Chapter 96 – Bear-san Goes To See Cliff

When I arrived at the Feudal Lord’s mansion, I told the guard, who I remembered seeing before, that I wanted to see Cliff.

He let me pa.s.s immediately, and I was able to meet Cliff just like that.

Did Cliff have too much free time?

「That’s rare, for you to ask for me and not Noa.」

「You see, someone requested that I give this to you.」

I gave him the letter that Grandpa Kuro gave me.

Cliff, who accepted it, looked over it immediately.

When he finished reading the letter, he sighed.

「Just what are you doing… Defeating a Kraken by yourself, that’s just not possible, is it?」

「The fact that I killed it was included?」

Even though I asked Atora-san to keep it a secret…

「They didn’t say that you did it, but that a lone adventurer killed it. Everyone who knows you would know that you were the one who did it!」

He said, looking exasperated.

He was right. Cliff, who knew that I had killed 10,000 monsters and a worm, would know who the message was referring to.

Still, Grandpa Kuro… You couldn’t have found a better way of concealing it?

「It’s not like I killed it because I like killing things, you know. The Kraken was blocking my path, so I got rid of it, that’s all there is to it.」

My path = the path to rice.

「’Blocking my way’… You, what sort of a supreme ruler are you? Are you on your way to dominate the world?」

「I won’t do something so troublesome.」

「You are not saying that you can’t do it, huh.」

「It’s impossible for me.」

I really didn’t plan on doing it.

What was fun about controlling the world?

I would prefer taking a nap over doing something that troublesome.

「Well then, what worries me more than Yuna are the contents of the letter.」

「What is written inside?」

They explained things to a certain extent, but they didn’t say what they would write inside the letter.

「To summarize, they wrote about everything that happened this month, and are willing to pay taxes if they are allowed to enter our province. I really can’t imagine the things you did inside of that city…」

After he said the last part, he looked into the distance.

「Did they really write that much about me?」

「They wrote that an adventurer saved them by donating food, subjugated a bandit group with the help of four others, saved the people who were captured, and finally, that this adventurer killed the Kraken as well, yet didn’t ask for any monetary compensation… They never wrote your name, so you don’t have to worry.」

What was okay about it??

At least people who didn’t know about me wouldn’t be able to link all of those events to me. They would have to know me as well as Cliff did to find out.

「Well, leaving you aside, it’s more important to consider how we will speak with them. We will have to meet each other to discuss this, won’t we? Yet, their city doesn’t have a Mayor. For now, the ones who are tending to the matters of the city are three old men, and the Guild Master is a.s.sisting them. Making old men come here would be really terrible to do.」

「Cliff, you are free right now, aren’t you? Couldn’t you just go there yourself?」

「You… Even if you say that, I’m a Feudal Lord, you know. I have work to do as well. I can’t just leave the town for a long period.」

「It will just take you half a day to go there, you know.」

After hearing my answer, Cliff retorted with,

「…It seems that I will have to call a doctor for you.」

He looked really serious.

「I don’t have a fever.」

「You can’t be well, right? How could you possibly reach a city on the other side of the mountain range in half a day? Fly through the sky?」

Cliff imitated a flying bird, conveying that he thought I was out of my mind.

「I can’t fly in the sky, but I made a tunnel.」

「…Huh?」

Cliff stopped his bird performance.

「Sorry, could you say that one more time?」

「I dug out a tunnel, so you can get there in half a day on Swaying Bear.」

Cliff held his head in his hands.

「You aren’t lying, are you?…If it’s you, it’s possible, huh? You really made a tunnel through the mountain range, and in just a couple of days, that is…」

One day, to be precise.

「Did you really make it?」

「I did. I wanted to have a circulation of goods.」

「I always believed that your existence was irrational, but I didn’t know that it was to this extent.」

「That’s why you can get there in half a day on Swaying Bear. But, if you plan on making Grandpa Kuro come here, we will have to take a carriage, and that will take some more time.」

「No. I want to see the city, so I will go.」

What a fast decision.

It was still better than writhing in worry though.

「I also have to check the tunnel you made.」

Check you said? It was like being marked on a test, so I didn’t really like that, though…

「When are we leaving then?」

「I have an urgent job to finish tomorrow. I also have to contact the Commerce Guild, so we can depart the day after tomorrow.」

「The Commerce Guild?」

「According to what was written in the letter, it seems that the Commerce Guild Master carried out some serious crimes. I have to inform them. If possible, I would like the Guild Master to accompany us, but how many people can your bears carry?」

「Two normal adults, I think. But, if it is someone like the Adventurer’s Guild Master, just one…」

Even if it was just one of those bundles of muscle, I would feel bad for Swaying Bear.

「It’s fine then. The Commerce Guild Master is a girl, after all. I am sorry, but if she wants to come along, could I ask you and your bears to do it?」

「No problem.」

We couldn’t really let their Commerce Guild stay in such a mess. The punishment of their Guild Master hadn’t been decided yet either. Asking her to come along would help Mireera a lot.

「We will go to your house the day after tomorrow then.」

After making that promise with Cliff, I left his room just in time for Noa to come rushing towards me.

「Yuna-san. When you come, please call on me!」

「I had some business with Cliff today, you see.」

「And are you finished now?」

「For now, yes.」

「You have some time then, right?」

She was inviting me with a really cute smile, and the person behind her was smiling at me as well. However, why was it that I felt fear from that smile?

「Is it okay? A butler has been looking this way while smiling from the beginning though…」

Noa looked behind her and turned pale.

I knew it, Noa had also noticed the emotions hiding behind that smile.

「Miss Noire, you are in the middle of your studies right now.」

「I am tired. I want a break. I have to take my Bear dosage.」

What was with that response. This Bear dosage, that was the first time I had heard about such a medication.

If such a medication really existed and I revealed it on Earth, I would definitely get the n.o.bel Prize.

The butler took a look at Noa, who was playing with her fingers, and let out a slight sigh.

「I understand. Just for a bit then. Miss Yuna, can I ask you to take care of Miss Noire for a little while, please?」

「No problem.」

「I am counting on you then. I will go and prepare some drinks.」

The butler bowed and left.

「Let’s go to my room then, Yuna-san.」

She held my Bear Hand tightly, and pulled me along with her.

「So, where did Yuna-san go?」

「I went to the sea behind the Erezento mountain range.」

「You went over the mountain?」

「I have my bears, after all.」

「The Bear-sans are really impressive. The sea, huh. That’s cool. I also want to go there someday.」

「Then, do you want to go there when it’s warmer?」

「I would love to go, but Dad doesn’t let me to go too far away.」

「Don’t worry. It’s close now.」

「…?」

Noa tilted her head, confused.

I couldn’t talk about the tunnel yet, so I decided to be vague.

「I will persuade him when the time comes.」

「Really? It’s a promise then! And, Yuna-san, I have a request, but…」

She was looking at me shyly, with upturned eyes.

It was a cute, even to a girl like me.

If I were a lolicon man, I would have definitely accepted her request.

Well, since I was able to predict what she would ask, I would probably accept it anyway.

「Could you bring the Bear-sans out?」

I knew that it would be this. She just asked for her Bear dosage after all.

I decided to show her the cub forms of Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear, since it was a good time to do so.

「W, W, W, What are those! Those Bear-saaaans!」

「Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear. If they are of this size, it’s okay to bring them inside your room, right?」

Noa approached the bears slowly.

They wouldn’t flee even if she didn’t do that though…

Then, she hugged both of them.

「Yuna-san, please give these two to me!!!」

「I will not.」

It went without saying that Noa didn’t want to let go of the bears even after her break finished and really angered the butler.