841 Bear, destroys the magic circle - Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear

After we finished our tea, we moved to the disassembly room. It wasn't so much a disassembly room anymore, but a place for processing medicinal herbs. Well, since only Fina used the disassembly room, it sat unused in her absence. Upon entering the room, Mane retrieved a bottle of magic water and the flowers we collected. “Alright, you two, bring out the flowers you gathered.” Lydia and I obediently took out the flowers as instructed. “Open the bottle and gently put the flowers inside.” Mane demonstrated for us. She opened the lid of the bottle filled with magic water and delicately placed the blue flowers she had harvested inside. As she did, the blue hue of the flowers began to fade to white. “They turned white.” “The flower's effects and your own magic dissolve together. Then, you take out the whitened flower.” Using tweezers, Mane gently plucked the flowers floating in the magic water and placed them on a prepared tray. “You repeat this process until the flowers stop turning white. That’s when the preliminary preparation is done.” I dipped a flower into the magic water. Though the flower didn’t dissolve, it was fascinating to see its color change to white. “You’d be tempted to toss them in all at once, wouldn't you?” “I understand the temptation, but you must be meticulous. Sloppy work could affect the medicine. If you work diligently, the medicine will reward you.” It’s the same in any task. When given the choice between someone who works carefully and someone who works carelessly, you’d pick the careful worker every time. Although time is limited, it’s not wise to compromise quality for speed. Lydia and I continued to work meticulously. After a while, the flowers began turning white more slowly. “It seems the magic water is getting saturated.” Eventually, the blue flowers stopped changing at all. Yet, mysteriously, the magic water remained clear. You’d think with the blue flowers submerged, the water would turn blue too. “Mane, the flowers have stopped changing color. Is it done?” “Not quite. Lastly, stir it gently with this stick while gradually infusing your magic.” Mane handed us a small stick, reminiscent of the stirring rods used during elementary school science experiments. "It’s a stick that conducts magic easily, so stir slowly and gently. Once it turns blue, you’re done.” Lydia and I took hold of the sticks and stirred slowly. Eventually, the magic water transformed to match the blue hue of the flowers. “Mane, the color changed!” “Close the lid tightly to finish up. If there are more flowers left, process them the same way.” Our laborious work extended late into the night. Apparently, the stirring sticks were made from monster bones, something that startled Lydia. The higher the rank of the monster, the better the stick’s performance, and it was prized for fine magic adjustment. Like with herbs, it’s not just about infusing lots of magic. Cooking isn’t about dumping in loads of sugar or salt either—everything requires the right amount. Determining that amount must have taken long research. When our task was finished, we returned to the living room to find Zect asleep, cuddled into Kumayuru and Kumakyu. Lydia nudged him awake. We then had a late dinner and took a bath. "I'm exhausted." “Good job.” Today had been a battle from start to finish. At last, processing the flowers left me drained. But all that was left was to head home. Like the old saying goes, “You’re not back from the field trip until you get home safely.” I had to stay alert. …Something was tugging at the back of my mind, something I couldn’t put my finger on. But if I couldn’t remember it, it probably wasn’t important. So, without worrying, after a bath, I slipped into sleep. I slept, only to be gently prodded awake by something soft patting my face. Was it morning already? “Kumayuru, Kumakyu, just let me sleep a little longer.” Still sleepy. I hardly felt like I’d rested at all. But Kumayuru and Kumakyu wouldn’t let up. With no choice, I got up. Even through the curtains, it was obvious. It was still midnight—pitch black outside. “It’s still nighttime.” Kumayuru and Kumakyu peered outside, letting out small distressed sounds. An uneasy feeling washed over me. Using my detection skill, I sensed the presence of monsters. More and more were gathering. I loathe having my holy trinity of sleep, gaming, and food disturbed. Pulling back the curtains, I found a glowing magic circle. Ah, that was it. While bathing, I felt like I’d forgotten something. It was the magic circle. After defeating the giant ape and collecting the flowers, I completely forgot the magic circle. “Kumayuru, Kumakyu. Everyone else is probably tired, so you don’t need to wake them. But if worse comes to worst, I’m counting on you.” Entrusting everyone’s safety to Kumayuru and Kumakyu, I opened the window and leaped out. Landing from the second-floor window, I dashed toward the monsters. Why now, of all times? Why disrupt my sleep? Despite my feelings, the monsters kept appearing. I dealt with them as quietly as possible, ensuring no one was disturbed. No one hates having their sleep interrupted more than I do. I fought fiercely, making sure no one else had to feel that frustration. “Waking up to find countless monsters lying around, it’s unbelievable.” Mane sighed as she surveyed the defeated monsters around the bear house. A pack of wolves and even tiger wolves lay among them. “It was my first time seeing a wyvern.” Wyverns had come too. Lydia cautiously approached, inspecting it from a safe distance. “Is that a giant worm?” Even a giant worm had joined the fray. Zect was startled by its immense size. “Yuna, we know you’re strong, but couldn’t you have woken us?” “I thought you were all tired.” “If you’d woken me, I could’ve provided backup with my bow.” Certainly, arrows fired from inside the bear house could’ve made things easier. But waking one person would’ve meant waking everyone. Lydia must have been exhausted too, so I wanted them to sleep if they could. “What’s with the dug-up ground?” “It’s where I destroyed the magic circle.” During the battle, the magic circle had lit up, summoning monsters. Frustrated by the relentless waves, I destroyed the circle. “A valuable magic circle… gone…” “What, Mane? Planning on gathering monsters and conquering a country?” Did she have such ambitions hidden away all this time? “Of course not!” “Then breaking it shouldn’t be a problem, right?” I dug up the ground and demolished the magic circle thoroughly, ensuring it would never activate again. Although partially breaking it might have prevented activation, I couldn’t grasp the structure of the magic circle as an amateur. I couldn't determine which part influenced what. Leaving it half-destroyed only to potentially summon monsters would defeat the purpose. That's why I obliterated the entire magic circle, making restoration impossible. “Well, perhaps that’s for the best. If reported to the country, it might have become a research subject,” Mane remarked. There was a strong possibility of that. "Whether that would have turned out positively or negatively, no one can say." “A magic circle that gathers monsters seems like it could only be misused,” Lydia piped up, having listened to our conversation. Indeed, placing such a magic circle in an enemy nation might allow for its destruction without sacrificing even a single citizen. However, innocent bystanders could be caught in monster attacks. "True, it's likely to be seen that way. But depending on its use, it could have benefits as well. If positioned correctly, it might direct monsters away from human settlements." Building it on the opposite side of a village could direct monsters towards the circle instead. "And, as we saw with the red apes and wolves fighting each other, it could reduce their numbers through monster-on-monster battles," added Mane. "We could also set up traps near the magic circle," I suggested. By laying traps, it would be possible to safely eliminate the monsters. "When you put it like that, it seems positive," Lydia considered. "Used wisely, it could enable people to live safely. But misuse it, and the opposite occurs. That was Lydia's concern from the start." Gathering monsters is inherently perilous. Wandering too close unaware could lead to an attack by a horde. While wolves or goblins might be manageable, ferocious creatures like the giant apes might be drawn in. The giant worm and even the wyvern’s presence might have been due to such effects. The risks are numerous. “There’s no guarantee it would be used properly. Someone might exploit it, even if that someone is the state.” "Do you mean the current king is dangerous?" Lydia asked. “The current king is a pacifist. But who knows what the future holds when the regime changes. Furthermore, someone might misuse it ignoring the king’s authority. Looking decades, even centuries ahead, no one can predict. Thus, it's better not to have a magic circle that summons monsters.” The magic circle caused misfortune for some. It was used for nefarious purposes. The saying goes that poison can become medicine. Lives may be saved, but lost as well. It's not about what's right or wrong. This magic circle that summons monsters is simply unnecessary. “Indeed. When monsters appear, adventurers are meant to handle them. After all, that’s our duty as adventurers,” I said. “Yuna, did you know and destroy it intentionally?” Mane inquired. “I was just annoyed it interrupted my sleep, so I broke it,” I replied. “Alright, we’ll leave it at that,” Mane chuckled. “What do you mean by that?” “Yuna, you’ve eliminated something that might have caused future problems.” “That’s giving me too much credit.” There was a girl who had become unfortunate because of it. It’s better without it. "So, what are we going to do with all these monsters?" Zect asked, indicating the numerous fallen creatures around us. “It’s a hassle. Yuna, put them all away in your item pouch.” “All of them?” “Yes. Your item pouch prevents spoilage, right? We don’t have time to disassemble them here, and we can’t leave them. It's the only option." Reluctantly, I placed the defeated monsters into my Kuma Box. Goblins were an exception; Lydia and Zect extracted their mana stones, and Mane used her magic to dig holes and bury them. The mana stones from the goblins were accepted by Lydia and Zect as a form of payment for processing. “How much will the red ape and goblin mana stones fetch us?” “Plus, there are the red ape pelts and the herbs we gathered with Mane.” Any sizeable sum would be beneficial. After finishing with the monsters, we set off towards the forest’s edge. This time, we were truly heading home.