“Fine, does he really think I won’t leave if he tells me to? I’ll give him exactly what he wants.”
Despite my bold grumbling, I was still lingering around the castle. For the record, this was purely an act of kindness—giving Kalz a chance to realize his mistake and apologize. If he came looking for me with genuine remorse, I might be persuaded to return.
Actually, going home right now would just lead straight to a miserable ending—penniless and thrown out by my own family.
Even so, I had absolutely no intention of returning to the castle on my own two feet. If I had to choose, I’d rather endure hardship back home. At least I could sell the things I’d brought from the castle, enough to rent a small room somewhere.
…Though ideally, I hoped he’d come looking for me today.
“Achoo! Ugh, it’s freezing.”
The problem was that winter had just started to set in. Standing in the middle of a mountain road with neither walls nor a roof to protect me from the chilling wind, my entire body was starting to go numb. I’d even deliberately positioned myself on the path from the castle to the village so Kalz could easily find me. Was he seriously planning to leave me out here? Heartless, cruel lion-headed jerk.
Well, there’s nothing I could do about it now. If night fell while I was still stuck out here, things could get dangerous, so I’d better head down to the village first. I could always come back tomorrow.
Just as I gave up and turned to leave, I noticed a large patch of grass rustling at the side of the road. Curious, I froze, eyes locked on it as the movement grew louder.
Could it be Kalz?
Cautiously, I approached the shifting grass. Suddenly, something huge surged upward, bursting out into the open. A massive beast covered in thick black fur raised its head.
“……”
“……”
The instant our eyes met, the creature let out a terrifying roar.
GROOAAAR!
It was a gigantic black bear.
I went pale, desperately racking my brain for anything I knew about encountering bears.
Should I play dead? No, that was supposed to be misinformation. Climb a tree? Impossible—I didn’t even know how, and anyway, the bear could snap the tree in half with one swipe. Then it’d simply catch me and gobble me up.
Right—I remembered now! If you meet a wild animal, you’re supposed to slowly back away without breaking eye contact. Luckily, the bear hadn’t moved yet; it just stared at me intently. Calmly, I took one careful step backward.
Maybe that motion provoked it, because suddenly the bear bolted toward me with terrifying speed.
“Aaaahhh!”
In an instant, all rational thought vanished, replaced by sheer panic as I sprinted for my life. I didn’t dare look back to see if it was following.
Only after running to the point of exhaustion—my lungs about to burst and my legs barely functioning—did I finally stop to check behind me. Thankfully, there was no sign of the bear.
“Haa… I survived.”
With relief washing over me, I collapsed onto the ground, wiping away the sweat that poured down my forehead. I glanced around, catching my breath.
“…Where am I?”
In my blind panic, I’d lost track completely—not only had I veered off the path, but I had no idea whether I was higher or lower on the mountain. After a moment, I stood shakily, attempting to retrace my steps from memory, but it wasn’t easy. To make matters worse, the short winter sun was already sinking below the horizon, leaving me stranded alone in darkness.
“Am I even going downhill?”
Hadn’t I passed this spot earlier? With the moon hidden behind clouds, navigating through the pitch-black mountain was hopeless. Eventually, I gave up, settling myself beside a large rock. Rather than wandering around aimlessly all night, it was smarter to conserve warmth and wait for dawn.
“Run away from home, and misery follows… They weren’t kidding.”
The sweat from earlier was now freezing cold against my skin, causing violent shivers. My teeth chattered uncontrollably, making my jaw ache.
The more miserable I felt, the angrier I grew at Kalz. Was he seriously not going to look for me? Had he really meant it when he said he wouldn’t chase me, even if I ran away?
Awooooo!
Just then, an eerie howling pierced through the darkness, sending chills down my spine.
“Master Briel, descending an unfamiliar mountain path at night is extremely dangerous. Wolves might appear.”
Of all things, why did Almond’s warning have to pop into my mind right now?
They wouldn’t actually come here, right? The mountains probably made sounds seem louder than they were. Besides, I hadn’t lit a fire, so how would wolves even know I was here? I muttered anxiously, trying to dispel my fears.
But why did it feel like the howling was growing steadily louder? Worse still, the intervals between howls were shrinking. It reminded me unsettlingly of children calling out to each other on a playground.
Rustle.
The sound nearby was just the wind. It had to be the wind.
Grrrrrr…
Kalz? Had he finally come for me? With one last desperate hope, I turned toward the sound, only to see multiple pairs of glowing yellow eyes glaring directly at me.
Damn it. Why was my life such a mess?
Though smaller than the bear earlier, the wolves surrounding me were plenty frightening, drooling hungrily as they watched me. Clearly, I’d already been designated tonight’s dinner.
Could I possibly outrun them?
My confidence crumbled instantly. In this utter darkness, I could barely see a foot ahead, much less find a safe direction to flee. Moreover, my stamina was already depleted from escaping the bear earlier.
Still, I couldn’t just sit here and wait to be eaten. Gathering what little strength I had left, I forced my trembling legs upright.
“Bell!!”
Just then, someone called out my name.
***
“Master, it’s urgent!”
For the second time today, Almond burst into the room without knocking. Kalz, deep in thought about Briel and Leon, flinched slightly at the sudden intrusion but chose not to scold his butler for the breach of etiquette. Right now, he cared far more about the news Almond was bringing. Concealing his eagerness, Kalz asked calmly:
“What’s wrong? Did you find anything?”
“Not exactly Briel himself, but we’ve heard from Grill. He spotted a young blond man on the mountain road heading toward the village this afternoon.”
Given the circumstances, the blond man spotted on the mountain was almost certainly Briel. Had he lingered around the mountain all this time instead of truly leaving? Hope stirred quietly within Kalz.
“But there’s a complication.”
“What complication?”
“It appears Briel got startled upon seeing Grill and fled hastily into the forest, off the path.”
Kalz immediately began rising from his chair, then hesitated. Was it really appropriate for him to rush off to rescue someone who had willingly walked out of the castle? Surely, there was no obligation to go to such lengths if Briel truly was just a mere employee.
If Briel genuinely intended to return home, perhaps leaving him to find his own way back, however long it took, was the better option. Alternatively, he could simply assign another employee to guide him safely.
But Almond wasn’t done yet.
“The bigger problem is, the direction Briel ran is where a wolf pack has recently been spotted. Master, what should we do?”
“…Where exactly is this?”
“The cave area halfway up the mountain, near the cliff.”
“Understood. Stay here.”
Kalz bolted from the room without another word. All the tangled thoughts and careful deliberations he’d been mulling over moments ago scattered instantly. Only one thought remained—to hurry. His beastly form surged forward, drawing on strength he rarely tapped into, allowing him to move at an astonishing pace.
Thank goodness for this body. He still had a chance to get there in time.
Kalz raced up the mountain trail, desperately hoping to reach Briel before the wolves did. For the first time since falling under the curse, he consciously embraced the beast’s strength—not for himself, but for someone else.
