814 Bear, goes through the forest - Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear

We proceed smoothly through the forest. However, Mane-san keeps saying things like "That helps with eye strain" or "That works for joint pain" as she collects medicinal herbs, which slows us down. "That one is for sun protection. It should sell well to noble ladies. Kumayuru, head over there." Mane-san gives directions to Kumayuru. It, resigned, follows her instructions and begins to walk. Mane-san dismounts from Kumayuru and starts gathering long-leaved plants. To me, they look like mere weeds, but in the eyes of an expert, they seem to be useful medicinal herbs. "Oh... sorry." Mane-san, noticing my gaze, apologizes. "We're not in a rush, so feel free to gather as many as you want." We don't have a time limit. Taking it easy shouldn't be a problem. "Thank you." Originally, the goal was to collect growing medicinal herbs, but Mane-san seems to be enjoying gathering them. "You seem happy." "I'm having fun collecting wild medicinal herbs after so long. I've been cooped up in the royal capital these past few years." She enjoys it earnestly. "So it's been a while since you last collected them?" "Just from the castle's herb garden. If the castle doesn't have something, I can ask someone to buy it in the castle town, but I've been asking the office staff to do that more often. When I think about it, it's not good. If I don't see the herbs with my own eyes and gather them, I'll lose my touch." Despite her words, she's quite proficient at collecting herbs. Perhaps she was even more adept in the past. "Kuu~n," Kumakyu softly cries as it watches Mane-san gather herbs from a short distance away. Checking my detection skills, I notice a wolf approaching. I don't want Mane-san's activities disturbed. "Kumakyu, please take care of Mane-san and Kumayuru." I whisper to Kumakyu and sprint in the direction of the wolf. There it is, walking towards us. The wolf notices me and begins to growl. But it's no match for me. I unleash wind magic, swiftly deal with it, and return to Mane-san. "Where did you go?" When I return, Mane-san asks, seemingly waiting for me. It appears she had noticed my absence once she finished gathering. "There was a wolf nearby, so I went to take it down." "You should have said something before leaving. When I glanced back after finishing my herb collection, you were gone. I was surprised. If you suddenly disappear, I'll be worried." "Sorry." "But thank you. You didn't want me to feel uneasy, right?" "I just wanted you to focus on gathering herbs without worrying about anything else." "...!? Yuna, you're quite the catch, aren't you?" "A catch? Me?" What is she talking about? There's no way I'm popular or anything. "Not many people are as considerate as you. The food was delicious, your house was clean compared to my room." "I just defeated the monster before it could attack. The meals were simple or pre-made, or it might have been something Morin or Anzu prepared. The place was tidy because it's my outing house, not where I actually live." I only make simple meals, and the pre-cooked dishes could be the work of Morin-san or Anzu. The rooms are occasionally cleaned, and thanks to the Kuma Box, dust never builds up, making it neat. More than that, the rooms aren't cluttered because the Kuma Box keeps everything stored. Without it, the rooms would likely be a mess, or one would be a storeroom. "Well, the real reason I'm not popular is probably because of how I'm dressed." "Men really lack judgment. They make fun of me too, calling me short or childish." Honestly, I think it's an issue if any man were to approach Mane-san as she is now. "Do people actually say such things to you, Mane-san?" "If it's our first meeting, there's a high probability. It used to happen a lot more. That's why I want to grow and prove them wrong." That might be her true motive for wanting to grow. Her expression is earnest. With the herb collection complete, we resume our journey. As we proceed, occasionally gathering herbs, I spot something red swaying in the distance. It's a ribbon. "Glad we found it safely." Even if we headed in the direction where the ribbon's stake is, there's a chance it might not be there. The adventurer might have veered off for some reason, or they might have thought they were going straight but were actually off course. Conversely, we might have deviated. So, finding the ribbon brings a sigh of relief. We soon find several more ribbons. "We're ahead of schedule, thanks to these kids." Mane-san caresses Kumayuru's fur. Despite stopping for herb collection, moving while riding Kumayuru and Kumakyu seems to be faster than walking. If we were on foot, we'd need more breaks and have to be cautious of our surroundings, which would take more time. But with Kumayuru and Kumakyu, breaks aren't necessary, and they alert us to monsters. "That's great to hear." "Once you explore with these kids, it's hard to go back to normal explorations." Her gaze is almost longing as she looks at Kumayuru and Kumakyu. "I'm not giving them to you." "I know. I wouldn't say I want your dear family." Kumayuru and Kumakyu are family. A life without them is unimaginable. We rest for a bit under a ribbon before setting off again. "Kuu~n." "Is it a monster?" Mane-san has learned from Kumayuru and Kumakyu's reactions when there are monsters nearby. "There seems to be a monster ahead." The response is from a gator. It's the crocodilian monster Fina encountered during the royal capital's disassembly event. While I've seen dismantled ones during the event, I haven't seen a living gator. "I'd like to avoid it, but it seems there's a small pond ahead." That's why there are gators. Although Mane-san knows there are monsters, I haven't told her I can determine the species. There's no way to explain how I know. I can't very well say it's because of the bear's blessing. "These kids might have sensed a gator. It's likely residing in the pond." She's astute, with broad knowledge. Mane-san is deliberating. "What's wrong? Not going?" "I'm considering which way to detour." It seems heading towards the pond isn't an option. "But heading towards the pond is the right direction." "Even so, there's no need to deliberately head into known danger." Mane-san's reasoning is sound. There's no need to take unnecessary risks. This is a typical way of thinking. It's just that my cheat bear equipment skews my perspective compared to the average person. "Thanks to these kids, we haven't needed to exhaust ourselves by walking, but there's no need to waste magic or stamina fighting monsters." If it weren’t for Kumayuru and Kumakyu, we’d have to walk all this way on foot. Navigating an unpaved path requires focus and drains stamina. Though I’ve never hiked before, I imagine it’s something like this. "I'm pretty sure I can take down a gator." I've never fought one, but I think I can dispatch a crocodile with ease. "I know you're strong, Yuna. But magic isn't infinite. If you know where monsters are, you should avoid them. That's the basic principle of exploration." "You seem more like an adventurer than I do." "You're the one who's out of the ordinary. You didn't even prepare a ribbon." "But I have Kumayuru and Kumakyu." "You're lightly dressed." "My clothing is blessed by the bear." "And you're carrying a strange house around." "It's convenient, isn't it?" "It makes it seem like all the preparation I did was pointless." After discussing it, we decide that since we're on Kumayuru and Kumakyu, we can make a swift escape if needed, and cautiously approach the pond to assess the situation. "We're almost there." Breaking through the thicket, we find the pond populated with crocodiles. "As expected, there are gators here. And quite a few of them..." From what I can see, six of them are visible. There are more reactions within the pond, but the overlap makes it difficult to determine their exact number. "Is that...?" "What's wrong?" "Nothing." Despite claiming it's nothing, Mane-san clearly reacts to something. It must be medicinal herbs, given her reaction. Having seen this several times now, I'm starting to get the hang of it. "Did you see a rare herb or something?" "There was one. But it’s unrelated to our current goal, and it's dangerous." At this point, that's just an excuse. We've already collected herbs several times, so what's one more? "Where is it? If it's not a special harvesting method, I can go get it." "...It's on the gator's back." "On the back?" I squint and look carefully at the gators. "I don't see anything." "They're covered in moss." Now that she mentions it, I notice something moss-like on them. "That moss is a rare ingredient used in special eye drops." "Eye drops?" "It lets you see as if there's a single wall between you and another person." "So, does that mean...?" "Yes, it's useful for sneaking into an enemy’s hideout." "And seeing people naked." "........." "........." A moment of silence passes between us. "Sorry, my mind was in the gutter." Feeling embarrassed, I apologize. "Unfortunately, you can only faintly see people." "Oh, I see." Is it like thermography? Perhaps something like that? "Additionally, its effect lasts only about 1-2 seconds after you close and reopen your eyes." "Is it really that short?" "If you're trying to confirm positions when breaking into a thief or villain's room, it's more than enough." Indeed, knowing where someone is positioned in a room upon entry allows you to engage them without hesitation, reducing risks. "Did you develop it, Mane-san?" "No, my mother did. An acquaintance was gravely injured when they unknowingly encountered enemies hidden behind a door, during a raid to capture some unscrupulous dealers. My mother thought if they knew the enemy's location, such incidents could be avoided, so she created it." "She was quite talented, wasn't she?" "Yes, she really was." "The only issue is the side effect: itchy eyes after use. My mother tried to solve it, but it seems she couldn't." Convenient items often have their drawbacks. My ultimate gear has its own weakness—the bear suit.