847 Bear, attacked - Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear

"Yuna, are you done?" "Yeah, I finished." Half of the shelves are empty. Though I'm skeptical about its efficacy, I left half of each type just in case someone really needs them. "Mane-san, what about this guy? We need to undo the magic." I look at the man lying on the floor, bound by earth magic. It’s my magic, so it won’t be easily undone. If I fail to lift it, it might remain semi-permanently. But if I dispel the magic, there's a chance he might attack again. "Indeed. In that case..." Mane-san contemplates briefly, then retrieves a small vial filled with liquid from her item bag. "What’s that?" In response to my curiosity, Mane-san merely smiles silently and approaches the man on the floor. "Don’t come any closer." Ignoring his words, Mane-san brings the vial closer to him. "You understand that attacking me was a crime, right?" If I hadn’t subdued him, Mane-san might have been hit. "In truth, I’d like to release you and leave. But if I do, you might try to attack again. That thought terrifies me." Mane-san pretends to be a frightened girl. Knowing her true nature, I can only think to myself. "Mane-san, you’re making me cringe." "Shut up." She scolds me. "Anyway, I’ll make sure you can't attack." Mane-san brings the vial to the man’s mouth. "What is that stuff?" "You’ll find out once you drink it." "Stop!" The man attempts to escape, but he’s unable to move. Mane-san forcefully pours the liquid from the vial into his mouth. "What did you make me drink?" "You’ll know soon enough. Yuna, you can release the magic now." "Is that okay?" He looks like he'll pounce the moment I dispel the magic. "Yes. Wait another ten seconds." She observes him and starts counting down. "9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4…" As she counts down, the man's face contorts in agony. "Poison!" A female customer shouts. At that moment, liquid begins to flow from a certain part of the man's lower body... "It's a diuretic. Now, he won’t be able to chase after us. Yuna, you can undo the magic." "...Alright." Feeling a bit sorry for him, I release the earth magic. The man rushes to the back of the store in embarrassment. The floor is left with a puddle. Wetting oneself in front of people is horrifying just to think about. Just imagining if it were me, I might want to die of shame. But his attempt on Mane-san is unforgivable. "Let’s go home." As Mane-san leaves the store nonchalantly, I hurry to follow. "That was indeed effective." With that, he won't be able to pursue us. "When I was teaching, a student mocked me. So, I made him drink it during class." "No way, don't tell me that was the guild master?" "You figured it out well. I bound him, made him drink the potion, and left him until class ended." Just imagining it makes my eyes well up. It's a trauma for sure. That's why the guild master couldn't stand up to Mane-san. "It was a lesson proving the potion’s efficacy. After that, the students behaved well in class. The beginning is crucial for everything." Witnessing such a scene would make anyone compliant. The mere thought of it happening to them would be terrifying. "It seems word was passed down among students, so I haven’t had to use it recently." Mane-san sounds a bit regretful. No need to use it, honestly. I resolved never to anger her again. "Did you need to tell him our departure time on purpose?" Mane-san informed the man of when we’d leave for the capital. "And it’s still daytime, so even if we leave now..." If that man informs Corvo, who knows what they might try. "They need time to prepare, right?" "Prepare what? Mane-san, could it be..." A thought struck me. "Oh, you figured?" Understanding Mane-san’s true intentions, as someone with a bit of a mean streak myself, is easy. She seems intent on completely cutting off the alchemist as a practitioner. "Yuna, I’m counting on you." I sigh and reply, "Got it." Leaving the apothecary, we head to the merchant’s guild and pass a message to the receptionist for the guild master. "Tell them we’re leaving town tomorrow morning." With that, we leave the guild. "Even if he doesn't relay the message, it’ll reach Corvo’s ears." As long as someone in the guild is connected to Corvo, the information will spread. The man who wet himself likely won’t reveal his shame to Corvo, so this is just to ensure the message is spread. We head to Lydia’s home next and inform them of our departure the following morning. "Don’t worry about that alchemist situation." "Did you do something?" "I guess it’s more like I’m about to." After checking on Est’s progress and ensuring things are proceeding well, we head back to the inn. "Will they come after us?" Mane-san appears intent on provoking Corvo into retaliating so she can crush him decisively. "Remember, they see us as just children and a bear." "Being called a child annoys me, but it's true, so I won’t argue. Plus, I doubt I look strong at a glance." That’s why we get approached whenever we visit unfamiliar towns. "Even if they don’t attack, analyzing the potion’s contents or investigating Corvo’s actions is an option. I’ll pursue it thoroughly to have his alchemist license revoked." Either way, Corvo’s fate as an alchemist seems sealed. If he attacks, Ellelaura won’t stay silent, and Mane-san has her own power. Caught, even as a noble’s son, it would spell the end. One other scenario: the potion is genuinely wonderful, he's compassionate to patients, and an exemplary alchemist. But that’s unlikely, considering what he gave Lydia's sister. "Kumayuru, Kumakyu, wake me if anyone suspicious approaches." "Ku~un." I entrust the watch to Kumayuru and Kumakyu and go to sleep. Morning comes without incident. "No attack." "They wouldn’t attack an inn. They don’t want a big fuss either. Most likely, they'll ambush us on the road. Then, I’ll depend on you." That's my job. Leaving the inn, we head straight out of town. Once we’re outside, we ride leisurely on Kumayuru and Kumakyu. If someone’s lying in ambush, we need to move slowly to ensure they can attack us. If Kumayuru and Kumakyu were to run, we might pass them by entirely. So we advance at a leisurely pace to better anticipate any threats. "Kuu~un." "What are they sensing? Monsters?" I check my detection skills. "There are multiple people standing still." "They might be resting or laying in ambush." It could also be something like a broken carriage. Either way, we can’t drop our guard. We proceed cautiously. "There’s a carriage stopped up ahead." There’s a single man nearby. However, my detection shows four people. It’s a covered wagon, so there could be people inside or hidden behind. One man waves at us, signaling us to stop. "Looks suspicious." "Yes, very suspicious." Approaching the wagon with caution, we get closer. "A bear!" The man waving is startled by the bears. I wonder which bear surprised him. "What’s the matter?" "One of our members fell ill." A man crouches next to the stopped carriage. Mane-san and I dismount Kumayuru and Kumakyu. "It’s just the two of you?" "Yes." He responds without hesitation. That’s obviously a lie; there are two people inside the covered wagon. If we capture them now, they might claim innocence. We need them to attack us first, or else we’ll end up looking like the aggressors. We might have to feign a bit of carelessness to coax them. We need evidence that the alchemist sent them. Mane-san understands too and doesn’t show any signs of suspicion. "Do you happen to have any medicine with you?" Mane-san and I exchange glances. "I have some. Show me the symptoms." "That would be great.” Mane-san and I approach the crouching man. The other man trails behind us. "Kuu~un!" Kumayuru and Kumakyu suddenly growl loudly. The crouching man stands up. I’m already in motion. As he lunges at Mane-san, I deliver a Kuma Punch, sending him flying. When I turn to face the man behind us, Kumayuru has already pinned him down. “Come out!” The man shouts, and two more men emerge from the wagon, each brandishing a knife. “What the hell is with this bear?” I activate my earth magic, pondering which bear surprised them. Ropes of earth emerge from the ground, wrapping around the men’s ankles, pulling them down to the ground. All finished.