I Became the Emergency Food Supply of the Bear Family - Chapter 37

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 37

A Hair Ribbon with white fur trim lay across the Sky-Blue Dress on the floor.
‘The lady just tied my hair, and then suddenly something scary jumped out……!’
Her black eyes, full of resentment and a touch of fear, snapped backward in an instant.
‘……What is it.’
After a moment, Na Bom exhaled in relief.
She’d thought it was a ghost, the way the head appeared to float there disconnected.
It was Ferdi and Louis, peering into the room through the gap in the door.
“Looks like we startled her and she turned into an animal, big brother!”
“I-I’m sorry, Snow Petal! Did we scare you?”
“Transforming when startled, hehe. Snow Petal really is adorable.”
“Why are you laughing about it? That’s why I said we should knock! We came to see Snow Petal in her dress, and now the whole plan’s gone sideways.”
The two bears bickered as they approached Na Bom, who sat nestled in Reb’s palm.
“I’m sorry, Snow Petal. Could you Humanize again for us?”
Louis asked apologetically, but the rabbit simply turned her head away.

***

That afternoon.
Na Bom made her way to the Great Hall with Anna, Reb, and the two brothers of the Grizzly Family.
As the great doors swung open with a creak, a single figure was already seated at the long table. Theodore. Behind him stood his adjutant, Demirun.
Gone was the warmth he’d shown her that morning when he held her close; now Theodore’s expression was stern and formal.
Na Bom’s shoulders stiffened at once.
“Ah, good afternoon, Count.”
Na Bom offered an awkward greeting, and Theodore replied curtly.
“Sit.”
She swallowed hard and walked slowly into the hall.
Sweat beaded on her palms—tension seized her. That he’d called everyone together to summon her in the Great Hall meant he was testing her, surely.
Once she took the seat across from Theodore, he spoke in a grave tone.
“Rabbit. The condition for your adoption into the Grizzly Family was one thing: to succeed at Humanization. Do you remember?”
“……Yes.”
Na Bom met his gaze and nodded.
“From beast to human, from human to beast—you must be able to do both flawlessly to claim true success in Humanization. Can you show me?”
With resolute expression, Na Bom nodded again.

Standing in the center of the Great Hall, Na Bom gripped the hem of her dress.
Truthfully, she was anxious.
She had succeeded at Humanization—so joyfully that she’d bounced up and down on the lady’s bed.
But the truth was, she’d never learned the precise method of how to Humanize or how to revert to her beast form. She’d simply woken up as a human one day.
And then Ferdi and Louis had appeared suddenly, startling her so badly that she’d transformed into an animal by accident. Fortunately, she’d shifted back to human form quickly.
Can I really do this?
Seized by doubt, Na Bom took a deep breath.
Strangely, in that moment, Pallas’s face came to mind—his expression cool and distant, tinged with something like displeasure, as he taught her tirelessly each day.

“To achieve Humanization, you must first become accustomed to your demi-human form.”
“It’s important to observe humans. Make sure you attend meals with others whenever possible.”

To succeed at Humanization, she needed to grow comfortable in both forms.
Recalling Pallas’s teachings, Na Bom drew another breath.
Soon her body began to glow with white light, and her form unraveled.
Her vision went black, and Na Bom shook her head hard. The dress slipped down around her, and her sight cleared.
Now in rabbit form, Na Bom poked her white face out from above the neckline.
She raised her head, and through her vision she saw Theodore watching her intently from behind the table.
‘Phew…….’
Na Bom breathed out in relief and closed her eyes.
Now think of the human form.
That moment when she’d succeeded at Humanization and bounced on the lady’s bed—the soft sensation of the sheets beneath her feet as she stepped on them, her arms stretched into empty air, the wind brushing between her fingers each time she jumped.
The small rabbit’s body began to glow white.
When she opened her eyes again, her eye level had risen considerably. She felt something slip, and glancing toward her shoulder, she saw her neckline had come loose. Beneath it lay the skin of a human.
Na Bom thrust her arms through the sleeves and rose, crying out:
“I did it!”
And in that instant, cheers erupted from near the hall entrance.
Startled, Na Bom turned her head—the great doors stood slightly ajar, and through them she could see nobles and servants gathered together.
Among them stood the Sled Dog Knight Captain, Heinz, Malamute, and Pallas.
“Pallas! I succeeded because of you!”
Na Bom waved and laughed toward those outside the hall. Pallas scoffed with obvious reluctance, extending his fist.
He avoided her gaze, embarrassed, but gave her a quick thumbs up.
At this first taste of praise, Na Bom’s face brightened like sunlight.
Woof!
Malamute barked loudly and bounded into the hall.
“Ah!”
The brown dog leaped into her arms and she lost her balance, falling. But it didn’t hurt—Malamute was licking her face. Na Bom laughed and spoke through her joy.
“Thank you too, Malamute. Thank you for training with me.”
As Na Bom swept back his fur and offered her thanks, Malamute let out a high bark. The fur felt different now that she was human; without thinking, she buried her face in it.
“Well done.”
At the voice suddenly beside her, she lifted her head—Reb stood there.
As he straightened her clothes, Reb also stroked her hair gently. Ferdi and Louis rushed over to offer their congratulations.
Theodore watched the scene with a smile, his expression growing twisted at the corners of his mouth.
Reb’s Curse had vanished.
A Curse cannot be treated by any means. Not by the cutting-edge medicine of the imperial capital, Lua Albero, nor by the Healing Magic of the great sage Pallas. It is the powerful recoil of a vow that nothing can touch.
That such a Curse had vanished cleanly meant that a force beyond human capability—something transcendent, incomprehensible to mortals—had been brought to bear.
The power of Eostra, Goddess of Spring.
Facing Pallas alongside Reb, Theodore could not hide his bitterness toward him.
He rejoiced that Reb had been freed from the Curse—he had never once ceased to wish for such a miracle. But.

“I made it clear that I do not wish to live on again through the power of so small a child.”

At Theodore’s sharp words, Pallas sighed and murmured in response.

“You and your wife are the only ones in the empire who would glare at the great sage with such eyes.”
“……Then tell me why you did not stop the child.”
“Instinct was awakening in the rabbit. It was likely the instinct that dwells within the Power of Spring—the drive to heal another. When instinct awakens, it is proof that the power can be wielded. I was conducting an experiment.”
“An experiment, you say?”
“That’s right.”
“You experimented on a child? Merely to satisfy your own intellectual curiosity……!”
“Of course curiosity was part of it. Mages are seekers of knowledge. Could there exist a mage who would not pursue an unknown force standing right before his eyes?”

At Pallas’s answer, Theodore clenched his fist. Tension hung in the air as Pallas looked at him and spoke coldly.

“Compose yourself. Young ones lack discipline, and that breeds trouble. Don’t you see? The Power of Spring is an unknown force even to me. To understand it, one must experiment. Surely you don’t intend to keep the rabbit locked away in the castle forever out of fear of danger.”
“…….”

He had no answer to that.
It was true. When one possessed a special power, a great power, one necessarily encounters enemies because of it.
And as long as one lives, there is no avoiding them.

“You all saw it plainly. The rabbit succeeded at Humanization. Without the experiments to explore the Power of Spring, it would have been impossible.”
“……What?”

At this meaningful remark, Reb’s brow furrowed in question. Sensing the undertone in Reb’s response, Theodore posed another question.

“In other words, you’re saying the rabbit was able to Humanize because she used the Power of Spring?”

Understanding that he’d grasped it correctly, Pallas spoke quietly with the faintest of smiles.

“Watch over her. The Power of Spring will bring no harm to that one.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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