Home/I Became the Emergency Food Supply of the Bear Family/ch108

Chapter 108

The two soon emerged from the wave of spring's power.

Wooong—

The heavy air that had settled over the Emperor's bedchamber gradually returned to its normal state.

Then—

Thud, kwoong, crash, kwaaang... kwaaaang!

With a thunderous roar, the chamber wall shattered.

Through the dust, a massive figure appeared beyond the broken wall.

It was Theodor, animalized as a brown bear.

"Father...!"

Ber tried to run toward him—but soon lost her balance and collapsed.

"Ber!"

Pallas, who had also burst through the wall, caught her as she fell.

"Are—are you alright? Are you hurt...?"

It was only after he spoke that he could see—her face, arms, and legs were covered in red welts and wounds. Even her neck bore clear, red finger marks—strangulation marks.

"Sylvain Serpierre! You dare...!"

Pallas glared at the Chancellor with murderous eyes. But the Chancellor had someone to face before the enraged Great Mage's magic.

Thud, thud, thud!

In three strides, the brown bear stood before him, gazing down. The Chancellor, still dazed and weeping, seemed unaware of his situation.

"Brown bear...?"

The moment he muttered blankly, he was flying through the air.

Pwoooosh—!

The terrifying bear's fist had struck his face with full force.

The Chancellor's face snapped to the left. As it began to swell in seconds, he flew across the Emperor's bed and crashed into the opposite wall.

But the force—beyond human, beyond even a beast—didn't stop there.

Crack, kwaaaang!

The wall he struck cracked, then gave way. As his body was hurled skyward, the light of animalization burst from him.

A snake as thick as a human arm emerged from his sleeve. With tongue flicking, the unconscious Chancellor began to fall, helpless.

Just then—

Hwiiii—!

A high, piercing cry echoed from afar—and a brilliant golden light painted the sky.

A massive bird with a golden beak, golden wings, golden legs, and a golden tail flapped its wings.

It was a griffin—the symbol of the Albero Empire, with an eagle's head and a lion's body.

And that mythical creature was not an ordinary animal, but a beast-person.

The griffin beast-person and Emperor of the Albero Empire—

Cieldor Maximilian de Albero.

Gliding freely through the sky, the griffin descended after the falling snake. As it caught the snake in its golden beak, Theodor and Pallas saw someone riding on its back.

The Crown Prince, Lucian Adrian de Albero, with his blazing crimson hair and teal eyes.

"The Chancellor will be tried under imperial law—so don't worryyyyyy!"

Adrian's voice, quavering, faded into the distance.

Just as the Emperor and Crown Prince safely captured the Chancellor—

"S-senior... Senior Kaien, wake up!"

Ber cradled the fallen young man, crying out desperately.

A pool of blood had formed where Kaien Noirel lay. Blood was gushing from the wound on his neck.

"Please, please open your eyes! Kaien... Kaien Noirel!"

She shook his shoulders, slapped his cheeks—but he didn't open his eyes.

His skin was pale. No warmth lingered on his face. Ber took his hand with trembling fingers—it was cold, frighteningly cold.

Soon, his body began to glow faintly, and he reverted to his animal form.

Placing her hand on the black wolf's body, Ber closed her eyes urgently. But somehow, spring's power didn't activate. She tried to force it into the wolf's body—but no light appeared from her hands.

"Why... why won't it work...!"

Frustration clouded her vision; she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. Just as she tried again, Pallas approached.

He carefully checked the wolf's neck. Ber snapped her head toward him—his expression was sadly frozen.

"...He's not breathing."

"......"

Unable to believe it, Ber shook her head violently.

"No, no. That can't be."

She pushed Pallas aside and pressed her fingers to the wolf's neck.

It was true.

She felt nothing—no pulse, no warmth.

Plip, plip. Tears fell onto her hands, onto the wolf's black fur.

"There's—there's no way... just moments ago, he was protecting me... telling me to run."

Even as she denied reality, she understood.

Yes.

Kaien died protecting me.

"Ah..."

She barely exhaled. A sharp pain seared her chest—as if someone was twisting her heart.

His breath had stopped.

He was dead.

Even in the original, hints of Kaien's fate had always lingered.

She had cured his lung disease—but perhaps he was always meant to die young.

Just as she, Na-bom, hadn't survived past fifteen.

As Ber stared blankly at the wolf's closed eyes—

Sseureureuk. The wolf's limp paw fell onto her palm.

The tickle of the fur seemed to tell her something.

That Kaien's breath hadn't stopped. That he was only sleeping, and would wake soon.

...Yes.

Light returned to Ber's eyes. Holding the wolf's paw tightly, she thought:

There's no fate that forces you to die.

Just as I was reborn and given the name Verdiana.

Just as I survived beyond fifteen!

—Ber.

Theodor's gentle voice reached her.

He came beside her and lowered himself, placing his massive bear paw on her shoulder.

—Don't give up. You can do it.

Meeting the brown bear's eyes, Ber quietly nodded.

"You're right. Kaien isn't dead yet. Because I... Eostre's incarnation—am here."

With an unwavering voice, Ber placed her hand on the wolf's neck and closed her eyes.

Then, something extraordinary happened.

A dazzling light began to spill from her palm. Spring's power, which had refused to work just moments ago, now blazed brilliantly.

"Yes...!"

Pallas stared at Ber with wide eyes and spoke.

"They said Eostre's power appeared like raising the dead. It's possible."

Rising swiftly, he clenched his fist and spoke as if cheering her on.

"Don't forget, Ber. You hold the power to overturn nature itself. You can save Kaien!"

As if echoing his call, the light beneath Ber's palm swelled. Soon, it spread beyond her hand, enveloping her entire body.

In an instant, the vast chamber was filled with a white light, surging like a great wave. The wave of light poured toward the black wolf before her.

The luminous mass danced around Kaien, then was absorbed into his body.

As the light faded, darkness flooded in—so blinding and immense that her eyes needed to readjust.

Soon, vision returned. Light seeped into the dim chamber through the hole the Chancellor had made.

Light settled over Ber and the wolf.

How long did the silence last?

The wolf's chest, covered in black fur, slowly began to rise and fall.

Nature's order had been overturned.

The wolf—Kaien—was breathing again.

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