Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear

Chapter 395 Bear-san, Talks About Gordo-san and Ghazal-san

We were shown into a small room. Not in the guest room at home, but it’s more like a work break room, or a room where we can talk about work.

There’s a table and some chairs in the middle of the room. Pots and pans are laying on the shelves and hanging on the wall, perhaps this place is some kind of a storage room. There’s not a single sword in the room though.

[Sorry, the room is a bit cramped, but please, take a seat anywhere you like.] Rojina

[Ah, mom’s not here. Do we have any tea or snacks?] Clerk

The girl went to the other room and brought cups and tea with her when she came back.

[I’m sorry, this wasn’t much.] Clerk

[Oh, thank you. That’s more than enough.] Yuna

We drank the tea that was served. We all sat down on chairs and introduced ourselves. Rojina-san’s daughter’s name was Rikka. Her slightly long hair was tied up with a ribbon, making her look a little young. Well, I couldn’t tell the age of Nert-san when I first saw her either. I also have fond memories of the time I suspected Gordo-san of being a pedophile. (TN: リッカ Rikka)

[Anyway, did you, three children came from the city where Gordo lives? The city where Gordo is currently in should be quite far from here.] Rikka

She said, children. Does that include me? But I’m the guardian of these two.

[First off, I’m an adventurer… so I came here while escorting them…] Yuna

I emphasize the <adventurer> and the <escorting the two> parts.

[Adventurer…?] Rikka

Rojina-san and Rikka were surprised by my words. Whenever I tell people I’m an adventurer, they have the same reaction. I know it’s all because of my appearance, and I can’t help it, but sometimes I wish people would simply believe me.

[Yuna-chan, you’re an adventurer? But I think it’s dangerous for a newbie adventurer to come here alone. Besides, Yuna-chan is a girl, and you have two pretty girls along with you.] Rikka

The definition of me being a new adventurer is a mystery to mankind.

Freshmen, the first-year students who enter the school, are called new students at the beginning of the school year, but after the summer vacation, they are not called new students anymore.

And what about the new employees? I wonder if I’ll be treated as a new employee for a year or so. I don’t have any social experience, so I don’t know, but by the student’s definition, I would no longer be a new adventurer. I wouldn’t call myself a veteran adventurer, but I think it’s too early to call myself a mid-level adventurer. I wonder how long it takes to be a mid-level adventurer or even a veteran adventurer. I don’t want to call a rank E adventurer a veteran, no matter how old he is.

[But how did you convinced your parents to come here with just the three of you? My mom and dad would never have allowed it.] Rikka

[Yuna-san is strong, so she allowed me to go.] Ruimin

[Yes. Yuna-oneesan is stronger than anyone else.] Fina

Rikka was worried, but Fina and Ruimin affirmed my strength. However, Rikka still looked at me as if she doesn’t believe their words.

[When you said you were indebted to Gordo and Ghazal, I thought maybe they made you a pot or something but did they perhaps made you a weapon?] Rikka

[I asked them to make my knives.] Yuna

Gordo-san made knives for me and Fina to use for dismantling. Ghazal-san made knives for me to use in battle.

[Bear-san uses a weapon…] Rikka

Putting the bear part aside. If you’re an adventurer, you’ve got a weapon or two.

[Gordo and Ghazal’s letters mentioned that you’re an excellent adventurer. Also, Gordo’s letter stated that we should be careful since you might cause a scene because you dressed as a bear.] Rojina

Gordo-san, what did you just wrote about? Me, making a scene? What? Please don’t talk about people like they’re troublemakers.

In the first place, why are you writing about me? It’s been a long time since you wrote to your hometown, so why not write about yourself? Or maybe, you wrote about me because you don’t want to write about yourself?

That’s quite possible for Gordo-san.

[Let me see it.] Rikka

Rojina-san was reading the letters while Rikka was talking to me. When Rojina-san finished reading the letters, he placed them on the table, then Rikka started reading them.

[Yea. Also, could you please give this letter to Gordo-san’s parents as well?] Yuna

[All right. I’ll give it to them.] Rojina

Now that I’ve finished what Gordo-san and Ghazal-san asked me to do. All I need is for them to listen to my query.

[U wa~a, it says she’s a really good adventurer. A very strong adventurer contrary to her looks.] Rikka

Rikka looks at me and the letter alternately. She can’t believe what’s written in the letter.

Is it just me or Am I really feeling déjà-vu in those words? I remember that the same thing was written in the letter of introduction from Gordo-san to Ghazal-san. Shouldn’t it be written there that the bear is strong, just as it looks?

[What’s with Gordo and Nerd? Are they fighting? Don’t they get along?] Rikka

[Nert-san may be hot on Gordo-san’s ass, but they do get along great.] Yuna

[Oh, yeah. The letter says they’re doing fine. He may be lying because I don’t want to worry about them. But it’s reassuring to hear from someone who knows them.] Rikka

[Fina is more familiar with the two of them than I do. She’s known them longer than I have.] Yuna

[Is that so?] Rikka

Gordo-san’s store was introduced to me by Fina. She knows more about it than I do, who came to Crimonia a few months ago. It seems that she has been taking care of me for quite a long time.

Rikka asked Fina a lot of questions and she answered it all. She told Rikka about the knife she was given for her dismantling work and Gordo-san did the maintenance work for free. She also talked about things I don’t know, which was refreshing for me to hear.

[Gordo-san and Nert-san have been very kind to me.] Fina

[Yeah. It’s so like those two.] Ricca

Ricca nodded happily at each of Fina’s stories.

[But why did Gordo-san move to a faraway place like Crimonia?] Yuna

I don’t see the need for Gordo-san and Nert-san to leave their hometown and move to Crimonia.

[He did that so he can be independent and live with Nert. Nert’s parents died early, and Gordo’s family, who lived nearby, took care of her. Well, things happened, and Gordo decided to leave the city with Nelt to work as a blacksmith in another city. I told him to get a store in this city, but there was no work for a new blacksmith, so he left town. Perhaps, he thought that the city of Crimonia was a good place to open a store.] Rikka

Gordo-san, you left town to be with Nert-san. That’s sweet. Well, they gave Fina a knife, they do maintenance for free, and they are a kind couple, especially Nert-san.

[So how is Ghazal doing in the Royal Capital? You said earlier that he became famous. Is that true?] Rikka

[I’m not exactly familiar with that because I was just introduced to Ghazal-san by Gordo-san. An adventurer I knew said he was an excellent blacksmith though.] Yuna

[Is that so? It seems Gazal is doing his best.] Rikka

I wondered if it was my imagination that Rikka looked happier than when she was talking about Gordo-san.

[Well, was Ghazal alone?] Rikka

Rikka looks a little uncomfortable asking.

Alone?

[I don’t think he had any apprentices. He’s been making weapons and serving customers in the store all by himself.] Yuna

I think he should at least hire someone to help him. Ghazal runs the store and the workshop by himself.

[I see. He’s doing it by himself.] Rikka

Rikka looked down and looked a little happy.

And when I asked why Ghazal-san went to the royal capital.

[He said he’d see what he could do in a place like the capital and left. I didn’t think he’d end up in the capital of Erfanica Kingdom, though.] Rikka

It’s typical of Ghazal-san.

[He doesn’t have to go to the Royal Capital or another city, he could have opened a store here. I would have given him money for him to start.] Rojina

[Dad! Ghazal left, and I miss him.] Rikka

Are you a tsundere, perhaps?

But it looks like he is Gordo-san and Ghazal-san’s master, then why is he making pots and pans instead of making swords?

It’s hard to find the right time to ask them.

[So, Missy, in Ghazal’s letter, he wants me to take a look at the ore you have.] Rojina

I’m also curious about Rojina-san’s story, but I wanted to talk to him about the Bearmonite. Ghazal-san, it seems you wrote the letter correctly.

I pulled out the two bearmonites from the bear box and put them on the table. Rojina-san reached for one of the bearmonites. For some reason, Rikka took the other one. Well, it can’t be helped since I took out two.

When Rojina-san held it in his hand, he squinted, squeezed it, and examined it with his fingers. Rikka did the same as if imitating him. As expected of a father and daughter. They acted the same.

[Do you know what it is?] Yuna

Rojina-san silently left his seat and searched for something in a nearby box. When he found something, he held it in his hand, then returned to his seat. He grasped the object in his hand and used it to look at the bearmonite as if peering into it.

A loupe, perhaps?

[I’ve seen this before. This is a spirit stone. But somehow, it’s changing.] Rojina

[A spirit stone?] Yuna

Isn’t that a bearmonite?

[But I don’t know what kind of spirit stone has it changed to.] Rojina

[What is a spirit stone?] Yuna

[It’s a stone that possesses a special power that amplifies the power of the attribute of the one who holds the spirit stone.] Rojina

Oh, it looks like it was some kind of a power-up item.

But by attributes, you mean, like fire, water, wind, and earth, right?

Perhaps the bearmonite… I have an unpleasant image in my mind. I don’t want to admit it, but. In other words, bearmonite is a bear-type stone.

[Are you sure it’s a spirit stone?] Yuna

[What, are you doubting me?] Rojina

[Not really.] Yuna

Because looking through the bear analysis, it’s a bearmonite.

[So, what attribute is it?] Yuna

[A spirit stone is basically a stone of nothingness. It is a stone in a state of nothingness. If the owner touches it and lets the magic flow through it, the spirit stone changes. If it’s an elf girl, it will become a spirit stone of the wind attribute. If it’s a dwarf, it’ll often be either earth or fire.] Rojina

That would mean that bearmonite is a spirit stone that changed into a bearmonite.

But I don’t remember pouring any magic into it. I was already a bearmonite from the moment I got it.

I remembered when I found bearmonite.

After I defeated the Mithril Golem. I explored the cave where the mithril golem was. Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear dug a hole and found the spirit stone the Bearmonite.

The question was, when did the change occur? Did God originally prepared it? That’s the most probable. Or maybe, the point where it changed into a Bearmonite was the moment I touched it? No, Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear dug into the ground and found it first. Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear have touched it. Could it be because of Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear?

I look at the bear puppets in my hands.

Somehow, I felt that Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear were crying <Kuu-n>.

Author’s Note:

Bearmonite’s true identity revealed?

※It seems that book 7 is now available for pre-order. Information on store specials will be available later this week. Please wait a while longer.