Home/I Became the Emergency Food Supply of the Bear Family/ch26

Chapter 26

"She—she greeted us...?"

"Snowflake-nim is truly so courteous!"

At Na-bom's brief greeting, the two clutched their chests and trembled.

Why do people in this castle react so oddly?

It wasn't that surprising.

She was from a country of courteous manners, after all—she knew how to greet people.

Despite snorting inwardly, Na-bom's shoulders puffed up with pride.

Watching the two and the rabbit with a soft chuckle, Anna gestured toward the plate containing Na-bom's breakfast.

"Now then, shall we eat?"

Na-bom nodded and sat demurely in her little custom‑made chair. She pointed to the nearest plate, and Anna picked up a leaf and placed it in her mouth.

"It's winter strawberry leaf, they say. In season, so it should be delicious."

Before Anna could finish explaining, Na-bom's cheeks had already risen to the sky.

Crunchy! Delicious!

As Na-bom shook her face with delight, the three watched her with contented expressions.

Feeling their gazes, Na-bom flinched and shook her head vigorously.

They're watching me!

I'm supposed to be the one observing.

Na-bom struggled not to be distracted by the fresh green leaf dancing on her tongue, and slowly began observing the three.

Observing humans, she said.

A thought struck Na-bom, and she frowned.

Would this really help?

Besides, she'd done more than enough human observation in her past life. Even if it was only family and nurses visiting her hospital room, and people on TV or YouTube.

But why can't I still...

Impatient, Na-bom chewed her hay with vigor.

Only about half a month remained until the brown bears' hibernation ended. And Na-bom still hadn't succeeded in humanizing.

Maybe because I only watched, but never copied.

Children laughing as they did dance challenges on smartphone screens. Her mother's hand feeding her hospital meals. The nurse's legs running urgently toward her.

She had always only watched. Because that was all she could do.

It's only natural that humanizing is hard.

She accepted it calmly, chewing the leaf. It didn't ease her impatience, though.

Na-bom shook her head again and stretched her front paw to point at the plate. In times like this, she needed to eat well and stay strong.

Hay, then winter strawberries, then carrot leaves, then hay again.

Whenever Na-bom stretched her paw toward Anna—asking for this, asking for that—the faces across the table brightened as if touched by sunlight.

As she stretched her paw and looked ahead, the head butler and finance officer were again clutching their chests and grinning with delighted smiles.

"Snowflake-nim's limbs are surprisingly long."

"That makes her even cuter!"

Cute?

Na-bom quietly looked down at her paws.

What was cute about these small, thin paws? The Malamute was far cuter.

...Is eating with me really that enjoyable?

She still couldn't understand the tastes of Grizzly Castle's people.

But still...

Her anxious, impatient heart seemed to settle. With such peaceful faces before her, it was only natural.

The corners of Na-bom's mouth kept rising.

Savoring the greens entering her mouth and the faces that brightened whenever she stretched her paw, Na-bom soon found herself lost in breakfast.

They said food tasted better during hibernation—and it truly did.

Just then, a wind blew from behind, and someone reached over Na-bom's shoulder. The hand's owner plucked some hay from Na-bom's breakfast bowl and tossed it into his mouth.

Na-bom's expression twisted fiercely.

H-how dare you touch my hay!

"Hmm... I don't know what's so good about it."

The man, chewing with a puzzled expression, then snatched a piece of meat from Anna's plate.

Anna's brow also furrowed deeply.

"Ah! Lady Pallas!"

"Hm. The winter chef's skills are indeed impressive."

Despite the fierce glares from Na-bom and Anna, Pallas chewed the meat without blinking.

"Since you're done eating, let's go."

---

I don't see the Malamute today.

Not seeing the Malamute who always joined her training, Na-bom turned to Pallas—he opened his mouth with an Ah.

"He had separate retainer training, apparently. So no mount today."

At Pallas's answer, Na-bom nodded quietly and fell into thought.

True enough—the Malamute was also a member of the Sled Dog Knights. He seemed busier during hibernation, yet he'd been helping with her humanization training too.

Lady Pallas.

Gazing at the snow beginning to drift, Na-bom asked quietly:

Can I truly humanize?

"Hm?"

Without turning to look at Pallas, Na-bom stared only at the snow piling before her paws and spoke.

My voice reaches only you, Lady Pallas. It doesn't reach anyone else at all. ...I really am strange, aren't I.

Silence fell.

Only the soft sound of snow piling could be heard—and Na-bom's worry rose.

She'd said something unnecessary. She'd shown weakness to her teacher, who was working so hard to help her.

Would he think her rude? Would he give up on teaching her, thinking she had a weak mindset on top of having failed to humanize all this time?

Th-then, what I mean is—

Just as Na-bom scrambled to recover, Pallas said one thing:

"There's no need to be so impatient."

......

Startled, she snapped her head up and looked at Pallas.

An old man like a strict, rigid sage—different from the bear cubs' tutor, Heinz.

That had been Na-bom's image of Pallas. Though he looked like a young man just entering adulthood, perhaps it was because he was a great mage that he gave that impression.

But what came out of his mouth was the opposite of that image—a warm piece of advice. Perhaps that was why Pallas felt closer to her than usual.

"Your power should be building by now."

The last words were incomprehensible, though.

Um, Lady Pallas.

Na-bom trotted toward Pallas, who stood five paces away.

You said I need to observe animal movements well to humanize, right?

"Well, yes."

Pallas nodded calmly. Still, to make training feel natural, he should give her some proper direction.

Then today, I'd like to observe you, Lady Pallas.

"Uh, hmm? What do you mean?"

With a bad feeling, Pallas asked back.

Your animal form!

Pallas's mouth stiffened awkwardly. Looking down at Na-bom, who seemed strangely excited, Pallas hummed in clear discomfort.

In fact, Pallas didn't particularly like winter. He wasn't weak to the cold—he could survive in the Empire's North—but personal preferences existed.

He especially disliked having cold feet, so in winter he preferred to stay in human form where he could wear shoes.

Moreover, in winter he tended to put on more weight than usual, making his body rounder.

I hate looking like a gray dustball rolling through the snow.

Sometimes Pallas wished he'd been born as an owl, a crow, or even an ordinary cat.

He too wanted a more mage-like animal. Yes. Perhaps he should have researched reincarnation magic rather than life extension.

Pallas began grumbling beyond just humming.

Why was he agonizing for so long? Tilting her head, Na-bom placed her front paw on Pallas's shoe.

At that moment, Pallas looked down at her again.

Huh.

Na-bom suddenly stared at her own paw.

Did predators like Arctic hare paws?

That morning at the table, every time she'd stretched her paw to point at a plate, smiles and exclamations had burst forth. They'd even called her cute.

Perhaps it would work on Lady Pallas too.

Having reached her conclusion, Na-bom stood on her hind legs and raised her front paws toward Pallas.

I'll ask like this!

Reaching toward Pallas's folded arms, she stretched her body as far as she could. Pallas looked down at her silently.

When she got no special reaction, Na-bom waved her front paws, squeezed her eyes shut, and called out:

Please! Lady Pallas!

"......"

Watching the white rabbit stretch to an astonishing length without losing its balance, Pallas's eyes slowly narrowed.

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