Chapter 563:
The Bear Hears Seleiyu’s Story
I WAS WORRIED about the look on Seleiyu’s face, so I followed after her. She galloped out of town and continued on. I left town to go after her, summoning Kumayuru so that I could keep up.
“Kumayuru, follow Seleiyu.”
“Cwoon.”
Kumayuru crooned at me in answer and ran after Seleiyu. I was the one following her, but I wondered what had happened. Should I call out to her? Or should I just silently follow after her? I was getting anxious about Seleiyu’s expression.
Seleiyu didn’t stop, she kept galloping away. Kumayuru could catch up easily, but when I saw her tense back, I couldn’t bring myself to shout to her. Hadn’t she asked me if I had killed anyone before? Seleiyu hadn’t killed someone, had she? She couldn’t be running away from a murder scene…right? Honestly, it actually looked more like she was on her way to one. Either way, the look on her face was nothing like the Seleiyu I knew.
As I was trying to figure out what to do, Kumayuru crooned.
“What is it?”
“Cwoon,” Kumayuru crooned again.
Wait, was Kumayuru saying there was a monster around?!
I tried to use my detection skill, but I realized I couldn’t. Oh, right. I didn’t have my bear powers right now. I was in a school uniform. If I wasn’t in my bear clothes, I couldn’t use my bear detection skill.
I felt a bead of sweat dripping down my face. I’d fought against people without my bear gear on but never a monster. During the academy festival and the gathering, there had been rules, not to mention people around watching. In a fight against a monster, things were different. Monsters attacked people with the intent to kill on sight. There wasn’t a referee or anything to stop the fight just because it was dangerous.
Since I had my bear gloves and bear shoes on, I could win if I fought like normal, but there was a chance I would be attacked from a blind spot. If I had my bear onesie, I’d come out unscathed even if I were attacked. Without my bear gear, I could get hurt, and worst case, I could even die. The thoughts were racing through my head.
The fact that I wasn’t wearing my bear onesie had put me in real danger. I thought of stopping to change, but by the time I had thrown it on, Seleiyu could have gotten away on her horse. Maybe it would be better to stop her first, and then change?
I started to agonize over whether to call out to her or not. If I was this conflicted, maybe it was better to just do it. At this rate, we would both be in danger.
“Kumayuru, get closer to her.”
“Cwoon.”
After responding, Kumayuru upped their speed and caught up with Seleiyu’s horse.
“Seleiyu!”
Seleiyu turned to me in surprise, hearing my shout.
“Yuna?!”
Seleiyu rushed to stop her horse. Apparently, she hadn’t noticed me until I caught up to her.
“What are you doing here?”
“You looked so serious when you rode out with your horse, so I followed you.”
“Did I seem that upset?”
“It was like you were going out to kill someone,” I said, joking.
But Seleiyu didn’t laugh. She raised both of her hands and slapped her face hard. The noise of the slaps rang out. It was deafening.
“It seems I worried you. I’m sorry. You don’t need to worry about me, so please go back to town. And if you could, please don’t tell anyone I was here.”
“I can’t do that. I don’t know where you’re headed, but it seems like there are monsters up ahead.”
“Monsters...”
“You’re not off to slay them or something, are you?”
“No, I’m not. You know for certain that there are monsters ahead?”
“My bear tells me if there are any nearby.”
I gave Kumayuru a pat on the head.
“You can understand bear language?”
“Yeah. Kumayuru and Kumakyu are my beloved family.”
“Beloved family...I see. Yuna, could I ask you a question?” Seleiyu’s face relaxed as she talked to me. “Would you be able to risk your life for your family?”
I glanced over at Kumayuru. My beloved family. If either Kumayuru or Kumakyu were in danger, I’d do anything to save them.
“Would you face danger for the sake of your family?” Seleiyu gave me a serious look.
Into danger... With my bear gear, I could go into danger without any risk. But that’s not what Seleiyu was saying. She meant actual danger. The kind where I didn’t have my bear gear. The kind where I would be powerless. She was asking if I would risk my life.
“I think I would. But...”
If I had my bear gear on, I’d go straight into danger, no issue. But without my bear gear on, I couldn’t be sure. I couldn’t know until I was actually in that kind of situation.
I realized once again that without the bear gear, I really was powerless.
“I’m sorry I’m asking you such odd questions.”
“No, it’s fine. Um, did something happen to your family?”
“Well...”
Seleiyu turned her eyes away and went silent. She was trying to avoid my question.
“Please go back to the town, Yuna.”
She was trying to duck me again. But I couldn’t leave her alone like this.
“If I go back, I’m taking you with me. If you’re going on ahead, you need a guard. It’ll be too dangerous. You said that to Noa yourself, remember? You’re a noble, so you need to understand your position. If you’re going somewhere with monsters on your own, then do you really understand your position as a daughter of nobility?”
I tried to flip her own reasoning back on her. Seleiyu was breaking her own rules. She gritted her teeth, as if conflicted.
“I was being presumptuous when I said that. Both what I said and what you’re saying is true. But I am not only a daughter of nobility. I am also a sister. I need to go.”
Seleiyu looked ahead, toward where she had been headed. It looked like she wasn’t planning to return. I didn’t know what had happened, but I knew something was up. I couldn’t go back now.
“Then I’ll be your guard,” I told her.
“Yuna?”
“Nobles need guards, don’t they?”
If I changed into my bear onesie, I’d be able to do something even if we ran into danger. I felt embarrassed changing in front of Seleiyu, but this wasn’t the time to be concerned with something like that. Plus, she’d already seen the onesie once, did it really matter now when I normally wore it on a daily basis?
“Yes, but...”
“You do know how powerful I am, don’t you?”
“I understand all too well—it’s to the point that I’m jealous.”
“Then there shouldn’t be a problem, right?”
“Yuna, thank you. I’m so happy that you offered,” Seleiyu said. She did seem genuinely happy. But the next moment, her expression changed, and she shook her head.
“But you can’t. I need to go on my own.”
So something had definitely happened to her family. Her mom had passed away, so was it her dad? Or her brother? Or maybe her grandparents or a more distant relative?
“Seleiyu, please tell me what’s going on. I’ll help you.”
She stared right at me as she spoke. Apparently, her brother had been kidnapped. The person who had taken him had left a letter that told Seleiyu to go alone.
“You understand why I need you to go back.”
“Well, after hearing all that, I can’t let you go alone now.”
I’d shared a meal with her brother, and now he’d been kidnapped. We hadn’t talked much, but we had been acquainted. I think his name was Keith. He looked embarrassed when he saw me and Noa. I wouldn’t feel right if anything happened to him. It wasn’t like I could let Seleiyu go alone to her brother’s kidnapper either. If something happened to both of them, I’d regret it. I’d feel horrible.
“Um, the man who kidnapped my brother also killed my mother. I cannot guarantee your safety. It’ll be dangerous. Once again, please go back to the town.”
Shia had said that Seleiyu’s mother had been killed. Apparently, the murderer had also taken her brother. This wasn’t a question of danger. It was active peril at this point. That must have been why she’d asked me those questions about how far I’d go for my family.
“The letter said to come alone. I’m not sure what will happen to my brother if I don’t. I’m glad for your concern Yuna, but that is all I can accept. Thank you for worrying about me.”
Seleiyu turned me down again. Right as I wondered if I needed to follow after her in secret, Kumayuru crooned. I looked behind Seleiyu.
“Looks like it’s too late.”
“I thought you were taking your sweet time, so I came to get you. Lady Seleiyu, this isn’t what we arranged.”
I realized that as I had been talking with Seleiyu, I’d lost my chance to change into my bear onesie.
A suspicious person in a hood jumped down from a tree.