802 Bear, goes to the Ministry of Magic - Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear

The next morning, I woke up at Ellelaura's mansion. Beside me, Kumayuru and Kumakyu were sleeping soundly. Last night, we summoned them because Shia wanted to see them, and they played late into the night. We left them summoned as a form of guard, though those "guards" were now peacefully asleep. Well, Kumayuru and Kumakyu could wake up if they detected any danger, so it was fine. "Good morning, Kumayuru, Kumakyu." I gently shook their soft bellies. "Kuh~n" Kumayuru and Kumakyu both stirred awake. "Good morning." "Kuh~n" Thus began another day. After climbing out of bed and changing from my white bear outfit to the black one, there was a knock on the door. "Yuna, are you awake?" "I'm awake." Upon my response, Shia entered, already dressed in her uniform and impeccably groomed. "Good morning, Yuna." "Good morning." Her smile was dazzlingly bright from the start of the day. "I wish I could go to the Magic Ministry too." "You have school, don't you?" "If I skip, my mother will scold me." A student’s primary duty is to study, after all. Though it's not exactly something I, who haven't attended school, should say aloud. Still, I hoped Shia would study diligently and become a commendable noble lady. Since we were having breakfast together, we moved to the dining room. "Good morning, Yuna." "Good morning." "Good morning, Kumayuru and Kumakyu." "Kuh~n" Even Kumayuru and Kumakyu had seats with fruit and honey prepared for them. "Is it okay to be in their smaller forms?" "It's fine. They always eat in their smaller forms." They eat more when they're bigger. Smaller sizes mean they need less. "Mother, I want to go with them, too." "No, you can't." Despite Shia asking again, she was firmly refused. Saying "I'm off," Shia reluctantly left for the academy. Ellelaura and I prepared to head to the Magic Ministry. After dismissing Kumayuru and Kumakyu, we exited the mansion to find a carriage waiting. "Hop in." I boarded the carriage. The capital was vast. Moving around it required carriages. Some carriages ran like buses on fixed routes, while others functioned like taxis, taking you where you needed. This one seemed personal, bearing the Foshuroze family crest. After we got on, Ellelaura instructed the coachman, "Head to the Magic Ministry," and the carriage started moving. "Is the Magic Ministry far?" "It's inside the castle." "Really? Then why use a carriage?" "The entrance is different. The one you usually pass through is the main gate. The castle has several entry points." Indeed, it does. I recall circling the castle with Fina once. We encountered numerous entrances. "There are gates for knights, for magic practitioners, and others. Today, we'll use the one for the Magic Ministry." "I see." "You could walk from within the castle, but it would be a hassle." The castle was huge. I wasn't sure how many domes could fit inside. Walking from one end to the other would cover quite a distance. When Fina and I circled the castle, it took quite some time. "So, the Magic Ministry is inside the castle?" "They have important magical tools and research materials, so they need the castle's 24-hour security for entry control." Indeed, being in the castle means strict security and safety. It's not easy to break in. The carriage headed towards the castle, turning away from the main gate I'd usually use. After some carriage ride, an entrance came into view. It was a drawbridge, which the carriage crossed. On the other side, soldiers stood guard. The carriage halted. The coachman exchanged a few words before moving again. "Won't they check who's inside?" These situations usually involve verifying the carriage's occupants. "To question my carriage?" Ellelaura's expression seemed to ask, "What are you saying?" "I thought they'd ensure there aren't any suspicious folks onboard." "That's standard for public carriages, but this is the Foshuroze carriage. Think of it as a transit pass." Ah, the vehicle serves as proof. "But what if it's stolen or duplicated?" "It would be a significant issue if it got stolen. Also, reproducing this carriage is impossible. It's custom-made." "A custom build?" According to Ellelaura, the carriage had special features. The Foshuroze family crest and a magic stone were embedded in the carriage's center. This acted like a recognition system—not unlike a guild card. As the carriage passed through the gate, it scanned the magic stone, identified it as the Foshuroze carriage, and granted access. "What if the magic stone got stolen?" "Then you'd simply report and disable it." Indeed, reporting a theft would suffice. "Plus, the stone is tough to extract without dismantling the carriage." If anyone destroyed the carriage, it would be immediately evident. "Who knew a carriage could have such features?" "That's another creation by the Magic Ministry. You'd be surprised how many of their inventions go unnoticed." As Ellelaura spoke, the carriage came to a halt. "It appears we've arrived." As Ellelaura said, the coachman announced, "We've arrived." Ellelaura opened the door and alighted from the carriage. Following her lead, I also got off. Once we were both out, the carriage started moving again. Before us loomed a grand tower. We'd seen this tower from outside the castle. "This way, Yuna." Ellelaura began walking towards the tower and entered. As we stepped inside, there was a reception desk, and the receptionist, upon seeing me, looked surprised. "Lady Ellelaura and..." "She is a guest of Lady Mane." "Lady Mane's..." The receptionist verified her records after giving me a quick glance. "Yes, permission for entry was granted for Lady Ellelaura and her companion. Here are your entry passes." "Thank you." Taking the card, Ellelaura advanced, prompting me to do the same. As we passed the reception, there was a door. "Place the card you just received near this crystal panel." Ellelaura advised, bringing her card close to the crystal panel, causing the door to open. She went through, and the door closed behind her. I emulated Ellelaura, and the door opened for me as well. Passing through, it closed behind me. It felt akin to a train station turnstile. "This way, Yuna." "Getting inside is pretty strict." "As I mentioned on the carriage, there are confidential matters here, so non-authorized entries are restricted." Even for aristocrats like Ellelaura, unfettered movement inside wasn't permitted. "Don't lose that card. You'll need it to get through ahead and also for when you leave." This card increasingly felt like a transport pass. Beyond the door was a vast floor with a grand staircase reminiscent of one you'd find in a noble's mansion. "This way, Yuna." Instead of taking the stairs, Ellelaura veered off into a corridor on the left. Are we staying on the first floor? She stopped in front of a door. A crystal panel was inset next to it, and she touched her card to it. The door opened, and as Ellelaura entered the room, I followed. The door closed behind us. The room was small, about the size of a 4.5-tatami mat room. There was no one and nothing inside. "Ellelaura, what is this place?" "Hehe, you'll be surprised." With a knowing smile, she approached the wall. There was a crystal panel with numbers on it. Heading to the one marked "10," she pressed her card against it. "Yuna, place your card on the panel with the number 10 as well." Following her instruction, I touched the card to the panel marked "10." Suddenly, there was a shifting sound, and I felt the room ascending. An elevator!? "Hehe, surprised? It's a device that lets you move up without using the stairs." An elevator! "This..." "Climbing to the 10th floor via stairs would have been tiresome, right?" True, but still. An elevator was unexpected. What Ellelaura had mentioned earlier about not being able to move without the card was referring to this. It meant that access was restricted to authorized individuals only. When the elevator stopped, the door opened. "Convenient, isn't it?" Ellelaura wore a smug expression. "There aren't more of these?" "There are some in the castle, but only certain people can use them." "Why? They seem so useful." "They're expensive, for one. Plus, it's cheaper to extend the building horizontally rather than vertically." If land is available, it's easier to build wide. In urban areas, it's unavoidable. Instead of constructing skyscrapers in the countryside, it's more feasible to build sprawling complexes. Upon exiting the elevator, a large room unfurled before us. It wasn't just a hallway; the space itself was filled with books. Among them, various plants and minerals were visible. "Who's there?" A voice emerged from nowhere. "Lady Mane, it's Ellelaura." "Ellelaura?" The voice came from a desk at the center, obscured by piled books. As we approached, a figure peeked out from beside the desk.