> Noire invited Yuna and Fina to visit her villa. However, they are trapped in a snowstorm…
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When I open the window in the morning, I feel chill air. It's snowing lightly outside. The sky is pale blue and the ground is covered by a transparent thin layer of white. It's the first snow this year. Actually, several days ago Fina asked me whether we should collect firewoods. Fortunately, my Bear House is being heated by magic. So no need for worrying.
It seems someone is knocking on the door. Who is out there? Let me see. There's a little, brown bear outside. Wait, a bear? No, that's Noire. She is wearing a Bearsuit like mine.
[http://fangzhangmnm.net/illustrations-compressed/BearNoire_20220730.jpg]
"Dang dang! Miss Yuna, am I cute? do I look like Kumayuru and Kumakyuu?"
I frowned at my eyebrows. "How are you supposed to get this."
"My dad made it for me!" replied Noire. I'd admit that her Bearsuit is well made. Fluffy and cute. From her face, it seems her Bearsuit has also good resistance to cold.
Well, that's how rich parent spoiled their child. I don't have rich parents. But don't worry, I'm rich by myself. Actually, my parents are spoiled by my little money instead.
Now I feel psychologically balanced. But I have to check another thing. Just in case…
"Miss Noire," I created a big rock using earth magic. It is as big as Kumayuru. "Can you try to lift it?"
"Eh, Miss Yuna?" Noire confuses for a while and decides to trust me. She bows and tries to lift the rock from its bottom. "Ehhhh… Sorry, Miss Yuna. I can't."
So it's not the magical Bearsuit like mine. Otherwise, we have two bloody bears.
I invited Noire to my house. "Are you coming to play with Fina?"
"No, I'm inviting you and Fina to my mountain villa. I just finished my final exam so I'd bet we can have a wonderful winter holiday there. We can ski here."
Well, I'd rather stay in my Bear House in such cold weather. My Bearsuit indeed provides 100% heat and cold resistance. But is there anything more enjoyable than staying in my warm fluffy bed on a winter day?
"There's also a hot spring."
"Decided! I will go with you."
I'd admit I'm Japanese, and the Japanese cannot live the winter without a hot spring bath.
"Miss Yuna, what are you talking about with Noire?" Fina entered. She was wearing an apron and holding a saucepan.
"Fina, Let's pack up and go to Noire's mountain villa," I said.
"Pack up… what, wait, Yuna, what about the barbecue dinner? I just thawed the Tauren chop yesterday night."
"Don't worry. Do you forget it? I can store them in my bear dimensional box. And we can have a barbecue at Noire's house."
"I have to ask mom and dad. It's snow outside. They must be worried."
"Tell them don't worry. We are riding Kumayuru and Kumakyuu. They will protect you."
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So we, 4 bears and 1 human head towards the mountains. I am the bloody bear. Noire is the brown bear. Kumayuru is the black bear. Kumakyuu is the white bear. I was wondering if it is unfair to Fina. I asked Fina if she want to test my new Bear's Endurance magic. It fortifies the subject's vitality and stamina. Well, that's only the side effect. The main purpose of this magic is to make the subject grows round bear ears and fluffy furs. Fina refused it.
The leaves had fallen so we got an excellent view between the woods. But it suddenly becomes foggy when more snow is falling from the sky. I just realized there is a thick layer of cloud approaching us from the other side of the mountain.
"Oh, no, there's a snowstorm. Noire we should head home," said Fina.
It might not be a good idea. The clouds will catch up with us in minutes. I could use Bear Dimensional Gate magic to teleport all of us home safely. But I don't want to show this magic to other people. Maybe I can summon an emergency bear house…
"We can take the shelter at my villa. It's almost there, just half a mile." Noire said. She is pointing towards the place between two mountain ridges. I could barely see the roof of a cottage there.
"So let's hurry there before the storm comes," I said.
Then I let Kumayuru and Kumakyuu speed up. I also added a little magic called hasten. So we are rushing downhills and uphills at a rollercoaster speed. That was really exciting.
It is a two-story cottage with a huge triangular roof reaching the ground. The cottage is built next to a cliff and is covered by some giant pines so even though the wind is crying outside the valley, it is still quite peaceful.
At halfway up to the cliff, there is a cave with a pool of hot, steamy water. There's some pipework bringing the hot water down to the cottage. That might be the reason why the owner puts a giant window on the triangular side of the wall without worrying about heating fees.
"That looks really nice," I commented.
"We are safe now," Fina says. "Mom and dad must be very worring when they see the stormcloud."
"Don't be afraid Fina," I said. "Remember or not I gave Mrs. Telmina a bear telephone for communications on Millela businesses. You can call her using your bear telephone."
"But just let me show you around my villa first." Noire swiped on her ring. The two red dots on my bear radardisappeared. Those must be some guardian golems.
The interior of the cottage is pretty spacious. First, there's a living room, with a steel furnace, white furry carpet, a big leather sofa, and a lot of colorful cushions. There's a wide bar table next to the tilted wall.
Next, the space is divided by a loft. on the loft, there's a king-sized bed next to a balcony on the back wall. "We will sleep together on that!" said Noire. Below the loft are the guest bedrooms and a dining hall. At the end of the hall, there's a downwards stair leading to the kitchen, storage, and boiler on the first floor.
"Yes, mon, don't worry, we arrived." Fina finished her phone call. When Fina was talking to her mom, She holds the telephone with two hands and bowed a little. Fina takes a glance at the house. "Miss Noire, do you want me to help you with some cleaning?"
"No, a servant will clean this house every month."
"It's so warm here. Are you keep the heater on all winter? That really costs a lot!"
"No, there is free hot water!" said Noire.
"Miss Yuna, could you take out the food from the dimensional box? I'm going to prepare lunch. Everyone must be hungry."
"Sure," I said.
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Noire is laying on the sofa playing with Kumayuru and Kumakyuu. The two bears now turned into their miniature form. They are climbing between the cushions clumsily. Everything looks fine. So it's time for the hot spring spa! But before that, I have to check…
> Item Name: Bear Swim Suit
>
> Effect: Increase Evasion Rate based on user's level.
> Effect2: Boost user's Swim Skill.
> Effect3: Gives user Wild Attractiveness Trait
I had to admit that I'm a hikikomori. When I was in modern Japan. I just stay in my penthouse. Being indoors makes me feel secure. Well after coming to the isekai, I became more extroverted. But it is because I'm staying in my Bearsuit. That's God Sama's present which makes me op and protects me from dangers in this fantasy world. So I decided to wear the Bearsuit at any time.
So does it mean I have to wear this weird, … thing?
Well, it is a regular bikini swimsuit, just fits my size. but the material of the swimsuit is … fluffy. It is covered by white furs with grey veins. Will all this fur soak up water and become heavy?
I decided to go to the bathroom and give it a try. Well, the textile is more breathable and light than I'd expect.
It is always a magical experience to go to an outdoor hot spring on the coldest days. A mixture of frozen winds and hot moisture hit your bare skin. It stimulates your nerves and gives a sense of soberness.
I hope there's not anyone around. It's even more embearassing than the bear suit! Also, I'm not very confident if this cloth can give me much more stats boost than the bear suit. Well, maybe I'm too neurotic. There shouldn't be any monsters in the backyard of Noire's private villa, will they?
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Then I saw a red, giant lizard soaking in the pool. The lizard is 2 feet long, with jagged fins and black, thick scales.
The lizard seems quite enjoy the hot spring. It half closes its eyes and plays with water using its tail casually.
"Well, okay, sorry for bothering you. See you later."
I don't want to engage in a fight with equipment I'm not familiar with. I try to sneak out of the cave. But the lizard turns its head and noticed me. It seems it is surprised by my presence. After a second it opened its eyes widely and breathes a white cloud of steam.
I barely evaded the attack by hiding behind a stalagmite. It is too OP to use area attack in small spaces like this hot spring cave. Thankfully my agility is boosted by the bear swimsuit.
The lizard is much nimble than I expect. It swims with its sturdy tail and climbs using four short legs. It moves between stalagmites like a fish swimming between seaweeds.
"Why are you keep chasing me? Do I look delicious to you?" I leaped over a fence of stones to barely dodge the lizard's other charge. But I didn't notice on the other side is the hot spring pool. I fall into the pool.
The lizard climbed up the stone fence and look at me from above. It must be laughing at me. I can read its expressions.
I'm being seriously offended. I shouldn't let this monster go in Noire's backyard. I have to think of a strategy to beat this monster.
The monster has a good cover of thick scales. I don't think I can do much damage to it with bare hands. Also, it is not a clever idea to swing a sword in this narrow place. What about magic? Elements like Ice and Wind are greatly suppressed. Well, I do can take advantage of the environment by using Bear Fireball to turn those hot water into vapors. But the lizard can generate steam on its own. So it may not care about this kind of attack.
A sudden inspiration flashed in my mind. I once saw people doing something called Jiu-Jitsu on television. That's a weaponless martial art aimed at paralyzing the opponent by entangling it using your arms and legs. Just imagine how an anaconda suffocates its prey.
I take chances and approach the right side of the lizard swiftly. The lizard turned its head and bites. I dodged it and leap onto its back. That's the blindspot where the lizard cannot reach with its mouth and legs.
Then I grappled with it using my arms.
Wow, it was so hot. Well, it is still within my heat-resistance capacities.
The lizard twists. I try to control its movement. But the lizard started to whip me using its tails. I managed to confine its tail by wrapping it using my two legs.
I succeed. The agility boost improves my body coordination. I reproduced the Jiu-Jitsu technique I saw on TV. Next is to give its the final blow.
I crossed my left arm beneath its neck. Then the right arm. I ride on the lizard and pull its bulky head backward.
"Ehhhhhhs"
It must be tough for the lizard. The lizard struggles to get out of my grapple. I'm sweating a lot because the lizard's back is hot. It makes things slippery. I increase the force steadily. I think it just takes a couple of minutes before I can incapacitate it.
Then I heard a sudden cry.
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"What are you doing to Saburo!" I heard a sudden cry. It was Noire's voice. But who is Saburo? Does she mean this lizard was her pet?
"Let him alone! He is not an enemy." Noire comes and tries to separate me and Saburo. I release my seize. The lizard quickly runs away and hides in a corner. Its glowing red skin becomes dimmed. It must be hurt seriously.
"Look what you have done Yuna!" says Noire. "Saburo was raised by my father to sustain this hot spring. Without him, the hot spring will drain and we will freeze to death!"
Is it that serious? I called the status bar.
> Creature Name: Salamander
> Lvl.7 Elemental Creature
>
> This creature has the ability to collect free fire elements in the air as its energy source.
> Although being classified as a "False Dragon", Salamanders are herbivores and have a peaceful, if not called sluggish characteristic. Because of its element gathering habit, habitats of salamanders will be turned into a volcanic terrain slowly.
That explained why Saburo can heat up the entire mountain spring. But since it is a peaceful creature, why does it attack me at the first glance?
I asked Noire. She was also confused. "Saburo is a very good boy! It eats berries. Are you carrying anything that can stimulate him?"
I suddenly remembered that the bear swimsuit gives me a mysterious bonus trait called Wild Attractiveness.
> Trait: Wild Attractiveness
>
> Description: You have a deadly attraction to wild creatures, such as animals, fey, and elemental creatures.
That swimsuit is a cursed item! It must be! Fortunately, I haven't swam with it in the sea at Millela. I can start to imagine I was surrounded by flocks of fish, dolphins, sharks, and possibly Krakens. That's so embearrassed.
The pipes are soaking up the water in the spring quickly as the heat source of the cottage. Without Saburo's element-gathering ability, I can feel the temperature in the cave is slowly decreasing.
I must fix this problem before everything is frozen dead. Moreover, I haven't had a chance to enjoy my spa!
I walked toward Saburo and lean my right hand towards him. Bear's Restoration Magic. A green aurora halo fell down and merged into Saburo's body.
"I'm sorry for what I did. Now you are fine. Could you help me heat the mountain spring again?"
No response. Saburo huddles beneath its scales like a hedgehog. Its skin is still dim. I cannot feel any fire element being generated.
I don't know what to do now. I've dropped from school since I was 12 and live alone in my penthouse. I was never hurt by anyone and I never hurt anyone. So I don't have any experience how what to do after I hurt someone.
But I have my Overpowered Bear Magic. It's just like money in the real world. I used the money I earned to solve all social hassles like parents, schools, and that apartment manager. The Bear Swimsuit gives me Wild Attractiveness. I'm sure Mr. Saburo will easily yield to my charisma.
I try to imagine how girls in the maid cafe treat their customers.
"Master Saburo, look at me." I high-pitched my voice, twisted my hips, and put my hands above my chest, pretending to be a kitty maid.
"What are you doing? Miss Yuna?" Noire said.
"I'm experimenting with a new magic," I said. I tilt left and right and make a ♡ shaped gesture.
"Moe, Moe, Kyun!"
It's not working. Noire is watching me. That makes me feel more embearassed. I don't want to do it again.
My voice was too pale. That's not the type of character I can put myself into.
Maybe I'm playing the wrong character. I'm wearing a swimsuit. Maybe I can play as a big sister.
"Little Saburo, come to my warm hug." With a sullen smile, I opened my hands and hug Saburo.
But Saburo was frightened instead. All the fins on his back stand up. He leaps from my side and runs away from the cave, disappearing in between the snowflakes.
I suddenly realized I made a huge mistake. Saburo was hurt by my Jiu-Jitsu. Now I'm doing the same thing to him again.
"Look what you have done! Yuna!" cried out Noire.
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We go back to the cottage in a gloomy mood.
Fina greets us on the stairs. She was wearing an apron and holding a saucepan. "The lunch is ready. Noire, do you know why the heating has stopped?"
"Saburo has escaped! We are going to freeze to death!"
"Who's Saburo? Don't worry, Miss Yuna will take care of it."
"No, it's Yuna. She wrecked it all up!"
"Listen to me, Noire." I scratch my head. "I'm gonna fix it." I open my Bear Radar. The salamander shouldn't run too far away…
"It sounds like a long story." Fina smiled. "Let's go home and have lunch. Then, we can talk about it."
"No, the heating is down. I have to fix it."
"That's why you need to take a break," said Fina. "Yuna, you looked tired. Let's sit down and talk about what has happened. "
The lunch is gorgeous. The Tauren beef was originally prepared for barbeque steak. Fina cut it into slices and soaked it with egg white and vinegar, then saute it with cucumbers and green onion. Fina also made a fruit platter and pan-fried saury fish while waiting for us.
Noire was pretty surprised how I can get fresh fruits in the winter. I won't tell her the secret of Bear Dimensional Door.
"That's an interesting story," Fina said. "Noire, you shouldn't blame Yuna too much. She is trying her best to make up for it."
"But we have to do something with the heating problem," I say. How about finding a replacement for the magic source?
"You don't need to do anything, Miss Yuna." Fina smiled. She crossed her fingers and have her eyes closed. "Have you ever noticed the room is getting warmer again? "
[http://fangzhangmnm.net/illustrations-compressed/Fina1_20220724.jpg]
I stand up and put my hand on the wall. I can feel fire elements flowing through the pipes behind it. Does it mean the salamander goes back into the cave?
I run to the hot spring cave. Mr. Saburu is soaking himself in the hot spring. Its skins are glowing red. The cave is covered by the steam it breathed again.
"Hey, Yuna." Noire drags my cloth and pulls me behind a stalagmite. "I don't know how you made it. But you are not going to mess it up again. Okay?"
"Ahh, but I did nothing. I think Mr. Saburu doesn't like the way I pleased him."
"You don't need to please him. Miss Yuna." Fina says. The little girl squats down and walks to Saburo. She put her little hand on the lizard's head. The lizard squints its eye and grunts. "He was just scared, and here, it was his home."
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"Wow, Fina. You really have a talent in taming animals." praised Noire.
After lunch. The girls change into swimsuits and head towards the hot spring. I'm wearing my white and grey furry-bear bikini. Noire is wearing a light yellow ruffled bandeau with a skirted bottom. Fina is wearing a dark green one-piece, the elementary school uniform style.
Yes, I made that for Fina.
"I learned it from taking care of my little sister, Shuri." Replies Fina. "When Shuri is very small, she was always scared. You know, a gentle breeze of windchimes can make her cry for half an hour."
She crossed her arms and put her hands on her shoulder, talking about the story deep in her memories.
"I tried everything I can to make her stop crying. But she cried more loudly. I don't know what I can do for her. You know, at that time, dad had passed away and mom was sick. She cannot do many things for us. I was totally on my own."
"So how did you finally make her stop crying?" Asked Noire.
A bitter smile climbed upon Fina's face. "No. I did nothing. I just ran away. I left Shuri alone."
"When I came back. I was so worried and remorseful. I have promised mom that I will take care of Shuri. I cannot imagine what if something bad happens…"
"Fina. You are okay. " I interrupted. "It's too much for a kid as young as you."
"Thank you, Miss Yuna." Fina smiles. "Do you know what I found when I came back?"
"Shuri had stopped crying. She was even smiling at me. That was the prettiest smile I had seen ever."
"Wow!" Noire slapped water using her feet. "So Shuri is taking care of herself?"
"No, you don't understand how hard to raise an infant." Fina shook her head. "I am still supposed to wash her and change the wrapper. It is also very tricky to prepare food for her."
"But when she cried. I just let it go. When she was tired, she would stop by herself."
"That sounds not irresponsible," Noire grunted. "When I cry, all the servants in my house are screwed up. Sometimes I even have to pretend to smile to avoid this kind of trouble."
"I see it," I said. "So what made Shuri cry is because you were pushing her not to cry."
Fina lowered her head. "You are right. We were living in a leased room. I'm afraid the neighbor would complain. Oh, I am so sorry for Shuri. I was not able to understand her feelings at that time."
"That's okay," says Noire. "You know sometimes people just want to express themselves. That's what I learned from those nobles who visited my dad's house. I don't quite understand what they were talking to me. I just pretend to be listening. Then they are satisfied."
I soak my head in the water. When doing that, I glance at Mr. Saburu from time to time. The giant lizard was lying on a rock.
I have never been so anxious when I approached the pool. Even when I was fighting with the black viper or the Kraken. I don't know how Saburu thinks of me. I prefer to be in places where I can put everything into my control. This is not the situation I'm used to.
"It is quite interesting that sometimes you don't do anything, then the trouble resolves itself," I commented. "That's the life I want to live."
"Most time we did not have any options," Fina says. "The only thing I can do is to cross my fingers and hope things will turn into the good side eventually."
"Oh, Dear Fina." I put my hand on her shoulder.
"But what I learned is. If you give enough patience. You will see the good side. " Fina smiles again. "We just managed to live through it. Then I met Mr. Gentz. Then I met you, Yuna, and Noire." Fina concluded.