"Thanks to Yuna, I didn't get a chance to play." (Marne)
Marne-san said as we started walking away.
"Does Marne-san's face also have any effect at the Adventurer's Guild?" (Yuna)
"There are connections between the Ministry of Magic and the Adventurer's Guild due to magic and magical items. No one would want to openly oppose them. So it does have some effect. It's not like they're forcing you to do unreasonable things." (Marne)
Well, they weren't trying to lie and make it seemed like Lydia-san and Zect-san had defeated the monsters.
"Still, I didn't think that Yuna was so well known in this town." (Marne)
I agree with that. I never imagined that the receptionist who helped me had a friend who worked at Adventurer's Guild in the royal capital. The world seemed large but it was actually small.
"But now the business with Lydia-san and Zect-san finished." (Yuna)
"Are you returning to the capital?" (Lydia)
"That's the plan, but I'll go home after I clean up the trash." (Marne)
"Trash?" (Lydia)
"If it's trash, we'll do it." (Zect)
Lydia-san and Zect-san didn't seem to understand what Marne-san meant by the word trash. If my imagination was correct, I think it was that one.
"Trash? You mean the pharmacist who was deceiving Lydia-san?" (Yuna)
"I see you understand. He will pay for discrediting pharmacists." (Marne)
From Marne-san's point of view, he was a man who called himself a pharmacist, but who framed people for the sake of making money. This was unforgivable.
"In that case, me too." (Lydia)
"Yeah, I want to complain too." (Zect)
"This is a trash that I have to clean up. I understand your feelings, but it would be best if you didn't get involved. Even if he was rotten, he was still nobles, you see." (Marne)
There's no point in messing with those in power. With me and Marne-san, anything was possible.
"You just think about your family." (Marne)
"……yes" (Lydia)
"If you understand, go back and spend time with Est. That's the quickest way to make her feel better." (Marne)
"Yes, but this isn't goodbye, right?" (Lydia)
"That's right. I'll stop by the house before I go home." (Marne)
"That's a promise." (Lydia)
We parted ways with Lydia-san and Zect-san.
"I'd like to ask Yuna to help me clean up the trash. Can you help me? Of course, I'll pay extra." (Marne)
I didn't charge extra, but she needed volunteers to clean up the trash. So, I decided to help with the trash cleanup.
"What do I do?" (Yuna)
"Things might get a little rough, so you can just guard me like you always do." (Marne)
Certainly, if things got rough, it's my turn.
"Leave it to me. No matter how strong the enemy, I'll defeat them." (Yuna)
"Please let me know when that happens, okay?" (Marne)
I would be very happy if you could trust me.
"So, do you know where the pharmacist is?" (Yuna)
"………….Yuna, look at the address written on this paper and can you tell where it is?" (Marne)
This was a piece of paper I received from the Commercial Guild with the pharmacist's name and shop address written on it. Even if I was shown a piece of paper with just that address written on it, I didn't understand. Unfortunately, I didn't have any address search skills. At times like these, I really appreciate my smartphone. Well, I was staying at home so I didn't make much use of it.
"There's no choice, so we'll go to the Commercial Guild." (Marne)
"Or ask Lydia-san." (Yuna)
I saw them walking away in the distance.
"It's embarrassing, I don't want to. Besides, the Commercial Guild is close by." (Marne)
Well, as close as it looks. So we came to the Commercial Guild, and then Marne-san called the guild master.
"Marne-sensei. What can I do for you today?" (GM)
He's a humble Guild Master. He's not as cunning as Mylaine-san. But I guess he just couldn't go against Marne-san.
"It's no big deal. Can you tell me where the apothecary's shop is located?" (Marne)
The Guild Master looked relieved.
"Perhaps, is that's why Marne-sensei came here?" (GM)
"It's for trash disposal. Just to confirm, is the Commercial Guild involved with Corbeau?" (Marne)
"…………" (GM)
The Guild Master was silent.
"...I'm being a little flexible." (GM)
"Flexible?" (Marne)
"For example, I could give priority to the herbs I've obtained, or introduce recommended pharmacists when asked." (GM)
"Haa." (Marne)
Marne-san sighed.
"It can't be helped. He's the lord's son after all. Even as the Commercial Guild, I don't want to cause any trouble." (GM)
Well, that was understandable. There was no benefit to antagonizing the lord of the city. I think there were many benefits to being on friendly terms.
"I'll ask again. Are you betraying me?" (Marne)
The Guild Master took a breath.
"I'll choose the one that's profitable." (GM)
"Yeah. I know what you're thinking." (Marne)
I don't understand. By profit, you mean that it goes to the lord?
"This is where this pharmacist is located." (GM)
The Guild Master handed over the paper and Marne-san received it.
"Thank you" (Marne)
Marne-san looked at the paper and thanked him.
"Yuna, let's go." (Marne)
"Yeah" (Yuna)
I followed Marne-san as she left the room.
"Marne-san, was it okay?" (Yuna)
Upon hearing my words, Marne-san handed me the paper she had received from the Guild Master. I received the paper. When I looked at the paper, there was a map from Commercial Guild to the store.
"Look at the back." (Marne)
I did as I was told and looked at the back of the paper.
"There is a member of the lord's staff among the guild staff."
"What is this?" (Yuna)
"Well, I guess the Guild Master can't betray them so openly. But, if one of the lord's men is among the guild staff, it's possible that information has leaked out." (Marne)
"But is that a problem?" (Yuna)
Either way, we were going to see them. If we went to meet him, then our presence would become known. It's either sooner or later.
"If we're too late, the evidence will be destroyed. It's possible that Corbeau found out about this yesterday and destroyed the evidence." (Marne)
"So it's too late?" (Yuna)
"If the Guild Master has kept his mouth shut, it means everything's okay." (Marne)
It just said that there were allies, but it didn't say that information had been leaked. Well, either way I had no choice but to go. Using the map given to us by the Guild Master, we headed to the location of the unscrupulous pharmacist.
"Right here."
It's big. There was a big store in front of me. It was so big that you wondered if it was really necessary for a pharmacy. As expected of the son of a nobleman. I guess it's his parents' money. Or maybe it's money earned through underhanded means.
"Come in." (Marne)
We went into the store. There were a few customers inside the store and one man at the counter. I heard "Bear?" "Bear?" "Bear?" "Kuma?" from inside the store, but I ignored them.
"Yeah, what's this? These weird-looking brats?" (Clerk)
Is weird-looking brat they were talking about, me? The customers in the store burst out laughing at the clerk's words. I felt anger welling up inside me for the first time in a long time.
"This store doesn't have any medicine you brats can buy, so go home." (Clerk)
Do you judge customers by their appearance? Marne-san didn't seem to mind and walked up to the store attendant and asked.
"I wonder if Corbeau is here?" (Marne)
"What? You called Corbeau-sama by his first name." (Clerk)
The man's way of speaking changed drastically. Apparently, he didn't like being called just Corbeau without honorifics.
"Corbeau-sama? Surely a pharmacist who makes medicines at such exorbitant prices doesn't need a title." (Marne)
"Young lady, effective medicines are expensive. If you come here, ask your parents for some money. If you have money, I'll sell it to you." (Clerk)
"Really? In that case, I'll buy it." (Marne)
Marne-san took out a small bag from her item bag and threw it at the man. The pouch fell onto the counter in front of the man. When the man checked the contents of the bag, he looked shocked.
"With that much, I could buy every type of medicine here, right?" (Marne)
"That is……" (Clerk)
"If I have money, you'll sell it to me, right? Sorry, Yuna, but could you please put away all the medicines they have lying around?" (Marne)
"Yeah, got it." (Yuna)
I put the medicine on the shelf away into the Bear Box. Is this for beauty? Is this for health? Cold medicine and wound medicine were also available. There were many other medicines that I didn't know about, but I'd keep adding them to the Bear Box.
"Stop" (Clerk)
"I've paid the money. Maybe it's not enough? How much more do they want to rip me off? If so, should I pay more?" (Marne)
Marne-san threw the bag at the man again.
"What's up with you, young lady?" (Clerk)
"I'm an employee of the Ministry of Magic in the Royal Capital. I was also Corbeau's teacher for a while." (Marne)
"The Ministry of Magic? Corbeau-sama's teacher?" (Clerk)
"Please tell Corbeau that Marne came to inspect the place. He'll know that I'm his teacher." (Marne)
"What a stupid thing to say." (Clerk)
"Concealing things, misrepresenting the effects, forcing other pharmacists to do things, pressuring them. The purchase and sale prices of medicinal herbs are up to you, so that's fine." (Marne)
That's fine. Well, there's no problem if it's something that both parties agreed on. That was how trading works. They were both competing for profits. However, in the cases of Lydia-san and Zect-san, they used their sick sister as an excuse and ended up unilaterally giving in to the other party's demands. If it were an effective drug then I could forgive it, but that's not the case this time.
"Let me check the ingredients and effects of these medicines." (Marne)
"There's no way Corbeau would allow something like that." (Clerk)
"Why do I have to get permission from Corbeau? I paid for it and bought it. I'm just checking the medicine I bought. Is there a problem?" (Marne)
"That is……" (Clerk)
"Besides, he was the one who didn't show up in person. So, if anyone's to blame, it's him." (Marne)
"Don't mess with me! I'll get scolded by Corbeau-sama!" (Clerk)
The man climbed over the counter and attacked Marne-san. I stepped in front of Marne-san and grabbed the man's arm.
"I won't let you lay a finger on Marne-san" (Yuna)
I put strength into my gripping arms.
"Ouch, that hurts." (Clerk)
The man fell to the ground. I then used earth magic to tie the man's arms behind his back, wrapped them around his ankles, and rolled him over to the floor.
"If the ingredients and effects are different, he will be stripped of his license as a pharmacist. His honor as a noble may also be tarnished." (Marne)
"Corbeau-sama is a nobleman." (Clerk)
"So what?" (Marne)
The aggressive Marne-san was cool.
"I plan on returning to the royal capital first thing tomorrow morning, so please give my best regards to him." (Marne)
Marne-san smiled at the man.
Author's Note
Marne-san is rich.
The next post will be in 5 days.
This year is almost over. A year goes by so quickly.
Volume 3 of the side story is on sale now on December 20th.
*"Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear" comic chapter 128 (11/13) is currently available on PASH UP (Niconico Manga chapter 123 is currently available)
*Episode 20 of the "Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear" spin-off is currently available on PASH UP (episode 17 is currently available on NicoNico Manga)
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.