Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear

Chapter 394 Bear-san Meets Rojina-san

The sword used at the school festival may be just right.

Toya’s discussion of the mithril sword had turned subtle, but my business here was done and so, I was about to leave the blacksmith shop.

Chirachira. (TN: Glancing SFX.)

[Xero-san, when Toya can do it, please make his sword.] Jade

[Yeah, I keep my promises. I’ll make it right then.] Xelo

Chirachira.

[Just make sure you tell him the deadline is until the Tribulation Gates close.] Xelo

Chirachira.

I have a feeling that Xelo-san has been watching me for a while now, but am I just being self-conscious?

Or do you want to complain about something? Do you want to say it’s a fluke? Maybe they think it was a fluke or I did a cowardly cheat to slash the sword. Well, I can’t argue with that, since I’m actually using the cowardly ability of the bear cheat. I’m worried about Xelo-san’s gaze, so I decide to leave the shop first, taking Fina and Ruimin with me.

[Jade-san, Mel-san. We’ll be waiting for you outside.] Yuna

[Okay. We’ll be right there.] Mel

[Ah ~] Xelo

I thought I heard something in the background. Maybe it was my imagination.

I decided to wait for Jade-san and Mel-san outside the shop.

After a while, Jade-san and Mel-san came out. We are going to Ghazal-san’s master, Rojina-san’s store, guided by Mel-san.

.......I was supposed to say no good.

[I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you later.] Yuna

[Actually, Toya and Senia were supposed to go shopping with Jade, but after what happened, she had to go after him and I had to go with Jade.] Mel

[I’m fine on my own.] Jade

[That’s not how it works.] Mel

It seems that the two of them have to go buy something that a merchant in the royal capital has asked them to buy. But since both Toya and Senia-san were gone, Mel-san had to fill in.

And since she wasn’t able to go with us, Mel-san drew us a map to Rojina-san’s store.

[Ruimin. Do you know where it is?] Yuna

[Yes. It’s okay, I know where it is.] Ruimin

It was decided to leave the directions to Ruimin, who had been to the city once before.

[Even so, Xelo-san. He’s been watching Yuna-chan as you walk away. While Yuna-chan ignoring him the whole time is simply amazing.] Mel

I knew it! He was watching me. I wasn’t being self-conscious after all.

[Maybe he was just thinking that it was unusual for someone to dress up like a bear?] Yuna

[I don’t know. I think it started after Yuna-chan slashed the sword.] Mel

I guess he’s being suspicious of me after all. Too dangerous, I have to watch out.

I don’t want to be asked where I learned my sword art.

I split up with Jade-san and Mel-san and went to Rojina-san’s place with Fina and Ruimin. Ruimin is holding the map as she walks in front of us, while Fina and I walk diagonally one step behind her.

[Let’s see, over here......], [Then turn here......] [Straight ahead......], [Two bends ahead.......] Ruimin looked at the map and went on her way without getting lost. Then she stops.

[Right here.] Ruimin

Ruimin stretched out her arm and pointed at the shop.

[Here?] Yuna

[Yes, here.] Ruimin

So we’re here? She seems confident.

[This isn’t a weapons shop, you know?] Yuna

The signboard was decorated with pots and pans. It didn’t look like a blacksmith shop that made weapons.

[Ruimin, you got lost, didn’t you?] Yuna

[Of course not! It’s here on the map. I was not wrong.] Ruimin

Ruimin puffed out her cheeks and showed me the map.

Indeed, Xelo-san’s blacksmith shop is right here, then we went through here, turned here, went straight, and turned at the second bend.

[You’re right.] Yuna

[See? I’m wasn’t wrong, you know?] Ruimin

Ruimin tried her best to make her case right.

The only thing I can think of was that Jade-san and his friends came to this city a long time ago, so it’s possible that Rojina-san moved during that time. It’s also very possible that the map is wrong.

[For now, let’s go inside the store and ask.] Yuna

Since we can’t just go back, we decided to check this blacksmith shop and ask the clerk. Perhaps they might know about the previous owner or about Rojina-san.

As we entered the store, I saw pots and pans of various sizes piled up. It might be a good idea to buy the pots and the pans here.

[This pot, is just the right size. And this one looks easy to use.] Fina

Fina picked up the pot in front of her and began to inspect it.

[Do you think we’ll get everything here?] Ruimin

Ruimin also began to scurry around the store, looking at the note that Talia-san had given her.

Something has changed in our purpose. As we looked around the store, we felt someone coming from the back of the store.

[Welcome. Are you buying in pieces or in bulk?] Clerk

We were greeted by a Dwarf girl of unknown age. She was short, so I couldn’t tell her age. She could be as old as me. Or maybe she was way older than me. So I was at a loss on what to decide.

[Bear-san?] Clerk

The Dwarf girl looks at me in surprise. Then she smiles and comes up to me and takes my hand in hers.

[So cute.......] Clerk

The girl circled around me.

[Ano.] Yuna

[I’m sorry. I mean, you’re very cute. What can I get for you? Just tell me, I’ll give it to you. It will take some time to make though. Also, the price will be higher than usual.] Clerk

The dwarf girl starts talking about her business again.

Fina was holding a pot and wondering what she should do. As for me, I want to do the shopping later.

[I have some things I want, but before I do, I need to ask you something, is that okay?] Yuna

[Oh, yes. What would that be?] Clerk

[I think someone named Rojina-san used to run a store here. I don’t know if you know her. But we’re here to see Rojina-san.] Yuna

[You’re here to see my father?] Clerk

[Your father?] Yuna

[Rojina is my father.] Clerk

[Etto, you don’t have any swords or anything in here.] Yuna

The store does not have a single sword on display. If you look inside the store, you will see pots and pans, tools used for cooking. Then there are tools like hammers and saws. The only knives they have on display are kitchen knives.

[Did you, by any chance, come to the store because you heard rumors about my father? I’m sorry. But he doesn’t make swords anymore.] Clerk

The dwarf girl bows her head and apologizes.

But I’m pretty sure it’s Rojina-san’s store. But what does she mean about it?

He’s Gordo-san and Ghazal-san’s master, the one who taught them to make weapons, right?

[Etto, I know Gordo-san and Ghazal-san. Can I see Rojina-san?] Yuna

I’m not sure what’s going on, so I’m going to name two people whose master is Rojna-san, and if it’s the same Rojina-san this girl is talking about, then she must know about them.

[Gordo and Ghazal? You know them both?!] Clerk

The girl had a surprised look on her face. If that was her reaction, then it must be the Rojina-san I’m looking for. But I’m starting to lose track of the situation.

[Yeah, Gordo-san lives in the same city as I am and I’m seeing Ghazal-san too. Also, I have letters from both of them for Rojina-san.] Yuna

I took out the letters from the bear box.

[Wait a minute, please. Mom is out. Dad!] Clerk

When the girl saw the letters, she ran to the back of the store, calling for her father.

[We are at Rojina-san’s store after all.] Yuna

[I wasn’t wrong. See? I wasn’t wrong. And you’re saying I was wrong.] Ruimin

[I’m sorry. Because nobody would expect a master blacksmith who’s known for making weapons to be making pots and pans.] Yuna

[But is he really Gordo-san and Ghazal-san’s master?] Fina

Fina and I thought of the same thing. Well, that’s what I think, you know? I looked around the store, but there’s not a single sword in sight. I wonder what’s going on?

However, the girl told me that <they don’t make them anymore>. That would mean that he used to make them. It is most likely that he quit for some reason. If he was injured, he couldn’t make pots either. And yet, Gordo-san and Ghazal-san had never said anything like that.

As I was pondering about it, I heard the voices of a dwarf girl and a man coming from the back.

[What? A bear girl? What’s going on here?] Rojina

[That’s what I’m telling you, the bear girl knows Gordo and Ghazal and she brought you their letters!] Clerk

[What’s with the bear girl? Did you let a bear come into the store?] Rojina

[As I kept saying, she’s a girl!] Clerk

[So it’s a female bear?] Rojina

[No, she’s not!] Clerk

Their voices gradually become louder.

The girl is grabbing the male dwarf by the arm and comes back to the counter. I wonder if this dwarf is Rojina-san?

The man who seemed to be Rojina-san stared at me as if he was astonished by my outfit.

He only glanced lightly at Fina and Ruimin, but he kept looking at me from bottom to top and top to bottom. I can’t help it, I’m dressed like a bear.

[Bear?] Rojina

[See, it’s bear-san.] Clerk

[It is a bear.] Rojina

[And she’s a girl.] Clerk

[She is a girl.] Rojina

They had been arguing earlier, but the moment they saw me, they agreed.

[Are you Rojina-san?]

[Yes, I am. But is it true that the young lady dressed as a bear is an acquaintance of Gordo and Ghazal?] Rojina

[Yes, I’m indebted to both of them. And when I told them I was coming to this city, they asked me to deliver their letters.] Yuna

I replied politely and presented the letter I was carrying to Rojina-san.

[So, how are Gordo and Ghazal doing?] Clerk

[Gordo-san is on good terms with Nert-san, and Ghazal-san has become a famous blacksmith in the capital.] Yuna

What I’m saying about Ghazal-san is what Jade-san said to me. So, I don’t really actually know.

[I see, so those two are doing well.] Rojina

[Etto, if you would, can you tell us a story about those two... and Nert, those three?] Clerk

The girl grabs my bear puppet.

[It’s okay. But I also need to ask a question to Rojina-san.] Yuna

One of the reasons I came here was because of the Bearmonite.

We decided to talk about this over some tea.

Author’s Note:

Rojina-san was just making pots now.

It’s almost time for the 400th episode. It felt like I just reached 300 episodes the other day, but it’s happening so fast.