I checked with my detection skill.

There was no reaction.

It seems that I’ve finally managed to defeat the giant snake.

It was just a giant snake, except that it was two-headed and spat poison.

If I’d fought it with two heads from the beginning, it might have been a little more troublesome, but for me, who had already fought an eighth-headed giant snake, it was not difficult.

“Yuna!” (Mane)

Mane-san came running towards me with Swaying Bear.

“Thank you, Mane-san. You saved me. Nice pitch, Swaying Bear” (Yuna)

“Kyuu~n.”

Swaying Bear cried happily.

As I praised Swaying Bear, Hugging Bear also came over, looking sad.

Maybe he’s sulking because he couldn’t do anything.

“Thank you, Hugging Bear, for protecting the two adventurers” (Yuna)

I knew that Hugging Bear was in a position to look out for the two adventurers being chased by the snake.

If the snake had attacked them, Hugging Bear was there to defend them.

If I were in danger, Hugging Bear was also there to help me.

That was where Hugging Bear was.

So I was able to fight without worry.

I thanked Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear and patted their heads.

“Yuna, are you okay? Is the poison affecting you?” (Mane)

I checked my body.

I didn’t feel sick or tired or anything like that.

“I’m okay.” (Yuna)

“Thank goodness. I don’t know what kind of poison it is, so if you were affected by it, it would have been dangerous.” (Mane)

“Even Mane-san doesn’t know what to do with it” (Yuna)

“Of course. Well, I did prepare several types of antidotes, so if you feel anything abnormal with your body, please let me know right away” (Mane)

As expected of Mane-san. She also prepared some antidotes as well.

“Even so, I never thought a two-headed snake would appear.” (Mane)

“Is it really that rare?” (Yuna)

“Large snakes are rare, but a two-headed snake is something you only hear about in old stories. A normal adventurer would never meet one in their lifetime.” (Mane)

It would certainly be troublesome if there were many of them.

“Well, I’m glad that I managed to defeat it safely,” (Yuna)

As we were talking, we heard footsteps approaching.

It was the two adventurers who had been chased by the snake.

Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear came in front of us.

“Wait. We don’t mean to harm you,” (Adventurer 1)

The man responded to Swaying Bear’s and Hugging Bear’s actions.

“Swaying Bear, Hugging Bear, thank you. It’s okay, so stand back. Stay with Mane-san.” (Yuna)

Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear stepped back and stood on either side of Mane-san.

“I’m Zect. This is my sister, Lydia.” (Zect)

The man who introduced himself as Zect looked around 25 years old and was dressed like a swordsman. He had a scruffy beard, so he might be a little younger.

The woman who was introduced as Lydia looked about 20 years old and dressed like a hunter.

“I’m Yuna.” (Yuna)

After introducing myself, I glanced back.

“I’m Mane.” (Mane)

We each introduce ourselves by name.

“Thank you for helping me. You saved me” (Zect)

“I thought I was done for. Thank you.” (Lydia)

After the two adventurers introduced themselves, they thanked us.

The tension seemed to have been released as the two collapsed on the spot.

They seemed tired from running.

“First, there’s something I want to confirm. Is that okay?” (Zect)

“Why are we here?” (Yuna)

“Well, that’s interesting, but there’s something even more interesting…” (Zect)

The two look at each other.

Well, was there anything more intriguing than a girl deep in the forest with a bear?

“Why is she dressed like that?” (Zect)

The two of them looked at me.

I looked at my outfit.

Mane-san looked at me as well.

“…” (Zect)

“…” (Yuna)

“…” (Lydia)

“…” (Mane)

Silence flowed between the four of us.

It was Mane-san who broke the silence first.

“She likes bears, so don’t worry about her outfit.” (Mane)

“Oh, I see,” (Zect)

“It suits her so well” (Lydia)

They were looking at me like I was a pitiful child.

I couldn’t deny it when she explained it like that.

If I denied that I liked bears, Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear would be sad.

So I could only reply, “Yes, I do, so don’t worry about it.”

“So, just to confirm, why are you girls in a forest like this?” (Zect)

“Girls, this isn’t the kind of place to come alone,” (Lydia)

“Before asking about us, you guys should tell us first, since you were rescued..” (Mane)

Mane-san asked back, sounding like an elder.

The adventurers looked surprised at her response; Mane-san looked like a child, after all.

“That’s right. We are adventurers from the town of Tula, a little way down the road.” (Zect)

Tula?

Maybe it was the name of a town following the road from the royal capital?

“Why are you adventurers in a forest like this?” (Mane)

The adventurers looked at each other at Mane-san’s question.

“We came here to gather a certain herb.” (Zect)

“Herbs!?” (Mane)

Mane-san reacted to the word herbs.

“What kind of herbs are you looking for? Did you find anything? Can I see them?” (Mane)

“Wha…” (Zect)

Zect-san was surprised by Mane-san’s sudden reaction.

“Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to harvest any,” (Lydia)

Lydia-san answered in Zect-san’s place.

“We usually came here to harvest herbs at this time of year.” (Zect)

“But there was a monster near where the flowers were blooming, so we couldn’t harvest them” (Lydia)

“So we gave up on harvesting and decided to wait and see, but that snake noticed us and started chasing us” (Zect)

“We’ve been running away from it for the past two days” (Lydia)

You were being chased by that snake for two days?

“I thought that we finally managed to escape” (Lydia)

“But we were attacked again when we returned to the cave. To make matters worse, the only place we could run to was inside the cave.” (Lydia)

And it was around that time that we encountered them.

“Thank you again. Thank you for the help” (Zect)

Zect-san bowed slightly.

“But isn’t it dangerous for just the two of you to enter this forest?” (Mane)

“If we’re hunting monsters, it would certainly be dangerous with just two people. But if we’re just going to collect, it’s better to have fewer people. We can go in without being noticed by the monsters.” (Zect)

I’ve played a game where we had to hunt in an enemy territory, and it was easier to be found with more people around.

If we were to hunt something with 100 people, we’d be discovered right away.

So, if the goal was not to defeat monsters, it made sense to have fewer people.

However, if they ended up fighting monsters, there was no one to help them, so the risk would also be high.

If I hadn’t defeated the giant snake, who knows what would have happened.

“What’s the name of the herb we’re gathering?” (Mane)

“… Sorry. I can’t tell you.” (Zect)

“Maybe it’s a poisonous herb?” (Mane)

“No, It’s not poisonous” (Zect)

“Then maybe you can tell me about it?” (Mane)

“If other people find out, they’ll fight over it” (Zect)

If it were a valuable herb, they would fight over it.

That was why there were no documents about the forest even at the adventurer’s guild in the royal capital.

“Even though we saved your life?” (Mane)

“Well…” (Zect)

The two looked at each other at Mane-san’s words.

“I’m joking. If you talk about it so lightly, you are not fit to be an adventurer. But as an adventurer, if you only say thank you after someone saved you, then you’re not fit to be one as well.” (Mane)

Mane-san started lecturing them like an adult.

“For now, can you just give us information about what’s to come.” (Mane)

“Well, if that’s about it” (Zect)

That might be the compromise.

It was possible that the herbs the adventurer was looking for were the same as the herbs we’re looking for.

But if they were valuable herbs, they couldn’t just talk about them so easily.

“Before that, let’s get this out of the way. Since we defeated it, we can have the snakethem, right?” (Mane)

Mane-san asked the two to confirm.

“Oh, no problem” (Zect)

“Yuna, can you get it in your item bag?” (Mane)

After getting permission, Mana-san asked.

She knew that my bear box could fit a bear house, so she seemed to be checking to see if I could store it.

“It’s fine” (Yuna)

I approached the giant snake and put it in my bear box.

The two were surprised when they saw me do it.

“Even though it was so big…” (Zect)

There was no need to explain about my bear box, so I ignored the response.

Then, I covered the poison that the snake spat out with soil so that no one would come into contact with it.

This should stop it from spreading in the air.

Once the snake was dealt with, Mane-san approached Zect and Lydia.

“You guys, pour this on your feet” (Mane)

Mane-san handed over a bottle filled with liquid.

“This is?” (Zect)

“Maybe the same one that you threw at the snake?” (Lydia)

Lydia looked at the bottle.

“Yes, it’s a liquid with a smell that snakes hates. It would be troublesome if you were attacked again.” (Mane)

“Something like this. Could you sell it to us? It would make it easier to get through this cave.” (Zect)

“Sorry, but I can’t sell it here. If you want it, you have to order it through the Ministry of Magic.” (Mane)

“Ministry of Magic?” (Zect)

“I work for the Ministry of Magic. That’s why I can’t sell it privately” (Mane)

The two of them looked at Mane-san, unable to believe what she was saying.

Well, she looked like a child after all.

“Why can’t you sell it privately?” (Yuna)

“I’m doing research with the government’s money. There’s no way I can sell such things privately. If I get found out, I’ll be fired” (Mane)

That was true.

You couldn’t sell something you’ve researched and developed with your company’s money privately.

Moreover, even I, who had no work experience, knew that it was not okay to make something with materials bought with the government’s money and sell it privately.

“For now, I can’t sell it, but I won’t need any money for the amount I’m using this time.” (Mane)

“That’ll be a great help” (Zect)

The two said their thanks and put it on their legs and clothes.

This should keep the snakes away.

I’d be happy if there were a medicine that would repel bats as well.