IBTBD 04

Chapter 04

“Sp–Spirit, are you sure this is really the right path?”

The caravan master, trembling all over, held me in his palm.

It wasn’t strange—this was, after all, the lair of the dire bears.

“C–Caravan master, someone’s watching us…”

“Eek…! Everyone, bow your heads! Don’t meet its eyes!”

The knights’ senses were sharp.

Not far away, a massive dire bear was staring right at us.

“Chut.”

Don’t worry about it.

I waved my hand through the air as if it were nothing.

Embarrassing to say it myself, but the dire bears were under my command as well.

Otherwise, how could I even think of crossing through their territory?

Thanks to the shortcut, the caravan’s wagons managed to pass through the heart of the mountain before sundown.

“Chut.”

Just keep following this road, and you’ll reach the capital within two days.

I pointed toward the rough, stony path.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure if the caravan master understood me at all.

Even so, both he and the escorting knights bowed over and over.

“Truly, thank you, Spirit. How could we ever repay this favor…”

“Thank you, sniffle.”

But… why are their clothes so damp?

Necks, armpits—some even had their pant legs wet.

Well, whatever.

As always, parting should be neat.

“Chut.”

Travel safe. And next time you pass through, bring a hefty tribute.

I waved after the caravan for a long while, watching them disappear.

And then—

‘They’re gone, right? Definitely gone?’

I pulled out a bottle I had hidden behind my back.

Something I had secretly snatched from deep inside one of the wagons.

The hair dye that was all the rage among nobles lately!

It was said to make your hair shinier while letting you change its color temporarily for a fresh mood.

“Chuchuchut.”

Something I’d struggled to get my paws on for so long… and here it was.

Excited, I decided to try it right away.

‘Hmm, apply it to the hair and leave it for an hour?’

I carefully read the instructions, then smeared the liquid all over my body.

For the spots on my back I couldn’t reach, I just poured it on.

Then I stretched out on a flat rock and basked in the sun.

Who knows how much time passed.

“Chuuh…”

When I rubbed my eyes and sat up, the sun was already sinking behind the horizon.

The warmth of the sun and the cool breeze must have lulled me to sleep.

‘Let’s see, did the dye work well… huh?’

I leaned toward the glass bottle and froze.

The dye job was perfect—no blotches at all.

The problem was that it worked too perfectly.

‘It said Honey Blonde!’

That’s what the label on the cap claimed, but the reflection staring back at me looked like a golden-brown, freshly baked loaf of bread.

In other words, I now looked like an ordinary squirrel you could spot anywhere.

‘Well, at least it’s not a weird color!’

At the very least, I could now go out without worrying about the Imperial family noticing me.

But then… why were tears streaming from my eyes?

It’s good, but sad. Sad, but good.

“Chuuuuu!”

For a long time, the dire bear mountains echoed with inexplicable wailing.

Once I’d calmed down, I trudged back along the path I came.

That’s when an unfamiliar sensation jolted my senses.

A sharp, iron-like stench pricked my nose.

‘That’s… blood.’

The chilling aura cut into my skin like a blade.

I knew instinctively this was dangerous, but strangely, my feet didn’t stop.

And then I saw it.

‘…A man?’

Someone was collapsed in the thick of the forest.

The grass around him was soaked red.

Attacked by a beast, perhaps?

It was a reasonable guess.

Even if the dire bears followed me, this mountain wasn’t a perfectly safe zone.

Stray wolves and abandoned predators prowled everywhere.

And lately, there had been rumors they were forming packs.

‘Looks like a noble’s son…’

If trouble spread to the bear mountains, that’d be bad.

If knights stormed in looking for their young master, it would be a disaster.

I decided to at least check his condition.

I crept closer, softening my steps.

My first impression was—

“Chuu…”

Oh, heavens.

What a sight.

The exclamation escaped me before I realized.

Anyone who saw this man under the crimson sunset would have felt the same.

Hair black as ebony, a smooth forehead, eyebrows with a striking curve,

A sharp, elegant nose, and lips that made your heart flutter for no reason.

Even in my eighties, I’d probably still remember this face.

A rare kind of beauty.

Only afterward did I notice his injuries.

His expression was so serene I hadn’t realized how serious they were.

‘Not from wild beasts.’

His whole body was riddled with stab wounds.

Undeniable traces of battle. Fierce battle.

Well, this was carnivore beastkin territory.

A skirmish turning into a fight wasn’t strange.

Looking down at his chest full of gaping wounds, I spotted several broken arrows scattered nearby—no doubt torn from his body.

“Chuchu!”

Who the hell yanks arrows out like that?!

Blood was gushing from the mangled wounds where the arrowheads had ripped flesh away.

His face was drained of all color.

‘He’s not… already dead, right?’

I climbed onto his sturdy body and pressed a paw under his nose.

Good. Still breathing.

I sighed in relief—when suddenly.

“Who goes there.”

A cold voice dropped on me from above, and the next moment, my body was plucked into the air.

It was the man, the one who’d seemed unconscious until now.

Though his eyelids barely lifted, the murderous intent radiating from him was overwhelming.

But the instant he realized I was just a small squirrel, it vanished.

“Kh, a rat…?”

Even that brief movement made him groan in pain.

Yet he didn’t release me, and I dangled helplessly from his grasp.

‘Whoa, golden eyes…’

No, that’s not the point!

“Chuchu!”

I’m not a rat! I’m a squirrel!

And let me go already!

I struggled with all my might, but couldn’t break free of his fingers.

“Pathetically weak.”

He let out a faint, breathless laugh.

Realizing I posed no threat, he finally set me down in the grass.

“Don’t bother me. Just go.”

He didn’t even look my way as he spoke.

His handsome face was twisted in pain.

Not just from cuts and pierced wounds—this looked like long-lasting agony.

“Chuuu.”

Hey, don’t die.

If you’re going to, at least not here.

Not in this place!

I tugged at his thigh, but he was at his limit.

Only ragged, shallow breaths came.

His complexion was pale, his hands ice cold.

At this rate, blood loss or hypothermia would kill him.

Some kind of treatment was needed.

‘…Should I stop the bleeding?’

My motto had always been: nothing in this world is free.

But what could I do?

The man was far too handsome.

Losing someone like this would be a loss for all mankind.

And I wasn’t about to let another corpse pile up in the bear mountains.

Treatment was quick.

A patch of celosia herbs grew nearby, and this area was firmly my domain.

I knew the terrain blindfolded.

Making celosia salve was easy.

‘Wipe the leaves clean…’

Crush, crush, crush.

Just mash them thoroughly.

“Chuchu.”

Pardon me.

After preparing the paste, I tore strips from his clothes with my sharp teeth.

Makeshift bandages.

I packed the mashed leaves over his bleeding wounds, then bound them tight to stop the flow.

And lastly—

“Chut.”

Bitter, I know. But it works for clotting.

I slipped a bit of celosia into his mouth.

Oops, maybe too far—my fur got wet with saliva.

“Ts…”

With a displeased groan, I rubbed my paw against his sculpted cheek.

Sorry, no matter how handsome you are, drool is still gross.

Anyway, treatment complete.

“Chuchu.”

Now then, time to calculate my payment, don’t you think?