856 Bear, goes back to the royal capital - Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear

Corvo attempted to struggle, but was firmly restrained by the knights, and in the end, he sank to his knees, his head slumping in defeat. The knights escorted him out of the room. He went quietly, as if all his fight had left him, possibly resigned after being forsaken by his last hope, his own parents. He looked utterly drained of life. "It's over now." "In the end, Ellelaura took care of everything." Neither Mane nor I had any part to play. "It was a matter of the right person for the job. Things went smoothly because Ellelaura was involved. If it had just been Yuna and me, there's a chance the son might have been protected." That's certainly possible. Even when Misa was kidnapped, Ellelaura's presence ensured things went smoothly, and we were able to capture the corrupt noble. Mane must have summoned Ellelaura for this reason. Still, I've wondered before, who exactly is Ellelaura? She's truly a mysterious woman. "Is my role finished now?" "Ellelaura, thank you. You were a big help." "Not at all." "I’ll make sure to thank you properly next time." "I would appreciate a thank-you, but first, I need you to help explain things to His Majesty, the King." "Did you come here without informing His Majesty?" "It was Lady Mane who sent the urgent letter. So, I left a note and departed immediately." "…I'll make it up to you some other way." "No, you must. Otherwise, I'll be the one who gets scolded." "…Alright." Mane seemed to reluctantly agree to Ellelaura's terms. Will those two be reprimanded by the King? It was an emergency after all. Yet, they could have sent someone else. It's a tricky situation to judge. But it's not something that concerns me. "Um, Lady Ellelaura. What about my son?" Ah, I had forgotten. Although resolved, we are still inside the mansion. Corvo's parents are here as well. "Even though this crime took place in this city, since it's related to an apothecary, I intend to take him to the capital." Mane answered in Ellelaura's stead. "That's the situation—may I take him to the capital?" "Go ahead. We have nothing more to say. Please properly administer justice." Following that, Ellelaura met with the witnesses she had gathered, who were furious with the lord and lady of the domain. Mane had advised them they didn’t need to apologize, but the lord and lady expressed remorse, informed them Corvo had been expelled from the Ferriton family, and declared he was no longer nobility. Then, a promise to create a herb garden was made to the apothecaries, who were pleased by this. I, however, was getting looked at as if people wondered why a bear was here. Then came another issue: the men who attacked us. Apparently, they had been doing various things behind the scenes in this case. They secretly spread the word among other roughnecks like themselves not to help Corvo, even if asked. It's said they managed to slip out from the Adventurer's Guild room to do such things. Even if the attack on us was absolved, their past wrongdoings weren’t erased. Even if done under Corvo's instructions, they accepted and helped in wrongdoing. Mane was asked for forgiveness, but she firmly stated, "The only assurance was that we would overlook the attack on me." Still, finding their fate pitiful, she presented them with an alternative: join the town's guard. Since they understood the city's underworld, it could aid in crime prevention. They initially protested, saying, "We can't be lackeys for nobles," but when Ellelaura said, "Then it's labor until death in the underground," they promptly agreed, "We'll do it." Hence, the remainder was left to the lord's responsibility, to Corvo's father. "Mane, Yuna, thank you." "We're grateful." Lydia and Zect, who provided testimony, expressed their gratitude. "With this, my role is truly done. I'll return to the capital." Her sister's illness was nearly cured. The other patients Mane treated were also recovering well. Kabo was to see the rest. "I'm glad to have met you, Mane." "If you feel like thanking me, give me herbs. I'll request the Adventurer’s Guild, so please take care of it." With Corvo gone, Mane had arranged for this town's Adventurer's Guild to issue quests, and Lydia and her group were to receive them as designated requests. "Yes, leave it to us." "You can count on us." From now on, I hope they will use the money they earn for their happiness. Fair work should come with fair compensation. There's nothing as unfortunate as working for nothing. "Doctor Mane." Kabo approached as if to switch places with Lydia. "I learned a lot by observing your work, Doctor Mane." "You should consider yourself honored to have observed my mixtures up close. Also, make sure to have cleaned up properly before my next visit." "Don't ever come again." "True, I probably won't need to, but I’ve been glad to see you doing your work diligently as apothecaries." "…Doctor." "Keep on honoring your work as apothecaries. Don't end up like Corvo. If you do, then I'll return." "Then we’ll probably never meet again, so that's reassuring." Mane smiled at Kabo's words, signaling his aspiration to become an excellent apothecary. Afterward, she received words of gratitude from the other apothecaries, who looked relieved now that they were free from Corvo's influence. "So, what will happen to Corvo?" I asked what had been on my mind. "If I had been killed, execution would have been certain, but I’m alive. We'll discuss with the Apothecary Guild before determining Corvo's punishment, I believe." "Don't say such scary things." "Technically, Corvo didn't commit murder. Also, I don’t hold the authority to punish Corvo. What I can do is appeal to the Apothecary Guild to revoke his credentials." "Speaking of which, what's the Apothecary Guild?" "It's a guild that manages apothecaries. Membership is voluntary, but many join to gain various benefits—dispatching to towns suffering a shortage of apothecaries, sharing habitats of herbs, learning about new medicines’ effects, or trends in diseases, for instance. When information is shared among apothecaries, they can respond more swiftly." "Isn’t there one in this town?" "No. Only in the capital and larger towns, one might say. That's why Corvo must be taken to the capital." I see, so this case amounts to dealing with Corvo as an apothecary. Yet, since Corvo was the son of a nobleman, Ellelaura's role became pivotal. With the various matters now concluded, our responsibility here ended, so we prepared to return to the capital. "I've been waiting for you." "Lady Ellelaura?" When we stepped outside the town, Ellelaura was there. Beside her stood knights and a carriage. "Lady Ellelaura, what's with that outfit?" Ellelaura was not wearing her usual dress-style clothes. Instead, it seemed like she was dressed for riding. "Since it's a special occasion, I thought I'd return to the capital riding Kumayuru and Kumakyu." As she said this, the knight behind her stepped forward. "Lady Mane, please, you have to stop Lady Ellelaura. She insists on riding back on the bears." It appeared she was causing some trouble for the knights with her demands. "Ellelaura, don’t trouble the knights." "Alright then, Lady Mane, you can return by carriage, and I'll ride Kumayuru and Kumakyu." "No way. I'm the one riding Kumayuru and Kumakyu back." "Lady Mane, you've been with them this whole time, so perhaps you could let it slide?" "That's a separate matter. Yuna here is my escort, which means Kumayuru and Kumakyu are with me." The two began a dispute. The knights looked troubled and for some reason, turned their gaze towards me. Was this their way of asking me to handle it? It's bothersome, but I suppose only I could intervene. "You two, let's not make a scene here." "Which side are you on, Yuna?" "Whose side, Yuna?" Both of them turned to me simultaneously. "Well, since the knights are here, why don't you both just get along and take the carriage back…" ""No way!"" Their voices harmonized. Honestly, it doesn't matter who rides what; let's just get going. In the end, I couldn't stop Ellelaura, and it was settled that Ellelaura and Mane would ride together. Mane seemed displeased with having to share a ride meant for one, but Ellelaura looked quite satisfied. The knights slowly began their return to the capital with Corvo in the carriage. And so, with Mane and Ellelaura riding together, Kumayuru and Kumakyu carried us back toward the capital. As for what happened later, Corvo was assigned to a distant village lacking an apothecary. Despite his personality issues, his skills as an apothecary were undeniable. He was to work there for three years. If he worked diligently, he was promised a return to the capital. It seemed lenient for an attempted murder, but Mane reasoned, "No one died, so it's fine," and "If Corvo helps more people in the future, it'll make up for his attempted murder." Whether or not he would truly reform was uncertain. Ultimately, it's not up to me to worry about. That responsibility fell to Mane and the Apothecary Guild.