Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear

Mia and Carol opened their mouths while looking enviously at us, sitting on Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear.

“For a venturer, information is important.” (Mia)

“But Mia-chan. They helped us.” (Carol)

Mia is right. Having access to information is essential. It’s not limited to adventurers; some information becomes a matter of life and death. A company can go bankrupt just because of a leak of information.

“You don’t have to tell us anything you rather not say. I just want to know what this place is.” (Kagali)

Kagali-san only asks for information that she can pull.

Mia seemed convinced by Kagali-san’s words and began to speak.

“I already told you that this town was created by a group of magic tool technicians, right?” (Mia)

“Yeah, but how did this town end up in ruins?” (Kagali)

“Legend has it that when the government found out that those guys were making something dangerous, they killed all of the technicians because they were considered dangerous.” (Mia)

“But in another book, there’s a story of an attack by monsters.” (Carol)

Carol adds to Mia’s explanation.

It’s one of the possible reasons I told Fina.

“There’s also a story about a certain country pulling its technicians out of the country.” (Mia)

“Then a story about a serious accident caused by an experiment…” (Carol)

“And another story about the technicians dying of old age. Anyway, for some reason, it seems that the technicians are gone and this place has become obsolete.” (Mia)

“Wait a minute.” (Kagali)

Kagali-san stops the two as they explain various things.

“What?” (Mia)

“In other words, you don’t know why this town was destroyed?” (Kagali)

“Those are the stories we’ve heard, so there’s no point in you complaining about it.” (Mia)

“I’m sorry. I didn’t see it with my own eyes, so I don’t know which one is true.” (Carol)

Carol bows her head and apologizes.

“What, that’s all? You’re useless.” (Kagali)

“What? I took the trouble to tell you.” (Mia)

Mia puffed her cheeks.

“Besides, does it matter how this place was destroyed? As long as we find the treasure.” (Mia)

“What are you talking about? By asking about the characteristics of the town, what kind of magical tools they studied, and what kind of magical tools they made, you can imagine what kind of magical tools are to be found and where to search for them. Besides, one of the reasons for its demise is that the technicians were incompetent. If the technicians were not good enough and could not create anything significant, then the search for treasures would be pointless.” (Kagali)

“And if the country destroyed it, or the technicians have been pulled out, there’s also the possibility of the treasure not being there in the first place.” (Yuna)

“Uu, indeed. Now that you mention it.” (Mia)

Mia hangs her head at Kagali-san and my words.

“That’s why we need the history of this place.” (Kagali)

“You’re a little girl, and yet you’re smart, aren’t you?” (Mia)

“The little girl part was uncalled for!” (Kagali)

Kagali-san shouted.

“Well, if you don’t know why the town was destroyed, I don’t blame you. But still, for a town built by a group of technicians, it’s a bit puzzling. If they were to conduct research on their own, there would be no need to build a new town.” (Kagali)

“You mean fundraising?” (Yuna)

“Fundraising?” (Mia) (資金集め?)

It costs money to do research. Collect materials to make things. If the things you’re making are massive, you need people.

Sometimes, in the manga, there’s a scene where one researcher is hiding deep in the mountains doing research, but it makes you wonder. Where did he get the materials? How did he build the building? How did he build the basement? Is the electricity self-generated?

Those who work with wood, those who work with stone. And in this world, even magic stones would be used, so they would buy them. If necessary, they might hire adventurers.

Without sponsors to provide money and materials, I don’t think their money or people will be enough.

Besides, you need food to keep on living.

“In that case, a normal town would be fine.” (Yuna)

“Isn’t that where the name recognition comes in? When you say ‘magic city’ it would be a city full of brilliant people in magic or ‘sword city,’ a city full of brilliant swordsmen.” (Mia)

When one hears of a town where magical tool technicians have gathered, one gets the image of a city with various magical tools. If that were the case, people would gather from various places to buy magical tools there.

“Well, it’s certainly as Yuna said. If you’re a researcher of magic tools, you might have made magic tools for sale.” (Kagali)

It’s just my hypothesis and may not be correct.

I don’t think it’s possible unless you read a book about how the town was built, or hear stories from people who lived in that era.

Although, only the long-lived races, such as Kagali and Mumroot-san, can do that.

…Could it be, Mumroot-san? You haven’t come this far, have you?

After all, he is someone who has been to the Land of Harmony and even to Dezerto city. It doesn’t seem impossible. It’s scary to think about it.

“So what’s with the knight armor?” (Kagali)

Since Mia and Carol don’t seem to know anything about this town, I decided to ask them about those knight armor.

“If you come close to it, it will attack you.” (Mia)

Mia speaks with annoyance.

“But that one doesn’t move, does it?” (Yuna)

I pointed my bear puppet at a nearby knight armor.

In fact, there was another one nearby, but it didn’t move when I approached it.

“It seems that some move and some don’t.” (Carol)

“Perhaps it’s been broken over time?” (Mia)

Mia said appropriately to Carol’s words.

If that were the case, it might be more impressive that the town has been in ruins for so long that it is moving in the opposite direction, even if only partially.*

“But I was able to examine that motionless knight armor, so I learned some of its structure.” (Carol)

“That’s why you knew that the position of the magic stone was different.” (Yuna)

“Carol knows a thing or two about it.” (Mia)

For some reason, Mia proudly puffs out her chest.

However, even if she sticks out her chest, it’s not that big, so it feels like sarcasm.

“But you’re doing something dangerous. What are you going to do if it moves?” (Kagali)

“I’ll run away. It seems that its pursuit range is fixed, so if I run away from a certain distance, it will stop chasing me.” (Carol)

“Then, you were actually fine without my help?” (Yuna)

“That’s right. We didn’t need any help. We could have just run away.” (Mia)

“Mia-chan!” (Carol)

Mia’s tsundere mode was activated, but Carol got mad at her.

“I’m just kidding.” (Mia)

Tsunderes are cute only in manga and anime, but when you meet one of them in real life, they’re just plain annoying. Is it because you can’t read or see their internal monologue?

If Mia has internal dialogue, it must be something like “I really want to thank them honestly, but why can’t I be honest?”, or so…

“Yuna, was it? What are you staring at?” (Mia)

As I was staring at Mia, she felt my gaze on her.

“No, I was just thinking how amazing these cute girls were venturers.” (Yuna)

“I-Is that so? I’m embarrassed when you say that we’re cute.” (Mia)

Mia looks really embarrassed and makes a shy gesture.

Tsundere and easy.

“But you three are as cute as well. Especially you.” (Mia)

Mia pointed at me.

“I’ve never seen a cute bear like that before.” (Mia)

Does that mean that the bear costume on the outside is cute, but not the one inside it?

Well, I already knew that.

“But once you get to a certain distance, it just stops chasing you?” (Kagali)

“It seems that the range of activity is fixed, and when it reaches a certain distance, it will return to its original position.” (Carol)

Does that mean that each of them has an area to protect?

“Fufu, that knight armor is suspicious.” (Kagali)

Kagari-san, who was listening to the conversation, muttered.

“Kagali-oneechan, what’s suspicious about it?” (Fina)

“Fina. Think about it. Was there any knight armor upstairs?” (Kagali)

Fina shakes her head sideways.

“No, there wasn’t.” (Fina)

“Right? And there was no treasure. In other words, there’s nothing to protect.” (Kagali)

“Then that means…” (Fina)

Kagali-san’s words made Fina think of something.

“Did you get it now? In other words, if there’s a knight armor, there are treasures.” (Kagali)

Kagali-san boasted about her excellent reasoning.

Well, I agree with Kagali-san’s argument.

Important things are behind locks.

The stronger the lock, the higher the treasure value. It’s the same thing.

“Uu, even though you’re a little girl, you’re smart.” (Mia)

“We also thought so and decided to investigate the area where the guardian was.” (Carol)

“But when we got close, they chased us.” (Mia)

“Isn’t that because you approached it carelessly Mia-chan?” (Carol)

“If the right side didn’t move, then you would think the left side wouldn’t move either, wouldn’t you?” (Mia)

“I don’t think so~.” (Carol)

Mia looks at us as if asking for help.

“I don’t think so.”

“Don’t think so.”

“Do you think so?”

Mia is depressed after being told by Fina.

“But then again, how could you guys decide to explore a place like this when you have no fighting skills?” (Kagali)

“We are venturers. Venturers! We’re not fighters! Our job is to avoid monsters, avoid danger, and get the treasure!” (Mia)

I guess they’re less of an adventurer, but more of a treasure hunter.

Still, they’re going to a dangerous place and need some strength to protect themselves.

“If that’s the case, aren’t you supposed to achieve your goal without being found by that knight armor?” (Kagali)

“Uu, that’s…” (Mia)

It’s as Kagali-san says. In terms of occupation in the game, they’re thieves. Avoiding traps and getting treasures.

But they don’t have that kind of skills.

“Anyway, that’s enough information, right? I’ve told you the equivalent of what you helped us with.” (Mia)

Mia gets up.

She is a strong girl.

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Author’s Note:

[Announcement]

Today is the release date of Volume 4 of the comic.

Along with that, anime information has been released.

For more information on the cast, please refer to the activity report.

※ As always, thanks to everyone who has reported typos. Since I am unable to reply, I will leave this here.

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* Sorry, I don’t get this one (もし、そうだとしたら、一部とはいえ、町が廃墟になるほどの時間が経っているのに、逆に動いているほうが凄いかもしれない。)

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