770: Bear listens to the story Part 2 - Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear

As I watched the two of them engrossed in eating, my mind started to drift towards future matters. A dragon, huh? "Kagari, do you know anything about that dragon?" "Do you think I know everything there is to know?" "Compared to me, I'm sure you do." Having come from another world, I'm inclined to think Kagari, who has lived in this world, knows more. Besides, she may look like a little girl, but she has lived for hundreds of years. "Well, from what I've heard, it's probably an Ice Dragon." "Ice Dragon?" "It has bluish-white skin, and freezes anything it touches. A very dangerous creature." "Have you seen one, Kagari?" "Of course not. It's said that Ice Dragons live deep in the uninhabited mountains. They don't show themselves to people." If there are Ice Dragons, could there also be Fire Dragons or Wind Dragons? I've never seen a request to hunt such monsters, so I assume encounters are rare. Still, the fact that a single one can freeze an entire town speaks volumes of its strength. Just one, right? "Just to confirm, there is only one dragon, right?" I asked, voicing the thought in my mind. "Yes, um... I've only seen one," Liese replied after swallowing the piece of bread she was chewing. I was relieved to hear there was only one. "So, why were the two of you in town so early this morning?" Kagari and I were deep in sleep. If Kuma Yuru and Kuma Kyu hadn’t woken us, we might have slept even longer. "Last night, we saw lights in the town," Liese explained. "Lights?" "They must have come from this bear house," Kagari mentioned. Last night, I spoke with Kagari until late with the lights on. Apparently, the lights leaking from my Kuma House had been visible. "So, we discussed it and decided that my father and I would check if anyone was there." As they searched the town, they found my house in the middle of the road and decided to observe. "Is it okay to ask this, but..." "If it's something I can answer, I will." "Why are you dressed as a bear, Yuna?" "..." "..." Silence filled the room. "It's simply because she's a bear enthusiast," Kagari broke the silence with her answer. "A bear enthusiast?" "Just look at this house and the bears she has with her." Kagari glanced around the house, then towards Kuma Yuru and Kuma Kyu. "And she even has teddy bears. She's a mere bear enthusiast, so don't probe too deeply." "Oh, I'm sorry." For some reason, Liese apologized to me. "And about Kagari's clothes, I've never seen anything like them." Does that mean she doesn't know about the Land of Wa? She might know the name, but maybe there's no trade. It's a complicated topic, so I don't plan on explaining. "My clothes are from a faraway country, so don't worry about it." "Oh, I see." While we were talking, Borard and Liese finished their meal. "I still have more questions, but both of you should go take a bath." "A bath? Do I smell? I’ve been wiping with a towel..." Liese sounded apologetic. "No, that's not it. I just thought in this situation, you wouldn’t have had the chance to bathe." While preparing tea, I also prepared the bath. All it took was touching the magic stone to start the water. By now, the bath should be filled. "Are you sure?" Liese looked hopefully at Borard. "Let's take advantage of this. Go ahead, Liese." Liese looked pleased with his words. I led her to the bathroom. "There are towels and soap there; feel free to use them." "Thank you." "Take your time and enjoy." I closed the door and returned to where Kagari was. "Thank you for the bath. I've had a hard time providing for her and getting her a bath." "Don't worry about it." As a father, he must have gone through many hardships. Offering a bath is the least I can do. "By the way, why did you and your daughter visit the town alone? Weren’t there six others?" "An elderly couple managing the mine, the son and his family visiting them for a break, and the mine's overseers. Only we and the son's family were capable of coming here; the others are quite aged." Considering the elderly, that left only Borard, Liese, and the son's family. "Moreover, I am the lord of this town. If there were people here, I'd be the one to negotiate. My daughter came along out of concern for me." A daughter who cares for her father. "And then, you found this bear house." "Yes." That led to our meeting. "Was there never anyone else who came to town?" "There was a ship that traded with this town. I quickly descended to meet it, but then the dragon returned. The ship, seeing the frozen town and the dragon, fled out of fear. Ships came a few more times after that, but soon even they stopped coming, and we haven't seen them since." "They abandoned you, didn’t they?" "......" Even from the sea, one could confirm it with a telescope—the frozen town and the dragon. If they assumed there were no survivors, it was understandable that they decided to leave. "They must have thought no one was here. It couldn't be helped." "Couldn’t you have signaled for help with smoke or something?" "We considered that, but were afraid of drawing the dragon's attention. During our hesitation, the ships stopped coming." The dragon might react. Without means of fighting or fleeing, Borard and the others couldn’t risk making such a decision. As silence settled, the bathroom door opened, and Liese emerged. "Thank you for the bath." Her once messy hair was now beautifully straight, though her clothes remained dirty. "Father, you should try it too. It was quite refreshing." "Very well. I'll take a bath now." As Borard headed to the bathroom, passing by Liese, I asked her, "Liese, what about your clothes?" "I'm wearing clothes left behind at the mine. They were dirty since the miners wore them, but I had no choice." That explains why they didn’t fit; the clothes were too big for her. "Back then, I resisted, and it troubled my father. I was an ungrateful child." Three years ago, it must have been difficult for a girl around twelve to wear clothing intended for a miner, especially as the daughter of a lord. Surely, she used to wear fine clothes at the time. "Kagari, could you watch over Liese for a bit?" "What is it?" I whispered softly to Kagari. "I’m going to get some clothes for Liese." Kagari looked at Liese and quickly understood. "Make sure to come back soon." "Got it." I used the bear portal in the storage to transport myself to Crimonia. As I made my way to the clothing store, I heard my name being called. "Yuna sis!" Turning towards the voice, I saw Fina running over to me. "Yuna sis, where are you headed?" "I’m off to buy some warm clothes." "Warm clothes? Are you going somewhere cold?" As we walked, I explained to Fina about my journey with Kagari to Taru-Gai and discovering the icy land, where a girl needed warm clothing. "I see. In that case, this shop is the best option." Following Fina's guidance, I headed to the store. "Well then, I have some shopping my mom asked me to do." "Thanks for your help." Waving goodbye, Fina went off on her way. I entered the store and approached the male shopkeeper. "Excuse me, I'm looking for a cute set of warm clothing for a girl around fifteen." "Hmm? Aren’t you that bear girl?" The shopkeeper seemed to recognize me. It felt odd being a bit of a celebrity when I didn’t know who he was. "Do you have any cute warm clothes for a girl?" I asked again. "Are you going to wear it?" "Not me, but someone around my height." I mentioned that the girl was slightly taller than me. The shopkeeper showed me several options, and I settled on a beautiful white coat. Something flashy might attract unwanted attention. I also picked out a scarf. With that bought, I thanked the shopkeeper and left the store, returning to the bear house to use the portal back to the icy town. "You're back." Kagari looked relieved to see me. Although it only took about thirty minutes, she seemed worried. Borard had exited the bath and was seated. "Where did you go, Yuna?" "Sorry, I was looking for something in the storage." I couldn’t explain that I had gone to Crimonia, so I claimed that I had been searching through storage. I laid the newly bought clothes on the table. "These are..." "If you’d like, please wear them." "Is that alright?" "I don’t need them because this bear suit keeps me warm. I’d be happy if you could use them." After all, I bought them just for her. "Thank you!" Liese looked delighted as she took the clothes. "You can change in the bathroom." Liese went to the bathroom to change and returned shortly after. The outfit suited her: a white coat and pants paired with a yellow scarf. "It’s so warm," she said, clearly pleased. I was glad I’d gotten them for her. **A brief cameo by Fina. What will happen next?** **[Updates]** The novel will be updated on Sundays and Wednesdays. If unable to post, notifications will be provided in the afterword. Pre-orders are open for Azmaker's "Acrylic Character Stands" and "B2 Tapestries," each available in two versions. Prilroll's special Christmas Cake 2023 for Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear Punch is also available for reservation. Illustrations have been shared in the activity report, so please check them out! The Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear Punch Blu-ray & DVD are currently available across three volumes. The final volume comes with an all-volume storage box by illustrator 029, so be sure to check it out. The collaboration with Okuhida Bear Farm has been extended until December 31, 2023. **[Release Schedule]** **[Figures]** Fina Nendoroid, set for January 31, 2024 KDColle Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear Punch! Yuna 1/7 Scale, releasing on March 31, 2024 Good Smile Company, POP UP PARADE Yuna, currently available. **[Anime Blu-rays]** Volume 1 released on July 26, 2023 Volume 2 released on August 30, 2023 Volume 3 released on September 27, 2023 **[Books]** Volume 20 released on August 4, 2023 (next release scheduled, volume 20.5 in progress) Manga Volume 11 scheduled for release on December 1, 2023. Manga Side Story Volume 1 released on June 2, 2023. Paperback Volume 9 scheduled for release on December 1, 2023. ※Thank you to everyone reporting typos. Please understand that some kanji corrections are aligned with the books, so some may not be made here.