The Baby Bear of the Black Fox Mansion - Chapter 34

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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 34
With streaks of white threading through his dark hair, he pushed his own arm toward the wolf in Lisar’s stead, blood dripping steadily as he glanced down at the small fox cradled in his embrace.
“Lisar, are you hurt?”
“……!”
The small fox, eyes wide, nestled against his chest and nodded slowly.
Growl—!
“What’s a beast doing in someone else’s territory?”
Whoosh—!
As Valen Noctis spoke those words with a snarl, Fox Fire erupted, and in an instant the flames engulfed the wolf’s body.
For a moment, the wolf biting down on Valen Noctis’s arm wore an expression of confusion.
“Roaaaagh—!”
Heat flooded the air.
The massive wolf released its grip on Valen Noctis’s arm, and shrieking wildly, it rolled across the ground again and again as the fire spread through its fur.
Step, step.
The three remaining wolves began to retreat.
That was when it happened.
Crash—!
Suddenly, sharp spear-like rain poured from the sky, piercing through the massive wolf’s body and head in an instant.
Screeeee—!
With a final, agonized cry, the heavy bodies of the wolves collapsed to the ground.
“Lisar! Are you hurt?”
The falling spears vanished, and Jerpeon emerged from between them.
Poof!
Lisar shifted back into human form.
“Father—!”
Lisar, tears streaking her face, rushed toward him. At the same moment, Valen Noctis stepped back.
Drip, drip.
His torn sleeve was soaked with blood, still pouring down.
Jerpeon rose to his feet while holding the trembling child, his gaze fixed silently on Valen Noctis.
Surprise flickered in Jerpeon’s widened eyes.
His wavering gaze moved from Valen Noctis down to the bleeding arm, and his lips tightened slightly.
He frowned and deliberately turned his head away, as if he hadn’t seen it.
“Father… I, I left Miel behind. There were so many wolves, and I tried to draw them away… so I told the baby bear to bring people, and that’s why……”
Lisar, flustered more than usual, spoke in a rush of fragmented words, breathing heavily.
Her pupils, constricted with fear, betrayed every trace of shock and excitement.
He stroked her back reassuringly.
“Don’t worry. Someone else went there instead.”
“Really?”
“We got separated along the way.”
At Jerpeon’s words, Lisar, hanging from him, tilted her head slowly.
* * *
“This way, you stupid wolves!!”
Growl—!
Roar—!
Not long after Lisar disappeared, drawing the wolves away with her.
Miel, who had been covering her mouth tightly with both hands and keeping her eyes squeezed shut, slowly opened them.
It had gone quiet.
The sounds of breathing and beast cries had faded away.
When the crickets began chirping again, Miel carefully crawled out from beneath the tree.
“When it’s quiet around you, Miel just needs to find where people are and bring back an adult to help. Then it will be okay.”
Snap!
Remembering those words, Miel scrambled to her feet in haste.
“Have to find… have to find an adult.”
Where are people, people?
Miel ran down the dark, rugged mountain path on her short, stubby legs.
Her cheeks scraped against untamed, overgrown branches; she stumbled on hidden rocks concealed beneath fallen leaves, tumbling head over heels several times.
But Miel did not cry—she scrambled back up bravely and ran again.
‘I can’t cry.’
Miel rubbed her eyes fiercely to keep them from blurring.
‘Where is an adult?’
Now that Miel had climbed the mountain, she struggled to make her way back down.
‘Drilu’s vanished. I can’t see him anymore.’
She couldn’t ask for directions again.
Miel wandered here and there.
Going this way, then that way—time just kept slipping past.
She sniffed intently, but the scents all tangled together; she couldn’t single out any particular smell.
Time only pressed forward.
Anxiety glistened in tears at the corners of Miel’s eyes.
“Sniff, sniff.”
Why wouldn’t she find the way out?
Her legs throbbed with pain. Scratches marked her cheeks, arms, and legs.
Miel fought the urge to collapse, shaking her head fiercely.
“It’s okay.”
I can do this.
Miel, brave little panda.
‘I have to find an adult soon and get healed.’
She plodded forward.
Pitter-patter, pitter-pat.
Tears streamed down her face.
‘I have to save Lisar.’
The falling tears crystallized instantly, spilling to the ground like gems.
“Ah…!”
Miel gathered them up eagerly.
If she gave these to Lisar when he was hurt, it might help him heal faster.
“Well now, I’ve never seen anyone extract Ungheap quite like you do.”
“Huh?”
“What kind of rule is it that your tears turn into Ungheap when you cry and make a wish…?”
“Hehe.”
“Don’t laugh—that wasn’t a compliment.”
“Anyway, what exactly is Ungheap? Well…”
“……?”
“It does all sorts of things. Fundamentally it’s Purification. It blurs the boundary and temporarily connects you to the Other Side. Since it has a Purification function, it has some healing properties too. This is a force of condensed life essence.”
Miel recalled the explanation as she picked up fallen stones one by one, tucking them away without slowing her pace.
Then it came.
Kwaaaaaaang—!
A roar so tremendous it seemed to shake heaven and earth rang out.
Miel’s eyes flew wide open.
‘The wolf came back…?!’
“Kyah! Kyaaah!”
Startled, Miel started to shriek but clapped her paw over her mouth instead, bolting down the mountainside.
In that instant.
A massive shadow fell across her head.
The path ahead was blocked.
“Gulp.”
What she saw first was an enormous front paw.
A vast, fluffy paw dotted with pitch-black spots—so much larger than Miel herself—belonging to some immense beast.
‘A wolf……?’
It came back……?
Miel slowly raised her head.
Grrrowl—
It was a snow-white wolf, absolutely enormous.
At least, that’s what it looked like to Miel’s eyes.
A chill.
Terror crawled down her spine, and Miel shook her head frantically.
‘I have to go get an adult right now……!’
“Kyaaaaaaaah!!”
The moment Miel screamed and pushed off the ground with all her strength, bolting in the direction exactly opposite the white wolf, it happened.
“Oh.”
A warm breath brushed against her, and then—
“Sorry, I didn’t think you’d be scared. Little panda.”
“……!”
At the sound of that familiar voice, the strength drained from Miel’s legs mid-stride.
Thump.
Just as Miel’s legs gave way and she began to tumble forward, her body lifted suddenly into the air.
“……Uncle?”
“That’s right. What are you doing out here, all dirty and a mess? You’re breaking my heart.”
A familiar face.
A familiar voice.
A familiar scent.
“Ah…….”
It was Zelos Nordic.
The moment their eyes met.
Patter-patter-patter!
Tears welled up in Miel’s eyes in an instant and came pouring down, streaming freely down her cheeks.
“Wh……?”
“Waaahhhhhhh!”
Miel burst into loud sobs and clung to Zelos Nordic’s legs.
“…Oh.”
He scratched the back of his head, looking flustered.
Then he sat down and began gently patting Miel’s back, his movements clumsy as he held her against his legs.
“Were you very scared?”
“Waahhh, hic, sniff, Lisar was, hic, the grown-up was, sniff, the wolf, waahhhhh, hic……, the grown-up disappeared……! Waaahhhhh!!”
He couldn’t understand a word of it.
Patting the sobbing child’s back slowly, he lifted Miel into his arms and held her close.
It was natural for a little one to cry, yet he found it strange that watching her cry so bitterly like this made his chest ache.
“Lisar, ah, the wolf, sniff, the wolf was protecting me, hic, protecting me, sniff, but the wolf left with the grown-up……! The grown-up told me to come down. But hic, when I come down, the grown-up isn’t…….”
“This deep in the mountains, of course there isn’t. There are no settlements around here.”
Zelos Nordic carried the sobbing child down the mountainside with long, steady strides, listening as she earnestly tried to explain the situation.
“And don’t worry about that one. Jerpeon has already gone.”
“Hic, sniff, waaahhh.”
“Stop crying now. Your cheeks will puff up and stay that way forever.”
“Waahhh, but swollen cheeks don’t stay like that…….”
Huff.
Zelos Nordic let out a small laugh and patted the child’s back.
Listening to her heartbeat drum against his chest, Miel gradually calmed down.
“You little thing. Children shouldn’t come to dangerous places like this without grown-ups. You almost got yourself killed.”
“Hic, sniffle, I’m very sorry…….”
Miel pressed her small palms firmly against her eyes and lowered her head in contrition.
‘She’s adorable.’
Impossible to stay angry with her.
Zelos Nordic thought this and nodded to himself.

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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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