849 Bear, comes back to the city - Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear

"So, to clarify, it was under Corvo's orders that you attacked us, right?" "Woof~" In tandem with Mane's words, Kumayuru opened her mouth. "Yes!" "It was by Lord Corvo's orders!" "We were told to intimidate the woman and child in bear costumes and retrieve the medicine!" "And to rob them since they supposedly have money, which would be our bonus!" "We never intended to take lives!" The men, desperate to escape their plight, began speaking openly. Apparently, they had been instructed by Corvo yesterday to attack us as we made our way to the royal capital. However, after receiving their initial payment, they indulged in drink, overslept, and found themselves in a rush to catch up with us. It seemed the bandits that first attacked us were truly unrelated. "So, let me confirm. Will you choose to die here quietly, or will you expose Corvo's wrongdoing? I'll allow you to choose. By the way, if you confess Corvo's crimes, we might consider your circumstances more leniently." Mane repeated the same speech to the men as she had to the bandits behind us. "Who are you, little lady?" "I doubt you would understand, but I belong to the Magic Ministry of the royal capital." "The Magic Ministry of the royal capital?" "I'm not sure, but isn't that like a state power?" "Which is more powerful, the nobility or them?" "I haven't a clue." "But, for a kid like you..." The men's gazes focused on Mane. "And there's that strange bear with you." Now it was my turn to draw their attention. Indeed, dressed as a child and a bear like this, Mane and I hardly seem credible. Yet, Mane wouldn't back down. "If you think about it, you should realize. As a half-elf, I'm older than you." She revealed her ears. Although, even half-elves grow with age. "...older." "More importantly, do you think a child like me would have the funds to buy medicine from a store or hire a C-rank adventurer?" "C-rank?" Silently, I showed them my adventurer guild card. The men scrutinized my guild card closely. "...profession: bear." Honestly, they always look at the wrong part. Why is it that everyone in this world focuses on that? "We happened to stop by the city, but Corvo the apothecary's medicine seems to have issues with its components. We're collecting it for investigation. And besides, we actually paid for the medicine, so we have no obligation to accept their complaints." "If that's true, are we going to be executed?" "But Lord Corvo's protection—" "Should I report this to His Majesty the King?" "His Majesty? You mean the King?" "Of course, the King is more powerful than any noble." This feels like a comedic skit somehow. "So if we obey the young lady, we'll be forgiven?" "Yes, I'll pardon you this time." The men looked visibly relieved at Mane's words. "Mane, is this alright?" "I did say 'this time.' If we find out you've done wrong in the past, that's another matter." Mane replied in a whisper. Such individuals are likely to have similar exploits in their pasts. "But, would their testimony serve as evidence? Couldn't Corvo just cut ties?" If Corvo claimed he didn't issue the orders, it's over. Given he's a noble's son, he probably has enough influence. Between the testimony of these ruffians and a noble's son, the latter would likely prevail. In such a case, they would just be seen as bandits who attacked us. "Don't worry; I've got it all covered." Mane flashed a mischievous grin. "So, what should we do?" "What I want you to do is..." Mane began explaining the plan for the future. Ah, now I see how it would serve as evidence. Apparently, she had thought everything through since before we were attacked. I had assumed we'd somehow force them to testify as proof. "Alright, let's head back to the city." "Mane, what about them?" I gestured toward the bandits from the initial attack. "We'll hand them over to the neighborhood watch." Ordinary bandits are of no use to us. What matters are those attacking us under Corvo's orders. "Wait, please." "What?" "You've been talking about medicine, right?" "So?" "Are you referring to the large apothecary on the main road?" "Yes, that one." Mane responded coolly. The men exchanged glances. "We needed money to buy from that apothecary..." "......" Mane and I glanced at each other. According to the bandits, just like Lydia, their children or wives had fallen ill, and although they were buying medicine, the high prices meant they could no longer afford it. It seemed these bandits were victims of the apothecary Corvo as well. "But you didn't know Corvo's name, right?" "We called him 'doctor,' so we didn't know his name." It's like how in school, one might call the physical education or music teacher by their title without knowing their name. In hospitals too, people often refer to the doctor or nurse without remembering their names. It's like how I call the guild master 'guild boss' without using his real name. What was the name of the Crimonia adventurer guild's guild master again? "Sigh." Mane let out a deep sigh after hearing the story. "It's a hassle, but since we're already involved, I'll take care of it all." Mane puffed out her chest with determination. Small but surprisingly reliable. We retraced our steps to return to the city. The earthen magic that had tied the men was undone, and they rode their respective carts and horses. Meanwhile, Kumayuru and Kumakyu walked alongside, and we listened to the men's accounts of the illness symptoms. "The symptoms are the same." From the men's stories, it seemed to match Est's symptoms. "It appears they're earning money in a similar way." "But don't such tactics cause an uproar?" "Once they extract enough money, they can simply stop administering the medicine causing the red spots, effectively 'curing' the condition." True enough. Adjusting the formula is all it takes. "Once fully healed, there won't be any bad rumors. On the contrary, good reviews will spread. Gratitude, not resentment." If an ailment that plagued someone for months got cured, they'd feel grateful indeed. "It seems they're shrewdly causing multiple illnesses." One of them was experiencing headaches, which would temporarily be relieved by medicine, only to recur later. "They can do something like that?" "It's possible to manipulate it that way. Initially providing pain relief, then later causing headaches." Thinking about it, Corvo might be more skilled as an apothecary than he seems. We continued sharing information until we returned to the city. The gatekeepers appeared surprised when they saw us return, but I decided to ignore it. By the way, Kumayuru and Kumakyu were dismissed, and we rode in the carriage. As we entered the city, we headed straight for the Adventurer's Guild. We needed a place where we could discuss things openly, and the guild seemed like the best choice. "I'll go inside and call them. Yuna, keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t try to escape." We couldn't fully trust the men just yet. "Got it." Mane hopped off the carriage and entered the Adventurer's Guild. "You know what will happen if you try to escape." "We understand!" "We won't run!" The men who had been following Corvo’s orders spoke earnestly. On our way back to the city, when asked "What if we tried to run?", I had given them a taste of bungee jumping. Experiencing the sensation of soaring high and nearly hitting the ground had left an impression. "If you try to run, I'll send you flying into the sky, and I won't be there to catch you." During the experience, I had gently caught them with wind magic before they hit the ground. Needless to say, the men became quite compliant after that. Mane soon returned with the guild receptionist. It was the same woman who had helped us before. She peered inside the carriage and motioned for us to drive around back. The carriage was moved to the rear of the Adventurer's Guild, and we entered through the back entrance. "Please use this room." The receptionist offered us a room. "Thank you. Please process that matter quickly." "I’ll arrange it right away. And please use the back entrance for comings and goings." Having provided the necessary instructions, the receptionist returned to her duties. "Yuna, collect their cards." Following Mane's orders, I collected the guild and citizen cards from the men. As an escape prevention measure, we informed them we would be holding onto these once we entered the city, so they handed them over without resistance. It was a preventative measure against betrayal. "Next, hand over the medicines." I gave the medicines we purchased from Corvo’s shop to the men. There were quite a few, but all fit into the item pouch they carried. Did they borrow it from Corvo as well? Mane then handed them something. "I'm counting on you." "You better keep your promise, young lady." It was a give-and-take. After some detailed discussions, the men hired by Corvo left the room. "Now then, it's your turn." These were the men who attacked us out of desperation, as they lacked the money to buy medicine for their sick families. "Will you really help cure them, young lady?" "I can’t promise to cure the illness outright. However, if Corvo had the intention to help, there shouldn’t be a problem." Chronic illnesses exist, and some diseases can't be cured. We couldn't make any guarantees lightly. But if Mane couldn’t handle it, I'd step in. We made our way to each of their homes to assess the ailments. "This is the place." Mane examined the patients, collected the medicine they had been taking, and provided treatment using her own supplies if she could. If not, she stormed into the apothecary where the medicine for Est was made, borrowing herbs and equipment by force to concoct the necessary remedies. "Heh, now we've gathered even more evidence." Mane's sly grin was a secret between us.