Chapter 27: The Job Isn’t Over Until the Bear Gets Home
I return to the Bear House riding Kumayuru.
In the yard, Kumakyu is curled up and sleeping comfortably.
It looks like Fina is inside the Bear House.
I tell Kumayuru to rest and head to the warehouse.
When I enter, Fina is dismantling monsters.
“Ah, Yuna Big Sister, welcome back.”
Fina notices me entering the warehouse and comes over to greet me.
“I’m back.”
“Yuna Big Sister, you’re back early. What about the Tiger Wolves?”
“Yeah, I defeated them. Sorry, but could you extract just the subjugation proof magic stones for me later?”
The proof of subjugation for Tiger Wolves is their magic stones.
“Sure, I can do that.”
I take two Tiger Wolves out of the Bear Box.
“Yuna Big Sister, you’re amazing.”
She stares at the huge Tiger Wolf corpses in surprise.
“They were definitely strong. Normal magic didn’t work on them, and they were so fast that I had to use one of my trump cards.”
“Even so, I think it’s amazing that you were able to defeat them.”
“Thanks. So, Fina, did you go looking for medicinal herbs?”
“Yes, Kumakyu helped me.”
“Kumakyu helped you?”
“Yes. Kumakyu found the medicinal herbs for me, so I was able to come back quickly. When I asked if it knew where medicinal herbs were, it took me right to them.”
I had no idea Kumakyu had that ability.
I’ll have to test it myself sometime.
Even while talking, Fina continues dismantling.
Just watching her, the wolf fur comes off beautifully.
She’s really skilled.
“The Tiger Wolves just need the magic stones, right?”
“Yeah. For now, just the magic stones. I might ask for more later.”
Once she finishes with the wolf she’s working on, she moves over to the Tiger Wolves lying on the floor and begins extracting their magic stones.
She cuts open the belly and, without hesitation, reaches inside and pulls out the stone.
After washing it clean with water, she hands it to me.
It shines white and is more than twice the size of a normal wolf magic stone.
“Can you tell where the magic stone is located?”
She had inserted her knife into the large body without any hesitation.
“In most monsters, the magic stone is located near the center of the body.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Though I haven’t dismantled every type of monster, so I can’t say for sure. But I thought Tiger Wolves would probably have them in the same place as normal wolves.”
“Thanks. I’ll put the Tiger Wolves away for now.”
I store the two Tiger Wolves, now missing their magic stones, back into the Bear Box.
“Well then, Fina. It’s a little late, but let’s have lunch.”
“I… didn’t… bring… lunch.”
She mutters quietly while looking down.
“It’s okay. I had the inn prepare some for us. Wash your hands and come inside.”
“Okay.”
I return to the Bear House, take some fruit juice from the refrigerator, and pull out a steaming hot lunchbox from the Bear Box.
Thank goodness for time stop.
Once everything is arranged on the table, Fina enters the room.
“Let’s eat while it’s still warm.”
I have her sit down in a chair.
“Yes, thank you very much.”
“So, what do you want to do?”
“What do you mean?”
Fina tilts her head.
“Go home? Or continue dismantling?”
“If possible, I’d like to keep dismantling.”
“Then let’s stay here until the last possible moment. I’ll be upstairs taking a nap. Either wake me when you’re done, or before the sun sets.”
“Okay. I don’t think it’ll take that long.”
I head upstairs and enter my room in the Bear House.
It’s a somewhat spacious room of about eight tatami mats.
Inside are a slightly large bed, a round table, four chairs, an empty dresser, and an empty bookshelf.
Ever since I got the Bear Box, I stopped keeping things around.
For now, I reverse my bear suit into White Bear mode and crawl into bed.
I decide to take a nap for a few hours.
Shake, shake.
“Yuna Big Sister. Yuna Big Sister.”
Shake, shake.
“Fina?”
“Please wake up.”
“Morning. Finished dismantling everything?”
“Yes, I finished. That’s why I came to wake you.”
“Thanks.”
I yawn and climb out of bed.
“Yuna… Big Sister?”
Fina’s eyes are sparkling as she stares at me.
Why?
“That white bear is really cute.”
Ah, right.
I’m still wearing the white bear version.
“When I’m sleeping.”
I remove the White Bear, reverse it, and return to my usual Black Bear outfit.
“Well then, shall we head back?”
“Yes.”
On the way back, I ride Kumakyu while Fina rides Kumayuru.
If I only pay attention to one of them, the other bear gets grumpy.
That’s why I alternate between them.
By the time we return to town about thirty minutes later, the sun is beginning to set.
It looks like we managed to get back before nightfall.
I don’t know how things work in this world, but I can’t exactly keep a ten-year-old child out late.
When we arrive at the gate riding Kumayuru, the gate guards immediately raise their weapons in alarm.
Fina and I dismount from the bears, and I store them away.
Then I casually present my guild card and try to enter the city as if nothing happened.
“Hey, what were those bears just now?”
“They’re summoned beasts.”
“I see. Summoned beasts, huh.”
The guard simply hands back my guild card without saying anything else.
I thought he’d have more to say, but apparently not.
After entering the city, we head to the guild to report the subjugation of the Tiger Wolves.