The Heroic Kigurumi Chapter 05: Don't Jump to Conclusions During Sidequests!

Misunderstandings happen from time to time. Like when you forgot to hear an important detail about a party, or decided to wear the wrong kigurumi for the wrong occasion.

But sometimes, things just escalate to crazy levels when misunderstandings are allowed to linger...

Nah, it's usually just anime. It is indeed tough to keep appearances clean though, especially when your black n' fluffy reputation is on the line.

"Eggs for free, for life, for me? Oh please. I'm way too rich to accept that offer."

Eggs. To us Terran folk, it is but part of a billion-dollar globalized industry of enslaving the descendants of the dinosaurs for our own sustaining benefit. Delicious, versatile, makes cakes, builds muscles.

But for the town where Yuna was thrown in, Eggs are precious food items, even to the point of being a luxury delicacy. Crimonia, very strangely, had no fowl-related industries, and often had to buy eggs from other places.

"How I got these eggs? I snapped back and forth the village through a warp gate."
"Uhh, about that...I don't think teleportation magic was ever a thing in this world."
"Crap."

That's why when Fina saw that Yuna actually took a few from episode-one boy Kai's place, she was flustered. She did mention it as a nice food that could help her mother Telmina recover faster. But she never thought she'd really take some home at the end of the day. We have to give a few points to the broke lass, though, as this time she did not make too much fuss about it (like what she usually does with financial favors).

"Ah yes, another skill that I need precisely for this episode."

As mentioned, there's the teleport gate thing that practically eliminates all economic barriers between egg-producing villages. But for now, it simply functions as a personal convenience bridge for our bear kigurumi lady. 

"Hey, those kids aren't here the last time I came to buy items."
"Oh them? Not sure either. I won't try pressing A near them though."

As expected, gamer Yuna started pondering about all possibilities of food ingredients and their related economic opportunities. But before she could even take a bite out of a delectable skewer of isekai barbecue, she noticed a group of seemingly ragged(?) children just standing one place.

The barbecue shopkeeper explained that they belonged to an orphanage at the outskirts of the town. They seem to have been unable to properly eat lately, and are now frequently found on the streets asking for scraps.

"Hiya there. People told me I shouldn't help you, so here I am."

It was not exactly a happy sight for the formulaic-yet-touchy Yuna, so she decided to investigate. She asked for the children, and requested to visit the orphanage herself.

"I shouldn't even be allowing them to beg outside, but we just can't do anything."

It turned out to be quite worse than she imagined. Long story short, it looks like the establishment hasn't been receiving its regular funding from the local ruling authority. The sporadic trickle of funds eventually took its toll, which led to their current famished situation.

The horrible sight of this apparent extreme social imbalance must have triggered the normally upper-elite-hating Yuna, that she vowed to do something about it almost immediately. Can't really blame our heroine though. Any caring person would be emotionally struck at the sight of the worn-out orphanage. Same goes with any cynical person hearing of the inadequacy of authorities to aid the lesser fortunate.

"I knew that noble ass redhead is the same as all other sleazy social elites!"
"...Miss Yuna?"

That being said, Yuna absolutely understands the importance of not just giving a fish. Keep in mind that she has a distinct dislike for over-dependence. It is basically part of her instinct, and as such, she sought for a sustainable method of permanently ending the orphans' immediate financial troubles.

"I'm hoping hob and wulf meat is right up your alley, yes?"

But for today at least, however, everyone's lunch and dinner was all on her tab.

"As the famous saying goes: give a man a fire and he's warm for a day, but set fire to him and he's warm for the rest of his life."

This is where the story of the village eggs comes back. You would think that a more prosperous town would have the economic capacity to raise chickens on its own. But thankfully, this conveniently works to the benefit of Yuna's plan: to build a poultry farm near the land that occupies the orphanage.

"Work, learn, then earn. I'll leave the rest to you all."
"Oh, and say hello to your poultry business manager, Mrs. Telmina."

What she offered, was an industry. The orphanage would not simply be dependent on alms, donations, and government funding. It would be a business center of its own, teaching orphans the responsibility of animal husbandry. It will be, the very first local chicken farm in Crimonia, as ironic as that sounds.

At the head of it all, was none other than Yuna-delivered egg recipient numero uno: Miss Telmina herself.

"So you are asking us to let the price of eggs crash?" "Basically, yes."
"...And that would give us money to feed ourselves?" "If you mean the eggs, yup."

Now, the first concern, especially by the orphanage headmasters, was that the value of chicken eggs would quickly plummet down once they produce enough eggs and it becomes common enough across town. But, this was actually the exact plan of Yuna. To make the item and actual commodity within their local town space.

And it seemed to work. No other similar competitors were established just yet, but the business did stabilize their economic situation and made eggs more and more normal each day. As a bonus, the very produce is also part of their food supply!

"Well, well, well. Always quick to notice when its your own pocket that's getting empty eh."

With the sudden economic disruption in Crimonia, it wasn't long before the head honcho, Cliff Foschurose, finally appeared. This is it. The second phase of Yuna's plan, and the reflection of her absolute hate in abusive authority. There is reason why the commerce guild specifically agreed on the contract to exclude the Foschurose estate from regular distribution.

"I had hoped you would be a bit different from other corrupt aristocrats."
"Yuna if you would please just...*sigh* I can't do this without any facts for me to show."

Emotionally triggered by his presence, Yuna proceeded to question everything with regards to the orphanage's current state of affairs. Cliff tried to protest, of course. But because he did not have a solid explanation at that time, he was forced to leave Yuna and her arguments.

...Something didn't seem right with that confrontation.

Even Yuna felt that the exchange wasn't completely appropriate. But she did what she thought she had to do, and she wasn't about to back down to what she perceived as typical sleazy social elite behavior.

"Now I'm starting to realize why they gave me an over-positive intro last episode."

Back the Foschurose estate, Cliff investigated really hard into what really happened at the orphanage. Truth was, he never intended the funding to go dry at the establishment. The fact that he was utterly baffled to learn about it, meant that the funds were actually supposed to be provided as normal.

"Enz, do you have any f***ing idea how frustrating it was for me to be denied the purchase of eggs directly by the Crimonia Commerce Guild itself??!"

After his personal research, he finally traced it all back to one man: the noble Enz Roland. He had been diverting funds from other contracts and projects to fill his own coffers. Cliff had him summarily dismissed, presumably stacking all of his financial misgivings as debt that he will be paying for the rest of his life.

"Allow me to apologize as good PR to you peasants as someone who failed to check and see if any of the other sleazy nobles are actually doing their jobs."

Having cleared the funding issue on the management side, Cliff hurried back to explain his side, and to properly apologize. To the orphanage's surprise, the most powerful man in Crimonia was bowing his head to them in shame. Ah dramatic apologies, possibly the best goodwill PR that mister fair-hair here could have ever done. At least in this particular situation anyway.

"Guess my cynicism got the best of me again...*gulp*"

Much like her confusion when the adventurer Ranz gave an honest apology and gratitude during her completion of a quest on his party's behalf, we again find her absolutely speechless when faced with Cliff's full explanation and direct apology. The best case scenario for every cynic, as usual, is to prove them completely wrong with their worst fears.

Now she understood the uneasy feeling she had when Cliff gave up and left that day.

"By the way, the distribution exclusion isn't part of the main contract right? Right?!"

As for the government-issued funding, well they didn't really need it anymore. The egg business was getting sustainable enough, and it also served as an constant, young-age industry lesson for the kids. A complete win-win situation right Sir Cliff? Though, were not sure if the Foschurose estate can now receive eggs, since the agreement was probably written down as a timed contract.

"Man, I totally jumped the gun this time and almost made this series a different genre."

Feeling dumb enough on her own, Yuna finally released her frustration (with herself) when she got back home. Fina, of course, sided with the "happily ever after" argument, specifically pointing out that Yuna did have good intentions, that financial stability was still achieved, and that eggs are now easy to get in town with a local source.

Still, we surmise that Yuna would most likely never jump to conclusions again during a sidequest. In another, more pressing situation maybe. But never in this manner anymore.

'Till next time in Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear!