I Became the Emergency Food Supply of the Bear Family - Chapter 57

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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 57

Holding Theodore’s hand, I descended from the carriage slowly.
The moment my shoe touched the ground, I released the folds of my dress that I’d been holding. The fabric whispered against my footwear in what seemed like the softest of rustles.
At that graceful sight, the students watched me in hushed silence.
I kept my posture straight and deliberate as I walked forward. Nuke, Alexei, and Theodore flanked me like an honor guard, their presence unmistakable. The eyes of the students gathered in the garden never left me.
I exhaled softly in relief and curved my lips upward. This was the moment my carefully cultivated deportment would shine. How much effort I had poured into this day.
Two years ago, when I accompanied Perdi to his entrance ceremony, I had learned something vital.
Life at Royal Academy begins the moment one arrives at the Main Gate for the entrance ceremony—not even after it officially starts.
The instant Perdi stepped out of his carriage, he drew every eye. He arrived with the Head of the Grizzly House, his posture was naturally upright, his attire impeccably neat, and he was handsome besides.
Louie, by contrast, seemed to attract attention precisely because he appeared utterly unconcerned with anyone’s gaze, radiating an unforced confidence and freedom.
Perdi gained the affection of the academy’s faculty, while Louie won over the male students who favored Swordsmanship and athletics, and both enjoyed smooth academy lives.
If I was to execute my carefully laid plans without interruption, it was best to eliminate any unnecessary obstacles beforehand.
Unlike my two brothers—powerful bear demi-humans—I was a fragile Arctic Rabbit demi-human. If the students took a dislike to me, I had no idea what manner of harassment I might face. Image management was therefore essential.
I was neither handsome like Perdi nor cheerful like Louie. The weapon available to me was a simple one: “information scarcity.”
The fact that the Grizzly House had adopted a child was scarcely known throughout the empire. The Head of House, Theodore, had never let his adopted daughter leave his lands, and he himself remained sequestered in the north with virtually no dealings among the nobility.
Precisely because of this, the students would begin speculating wildly. Who was the youngest daughter of the Grizzly House? What position did she hold within the family?
All I had to do was provide their imagination with just enough fuel through carefully chosen actions.
The first impression I would plant in their minds was that of a “well-educated Young Lady.”
I would maintain an air of refined grace and a taciturn manner that avoided unnecessary words—that was the concept I would commit to.
The Royal Academy School Uniform differed in color between male and female students. Boys wore a dark gray base with jackets and trousers; girls wore white with jackets and skirts.
Seams stitched with golden thread, and Gold Epaulettes that swayed from the shoulders. A Blue Sapphire adorning the collar of the blouse to represent the Imperial Family, and beneath it, a Black Ribbon.
‘So the day has finally come when I wear a school uniform…!’
Excitement made me unconsciously clench my fists.
Only after tidying my appearance did I head toward the hall where the entrance ceremony was held.
As I walked down the corridor in line with the others, I felt eyes upon me constantly. A girl beside me greeted me first and posed a blunt question about whether I was affiliated with the Grizzly House.
“Yes, I am. I’m Ber Grizzly, the youngest daughter.”
At my brief reply, the girl’s eyes went wide.
Identity confirmed right after the initial greeting—she was clearly someone who loved gossip, a natural news source.
‘News that I’m the youngest daughter of Grizzly House will spread by the end of today.’
If you have gossip you want to spread, use a well-connected person to do it. It was one of the lessons about surviving noble society that Heinz had taught me.
Once it became known that I was a member of the Grizzly House, even if I appeared weak, far fewer people would dare to treat me carelessly.
And so the first-year entrance ceremony at Royal Academy concluded, and I received my dormitory room assignment without incident.
The room was a double occupancy, and my roommate was a quiet, taciturn girl with an air of cool detachment—as though everything was a bother to her.
She raised her hand slightly in greeting, then slowly climbed up to the upper bunk bed. When she reached the top, she said just one thing.
“I like being up in the trees.”
“Oh… sure.”
I tilted my head, responding awkwardly.
Trees? I suppose a wooden bed could technically be called “trees”?
In any case, I was grateful she wasn’t like that chatty student from earlier. The longer you share a space with someone, the greater the chance they’ll discover your weaknesses. So someone this indifferent was actually reassuring. There was no predatory scent about her either.
After room assignments were finalized, it was time for lunch.
Before heading to the Student Dining Hall, I went to the Main Gate to bid farewell to everyone. I spotted Theodore in the process of boarding the carriage.
“Head of House!”
I ran toward the carriage. It was hardly a display of refined grace, but I couldn’t help it—there was something important I had to tell him.
“Ber. The uniform suits you well.”
I scratched the back of my head sheepishly. Theodore rarely gave compliments, and his manner seemed to be growing softer as time passed.
“During school breaks, I’ll come home. I’ll write to you for certain.”
“…Yes.”
Theodore stroked my white hair, then left me with something surprising to hear.
“I’ll send you letters too.”
“Young Lady is so charming and has such a good nature—you’ll do well wherever you are!” Nuke’s voice followed Theodore’s gruff tone, his face crumpled with doting affection. Meanwhile, Alexei, who stood beside him, wore an unexpectedly serious expression.
“If you face any hardship, Miss, please tell me at once.”
“At once?”
I smiled as though he were joking and asked again, but Alexei nodded heavily.
“I will come running immediately.”
“I’ll be fine. So Alexei, I need you to keep protecting Grizzly Castle, understood?”
“…Yes.”
For some reason, despite my spirited words, Alexei’s expression seemed a little forlorn.

Though I saw them regularly when I returned home on school breaks, they seemed to have grown even more in their uniforms, their appearances somehow unfamiliar to me now.
“Ber’s finally entered the academy!”
“Your uniform is lovely. It looks perfect with your white hair.”
Louie grinned like a puppy, while Perdi delivered his compliment as casually as if it were nothing. Even at school, the two of them were unchanged.
“You both look great too. You seem much more impressive—I suppose clothes really do make the person.”
“Ber. That wasn’t a compliment.”
“Anyway, you’ll have lunch with us, right?”
At our easy, back-and-forth banter, both the freshmen and most of the other students turned their gazes toward the three of us.
And thus, the rumors about the mysterious youngest daughter of the Grizzly House spread among all the students in a single half-day.

Swordsmanship Department. Magic Department. General Department.
Not only were the curricula divided, but each department had its own campus as well.
Louie belonged to the Swordsmanship Department, and Perdi to the Magic Department.
As a former reader of original stories, I was interested in the Magic Department, but I chose to enroll in the General Department instead. The reason was the Power of Spring.

‘—except his expression changes oddly each time, which makes it awkward.’
It was as though the atmosphere demanded I applaud and cry out, “Wow, truly magnificent!” His accomplishments were indeed remarkable, and he always answered my concerns with genuine sincerity, so I was genuinely grateful. I even applauded him for it.
That being said, to ensure both a smooth academy life and a peaceful future for the Grizzly House, I had two crucial secrets to keep.
First, that I was the Manifestation of Eostrae.
Second, that I was an Arctic Rabbit Demi-human.
Of course, I knew such secrets could not be hidden forever.
I was living a life that bordered on having a time limit—I could only survive by drawing upon Eostrae’s power.
‘It’s clear I’ll be exposed eventually. But.’
Not yet.
Not until I had twisted the original story’s progression further still.
Since I hadn’t seen the ending of the Source Material, I didn’t know what the Imperial Family truly wanted. Because of that, I wanted to prepare for the worst-case scenario.
Even if I, as the Manifestation of Eostrae, were to meekly present myself to the Imperial Family, there was a possibility the problem wouldn’t be solved.
And so the first week at Royal Academy came to an end.
It was my first weekend in the capital. I left the academy and wandered the Capital City Center Street—entirely unescorted, completely at liberty.
One reason I had wanted to enter the academy was precisely this.
On days without classes, I could roam the capital freely.
Luaalvero, the capital directly ruled by the Imperial Emperor. Similarly under imperial jurisdiction was this institution for nurturing talent, the Royal Academy.
No one could harm the empire’s future. Especially not in Luaalvero, under the watchful eye of Emperor Sieldor, who held the empire’s support as the greatest of enlightened rulers.
And so I ventured out in my academy uniform and made my way toward my destination.
My destination was Enya’s Clinic.

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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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