I Became the Emergency Food Supply of the Bear Family - Chapter 71
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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 71
Thanks to Pallas’s rigorous training, Ber had become adept at speaking while channeling Spring Power.
Though a Demi-human in Beast form could not normally be heard by one in Humanization, Ber transcended this natural law through Eostreé’s Power.
Now, while in Beast form, she could project her voice to whomever she chose.
Eina stopped in her tracks without calling Ber’s name—perhaps she had heard her voice.
Adrian, turning between her and himself with a puzzled expression, asked with a smile tugging at his lips.
“Ah, a friend?”
But Eina did not answer. She only fixed him with a cold stare laden with wariness.
“Just a student from the same department. She disappeared during class, so I was searching for her.”
She spoke in clipped tones, then fell silent—silent enough to make the man watching her feel awkward.
What’s with this atmosphere?
Does she think Adrian was trying to hurt me?
Well, I did use Spring Power to keep him from saying my name—I suppose that’s easy enough to misunderstand!
Even if he’s the original male lead, I didn’t want anyone finding out that this Arctic hare Demi-human is Bernadette Grizzly, but now I’ve made things cold between the female and male leads!
Wait. This is their first meeting, isn’t it? Did I just turn their first encounter into something hostile? Me…?
‘E-Eina! I’m fine. This person helped me.’
Ber reached out to Eina urgently, but somehow Eina only bit her lower lip in frustration and fixed Adrian with an even more terrifying glare.
“It seems you’ve been of help. Thank you. Since everyone is accounted for now, I’ll take her from here.”
Her following words came rapid and formal.
Adrian, reading the room, quickly raised his hands in a show of surrender, leaving only a brief “Ah, yes, I’m counting on you!” before fleeing as if his life depended on it.
Only after Adrian had completely disappeared did Eina rush forward and pull Ber into an embrace.
“Thank goodness you’re safe! You’re not hurt anywhere, Bernadette?”
‘…Yeah, I’m fine.’
“That you can hear Bernadette’s voice even in this form is remarkable. Anyway, let me check once more to make sure you aren’t injured. Just a moment.”
Eina turned Ber’s body this way and that, scrutinizing her for wounds. But her touch, which had begun gently, grew increasingly frantic.
Why, why is she touching me so much?
“I-It’s possible there could be wounds on your face too!”
‘…Yeah.’
Eina stared intently into the rabbit’s dark eyes and began kneading Ber’s cheeks.
The warmth seeping through the fur seemed to calm her mind a little.
In the end, I’ve been found out by Kaien—he learned I’m the Demi-human who treated him two years ago. I couldn’t properly deny it then, and I froze up besides, so there’s no way I can play dumb anymore.
What do I do now?
As for Adrian… I never expected him to show up there all of a sudden.
He seemed to understand that I wasn’t fighting with Kaien, so the real problem might be my relationship with Eina.
Well, in the original work, when they’d just met, things between them weren’t particularly good either. But not quite this cold, I’d think.
And why did Eina start using formal speech with me again? I’ve asked her to speak casually how many times now?
Mmm…
Surrounded by complications, Ber found herself gazing blankly up at Eina.
Her cheeks were thoroughly squished in Eina’s palms, and Ber’s eyes narrowed.
Isn’t she touching me way too much?
***
Following the wild boar rampage incident, Lorenzo had received a Suspension.
The victim had escaped injury, but because he’d deliberately transformed into Beast form with malicious intent to charge at a specific student—Bernadette—the Suspension period was a staggering two years.
Two years, not three months or one year. Many students, including Ber, were stunned by the severity of the sentence handed down to a scion of the prestigious Porco Family.
General opinion held that the victim’s family also wielded considerable power, and that the General Studies department head had likely put in a word.
Most General Studies students rejoiced at news of Lorenzo’s Suspension. He had more than once bullied Herbivore Demi-humans, bragging about being a rare Carnivore Demi-human among General Studies students.
Before long, Ber had earned a reputation among Herbivore Demi-humans as something of a hero—the one who had brought down Lorenzo.
‘Too much attention isn’t necessarily a good thing.’
The moment Ber stepped into the Dining Hall with a lukewarm expression, she found herself the center of attention once again.
“Ber!”
“Younger sister!”
It was because Perdi and Louie were waving at her and Eina.
Without thinking, Ber averted her gaze from the two of them.
Why did they have to grow up so handsome and capable? If you have brothers who command the attention of the entire Academy, of course you’ll draw attention too.
As Ber stood there, caught in such thoughts, Perdi and Louie came to her directly and draped their arms across her shoulders. When Eina let out a soft laugh and stepped back from the three of them, Louie suddenly began to speak.
“I doubt anyone in this school missed what happened yesterday, right?”
Ber started at Louie’s sudden address to all the students gathered in the hall, spinning to look at him, but his expression remained serene.
With an ill sense of foreboding, she tried to wrench free from Louie’s arm around her shoulders, but failed. Louie continued.
“A boar dared to transform into Beast form within the sacred Royal Academy and attempt to maul a female student. That boar was struck down by the hammer of justice and expelled with a two-year Suspension. But it occurs to me that there may be other audacious fools out there. So I thought I’d issue a warning here and now.”
Ber lowered her head and turned to look back. Perdi, who usually showered Louie with reproach, was unusually quiet today. In other words, he’d judged that this wasn’t a situation to scold Louie over.
Could this mortifying moment not be happening?
But before the situation could settle, Louie made his move.
“Touch our sister from now on, and we won’t let you slide.”
Ber squeezed her eyes shut. Chills crawled up her forearms. When she glanced back, Perdi was watching Louie with a proud, approving gleam in his eyes.
Then came a chorus of “Kyaaaah!” from the girls. Turning, Ber saw female students blushing at the sight of Louie.
No. That wasn’t even a particularly cool line.
“Though, we might not even need to step in—it could all be over before we get the chance.”
Just when Ber thought it was finished, Louie added something else. She turned to him with a bewildered expression.
“She’s a monster even we can’t beat, after all.”
He proclaimed it proudly and tapped Ber’s shoulder.
The look in Louie’s eyes as he gazed at her was unmistakably one of praise.
For him to brag like that—truly my brother.
“Ugh…”
Ber bit her lower lip and fixed Louie with a glare.
Yes, it was a lie. Wanting to punish Lorenzo for his audacity in touching our female lead, I’d spouted some nonsense about being a yeti and put on a performance. Most of the act, in fact, had been inspired by Louie.
Even so, I didn’t want to earn such a pleased look from him over this.
As Ber struggled to endure her mortification, this time it wasn’t the girls’ giggles she heard, but the boys’ voices.
“Huh…!”
“I-Is she really a yeti?”
“Lorenzo was telling the truth.”
Male General Studies students were regarding Ber with apprehension. Among them were even a few of Lorenzo’s followers.
Did that idiot run his mouth before his Suspension took effect?
Louie seems to know something too from the look of things. So what is this?
‘Has the entire Academy started spreading rumors that I’m a yeti?’
Great. I’m no longer the sister of a school celebrity—I’ve become a celebrity myself.
Faced with one unintended situation after another, all Ber could do was stand with her eyes narrowed.
Whether he understood her feelings or not, Louie seemed delighted, ruffling her fur vigorously.
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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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