I Became the Emergency Food Supply of the Bear Family - Chapter 70

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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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Episode 70

Nine years old. Two years ago on that day. And until today.
I had finally discovered the name of the person who brought me three springs in my life.
Now I knew her department, her year, her name, her face. I wanted to run to her at once and tell her. Whether you remember me. How great the happiness you gave me was.
With a heart that wouldn’t ache no matter how hard I ran, I wanted to dash forward and pull that small, white rabbit into my arms.
But why was that?
I couldn’t find the courage.
The child was enjoying her life at school. She had dependable siblings to protect her, and friends who stayed by her side.
Perhaps for her, what happened two years ago was merely a memory that had passed. The feelings I had cultivated selfishly would surely feel heavy to the child.
Time flowed even as I simply watched the child from afar.
Free Swordsmanship sparring time.
Annoyed that Raul was challenging me to another bout today, I climbed alone onto a tree.
Whatever he had to do to wrest victory from me, Raul lately tried to win through foul play.
But such sparring was a waste of time. I didn’t even want to see his face if I could help it, yet he was tiresome in pestering me—though on the other hand, it was refreshing. It seemed I had properly pricked his pride.
As I gazed blankly at the sky, a familiar scent reached me, and when I turned my head, I saw a white rabbit and a wild boar locked in a chase.
Kaien rescued the rabbit.
This was the second time I had rescued the rabbit.
Two acts of aid.
Had I earned the right with this?
Ber.
Because you cured my chronic lung illness, so many things changed over these two years.
My small, frail body became healthy. The sword I couldn’t even hold properly, let alone swing, now feels light as a feather.
Starting with Jang, I was able to bring back my servants one by one. The light in my father’s eyes when he looks at me has changed too. The Minor Marquis’s authority remains with me.
You were the one who bestowed all these miracles upon me.
—Ber, I…
There was something I wanted so badly to tell you.
I…you.
Toward the rabbit that gave no answer no matter how many times he called, not even glancing his way, Kaien extended his front paw. Just as the tip of his paw was about to touch the rabbit’s chest—
‘…!’
The rabbit shrank back as far as it could go. Trembling throughout, the way it looked up at him was like a prey animal terrified before a predator.
Kaien was taken aback as the rabbit began to retreat. Though he quickly withdrew his paw, the rabbit’s trembling did not stop.
It wasn’t meant to frighten her. He had only hoped she would remember. If only he could have met her as he was two years ago—as impossible to imagine as a wolf—might she have recognized him then?
While Kaien fell into thought, the rabbit that had been backing away was on the verge of falling from the rock. Kaien hastily extended his paw, but it didn’t reach.
The rabbit that would have fallen was caught in human hands.
“Using Animalization to threaten small animals.”
The man held the rabbit to his chest and glared down at the black wolf.
“There should be limits to breaking school rules.”
Only then did the rabbit’s ears twitch as it turned to look at the man holding it.
“Though I suppose I’m not one to talk, skipping class and being out here.”
The ice-cold gaze from just moments before suddenly turned playful. The man who smiled and looked back at the rabbit was a face very familiar to Ber.
‘Ah, it’s Adrian.’
Adrian, the original male protagonist of Taming.
His crimson hair and thoroughly disheveled School Uniform seemed likely to stand out even more than the two transformed beastkin.
“Whatever happened between you two, calm down the excitement.”
He held out his hand toward Kaien as if to say not to attack, then Adrian very naturally snatched up Ber’s clothes that lay on the stone.
“I mediated between you two, so no retaliation later, understood?”
Adrian grinned playfully and took off running.
Kaien’s form rapidly receding at tremendous speed.
The gaze that didn’t leave me seemed somehow a little lonely.
“Hmm, no one around, and this should be far enough.”
Adrian, who had been running with Ber in his arms, stopped behind a bench deeper in the Garden and laid the School Uniform on the brush.
“Put your clothes on here and quickly rejoin your friends.”
He carefully set Ber down on the School Uniform, then asked as if he understood everything.
“That wolf didn’t look like a General Studies student…you’re a General Studies student, right? If you’re out here during this hour, are you a first-year?”
‘…’
Ber didn’t answer Adrian’s question. She simply pretended not to hear, refusing to meet his eyes.
The reason being: she was now in the form of an Arctic rabbit before Adrian. Except for the early parts of the story, Adrian only ever showed his character as devoted to the heroine—he was one of the best-supporting allies—and she didn’t want him to discover her true form just yet.
“You don’t need to be so guarded. I saw it on the way here. Clearly new students who looked like herbivore beastkin having an outdoor class. You only need to think a little to figure that out.”
Adrian pressed his temples with his thumbs and laughed. At a remark that seemed to read her mind, Ber almost gasped involuntarily.
Right. Adrian was this type of character. As clever as a fox, his scheming mind turned perfectly in service to Enya.
“Anyway, the General Studies students are too busy with the wild boar incident to notice you’re missing. You’ll be fine if you go back soon.”
He had only shown his back for a moment before Adrian turned his head back.
“But why were you doing that with the wolf just now? Predators at the Academy normally don’t touch herbivorous species.”
The rabbit blinked its dark eyes and looked up at Adrian.
He’d said not to retaliate, so I thought he’d just let it go—but was he thinking of reporting this to a professor?
Despite an appearance that looked decidedly delinquent, Adrian was subtly close with the professors.
Among the Royal Academy students, Adrian had also quietly helped Enya, who was being bullied because she was close with the handsome male student Kaien from a powerful family.
Kaien had stepped forward directly to solve the problem himself, but Adrian was the type to watch from behind and secretly tattle to a professor to help Enya.
In the chapter where it was revealed that Adrian had been the one moving the professors all along, many readers left relieved comments saying they’d finally found the true hero.
‘It was even more charming because it was the cunning solution worthy of a fox.’
I’d thought that to such a fellow, I could entrust our Enya without worry. Yes, that’s right. Lost in sentiment, Ber nearly nodded absently.
Shaking off the stray thought that had suddenly crossed her mind, Ber began to shake her head.
Right now she had to deny it absolutely. If she seemed to agree, Adrian’s strong but subtle sense of justice would mark Kaien as a predator who bullied small animals in the professors’ eyes.
Besides, since black wolf beastkin were rare in the story, Adrian probably already knew that the wolf he’d just seen was Kaien.
And they hadn’t actually fought anyway.
‘Why did I have to remember that day?’
There was no need to be so stiff about it. Right, I should have just played dumb about what happened two years ago!
As Ber frantically shook her head back and forth, Adrian soon pressed further.
“Were you being threatened by the wolf or something?”
This level of denial wasn’t clearing his suspicion. Well, given how stiff she’d been, it was only natural. Ber stood up from her spot entirely, drew an X with her front paws, and shook her head even more vigorously.
“…So you’re saying you didn’t actually fight? Then I’ve done something unnecessary.”
Only then did Adrian scratch behind his ears with an embarrassed look, muttering.
“Should I take you back to the wolf right now? He might still be there…”
Just as Adrian said this and moved toward Ber—
At a familiar person’s scent, the rabbit’s nose twitched.
‘Enya?’
Following Enya’s scent came hurried footsteps and a voice calling out someone’s name.
Toward the figure approaching through the trees, Ber cried out instinctively.
‘Don’t call my name!’
Crackle.
Enya, stepping through fallen leaves, came to an abrupt stop.
A rabbit standing unsteadily on two legs atop her own School Uniform, and a delinquent-looking male student looking down at it.
Enya’s expression quickly froze over with coldness.

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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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