Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear

Atora-san took us on a seafood tour.

At the market, a lot of seafood was lined up.

「Uwaa, it’s moving weirdly.」

「It’s really gross.」

Fina and Shuri were noisily looking at an octopus.

「It’s delicious, you know.」

「Is that true?」

Octopuses were delicious grilled, boiled and as sashimi.

「Sis Yuna, what is this?」

「It’s a crab. It’s delicious when boiled.」

Broth made with crab was delicious. Oh, and some shrimps might be good as well.

「All these things can be eaten?」

「Yes, you can eat them. They were in the dish Deiga-san made yesterday, you know?」

「Is that true!?」

Fina and Shuri looked at the crabs.

They slowly reached out…

「They are dangerous, so don’t touch them, okay?」

I warned them as they tried to touch the crabs. They could get hurt if they were pinched by their claws, after all.

They quickly withdrew their hands when I warned them.

「Fina, Shuri, come here. There’s a smaller version of the Kraken Yuna had defeated.」

When Atora-san called them, they went to see the squid.

「This is the thing Big Sis Yuna killed?」

「That one was was a lot larger though.」

「A lot larger than this one!?」

「Yes, a lot larger.」

「That’s amazing!」

「Amazing!」

The two of them were praising me while looking at the squid, but I wasn’t happy for some reason.

After our brief seafood tour, we headed towards the stands.

When we got closer, a delicious smell drifted our way.

「It seems delicious.」

「I want to eat it.」

They were looking at the stand that was grilling squid.

「Fufu, no problem. It’s my treat. You two can eat whatever you want with this.」

Atora-san offered them money, but they didn’t take it.

「Why aren’t you taking it?」

「Well…」

The two of them looked at me.

They were surely hesitating to take money from someone they had just met.

I took some money out of the Bear Box and gave it to them.

「This is a reward for helping me gather bamboo shoots.」

「But you brought us here…」

「You took the trouble of coming here. So, go and eat delicious things.」

Fina and Shuri looked at each other and nodded. Did they come to an agreement? They took the money from my Bear Hands.

「Th, thank you very much.」

「Thank you.」

They thanked me. However, there was one sad person looking at the two.

「Could you take my money as well?」

The sad Atora-san, who was left aside, asked them.

Fina and Shuri looked at me again, so I nodded.

They thanked Atora-san and took her money. They then happily held hands and ran towards the stands.

「They are good children.」

「Yeah.」

They weren’t rebellious like I was.

Atora-san and I sat on a nearby bench.

「Yuna, have you heard what happened in the city?」

「I heard a little from Anzu and Deiga-san.」

「About the criminals?」

I shook my head.

「Well, they wouldn’t talk about it when there were little children like those two around. The previous Commerce Guild master and all the people deemed guilty of conducting serious crimes have been executed.」

「I see.」

「It was a public execution, but not many people came to see it. The only ones who came were families who had lost someone dear to them and the elders. I believe that, with this, those families will be able to end this chapter and start a new one.」

So, that’s why they wanted to go to Crimonia, huh?

「So, has the mayor been decided yet? I think Cliff wanted you to do it, but…」

「There’s no way I would accept, right? I’m lazy most of the time, so I wouldn’t accept something that troublesome.」

「What happened then?」

「The role was forced onto Grandpa Kuro’s son. Nobody opposed the idea since he is from this city.」

「So, it was forced onto someone, huh. I’m sure there are a lot of people who want to be mayor though.」

「They all saw the previous mayor, after all. Every day, he was told to do something about the Kraken. When he tried to get food from the nearby city, bandits appeared, and he couldn’t procure food anymore. On top of that, the residents never stopped pressuring him. They saw him at that time, so nobody wants to do it anymore. That’s why Grandpa Kuro pushed it onto his son.」

I felt sorry for him.

I wished him luck even though I didn’t know him.

「Has the previous mayor returned?」

「With how he fled, there’s no way he would return, right? The citizens wouldn’t forgive him even if he returned.」

「In case he returns, what will happen to the mayor’s position?」

「Nothing. This city is now under Cliff-sama’s jurisdiction, so the people who fled have nothing to say. Even if something does happen, I’m sure Cliff-sama will deal with it.」

Atora-san seemed to trust Cliff, huh.

Well, this wasn’t something I needed to concern myself with; I could just leave it to Cliff if the previous mayor returned.

「It would also be dangerous for him to return.」

「Dangerous?」

「There are a lot of people who resent him.」

Well, people who had been abandoned would hold grudges, no matter what world they were from.

「On another note, where are you staying, Yuna? At Deiga-san’s place or at the Bear?」

「At the Bear, you say… Deiga-san’s inn is full, so I’m staying at my own Bear-shaped house outside the city.」

「I knew it. We really have to make more inns quicky. More people will come once the tunnel is completed, and what we have now won’t be enough.」

「You haven’t started building them yet?」

The wood was prepared, but no buildings have been built yet.

「I think we will start building them soon, but we don’t have enough people. Also, we have to kill the monsters in the area or the construction can’t begin safely, so we postponed it.」

「I saw Blitz, but is the monster subjugation going well?」

「Thanks to the adventurers, the monsters aren’t seen around here anymore. I’m asking the adventurers to go farther out now. When that’s done with, a full scale construction will start.」

I would appreciate if they were done before the summer heat came.

Wait, did they even have summer here? I decided to ask that later.

While I was still talking with Atora-san, Fina and Shuri came back looking happy.

「Big Sis Yuna, Atora-san. We are back.」

「We are back.」

They seemed satisfied. Did they eat something delicious?

「I will go back to the guild; what will you be doing?」

「We will go to the Commerce Guild to check on how it’s going with the country of Harmony and Peace.」

「The country of Harmony and Peace, huh? They used to come once a month, but stopped when the Kraken appeared. I hope their boat didn’t sink.」

「Well, I will wait patiently.」

If nothing else, I might be able to get some information at the capital.

We parted ways with Atora-san and headed to the Commerce Guild.

The employees seemed busy when we arrived. Not a single employee seemed free.

「Yu, Yuna-san!」

One of the female employees noticed me.

Everyone turned my way when they heard her.

「Big Sis Yuna!?」

Fina and Shuri were shocked by the reaction of the employees.

To calm them, I put my hands on their heads.

「Is the guild master here?」

「Yes. Please wait a moment.」

The employee went to the room in the back to inform the guild master that I was here.

「Bear Missy.」

Jorumo-san, who seemed worn-out, came out.

「It’s been a while.」

「Yeah. You seem well.」

「Can’t say the same for you, Jorumo-san.」

「I regret accepting the role of the guild master. I’m just too busy. I can’t even take a break. The mountains of documents aren’t decreasing at all. There’s too much to do. Also, the mentor who came from Crimonia keeps persecuting me.」

「Please don’t speak badly of other people, Jorumo-san. There wouldn’t be any problems if you just learned how to do your job. I also want to return to Crimonia, so please learn faster.」

An intelligent looking woman in mid 20s appeared behind Jorumo-san.

If she had glasses, I was sure they would suit her.

「I’m teaching you because Mylene-san requested me to. I left my husband and my children in Crimonia, so get it together!」

「I understand. I will do my best, so…」

「Prove that with your actions please.」

Was this the person Mylene-san spoke of when she said that she would send someone to help Jorumo-san?

「Yuna-san, nice to meet you. I have been sent here from Crimonia. My name is Annabelle.」

「Annabelle-san, you know about me, huh.」

「I saw you in Crimonia a few times. Also, everyone at the Crimonia’s Commerce Guild knows about you. So, why did you come here, Yuna-san? Did you come to complain about Jorumo-san?」

「Why!? I didn’t do anything, right?」

「You should do your job.」

I didn’t know if I should respond to their exchange, so I decided to ignore it.

「I came here to learn about what happened to the country of Harmony and Peace.」

「About that, huh? A boat that went out onto the high seas came in contact with a ship from the country of Harmony and Peace. The fisherman told them about the what happened to the city, so I think that trade will resume soon.」

「Really!?」

That was good news.

「Yes, but I don’t know when they will start coming again.」

Annabelle-san seemed to be an excellent person. She answered really quickly. I could understand why Mylene-san sent her. Jorumo-san might become a splendid guild master under Annabelle-san’s guidance.

「Is Jorumo-san doing okay?」

「Let me see. He is doing his best even though he tried to ditch his work a few times. Still, it’s annoying when he asks for a break right after he starts working.」

「That’s because you don’t give me a break, right?」

「If you do your best, the residents will live happy lives. Please do your best for them without taking breaks.」

It was a business that exploited its employees.

If I was told that I wouldn’t get any breaks, I would have quit already.

A great person once said: ‘If you work, you lose.’

Thinking like that, I understood the evaluation the elders gave of Jorumo-san.

He was unsteady, but he did his job. He ditched it sometimes, but he was well liked by the people. He was someone who couldn’t refuse when asked to be the guild master, huh.

「On a different note, I would like to ask you to do something for me, Yuna-san. When will you be going back to Crimonia?」

「I plan on going back tomorrow or the day after.」

「I’m sorry for requesting this, but could you please give my report to Mylene-san?」

「Report?」

「Every ten days, we send a report about what we need, but since this idiot, Jorumo-san, was behind with his work, we couldn’t send the report the other day. It’s a pressing matter, so it will be too late if we send it in the next report.」

「No problem. I just have to give it to her, right?」

「Thank you very much. I will bring it now, so I’m counting on you.」

I took the documents from Annabelle-san, and we left the Commerce Guild.

「Will you two eat dinner?」

「Ugh, I’m sorry. I’m full already.」

「Me too.」

I had only looked at them from afar, but they had indeed eaten a lot at the stands.

「Keep me company while I eat mine, okay?」

The two agreed quietly.

I wouldn’t force them to eat, of course.