825 Bear, takes a rest - Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear

Lydia and Zect find themselves bewildered by the prospect of a bath. "You both haven't bathed in ten days, right? Make sure to wash up properly before you get into bed." I must remind them again; I'm the one who does the laundry for the sheets and pillows. Especially after they've spent ten days trekking through the forest, running, and fighting monsters. Given that they must have been sweating, I'd prefer if they bathed before sleeping. "But what if monsters attack while we're in the bath?" It's apparent they're concerned about being vulnerable. "If a monster approaches, Kumayuru and Kumakyuu will let us know, so don't worry," I assure them. "But still..." Lydia starts. "Lydia, just give it up. Normal camping rules don't apply to Yuna," Mane interjects. I wish they wouldn't paint me as unreasonable. "Plus, if you smell bad, Kumayuru and Kumakyuu might not like you," I add. "Smell bad?" Lydia begins sniffing her own arm. "Alright, I'll take a bath." Was she really that stinky? She's still a fifteen-year-old girl, after all. Even I wouldn’t dare ask her if she smelled. Not to a maiden, at least. Leaving Zect with Kumayuru and Kumakyuu, the three of us head to the dressing room. Kumayuru and Kumakyuu monitor not only for outside threats but also to keep a watchful eye on Zect. When I asked them for this favor, Zect exclaimed, "Who would peek?!" We undress and move from the dressing room to the bath. Lydia is slim and graceful, her figure pleasingly proportioned. "An actual bath..." Lydia marvels. Staring at the bath, Lydia is genuinely surprised. "Water is coming out of the bear's mouth." In the bath, a bear statue is mounted, and water pours from the bear's mouth into the tub. "Let's wash up quickly and warm ourselves," I suggest. We wash and immerse ourselves into the tub. Lydia, after finally being able to wash her body and hair after so long, looks delighted. Her hair is about the same length as mine, and she scrubs it carefully. "It feels really good. Thank you, Yuna," she says. "You're welcome," I reply. Soaking in the bath, Lydia stretches her arms and legs comfortably. "I never thought I'd be able to take a bath in the middle of the forest," she admits. "I must agree with that," Mane nods. "When you're tired, you need a good meal, a warm bath, and a soft bed," I state confidently. "I agree, but..." Mane responds. "Just not in the middle of a forest." We soak and let the warm bath ease our weary bodies. "............" "............" "............" The sound of water pouring from the bear statue fills the quiet. As we relax in the bath, Lydia speaks up. "Um, Mane, can I ask you something?" Lydia's expression turns serious. "What is it?" "How did you know I was unconsciously using wind magic when I didn't even know myself?" "Oh, that. I noticed the anomaly when we were inside the cave. Your hair was slightly moving. I thought there was a breeze coming from somewhere else, but Yuna's hair wasn't moving, only yours was." I hadn't noticed it at all. "As an elf, I can sense the flow of wind with more accuracy. For example, even now." Mane looks at Lydia. "Don't move, just be still." Lydia obeys, and I remain still alongside her. "Slowly watch the steam around you." As instructed, I observe the surrounding steam. "See how the steam is faintly moving towards you?" Guided by Mane's words, watching the steam's flow, it indeed subtly moves towards Lydia. You might miss it if you aren't watching closely. "Am I using it unconsciously again?" "Probably, your subconscious might be reacting to the danger of bathing in a monster-infested forest." "Will it ever stop?" "Since you don’t use it in town, it probably will. Once you learn to control it, you can detect monsters' locations when you want to. Plus, when you battle, you could use magic and your bow. You'd become a skilled adventurer." "............" Lydia stares at her hands, lost in thought. "Take your time and get used to it," Mane encourages. "Thank you, Mane. I'll do my best." "Don't worry about it, I'm older after all." I thought to myself, being the smallest here, but wisely chose not to say it. Even I can read the room. After getting out of the bath, we dry our hair and return to the living room where Kumayuru and Kumakyuu await us. In the event of anything unexpected, my outfit remains the black bear one; explaining about the white bear is a hassle. As I open the door of the dressing room, there they are, Kumayuru and Kumakyuu. "Kumayuru, Kumakyuu, you're in the way there." "Ku~n." "Why are you in front of the door?" "Once the three of you went to the bath, they immediately stationed themselves there." It was Zect who explained. "Could it be that you..." I start. "Absolutely not! They stationed themselves right away, I had nothing to do with it!" I figure he wouldn’t peek at his sister or a bear and a young girl. Seems like Kumayuru and Kumakyuu had taken it upon themselves to guard the dressing room entrance. I thank them and explain the bath's operation to Zect. After our bath, we enjoy some milk. It's delicious. Later, Zect finishes his bath, and we decide on room assignments. There are three rooms on the second floor—my room and two vacant ones. Mane takes the room she used yesterday, while the remaining one is for Zect and Lydia. I take Kumakyuu to my room, leaving Kumayuru with Mane. They both remain grown-sized. I collapse onto my futon. Despite everything, I hope we can gather the medicinal herbs tomorrow. "Kumakyuu, good night. Wake me in the morning." "Ku~n." With a comfortably smaller, cuddlier Kumakyuu in my arms, I drift into sleep. The following morning, Kumakyuu's wake-up call rouses me. "Good morning, Kumakyuu." "Ku~n." Patting Kumakyuu on the head, I return her to her original size. Heading downstairs to prepare breakfast, I find Mane with Kumayuru. "Morning, you're up early," I greet her. "I wanted to clean up from the herb preparation, so this little one woke me early," she explains, glancing at Kumayuru. Looks like Mane also set Kumayuru as her alarm. We start preparing breakfast together. "They're not up yet," I muse. Even as we finish breakfast preparations, Lydia and Zect haven't emerged. "I’ll go wake them up," Mane volunteers. I accept her offer. Shortly after, I hear noises from upstairs and then someone rushing down the stairs—it's Lydia and Zect, followed by a slower-paced Mane. "Sorry! The futon was so comfortable," Lydia apologizes. "We slept too soundly," Zect adds. Both of them apologize sheepishly. "It just means both of you were that exhausted," I assure them. I'd rather they sleep soundly than not sleep at all. It helps them recover from their fatigue and ensures they can perform the next day's tasks well. I let them know I'm not concerned and suggest we enjoy breakfast. "That futon is dangerous," Lydia declares. "It was the best futon I've ever used," Zect adds. "Not even at home or in an inn have I used something this good," Lydia continues. I'm glad they liked it. I chose quality futons because I wanted to use something nice myself. Though they were somewhat pricey, buying them in bulk earned me a small discount. "Now I understand why Yuna wanted us to bathe before sleeping," Lydia admits. It's not that big of a deal—I just prefer not to have laundry issues. After we finish breakfast, we leave the bear house and head out to gather Beltra grass. As we proceed, I quietly monitor the area with my detection skill. Sitting in front of me, Mane keenly scans the surroundings for herbs. "We're almost there," she notes. As Lydia mentioned yesterday, it seems we’re quite close. "Yuna, just to confirm, are there any monsters ahead? Are the bears indicating anything?" Mane asks, gently patting Kumakyuu's back. I check with my detection skill; there’s no sign of monsters. "Kuu~n," Kumakyuu playfully confirms, as we've practiced. "It's safe," I reassure them. "You really do understand the bears," Mane muses as we move forward. "Just beyond that tree," Lydia points out. When we advance past the indicated tree, we emerge into a slightly open area. "No monsters here," I confirm. "Were they here last time?" I ask. "Yes, from a distance, I counted at least thirty wolves," Zect replies. Such a number wouldn’t pose a threat to me, but for Lydia and Zect, it's quite daunting. In the real world, facing a pack of wolves would be hopeless. "Let’s gather quickly before any monsters come," Mane suggests. "I'll help gather too, so Yuna, keep watch," Lydia says. "Got it," I reply. While the three of them collect the Beltra grass, I stand guard with Kumayuru and Kumakyuu. But since those two are more than enough, I approach Mane. "Is that the Beltra grass?" Mane is picking what looks like ordinary weeds. I know some plants are used for medicine and edible wild plants, but to my untrained eye, they look like common grass. "Yes, it's these leaves," Mane answers, plucking them. I follow suit and use my observation skill. It only identifies them as "Beltra grass," without any information on their medicinal properties. Quite inconvenient. "By the way, doesn't the castle have a herb garden?" "It does, but we can't use it for Lydia's sister. The castle's herb garden is primarily for the royal family and research. At best, only select nobles may be granted use." Using it just for Lydia's sister would mean setting a precedent to do so for others, too. Favoritism isn't an option. It's a harsh truth, but one I understand, even if begrudgingly. "But if it's available at the castle, doesn’t that mean Mane doesn’t need to collect it?" I ask. "What are you talking about? There's a wide variety of herbs, but not in large quantities. If they can be harvested, then a herbalist should harvest them," Mane explains. Better to have more than less. Running short when it’s needed isn't ideal. "However, we won't harvest everything. If we take it all now, it won’t grow back next time. So, you shouldn’t pick everything, either," Mane advises, raising her voice enough for Lydia and Zect to hear. "Understood," Lydia nods. "Got it," Zect agrees. The three continue gathering the Beltra grass quietly. I use my detection skill to check the surroundings, staying alert for approaching monsters...