Chapter 107: The Bear Makes Anz’s Shop

Chapter 107:
The Bear Makes Anz’s Shop

 

ONCE WE LEFT THE SEAPORT, Cliff got on Kumayuru in a spot where the townspeople couldn’t see. It was pretty surreal watching Cliff ride on Kumayuru, an embarrassed lord on a cute bear. Milaine couldn’t stop smiling—she definitely thought the same thing.

“We’re heading home right away,” said Cliff in an incredibly serious voice, sitting proudly atop a fuzzy-wuzzy bear.

 

On our way to the tunnel, we caught sight of a stone wall, and behind it two massive bears—my new bear house.

“When I headed over to see the tunnel,” said Cliff, “I was shocked to see this giant…thing had been constructed.”

“I told you I made one.”

“But it’s so large.”

“I wanted to bring the orphans along, started planning for that, and things got a little bit…” I gestured vaguely at the whole thing.

“Yuna,” said Milaine from behind me—we were both atop Kumakyu, “you’ve simply got to let me stay there next time I’m here.”

Of course, I said she could. We reached the tunnel on bearback and its entrance, with the bear statue beside it. People who didn’t know me would think it was just a regular old bear, right? No one would equate this bear statue to me, right? Yeah. Yeah, no way…or that’s what I told myself as I used bear light magic and headed into the tunnel.

With the tunnel brightly illuminated, my bears broke out into a run toward the exit of the tunnel. Partway there, we ran into a stray goblin, but I took care of it lickety-split and burned the goblin extra-crispy so the body wouldn’t attract other monsters.

“Looks like we’ve got to finish the tunnel quick or monsters will settle into it,” I muttered.

“Not surprising,” said Milaine. “A hole like this is exactly the right conditions for a monster nest.”

“Yes. First, we’ll send adventurers here and have them slay the monsters around the area. We can’t bring workers over until we’ve ensured it’s safe.”

“But before we can dispatch adventurers, we’ll need to conduct a survey of what kinds of monsters there are.”

“We can just ask the adventurers’ guild for that.” Not a bad idea. They were pretty likely to have already collected information about the local monsters.

The moment we got out of the tunnel and I tried heading out to Crimonia, Cliff stopped us.

“Yuna, wait. You haven’t forgotten, have you?”

When I turned around, Cliff had a mortifying grin on his face. Of course I remembered. That’s why I tried to give these dorks the slip!

“Make the bear statue before we get back to Crimonia.”

“Can’t I do it next time?”

“Mm. Can you give a specific time? No, I don’t think so. You’re just trying to get out of it.”

“Hrm.” He’d figured me out. Just when I thought I’d gotten away with it…!

“I can see your squirrely eyes. It’s going to formally be called the Bear Tunnel, so we need a bear statue, don’t we? If you don’t put up a bear statue, I’ll make a statue of you instead.”

Fine adult he made, smiling while threatening me like that. A textbook example of the kind of adult you told kids to never grow into.

Milaine sighed. “Yuna, give this one up. Cliff is insufferable when he gets like this. Though I’ll admit, a statue of you would be quite the sight.”

“You too, Milaine?” Was there no escape?

I reluctantly hopped off Kumakyu and created a cartoonified bear statue in front of the tunnel entrance. The one good thing was that it wasn’t a statue of me. If Cliff did make a statue of me, I’d never be able to use the tunnel again and I’d never be able to go to Mileela seaport for the shame.

When I made the statue, my bears perked up. Maybe they were happy to have another one of their own with them? Very cute, very weird, and perfectly on brand for my fuzzy little guys.

With my statue done (ugh), I started off to Crimonia again. The two of them headed off to their workplaces, Cliff to his lord’s estate and Milaine to the trade guild. As for me, I just went home. I was the only one without a job to do, so I could laze around. Sure, I had errands to run, but I wasn’t in a hurry, so…I’d do those tomorrow.

I’ll do it tomorrow. I’ll put in actual effort tomorrow. Ah, the mantra of a slacker. Why do something today if it could wait? No reason to force it when the bed was cozy and (best yet) right there.

 

The next day, I went to the trade guild to see Milaine and figure out Anz’s shop. I could’ve done it tomorrow or the day after, but I think even I have a limit to my slacking. Plus, Anz was finally really coming to Crimonia. I needed to have the shop prepped and ready to go for when she got there.

I got to the guild, but…no Milaine. Maybe she was working in the back?

“Um, Miss Bear?” someone asked.

“Who, me?” At the sound of that very peculiar title, I turned to see a young girl who seemed to be part of the guild staff behind me.

“I mean Miss Yuna, are you looking for Ms. Milaine?”

Uh-huh. Pretending she hadn’t just called me Miss Bear just now, was she? Not that I could complain, especially considering I just answered to it… “Yeah, I am. Is she around?”

“Yes, she is. However, she has been in her office since yesterday. I’m not sure she’s even slept.”

Wow, working nonstop since we’d gotten back? Being a guild master sounded rough. I’d gotten a good night’s sleep and felt in tiptop shape—the way of the slacker triumphed once again.

“Would you like me to call her?” asked the girl.

“But she’s working, isn’t she?” Maybe it’d be better to talk to one of the other staff? Milaine already knew about the shop, but I felt bad asking her for even more help after putting her through an all-nighter with the Mileela situation.

“Yuna, what’s the matter?” And out came Milaine from the backroom while I fretted over what to do. Well, that’s one way of solving things.

 

“I had something I wanted to ask you, Milaine.”

“Is it about Anz’s shop, by any chance?” There we go, cutting right to the chase.

“I was hoping you’d help me out like you had with my other shop.” (She sure looked exhausted, though.) “I’d really like to set it up near the Bear’s Lounge, if possible.”

“Yuna. Yuna, Yuna, Yuna. You know I’d like to help you, but this Mileela situation is…” she yawned. “Things are busy.” That ‘situation’ really had just happened, so it made sense. “Don’t worry. Lianna?”

“Yes, ma’am?” That guild employee girl responded.

“Please sell Yuna some land near the Bear’s Lounge. Give her a half-off discount.”

Whoa, really? From Milaine? “Guild master! Are you certain about that?”

“Yes, Ms. Milaine, are you sure?” said the staff member.

“Yes. Considering the profits that Yuna will bring to Crimonia in the future, the amount is insignificant. Yuna only has eyes for the seafood, but Cliff and I think that salt will be our biggest commodity.”

“Salt?”

“Naturally. Until now, we’ve been buying salt, but the ocean will get us large quantities at less cost. Furthermore, we’ll be able to sell it to other towns and villages. The profit will be far larger than you’re thinking, Yuna, so don’t worry about the land. Of course,” she said, flashing me a tired smile, “we do need to keep up appearances though, so I can’t just give it to you for free.”

I suppose salt was important in any world. Even more valuable than sugar, if you thought about it. I normally bought salt without a thought, so I hadn’t really realized, but these were the lord and trade guild’s master I was talking about here. They looked at things from a completely different point of view.

Me, I just had a whim and did the thing. They, on the other hand, deliberated over their actions based on the interest of the town. That’s a leader, and that’s how I knew I wasn’t one.

“Lianna, I’m leaving the rest up to you.”

“What about you, guild master?”

“Me? I’m famished, so I’m going to have a meal.” She weakly waved at us and left the guild.

“Well then, Ms. Yuna,” Lianna said, “please come this way.” I followed. “Would you like it near your current shop?”

“You know about my shop?”

“But of course! I have visited many times. That bread you call peat-sah is delicious.”

“Thank you.”

“Now, as far as the area around the shop is concerned, there are several buildings available. Do you have any requirements for the place?”

“I want to make a restaurant, so I need a building big enough for that.”

“In that case, there are three options.” Lianna led me along to the buildings and I bought one of the ones near the Bear’s Lounge. It was slightly smaller than the the Bear’s Lounge, but I lucked out with that one and found a former noble’s estate. If I did some remodeling, this would do just fine.

 

“Tiermina. We’ve known each other a while, so—”

“Please say what you need to say, Yuna.”

“I need your help.”

“I was wondering where you were leading me…” The building came into view, and Tiermina let out a long sigh.

C’mon—Milaine was way too busy with work, so the only person I could count on was Tiermina.

“You just want it to be a restaurant then?” Exasperated as she was, Tiermina did still help me in the end. She always came through.

“Yeah, I want to make it kind of like Morin’s shop.”

“All right. I’ll make whatever arrangements I can.”

“Thank you.”

“But you’re in charge of making the bear ornaments, of course.”

“I’m not making any.”

“Really?”

Really. I’d only done that because they made the name of the shop Bear’s Lounge and wanted me to make the shop more bear-like. This time we hadn’t chosen a name for the shop, so we didn’t need any such thing.

“If we need them later,” said Tiermina, “you can make them then.”

“We super absolutely will not need decorative bears ever for this one, thanks.”

“You really think so? I suppose you wouldn’t do it if it didn’t need it.” Tiermina smiled as though she were insinuating something.

Eh, whatever.

I started remodeling the shop with Tiermina. We removed a wall on the first floor and made it one huge room. Since the kitchen was small, I expanded it a little. There was a pantry next to the kitchen, and I suppose it was big enough? If not, I could expand it later.

I’d figure out the tables and interior decoration after Anz came. By then things would probably settle down for Milaine, so I could get her feedback too.

I left the second floor as is—Anz could live there or she could use it as a break room. I planned to figure out the details when Anz got here. For now, I figured out the basics and finished the areas that would take a lot of time. Since it was going to be Anz’s shop, I needed to ask her opinion too.

But even this felt good. Felt like progress.

I headed outside and checked out the exterior of the building. The workers that Tiermina had arranged for cleaned it up nicely, so the building looked good, but it also looked a little barren. Maybe that was my imagination?

I looked at the Bear’s Lounge, which was a slight distance away. I could see the bear ornaments even from here.

I looked at the building in front of me. Totally barren of bears.

But, you know, maybe Anz hated bears? That’s the kind of thing you’ve gotta respect, so nope! No bears, no way.