Beside the small lake—.
A table stood adorned with flowers, colorful fabrics, and ribbons.
Upon it lay a cake and dishes prepared with far more care than usual.
And then….
‘…A bear?’
It was no joke; it was truly a bear.
Not a metaphor, but a real, four-legged bear.
It was unmistakably not a decorative doll.
A massive bear was sniffing around the birthday table I had meticulously decorated.
“…….”
“…….”
An uninvited guest, utterly unexpected.
Ruena and I stood a good distance away, watching the scene unfold.
‘I shouldn’t have put honey in the cake!’
The bear’s massive body was steadily approaching the birthday spread.
Ribbons and floral decorations were disheveled,
And the cloth draped over the table was about to be trampled under the bear’s paw—.
In that moment, an inexplicable sense of unease, rather than despair, swiftly crossed my mind.
‘…Wait. There are bears around here?’
Something felt off.
While the entire area was forested,
Just a little further down, there was a well-traveled forest path.
It was closer to human habitation than true wilderness.
This was hardly an environment where wild animals would easily venture.
Especially not a large, dangerous creature like a bear—.
For a perfect birthday party, I had, of course, researched the surroundings thoroughly.
This entire vicinity was a residential and special management zone.
Dangerous creatures were either captured beforehand or their entry was completely blocked.
At least, according to my research,
I had been told that such creatures did not descend into this area.
There had been no reported incidents of hikers or residents encountering dangerous situations,
And most importantly, there hadn’t been a single sighting of a dangerous animal in the nearby village for years.
‘So how?’
It was too anomalous to be mere coincidence or misfortune.
Survival, for now, took precedence over the birthday party.
I gestured to Ruena, who was behind me, to move back.
Then, I whispered very softly.
“Slowly…”
“Okay.”
Her answer was as brief as ever.
In moments like these, Ruena’s calm demeanor was a blessing.
Any other girl would have long since been reduced to a terrified, weeping mess.
Fortunately, the bear showed little interest in us.
Carefully minding our steps to avoid making noise, we moved slowly, very cautiously.
All the while, I scrutinized the uninvited guest.
‘Something’s strange….’
As my observation continued, the sense of anomaly grew.
Typically, wild animals have dirty and matted fur.
But this bear’s fur was sleek and glistening, almost entirely free of debris.
It looked as if someone had meticulously groomed it.
‘Could it be… a pet bear?’
It was an absurd conclusion, even to myself.
Yet, laughably, it was the most plausible explanation for the current situation.
Leaving aside the question of who would be insane enough to keep a bear as a pet.
‘Still, if it’s a bear that’s been handled by humans, wouldn’t it be a bit tamer?’
I had heard such stories before.
Of royalty in other nations raising ferocious beasts to flaunt their power.
I had never actually seen one, but looking at the bear before me, I couldn’t help but wonder if this was one such case.
‘I heard they usually trim their claws and extract their teeth for those kinds of pets.’
Moreover, it was said that their wild instincts were significantly mellowed by human interaction.
While one could never let down their guard with a beast,
In this preposterous situation, it offered a strange sense of reassurance.
At the very least, the likelihood of us being torn to shreds immediately was somewhat reduced.
The bear continued to circle the birthday table.
Slowly sniffing,
And leisurely looking around.
Repeating movements as if searching for something.
‘…But something’s still off.’
Its movements were quite unnatural.
Each action was oddly slow and awkwardly disjointed.
As if being forcibly pulled and redirected by invisible strings.
A chill ran down my spine at its peculiar appearance,
But for now, I considered even that a stroke of luck as I cautiously retreated.
If its movements were that sluggish, we might yet save our lives.
‘My blood, sweat, and tears of a birthday spread will be sacrificed, though.’
But life was more precious than a birthday table.
Thus, I consoled myself, widening the distance from the bear one step at a time.
“?!”
Until a sound erupted from the thicket where we were hiding.
The bushes rustled.
A small bird darted out of the thicket,
Then, startled, it flapped its wings and soared into the sky.
‘That damned bird!’
The bear snapped its head up and began to stare in our direction.
My breath hitched.
Was Ruena feeling the same?
I could sense her intense tension from behind me.
‘What should I do?’
I glanced back.
Ruena was holding her breath, staring at the bear.
The heir to the Ellyard family, renowned for its martial prowess.
Yet, despite being an heir, Ruena was merely nine years old.
A nine-year-old, no matter how precocious, could not contend with a bear.
Neither could I.
No, I was neither an heir nor anything significant;
I was merely a remnant of the Noir family, optimized for thievery rather than combat.
It would be an insult to even compare myself to Ruena, who had at least received some combat training.
Damn it, the bear’s gaze settled on us.
Our figures were clearly reflected in its round, black eyes.
My heart plummeted.
‘Should we run and escape? No, there’s no way we could outrun a bear. Or perhaps I could somehow divert its attention so Ruena could escape….’
The option of surviving alone simply didn’t exist.
There would be no meaning in surviving by myself.
If I were to survive, it absolutely had to be with Ruena.
‘If I returned alone, I would surely meet a meaningless death!’
Not only would I be expelled from the Noir family,
The Ellyard family would undoubtedly be hell-bent on killing me.
Perhaps a swift, violent death here would be preferable.
‘But before that….’
I clenched my fist.
Even if I were to die, I had to try something.
At the very least, I had to ensure Ruena’s safe escape.
‘The third son of Noir, who saved the Ellyard heir only to become bear fodder. Not a bad epitaph.’
I crouched down and picked up a couple of stones from under my feet.
These wouldn’t subdue the bear,
But they would certainly draw its attention if thrown nearby.
Carefully, I stood up and spoke without looking at Ruena.
“Ruena. When I give the signal, run away with all your might.”
“…What?”
“It’s okay. I’m quite nimble.”
In truth, it was far from okay.
The hand clutching the stones was trembling even now.
My heart was pounding madly, and cold sweat continued to trickle down.
Though my pride would never allow me to show it.
I held my breath, meticulously observing the bear, searching for an opportunity.
The bear continued to watch us.
One step, then another.
It ambled closer at an incredibly slow pace.
Indeed, that bear was strange.
Its movements,
Its lifeless gaze.
Everything about it felt artificial, as if it wasn’t moving of its own accord.
‘Is this a blessing or a curse?’
I subtly moved closer to the bear to draw its attention.
Slowly,
Very cautiously,
So subtly that it would be difficult to notice my approach.
‘Who knew the Noir family’s methods would work even on a bear.’
Perhaps it hadn’t noticed, or the bear’s behavior pattern was simply consistent.
It was truly fortunate.
While we didn’t learn combat techniques like the Ellyard family,
We of the Noir family excelled at stealth, infiltration, and suppressing our presence.
I was accustomed to closing distances without a single footstep.
Just like now.
I stole a glance to my side.
Fortunately, I had reached my target spot safely.
‘Please, let this succeed…!’
With all my might, I hurled a stone towards the bear’s head.
The stone struck the bear’s head with a dull thud and fell.
The bear’s roar echoed through the forest.
Along with the roar, its flashing gaze fixed on me.
I sprinted and scrambled up a tall tree on the opposite side.
“Now—!”
I shouted the signal to Ruena.
At the same instant, the bear let out another roar and violently struck the tree trunk I had climbed.
A terrifying bloodlust, which had been absent from its eyes, now spread fully within them.
My legs gave out the moment I met that gaze,
But at the same time, I felt relieved that the bear’s attention was now entirely focused on me.
After several more impacts, a cracking sound emanated from the tree trunk.
‘Good thing I brought this…!’
From my pocket, I pulled out a portable, specialized wire magical tool.
My sister had given it to me as a birthday gift last time.
I had wondered what on earth I would use such a thing for, but today, it was the best gift ever.
So much so that I felt a tiny bit guilty for complaining about such a ‘useless’ gift.
‘I’ll have to grovel before my sister. …If I survive, that is.’
Hastily, I hooked the wire and swung myself to an adjacent tree.
Then, I grabbed another stone from my pocket and threw it at the bear.
“Over here!”
With another roar, the bear turned.
Immediately, it charged towards me, moving much faster than before.
‘This is getting pretty scary, isn’t it?’
I quickly unhooked the wire and reattached it to a different tree.
As the bear lunged, I swiftly moved to the next tree.
Away from Ruena’s direction.
I had to get as far away from Ruena as possible.
Until Ruena had made her escape, I absolutely couldn’t lose the bear’s attention.
Because if that enraged bear’s attention turned to Ruena for even a second, it would all be over.
Fortunately, the bear was pursuing only me.
Increasingly ferociously.
Increasingly menacingly.
Under its overwhelming power, trees began to fall one by one.
Each time its blunt, menacing claws struck the ground, dirt and fallen leaves scattered.
Though I was moving further from where Ruena had fled,
The longer I diverted its attention, the fewer escape routes I had.
Moreover, the magical tool’s remaining mana was dwindling.
‘Damn it….’
I couldn’t keep running forever.
I had to choose between two options.
Die here,
Or think of another solution.
I hooked the wire to a tall, thick old tree and swung myself across.
Once again, the bear charged with furious speed.
Its massive body collided with the old tree, but thankfully, it still stood firm.
‘Good…. Let me think of what to do in the meantime….’
Desperately racking my brain, I surveyed my surroundings and the bear below.
Its speed and strength,
The terrain I could use.
And….
‘Wait. Is that…?’
Another violent collision.
Amidst my shaking vision, something sparkling caught my eye.
A key that could overturn this entire situation.
