Chapter 21: Found!

What quietly emerged from the forest north of the farm was unquestionably a monster. The basic body is not much different from that of a large bear. But there are many lethal differences.

First of all, it has a brutal face that is absolutely impossible for a normal bear. Bears on earth are also dangerous beasts if attacked, but if you look at their faces in videos, they look cute. But this guy who appeared in front of me doesn’t even have a shred of such cuteness. It is looking at me with maddened eyes, drool dripping from its split mouth.

Above all, it differs from bears on Earth in that it has something like horns growing from its head. A number of horns or something like branches sticks out irregularly above its head. There are also long claw-like things growing on its paws, and at first glance, it looks like a bear, but you can tell at a closer look that it’s definitely not that.

I know what this is. There was a monster with the same characteristics as this guy among the monsters listed in the books in my father’s study and the monster facts I learned from my tutors. This is a monster called “Mad Horned Bear.”

I’ve heard that the mad horned bear is a powerful monster that is one of the apex predators in the ecosystem here in the northern forest of the Margraviate of Carruthers. They don’t appear often, but it’s said to be the most troublesome monster in the region…

Its power is so strong that even ten adults are needed to match it, and yet it possesses considerable agility. It is said that it is difficult to escape with just human leg strength, even if you climb or hide in trees or other obstacles, it also has the intelligence to climb trees and move obstacles in the same way, so it is said that if you encounter it, you will not be able to escape.

Another problem is that as the name of this “mad horned bear” suggests, this monster is well-known for deciding on a target, then pursuing them madly and persistently until it kills that target. It’s a tragedy to be targeted by a mad bear that will never flinch and keep chasing its target no matter how hard you try to attack it as if it doesn’t even feel pain.

But this guy should have been a monster you rarely see. I’ve never heard of it appearing so casually in an area with such high amounts of human activity.

“Flo-Floto…”

Louisa was plowing the fields on the farm, now she gently grabbed my arm. Her face was worried and about to cry. But she shouldn’t cry or try to run away here. If you catch its attention recklessly, the mad horned bear will get even more agitated and may target you. For now, we have to leave this place quietly and call the soldiers who went on patrol just over there…

“Louisa… Louisa, take the children and slowly leave this place. Don’t make a sound, don’t rush, don’t run, be quiet, okay?”

“… Huh? What about you, Floto?” Louisa asked.

She hunched over as she gripped my arm tightly, she peers up at me with an uneasy face. I smile back as brightly as I could and reply,

“… I’m the watchman for that monster. Someone has to keep sight of it, right?”

Louisa isn’t stupid just because she never had the chance to get a formal education. She understands that making a fuss here is a bad move, and she probably knows what I’m talking about. She opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but she held back and nodded slowly.

“… Okay. If we’re here, we’ll get in your way, right, Floto? We’ll call the adults, the soldiers who just went over there. Is that okay?”

Ah, that’s the ticket, Louisa. You’ve completely understood what I want.

“Yea, please. Until then, I’ll be watching over that monster,” I said.

“Mm… Floto… don’t overdo okay…?” Louisa said.

And after that, Louisa quietly left me and headed toward the children. Many of the children haven’t noticed the mad horned bear yet, so it hasn’t made that much of a fuss. There are some children who seem to have noticed, but at this rate, they will be able to escape quietly.

I leave the children to Louisa and stare at the northern forest. There is a creek running through the gap in the forest, separating it from the grassy side of our farm, but it’s a really small body of water with almost no water volume or depth. The embankment is not high enough to act as a moat. It would be impossible to take advantage of the land by using that stream. In the first place, a mad horned bear would cross the stream and climb the bank in an instant.

The mad horned bear is also just looking at us from the gaps in the forest, and so far it doesn’t look like it’s coming out of the woods. If I don’t provoke it recklessly, it may return to the forest like this. That ideal thinking lasted for all of a moment.

“Uwaaaahh! There’s a monster….!!!”

“—!”

There was a sudden scream and I turn around. Among the children who were trying to leave this place while being guided by Louisa, one girl began to cry. The child who started crying was a 5-year-old girl named Rita. She often played with Louisa and is the smallest among the younger kids. If such a little girl sees such a monster like this, it might be unavoidable that she might start crying.

In response to Rita’s voice, the children looked at the forest all at once. Then they noticed a huge monster there and began to panic and run away. I hurriedly returned my gaze to the forest.

“GUAAAAAHAHHHHHH!”

“Oh no…!” I yelled.

As it noticed the children’s voices and that they are suddenly breaking into a run, the mad horned bear jumped out of the forest while roaring in excitement. Its speed is visibly faster than the children’s legs can take them back to town.

“Run away!” I yelled.

“Guah! Guah!”

I jumped in front of the mad horned bear’s path as it dashed towards the children, it stopped before me and stood up to threaten me. I wonder if it’s still better if it doesn’t attack suddenly?

When I glanced behind me, Louisa frantically gathered the children and headed for the town. The mad horned bear decided that I was the enemy and didn’t after the kids, instead continuing to face me. If this keeps up, the children may escape.

“I’ll take you on!” I cried.

“GURAAAAHHH!”

The mad horned bear’s long claws come at me as I unsheathe my sword. I can’t stand against my father’s sword, so there’s no way I can take the power of a mad horned bear, something said to be stronger than ten adults. Instead of receiving it head-on, I let the claws of the horned bear slide off like I was deflecting another sword. The mad horned bear’s paw slid on my sword’s flat with a nasty screeching sound and then pierced the ground.

Here I go!

If you can’t block it completely, you can parry it. I was able to confirm that I could deflect a blow from a mad horned bear in the same way as in my daily training. This should be enough to buy some time.

The horned bear waves its paw again and I parry it with my sword once more. I’m afraid I’ll lose my head if I don’t manage to parry with my sword. I can clearly see that the horned bear is getting more and more frustrated because the attacks don’t hit me.

However, a beast is a beast after all. It feels like it’s easier for me to dodge because it’s just a big brute powered by anger. It looks like I’ll still hold up. I wonder if there was always such recklessness in me…

“Flora! Are you okay?!”

“Huh…? Your Highness Ludwig?” I yelled.

I wonder if it’s been about a year… I could see a handsome boy running toward me with several guards from Manor Carruthers, coming up from the southwest. It’s a world where monsters like this are rampant. The royal family can’t go outside just like that in such a world. Nevertheless, the Third Prince Ludwig appeared in front of me again after just a year.

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Even if we’re engaged to be married, you can’t go out into the wilds like this. Normally, it wouldn’t be strange if I couldn’t meet him until we were to be married or I went to school in the royal capital. He also brought along several guards. Unlike ordinary soldiers, I wonder if they can be quite skillful if they are royal escorts. With this, maybe we can get rid of the mad horned bear together…

“Ah……”

“GUOOHHHH!”

“FLORA!”

I lost my focus for a moment and stood still. The mad horned bear raised its paw and cleaved it down. I can’t react as my hands seem to be moving very slowly. This is not my usual training. If it’s training, my father, Erich, and Dominic are going easy on me so that I don’t die. But this mad horned bear is legitimately trying to kill me. A single blow would turn a child into a rag doll.

With the usual training, there is still enough time to react. And yet, when real death approached, I was paralyzed and unable to move. All I can do is watch the claws of the mad horned bear knock me off my feet while I held my sword in a daze.

“GUH! Agh…!”

The claws struck squarely on the sword I was holding up, and I felt like I was floating for a moment. In an instant, the claws approaching beyond the broken sword caught my arm. I clearly heard the unpleasant noise of cracking bones. From my perspective, I was suddenly launched into the air and blown away.

“Gaha! Gehoh! Aaghhh…!”

I hit the ground without being able to recover in mid-air, and I stopped breathing for a moment. I forcefully sucked in a breath, and pain shot up from my right arm, my spine, my neck, and my upper body. I can’t stand up straight because of the pain. I can’t see my surroundings because my vision is blurred and my eyes are filled with tears. Above all, I can’t afford to worry about my surroundings, I can only writhe in pain.

“Flora! You men! Protect Flora!”

“Huh……?” I moaned.

“This is…”

A large presence approached me as I was writhing in pain. I don’t have time to check what it is, but I can somehow understand that some kind of terrible pressure is approaching. If I were to lie down here, I would be killed.

My sword must have been broken and my right arm must have been hit by the cleave. It’s hard to move my right arm because of the pain in my shoulder, back, spine, and neck. But fortunately, thanks to my usual training, when I was about to take the blow, I unconsciously flew to the opposite side to reduce the force.

The horned bear seems to be completely targeting me and doesn’t pay any attention to anyone else. Ludwig gave orders to the escort knights, but the escorts were not actively trying to move. That figures. Their charge is Prince Ludwig, not me. If something happened to Ludwig as they tried to protect me, it would be an even worse problem. 1

“Miss Flora!”

Dominic slipped through the guards and rushed over. Apparently, Dominic went to the mansion to call for support. If you notice the mad horned bear, it’s Dominic’s job to stay here to protect me. However, it seems that Dominic decided that he could not protect me even if he fought the horned bear alone and immediately went to call for support.

I don’t know if that decision was right or wrong. Even if Dominic came here alone, we might have both been killed. That’s why it’s probably better that he’s brought support. At least I’m not blaming Dominic.

I don’t know why Ludwig is here, but in addition to Ludwig’s escorts, support from Margrave Carruthers should still come later. It’s true that I may have suffered a serious injury, but the chance of being saved seems to be higher now. I think Dominic’s judgment was correct.

However… Ludwig is trying to rush toward me, but the escorts don’t approach us. At such a distance, even I think that his escorts can’t protect Ludwig. I don’t think they’re afraid of the mad horned bear, so much so that they can’t protect their charge and are just cowering….

“Lud… wig… Your… Highness… don’t… come…” I gasped.

I can’t speak loudly because my lungs aren’t working well yet. I can’t breathe as well as after I hit my back so hard. I’m trying to force myself to hold it together and inhale, but my body is jerking from some odd reflex.

“Don’t be ridiculous! I’m not going to leave my fiancée Flora behind! You, monster! I am your opponent!”

Standing in front of me alongside Dominic, Ludwig trembles and holds his sword. It’s no good if it stays like this. I don’t know how much my skill has improved in the past year, but this is no match for that pretty boy prince. To begin with, his legs are shaking. When his body is cowering, you can’t show your usual ability. That’s what I experienced myself just now.

Looking back, it seems that the escorts are just watching from afar and have no intention of protecting Ludwig. Such an escort would be useless even in a battle. If the Third Prince was allowed to die here, even House Carruthers will be in trouble. Above all, there are also Louisa and others who have not escaped yet. If we get cut down here, there will be a lot of damage.

“GruooOOOHHHHH!!!”

The mad horned bear stood up and spread its front legs in a menacing pose, then swung its left front leg. Dominic with his spear and Ludwig with his sword are both standing upright, probably stunned by the mad horned bear’s roar. This is exactly what happened to me.

“Fire… burn it down…!!!” I gasped.

My sword was broken and I couldn’t stand up properly, so I used magic while sitting upright. I can’t do anything else. I can’t move my body and I don’t have a weapon, so I guess I can only keep it in check with magic. I don’t need to chant, so I don’t even need to say “fire”, but the words leaked out still.

GOH…!

A huge pillar of fire rises where the mad horned bear was standing. That flame rose up in an instant and went out just as fast, all that was left was ground scorched and melted like glass. There is nothing else left.

I couldn’t keep my head up because I was wavering, so when I looked down, my helmet slipped off and the hair I had hidden inside it helmet fell out.

“Flora! Did you just do that, Flora? ……Hey? Flora? Are you okay?”

“I’m… fine… Your Highness… Ludwig…”

Though stunned, Ludwig looked back and rushed over to support me. I’m sitting up but I can’t even hold that for long.

“Flo… to? … Floto was a girl? … And His Highness? Flora?… It can’t be! Lady Flora of House Carruthers? Floto? Why? What’s going on here!? Have you been lying to all of us?”

“Ah… Louisa?”

As Ludwig held up my upper body, I heard a girl’s voice behind me, one I had been hearing every day for more than 9 months. However, she sounded like she was trembling with anger, unlike the slightly spoiled voice I always heard. I turned around and saw Louisa’s angry face with tears in her eyes and puffed-up cheeks.

“I see now… now that I look back on it, I should have thought something was up! There’s no way there’s a boy with such a beautiful face! Were you just trying to make fun of us like that?! Did you enjoy pretending to be a lowly aristocrat looking over the poor? Don’t mock me! I don’t even want to see your face anymore!”

With that much emotion, Louisa ran towards the town. I can’t stop her. Ah… I knew it… it was as I thought, why the truth should not be revealed. That’s right… it’s understandable to get angry when you find out that someone you thought was your friend told such a serious lie. Is this the end of my making friends…?

In my fading consciousness, I felt a single tear running down my cheek.

Footnotes

Grim and unfair as it seems, Flora is right. She’s just the daughter of a margrave and as she’s repeatedly mentioned, Ludwig has never been lacking for engagement partners. Ludwig’s death threatens the stability of the entire kingdom, as he’s heir apparent and has the largest, most stable faction. His being killed means that his half-brothers take over, or worse yet, a chaotic power struggle when the remnants of Ludwig’s faction try to delegitimize the heirs and put up someone else as their choice for the royal family.

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