Chapter 236: The Bear Arrives at the Elves’ Village

Chapter 236:
The Bear Arrives at the Elves’ Village

 

ELVES GREETED US as we entered the village. I wondered if they’d gathered after the trackers from before had filled them in on our arrival. You’d think that Sanya would be the main event after being gone for a decade, but my bears and I were stealing the show. The children looked at Kumayuru and Kumakyu with a twinkle in their eyes.

A male elf stepped out from the crowd. I’d say he was in his forties…but y’know: he was an elf, so who could really say how old he actually was?

“Sanya…” he said, “it’s been much too long.”

“I’m glad to be home, Grandfather,” Sanya replied.

“You did well bringing Sanya back to us, Luimin,” he said, and Luimin looked positively delighted.

This was apparently Sanya and Luimin’s grandfather, but he only looked middle-aged, at best. If their grandfather looked this young, then Sanya’s parents had to look even younger. Elves sure are nothing to scoff at.

“Sanya! Luimin!”

“Mother!”

A young female elf ran over to where Sanya and her grandfather were talking—their mother, I guess. She looked super young, though. You could’ve said she was their sister and I wouldn’t have batted an eye.

“Is it okay if you speak with them tomorrow?” their mother said to their grandfather. “They’ve only just returned after traveling so far.”

“I don’t mind, but I’d at least like an introduction of our guests.”

The grandfather looked over at me and my bears. I guess we were going to do self-introductions now…? I started to speak, but the grandfather beat me to it.

“I am Mumulute, the head of this village. As you have probably guessed, I am the grandfather of Luimin and Sanya.”

“I’m Yuna, an adventurer. Sanya is always helping me out at the Adventurer Guild, and I asked her if she could bring me along. I don’t want to be a bother, so…I’m sorry if I’m imposing on you.” I made sure to be as polite as possible so I’d make a good first impression. Then again, how good can you make a first impression when you’re wearing a freakin’ bear onesie?

Mumulute turned to look at Kumayuru and Kumakyu. “Are those your bears, miss?”

“These are my bear summons. The black one is Kumayuru. The white one is Kumakyu.”

I recalled both of them to prove it; astonished gasps sounded all around us. The kids seemed disappointed. “The bears disappeared…” one of them whined.

“All right, then,” said Mumulute. “You’ll give people a fright summoning those, so keep them tucked away while in the village.” He was right—I’d probably scare anyone who didn’t already know about my bears, so I decided to follow his instructions.

He turned to Sanya. “Make sure to take care of our guest, you hear?”

“Yes, of course,” she replied.

“Your name was Yuna, yes? You’ve come from afar, so we will welcome you as our guest. Times may be hectic, but please make yourself at home.”

“Thank you very much!” I said.

“Come to my house tomorrow morning, Sanya.”

She nodded. “I will.”

Mumulute made his leave, and Luimin tugged along with her mother to take his place. She looked so young. It was weird thinking that she was their mother.

“Yuna,” said Luimin, “meet Mom!”

“I’m Talia. It seems you’re well acquainted with my daughters.” She looked so beautiful up close, and way too young to be the mother of two.

“I’m Yuna. I’m an adventurer. Sanya’s helped me a lot.”

“You’re so polite. Does everyone in the capital dress like that?” Talia asked.

You know, honesty is always the best policy for heading off any unfortunate misunderstandings. “Yup! Everyone dresses like this in the capital.”

“Yuna! Please don’t tell my mother lies! She doesn’t leave the elves’ village much, so she might believe you. Mom, don’t listen to her. No one was dressed like that at all except Yuna.”

Well, there went my joke. Actually, plenty of people in Crimonia dressed like this because of the shop uniforms. It’s not like no one dressed like this, you know?

“Oh, is that so? I thought it was adorable. That’s too bad since I was going to make one for you, Luimin.”

“I don’t need one. It’s too embarrassing!” Did she just say she doesn’t want one? And that it’d be embarrassing? Wow. What was I, chopped liver?

“It’s only cute,” she added, “because Yuna is wearing it.” That didn’t feel like a compliment.

“Ha ha! Looks like you’ve brought an interesting friend home, Sanya. You must be tired from the long journey. We can chat more at the house.”

Talia guided me to her house, Luimin walking happily beside her. She seemed happy to be back with her mom after not being home for a while. Sanya followed along after them. I would’ve figured she’d act a little more like Luimin, considering she hadn’t seen her mom in a while either. But maybe she was too embarrassed to, given her age.

After walking for a while, we got to a slightly bigger house than the others. “It’s a bit small,” said Talia, “but please, make yourself at home.”

Whew, way to throw the other houses under the bus.

Luimin opened the door and headed in first.

“I’m back!”

“Sis?” When we got in, a boy popped his head out from a back room. Or wait…were they a boy? It was his short hair, I guess. If he grew it out, though, he’d look rather effeminate.

“Lucca, I’m home!” said Luimin.

“Sister!” the elf called out and hustled over.

“Have you been good while you looked after the house? You didn’t give Mom any sass now, did you?”

“I’ve been very good!” Lucca happily hugged Luimin, who patted his head.

He seemed to be about seven or eight years old. I guess if he called Luimin his sister, he was Luimin and Sanya’s younger brother. He did look a lot like them.

Then Sanya said something unexpected. “Luimin, who is this?” she asked, looking at the young elf.

“This is our little brother, Lucca,” said Luimin.

Talia sighed and turned to face Sanya. “You haven’t been home since he was born, so you wouldn’t know about him.”

Sanya’s family had grown without her realizing. She definitely wouldn’t have known if she hadn’t come home a single time since Lucca was born.

“Wait a minute,” said Sanya. “You should have contacted me! Why didn’t you let me know?”

It was also kind of her fault for not coming home, though. When I really thought about it, I had to side with Talia on this one.

“I thought I could let you know once you were back,” said Talia, “but you never came home.”

Sanya sighed as if she’d given up. Lucca detached himself from Luimin and looked over at us. “There’s a bear and a stranger. Who are they?” he asked Luimin, looking a little worried about these unfamiliar faces.

I had to be the bear…which meant that the stranger was Sanya. Sanya looked a little sad at that, but that’s just what she got for not coming home for a whole entire decade.

“The girl who looks like a bear is Yuna,” said Luimin. “I got to know her at the capital. And this is our older sister. Remember how I told you we have an older sister?”

“Older sister…?”

Sanya made her way over to Lucca and bent down so she was on eye level with him. “Um…hi, Lucca. Looks like this is the first time we’re meeting. I’m Sanya. I’m Luimin’s older sister, so that makes me your older sister too. I’d be happy if you could call me that.”

Lucca looked a little worried with that explanation, but then he looked at Sanya and said, slightly embarrassed, “Big sister Sanya…?”

“Yeah!” Sanya seemed happy when she was called Lucca’s big sister.

I wasn’t jealous. If I went back to Crimonia, I had tons of kids who’d call me big sister. Man, I hoped Fina and the orphans were doing all right. Once night came around, I’d call up Fina on my bear phone and let her know we’d gotten to the village.

For now, I greeted Lucca too. “I’m Yuna. I know Sanya pretty well. Nice to meet you!”

“Uh-huh...” Lucca was embarrassed and hid behind Luimin. With the greetings over, Luimin showed me into a room further into the house.

“I never would’ve thought I’d come home to a little brother,” said Sanya. “Lucca, how old are you?

He hesitated for a moment. “Eight.”

“Like I said, you haven’t been back in ten years,” Luimin quipped.

That was the evidence that cinched it. Nothing else could’ve better proven that she hadn’t been home in way, way too long.

“Well, I suppose that means we’ve got our future head of the village. Thank goodness.”

“You left because you didn’t want to become the head, right?” Luimin asked.

Was that really why she left though?

“That wasn’t the reason. I just wanted to see the outside world.”

“So now that you’ve been away for ten years without one visit home, are you ever intending to come back?” Talia came over with a tray of drinks. Luimin went to help her and handed everyone a cup.

“Mother...” Sanya started.

“Well, what do you think? Isn’t it about time you settled down to get married and have kids?”

“It’s still too early for marriage. Besides, I’m quite happy with my work.”

I heard that people who took that stance would lose their marriageable years, but elves live a while, so I guess that wouldn’t be a problem.

“Are you going to make me wait for a few more decades, then?” Talia sighed as she held her cheek in her hand.

Decades?! Jeez, elves live for so long…

“You’ve got Lucca here. I don’t need to have children anymore.”

“That may be true, but I want to see grandchildren soon. If Lucca grows up like you, I’ll have to wait another hundred years at this rate!”

Wow. Elves, man.

“You could marry him off earlier?” Sanya offered.

“Not a chance! I’m not handing him over to a bride for a while yet.” Talia hugged Lucca. I had no idea what to even say; their perception of time was just on a completely different level.

“In that case, you’ve still got Luimin,” Sanya said.

“Sister! Don’t pull me into this.”

“You think Luimin could get married?” said Talia.

“Ugh…! You’re so mean, Mom.”

“Um…! I’ll marry you, I guess?” Lucca offered.

Luimin laughed and hugged her little brother. “Thanks, Lucca, but siblings can’t get married. You’ll just have to marry Mom.”

“Parents can’t marry their children either!!!” Sanya shouted.

The whole family, Luimin included, were getting too silly, too fast. If Sanya wasn’t there, who’d rein them in? Then again, maybe their dad—wherever he was—served that role when Sanya wasn’t here.