King Suou, the ruler of the Land of Harmony, entered the bear house with Shinobu.

  King Suou scurried into the room and looked around curiously. Kagali-san, who saw his actions, asked him to sit down.

  “Stop it, you look silly. Sit down.” (Kagali)

  King Suou did as Kagali-san asked and sat down on the sofa in front of Kagali-san.

  “I’d like to ask you about the Orochi, but first, can you explain something to me?” (King)

  King Suou looked at everyone. That’s true. If there was an unfamiliar face in the room, he would be concerned. King Suou looked at Kagali-san curiously.

  “Are you Kagali?” (King)

  “I’m cute when I’m smaller, aren’t I?” (Kagali)

  Kagali-san, dressed in her oversized clothes, smiled. In response, King Suou sighed.

  “I used too much magic power in the battle against Orochi. That’s all. Orochi was strong.” (Kagali)

  “I see. And it seems there are some strangers here as well.” (King)

  King Suou looked at Mumroot-san, Ruimin, and then at Fina. The look in his eyes caused Fina to shrink.

  “I wish you wouldn’t look at Fina with such frightening eyes.” (Yuna)

  “It wasn’t my intention to scare her. I apologize if it seemed that way.” (King)

  “N, no. I, it’s okay.” (Fina)

  However, Fina hid behind me.

  “So can you explain this situation?” (King)

  “It’s up to you if you want an explanation or not.” (Kagali)

  “It’s up to me, you say?” (King)

  “First of all, we’re asking you to perform contractual magic with Bear Missy as a prerequisite. The content of the contract is to protect her secret. If you don’t do that, I can’t tell you anything.” (Kagali)

  King Suou looked at me suspiciously.

  “Bear Missy’s secret is far too great. I can’t explain why these people are here, or how we defeated the Orochi.” (Kagali)

  After a quick glance at Mumroot-san and Ruimin, she returned her gaze to King Suou.

  “Why is that?” (King)

  “All of us, including me, have made a contractual magic to protect her secret. If we try to talk about even a fraction of it, we will die.” (Kagali)

  Kagali-san looked lightly at Mumroot-san and Ruimin.

  “So I can only explain it to those who have performed the contractual magic. If you don’t want me to go into detail, I can tell you what happened. But do expect that I can’t tell you most of it.” (Kagali)

  “.……Die? You mean, Sakura and Shinobu also made that contract too?” (King)

  The eyes of King Suou widened.

  “Yes, I made a contract.” (Sakura)

  “Yes, I’m sorry” (Shinobu)

  “Kagali! You let Sakura do contracted magic that could kill her? What if something went wrong!” (King)

  King Suou got angry at Kagali-san.

  “Uncle, don’t be mad. If I do not speak about it, I will not die. And when they say you will die, it does not mean you will die immediately. If you try to talk, magic that will make you start laughing will activate. And if you try to force yourself to keep talking, you will die.” (Sakura)

  “So it’s not like you’re going to die anytime soon?” (King)

  “Yes, as long as I don’t try to tell Yuna-sama’s secret. And if I try to say it by mistake, I won’t die right away.” (Sakura)

  King Suou’s anger subsided at Sakura’s words.

  Well, suppose Sakura, whom he loves and cherishes like his biological daughter, doing contract magic that could kill her, would make him worry. In that case, it’s normal for him to be angry.

  Fina was the only one who looked confused. Come to think of it, Fina was the only one who didn’t understand what they were saying because she doesn’t do contract magic.

  “Is it really that big of a secret?” (King)

  “Yes, I don’t think it should be known. I made a contract with her because I was convinced. But all of us who did contract magic cannot talk about it to you, uncle.” (Sakura)

  No one but Fina and me can talk about the bear’s gate due to contract magic.

  “Can you ask her to release it?” (King)

  Sakura shook her head.

  “Yuna-sama told me her secret to defeat the Orochi. I have no intention of betraying that favor. Besides, I consider this as my connection with Yuna-sama.” (Sakura)

  “She did so much for all of us. It is too selfish to ask her to cancel the contract just because she killed Orochi. As Sakura says, if you don’t talk about it, there will be no problem.” (Kagali)

  “Yuna saved my life. I cannot betray her.” (Shinobu)

  King Suou looked at the three of them, and the three of them returned the gesture to King Suou. No one was looking away.

  “Let me get this straight. As long as I don’t tell Yuna’s secret, I won’t die, right?” (King)

  “I guarantee it.” (Mumuroot)

  Mumuroot-san answers instead of Kagali-san.

  “Did you really defeat the Orochi? Not seal it.” (King)

  “Yeah, we’ve defeated it. In a few days, the effect of the wards against men will disappear. You can see for yourself.” (Kagali)

  “.…… Very well. I’ll do the contract too.” (King)

  King Suou replied.

  “Mumroot. I’m sorry, but I need you to get the contractual magic ready.” (Kagali)

  Mumroot-san did as Kagali-san asked and spread the carpet on the floor.

  “You’re going to tell me about that elf guy, too, right?” (King)

  “Of course.” (Kagali)

  King Suou followed Mumroot-san’s instructions and placed his hand on the carpet with the magic circle of contract magic.

  “You’re fine with it, right?” (Kagali)

  “I’ve been with you since I was born. If you think it’s necessary, then it must be. Let’s be done with this quickly.” (King)

  I, like King Suou, placed my hand on the carpet and performed contract magic.

  “Keep my secrets.” (Yuna)

  The magic circle emitted a dazzling light, and the contract was completed.

  “Now then, where do I begin?” (Kagali)

  “All of it. Tell me everything.” (King)

  Kagali-san explained in order.

  From the time the adventurer elf who helped her seal the Orochi hundreds of years ago was an acquaintance of mine. And that I had called Mumroot-san to the island to ask for his help.

  “Wait, I don’t get it. You mean he was that elf who sealed the Orochi hundreds of years ago?” (King)

  King Suou looked at Mumroot-san.

  “I told you that there was a group of adventurers who helped me seal the Orochi, right?” (Kagali)

  “Yeah, I’ve been hearing about it since I was a kid.” (King)

  “One of the adventurers who lent a hand at that time was Mumroot over there.” (Kagali)

  King Suou looks at Mr. Mumroot-san in disbelief.

  “I’m glad that Bear Missy was acquainted with the hero from hundreds of years ago. How did you bring him here? Everything happened so quickly, so you won’t have that time. Besides, I haven’t received any reports of elves arriving at the island.” (King)

  King Suou looks at Shinobu.

  “No, no one else came with her. Only Yuna.” (Shinobu)

  “That doesn’t explain why the hero, Mumroot, is here now.” (King)

  Kagali-san looked at me.

  King Suou did the contract magic for me. So I, too shall keep my promise.

  “This too must remain a secret, so please don’t tell anyone.” (Yuna)

  I took out a bear gate.

  “What’s that?” (King)

  “This is a magical tool that connects one door to another. Simply put the other one in a different place, and you can get to that place through this.” (Yuna)

  “Such a magic tool exists?” (King)

  Interrupting King Suou’s words, I opened the bear gate. The bear gate in the elven forest opened, and beyond the door, we could see the forest.

  King Suou looked beyond the door in disbelief.

  “She brought Mumroot through there. That girl is Mumroot’s granddaughter. She followed along and helped us postpone the resurrection of the Orochi.” (Kagali)

  Suddenly, Ruimin looked at the king, and she slightly bowed her head.

  “Then, with the help of Mumroot, we strengthened the wards and revived the heads of Orochi one by one, and Bear Missy and I defeated them one at a time. However, I only defeated the Wind Orochi. While the Fire, Rock, and Water Orochi, was defeated by her alone.” (Kagali)

  “Wait, you said it was in one at a time? I certainly saw that the fire, wind, rock, and water disappeared in that order individually, but at the end, I saw all four heads of the Orochi resurrected.” (King)

  Oh, right. But if I may say one thing. The last one to revive was a mere snake, clad in neither fire nor wind nor any element. A giant snake that only looked like Orochi.

  “You saw that, didn’t you?” (Kagali)

  “From the ship’s deck. I also saw you as a fox fighting the Wind Orochi.” (King)

  Kagali-san explains the Orochi that King Suou saw.

  When I defeated the heads of Orochi clad in fire, wind, rock, and water elements, and when we finally broke the wards sealing the main body, all of Orochi’s heads regenerated and revived. But she told him that the newly resurrected Orochi was defeated by me.

  King Suou listened in disbelief.

  “Here’s the magic stone of Orochi.” (Kagali)

  Kagali-san placed a colorless magic stone stripped from the body of the Orochi on the table to prove it.

  Do I have to show these too?

  “In addition, I got these from each head.” (Yuna)

  Kagali-san looked at me, so I had no choice but to present the four magic stones taken from Orochi’s heads.

  King Suou looked at me and the Orochi’s magic stones in disbelief.

  “Was the Orochi weak?” (King)

  “Are you trying to say that a monster with a magic stone of this size was weak? Are you saying it was weak when so many people died trying to seal that monster in the past?” (Kagali)

  There’s a hint of anger in Kagali-san’s words.

  If someone who has not even fought the Orochi, which took us so much effort to defeat, were to call it weak, even I would be angry.

  “I’m sorry. It was just too unbelievable. But how did you defeat the Orochi?” (King)

  King Suoh looked at me.

  “That’s a secret.” (Yuna)

  “Well, it doesn’t really matter how she defeated it, as long as it won’t resurrect ever again.” (Kagali)

  Actually, the Orochi that I defeated at the end was the weakest of all. However, I don’t want a second or third giant snake appearing again.

  Wait, that’s a flag, so don’t even think about it.

  “I understand.” (King)

  King Suou said that as he leaned back on the sofa.

  The magic contract was done. Next time, Part 2.

  Pre-orders for Kuma Volume 10 (July 27) have begun in some places.

  We will post in the activity report when we have decided where to distribute the store bonus SS.

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