794 Liese, do your best - Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear

Yuna and Kagari headed out from the house. I watched and waved goodbye until both of them disappeared from view. First, little Kagari vanished from sight, followed by the bear-clad figure of Yuna. "...They've left." Father continued to gaze in the direction where they had departed. "Yeah..." "They were quite mysterious girls, weren't they?" Indeed, they were truly enigmatic girls. I was surprised initially when I first saw the bear's house, and equally stunned when Yuna, dressed as a bear, emerged from it. Grandfather Bende and Mr. Baran, among others, chose to remain at the mansion and awaited the arrival of the people Father had summoned. In the meantime, I listened to the tales from them. "At first, they didn’t believe us at all. But eventually, albeit skeptically, they accepted it." "We felt the same way." "So, it’s something not easily believed." Mother, my elder sister, and the servants working in our household believed me when they saw me. If I hadn’t grown up, I doubt they would have believed it. "That's why I’ll participate too. Surely, seeing me, they will understand." "Of course, having known you since you were a little girl, it makes a difference." "Yes. Everyone here has known me since I was a child." Father is the lord of this town. I have accompanied him many times. "There’s no greater proof than to see the young girl they once knew blossom into such a lovely young lady." Grandfather Bende and the others looked at me. Whether or not I’m beautiful, it is undeniable that I have matured. After a while, the town's dignitaries arrived at the house. They all wore expressions of confusion, unsure of why they had been called. "Lord Bollard, what is the reason for gathering us here?" The guild master of the Commercial Guild, Mr. Megen, stepped forward to inquire on behalf of everyone else. "First, I want you to listen carefully. What I’m about to tell you is neither a lie nor a joke." Father then explained, just as he had done for Mother, about how the town had been frozen over for three years by the ice dragon, with the residents trapped in ice. He also recounted how the dragon left, thanks to the girls who appeared a few days ago. "..." "..." "..." Everyone looked at each other in disbelief. "Please, enough of this nonsense. Clearing up the water damage left in buildings and archives is already challenging." Mr. Megen remarked, clearly unimpressed by what he perceived as outlandish stories. "How could anyone survive three years frozen?" Glazo, the guild master of the Adventurers' Guild, also expressed doubt. Even I thought everyone had perished, encased in ice. "The mine status needs checking, and iron ore prepared before any ships arrive." "No, no ships will come; there’s no need to worry about that." No ships were coming. This town was abandoned, with vessels avoiding it entirely. "We have contracts; there's no reason for ships not to come." The gathered people casually discussed matters as though they happened just yesterday. Despite Bende and Baran’s explanations, they remained skeptical. Quietly, I stood up. "Everyone, it’s been a long time. I am Liese." I addressed them while meeting each person’s eyes. I didn’t look away. "Liese-chan?" "Yes, it’s been a while, Mr. Megen." Mr. Megen looked utterly stunned seeing me. It seemed he hadn’t recognized me either. "Is it really you, Liese-chan?" he asked, astonished at how the little girl they knew had grown over these three years. "Though you might feel you saw me only days ago, for me, it’s been three years. I understand it’s hard to believe Father’s words. Even Mother struggled to accept it at first. But what Father and Grandfather Bende said is true. Due to the ice dragon’s presence, the town’s connections with others were severed, and no one has visited here since. So indeed, ships will not come as Father said." "Did we truly remain frozen for three whole years?" "Maybe she’s someone who just looks like Liese-chan." Even encountering me, many remained half-convinced at best. "Remember when I was little, I doodled on some of your important documents and troubled you, Mr. Megen? And when you quarreled with your wife, I recall you complaining to me." "It really is you, Liese-chan!" Mr. Megen began murmuring to himself, "Three whole years…" in a small voice. I then turned to Glazo. "Remember when I visited the Adventurers' Guild, I saw the adventurers' faces and burst into tears, troubling you, Glazo?" "Yeah, that did happen." "And when an adventurer passed away, you were crying all by yourself." "The young miss caught me back then." The previously animated crowd started to calm down. "Liese-chan, is it true that we’ve been frozen for three years?" "Yes. Thus, no ships from other towns will come. Knowing this, do you understand what will happen?" "Essential supplies won’t reach us." "Precisely. The longer it takes for you all to understand this, the direr the situation becomes. Buying and selling goods will become impossible." Without inbound supplies, many will struggle. And without the ability to sell what we extract from the mines, even more will be affected. "That’s why I ask you to believe Father’s words." I lowered my head in plea. "Lord Bollard, is it true?" "She’s not just someone who looks identical to Liese-chan?" "It’s the truth. Please listen to what has transpired over these three years." Father and Grandfather Bende relayed the events of these three years. Though everyone listened with expressions of disbelief, they paid attention quietly and occasionally asked questions. "The ice dragon settled at the summit for three years..." "To lay eggs…" "Ships did come, but upon knowing about the dragon, none approached again." "Then, today’s expected ship…" "It will not arrive." "Future shipments too…" "They won’t arrive." "Ships coming to purchase the mined iron ore…" "Will not come either." The commercial guild master and the mining stakeholders expressed disbelief. Buying and selling were now impossible. "That’s why, with urgency, we must contact our allied towns and revert to the state of three years ago. It’s no simple task. Our town is believed to have been ruined by the ice dragon. We must explain and request the reopening of trade alliances. But this isn't easy. Our counterparts likely found new trading partners in these years." "Indeed. If three years have passed, they must be sourcing iron ore elsewhere. Even if we ask them to buy from us again, it won't be as straightforward as before." If they have new suppliers, there is no necessity for them to buy from our town. "Acquiring necessities isn’t as simple as just asking for them. Preparation takes time." Even if we request food supplies, it isn't something that can be readily prepared. They’ve likely found new partners for commodities like flour and are supplying them instead. "If what Lord Bollard says is true, this poses a significant problem. No, it must be true." Everyone directed their gazes towards me. Their eyes seemed to view me, as Kagari mentioned, as if witnessing something extraordinary. It’s the kind of look I’ll have to get accustomed to. Without Kagari’s encouragement to face forward and persevere, I might not have been able to withstand it. I vowed to Kagari that I would face forward and do my best. Thus, I won’t avert my gaze. As long as they see me and believe in Father, and take action—no matter how much they stare, I can handle it. "What should we do?" asked Megen, addressing me as he noticed my steadfast gaze. It seems he decided to believe us. Now, we discuss our next steps and assign roles accordingly. The commercial guild and merchants will be dispatched urgently to other towns to convey the current situation and negotiate to reestablish relations akin to those three years ago. "Additionally, parts of the mining facilities have been destroyed by the ice dragon, and the terrain is heavily damaged. It needs to be repaired, or carriages won’t be able to pass." At the spot the ice dragon descended, a significant depression was left, making it impassable for carts. Megen, the Commercial Guild Master, vowed to send craftsmen as soon as the situation is assessed. "Also, be cautious; some sections of the summit have collapsed and are in terrible condition." When I described the situation visible from the summit, it was decided that adventurers would be sent to the dragon’s former nest to verify the details. Yet, one major issue remains: How to inform the townspeople? "As the lord, I’ll relay the message, although it won’t be easy for them to believe me either. Regardless, they must understand. They must accept why supplies won’t arrive. I need everyone’s help." "I’ll convey the message to the merchants' guild. From there, it can spread slowly among the populace," offered Megen. "As for the adventurers, though I'm still somewhat skeptical, I'll inform them. If they accompany a ship as guards to another town and hear about our situation, they will likely believe." For now, learning this town’s situation from outside may be the quickest way to understanding. "Speaking of which, is it true that another ice dragon appeared and a girl dressed in bear attire along with a young child fought it off?" someone inquired. "It's true." "And what of those girls?" "They left today despite our efforts to persuade them to stay. I understand it's hard to believe, but we have the ice dragon's horn and scales for verification." Father planned to show the horns and scales of the ice dragon as proof of the event. Upon seeing these, everyone expressed amazement, and Megen's eyes glinted with interest. "What will become of these?" Yuna entrusted them for the town’s restoration. Initially, they were offered because it was feared many townspeople had perished, requiring additional manpower. However, since everyone survived... "At the moment, we have no specific plans. These are gifts from our benefactors who saved the town. There’s no rush to decide." Father’s words seemed to disappoint Megen slightly. Like him, I believe there’s no reason to sell them. The townspeople are alive. The town, once frozen over, faces enormous challenges, but if everyone works hard together, we'll manage. And so, everyone who gathered here began to take action. "Liese, thank you," Father expressed his gratitude. "It was because of you that they chose to believe." If I was able to help, that’s all that matters.