Chapter 425

[So, Yuna-san. Where are the bear-sans?] Noa

Noa, who had been holding Swaying Bear since a while ago, asked me as if she couldnt wait to see them.

If its a bear youre looking for, Noa, youre already holding one. I wanted to make such a comment, but I stopped myself.

Well, shes never seen a bear other than Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear, so I guess shes in for a treat.

[I dont know where they are, but Ill have Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear call them. Swaying Bear, Hugging Bear, please.] Yuna

<

>

After Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear responded, they made a loud <

> sound.

[Wha- what was that?] Noa

[I asked them to call the bears.] Yuna

My detection skills wont tell me where the bears are. So we had to call them.

Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear are also bears, after all. They can talk to each other, and they can call each other.

[So, are the bear-sans coming?] Noa

Noa scurried around to look at the surroundings.

As she was wondering where they were coming from, she saw a couple of bears and their cub emerge from the trees on her right. Two big bears and two cubs.

[Yuna-san, bear-san! Its bear-san! Bear-san parent and child!] Noa

Excited, Noa grabbed my arm and shook it.

I know youre happy, but stop shaking me.

[Yes, I can see them. Dont get too excited and startle the bears.] Yuna

It would be dangerous if the bears were startled and attacked Noa. Theyre docile bears, but still wild bears.

[I know. Its okay. Ill stroke them gently.] Noa

Shes going to pet it.

[Remember, unlike Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear, these are wild bears. So, dont touch them until I say its okay.] Yuna

Shes about to start running, I have to be careful.

[I, I understand.] Noa

Noas face tightened up at my advice.

And when the bear parent and child slowly came to us, the bears (wild, summoned) rubbed their bodies against each other.

Apparently, they hadnt forgotten about us.

Two bear cubs came to me. Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear cub forms are cute. These little bears are cute too. I think theyve grown up a little since then. After all, the smaller the bear, the cuter it is.

[Yuna-san, can I touch them too?] Noa

While I was stroking the bear cubs, Noa was about to reach out to the bear cubs, but she kept her promise with me and put up with it.

[Swaying Bear, Hugging Bear. Noa is going to touch these kids, so can you tell them theyre not in danger?] Yuna

I asked Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear, who are on good terms with the parent bears.

Then Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear started talking to the parent bears.

Im not sure what theyre saying, but theyre having a conversation.

At times like this, I wish I had bear language skills. But if I could hear the true feelings of Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear, I would be scared. I think it would be better if I didnt have any bear language skills.

Then, when the conversation between the bears is over, Swaying Bear comes to Noa. Swaying Bear goes behind Noa and pushes her back.

[Swaying Bear-chan?] Noa

[He said you could touch the bears.] Yuna

[Really?] Noa

Noa was a little scared, but she slowly reached out and touched the bear cub in my arms.

[The texture is different from Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear. The fur is a little stiff.] Noa

[Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear are taking baths, you know. They are different compared to the bears in the wild.] Yuna

Furthermore, whenever I summoned them, they come out in a beautiful state. Theyre always fluffy and soft.

[But theyre fluffy.] Noa

Yeah, theyre fluffy. I also stroke the back of the bear cub.

[And this bear has a cool face.] Noa

<

>

Noas words made Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear a little frustrated.

[Im sorry. Swaying Bear-chan and Hugging Bear-chan, youre cuter rather than cool.] Noa

[So, Bear Girl-chan. Is it okay for me to touch them too?] Rem

Rem-san, who had been watching us in silence for a while now, was behind Noa, looking like he wanted to touch the bear cub as well.

[Swaying Bear, Hugging Bear. Rem-san wants to touch them too.] Yuna

This time, Hugging Bear came around behind Rem-san and pushed him back.

[It feels good.] Rem

[Yeah.] Yuna

Rem-san touched the parent bear and the bear cub. Rem-san has a satisfied look.

After all, Rem-san also wanted to touch the bear.

[Thank you for always protecting the bee tree. But please dont do anything too dangerous.] Rem

Although he couldnt understand the bears language, Rem-san spoke to the bear gently.

[So the bear-san is the guardian of the bee tree?] Noa

[Yeah, they fought the monsters before.] Rem

But isnt that what theyre fighting for, to protect their territory?

As for me, if I had to choose between goblins, orcs, and bears, I would support the bears.

[But theres no guarantee that the bear will be able to defeat the next monster that appears. If a monster takes up residence, all we have to do is ask the adventurers guild. So the bears wont be overwhelmed.] Rem

[Ill take care of it when that happens.] Yuna

[Yeah, Id feel a lot better if Bear Girl-chan takes care of it.] Rem

I dont want the adventurer and the bears to run into each other and end up fighting.

[Well, its not only monsters that are dangerous, though. If the adventurers come to kill the bear, they must run away.] Yuna

Thats a possibility. People may be more dangerous than monsters.

[But are there any adventurers in that town wholl come to subjugate the bear-san?] Noa

Noa looks at me, Swaying Bear, and Hugging Bear, then Rem-san looks at us in response.

[If theres a request at adventurers guild, they might come to subjugate the bears, but I dont think anyone would come to take down a bear thats not rampaging.] Rem

Im afraid of hearing what hes going to say and I dont think my heart can take it, so I didnt listen to him.

[But I dont think any adventurer who knows Yuna-san would mess with a bear.] Noa

[Youre right.] Rem

Rem-san nodded to Noas words.

After all this time, I wonder what the other adventurers think of me. I dont think they have a very good image of me after all.

Before that, why is Rem-san nodding?

Im also curious about the image of me in Rem-sans mind.

After spending some time with the bears, they cried

and got up to walk towards the bee tree.

Apparently, its time to eat.

[Ah, I wish I could go with them.] Noa

[Its not safe, so well just observe them from a distance.] Yuna

[

U~u

, I know.] Noa

Noa regretfully sees off the parent bears and cubs.

When the parent bears and cubs come to the bee tree, they began to eat the honey.

Rem-san and Cliff allowed them to eat honey, but if you think about it normally, theyre supposed to be subdued. After all, theyre pests who eat the precious honey.

If there is any talk of subjugating them, it might be a good idea to let them escape to the island of Targui.

As I was watching the bears eating honey, I heard a small

sound from the side.

Looking to the side, I can see Noa holding her stomach.

[Tha-, thats not the sound of my stomach!] Noa

Noa blushes a little and denies it.

[I didnt say anything though.] Yuna

[

U ~u~u

] Noa

Noa looks embarra.s.sed.

Well, it was lunchtime. So, its no wonder shes hungry.

[Then well have lunch here, too.] Yuna

[Were having lunch here?] Noa

[Well, weve come all this way, and the flowers are beautiful. Besides, theres something you want to discuss with Rem-san, right?] Yuna

I laid out a carpet-like sheet on the ground from the bear box and took out a basket of bread.

[Rem-san, please sit down and eat.] Yuna

[Is that okay? I appreciate it.] Rem

Rem-san and Noa sat on the sheet.

I prepared small jugs and a cup.

[Theres fruit juice and milk to drink, take what you like.] Yuna

[Thank you very much. Ill have the milk.] Noa

[Ill have the juice.] Rem

I poured the drinks as ordered into the two cups.

[Also, you were touching a wild bear, so wipe your hands with this before you pick up the bread.] Yuna

I handed them both wet towels.

It is dangerous to eat bread with hands that have touched a wild bear. Unlike Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear, wild bears dont take a bath.

[Im sorry about that.] Rem

[Yuna-san. Youre like Lala.] Noa

They wiped their hands with wet towels and reached for the bread.

[Ah, its a bear bread.] Noa

Noa finds bear bread (k.u.ma pan) in the basket.

I thought Noa would like it, so I brought it.

[Is this the rumored bear-faced bread?] Rem

Rem-san also takes a bear bread.

[Rem-san, you know bout this?] Yuna

[Ah, it was a hot topic among the people working in the store.] Rem

After saying that, Rem-san eats bear bread.

But I wonder what it would be like to eat bear bread while looking at a bear.

I picked up a sandwich instead of a bear bread and ate it.

[Yes, Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear too.] Yuna

I put the sandwich in Swaying Bear and Hugging Bears mouth.

[Ah, I wanna do it too.] Noa

Noah also gives bread to Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear.

Then, as we ate our bread, Rem-sans cla.s.s began.

[So, you change the flowers accordingly with the seasons?] Noa

[The flowers bloom in different seasons. In winter, bees stop their activities, so we ask them to collect nectar until then. Of course, there are times when they are active and times when they breed, so its hard to say for sure, but if there are flowers, they will collect nectar, so as much as possible, I try to keep them blooming.] Rem

[I see.] Noa

Noa listens to Rem-sans lecture earnestly.

After Rem-sans cla.s.s ended, the bears were done eating and began to move away from the bee tree.

[Ah, the bear-sans are going away.] Noa

The bear family disappears into the forest.

[Dont chase after them.] Yuna

[I wanted to take that little bear home with me.] Noa

[If you do that, theyll get angry.] Yuna

[Im kidding. Its just a joke. I would never do that. I would never split up a family that was so close. But still, there was a part of me that wanted to take them home.] Noa

Well, bear cubs are cute. But the bigger they get, the scarier they become.

Did they read my mind? Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear are rubbing up against me.

[You two may be big, but youre not scary.] Yuna

[Bear Girl-chan. Thanks for the food. Im going to go check on the flowers around the perimeter, so please wait a bit.] Rem

Rem-san stood up.

[I will go too. Yuna-san, is that okay?] Noa

[Its okay, but dont get in Rem-sans way.] Yuna

[Of course, I wont. Im just going to see what kind of flowers are blooming.] Noa

Noa went after Rem-san.

As I rest my back on Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear, I decided to wait for Noa and Rem-san with my eyes closed.

From my ears, I could hear Rem-san describing the flowers on the wind, and Noa asking various questions.

It seems that she is listening to Rem-san and studying with him.

Its nice to get out and relax like this once in a while.

Authors Note:

We were able to meet the bears safely.

Noa also seemed to be learning a lot from Rem.