Home/I Became the Emergency Food Supply of the Bear Family/ch79

Chapter 79

The moment the overwhelmingly powerful flame magic struck the golem, all the spectators raised their heads toward the ceiling.

Crack, crack. The barrier made ominous sounds as it trembled. Voices of concern rose from the stands.

"Isn't the repair too slow?"

"The flames are blocking the magical energy from reaching it."

"This looks dangerous."

Ber was growing anxious too. The ceiling barrier had been repeatedly broken and repaired. It must have been weakened.

Ber's trembling gaze alternated between Ferdinand and the ceiling. Was it her imagination? The ceiling seemed to have cracks. And the weakened spot was directly above where Ferdinand stood.

Her hands kept sweating. If the ceiling were to collapse—

The moment Ber instinctively rose from her seat, the barrier broke and the ceiling fell.

With a terrifying sound, heavy debris crashed down on Ferdinand. Huk—gray dust filled the entire hall.

"Ferdinand!"

Screaming amidst the crowd's cries, Ber ran. She tried to dash toward the arena—but the barrier over the stands blocked her.

Bang, bang! She pounded on the barrier frantically—then light emanated from her hands. Spring's power must have treated the barrier as an "abnormality," because the barrier over the stands vanished instantly.

Before Ber could move, something shot past from both sides—cutting through the dust, Louis and Kaien were running.

The arena was in ruins. Debris from the collapsed ceiling blocked their path. Kaien drew his sword without hesitation, cutting through the massive stone to create a passage, and ran to where Ferdinand had been.

By the time Ber reached the scene, Kaien and Louis were pulling Ferdinand out from under the rubble.

Covered in black dust and abrasions, blood streaming from his forehead. Her heart dropped. Pale-faced, Ber ran to Ferdinand.

The moment she reached out to touch his shoulder—

"Ugh...!"

Ferdinand groaned in pain, his face contorted. Dark red blood had soaked through the cloak covering his right shoulder.

It was clearly a serious injury.

Her vision blurred. Shaking her head to hold back tears, Ber spoke to Ferdinand.

"L-let me see, Ferdinand. Just hold on. I'll heal you right away—"

"No."

When Ber reached out again, Ferdinand shook his head and opened his eyes.

"There are too many eyes here. Ber, you... you've trained hard enough that even I can see it now, haha."

"Don't say that! It doesn't matter. Ferdinand comes first."

"No. At least... somewhere with... fewer people."

Struggling to blink through the blood streaming from his forehead, Ferdinand reached out. She grabbed his hand—it was cold and clammy with sweat.

"I'll be fine. Please... Ber."

Ferdinand's lips barely curved. Then his golden eyes, looking up at her, closed.

It felt like her heart stopped. She couldn't bear it. She didn't care—even if everyone discovered her power, it didn't matter. She had to save Ferdinand.

Just as light began to gather in Ber's hands—

"Verdiana."

Kaien placed his hand over hers and slowly shook his head.

"But Ferdinand—!"

"It's all right. We can take the back passage. It's close. You can do it."

A gentle voice, eyes full of certainty. The warmth covering her hand. Ber's wildly pounding heart quietly settled.

The moment she nodded, Kaien gave instructions to Louis.

"Louis, animalize. A bear can carry two people at once, right?"

"Y-yes!"

Louis quickly shed his uniform and animalized. He lifted Ferdinand and Ber and ran.

As the bear and three others emerged through the dust, the Magic Department supervisor, who had been refereeing, gestured toward them.

"Wait, you!"

"Ferdinand is injured. We'll take him to the infirmary!"

Ignoring the professor's reply, Kaien and Louis ran.

The Academy's best healer was the nurse, and the infirmary was nearby. But Ferdinand already had someone with greater power by his side.

They reached the back of the hall. Dense bushes made it clearly a place with little foot traffic. Louis gently set Ber and Ferdinand down on the grass.

—Wait, Ber. Senior Kaien...

When Ber was about to begin healing, Louis stopped her. Naturally, Kaien mustn't learn about Ber's power.

"No. I have to do it now."

—What? Wait!

Ignoring Louis's voice, Ber began healing without hesitation.

Rip. She tore away the cloth clinging to his shoulder and placed her bare hand on the torn flesh. A brilliant healing light—far brighter than before—flowed from beneath her hand.

Panicking, Louis reached out to cover the light, but it was no use. As he scrambled—

"Don't worry."

Kaien's face showed no surprise.

Louis suddenly understood—if Kaien hadn't known, he would have headed to the infirmary instead of the back of the hall.

Gazing at Ber's back as she healed Ferdinand, Kaien said quietly:

"I already knew."

---

Placing her hand on the blood-soaked shoulder, she closed her eyes. Her left hand, pressed to his chest, felt Ferdinand's faint breathing.

How long had she concentrated?

A floating sensation—and her vision went white.

"Brother."

Louis's voice came—she turned. Familiar scenery unfolded before her. Grizzly Castle's garden. A fir tree casting shade to the right of the greenhouse.

It had been a serious injury. Seeing Ferdinand's memories was natural. When spring's power was used, she usually saw scenes from the patient's past.

The past—when was it? Ferdinand looked similar, but Louis seemed slightly smaller than now.

Leaning against the fir tree, Louis spoke to Ferdinand's back once more.

"What are you doing here alone? Ber's waiting—she said she won't eat dinner without you."

"...Yeah."

Louis's teasing prompted a nod, but Ferdinand didn't move.

The season seemed to be autumn. Looking at the snow in the garden and the white mountains beyond the castle wall, Ferdinand clenched his fist.

"Louis, are you all right?"

"Huh? About what?"

"...I'm so scared."

Ferdinand's eyes, gazing into the distance, darkened.

Ber gasped.

It was an expression she'd never seen before. Not when he was nagging strictly, not when he was tired from a busy schedule, not when he was bleeding and gasping—she'd never seen Ferdinand like this.

"Do you remember? Blood was caked at the corner of her mouth, and Ber's lips were turning pale. I couldn't bear to watch. I was scared—terrified that Ber might... die."

At Ferdinand's trembling voice, Ber understood.

So this was after he healed Kaien and collapsed, then came back.

"Brother."

Louis was equally shocked. He placed his hand on Ferdinand's shoulder and quietly shook his head.

"No. Ber is safe. She woke up, and she said her body feels lighter than before. Lady Pallas said not to worry."

"I know. I know, but... I'm still scared."

His eyes trembled painfully. Ferdinand wasn't looking at Louis—he was seeing the distant past.

"If the grief of losing Koko came again, Louis—could you bear it? No—it would be worse than that. Blood or not, Ber is my sister—she's been with us for years."

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