Chapter 212: The Bear Returns from the Rescue

Chapter 212:
The Bear Returns from the Rescue

 

“WE’LL NEED CARRIAGES, so get them ready!”

When we brought the children back to the ground floor, we found Cliff giving orders. He came over when he spotted us. “Finally made it back, have you?” He looked a little tired. I let the kids down from Kumakyu and left them in Misa’s care.

“Cliff, you’re here,” Ellelaura said.

“I arrived just a bit ago.” Cliff turned his attention from Misa to me. “Yuna, thank you for rescuing Misana. I’m sure Gran and the others will also be relieved.”

“Is Noa all right?” I asked. Fina had woken up, but Noa had still been out cold when I’d taken off.

“She’s all right. In fact, she woke up right after you left.”

Good. That was one less thing to worry about. “Now that you mention it, Gran isn’t here?”

I looked around, but I still didn’t spot him. His grandchild had been carried off, so I thought he’d come running before anyone else. Maybe he was still searching for Misa at home?

But that wasn’t the answer Cliff gave. “Gran is being held up by the townspeople because of you.”

“Because of me?” Was he saying that it was my fault Gran wasn’t here?

“Yuna, you barreled through the middle of town on your bears! You gave the townspeople a scare, and now they’re in a panic. When Gran showed up, they surrounded him to tell him about the bears appearing. He’s the feudal lord, after all. Now they’re raising a fuss about dispatching soldiers and adventurers to get rid of the bears on the loose. Gran had to stay behind to calm them down.”

“Oh, yes. I think anyone would be startled after seeing Yuna riding a bear like a lunatic.” Ellelaura agreed.

Was it really that big of a deal? Wait…did this mean I couldn’t walk around town anymore? That seemed like a difficult position to be in…

Just as I was feeling deflated, Kumayuru and Kumakyu came over to nuzzle me and cheer me up. Or…no, that didn’t seem right. Actually, I got the sense that my bears were apologizing.

“It’s not really your fault, Kumayuru and Kumakyu.” I said, softly patting their heads.

“That’s right,” said Misa. She gave Kumakyu a big bear hug. “Kumayuru and Kumakyu aren’t scary at all.”

“Still, that’s why Gran won’t be coming for a while,” said Cliff.

But this all wasn’t our fault. It was all because that toad noble kidnapped Misa! If they hadn’t kidnapped anyone, I wouldn’t have gotten mad and rushed through the town while riding Kumayuru and Kumakyu. Nope! Not my fault, thank you very much.

…Not that it mattered much. I probably wouldn’t be walking around Sheelin for a while.

“All right, Cliff, how much have you been filled in?” Ellelaura asked.

“I met Mishel on the way, and then Ranzel got me caught up here. I know that Yuna went on a rampage and rescued an unscathed Misana, and that afterward, you and Yuna went to search for the other children.”

“The children came into our care without issue,” said Ellelaura. “After this, I will be reaching out the merchant guild to contact their families, though I’d rather not meet with the guild master at present.”

That’s right—the Merchant Guild master had connections with the toad man, according to what they’d said.

“In that case, we could take them to Gran’s house,” said Cliff. “Since they’re merchants who have been friends of Gran, I’m sure he would at least have their contact information.”

“A fine idea,” said Ellelaura. “Taking them to Gran’s house is the best option.”

“I’m having a carriage prepared right now, so just wait a while.”

“How thoughtful of you.”

“For now, I’ve done the essentials. I’ve established a guard, of course, and the carriage. We’ve also checked the surrounding area, and Ranzel has volunteered to search for the remaining servants. We even sent a few people to help him.”

Whoa, Cliff was really on the ball with the lord stuff today! He’d already gotten the work done?

“But there were several things I wanted to confirm with Gran,” Ellelaura said. “Who would’ve thought the man would be caught up because of an uproar due to a couple of bears?” Ellelaura gave me a look, but hey, I already said it wasn’t my fault. It’d been an emergency, and the toad noble had literally kidnapped Misa.

“I came with some guards I borrowed from Gran. Let’s do what we can until then,” said Cliff.

“You’re right,” said Ellelaura. “After we gather all the servants, we’ll need to question them one at a time. Then, we’ll need to search every room of the estate after that. There’s no end to the work we’ll need to do.”

“In that case, I will get started on the questioning.”

“Thank you. I’ll take my leave to search the rooms,” Ellelaura said, which made the toad groan and turn bright red. Guess he had something he really didn’t want her seeing. Ellelaura ignored the toad and addressed me. “Yuna, you take the children to Gran’s estate once the carriage arrives. Misana probably wants to see her family soon as well. I’m sure it’ll make them feel better.”

There wasn’t anything I could help with, even if I stayed here, so I agreed.

The carriage was ready right away after that, so I boarded it with the kids and we headed to Gran’s house. Cliff had told me that the townspeople would probably lose it if they spotted me, so it’d be best to recall my bears and go with them in the carriage. It seemed like good advice, from what he’d told me…

 

When our carriage arrived at Gran’s house, we were greeted by Misa’s sobbing mother. When Misa spotted her mother, she started crying as well. Her father, Leonardo, seemed overjoyed at the sight of his wife and daughter reunited. He came over to me. “Yuna… Thank you so much for rescuing our daughter.”

“I’m glad I made it in time.”

“We can’t thank you enough, Yuna. I was surprised the first time I saw you, but my father reassured me that you’d be able to handle things.”

“Truly, thank you so much for rescuing our daughter,” said Misa’s mother, holding Misa tightly in her arms. I followed Ellelaura and Cliff’s instructions and reported everything, just like they’d requested.

“Could you contact these kids’ families?” I asked.

“Who are they?”

“These are the kids of the merchants who were kidnapped, like Misa. Gran might know their parents, according to Cliff and Ellelaura.”

“I understand. I’ll check right away.”

Leonardo went over to the children and asked them their names. Since I’d safely delivered Misa, I headed to the room where Fina and Noa were. I figured they might have been sleeping, so I opened the door quietly. I heard Noa’s voice come from inside the room.

“I told you, I’m fine!” she said.

“You can’t,” said another voice. “Please rest. Otherwise, I’ll get in trouble with Lord Cliff.”

“But isn’t Yuna back?”

“It appears she is, but both you and Mademoiselle Fina were told to rest. Please rest quietly like Mademoiselle Fina.”

Inside the room, Noa and Meishun were quarreling beside Fina’s bed.

“Noa,” I broke in, “you sure look chipper.”

“Yuna!” the kids exclaimed. They jumped from their beds to rush over to me.

“Lady Noire! Mademoiselle Fina!” Meishun called out from behind Noa and Fina.

“Shouldn’t you be resting?” I asked.

“I daresay I’m quite fine!”

“Uh-huh! I’m fine too!”

Good. They were safe and sound.

“Um…how is Misa?” Noa asked me.

“Saved her before they could harm a hair on her head,” I said. Well, I didn’t know that for sure, but she seemed fine. “Rest easy.”

It seemed like they’d been pretty worried about Misa—they both looked really relieved. And in the middle of our chat, Misa herself came in to show them that she was fine.

“Sorry for making you worry Noa, Fina,” she said. “And thanks, you two, for trying to save me.”

“You’re practically my little sister,” Noa said. “Of course I would save you, as your elder.”

“And you’re my friend, Lady Misa,” added Fina.

“Thank you…” Smiling ear-to-ear, Misa hugged Noa and Fina.

Misa talked with us for several more minutes before leaving. I guess she’d spend today with her worried mother.

When dinnertime rolled around, Zelef treated us to a delicious meal, but Cliff, Ellelaura, and even Gran hadn’t returned yet.

 

Gran was there in the morning when I went to the dining room for breakfast, but I didn’t see Cliff or Ellelaura. Still, he thanked me the moment he saw me.

“I’m just glad she’s safe,” I said. That was what really mattered—not any thanks or appreciation.

“Mister Gran, where are my mother and father?” Noa asked. Before we came to the dining room, we had knocked on Cliff’s room next to ours, but there hadn’t been a response. We’d thought he could be in the dining hall, but he wasn’t here either.

“They’re still working,” Gran replied. It seemed they hadn’t returned last night. Gran complained that they’d sent him home because he was old.

“Even I could stay up a night or two,” he said, but Misa’s parents had done everything they could to stop him. “But I did need to come back to ask you for a favor, Yuna.”

“From me?”

“Yuna, I’m sorry, but for now could you please not walk around town in that bear outfit?” Gran blurted.