775 Bear, lets the bear bus run - Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear

The Kuma Bus races toward the mine. "It seems this blizzard is the work of a dragon," Kagari remarks, gazing up at the mountain peak. From there, a white mist rises like lava, flowing down toward the mountain and the town, turning into a blizzard. "The Ice Dragon, right? Can it really do something like this?" I ask. "I haven't encountered one, so I don't know the details," Kagari responds. "Then perhaps you've heard from someone who has?" "Do you think a shut-in like me would converse with such people? I've already told you all I know. Shouldn't you, as an adventurer, know more?" My time in this world has been brief, so I lack detailed knowledge. Moreover, I must admit: "Even as an adventurer, I mostly work alone, so I rarely have anyone to talk to." Saying this aloud makes me feel a bit sad. "How useless. Do you know anything about the Ice Dragon? Has it appeared before?" Kagari asks, turning to Liese and the others. "No, we've never heard of an Ice Dragon appearing before," Liese says, and everyone nods in agreement. The blizzard intensifies, becoming so fierce that ordinary carriages couldn't move their horses through it. If this is the work of an Ice Dragon, it could be a very troublesome dragon indeed. We rush to the mine to save the horses. "To encounter a blizzard at such a time, we have no luck," someone says from behind. "And of all times, when everyone is in town together," another voice laments. "Even though Yuna and Kagari kindly let us meet our families," another adds. Hearing these pessimistic comments, Kagari turns her head and speaks up. "What are you saying? You should consider yourselves lucky. We were all able to meet our families, we're in this bear bus during the blizzard, and we're here to protect one another." "That's right, as long as it's just a blizzard, we'll keep you safe." "Indeed. If it weren't for you young ladies, we wouldn't have been able to see our families." "And if we can just make it back safely..." "We will," I assure them. "Oh, but is that really going to be okay? If it comes to it, I can fly out to protect the horses," Kagari whispers softly to me. Apparently, she was thinking along the same lines. However, even for someone like Kagari, flying in this blizzard would be dangerous. So I try to reassure her. "This level of a blizzard is manageable," I say, increasing the Kuma Bus's speed. Kagari looks after us with gentle care, telling me, "If anything happens, let me know at once." Her demeanor is that of a wise adult, though her appearance as a little girl creates a charming contrast. As we ascend, the Kuma Bus begins to skid. "What’s happening!?" The wheels spin aimlessly. I recall stories of cars getting stuck in snow, never thinking it would happen to me and realizing now how inexperienced I am. I channel magic into the Kuma Bus, envisioning it as having spiked tires—more like wheels than tires due to my lack of familiarity with car details, only having heard of things like snow tires and chains from TV. Drawing on game references, I imagine spiked shoes for the bus instead, and it gains traction. "Sorry, the wheels seemed to skid on the snow. But it's okay now." The Kuma Bus keeps moving. As we climb, the blizzard intensifies, and visibility worsens. The word "whiteout," a term I've only heard on TV, comes to mind. "The snow is obstructing our view. Are we headed in the right direction? I can't see the road. Is this really safe?" Kagari asks while peering ahead. I assure her confidently, "It's fine," using the Kuma Map—a map that only displays routes we've traveled before. By retracing our path from the town, we should return securely to the mine. The Kuma Bus continues up the slope toward the mine. We're nearly there. Despite thinking we're progressing smoothly, things don't go as planned. "Kuun, kuun," Kumayuru and Kumakyu whimper. This sound... I activate my bear detection skill, which signals a magical presence—a creature called Ice Golem. Comparing the reactions on the Kuma Map, I note that it's near the mine entrance. "What's wrong with the bears?" Kagari asks. "It seems there's a creature—an Ice Golem—near the mine entrance," I reply, causing Liese and the others to react in shock. "This can't be." "What should we do?" "We made it back this far..." "Our only option might be to return to town..." "But what about the horses...?" "We know... But heading toward creatures is dangerous." "The horses might not be attacked. Let's hope for their safety." The consensus among the group leans toward turning back. No one wants to encounter a creature, yet everyone appears troubled, likely worried about the horses. Just as I cherish Kumayuru and Kumakyu, they must feel the same about their horses and wish to protect them. No mere Golem should block the way I've resolved to take. "I'll protect your beloved horses. It'll get a bit bumpy, so hold on tight," I declare. Surprised by my words, I've already decided to save the horses. I channel magic into the Kuma Bus. Although the passengers can’t see from inside, the Kuma Bus sprouts legs and starts to walk. It bends its legs, then extends them, altering our course toward the cliff rather than the path. "Wait, where are you planning to go?" Kagari asks just as the Kuma Bus tilts backward, causing screams from the rear. "We're taking the shortest route," I reply, as the Kuma Bus climbs the cliff, moving directly toward the mine entrance. Steadily advancing, it reaches the base, facing the mine's entrance at last. "Don’t take such reckless actions," Kagari chides me softly. "I'm sorry, but we've arrived." "Now, where are the creatures?" "They're already surrounding us," I tell her. From the Kuma Bus, we see the Ice Golems. "Ice Golems, huh..." Kagari says. "So, I'll go handle them. Kagari, can you stay here with Kumayuru and Kumakyu and look after everyone?" I suggest. "Kuun," Kumayuru and Kumakyu agree with a yelp, but Kagari gives a different response. "I'll come too." "Kagari-chan, it's dangerous. Why don't you wait here with the rest of us?" Liese tries to stop Kagari from joining just as others usually attempt to stop me. Understandably, one would worry more for Kagari given her childlike appearance. “There's no need to worry about me. Those Ice Golems are no match for me," Kagari says. "But—" "I appreciate your concern. But trust in Yuna and me." "...Kagari-chan..." Leaving Liese and the others with Kumayuru and Kumakyu, Kagari and I descend the Kuma Bus, preparing to face the surrounding Ice Golems. "Let's quickly take them out," Kagari declares confidently. She utters "Kagari's Flame" and releases fire at the Ice Golem. The flames engulf its body, melting it into a puddle before it collapses. Indeed, fire is effective against ice. Not wanting to fall behind, I, too, unleash flames on the Ice Golems. They retaliate by flinging ice, but it's not much of a threat. Unlike the cramped battle in the Mithril mine, this open space allows us to easily evade. Kagari and I continue to defeat the Ice Golems one after another. Despite our success, a feeling of unease creeps over me. Something is amiss. I felt this when I initially used my detection skill—it indicated around ten Ice Golems. Yet, we've already dispatched over ten of them. I activate the detection skill again. There are currently three nearby, with five more a bit further away—eight in total. As I watch, the number of Golems near us suddenly jumps from three to four. It's as if they just popped into existence. They didn't appear from outside the skill's range; rather, they emerged here as if newly born. "Kagari, the Golems are spawning in this area!" I shout. "What?!" Kagari exclaims as she casts more flames toward the Ice Golems. "Yuna! The Golems we defeated are reviving!" Liese shouts from the entrance of the Kuma Bus. I glance at the area where we had melted an Ice Golem before. To my astonishment, it gathers the surrounding snow and reforms back to its original state. Jade and the others had informed us about this when Golems appeared in the mine. To truly defeat them, you must either destroy their magic stone or keep dealing damage until the stone's magical power is exhausted. The damage from our fire attacks overwhelmed the Ice Golems’ ability to maintain their forms, causing them to collapse. "Kagari!" I shout, looking to her for advice. I see her touching the snow. "I see now. It's not just the ice—the snow itself is imbued with magic. That's what's allowing the Golems to revive." She explains. "So this blizzard acts like a magical recharger?" I ponder aloud. "Knowing the reason makes it easy to defeat them," Kagari asserts. "Exactly," I agree. We can either destroy the magic stones or collect them in an item box. Destroying them feels like a waste, so I decide to gather them instead. "Kagari, I'll collect the magic stones, so throw them my way," I suggest. "You’re not going to destroy them?" she asks, surprised. "It seems wasteful to me," I reply. "Well, if that's the case, I'll defeat them, and you can collect the stones," she agrees, charging at the Ice Golems and casting a large fire spell to melt them down. I quickly retrieve the magic stones from the melted remains and store them in my Kuma Box. Using my detection skill, I guide Kagari to the locations of the Ice Golems, ensuring we reduce their numbers steadily. By the time I have collected about twenty magic stones, the Ice Golems have disappeared completely.