The explosive flower harvest was completed successfully.
"So, which way should we go from here?" (Yuna)
According to Marne-san's information, we had only heard about it until we reached the explosive flowers.
"I don't know the exact direction, but they said they came upon a small river." (Marne)
Saying this, Marne-san looked at Lydia-san.
"Lydia, can you hear the river?" (Marne)
Lydia-san was flustered when the topic was suddenly brought up, but she said she would give it a try. She closed her eyes and listened carefully. Her hair fluttered slightly. Just as Marne-san said, her hair fluttered as she tried to listen to a distant sound. You wouldn't notice unless you looked carefully. Lydia-san opened her eyes and pointed.
"I can hear it over there." (Lydia)
"Well then, let's go that way." (Marne)
Marne-san said without hesitation. Lydia-san seemed happy to hear Marne-san's words. This meant that Lydia-san's ears were trusted. We got on Kumayuru and Kumakyu and headed towards the sound of the river that Lydia-san had heard. After walking for a while, we came across a small river. There were lots of trees all around, so even if I had looked from above, I didn't think I would have been able to see it because the trees would have blocked my view.
"So, we came to the river, but what's next?" (Yuna)
"We're going downstream along the river. But first, I'm going to gather some medicinal herbs, okay?" (Marne)
Marne-san began picking flowers growing near the river.
"I'll help you." (Lydia)
Lydia-san started helping Marne-san as her assistant. Zect-san and I checked our surroundings. When I said check, I meant using my detection skill. There were no monsters nearby. If monsters came nearby, Kumayuru and Kumakyu would let me know, so I closed my detection skill and leisurely watched the stream. The only sound I could hear was the sound of running water. If there were no monsters around, it would be a quiet and nice place.
After collecting the medicinal herbs, we resumed our movements. We moved downstream along the river. Occasionally, we came across animals, but no monsters. Just when I thought everything was going smoothly, Kumayuru and Kumakyu started to cry "Kyuu~n". When I checked my detection skill it showed "Red Monkeys." Red Monkeys—monkey monster.
"Yuna, is there a monster?" She asks, looking at Kumayuru and Kumakyu's reactions.
"Yeah, looks like Red Monkeys." (Yuna)
"Near?" (Marne)
"They're still apart." (Yuna)
There is a distance limit with detection skills.
"But if it continues like this..." (Yuna)
The Red Monkeys' responses were the direction we were heading. Unless the river made a sharp turn, we would meet them.
"Red Monkey, huh? Troublesome monsters, aren't they?" (Zect)
"I'm pretty sure they move in groups, right?" (Lydia)
"Other adventurers told me to run away if we spotted one." (Zect)
Lydia-san and Zect-san gave me the information about the Red Monkeys.
"Yes, red monkeys move in groups and are fast. They also use the trees to attack, so they're not a monster you want to fight in the forest." (Zect)
"What will you do?" (Lydia)
Marne-san worries about Lydia-san's question and finally looks at me.
"Just to confirm, Yuna, can you handle it?" (Marne)
I had fought monkey-like monsters in games before, but I had never fought them in this world. That being said, it's not like Bear Equipment couldn't defeat them. Well, if push came to shove, with Kumayuru and Kumakyu we would escape from monkeys.
"It'll probably be okay. But you have to promise me you won't ever leave Kumayuru and Kumakyu." (Yuna)
"Okay." (Marne)
"Yeah" (Lydia)
"Got it." (Zect)
We moved forward.
"I can hear the waterfall." (Lydia)
Lydia-san had been checking the surroundings since I mentioned that there were Red Monkey.
"Our destination is below that waterfall." (Marne)
"It looks like there's a group of Red Monkeys." (Yuna)
It seemed they wouldn't let us collect them easily. No luck.
"The sound of the waterfall keeps us from hearing the monsters." (Lydia)
It seems that Lydia-san's ears were not perfect either. If the surrounding noise was loud or there was another loud sound coming from the same direction, the quiet sound would be drowned out.
"What are you going to do?" (Yuna)
"Do you know the number?" (Marne)
"Kumayuru and Kumakyu say there are over 50 of them." (Yuna)
There were so many Red Monkey dots on the detection skill that it's impossible to count them. There were some overlaps, so the exact number was unknown. Above all, counting these points was a pain.
"...That's the worst."
That's right. What if there's a horde of monsters at our destination? But to me, 50 or 100 was no enemy.
"In that case, should I go and defeat the Red Monkeys first?" (Yuna)
That way they could collect with peace of mind. But the three of them looked at me in amazement at what I said.
"This is the first time I've seen someone try to fight 50 monsters as if they were just going for a walk."
"In the first place, there is no such person."
"I want to say something cool like that too."
Anyone could say that, but there's no guarantee that you'd survive if you put it into practice.
"For now, let's get as close as we can and take a look before we make a decision."
That's why, I would fight. If I said it out loud, I would be thought of as a battle maniac, so I wouldn't say it.
We moved quietly. The presence of a waterfall might have helped. If the monsters were sensitive to sound, they might have been noticed. I wondered how monkeys' senses of sound and smell were. Was it different from humans? But, they're monsters. No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't figure it out, so I proceeded with caution.
The sound of the waterfall got louder.
"That place looks like a waterfall, right?"
We got off Kumayuru and Kumakyu and slowly approached the waterfall. The waterfall was tall and the water fell from a high position.
"There" (Marne)
Looking in the direction Marne-san was looking, he saw a large tree a short distance from the waterfall.
"Is that the tree you're looking for?" (Yuna)
"Maybe, but I can't say for sure until I check it out up close." (Marne)
There were countless reddish monkeys around the tree.
"What's with that number?" (Yuna)
"Lie down." (Marne)
Following Marne-san's instructions, I crawled to the ground and looked down under the waterfall.
"There are a lot of them, huh?" (Marne)
"If they attack us all at once..." (Lydia)
"We can't escape." (Zect)
There were many monkeys around the tree. They might seem ferocious, but it's not an unbeatable monster.
"Everyone, wait here. I'll go and take them down quickly." (Yuna)
I felt bad for the monkeys who lived here, but it's for Marne-san.
"Wait a minute" (Marne)
As I tried to stand up, Marne-san stopped me by tugging on my bear suit. The area around the tree began to glow. It extended into the forest. And then the light went out.
"What was that?" (Lydia)
"The ground is glowing." (Zect)
"Magic circle..." (Marne)
In response to Lydia-san and Zect-san's questions, Marne-san said in a small voice.
"I've never seen such a huge magic circle." (Marne)
It was shining all the way into the forest. Considering that, it's a pretty large magic circle.
"Was that thing that just glowed a magic circle?" (Yuna)
"Yes, I could only see a part of it, but it was in the shape of a magic circle." (Marne)
If Marne-san, who was knowledgeable about magic circles, said it, then it's likely to be credible.
"But why is there a magic circle in a place like this?" (Yuna)
"Only the person who made it can know that." (Marne)
Only the person who created the magic circle in such a hidden place could understand what was going on inside his mind. But it's certainly not being used for good.
"But I've seen that magic circle somewhere before..." (Marne)
While Marne-san was thinking about the magic circle, Kumayuru and Kumakyu started to cry softly. When I used my detection skill to confirm it, a pack of wolves gathered.
"Wolf!"
The wolves attacked the _AKASURU_s on the ground. The monkeys dodged with ease, climbed onto the wolves' back and bit them, causing the wolves to scream. This sparked a massive brawl.
"What is going on?"
"Turf war?"
"Why a place like this? There's no need to fight." (Zect)
I understood Zect-san's feelings.
Why would they kill each other for this place?
In the battle between the Wolves and the Red Monkeys, the Red Monkey made good use of the trees to gain the upper hand.
They attacked from the tree, grabbed the wolves' back, and bit them to death.
The wolves were not defeated one-sidedly either. Some wolves dodged attacks from the trees and bit back.
Furthermore, there was a wolf that bit the Red Monkey to save another wolf that was being bitten by the Red Monkey.
And the winner of the battle was decided.
The Red Monkeys won.
The wolves got eaten.
"What was that?" (Lydia)
Lydia-san's body was trembling.
"It's okay. No one will notice us here." (Zect)
Zect-san held Lydia-san's hand to reassure her.
"That magic circle is..." (Marne)
The battle between the Wolves and the Red Monkeys was amazing, but Marne-san was tweeting about the magic circle.
"...It looks similar to that magic circle. ...Impossible." (Marne)
"Marne-san, did you find out anything?" (Yuna)
"...One possibility." (Marne)
"That's one possibility." (Yuna)
"A magic circle that summons monsters..." (Marne)
Those words reminded me of the 10,000 monsters in the royal capital. The great monster migration that Sanya-san had spoken of. The puzzle pieces fit together.
"But, they're having a discord."
In the incident involving 10,000 monsters in the royal capital that I know of, the monsters weren't fighting.
"I don't know about that. If they have anything to do with that incident, they might be fighting because there's no one to give them orders." (Marne)
I only heard it from the king, so I didn't know the details, but a wizard who had a grudge against the king gathered monsters and plotted to destroy the royal capital in revenge. However, since I defeated the monsters, the man's revenge was not fulfilled. If the wizard had monsters under his control, then there was a good chance. A while ago, I went to the town of Euphalia for a magic exchange event of Shia's Academy. At that time, there was a wizard with similar powers. That wizard also had monsters under his control.
"Hey, what are you talking about? Explain it so we can understand." (Zect)
"Well, I'll tell you since it's something that adventurers in the royal capital already know."
Marne-san and I explained everything to Lydia-san and Zect-san. The royal capital was on the verge of being attacked by 10,000 monsters. The monsters were defeated by a certain adventurer.
"You may have heard rumors." (Marne)
"An adventurer I know said that with a laugh." (Zect)
"It's true. Also, this is something I only found out recently. It seems that the monster was brought from this forest." (Marne)
"...!?"
"...!?"
The two of them fell silent at Marne-san's words.
"Then, when the magic circle lit up, the wolves gathered." (Zect)
"That all makes sense." (Lydia)
Lydia-san nodded in agreement at Zect-san's words.
"So, I thought this magic circle might be what's attracting monsters."
"Yes. And my theory is that the summoned monsters are fighting because there are no wizards to give them orders."
The two of them look convinced by Marne-san's explanation.
Author's Note
They arrived at our destination, but something felt suspicious.
*Posting will occur every 4 days.
*If I will be taking a break, I will announce it in the postscript, and if I am suddenly unable to post, I will let you know in the activity report or on X (formerly Twitter).
*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)
If you have time, please check out the comic version.
[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 next volume, volume 3, is scheduled for release on December 20th.)
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.