Bear-san, Gets A Thank You
âWell then, Yuna. As I have promised, I have prepared something good. Can you confirm it for me? If you donât like it, you can refuse.â (King)
âHave you got it ready?â (Yuna)
âBut of course, I donât want people to think Iâm a king who canât give my gratitude.â (King)
I didnât expect him to get it ready while they were cleaning up after Orochi.
Iâm sure heâs swamped with the cleanup work.
âWhat about my booze?â (Kagali)
âIâll have it ready when you return to your original form. I have told you many times that I will not let you drink while in that form.â (King)
âWait, when will that be? And even though I look like this, Iâm still older than you.â (Kagali)
âItâs a matter of appearance. Besides, how am I supposed to know when you will grow, Kagali?â (King)
âMumu.â (Kagali)
Kagali-san puffed her cheeks.
She looked like a child acting spoiled.
After all, appearance was important.
I kinda agree with it whenever I look at Kagali-san.
âYour bears can run over the ocean, right?â (King)
King Suou slightly looked at Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear.
âYeah.â (Yuna)
King Suou, who had already received the report from Shinobu, nodded as he confirmed.
âIâm sorry, if I take Yuna and the others on the ship with me, itâs going to be a hassle to explain. Iâm sorry, but could you meet us over there instead?â (King)
Certainly, it was King Suou, Sakura, and Shinobu who disembarked on the island. Even if I returned Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear, it would still be strange if Kagali-san (a young girl) and I (a bear) appeared together. And moreover, this was the place where the Orochi had appeared. It would be strange if we were in such a place.
âFine. I should pick up this house too, right?â (Yuna)
âYeah, itâs better over there than here.â (King)
We parted when we decided where to meet.
King Suou, Shinobu, and Sakura went to the pier. After putting away the bear house,? Kagali-san and I rode on Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear on the sea.
They can really run on the ocean, canât they?â (Kagali)
But you can fly, canât you, Kagali-san?â (Yuna)
Personally, I would have preferred a flying skill more than the newly learned underwater swimming.
âI canât fly in this form.â (Kagali)
âIs that so?â (Yuna)
âI can only fly when Iâm in great fox form.â (Kagali)n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âCanât you just turn in that form?â (Yuna)
âI wonât be as big as when I fought the Orochi, but I can be a fox.â (Kagali)
Kagali-sanâs figure on top of Swaying Bear disappeared when she said that, leaving her clothes behind. I hurriedly stopped Swaying Bear.
âKagali-san?â (Yuna)
When I called out to her, Kagali-sanâs clothes wriggled, and a fox cub peeked out from under her clothes.
âFuu, just about this size now.â (Kagali)
âMaybe itâs because you donât have much magic powers because you made stone statues earlier?â (Yuna)
âNo, it has nothing to do with that. It could be a physical problem. Or it could be the bearâs curse.â (Kagali)
âThat doesnât exist, you know?â (Yuna)
The tiny fox, Kagali-san, tried to float on top of Swaying Bear.
âI can fly, but only about this much.â (Kagali)
The tiny fox, Kagali-san, landed on top of Swaying Bear and then slipped into her clothes, reverting back to her original little girl form.
But I envy her just for being able to fly.
I think that since she can use magic, she should be able to fly.
Iâm not very flexible in that area.
And when Kagali-san and I reached the meeting place, we waited for King Suou.
Itâs a street a short distance away from the royal capital where the castle was. Kagali-san was lying comfortably on Swaying Bear. But I wonder if sheâs still tired. She canât go back to her original form after all.
After waiting for a while, we saw Shinobu and Sakura on a horse (probably Hayatemaru) and King Suou on another horse. Also, Jubei-san was coming toward us.
âWeâve kept you waiting~.â (Shinobu)
âYuna-sama, sorry for being late.â (Sakura)
âSakura also came.â (Yuna)
âYes, if itâs not too much trouble, Iâll show you around.â (Sakura)
âIâm not bothered. Iâm counting on you.â (Yuna)
âYes!â (Sakura)
Sakura replied happily on top of Hayatemaru that she and Shinobu were riding. Behind her, King Suou and Jubei-san were watching me.
âJubei-san, you also came.â (Yuna)
âKing Suou has entrusted me with his protection.â (Jubei)
âI couldnât leave the city with only Shinobu as an escort. I had no choice but to ask Jubei because Jubei knows Yuna as well.â (King)
Jubei-san dismounted from his horse and came to me.
âYouâre still in the country. I was worried because when I asked King Suou and Shinobu about Yuna, they didnât tell me anything.â (Jubei)
Well, they canât say that I already left the country and just came back because they did contract magic for the bear gate.
âMaster, you were worried about Yuna, but I couldnât tell you anything because King Suou had told me not to.â (Shinobu)
âI had to keep Yunaâs existence a secret.â (King)
For the time being, I am a secret.
âIâm glad youâre not hurt. I was worried because King Suou didnât let me see you. Let me thank you. Thank you for saving our country. Thank you.â (Jubei)
Of course, Jubei-san knew that I fought and defeated the Orochi.
I got down from Hugging Bear and said a few words back to Jubei-san.
âIâm just glad we defeated it.â (Yuna)
âI saw the Orochi, and I was astonished that a girl like Missy could defeat such a big monster. No wonder I lost to you.â (Jubei)
âIt would have been easier if Jubei-san had been there.â (Yuna)
âThatâs not the case. I could only slow it down at best.â (Jubei)
Jubei-san was strong. I wasnât sure how he would fare against Orochi, but I wished he had been there when fighting wyverns and volglass. If he had been there, Shinobu would not have gotten herself injured, and Sakura would not have had to do anything dangerous.
âAlso, thank you for saving Shinobu and Sakura-sama.â (Jubei)
Jubei-san bows his head lightly.
I donât like it when people thank me in earnest because it makes me itch.
âIâm glad I was able to protect them.â (Yuna)
Jubei-san smiled and returned to King Suouâs side.
Then we set off for the hot springs. As we departed, Sakura looked at Hugging Bear for a moment and said, âYes, letâs goâ.
Perhaps she wanted to ride Hugging Bear?
But maybe she felt sorry for Hayatemaru if she switched. Iâll probably make time for her to spend with Hugging Bear later.
âSo where are we going? I thought it was in the city.â (Yuna)
Weâre moving away from the royal capital where the castle was located.
âOutside of the city, but not that far.â (Sakura)
âIâm sure youâll be surprised when you see it, Yuna.â (King)
âIs that so?â (Yuna)
Shinobu says something meaningful and doesnât tell me the destination. He looks at Sakura and says, âItâs a secretâ.
âDo you know about it, Kagali-san?â (Yuna)
âHow could I, who has been with you all this time, know anything about it?â (Kagali)
Thatâs for sure. Weâve been together for the past few days, and we came here together. There was no way that Kagali-san could have known.
Where in the world were they taking us?
After a short distance, a forest came into view.
Was it perhaps in the forest?
Sure, in the forest, the bear house would be inconspicuous. Perhaps, Iâm a Bear, and I must be in the forest?
âDonât tell me youâre going to give that to Missy?â (Kagali)
Kagali-san uttered such words as if she knew where were headed to.
âKagali-san. Perhaps you know something?â (Yuna)
âIf I am not mistakenâ¦â (Kagali)
âAh, Kagali-sama. Please keep quiet.â (Shinobu)
Kagali-san was about to tell me, but Shinobu stopped her.
From the way Kagali-san talks, it sounded like a fantastic thing.
âI think itâs about time you tell me.â (Yuna)
âItâs a secret.â âA secret.â âYouâll know when we get there.â âIf you donât want it, I shall have it.â ââ¦â¦â¦â¦â
Kagali-san said something strange, but apparently, they wonât tell me until we arrived.
Well, if they say youâll know when you get there, then go. But if you donât want to, you can simply say no.
We entered the forest.
The path was properly paved, and it continued through the forest. Earlier, I glimpsed a sign that read âNo Entry Beyond This Pointâ. There was also what looked like a royal coat of arms below it.
Thereâs something ahead, thatâs for sure.
As we continued down the road, I saw a large mansion.
We passed through the gate and arrived at the front of the mansion.
âI knew it. Itâs this place.â (Kagali)
Kagali-san looked at the mansion.
âDonât tell me youâre going to give me this mansion as a gift?â (Yuna)
âWhat? You donât like this mansion? You could at least check the inside.â (Kagali)
âNo, no, itâs too huge.â (Yuna)
Itâs about the size of Cliffâs mansion.
Itâs a three-story Japanese-style mansion.
âYou saved the country from the Orochi. No one died. There was no damage to the country, and you even gave us the Orochiâs magic stone and materials. If you consider the damage that would have been done if the Orochi had come to our country, even this wouldnât be a sufficient reward.â (King)
âWhen I heard of this, I was surprised at first. But Yuna-sama defeated the Orochi and saved the country. Considering that, I donât think it is strange either.â (Sakura)
âYes, thatâs right indeed. Itâs a small price to pay for avoiding the destruction of the country.â (Jubei)
The three said it as a matter of course.
Certainly, itâs enough for the price of Orochiâs magic stone and materials. And considering the damage when the Orochi came to the country, one mansion would be a cheap price.
But it seems too large for me.
Because itâs a big mansion.
âBut why is there a mansion like this in the middle of the forest?â (Yuna)
âI had it built so I can rest. People wonât come here since this part is on the royal grounds. And as you wished, the bath is a hot spring.â (King)
â¦â¦A large mansion with a hot spring and without people coming.
Whatâs that? Sounds like prime real estate.
âWith Yunaâs bears, it should be easy to get to and from town, so getting around shouldnât be a problem.â (King)
With Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear, itâs easy to get to the city. Even if I come by the bear gate, I will not be seen by anyone.
People would be surprised if a girl dressed as a bear came out of a house they thought no one was using. But I feel safe here.
Isnât there a hot spring in the city?
âPerhaps you had the mansion built here just for the hot springs? I donât know if the capital doesnât have hot springs, but donât they have it in the next town?â (Yuna)
âYuna-sama, youâll understand that once you get inside.â (Sakura)
Sakura implied.
Was there something more?
We entered the mansion.
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Authorâs Note:
A mansion with a hot spring was provided.
Next time, the mansion interiors.
â»?Sorry once again. The next post will be delayed. Please understand.