Chapter 6: The Bear Sells Wolf Materials

When we arrived at the gate, the gate guards were waiting.

Their gaze was fixed directly on me.

That’s when I remembered my appearance.

Bear.

No matter how you say it, it’s still a bear.

Suspicious, but not scary.

Fina said it was cute.

Even I think it’s cute enough to be embarrassing.

It would suit a girl around Fina’s age.

But not someone like me, a shut-in.

Still, they didn’t have to stare that much.

“You’re the girl who went to gather herbs, right? Did you find them?”

“Yes.”

Fina smiled happily.

“That’s good. Looks like you kept your promise and didn’t go too deep into the forest. There are monsters further in.”

She gave a bitter smile at those words.

“So then, what’s with that strange-looking girl?”

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t mind it.”

“Well, people dress how they want. Anyway, if you’re going in, show me your card.”

Fina showed her citizen card.

She had shown it to me earlier.

Residents can enter for free.

Non-residents must pay one silver coin as tax.

“I’m a traveler.”

“You were traveling alone dressed like that?”

I made the bear’s mouth open and close.

“More or less.”

That’s all I could say.

“Your ID…”

The guard spoke briefly.

I didn’t have one.

“I don’t have one. But one silver coin is enough to enter, right?”

“You don’t have one? Any city card is fine. Or a guild card.”

“I lived somewhere without cards.”

“That’s rare.”

“Is it?”

“Well, if you’ve never been to a city or the royal capital, you wouldn’t have one.”

“So I can still enter?”

“Yes. Non-residents pay one silver coin. And those without ID will be checked for criminal history. Though if you’ve never been to a city, it doesn’t mean much.”

I handed over a silver coin I had taken out earlier from the white bear’s mouth.

“Alright, come to this room.”

I haven’t committed any crimes since coming to this world.

Of course, I didn’t in my previous world either.

Seriously.

The guard led me to a building near the gate.

It looked like a typical barracks from fantasy novels.

Inside, there was something like a reception area.

The guard placed a crystal on the table.

“Place your hand on this crystal board. If you’re a criminal, it will turn red.”

“Just placing my hand is enough?”

“Yeah. It reacts to your mana.”

I placed my hand on it, but nothing happened.

“You’re fine.”

“You can really tell with just this?”

“You don’t even know that? Where did you come from?”

“A distant village.”

“Then I’ll explain. This crystal board is connected to all others in the country. When someone is born, they get a citizen card and their mana is registered. This is done in all cities and the royal capital. That’s how we know where someone is from.”

So it’s like resident registration.

“And if someone commits a crime, that data is registered. It spreads to all crystal boards. That way, criminals can’t enter cities or the capital.”

“What if someone uses a fake or someone else’s card?”

“That won’t work. Cards respond to mana. Only the registered mana works.”

So mana is like a fingerprint.

“But if someone isn’t registered, isn’t it meaningless?”

“That’s true. But like I said, only villagers haven’t been to cities. And it’s rare for someone like that to commit serious crimes.”

That makes sense.

“That’s all. Anything else? If not, you can go in.”

I thanked him and left the room.

Fina was waiting for me.

I gently patted her head.

“Yuna onee-chan, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Then let’s go to the guild and sell the wolves.”

The town looked somewhat like the ones in the game, but something felt different.

And for some reason, everyone was staring at me.

Maybe because I’m a stranger.

“Yuna onee-chan, your outfit really stands out.”

I had forgotten.

That I was dressed as a bear.

It goes without saying that everyone we passed stared at me.

We arrived at a building next to a larger one.

The larger building was filled with adventurers holding swords and staffs.

Since I couldn’t see status screens, I couldn’t tell if they were players or NPCs.

I wanted to check, but for now, I followed Fina.

“They’ll buy things here. Excuse me! We’d like to sell some wolf materials!”

Fina called out to a man behind the counter.

“Oh, Fina. What are you doing here at this hour?”

“I came to sell materials.”

Fina placed the wolf materials on the counter.

I did the same.

“These are wolf meat and pelts. What happened?”

“I went to gather herbs and got attacked by wolves. Then this big sister saved me.”

“You went into the forest?!”

The man shouted.

“Yes. We ran out of medicine for my mom.”

“How many times have I told you? If you need herbs, I’ll get them for you.”

“But I can’t keep asking you every time. I don’t even pay you.”

“I told you that’s fine! What would I say to your mother if something happened to you?”

“It’s okay. I’ve gone to the forest before.”

“But today you got attacked by wolves, right? And this… strange… unusual girl saved you. Thank you for helping Fina.”

He awkwardly thanked me while looking at my outfit.

“It’s fine. I was lost too, so it works out.”

“I’d like to thank you properly, but this is business, so I’ll pay for the materials. Is that okay?”

“That’s fine.”

He began checking the materials.

“Let’s see… meat and pelts. This amount would be about this much.”

He placed the money on the counter.

I had no idea if it was a lot or a little.

“Yes, please.”

Fina looked happy.

After receiving the money, she tried to give me half.

“Fina, you can keep that money. Instead, could you show me a good inn? It’s my first time in this town. But you should take the herbs to your mother first, right?”

I remembered why I met her.

“It’s okay. There’s an inn on the way home, so I can guide you.”

“Thanks.”

“Fina! Don’t do anything dangerous again. If you need medicine, tell me!”

“Okay.”

Fina replied and started walking.

“Do you know that man?”

“Yes. He always helps me. Sometimes when there are a lot of monsters brought in, I help with dismantling.”

That explains her skill.

“He also knows about my mother. Sometimes he gives us herbs or medicine cheaply. Sometimes even for free. But I can’t keep relying on him.”

So that’s why she went to the forest alone.

I want to do something for Fina, but right now, I can’t.

I’m in a tough situation myself.

The inn she guided me to was about a 30-minute walk away.

It was farther than I expected.

And of course, I was stared at the whole way.

“This is it. Everyone says the food is good.”

“Thanks. Go take the herbs to your mother quickly.”

“Okay. Thank you, Yuna onee-chan.”

Fina ran off.

As I stood in front of the inn, a pleasant smell drifted out.

The sun was setting.

It was dinner time.

I was excited for a good meal.

Driven by that feeling, I entered the inn.

Inside, a girl in her mid-teens looked at me in shock.

Everyone reacts the same way.

Maybe I should think about new equipment.

“W-welcome…?”

She managed to speak while looking at my outfit.

“I heard you have rooms available.”

“Yes, we do. Are you alone?”

“Yeah. Is that a problem?”

If minors couldn’t stay alone, I’d be in trouble.

“No problem. With meals, it’s one silver coin per night. Without meals, it’s half.”

Looks like I can stay.

“Then I’ll take ten days with meals.”

“The bath is available from 6 PM to 10 PM.”

“There’s a bath?!”

“Yes. It’s separated for men and women.”

That’s a pleasant surprise.

I didn’t expect a bath.

“Can I eat right away?”

“Yes.”

After finishing the explanation, I took out ten silver coins from the white bear’s mouth.

As she received them, she squeezed the black bear.

“Ah, sorry. It looked cute. Ten days with meals, right? Please have a seat, your meal will be ready soon. I’m Elena, the innkeeper’s daughter. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Yuna. I’ll be staying here for a while.”