We accepted Yuna-chan's proposal.
As a result, Marne-san agreed to buy the medicinal herbs at a fair price and also make medicine for my sister.
I felt lucky to have come across Marne-san in this forest.
Then she introduced me to the black bear and white bear that I had been curious about.
The black bear was named Kumayuru and the white bear was named Kumakyu, both are cute names.
She said that Kumayuru and Kumakyu could hear when monsters were nearby just as well as I could.
What's more, Yuna-chan seemed to understand what Kumayuru and Kumakyu were saying. She's a truly mysterious girl.
We moved forward while talking to each other.
When I asked about the bear costume, I was brushed off by the explanation that it was because of the bear's blessing.
I had never heard of such a bear's blessing.
……That's impossible.
I looked at Kumayuru and Kumakyu.
………….
I had never seen or heard of bears that were so friendly towards humans.
When I saw the bear getting attached to Yuna-chan, I couldn't help but think that we couldn't say for sure that the bears didn't have their blessing.
Then, before leaving, we sprinkled a liquid made by Marne-san, which Snake disliked, over our feet and body.
Considering that I might come here again in the future, I would definitely like to have such a medicine if it existed.
As for the effect, when my brother tried to approach Snake, Snake ran away.
The effect seemed to be excellent.
"Marne-san, are there any potions that will keep other monsters away?" (Lydia)
"Something like wolves and others?" (Marne)
"Do you have one?" (Lydia)
"It's a smell that wolves hate. But it has a drawback. It doesn't work if you're downwind. But it's fine upwind. There's no wind in the cave, so it will drift and have an effect in all directions." (Marne)
However, if you could use it against the wind, and thought about the direction you were heading in, you could avoid encountering the wolf.
If we moved the wolf near Veltora Grass upwind, they might run away.
"Potion that wolves hate." (Yuna)
"I don't have any. The herbs they use are a little expensive. Besides, I thought that with Yuna there would be no problem with wolves." (Marne)
"Then why did you have the medicine to make Snake run away?" (Yuna)
Yuna-chan asks for me.
"Because I hate snakes." (Marne)
She wasn't scared, she hated it.
"But it looks like it will sell, right?" (Yuna)
"It won't sell." (Marne)
Marne-san immediately responded to Yuna-chan's words.
"Why?" (Yuna)
"An adventurer's job is to defeat enemies. If they escape, it won't be a job." (Marne)
"Then, maybe a village..." (Yuna)
"As I said before, it uses expensive herbs. What's more, the effect only lasts for a few hours. It can't be used to ward off monsters. It's too costly." (Marne)
It certainly wasn't worth the cost.
However, I was thinking it could be useful for people like me who collected medicinal herbs, travelers, or when camping outdoors.
However, wolves weren't the only monsters.
And when it became expensive,
it might not be easy to use.
As we walked and talked like that, we passed through a cave.
Outside the cave, there were traces of the giant Snake having passed through.
Without caring about the marks, Yuna-chan told me to ride the bear.
My brother and I got to ride on a black bear, Kumayuru.
When we rode it, it felt soft and comfortable.
I had been running a lot and my legs were very tired, so it was a relief not to have to walk.
If we had continued walking like that, we would have had to rest many times along the way.
That's how tired my legs were.
She said the bears could tell when a monster was approaching.
All I could do was listen for the sounds of approaching monsters.
Maybe I had a broader perspective.
Hoping to be of some help, I concentrated and listened to the sounds around me.
As I listened closely, Marne-san started saying something strange.
I was using wind magic to listen to the sounds around me.
I explained that I couldn't use magic.
Marne-san said that because I used wind magic, I couldn't use other magic.
Apparently, I was a wind mage unknowingly, and had been listening to the sounds around me.
It wasn't that I couldn't use magic because I was nervous.
The mystery of why I couldn't use magic whenever I came to the forest had been solved.
When I consciously tried to stop my mana, I could no longer hear the sound.
To be precise, I couldn't hear sounds from far away.
Before I stopped using mana, I could hear the birds chirping and flapping their wings, but now I couldn't hear them anymore.
But this was the distance that my brother and most people heard.
Marne-san said that if I could learn to switch between magic, it would become a powerful weapon for me.
Sometimes I listened to sounds, and when I fought, I used magic.
If one could truly do that, it would be useful in battle.
I wouldn't have to abandon my brother anymore.
But if I let my guard down, I could hear sounds from far away.
It seemed like I had been using it unconsciously up until now.
Then the sun set, and we decided to call it a day and sleep outdoors.
I had to find a place to camp out.
I had been doing nothing but riding the bear, so when I tried to go and look for a place where I could at least camp out, Yuna-chan stopped me.
The reason was that she owned a house.
What came out of the item bag was a bear-shaped house.
Everything was bear.
It's no surprise that Marne-san said that Yuna-chan loved bears.
And with Kumayuru-chan and Kumakyu-chan, it's even more fun.
I was starting to feel like I wouldn't be able to fight a bear if I met one.
When we went inside the bear's house, it looked like a normal house.
Well, there were bear patterns here and there, but I didn't mind.
While Yuna-chan prepared the food, I helped Marne-san with her work.
She also said that she would teach me how to make the sunscreen potion that she had collected today.
We moved to the next room.
The room was spacious and had a large work table in the center and a water source.
"This seems like a dismantling place, you know." (Marne)
When I was looking at the room, Marne-san told me.
Even there was a room like this ready.
As I looked around the room, Marne-san arranged the herbs she had collected on the table.
"If you have any, bring them out. If you don't store them properly, the quality will go down, you know." (Marne)
We do as we are told and bring out the herbs we had collected.
"There are quite a few. These... things like this are growing too, right?"
Marne-san looks at the medicinal herbs and said their names one by one.
I once again realized what an amazing person she was.
"Okay, cut this and this like this and put them in separate containers." (Marne)
Marne-san cut the herbs with a knife, showing me how.
My brother and I did as we were told.
Marne-san also picked up other herbs and began processing them.
"Marne-san, it's over." (Lydia)
"Then, please give me this next. Be careful, it has thorns." (Marne)
"Right" (Lydia)
That's how it's processed.
"Marne-san, what is that?"
"It's a drying magic tool. If you dry it here, the quality won't go down." (Marne)
"So, there are such magical tools, huh?"
"Well, yes. They were essential items for us pharmacists." (Marne)
"Marne-san, what is this?" (Zect)
My brother holds the herbs in his hand.
"Put that in this mana water." (Marne)
We put away the herbs.
This was a learning experience.
I thought I had studied the harvesting process to a certain extent up until now, but considering the quality, it would be better to process it quickly.
...And there's one last thing left.
"Marne-san, this is..." (Lydia)
This was a medicinal herb that was said to be used for sunscreen.
"Well then, I'll teach you how to make sunscreen. In addition to these herbs, you'll also need water, a moisturizing potion, and an anti-acne potion, right?" (Marne)
"Wait a minute. Is that really that much?" (Lydia)
"Well, at least some sunscreen. If you're a girl, you need that." (Marne)
"But I'm an adventurer." (Lydia)
"Why can't adventurers worry about sunburn or rough skin?" (Marne)
"That is..." (Lydia)
There's no reason why not.
"If you don't take good care of your skin, it'll be tough when you get older. Now is the time to say you look young." (Marne)
"Women are such a pain" (Zect)
Marne-san gave advice in response to my brother's words.
"You, don't say that taking care of a woman's skin is a hassle. Men like that aren't popular. Before that, you should wear some skin care too. Unattractive men aren't popular, you know." (Marne)
My brother fell silent after hearing Marne-san's words.
Perhaps he had a hunch.
Then, Marne-san created a potion to treat the skin in an easy way to make.
However, it seemed like it would be expensive to add so many medicinal herbs with so many different effects.
Shortly afterwards, Yuna-chan came to tell us that the food was ready.
Steaming hot dishes were laid out on the table.
All the dishes were delicious, and it was the first time I'd had warm food and soft bread in a long time.
It didn't seem like a meal you'd have deep in a forest where monsters lived.
What's more, surprisingly, there's even a bathroom.
I couldn't believe it.
I hadn't had a bath in days, so I felt like taking one.
But I couldn't risk taking a bath naked in a forest with monsters in it.
As I had said many times before, this was a forest inhabited by monsters.
However, Yuna-chan said that it would be okay because we had Kumayuru-chan and Kumakyu-chan.
They would let us know if there's anything, and in the first place, she could defeat wolves anyway, and that this house would be fine even if it's attacked by wolves.
I decided to take her up on her offer and took a bath.
The dressing room was spacious, and the bathroom was also spacious.
The first thing that caught my eye was bear figurines.
Hot water came out of the bear's mouth.
It seemed that Yuna-chan really liked bears.
I washed my body.
It felt good to be able to wash my body for the first time in a few days.
It also washes away dirt from my hair.
Marne-san lent me some soap.
It was said to have the effect of reducing hair damage.
"You can also use this after washing." (Marne)
I applied the liquid given to my hair and rinsed it off.
Somehow, my hair felt smoother.
After washing our bodies and hair, we got into the bathtub.
It felt good.
It's spacious and you could stretch your legs.
Is this really a forest inhabited by monsters?
That's the one thing we must never forget.
But it felt good.
I asked Marne-san what I wanted to know.
How did she notice that I was using wind magic?
Not even I noticed it, nor did my brother, who was nearby, or any of the other people.
Marne-san said her hair was flowing and also because she's an elf.
Marne-san said to look around.
I looked around me.
The steam was moving.
Is it heading towards me?
Perhaps I use it unconsciously?
I needed to be able to make that switch on my own volition soon.
I was so grateful to Marne-san for teaching me that I had such power.
Then, I got out of the bath and returned to where my brother was.
When I opened the door, Kumayuru-chan and Kumakyu-chan were standing in front of me.
My brother said that when we entered the changing room, he sat in front of the door.
Maybe he's peeking...
I glared at my brother.
My brother was making excuses, but maybe it's okay to believe him, right?
Then my brother was allowed to take a bath as well, and we were given a room on the second floor.
There was a bed, and they said it was a guest room.
"Nii-san, what do you think?" (Lydia)
After being given a room, I sat on the bed and asked my brother.
"It's all so unbelievable. My common sense is crumbling." (Zect)
"I wonder if she's a high-ranking adventurer." (Lydia)
"Even the high-ranking adventurers I know aren't this amazing." (Zect)
I agreed with that.
"But she's an adventurer employed by Marne-san, who works at the Ministry of Magic in the Royal Capital. That must mean she has the skills to do so." (Zect)
"Are all the adventurers in the royal capital as amazing as Yuna-chan?" (Lydia)
"I don't know. But she has an item bag that can hold a giant Snake and a house like this. That alone shows she's an incredible adventurer." (Zect)
The capacity of the item bag was amazing.
Just having an item bag that could hold a house like this and a giant Snake was proof of high rank.
Above all, just the fact that she managed to defeat the giant Snake showed her immense strength.
"Her young appearance may fool you, but Marne-san's knowledge of medicinal herbs is incredible." (Lydia)
"I guess it's true that she works for the Ministry of Magic, huh?" (Zect)
"I'm just going to believe in both of them." (Lydia)
"We negotiated. We have to trust them." (Zect)
There's a part of me that feels scared of being betrayed.
But I wanted to believe the two of them had a meal and took a bath together.
I wanted to believe that this kindness was not a lie.
"For now, let's go to sleep."
"Yeah"
My brother turned off the lights.
I collapsed onto the bed.
I told my brother before I went to sleep.
"Nii-san, don't do that again, okay?" (Lydia)
"What, all of a sudden?" (Zect)
"Anyway, don't sacrifice yourself." (Lydia)
He tried to sacrifice himself to let me go.
No joke, seriously.
"That's a promise I can't keep. If the same thing happens again, I'll do the same thing." (Zect)
Stubborn.
I knew that since our father passed away, my brother had been trying to become a father figure.
But I wanted him to get married and be happy too.
When my brother got married, he might stop caring about us.
Once this went well, I had have to find a girlfriend for my brother.
Being an adventurer was a dangerous job, and his only special skill was swordsmanship... I wondered if he would find one.
The room was dark, I had eaten my fill, taken a bath, and now that I felt safe, sleepiness began to set in.
The soft futon made things even worse.
We could get Veltora Grass tomorrow...
I closed my eyes, and perhaps because my body was tired, I fell asleep without even thinking about anything.
The next morning, I slept like a log until Marne-san woke me up.
This house was a house that ruined people.
Author's Note
This concludes Lydia's perspective.
We'll return to the main story next time.
*127th chapter of the "Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear" comic is currently available on PASH UP (122nd chapter of NicoNico Manga is currently available)
*Episode 20 of the "Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear" spin-off is currently available on PASH UP (Episode 16 of NicoNico Manga is currently available)
*Volume 11 of the Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear paperback edition was released on October 4th.
*Posting will occur every 4 days.
If I will be taking a break, I will announce this in the postscript, and if I am suddenly unable to post, I will let you know in an activity report or on X (the former Twitter).
[Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear to be released]
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.)
Comicalized spin-off volume 2 was released on March 5, 2024. (The release date for the next volume, volume 3, has not yet been decided.)
The 11th volume of the paperback edition was released on October 4, 2024. (The deadline for the campaign to win a big acrylic stand featuring Yuna and Shuri on the cover is January 20, 2025. 20 lucky winners will receive a prize.) (The release date for the next volume, 12th volume, has not yet been decided.)
*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.