Chapter 56 – Bear-san Gets Involved With Noa’s Big Sister!

Tatatatatatatatatata

I heard the sound of someone running somewhere.

Tatatatatatata

The footsteps were gradually coming closer.

「Noa-chan!」

The person who came running over dove into Noa.

「Mother!」

「Noa-chan, I wanted to see you!」

A woman rubbed her cheek with Noa’s.

She had beautiful golden hair, just like Noa’s.

She only looked slightly older than 25, so she was young, especially for being Noa’s mother.

Their features looked similar too.

The heck, at exactly what age did you give birth to Noa?

「So then, is Cliff not here?」

The woman surveyed the surroundings.

「Father is still working back in town. He told me to come here first, by myself.」

「Is that so? It’s good that you arrived safely. So then, are you going to introduce me to that child dressed in interesting-looking clothes?」

It was the first time someone had said that I looked interesting.

I had already been told that I looked strange in the past.

Both had good and bad points.

「This person who looks like a bear is the adventurer, Yuna-san. She was my escort to the Royal Capital. This person is Fina. A bear friend.」

What is that? That “fellow bear companion” kind of friend.

「I am Yuna, an adventurer. Nice to meet you.」

「I am Fina. I came along with Big Sis Yuna.」

「Oh my, what cute children. Let’s not stay out here, come inside.」

「But, mother, how did you know that I was in the Royal Capital?」

「Ah, I told the gate guards to notify me if you or Cliff came, you see. That’s why, when you came, I immediately dropped my work and rushed over.」

Is it really okay for you to just up and leave your work like that?

「Now, come inside and let me hear all about your journey.」

After we entered the large and expansive mansion, we were taken to the parlor.

「I’ll show you to your rooms later. For now, please take a seat.」

We sat down on the sofa and a maid brought drinks.

I hadn’t had anything to drink for a while, so I received my drink gratefully.

Umu, it was cold and delicious.

I sipped at my drink as I turned towards Eleanora-san once more.

「Eleanora-sama, this is something that Cliff-sama entrusted me to bring.」

I took the Goblin King’s Sword and the letter out of the Bear Box.

「From that person? What is it, I wonder?」

Eleanora-san opened the letter and began to read it.

「This is a Goblin King’s Sword, isn’t it? He sure was able to prepare quite an unusual thing. Moreover, you were the one who provided it, huh?」

「No, it’s not really that great.」

「Won’t you stop with that way of talking? Since you don’t seem to be used to speaking that way.」

「Is it okay?」

「Oh, it’s fine. It’s even written in the letter.」

「What exactly is written in there?」

「First, absolutely do not antagonize her.」

「Haa?」

「Next, don’t make her angry, and if there’s trouble, be sure to follow up.」

「Sounds like an outrageously troublesome woman, hmm?」

「But, it’s also written that she’s kind and an adventurer who Noa has taken a liking to.」

「Is that so?」

「On top of that, he’s placed a lot of trust in you.」

「Oh really?」

「The fact that he entrusted his daughter to you, as the only bodyguard, is evidence. In the first place, one wouldn’t normally even consider a.s.signing bodyguard duty to just one girl like that. However, to have subjugated 100 goblins, a goblin king, wolves, tiger wolves, and a black viper by yourself, even I had thought that what was written in this letter was part of an elaborate joke.」

「Yes, Yuna-san is amazing. On the way to the Royal Capital, she also defeated six orcs and captured 50 thieves all by herself, you know!」

「Is that true?」

「Yes, Guran-sama was also there at the time, so he witnessed it as well.」

Noa humorously explained what happened before our arrival at the Royal Capital.

Was it because she was happy to have met her mother after a long time?

「Wow, it’s already this late. Now then, Shia should be returning home at any moment, I think.」

「Shia?」

「Yes, she’s my big sister. She commutes to the royal academy.」

「So you have a big sister?」

「Yes, she’s five years older, so we’re a little separated.」

「So, in other words, she’s 15 years old?」

The heck, when did you have that child?

If you are roughly 25, judging from appearances, then it would mean that you gave birth at 10 years old.

If a.s.suming that you are roughly 28 years old, then it would be a child at 13 years old…just barely safe, huh?

If it were in j.a.pan, it would be a strike, though.

「Yuna-chan, are you thinking of something strange?」

「No, Eleanora-san looks very young, so I was wondering what age you were when you gave birth to your daughters.」

「Ara, when you say I look young, how old do you think I am?」

Eleanora-san blushed and looked happy.

「I was thinking around 25, so you would have given birth to Noa when you were 15 years old, but I didn’t think that Noa would also have a sister who was five years older.」

「My my, you sure say some nice things. I don’t usually give out my actual age, but I’ll make an exception for Yuna-chan. I will be 33 this year.」

Lies! Even though you look this young!

However, would that mean that you had a child when you were 18 years old, then?

「Mother is famous for being a beauty.」

「My, if that’s the case, then since you’re my daughter, Noa will also become a beauty.」

「I’ll be happy if that happens.」

Noa looked very happy.

At that moment, with great timing, the other side of the door became noisy.

「Mother, I’m home! Is it true that Noa came?!」

The door opened and another girl who looked exactly like an older version of Noa entered the room.

This girl was probably Noa’s older sister, Shia.

「Shia, you’re in front of a guest.」

「Excuse me. Eh, a bear?」

She looked surprised upon seeing me.

「That’s right. You’re being rude to the bear.」

You’re also being rude.

「Mother, please stop with the jokes.」

「Fufu, I’m not joking, you know. The one who looks like a bear is Yuna-chan, who escorted Noa to the Royal Capital. The girl next to her is Fina-chan.」

「These three girls came to the Royal Capital by themselves? Are you going to kid around to that extent? To say that such a small girl made the journey to the capital all the way from the town.」

「You there, won’t you stand up and take off your hood?」

It’s not like I intended to keep it hidden, so I took my hood off and stood up.

My long black hair flowed out into the open.

「Saying that a small and cute girl like this is an adventurer is a joke, right? How old are you?」

「I’m 15 years old, though.」

「You’re the same age as me? Even though you’re so small.」

Stop saying “small, small” over and over!

I’ll be growing taller from now on, you see!

Even though I was the same age as Shia, I was only about half her height.

「Big sister, Yuna-san is strong, you know. Also, even though Yuna-san herself is amazing, her bears are even more amazing!」

「Bears?」

Shia tilted her head in confusion.

Well, of course, even if you said that the bears were suddenly strong, n.o.body would understand what you meant, probably.

「That’s right. Then, how about a match? That way, even Shia will probably understand it.」

「Wait a moment!」

I would like it if you didn’t decide this without me.

「Yuna-chan, please be my daughter’s opponent. Ah, it’s fine to let her get a little hurt. However, since she’s a girl, please don’t give her any big wounds, okay?」

「Alright, I’ll accept that challenge.」

n.o.body proposed a fight, so I wish you wouldn’t accept.

The troublesome matter advanced without anyone asking for my opinion.

In the end, it was decided that there would be a match, and everyone gathered in the courtyard.

「That child, due to the fact that she’s among the stronger people at school, she’s become quite impertinent, so please take her down from her high horse.」

「Mother! I’m not particularly cheeky or anything!」

「My, really? Didn’t you say that there weren’t any girls who were stronger than you?」

「But, that’s the truth, so…」

「That’s why, Yuna-chan, it’s fine for you to defeat this child.」

Hmm, even if you say that, I’m not sure how far I should go.

She’s a n.o.ble’s daughter, so even if you tell me that it’s okay to hurt her a bit, it will be troublesome if she really gets injured and you bear a grudge.

「Erm, it was Yuna-san, right?」

「Yeah.」

「For you, are you specialized in swords or magic? I’ll let you choose whichever you want.」

With this pattern, when I won with a sword, it would be followed up with a magic match, right?

「In that case, with swords.」

The maid-san brought a wooden sword over to me.

「Then, I’m ready anytime, so come!」

「You sure?」

「I’m sure.」

「In that case, I’ll take you up on your offer and go.」

I fully released the bear and rushed past Shia’s guard instantly, striking the sword Shia was holding with an upward blow.

Shia’s sword danced in the air as my sword stopped in front of Shia’s face.

「Is this alright?」

I lowered my sword and separated from Shia.

It would have been fine if everything finished with just this.

「H-Hold on a second!」

「What is it?」

「That just now didn’t count.」

「Why? You said anything was fine so I attacked, that’s it. No matter how you look at it, there’s no reason to not count that just now.」

「But!」

「You, if your opponent was a monster or a thief, would you say the same thing? After having not understood the opponent’s skills and lost, would you say “please give me a redo” or something?」

「That’s…」

「If you want a do-over, please do that in school. To begin with, are you actually strong? Are you sure that it’s not because you’re a n.o.ble, so the people around you went easy on you?」

「That’s not the case at all!」

「In that case, I’ll be your opponent however many times as necessary. Bring it on!」

With people like this, it would take some time before they would acknowledge their loss.

The type of people that cannot allow themselves to lose.

Shia picked up her wooden sword and faced me.

However, her movements were slow.

I didn’t have any female acquaintances around this age, so I didn’t know if she was strong or weak.

I brushed off the approaching sword, and held my sword to the back of her neck.

The sword I had brushed off had neither speed nor power.

Furthermore, there was no strategy.

It didn’t seem like she had considered anything, like how the opponent would defend or attack.

If it was a game, you would have to read the attack pattern, defend, and then attack.

I only parried and dodged Shia’s sword, and then pointed my sword at her body, which was left defenseless, before the match ended.

However, maybe she didn’t want to give up or admit defeat, because she confronted me over and over again.

It looked like it wasn’t possible to make her acknowledge her defeat with just that.

「It’s fine if you use magic, though I won’t use it.」

「I’ll make you regret those words!」

Fire gathered in Shia’s hand.

「Fireball!」

A fireball flew towards me.

It was easy for me to evade a single ball of fire though.

「Fireball! Fireball!」

When I evaded it, consecutive fireb.a.l.l.s flew at me.

Because she couldn’t hit me with a sword, she repeatedly fired fireb.a.l.l.s instead.

What were they teaching her in school, I wonder?

It wasn’t an issue about being strong or weak anymore.

This wasn’t a way to fight.

Even if you were capable of using both a sword and magic, there wasn’t any meaning if you couldn’t combine the two when attacking.

Even a newbie gamer of only a few months knew this.

Was it a difference in experience?

In the game world, I had crushed numerous people in PVP.

Or it could be said that they picked fights with me.

If it were this world, people would fight and try to kill each other without holding back. In the game, even if you lost, you wouldn’t die. You could experience sudden battles. I experienced dangerous battles many times over.

However, in this world, such experiences were impossible.

If you lost, you would die.

I pa.s.sed through the magic, and approached Shia, and held back as I hit her stomach with a bear punch.

「Kuh…」

Shia bent at the waist, and dropped down to the ground on one knee.

Did I go a little too far?

「That’s enough.」

「I-I’m still…」

「You should understand that I’m going easy on you, right?」

「That’s…」

「It’s over.」

「Mother…」

Shia hung her head.

「With that, let’s have a meal!」

Shia obediently abided by her mother’s words.

Everyone listened to Eleanora-san’s words, and headed to the dining room.

Certainly, I felt hungry now.

「So then, let’s start the celebration for Noa’s arrival to the Royal Capital, and Yuna-chan and Fina-chan’s welcome party.」

The welcoming dinner party began.

Fina, who was next to me, remained silent ever since she entered the mansion, and during the meal, she was even nibbling at her meal with small bites.

Was it not delicious?

On its own, I thought that it was delicious, but when I compared it to j.a.panese food, the flavoring felt light.

There was a taste of sugar, salt, and spice, but from a j.a.panese person’s perspective, it was somewhat lonely without soy sauce or miso.

「Mother, do you think that everyone at school and the teachers are going easy on me? That I’m just being conceited…」

「Hmm, I don’t think that that’s the case. Yuna-chan is out of the norm, you know. If I had to say it, she should probably be a B-ranked adventurer.」

「B rank…」

Even if you said B rank, I still didn’t understand what it meant.

Since I didn’t have any acquaintances who were B-rank.

I also didn’t know how strong B-rank was.

「Mother, even if you say that, that’s…」

「She subjugated a group of 100 goblins, a Goblin King, many orcs, a pair of Tiger Wolves, and a Black Viper. Then, it seems like she also captured the Zamon bandit group. Moreover, all by herself.」

I’ll shout it out over and over again!

Where the h.e.l.l is the Personal Information Protection Law!

「That’s why, it’s not something you have to get depressed over. It’s just, I wanted you to know that a child of the same age, who is even stronger than you, exists.」

「I understand. Yuna-san, I apologize for my behavior from a while ago.」

She apologized obediently.

Was she a good child after all?

「But, Yuna-san can also use magic, right?」

「More or less.」

「So you’re good with that too, huh?」

「In addition, Yuna-san has bear-sans, so she’s even more amazing, you know!?」

「You said that earlier as well, but what do you mean by bears?」

「They’re Yuna-san’s summoned beasts, and they’re super cute.」

「Summoned beasts…you can even do something like that?」

「I guess.」

「Umm, could you show those bears to me next time as well?」

「That’s fine.」

After that, once the meal was over, we were guided to our rooms.

Because of Fina’s request, she stayed in the same room as me.