789 Bear parts with the ice dragon - Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear

After finishing their conversation with the ice dragon, Yuna and Kagari returned to Liese and the others. "Yuna, Kagari-chan." Concerned about them, Liese and her group rushed over as soon as they saw them return. Yuna informed them that the baby ice dragon had been born and that they would depart the following day. "Is that true?!" "It took quite a while, didn't it?" They had been uncertain when the baby ice dragon would be born and when they would leave. Yet learning of the baby's birth and the impending departure filled Liese and the others with even more joy than the day before. "When I first saw her, I thought she was a girl dressed in a strange outfit." "Of course, she's in a bear costume. Seeing a girl emerge from a bear-shaped house dressed as a bear was quite surprising." It seems that wherever she goes, the bear costume is considered unusual. Yuna thought Kagari's traditional Japanese clothing was unique too, but it appears the costume stands out more. "Yuna, Kagari-chan, you're really leaving this time, right?" "Yeah, once we see the ice dragon off." Yuna wouldn't feel right unless they saw the ice dragon leave. After discussing it thoroughly with Kagari, they had decided on this course of action. Since there was still plenty of daylight, Yuna and Kagari decided to eliminate the remaining ice golems. Riding atop Kumayuru and Kumakyuu, they split up to tackle the task. Fire, after all, works wonders against ice. The ice golems melted away. It's satisfying how effective fire is. Upon returning from their mission, Baran, a fisherman, treated them with freshly caught fish. Though Yuna didn't know what kind of fish it was, it was delicious. While they ate, an old man wistfully murmured, "If only we had some sake," prompting Kagari to bring out sake from her item bag, sharing it with everyone. Kagari also attempted to partake in the sake, but Yuna stopped her, mindful of appearances. Though Kagari shot her a reproachful look, Yuna couldn't allow her, in her youthful appearance, to drink alcohol publicly. "That was just a joke earlier, right?" Liese questioned Yuna about trying to stop Kagari from drinking. "Of course, it was a joke." "Still, she looked genuinely disappointed." Kagari had been abstaining from drinking for some time in anticipation of the ice dragon's arrival, so she might have really wanted to indulge. "But why does Kagari even carry sake around?" It’s unusual for a child to have alcohol on them. While Yuna herself carries some, it's only for cooking. So, she casually suggested, "Maybe her parents asked her to pick it up," though Liese didn't seem convinced, she didn't press further. After all, the truth couldn't be revealed so easily. The festivities continued well into the night. The following morning, Yuna was woken by a small patting. She slowly opened her eyes to see Kumayuru in front of her. It was bright outside, but she was still sleepy. "Let me sleep a little longer." "I, too, wish to sleep longer," Kagari mumbled from the adjacent futon while Kumakyuu was busy patting her awake. Yuna felt tired after staying up late chatting with Liese and the others. Blame it on Kagari for serving sake to everyone, leading the old folks to be rowdy and compelling them to join. With no imminent danger, a little morning slumber should have been excusable. However, as Yuna shoved Kumayuru's tiny paw away, about to close her eyes again, a heavy thud sounded, and the ground trembled. "What is it?" Yuna and Kagari sat up in alert. Simultaneously, a shadow passed outside their window. They opened it to find the ice dragon. Any vestiges of sleep vanished instantly. Clamped in its mouth was the baby ice dragon. Maybe it had come to say farewell. "Are you leaving already?" The ice dragon lowered the baby onto the ground. "Little ones, go to where I was," it rumbled. "What do you mean by that?" "I am Ryuren," the ice dragon introduced itself. "Ryuren? Is that your name? I'm Yuna." "I am Kagari." "Little ones, Yuna, Kagari, thank you for your care." With that said, the ice dragon picked the baby back up and spread its wings wide. This time, it seemed they would part ways for real. "Please, next time, lay your eggs away from human settlements." Even if unintentionally, the existence of an ice dragon tends to be troublesome for humans. Similarly, humans inadvertently intrude upon places belonging to magical creatures, animals, and even plants. Despite the absence of malice, coexistence isn't always possible. It's inevitable. Therefore, mutual non-interference is ideal. Whether or not the ice dragon understood, it seemed to nod. Then, with a powerful flap of its wings, it took flight. Yuna and Kagari watched its departure from the window. "So, the legendary ice dragon was Ryuren all along." "You know of it?" "You truly are ignorant, aren't you?" Kagari remarked in exasperation. "Hey, it's not fair to expect me to know as much as someone who's lived a hundred times longer than me." Living many years naturally increases one's knowledge. There's even a saying about an old lady's wisdom. Though Yuna had no intention of saying anything like that aloud, her survival instincts told her so. "Is it famous then?" "It's mentioned in stories comparable to those of Tarugui." Upon hearing this, Yuna assumed that while Fina might not be familiar with the name, someone like Shia could well be. "Ryuren told us to go to the place it stayed." "There might be something of interest there." "Could it be treasure, like gold or jewels?" Yuna had heard tales of dragons collecting treasures. Maybe there were riches, gold, and jewels in its lair, left as compensation for the inconvenience it caused? While she wasn't particularly interested in wealth or jewels, they could certainly be sold for money, something Yuna didn't dislike. Almost sensing Yuna's enthusiasm, Kagari poured cold water on her excited thoughts. "You've been to the lair when the ice dragon flew away and left only its egg, right? Did you see anything like that?" As she thought back, Yuna realized that during the battle with the ice dragon, she hadn't spotted any such riches. Those treasures would have surely stood out if they were there. "So, what might actually be there?" "We can only know by checking it out." Indeed, that was the only way. As Yuna and Kagari were talking, they noticed Liese outside, slowly walking and looking in the direction the ice dragon had flown. "Liese!" At the sound of her name, Liese turned back. "Yuna! Kagari-chan!" After getting dressed, Yuna and Kagari stepped outside of the bear house. "The ice dragon has really left, hasn't it?" Liese murmured, gazing into the distance where the dragon was no longer visible. "It’s already far away," Kagari noted. "Yes, it is," Liese agreed. Yuna realized that some people here must have amazing eyesight. She couldn't see the dragon at all. Her own vision was 1.2, which she considered decent, especially considering all the time she spent playing games and reading manga. "This is all thanks to you, Yuna and Kagari," Liese said with gratitude. "We didn’t really do anything. The dragon would’ve left once the baby was born regardless of our actions," Yuna replied modestly. "Though, I wasn't expecting another ice dragon to show up." Liese nodded, and then Yuna asked, "By the way, why are you up so early?" "I woke up when I heard the dragon was leaving. As I was looking out towards the mountain, the dragon appeared, and it startled me," Liese explained, having witnessed the dragon’s arrival. "So, I saw it land near your place and watched you talk to it." Yuna nodded. "It just came to tell us it’s leaving and suggested we check out the mountain peak." "The peak? Is there something there?" Liese inquired, curiosity piqued. "I’m not sure, but it seems there might be something at the dragon's nest. We plan to head there later to find out." "If it’s not too much trouble, could I join you?" Liese asked, hopeful but tentative. "The ice dragon is gone, and we've taken care of the ice golems, so I don't see why not," Yuna agreed. "Thank you! I'll just leave a note for my father and the others so they won’t worry," Liese responded, clearly relieved. "Why leave a note? What about the others?" Yuna asked. "They’re still sleeping. It seems they drank too much last night." Ah, the sake Kagari brought out. The old folks, happy to indulge after so long, had certainly enjoyed a lot. Even Liese’s father partook. "How pitiful, not being able to handle that much sake," Kagari teased. "True, but we also stayed asleep until Kumayuru and Kumakyuu woke us. Without the dragon's arrival, they probably wouldn't have woken us up so soon," Yuna admitted. "I think everyone was also happy to see the dragon leave, which added to their celebration. They only looked that joyful after you arrived, Yuna," Liese said with a warm smile. "Fair enough. I'll leave a bit more sake for them," Kagari offered. "But please, let me handle it so the old men don't overdo it," Liese insisted firmly. Though young, Liese displayed remarkable responsibility, likely a result of her experiences. She returned to the mines to leave a note about her departure. "No rush. We'll head out after breakfast," Yuna called to Liese as she headed toward the mine entrance. Yuna and Kagari went back into the bear house to have a simple breakfast. Once finished, they packed up the bear house, and, together with Liese, they set off toward the mountain peak on Kumayuru and Kumakyuu.