Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear

Author note: Because I write slowly, tomorrow might be impossible…

After I had completed the Goblin King subjugation, and while I was still receiving requests from the guild, I began to conduct various experiments.

The application of magic, the methods for magic imaging, and confirming the power of bear magic.

How to use the Goblin King’s sword, how to input magic.

How to use throwing knives.

Confirming the offensive and defensive power of the Bear.

Confirming the limitations, size, and other properties of the Bear Box.

While conducting these various experiments, a week passed.

Even today, I put the wolf I had used for an experiment back into the Bear Box when I finished.

「Yuna-san, you “only” have wolves today as well?」

Why is it that the “only” part of the sentence has such a strong emphasis…?

「That’s right.」

「Really?」

「…Why do you ask such a thing?」

「Recently, many of the adventurers who were taking subjugation requests came back unable to fulfill their requests.」

「……」

「I was told that, even if they headed out early, there were no monsters to be found.」

「……」

「A village submitted an orc subjugation request, without knowing that the orcs had already disappeared.」

「……」

「Adventurers went on a kobold subjugation, but there were no kobolds.」

「……」

「Adventurers went on a horned rabbit subjugation, but couldn’t find any.」

「……」

「This kind of thing hasn’t happened just one or two times. Do you happen to know anything?」

Eyes full of suspicion were directed at me.

The answer to that question is [YES].

I knew everything, even the name of the culprit who had subdued everything recently.

The defeated demons had been stowed away into the Bear Box.

「Is that so? The adventurers who received the requests sure are pitiful.」

Helen-san, who had been feigning ignorance, let out a big sigh.

「I was also told that, before the subjugations, a girl wearing a cute black bear costume was sighted quite a few times. Do you know anything about this?」

She silently looked at me in the eyes.

Even though I really wanted to look away, I endured it.

「Is it possible that my appearance is now popular?」

「Isn’t that situation obviously impossible! The person who appeared is Yuna-san, of course! You’re the only one like this!」

「If you already knew, wasn’t it fine to just say so from the start?」

「The guild master told me to summon you when you came.」

「Why? It’s not like I’m stealing anyone’s subjugation request. I just happened to be walking around there and demons just happened to appear, so I defeated them.」

「Yes, there’s no problems with that. Moreover, Yuna-san did not receive any subjugation requests to begin with.」

「That’s why-」

「But, as one of the obligations of a registered guild member, I want you to report any demons you have subjugated. That way, adventurers who received a request but were unable to complete it will not be treated as if they failed.」

「I understand. I’ll report it from now on.」

「That said, please meet the guild master today.」

「Ehhh…」

「Not ‘ehhh’. I’ll guide you, so please come with me.」

I was forcibly taken by Helen-san to the entrance of the guild master’s room.

「Guild master, I’ve brought Yuna-san.」

After knocking on the door, the guild master’s voice could be heard coming from inside.

「Come in!」

Helen-san opened the door and entered.

Inside the room, the guild master was working while sitting behind a desk.

「You’re here. You can return to your work, Helen. Yuna, you can sit there.」

He gestured towards a table in the middle of the room that had six chairs lined up in front of it.

I sat down properly on a chair in the middle.

「So, what do you want?」

「What do I want?」

「You complete other people’s monster subjugation requests, while not reporting anything to the guild. You also don’t receive the request reward. You don’t even sell the monster materials. What are you really doing?」

Killing time, practicing magic, practicing swordplay, confirming monster information, expanding the map, and other various things.

「I just came to this city recently, so I explored the surrounding area. I just killed the demons that I accidentally found while exploring.」

「Then, what about the guild reports?」

「I just registered the other day, so I didn’t know.」

I really didn’t know about the rules on what to do if a party other than the request receiver defeated demons.

Helen-san, who didn’t teach me these things, is the bad one.

It seems like it is common sense amongst adventurers, but as a person who came from another world, of course I wouldn’t know.

「And the reason for not selling the monster materials?」

「I’m not worried about money.」

「But, keeping it in the bag will cause it to rot and trouble you, right?」

Come to think of it, an ordinary item bag normally wouldn’t stop the passage of time. If so, then the things inside would inevitably spoil and go bad.

「Right. Can you keep this talk between you and me?」

「What is it? I’m not the kind of person who spreads other people’s secrets.」

「Since my item bag stops time, nothing rots, so it’s all right.」

「…Seriously?」

For convincing purposes, I took out a wolf that I killed three days ago.

「This is a wolf I killed three days ago.」

The wolf’s corpse was placed onto the table.

The guild master looked at and inspected the wolf.

「It looks like a wolf you killed just a few minutes ago, though.」

Because of how fresh the corpse was, the guild master was able to judge it immediately.

The wolf had yet to be completely drained, so in order to stop the streams of blood from running onto the table, I returned it to the Bear Box after the inspection.

「That way, it doesn’t go bad, so it’s fine.」

「I understand your story. However, from now now, please follow the subjugation rules of the guild. Otherwise, it will cause problems for the other adventurers.」

「Un, I got it. Can I go now?」

「One more thing, did you defeat the orcs?」

「I did.」

There was no point in lying, so I answered obediently.

「Haa, then later today, we’ll raise you to D rank.」

「Is it fine to give me a rank up that easily? I have yet to take any D rank requests, you know? If I remember correctly, don’t I need to finish at least ten requests?」

「Since you can defeat the orcs and the Goblin King by yourself, it isn’t a problem. Besides, you have more than ten orc corpses in that item box of yours, don’t you?」

Certainly, there were around ten bodies inside.

「I’m sorry, but please sell the orc materials to the guild later. If we don’t occasionally have a flow of materials into the shop, our reputation will drop.」

「Understood.」

「Ok! Is anyone there?」

He shouted towards the door.

「Yes, what is it?」

One of the female staff members of the guild immediately entered.

「Sorry, but please tell Helen to raise this girl up to rank D.」

「I understand.」

「Well then, you can go now.」

The guild staff member led me to the front desk, where Helen was waiting.

After passing on the message from the guild master to Helen, she returned to her work.

「Congratulations on your rank up, Yuna-san.」

「Thanks.」

「But it’s really troublesome, so, if nothing else, please remember to submit reports.」

「Sorry.」

「It’s fine if you understand. Then, since I need to perform the rank up process, please give me your guild card.」

She placed the guild card onto the crystal plate before operating it.

I still didn’t really understand how that machine worked.

How was it that all the crystal plates in the country were linked?

In the end, what was this unknown magical technology?

「I also have a request from the guild, is that okay?」

「What is it?」

「For now, can you refrain from hunting the wolves that are nearby? Of course, what you choose to hunt is up to you, but the livelihoods of the beginner adventurers would be in trouble.」

「Though tentatively, I’m also a beginner?」

Not even ten days had passed since I started out as an adventurer.

「Yuna-san cannot be called a beginner.」

So I was told.

Well, if you counted the experience I had from the time I spent in the game, I was certainly not a beginner.

「A beginner couldn’t possibly defeat a group of goblins, a Goblin King, and monsters of the same level as orcs.」

「Okay! It’s fine if I just stop hunting wolves for a while, right?」

「Thank you very much. The guild really wants low-ranked adventurers to accumulate experience and raise their ranks. The wolves and goblins are the most suitable monsters for them to gain experience.」

「Goblins are fine?」

「There’s no problem, since goblins increase quickly. Rather, please subjugate them. Not to mention, goblin materials don’t sell, so it’s not really a popular request.」

I don’t want to do the goblin subjugation.

Since the only materials that can be sold from them are magic stones, I can’t even bring the goblin corpses to the guild.

That’s why, after defeating the goblins, I basically burned and buried them underground.

「Well then, the processing is finished, so I’m returning your card to you.」

I received my guild card.

I’ve become rank D.

「Now that that’s done, can I go home now?」

「Yes, it’s fine. But, leave after selling your materials, please.」

After leaving the guild, I went to the building next door, since I needed to sell the materials.

=====================================

Yuna: The Question Corner is starting up!

Fina: What the heck is this, all of a sudden?

Yuna: This corner will try to answer the questions that our readers have been asking.

Fina: But, I didn’t accept or prepare for this!

Yuna: That’s why we wanted to see how the readers felt. Then, Fina, please read the question.

Fina: Eh, what’s this? Why aren’t the request fees or the money for the monster materials stated?

Yuna: Because it’s troublesome to decide the price settings, that’s why!

Fina: That’s it?!

Yuna: Yes, next question, go!

(Xant: You ask too many questions, Billy…)