Chapter 65 – Bear-san Draws A Picture Book
Author’s note:
The reason this chapter was so late is due to house cleaning.
I have so many books it’s just scary.
First, I had to think about the contents of the story.
Of course, a theme with a bear would be good.
Why is that? Because this child wouldn’t leave me alone.
But...Was there a picture book with a bear?
I only knew Kintaro’s story book.
Ah, there was the song 「The Bear-san in the forest」too.
I tried to recall my childhood, but there were just a lot of parts I couldn’t remember.
Well, I didn’t think I could write any story other than the one I knew the best.
I started sketching a little girl.
Princess Flora, at my side, just stared at me.
Was it strange seeing me draw? She was being silent.
The little girl’s motif was Fina.
It was easier to sketch when there was a motif.
「Hey, that’s Fina-chan!」(Eleonora)
On the paper, I was drawing a misshapen Fina.
「Well, it’s because it’s Fina’s real experience after all.」(Yuna)
「Oh? Really?」(Eleonora)
Fina, the subject, was a small distance away, nervously drinking the drink that the maid brought her.
It was rare for a maid to serve tea to a commoner, after all.
I drew a lot of pictures to go with the story.
Finally, I was drawing the scene where I, the bear, appeared.
「Ara, what a cute Bear-san.」(Eleonora)
I drew a deformed bear (me).
It was unfortunate that there were no colours, but you could draw pretty well with just black.
「Whaaa...」(Flora)
Princess Flora looked at the drawing with shining eyes.
「By the way, it’s the first time I’ve seen such a cute sketch.」(Eleonora)
「Is that so?」 (Yuna)
「I know lots of painters, but it’s the first time I’ve seen a sketch like that.」(Eleonora)
Was it possible that caricatures didn’t exist in this world?
Well, in my previous world, there were no caricatures in the past either.
During the Edo period or the Sengoku period, if there were such cute sketches, there might not have been wars. That was the sort of stupid thing I was thinking about.
Now I was drawing the scene where Bear-san and the girl encountered each other.
「What happens to the girl?」(Flora)
Princess Flora asked.
But that, I won’t answer.
「That’s a surprise for when I finish drawing it.」(Yuna)
「Then, hurry and draw! Hurry and draw!」(Flora)
I started writing again.
After that, I completed many drawings.
In the end, I drew the scenes where the girl went back to the village and Bear-san went back into the forest, which completed the picture book.
「Finished...」(Yuna)
It took a few hours to finish, but I think this can be considered a masterpiece.
I wasn’t a professional artist, so something like this was good enough.
I gave the drawings I made to Princess Flora.
「Bear-san, you’re giving it to me?」(Flora)
「I would be really happy if you read it.」(Yuna)
「Thank you very much, Bear-san!」(Flora)
She happily took the book.
「Princess Flora, that’s great, isn’t it? So that it won’t scatter, we will bind it, okay?」(Eleonora)
Princess Flora happily read the picture book.
It was great that it pleased her.
The fact that I drew it in a few hours wasn’t thanks to the Bear suit’s power, but my real ability.
I felt like it was the first time since I came to this world that my real strength served a purpose.
When I was stretching my shoulder and back muscles, there was a knock on the door and a maid came in.
「Princess, it’s time to eat.」(Maid)
「Then, shall we go as well?」(Eleonora)
Eleonora-san got up.
Imitating her, I also got up from my chair.
「Bear-san, are you going back?」(Flora)
When Eleonora-san told Princess Flora we were leaving, she grabbed my clothes reluctantly.
「Hmm, Princess Flora, I will come back again. 」(Yuna)
「Really?」(Flora)
「I will be staying in the capital for some time, so we will be able to see each other.」(Yuna)
「Okay, understood.」(Flora)
Her little hand let go of my clothes.
「Fina, we’re going back! Don’t just stay petrified!」(Yuna)
「Big Sis Yuna?」(Fina)
Fina came back to reality.
If Fina knew the contents of the picture book, she would faint, so I won’t say anything.
We parted from Princess Flora and exited the castle.
In the end, we just visited the knights training field and the princess’s room.
Well, we could enjoy the passageways and the aesthetics of the castle.
We came here so Fina could see the castle, but it was questionable as to whether Fina was able to enjoy her visit.
When we came back to the Bear House, Noa was sitting at the entrance.
Upon seeing us, she stood up and started shouting.
「Mother! Why did you go without saying anything?」(Noa)
「But, you didn’t wake up.」(Eleonora)
Eleonora-san responded without batting an eye.
「And, mother, is it okay with your job?」(Noa)
「I will start this afternoon, so it’s okay, and this time I just guided them in the castle. You’ve gone there plenty of times, so not going is okay, right?」(Eleonora)
「That’s not a reason to just cast me aside!」(Noa)
「Then wake up early.」(Eleonora)
「Uhhh...I understand. But next time, properly wake me up!」(Noa)
「If you don’t say 『Just a little more...』in your sleep.」(Eleonora)
Noa grew silent with a bright red face.
「But, you did well finding me here.」(Eleonora)
「Suririna said that she saw you murmuring, ‘Pizza! Pizza!,’ when you departed, but I came and you weren’t here.」(Noa)
「Well, in exchange for pizzas, it was decided that I would show them around the castle after all.」(Eleonora)
「Then, it’s pizza time now?」(Noa)
「I will make them now. Did you eat yet, Noa?」(Yuna)
「I was sadly waiting here alone.」(Noa)
「That’s why you didn’t eat, right?」(Eleonora)
「I wanted to eat pizza too, after all.」(Noa)
「Then we will make them now. You two, help me.」(Yuna)
We went to the stone oven area and started to set everything up.
I say that, but yesterday’s ingredients were all prepared in the Bear Box.
That was why we just had to cut the ingredients, put them on the dough and bake it.
There are four of us today, so the same size as yesterday is fine, right?
The preparations were complete and the stone oven was at a good temperature, so I put in the pizza.
The pizza was baking in the stone oven.
「What a great smell.」(Eleonora)
「I want to eat something this delicious everyday!」(Noa)
「You’ll get fat.」(Yuna)
「It makes you fat?」(Eleonora)
「There is a lot of oil in it after all. It’s okay to eat it a few times a month. But if you eat it too much, you’ll get tired of the taste. In everything, moderation is the best.」(Yuna)
If there were different toppings, then it would be a different story.
I will have to do an ingredient search in the capital again.
In particular, rice, soy sauce, miso, and saltwater fish.
The pizza was baked, so I took it out of the stone oven.
I cut it into four parts and put each one onto a plate.
「Then, bon appetit.」(Eleonora)
「It’s hot, so be careful!」(Yuna)
I thought it was okay, but I warned her anyway.
「Ara, it’s really delicious.」(Eleonora)
「Yes, it’s delicious.」(Noa)
While everyone was eating, I prepared to bake a second one.
Yesterday, two pizzas were too much for four people.
Today there are four of us as well, but Eleonora-san is an adult, so I think it will be the perfect amount.
「Big Sis Yuna, I will do it.」(Fina)
「Fina, you can eat, I will finish quickly.」(Yuna)
「But...」(Fina)
「Don’t mind it.」(Yuna)
「Un.」(Fina)
Fina seemed to feel sorry for me.
Even though she didn’t have to.
The preparations for the second one were finished, and I decided to eat while the second one was baking.
While the second one was baking nicely, Eleonora-san finished eating.
Eleonora-san could still eat, so two pizzas for the four of us was a good amount.
「You were right. It seems oily. I would like something refreshing.」(Eleonora)
「Then, to cleanse your palate, would you like some pudding?」(Yuna)
「YES!」
Shouted Noa.
「Pudding? What is that?」(Eleonora)
「It’s a sweet and delicious food.」(Noa)
Noa explained.
Yeah, she was right but...
Well, she would understand faster if she tried it, so I took it out of the Bear Box.
「Is this pudding?」(Eleonora)
「One each.」(Yuna)
I said that, but there were only four on the table.
They were the last ones, so there was no other way.
On the way to the capital, and in town, we ate all the other ones.
I didn’t have many more eggs.
I use quite a lot of eggs when I cook.
Also, before coming to the capital, I gave away a lot of pudding.
I think I will go back to the village and secure some eggs.
「What is this? The pizza was good, but this pudding thing is great too. If you opened up a shop, I am sure it would sell.」(Eleonora)
「If you open up a store, I will come to buy this everyday.」(Noa)
The mother-daughter combo was happily praising me.
「With the current supply of eggs, I think it’s impossible for now. I have to procure more of them.」(Yuna)
「You’re right, eggs are a high class good. So if you want to open up a store, it will be difficult to obtain them.」(Eleonora)
I think the method of procuring eggs I was talking about and the method Eleonora-san was thinking about weren’t the same.
I didn’t really want the matter with the eggs to be known, so I won’t correct her though.
「Then, I will go back. Yuna-chan, thanks for today.」(Eleonora)
「No problem, I got to visit the castle, after all.」(Yuna)
「Sorry about that. I didn’t think we would see Princess Flora, and you even wrote a picture book for her.」(Eleonora)
「It’s okay. I was in your care when I had to purchase land after all.」(Yuna)
「But that time, I helped because you took care of Cliff and Noa, you know.」(Eleonora)
「Then, the next time I have a problem, help me with it, please.」(Yuna)
「No problem. If you have some kind of problem, don’t hesitate. I can deal with it to some extent.」(Eleonora)
「Who would commit a crime?」(Yuna)
「Then if you want to work in the castle, I can present you with some jobs.」(Eleonora)
「I will politely decline that offer.」(Yuna)
「Fufufu. Well then, I really must go. If I am even more late, the prime minister will be really angry.」(Eleonora)
Eleonora-san went to the castle, and the rest of us decided to visit the capital.