829 Encounter with the Bear Lydia Edition Part 1 - Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear

We managed to make medicine with the Beltra grass we acquired, but it did not cure my sister's illness. However, that doesn't mean it was ineffective. When she takes it during a fever, her temperature drops, and her condition stabilizes. Undoubtedly, it is more effective than ordinary medicine. But as soon as she falls ill again, the fever returns, and the rashes worsen. Even when consulting the apothecary, he insists that the medicine made from Beltra grass will lead to recovery. We sought opinions from other apothecaries, but the result was the same. With no other choice, my brother and I began fulfilling requests from the apothecary. "If you find these herbs, please bring them to me." Handing us a new paper with sketches of different herbs and flowers, During seasons when the Beltra grass couldn't be harvested, we would go to nearby forests, other forests, and even further into deep woods where the apothecary requested more Beltra grass. The herbs we found were purchased at prices that didn't reflect our hard work. Even when we inquired about the market rate with other apothecaries, they simply said that was the price if the apothecary declared it so. Yet, the medicines lined on the apothecary’s shelves were all expensive. I thought the herbs used to make such medicines could also fetch a higher price, but he explained that making medicine requires knowledge, skill, and time for mixing. Once he said that, we couldn't argue anymore. Even if we gathered the herbs, we lacked the skill to turn them into medicine. So after gathering herbs over several days, all we could do was hand them over to the apothecary and have medicine made. The only thing left for us to do was venture out to collect Beltra grass. And as this year came around, it was time again to gather Beltra grass. We hitched a ride on a carriage heading to the capital and got off midway, making our way toward the forest. Few adventurers ventured to this forest since it was quite distant from towns and the capital. In this forest, you could see trails marked with strings tied by pioneering adventurers. Even when we first came to this forest, we relied on these markers to venture deep into the forest. Having been here several times, we're able to reach the desired Beltra grass even without the markers. "Brother, monsters." The sound of monsters walking. I informed my brother, who was walking behind me, about the direction of the monsters. "How many?" "Probably four." "Then it's dangerous on the left; we'll go right." My brother spoke while glancing at a simple map. The map detailed past monster encounters and locations where herbs were found. "There's herbs ahead; let's gather them before moving on." As usual, we navigated through familiar routines. We managed to gather herbs without encountering any monsters. "We'll set up camp a little further ahead." Avoiding monsters and gathering herbs inevitably shortened the distance we could travel in a day. Eventually, we found our next camping spot amidst the Bewildering Flowers. The Bewildering Flowers emitted a powder that disoriented those who approached. If one unknowingly inhaled it, they'd lose their sense of direction and instinctively move away from the flowers. Once, when wolves attacked us, we unknowingly ventured in the opposite direction and stumbled upon the flowers by accident. The Bewildering Flowers confused not just adventurers but all creatures, including monsters. Once we reached them, the sounds of monsters vanished. Back then, it was hectic as my brother tried to move in various directions. We wrapped cloth around our mouths and noses to not inhale the flower's powder. While it's suffocating, it allowed us to avoid monster attacks and rest our bodies. We headed to the Bewildering Flower’s nesting site. "I have to say, aren't there more monsters than usual?" "Yeah, it’s forced us to take detours several times." "As expected, it's tough with just the two of us." "But we can't form a party and come herb-gathering either." Forming a party meant splitting profits from the gathered herbs. Of course, defeating monsters would increase profits, but our goal wasn't the monsters — it was the herbs. No adventurers were willing to indulge us with such priorities. "Finally, we can rest. Make sure to get a good rest." Here, there was no need for a lookout, so we could rest. After a simple meal, I let my body rest. The next morning. Sleeping on the ground left my body sore, but I slept soundly. We set off aiming for the cave. Countless detours and even nights spent atop trees later, we somehow reached the cave. "Be careful; it's dark." "Okay." We've been here numerous times, but the cave is still intimidating. The only light source was the lantern tied to my waist, freeing up my hands should I need to fight. If I could use light magic, I could illuminate the path with magic. I can use it at home, but in the forest, it becomes inaccessible. Though I don't feel particularly nervous, deep down, maybe my heart is tense. The monsters indeed scared me. But even in places without monsters, I can't use magic — a testament to my mental weakness. If only my heart was stronger, I could ease my brother's burden. Being unable to use magic due to tension embarrasses me, but at least I have my ears. "Brother..." Using hand signs, I signaled my brother behind me to stop. I heard the slithering of snakes. I readied my bow and shot in the direction of the sound. The slithering ceased. Next, I shot in another direction. "All done." We resumed walking. After a while, there lay a snake pierced by my arrow. "Looks like I didn't get to do much." He commented while thrusting his sword into the still writhing snake. I always repeat myself, but without an alternative, I wouldn’t stand a chance if a monster closed in. I can manage only because my brother is here. He retrieves the arrows from the defeated snake and hands them to me. Arrows aren't free. I once lost several arrows when I shot at an Explosive Flower and couldn't retrieve them. After safely exiting the cave, we reached a spot near where Beltra grass grew. But to our dismay, wolf footsteps could be heard close by. "Are they really here?" "Yeah, and quite a few. I’d say around thirty." With those numbers, there's no way we could fend them off. "We made it all the way here." Yet, we can't harvest the Beltra grass. "Let's come back tomorrow. They might have moved on by then." "Right..." We decided to return and come back again tomorrow. Then, we heard a large slithering sound while heading back. It was a sound I'd never heard before. What is it? "What's wrong?" Noticing my reaction, my brother asked with concern. "Something large is slithering." "What's this large thing?" "I don't know. It sounds like something heavy and big crawling." That's as much as I could tell, but it frightened me. Birds were chirping frantically, and we heard the sound of them fleeing. "Let's get out of here." "Yeah." We decided to leave the area, but the slithering sound continued to echo around us. "Brother, there's a monster over here," I warned. "Then let's go this way," he responded. The slithering was heading toward the direction of the monsters. The slithering grew faster, and soon, the sounds of the monsters vanished. Something enormous had killed the smaller creatures. More precisely, they had been eaten. The unpleasant sound of it lingered in my ears. "What happened?" he asked. "The monsters are dead," was all I needed to say for him to grasp the situation. We turned our eyes toward where the slithering sound came from. At that moment, an immense figure loomed over us. It was a gigantic snake. The giant snake flicked its long tongue in and out, swaying its head from side to side while scanning the surroundings. Was it looking for us? My brother and I covered our mouths, staying utterly still and silent. The large snake lowered its head, and the slithering resumed, gradually fading away. "Phew," I exhaled softly. "It's okay now," I assured him. "W-what was that giant snake?" he stammered. "I have no idea." I've heard tales of massive creatures like that before but never actually seen one. "Was it looking for us?" "I'm not sure. Maybe it was just after any living thing," I suggested. I hoped that was the case. I didn't want to believe we were its targets. For now, we decided to distance ourselves from this area and head toward the cave. Being near the cave would allow us to both monitor the situation with the monsters and consider abandoning the Beltra grass and returning home, whichever was necessary. With that decision, my brother and I walked toward the cave. "Can you hear anything?" he asked. I focused, listening carefully. "No sound," I replied. "In that case, let's rest here today." Perhaps even the giant snake had settled down for the night, as there was no sound to be heard. "Let's take a break here." Having walked through the forest for several days, fatigue was beginning to weigh on us. Furthermore, encountering the giant snake had taken a toll on us mentally. We didn’t want to give up on the Beltra grass, but with such a huge snake lurking, we couldn't proceed. For now, we decided to rest our bodies and rethink our approach tomorrow.