Chapter 11

Early the next morning.

When Nabom opened her eyes, she was so startled she nearly jumped off the bed.

In the dim room, she saw a familiar boy’s face.

Louis?

Still dressed in his pajamas, Louis was asleep while leaning against the railing of Nabom’s bed.

Blink. Blink.

As her wide eyes fluttered, Nabom wondered, Why is he sleeping here?

But before she could dwell on the question, she froze at the sound of Louis’s voice, thick with moisture.

“…Mom.”

His face twisted after the single word.

His eyes remained shut.

Was he talking in his sleep?

More importantly, what kind of dream was he having to make such a painful expression?

Louis making a face like that…

He had always been a bright, carefree child, like a ray of sunshine. Seeing that expression shocked her even more than finding him asleep beside her bed.

Mom.

Come to think of it, she had met Theodore, the father of the bear cubs, but she had never seen their mother.

In the original story, the Grizzly family hadn’t been particularly important, so Nabom couldn’t remember any mention of the mother.

If he missed her so much, couldn’t he just visit her room?

Then why was he here?

“…I’m sorry.”

Louis spoke again.

“I’m sorry, Mom…”

He whispered softly and bit his lower lip.

Tears slowly seeped out from beneath his tightly shut eyelids.

“…”

Nabom sat silently on the bed, staring at him.

The moment a tear rolled down his cheek, she unconsciously stretched out a paw.

Her fluffy paw touched Louis’s face.

As the tear dampened the tip of her paw, Louis opened his eyes.

“…Snowflake?”

Startled, Nabom immediately yanked her paw back.

In the process, she lost her balance and flopped backward onto the bed.

Seeing her reaction, Louis laughed.

He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand and asked,

“Why are you here, Snowflake?”

That’s what I’d like to ask you, you brat.

Nabom narrowed her eyes.

Just then, a faint blue light filtered through the window.

The sun had not risen yet, and it was still dark, but the pale moonlight revealed one thing clearly:

The snow had stopped.

“Snowflake.”

At the sound of his voice, Nabom turned around.

Louis was smiling.

“Want to go for an early morning walk with me?”

There was a trace of fatigue in the smile, unlike his usual cheerful grin.

Nabom nodded.

I don’t think I should leave him alone right now.

Shouldn’t leave him alone, my foot.

Regretting her concern, Nabom clung tightly to Louis’s shoulder.

“We’re going down now!”

Louis shouted excitedly as he changed direction atop the castle wall.

Then he began descending.

Slowly, by his standards.

To Nabom, however, it felt instantaneous.

He climbed down the wall with ease.

“Okay, we’re here, Snowflake.”

Nabom slid off his back on trembling legs.

Just how high is this thing…?

The wall felt at least as tall as the second floor of a hospital.

Louis had scaled it effortlessly and hopped over it without a problem.

She had expected a walk.

She had not expected a walk outside the castle.

Is this really okay…?

As Nabom glanced nervously back at Grizzly Castle, Louis spoke.

“It’s fine. I go out like this all the time.”

He shrugged casually.

For him, this really was routine.

Today had actually taken longer because he stayed in human form so Snowflake wouldn’t get scared.

If he transformed into a bear, getting over the wall would have been even easier.

“Come on, this way!”

Louis waved at her and took the lead.

After making sure she was following, he quickened his pace.

The sky was already beginning to brighten with the blue hues of dawn.

If they didn’t hurry, the birds might eat everything first.

At last, Louis arrived at his secret food stash.

Beside a massive snow-covered boulder stood a branch buried beneath snow.

He reached up and brushed away the snow.

Several berries were still hanging beneath the leaves.

Perhaps because of the boulder, the berries on this tree always lasted through winter.

Whenever he was bored, he would come here and eat them.

Plucking several berries, he turned around.

Bending down, he opened his hand to show Nabom the dark berries.

“Snowflake, look at these. Don’t they look deli—”

His voice abruptly died.

Thud. Thud.

The berries fell into the snow.

Louis’s golden eyes quickly filled with panic.

“…Snowflake?”

The rabbit that had been following him…

Was gone.

The rabbit, meanwhile, was running frantically before finally coming to a stop.

I think…

I’ve lost the second son.

The path was littered with enormous boulders.

Louis had walked through it effortlessly, clearly familiar with the route.

He also seemed unusually excited, as though he had a reason to reach his destination quickly.

Nabom had tried her best to keep up.

But while Louis could simply step over the rocks, they were far too large for a rabbit.

Every time she encountered one, she had to detour around it.

Somewhere along the way, she had lost sight of him.

What do I do?

She perked up her ears, trying to hear footsteps.

Nothing.

Only the wind.

She sniffed the air and looked around.

Still nothing.

She had managed to follow Louis’s scent all the way here.

Now even that had vanished.

Did I come the wrong way? No, I’m sure his scent was coming from this direction. Why did it suddenly disappear?

This is bad. I don’t even know which way Grizzly Castle is.

As she looked around anxiously, another thought suddenly occurred to her.

…Huh?

Louis wasn’t here.

Neither Anna.

Nor Theodore.

Nor the sled-dog knights.

There wasn’t a single watcher nearby.

And for some reason, even the scent of predators had disappeared into the air.

Isn’t this the perfect chance to escape?

If even the overwhelming scent of carnivores had vanished, nobody would be able to track the smell of a tiny herbivore like her.

Nabom looked ahead.

The forest was growing denser.

If she kept heading deeper, she would eventually reach the Arctic territories of the White Wolves and Arctic Rabbits.

Which means…

She quickly turned around.

Going in the opposite direction would take her away from Grizzly Castle.

Beyond the North lay the Western, Eastern, and Central regions.

Her goal had always been simple:

To find a kind beastman who treated herbivores as companions.

And survive for as long as possible.

Wasn’t this her chance?

The moment she turned her body—

“…?”

Something drifted down from the sky.

Snow.

The surroundings suddenly darkened.

Looking up, she saw that the previously clear sky had become completely gray.

After years of living in the Arctic, Nabom knew exactly what that meant.

A blizzard.

The instant she reached that conclusion—

Whoooosh!

A violent gust of wind swept through the forest.

Afraid she might be blown away, Nabom grabbed onto a small stone and crouched low.

So that’s why.

Louis’s scent disappeared because of this wind.

The fierce gale quickly grew stronger.

Snow began swirling through the air.

Soon, a blizzard would rage so fiercely that she wouldn’t even be able to see what was in front of her.

For a brief moment, the wind eased.

Nabom stood and looked into the distance.

If I keep going this way…

But then she shook her head vigorously.

Turning around, she charged northward straight into the gathering snowstorm.

No matter that he was the son of a massive grizzly.

No matter that he was the son of Theodore, the infamous Bloodshed Butcher.

He was still just a child.

If he got lost in a blizzard like this…

Maybe…

I have to find him.

The second son.

I have to find Louis!

Early that morning.

Still dressed in his pajamas, Ferdi was heading toward Louis’s room.

Louis was probably still asleep.

And he definitely hadn’t touched his homework.

At least once a month he should try taking his lessons seriously.

“I’m only the second son anyway, so maybe I’ll just join the Imperial Knights. Or the Sled Dog Knights. Though maybe only dog beastmen can join the Sled Dog Knights?”

That’s exactly why Heinz dislikes you.

To join the Imperial Knights, you especially need a good relationship with the Hegwig family.

Skill matters, but connections matter too.

For Louis’s future, Ferdi had decided he would lecture him today no matter what.

“Louis, it’s time to get up.”

The moment he reached the room, he opened the door without even knocking.

He strode inside the dark room and threw open the curtains.

“If you want to finish your homework, you’re running out of time.”

Then he turned toward the bed.

And immediately froze.

“…Louis?”

Ferdi’s eyes widened in confusion.