Chapter 59: The Bear Builds a Flowerbed with the Maid

Chapter 59:
The Bear Builds a Flowerbed
with the Maid

 

BEFORE WE LEFT the estate, I asked Noa if she wanted anything.

“In that case, I want to play with the bears.”

We headed over to the residence’s garden. It was the same place where I had the match with Shia the other day. It had a wall, so I didn’t even have to worry about people looking in. Since I promised to show her my summons after the match, Shia also came with us. Since it was her day off from the academy, she was wearing her own clothes. They were pretty cute.

“And you’re certain they aren’t dangerous?”

“They’re safe. Kumayuru and Kumakyu are so very cute,” the younger sister explained to her worried older sister.

When we got to the garden, I put out my right and left bear puppets in front of me and summoned Kumayuru and Kumakyu.

“Kumayuru, Kumakyu,” Noa said, hopping up and down. Shia was shocked. Fina approached them slowly.

“Shia, the bears are really smart, so that means they won’t hurt people. It’s okay. Try petting them.”

Shia slowly approached and touched Kumayuru. Once she realized Kumayuru was docile, she tried gently petting the bear.

“It’s soft.”

“Yes,” said Noa, “isn’t the texture wonderful?”

“Their fur is beautiful, too. I’ve never touched anything like it before.”

“Yes, it feels really nice. When we were coming from Crimonia, I even took a nap while on top of Kumayuru.”

Noa hopped up on Kumayuru’s back.

“You should ride too, Shia. It’s so comfortable on here.”

Shia seemed uneasy, but she took Noa’s hand and mounted behind her. Fina got onto Kumakyu.

“They really are so docile!”

It looked like things would be all right.

 

While Noa and the others were playing with the bears in the garden, a maid came along with a shovel. Her name was Surilina. She was the maid that was there when I had my match with Shia, and she was the one who served us our meals.

“Lady Noa! Lady Shia!” Surilina quickly readied the shovel like she was holding a sword. “What are bears doing here?!”

“Those bears are my summons, so they’re not dangerous.” I leapt in to stop Surilina; she still looked ready to throw down.

“They’re your summons, Lady Yuna?”

“Yeah, so please lower your shovel.”

“Surilina, it’s okay,” Noa said, clinging to Kumayuru in hopes of proving the bears were safe.

Surilina seemed to hesitate for a bit, but then lowered the shovel.

“They’re really your summons, then, Lady Yuna? You are surprising in so many ways. So, what are you all doing here?”

“We’re playing with the bears,” said Noa.

“I promised them they could. Sorry for making you nervous.”

“Not at all. I was a bit surprised, but it was fine once I realized they weren’t dangerous.”

“Yuna, is it okay if I do a lap around the estate?” Noa asked.

“Sure, but don’t do anything too attention-grabbing.”

“I won’t. Alright Fina, we’re having a match!” She pointed at Fina, who was riding Kumakyu.

“Like I said, don’t do anything too attention-grabbing. Kumayuru, Kumakyu, no running.”

“But Yuna…” Noa looked sad when I issued my no-running order.

“No means no.”

“Okay.” Noa nodded reluctantly and goaded Kumayuru and Kumakyu into a light stroll.

 

“So, Surilina, why are you carrying a shovel?” She hadn’t come here just to fight the bears, had she?

“The lady of the house gave me permission to plant a flowerbed, so I’ve come to do that.”

“You’re not doing that all by yourself, right?”

“I am. I was the one who asked for the flowerbed. I plan on taking my time with it.”

Still, it wasn’t like that’d make the work any easier. I didn’t know how big she wanted to make the thing, but I knew it would be difficult to do alone.

“Can I lend a hand?”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I don’t have any plans to go out today, and they’re doing that.”

I looked at Noa and the others as they rode the bears in slow laps around the estate. Even though I was looking at their backs, I could tell that they were having fun. Kumayuru and Kumakyu’s little tails were wagging side to side.

“Those bears are lovely.”

I started digging the flowerbed with Surilina. “About how big do you want it?”

“Let’s see. I was planning on planting it from here to there.”

That was bigger than I thought it’d be. Was she really planning on planting that whole thing herself? I doubted she intended to do it in a day, but it was still a considerable task.

“Well then, tell me what to do. I’ll do it with magic.”

“You know how to use earth magic then, Lady Yuna?”

“What about you?”

“Just a bit. Not enough that I can fight like adventurers.” Surilina turned her hands towards the ground, and it swelled slightly.

We made a block frame for the flowerbed, set up the drainage, and got soil ready for the flowers. Magic’s really convenient. I enjoyed doing things I couldn’t have done in my original world. I lost plenty of things coming here, but I also gained plenty too. Noa and the others got in the way sometimes as we plugged away at our task, but partway through, they started helping out.

“Lady Yuna, can you take care of that over there?”

Maybe it was just her personality, or maybe it was because I was good at doing the things she asked, but Surilina gave me surprisingly detailed instructions. I was kind of getting in the swing of things, and we ended up with a near picture-perfect flowerbed.

“Lady Yuna, thank you very much. I didn’t think this could be done in a single day.”

“So, do you have any plants?”

“Yes, I have prepared the favorite flowers of the lady of the house.”

“Hopefully they bloom nicely.”

“Yes, I’ll make sure to take care of them.”

When we surveyed the garden, two bears and three girls were fast asleep in it. It looked like they tuckered themselves out after playing and lending a hand with the flowerbed. There was still mud on their faces. I pulled out a handkerchief and wiped them clean.

“Ha ha. They’re going to need baths.” Surilina was eyeing the dirty children, but she was muddy from the work, too. I wasn’t dirty at all, thanks to my bear gear.

When I went to wake the three girls, Ellelaura came into the garden. “Oh? What are all of you doing in here?”

“My lady, welcome home.”

“Oh, they look so cozy.” She seemed delighted as she looked at the three of them asleep in Kumayuru and Kumakyu’s arms. “Are those bears your summons?”

“The black one is Kumayuru. The white one is Kumakyu.”

“What cute names. Can I touch them?”

“As long as you don’t hurt them.”

Ellelaura approached Kumayuru and touched the bear.

“It feels warm and nice to the touch. I understand why they fell asleep.” She smiled as she looked at the three girls. “So, what were the two of you doing?”

“We were making a flowerbed,” Surilina showed her our work.

“Oh, the one you were talking about before. You made this in one day? It’s beautiful.”

“Yes. Yuna’s earth magic is wonderful. She made it just how I imagined it.”

“Did she now? Yuna, thank you. We always seem to be bothering you for every little thing.” She looked at the beautifully made flowerbed and the sleeping girls surrounded by the bears. “I really must pay you back for all of this, somehow.”

“It’s really okay. I had fun making it.”

“In that case, we’ll have an extravagant dinner to thank you. Surilina, please let the head chef know.” She looked over at the sleeping kids. “Well, shall we get these three up soon?”

We shook them awake as they clung to the bears.

“Mother?” Noa looked at her mother with a sleepy face.

“Rise and shine. It looks like the three of you slept well.”

We got the three kids awake and I recalled the bears, which made all three of them look sad— even Fina, for some reason. We took baths, then once we were clean, feasted on the promised dinner.