Home/I Became the Emergency Food Supply of the Bear Family/ch69

Chapter 69

Kaien gazed at her with eyes full of certainty, as if he knew everything.

Ber was quickly seized by anxiety.

I've been found out.

Exposed, to Kaien.

Honestly, she hadn't expected to be discovered so easily. After all, she hadn't even been an Academy student at the time—just a visitor passing through briefly.

Though she'd collapsed and vomited blood, the nurse had only briefly examined her; Theodor had come quickly, carried her off, and left.

After confirming that Kaien had left no trace of searching for Einja, and that his lung disease was cured, Ber hadn't worried much.

Because Kaien had no clues to identify the one who'd healed him.

Besides, the great sage Pallas had said it—there was no mage at the Academy capable of perceiving her spring's power.

Yet somehow, he'd found her.

"Don't you recognize me? I'm the wolf you saved two years ago in the Academy garden. Don't you remember?"

To the rabbit, frozen on the rock, unable to even blink, Kaien leaned in and asked again. But she still didn't respond.

...Could it be.

That day—when spring's power ran wild and she'd rolled across the garden floor in animal form.

If she'd touched Kaien's bare skin that day, spring's power might have activated. And if he'd noticed a wound of his had healed...

As Ber's mind raced, a dazzling white light suddenly filled her vision—the rabbit squeezed her eyes shut.

When she opened them slowly, the boy in the Academy uniform was gone—replaced by an animal.

—With this form, can you recall what happened two years ago?

......

A gentle voice echoed in her mind. But Ber couldn't move. Frozen in place, she could only stare at the animal before her.

A predator.

A massive, pitch-black beast that looked five, maybe ten times her size.

Even beneath its furred hide, she could see its broad chest, enormous biceps, long gaping maw, and gleaming fangs beneath. One bite would finish a small creature like her in an instant.

What was she supposed to recall?

The black dog from two years ago? There was no way she could associate that memory with this form.

What dominated her mind instead was a distant memory.

—Damn rabbit brat!

—This rabbit—should we just eat it?

The abandoned young rabbit.

The men who put her in a cage and carried her off. The predators who turned into white wolves, clawed her leg, and drooled as they talked of eating her.

The black wolf before her blurred with the white wolves of that day.

Unlike those wolves, the wolf before her showed no threat or intent to attack. She knew that—but Ber was terrified.

She had to run. She wanted to disappear from this wolf's sight—but her body wouldn't move.

...Verdiana?

Getting no answer or reaction, Kaien called her name again.

Had she not remembered even in his animal form? He'd changed a lot since then—so perhaps it was natural.

But his certainty couldn't be wrong.

This child was definitely Eostre's incarnation, who had cured his lung disease.

From the day his long illness had vanished, Kaien had thought and thought again.

That day—the sensation in his dream.

Warm sunlight on his back, melting the tension in his body—like being embraced by green spring.

And then he remembered—that sensation wasn't the first time.

Memories of being abandoned in the North as a child, thanks to Marinella's schemes. When he'd collapsed searching for Eostre's power, Jean had saved him. And when he'd come to, Jean had mentioned Grizzly Castle and the Sled Dog Knights.

Hadn't that day—when he'd collapsed near Grizzly Castle—he too had dreamed a warm dream, like being held in spring?

After that, Kaien began investigating the Grizzly Count's family.

The Grizzlies, infamous northern barbarians. The Emperor's puppet, who never refused the Emperor's commands.

They were a famous family, but beyond that, there was almost no information—likely because Theodor Grizzly never left his estate except by imperial order.

So Kaien kept a close watch on Ferdinand Grizzly, his classmate, and Louis Philippe Grizzly, who entered the following year—searching for a connection between Eostre's power and the Grizzly family.

But whether hidden or unrelated, the two bears had revealed nothing.

One day, just as he was thinking of broadening his search—

Rumors spread that another Grizzly had entered the Academy.

Since the Grizzly succession was said to be only the eldest and second sons, both students and Kaien were curious about the rumored student.

He'd quickly become friendly with Louis Philippe, who was in the same swordsmanship class but a year behind, and had discussed the rumored "younger sibling"—but gained no special information.

With no leads, all Kaien could do was secretly observe the Grizzly family's third child.

The third was a girl.

Pure white hair tied in two or one braid. Pale skin that could seem almost pallid. Limbs that appeared long for her small frame. A face that laughed brightly with friends—innocent.

She seemed like an angel.

Along with that thought came an odd idea.

The miracle of that day two years ago—perhaps it was thanks to an angel sent by his mother in heaven. If so, he wished his angel was a child like that—a pure child who warmed his heart just by looking at her.

As he was seized by that strange fantasy, Kaien turned away with a bitter smile.

He only wanted to express gratitude—but the feeling, swelling without a recipient, grew beyond control.

Should he secretly follow the third child and ask if she remembered that day? Startled by the obsessive thought, he'd been suppressing the impulse—when he met her.

A small, white, snowball-like creature.

An Arctic hare.

Seeing an Arctic hare beast-person, which could hardly be encountered outside the Arctic, Eostre's legend naturally came to mind.

But the rabbit looked unwell. Saving a life took priority over his debt. That day, as he brought the Arctic hare to the infirmary, Kaien noticed a wound on his body had vanished without a trace—and he became certain.

Without even drying his hair or properly washing, he ran to the infirmary.

Late in the evening, he caught the nurse just as she was leaving and asked about the beast-person he'd brought.

"Oh? I thought you two knew each other. She's the student who brought you to the infirmary two years ago—when you'd animalized. That day, she suddenly vomited blood—I was worried, but fortunately she seems healthy now."

At the mention of blood, Kaien snapped his head up. He wanted to hear more—but the nurse handed him the visitor log, interrupting his thoughts.

Her finger pointed to a name written in round handwriting:

「Verdiana Grizzly」

The name of the child he'd been chasing all along.

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