Lydia-san and Zect-san were surprised by the bath.
"You two haven't had a bath in 10 days. Make sure you wash off the dirt before getting in bed." (Yuna)
As I'd said many times before, I was the one who washed the sheets and pillows. Not to mention that they had been walking, running, and fighting monsters through the forest for ten days. Because I thought they were sweating, so I would like them to take a bath before going to bed.
"What if a monster attacks while we're in the bath?" (Lydia)
It's like she wanted to say while we were naked.
"Don't worry, Kumayuru and Kumakyu will let us know if any monsters approach, yoiu know." (Yuna)
"But……" (Lydia)
"Lydia, give up. Yuna doesn't understand the common sense of camping outdoors." (Marne)
Please don't act like I'm unreasonable.
"Plus, if you stink, Kumayuru and Kumakyu will dislike you, you know." (Marne)
"Stink……" (Lydia)
Lydia-san started sniffing her arms and her body.
"Let's come in."
Was she smelly? She was still a 15-year-old girl. Even I didn't ask, "Did I smell?" ...She's a maiden.
Leaving Zect-san, Kumayuru, and Kumakyu behind, the three of them head to the changing room. I'd asked Kumayuru and Kumakyu to keep an eye on not only the monsters outside, but also the Zect-san within. When I asked Kumayuru and Kumakyu, Zect-san shouted, "Who's going to peek?"
All three of us would get naked and move from the changing room to the bathroom. Lydia-san was slender, with a thin body and a pleasingly large chest.
"A real bath..." (Lydia)
Lydia-san was surprised to see the bath.
"Hot water is coming out of the bear's mouth." (Lydia)
There was a stone statue of a bear in the bath, and hot water came out of the bear's mouth and flowed into the tub.
"Let's wash our bodies quickly and warm ourselves up." (Yuna)
We washed our bodies and got into the bathtub. Lydia-san seemed happy to be able to wash her body and hair for the first time in a while. Her hair was as long as mine and she washed it carefully.
"It feels really good. Thank you, Yuna-chan." (Lydia)
"You're welcome" (Yuna)
Lydia-san was soaking in the bathtub, stretching her arms and legs and looking very comfortable.
"I never thought I'd be able to take a bath in the middle of a forest like this." (Lydia)
"Well, I also agree with that" (Marne)
"When you're tired, you want a delicious meal, a warm bath, and a soft futon." (Yuna)
"I agree with that though." (Lydia)
"As long as it's not in the woods." (Marne)
We could rest our tired bodies in the bath.
"…………"
"…………"
"…………"
The only sound that could be heard was the water flowing from the mouth of the stone bear statue. As I was relaxing in the hot water, Lydia-san spoke.
"Um, Marne-san. Can I ask you something?" (Lydia)
Lydia-san had a rather serious look on her face.
"What?" (Marne)
"How did you know that I was using wind magic unconsciously? I didn't even know it myself." (Lydia)
"That's it. I first noticed something was wrong when we were in the cave. Your hair was fluttering slightly. I thought the wind was blowing from somewhere, but I was wrong. Yuna's hair wasn't moving. Only your hair was fluttering." (Marne)
I didn't notice.
"Also, as an elf, I can sense the wind's currents when I observe. Like now, for example." (Marne)
Marne-san looked at Lydia-san.
"Don't move. Stay still." (Marne)
Lydia-san did not move as she was told. I wasn't move either.
"Take your time and look at the steam around you." (Marne)
As instructed, I looked around.
"There will be a faint stream of steam heading your way." (Marne)
When Marne-san said so, I looked at the flow of the steam and it appeared to be moving towards Lydia-san. You wouldn't notice it unless you looked closely.
"Perhaps unconsciously again?" (Lydia)
"Maybe the danger of taking a bath in a forest with monsters is making you unconsciously use magic." (Marne)
"Is it incurable?" (Lydia)
"You won't be using it in town, so it should be fine. However, if you can switch, you'll be able to search for monsters whenever you want, and if you end up fighting, you'll be able to use magic and the bow. You'll be able to become an excellent adventurer, you know." (Marne)
"…………" (Lydia)
Lydia-san looked at her hands and was thinking deeply.
"So, you just have to slowly get used to it." (Marne)
"Marne-san, thank you. I'll do my best." (Lydia)
"Because I'm older, don't worry about it." (Marne)
She's the smallest of them, isn't she? I thought to myself, but I didn't say it out loud. Even with this, I could still read the atmosphere, right?
After getting out of the bath, we dried our hair and moved to the living room where Kumayuru and Kumakyu were waiting. By the way, I was still wearing my black bear clothes just in case. Because explaining polar bears was a pain too. When I opened the door to the changing room, I saw Kumayuru and Kumakyu.
"Kumayuru, Kumakyu, you're in the way, you know." (Yuna)
"Kyuu~n" (Both Kuma)
"Why are you at the door?" (Yuna)
"When the three of you headed to the bathroom, they started sitting there." (Zect)
The one who explained it to me was Zect-san.
"Perhaps, nii-san?" (Lydia)
"That's not it. As soon as you guys enter that room it happened. It has nothing to do with me!" (Zect)
Well, I didn't think anyone would peek at his sister, a little girl, or a bear. It seemed that Kumayuru and Kumakyu thought up the idea and guarded the entrance to the changing room. I thanked Kumayuru and Kumakyu and explained to Zect-san how to use the bath. After we got out of the bath, we drank milk. Yeah, it's delicious.
Afterwards, Zect-san also got out of the bath and his room was assigned. There were three rooms on the second floor. My room and two empty rooms. Marne-san would use the room she used yesterday, and the remaining rooms would be used by the siblings Zect-san and Lydia-san. I took Kumakyu and moved to my room. Kumayuru was with Marne-san. By the way, they're still big. I collapsed onto the futon. A lot had happened, but I was hoping to get hands on some medicinal herbs tomorrow.
"Kumakyu, good night. Wake me up in the morning, okay?" (Yuna)
"Kyuu~n" (Kumakyu)
I fell asleep holding Kumakyu, who had turned into a cub so it was easier to hold.
The next morning, I was woken up by the Kumakyu alarm clock.
"Kumakyu, good morning." (Yuna)
"Kyuu~n" (Kumakyu)
I stroked Kumakyu's head and returned it to normal size. When I went to the first floor to prepare breakfast, Marne-san was there with Kumayuru.
"Good morning, you're early, aren't you?" (Marne)
"I wanted to tidy up after disposing of the medicinal herbs, so I asked this kid to wake me up early." (Marne)
Marne-san turns her attention to Kumayuru, who was nearby. Apparently, Marne-san had also set a Kumayuru alarm. Then I prepared breakfast with Marne-san.
"They're not waking up, are they?" (Yuna)
Even after breakfast was ready, Lydia-san and Zect-san didn't wake up.
"I'll go and wake him up." (Marne)
Marne-san offered, so I asked her. After a while, I heard a noise from the second floor, and I saw Lydia-san and Zect-san running down the stairs. Behind them, Marne-san slowly came down the stairs.
"Sorry. The futon is too comfortable."
"I fell into a deep sleep."
The two of them apologized.
"That means, both of you were tired." (Yuna)
It's better to get a good night's sleep than not being able to sleep at all. It helped relieve fatigue and allowed you to work well the next day. I told them I didn't mind, and I suggested to eat breakfast.
"That blanket is dangerous."
"The best futon I've ever used"
"You won't find anything this good used in a house, let alone an inn."
I was glad it was well received. I wanted to use a good futon, so I bought a good one. The price was reasonable, but I got a small discount for buying in bulk.
"Now I understand what Yuna-chan meant when she asked me to take a bath before going to bed." (Lydia)
It's not such a big deal. But the problem was with the laundry. After breakfast, we left Bear House and headed out to collect Veltora Grass. I was spacing out while looking at the detection skill. Marne-san, sitting in front of me, was looking around restlessly, searching for medicinal herbs.
"It's about here." (Marne)
It seemed it was nearby, just like Lydia-san said yesterday.
"Yuna, just to confirm, are there any monsters up ahead? Are these kids saying something?" (Marne)
Marne-san asked as she touched the back of Kumakyu we were riding on. I checked with my detection skill. There was no reaction from the monsters.
"Kyuu~n" (Kumakyu)
As usual, Kumakyu acted out the sounds. We were able to communicate in a different sense.
"It's fine." (Yuna)
"You really do understand bears, aren't you?" (Marne)
While expressing those feelings, we moved forward.
"It's over there, the tree I said prior." (Lydia)
If you went towards the tree that Lydia-san mentioned, you would come to a slightly larger area.
"There really aren't any monsters."
"We were here the last time we came, right?"
"Yeah, there were about 30 wolves from a distance."
To me, they're not a threat, but to Zect-san and Lydia-san, they were a threatening number. If you were attacked by a pack of wolves in the real world, you'd be hopeless.
"Let's gather them quickly before the monsters come."
"I'll collect some as well, so Yuna, please watch the surroundings." (Marne)
"Roger that" (Yuna)
While the three of them were gathering the Veltora Grass, Kumayuru, Kumakyu and I kept watch over the surroundings. However, Kumayuru and Kumakyu were enough, so I approached Marne-san.
"Is that Veltora Grass?" (Yuna)
Marne-san was collecting plants that looked like nothing more than weeds. I knew that plants could be used for medicine or could be wild vegetables, but to me as an amateur, they just looked like grass growing everywhere.
"Yes. This leaf part." (Marne)
Marne-san plucked off the leaves. I plucked one as well and tried using my appraisal skill. All that was displayed was "Veltora Grass". As expected, it didn't show any medicinal effects. It's inconvenient.
"I know this is a little late, but aren't there any in the castle's herb garden?" (Yuna)
"Yes, there is. But that doesn't mean we can use it for Lydia's sister. The herb garden in the castle is for the royal family. It's also for research purposes. Well, at most it's for the nobility, you see." (Marne)
Using it on Lydia-san's_ sister meant using it on other people too. She couldn't give preferential treatment to just one person. It's harsh, but even I could understand it. There's nothing we could do about this.
"But if it's in the castle's herb garden, there's no need for Marne-san to collect." (Yuna)
"What are you talking about? There are many different herbs, but not many. If a pharmacist can gather them, they will." (Marne)
Well, more was better than less. It would be a problem if there was not enough when you actually needed it.
"But that doesn't mean I'm going to collect them all. If I collect them all, they won't grow back. So you guys shouldn't collect them all either." (Marne)
Marne-san said loud enough for Lydia-san and her brother to hear.
"Yes" (Lydia)
"I know." (Zect)
The three of them quietly collected their desired Veltora Grass. I used my detection skill to check my surroundings. The monsters approached...
Author's Note
Lydia-san and her brother obtained the medicinal herb they were looking for.
The other flower is a medicine for Marne-san.
*We are currently accepting reservations for the paperback version of volume 11. The release date is October 4th. We will also continue to hold a lottery for acrylic stands, so thank you for your cooperation.
*Posts will be posted every 4 days.[1]
If I will be taking a break, this will be announced in the postscript, and if I am suddenly unable to post, I will let you know in an activity report or on X (formerly Twitter).
[Book release schedule]
Book volume 20.5 was released on May 2, 2024. (The next volume, volume 21, is planned and in the works.)
The 12th volume of the comic was released on August 3, 2024. (The release date for the next volume, 13, has not yet been decided.)
The second volume of the comic spin-off was released on March 5, 2024.
The paperback version, volume 10, was released on May 2, 2024. (The deadline for the campaign to win a big acrylic stand featuring YUNA and SAANYA on the cover is August 20, 2024. 20 lucky winners will receive a prize.) (The next volume, volume 11, is scheduled to be released on October 4.)
*Thank you to everyone who reports typos.
Some of the kanji have been corrected to match the book, so please understand that there are some parts that have not been corrected.
Translator's Note
[1] I'll keep posting on current schedule, twice a week with (at least) 14 days delay, so it means, every 4 weeks, there will be one slot without post. Next slot will be empty, and next chapter will be posted on Wednesday next week (9 Oct; see schedule or upcoming).