"So, how long do we have to stay here?" (One of the men)
"Just a little longer." (Marne)
The men who attacked us on Corbeau's orders are in a room in the Adventurer's Guild under Marné-san's orders.
"It's hard to sleep here." (The other man)
"I got some money, so I want to go out for a drink." (Another man)
"Be patient. Or would you rather be in jail? I'm okay with that." (Marne)
The men shut their mouths at Marné-san's words.
"Soon he'll realize I'm in town. If that happens, you'll become suspicious. Even if he doesn't, he might give orders to attack me again. If that happens, will you be able to refuse? I don't mind you going over there." (Marne)
Marné-san looked to the door. The door wasn't locked. If they wanted to leave, they could.
"He'll just push the responsibility onto us anyway." (One of the men)
"In that case, we'd better follow missy." (Another one)
"Then, behave yourself until this is resolved." (Marne)
As I was talking to the men, the door opened, and the receptionist came in.
"Thank goodness. You're back?" (Receptionist)
"What's wrong?" (Marne)
"Some people were in the Adventurer's Guild investigating the matter of Marné-san." (Receptionist)
"They're investigating my behavior, I guess. That's to be expected." (Marne)
"Also, it seems they came to the Commercial Guild to investigate as well." (Receptionist)
She had told them to check with the guild master at the Commercial Guild.
"Are you sure you didn't have to keep quiet or anything?" (Receptionist)
"I don't mind. If we cut off the information poorly, we won't be able to grasp how much of it has reached the other party. If it's known, we just need to act accordingly." (Marne)
Information is important in every field. No matter how much you try to hide information, it will leak out. So it would be better to leak information that you don't mind being made public and get a grasp on it. It's easy to say, but it's difficult.
"I hope you find something new." (Marne)
"Understood. I will report back when I receive any new information." (Receptionist)
The receptionist left the room.
"Well, we'll be out for a bit." (One of the men)
"Are you going to run away after all?" (Marne)
"No way. We're just going out because there's something that's been bothering us." (One of the men)
"Just a word of advice, make sure you don't get caught, okay?" (Marne)
"Yeah, we know." (One of the men)
The men left the room.
"Aren't they going to betray us?" (Yuna)
"Well, I have their guild cards, so it's not easy for them to betray us. If they did betray us, I'd just have to make up something they didn't commit." (Marne)
Well, you can't tell who's the villain, right? If you betray someone, then there needs to be an appropriate punishment, but it's cruel to fabricate a crime for someone who didn't commit it. She seemed like some kind of corrupt noble.
"But what are we going to do now?" (Yuna)
Things couldn't stay like this forever. Marné-san thought for a moment.
"That's right. Let's attack in three days." (Marne)
"Three days?" (Yuna)
"Once you've been involved with patients, you have to look after them until they get better." (Marne)
Certainly, he could not abandon the patients.
"Also, if they hurry here, they should arrive in about three days." (Marne)
It seemed that Marné-san used the Adventurer's Guild to send a letter to Ellelaura-san. Moreover, it seemed that they used a fast horse, which charged a high fee. Usually, letters and packages were transported together to the royal capital or towns by horse-drawn carriages. From there, the local Commercial Guild and others in that town would divide up the work and distribute them. However, this time, she had an adventurer ride a fast horse to deliver it directly to Ellelaura-san.
"But, why Ellelaura-san?" (Yuna)
"If it were just a problem with the pharmacist, I could handle it on my own. But this time, a noble is involved, so if we don't prepare properly, there's a chance he might escape." (Marne)
It was said that nobles would cover up the bad deeds of their family members for the sake of their honor. To avoid being hushed up, we would be seeking the help of Ellelaura-san, who was also a noble. I guess it's a nobility for nobles.
When we were in the room we rent at the Adventurer's Guild, we receive a lot of information. Corbeau went to the pharmacist to try and get some medicinal herbs. He went to Lydia-san to pick up some medicinal herbs. He then asked the Commercial Guild for medicinal herbs. The Adventurer's Guild had received a request to collect medicinal herbs.
The person who told us everything was the receptionist, Layla-san. Since we had not yet introduced ourselves to each other, we introduced ourselves again and exchanged information.
"Right now, it seems that the herbs are hard to come by and are no longer in stores." (Receptionist → Layla)
"It seems that Lydia didn't give him the herbs, so he couldn't make the medicine. Then, he asked the Commercial Guild for help." (Marne)
"But he probably asked another pharmacist, right?" (Layla)
"Apparently, Kabo went ahead and asked the other pharmacists not to help Corbeau. That's why he has no one on his side. This is what he got for neglecting his patients, getting in the way of the pharmacists, and only thinking about his own profits." (Marne)
Kabo-san, who lent us his space to make Lydia-san's medicine, seemed to have really betrayed Corbeau. I had never met the pharmacist named Corbeau yet, but I wondered what kind of man he was. She then told me that there was someone looking for me.
"Me?" (Yuna)
"They probably found out we were back in town and are looking for Yuna." (Marne)
"......?" (Yuna)
"Yuna, look at your outfit." (Marne)
"...Bear." (Yuna)
"Do you think there is anyone else dressed like you? I went to Corbeau's shop with you. All Corbeau's minions know is that I'm a little girl. How many little girls do you think there are in this town? It's impossible for them to find me among them. But there is only one girl dressed as a bear in the town." (Marne)
Logically speaking, it would be nearly impossible to find Marné-san in the city when you'd never met her. Even if they asked, there were a lot of kids. But if they asked that they were looking for a girl dressed as a bear, they'd get some information. Because I was the only woman dressed as a bear in this town. It couldn't be helped, since I had the easiest features to find.
"I'm sorry, it's my fault." (Yuna)
"There's no need to apologize. I knew what was going to happen and that's why I took you around, Yuna." (Marne)
Apparently, she had planned from the beginning that we would be noticed because of my outfit. However, after my presence was noticed, Marné-san tried to go to the patient alone. When I asked, "What about bodyguards?" I was told, "If Yuna is with me, we might run into someone who is searching for me under Corbeau's orders, so there's no need for one."
Indeed, when I was with her, it was like letting them know where Marné-san was. However, since there might be some danger, the receptionist, Layla-san, assigned a trusted adventurer to escort her. Although I was a little worried, Marné-san walked through the town without being noticed.
And a few days later, as planned, we headed to the shop of the unscrupulous pharmacist, Corbeau.
"It's closed." (Marne)
As reported, the store was closed.
"Is he afraid we're coming and locked the door?" (Marne)
Marné-san said this with her arms crossed. He might have been nervous about Marné-san these past few days. Marné-san said, "Just be afraid of my shadow."
"So, what do we do? Break the door?" (Yuna)
"Then it becomes unclear who is the criminal." (Marne)
Surely. As we discussed what to do, the door slowly opened. A man in his late twenties answered the door.
"You're Corbeau, aren't you? You look like your old self." (Marne)
He was Corbeau. He was thin and pale.
"It's been a long time, Marné-sensei. What brings you here today?" (Corbeau)
"Oh, that doesn't really surprise me, does it?" (Marne)
"I've received a message. We both have something to talk about. Please come in." (Corbeau)
Corbeau didn't resist and invited us into the store. The inside of the shop was dimly lit with the windows closed with curtains.
"Please go to the second floor." (Corbeau)
We went up the stairs at the back and were shown into a room. There was a desk and chair, just like in an office.
"Please, have a seat." (Corbeau)
We sat down.
"Do you know why I came?" (Marne)
"Is it about the medicine I made?" (Corbeau)
"That's right. The medicine you gave to those siblings." (Marne)
"Apparently, it was handed to the wrong person." (Corbeau)
"That's impossible, isn't it? You would have handed it over with bad intentions, wouldn't you?"
"Even if that was the case, it wasn't life-threatening. I was hoping to heal them after a little while." (Corbeau)
"You. What do you think of your patients?" (Marne)
"It's a way to make money to live. Everyone has to earn money to live. I have to earn money to live, too." (Corbeau)
"It's money earned by making other people miserable." (Marne)
"Miserable? No one thinks that. It takes time, but we cure them properly in the end, and everyone is grateful to me." (Corbeau)
"Well, that's probably because you don't know what you're doing, do you?" (Marne)
"Yes, I don't know. So, no one is unhappy. However, this time the siblings found out." (Corbeau)
"Do you think it's okay to do bad things as long as the other person doesn't know?" (Marne)
"If they don't know, it can't be bad for them, right?" (Corbeau)
It was going in circles. He believed it was okay to do bad things as long as the other person did not know about it. In fact, if the other person did not know about it, they would not be hurt.
Patients were told that it would take time to cure their illness, so they continued to take the medicine, and when they eventually got better, they were grateful. After all, an amateur had no idea how long it would take to cure an illness. Not only that, he had even reached out to other pharmacists. If other pharmacists told them the same thing, they had no choice but to believe it.
"Haa, how pathetic. To think that someone like this calls himself a pharmacist." (Marne)
"I haven't killed anyone. So I'm not a criminal. And even if I get caught for something like this, my dad will protect me." (Corbeau)
That was true if he placed more weight on the fact that no one was killed. Furthermore, being the son of a noble, it probably wouldn't be a big deal.
"Have you forgotten you had me attacked?" (Marne)
Corbeau's face stiffened.
"What are you talking about?" (Corbeau)
Marné-san silently took out the recording magic tool and touched the magic stone, and the conversation between Corbeau and the men began to play.
"I still have the conversation you gave instructions on." (Marne)
"That..." (Corbeau)
Corbeau reached out his hand, but I brushed it away.
"If you know me, you know that what you have done to me is great." (Marne)
"Did they betray me?" (Corbeau)
His tone changed from me (watashi) to me (ore)[1]. Maybe this was the real him.
"They didn't betray you, I just made a deal with them. Anyone would deserve a lighter punishment, right?" (Marne)
The perpetrators are bad, but the people who give the orders are the most at fault. They give orders from a safe place and make you do bad things. If you fail, it's like cutting off the lizard's tail. There were many such incidents in my original world as well.
Author's Note
The title is fraud, and the one doing the interrogation was Marné-san.
Volume 21 of the book will be released today, Friday, February 7th.
If you see it at a bookstore, please check it out.
Information on store purchase benefits and where to get signed books is provided in the activity report.
*The posting date will be one week later. I think I'll be able to return to regular posting after that.
*If I take a break, I will post a comment, and if I am suddenly unable to post, I will contact you via activity reports or X (formerly Twitter). (I'm sorry if I can't do this.)
*131st chapter of the "Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear" comic is currently available on PASH UP! neo (125th chapter of NicoNico Manga is currently available)
*Episode 23 of the "Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear" spin-off is currently available on PASH UP! neo (Episode 20 of NicoNico Manga is currently available)
If you have time, please check out the comic version.
[Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear to be released]
Book 21 released on February 7, 2025. (Next volume, volume 22, 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 Gaiden Volume 3 was released on December 20, 2024. (The release date for the next volume, Volume 4, 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.
Translation Note
[1] Just in case you didn't know, 私 or わたし is the formal and polite of "I" (or "me"), on the other hand, 俺 (ore) is informal and quite rough in the given context. Since there's no level of politeness in English, it's quite hard to show the differences.