Chapter 17

After a brief rest, they resumed the search.

Zara looked up at the gray sky and sighed gloomily.

"Does the weather seem dangerous?"

"Probably. But I can't tell. The weather in the snow mountains is unpredictable."

Black clouds were flowing by. I had been told that on such days, it's best to return home quickly.

But now we were on a mission and couldn't go home.

Zara seemed to have reported to the captain.

"The weather is bad, but we'll move a little further. If the wind gets stronger, we'll turn back."

So, we decided to move a little further.

It wasn't snowing, but the accumulated snow was getting deeper, making it harder to walk than before.

I was still connected to Urgas with a rope.

He walked slowly to match my pace.

The cold wind whistled.

The branches swayed, and the snow crunched underfoot.

The same sounds had been echoing since we entered the mountains, but suddenly, a different sound was heard. I asked Urgas to stop and listened carefully.

"Ah!"

"Is something wrong?"

"Something is approaching us."

"Could it be the missing young master?"

"No... Unfortunately, the sound I hear is that of a quadruped."

"Such... a thing..."

It was still far away.

But it was coming closer with purpose.

It would probably encounter us within ten minutes. If we tried to run, it would chase us.

Urgas immediately reported to the captain.

Upon hearing about the quadruped, he concluded it was a snow bear.

Garu agreed, saying that the smell of a hostile beast was approaching.

The smell had been mixed by the wind, so they noticed it late.

Everyone threw their belongings aside, took their weapons, and prepared for battle.

I was to retreat with Urgas, and the rope connecting us was untied.

"Still, to encounter a snow bear..."

Urgas said this with a tone of deep weariness.

He readied his bow but put the arrow back and sighed deeply.

"This is the worst. The wind is too strong for the arrows to hit."

"Yes, I understand how you feel."

On such windy days, the Forest Elves don't hunt because their arrows are ineffective.

There were apparently legendary hunters in the history of the Forest Elves who could read the wind and shoot arrows, but it might be a legend.

"The snow bear is one of the ten monsters that the knight squad doesn't want to fight. I never thought we'd face one."

"Yes."

I had been feeling a strange pressure and breaking out in a sweat.

Snow bears are called mid-level monsters, and it's forbidden to fight them with fewer than five people.

"Prohibited... but if we encounter one, we have to fight, right?"

"Well, there are various reasons."

The main reason for the restrictions on fighting mid-level and higher monsters is related to workers' compensation. If a battle is fought with fewer than the prescribed number of people, the compensation is significantly reduced.

"Wow, that's a bad rule."

I think I had heard an explanation about this before, but the rules made me sleepy, and the explanation was quite long.

I probably dozed off and listened half-heartedly.

"I need to read it again carefully."

"Yes, it's a good idea to read it. The knights have a high base salary, and there are always people who want to join, but there are also many harsh rules."

"Umm..."

I thought talking to Urgas might distract me, but I chose the wrong topic.

My mood became even heavier.

"Ah, it seems to be coming soon."

"Yes."

The captain, who was in the front, had his sword ready and was in a low stance.

The snow bear must be very close.

"Risris, the medic, please stay a bit away when you see the snow bear. We don't know what might happen."

If the two front members became unable to fight, I was asked to return to headquarters and report.

"I have also received medic training, so don't worry about the treatment while I'm away."

"Okay, I understand."

I hope it doesn't come to that.

Urgas looked unusually tense.

I couldn't even speak to him. I just watched, holding my breath.

Through the gaps in the trees, two red eyes appeared.

The snow bear had finally arrived.

I moved away from Urgas and watched the team's battle.

I've never felt more strongly that I wish I had magic.

Recovery spells and blessings would have been a great help.

But I can only provide first aid, which makes me frustrated.

The only thing I can do is observe the battle and go to the search headquarters for help if needed.

So, I must not look away and must keep track of the situation.

The snow bear finally revealed itself. It was huge.

In a four-legged stance, it was larger than the captain.

Its white fur stood up like needles, and it growled while baring its fangs.

Even from a distance, I was trembling with fear. Goosebumps covered my body, and sweat broke out.

Worse still, the wind started to mix with snow.

It was hard to stand still.

But the captain and his team were fighting bravely.

The captain faced the ferocious snow bear aggressively.

Verry, the deputy captain, seemed to be looking for an opening.

Garu was striking from a medium distance, but it didn't seem to cause a fatal wound.

Zara was aiming for the tendons in the legs. Her axe cut into the snow bear's leg, and red blood splattered on the snow.

The massive body wobbled.

Everyone jumped back.

"Wow, this is the moment."

Urgas muttered something.

A particularly strong wind blew, and the view turned white.

The snow acted as camouflage, and the snow bear's figure was blurry.

In the midst of this, Urgas released an arrow.

I thought it was aimed in the wrong direction—

"Ah, wow, amazing. You did it!"

The arrow hit the leg Zara had injured.

In such strong wind, it was a remarkable shot.

The snow bear, receiving further attacks on its wound, thrashed around.

The captain and his team quickly retreated.

Urgas turned to me.

"Risris, the medic, we're retreating too."

"Huh? Oh, yes."

We moved as quickly as possible through the deep snow.

While moving, Urgas explained.

The arrow was tipped with poison, so the snow bear would die after thrashing around.

Everyone abandoned their belongings except for mine. They would retrieve them later if possible.

Urgas carried the medical supplies and food for me, as I lacked the strength.

The meeting place was the cave we had visited earlier.

It seemed no one was there yet.

"Risris, the medic, the captain and his team are fine."

"Yes, that's good."

I could only believe in the captain's indomitable spirit.

As a precaution, we sprinkled holy water at the entrance of the cave to keep the snow bear away.

While waiting for the captain and his team, we decided to have a meal.

It hadn't been long since the break, but we were surprisingly hungry.

Urgas made a fire. The solid fuel, made from animal fat, worked well but smelled and made our eyes water. But it wasn't the time to be picky.

First, we boiled water and made tea. The bitter herbal tea made me feel a bit better after drinking something warm.

"Although it's bad for the captain and his team, let's eat first."

"Yes, that's a good idea."

We opened the leather bag containing the team's supplies.

I took out some sausages that would quickly fill our stomachs. I skewered them on a fork and held them over the fire.

Urgas and I grilled the sausages in silence.

Midway through, the sausage skin popped, and the juices overflowed, dripping into the fire.

When they were nicely browned, they were ready to eat. I took out some bread and gave it to Urgas.

We said a prayer and started eating.

First, the freshly grilled sausages. The fat oozed out when I bit into them, almost burning my tongue. The sausages were well-seasoned with herbs and spices, making them delicious even without any additional condiments.

The skin was crispy, and the meat inside was tender. The saltiness was strong, and the flavor was concentrated.

I wondered if other teams always ate such delicious food—

"This is probably a gift from a noble."

Apparently, these were high-quality sausages that were not easily available to commoners.

That's why they were so delicious.

After finishing the meal, I thought about making something to cook, but I hadn't brought a large pot because it was heavy.

The small pot was for making tea.

Feeling a bit unsatisfied, I searched my bag for something to cook without a pot.

Biscuits, cheese, liver pâté, and smoked meat. Things that could be prepared without a pot.

"Hmm... Ah, I can make canapés."

Canapés are appetizers made by placing cheese, vegetables, and meat on biscuits.

The last time, the captain's former nanny, Maria, had made them.

"Urgas, please help me."

I spread pâté on the biscuits, placed cheese on top, and sprinkled black pepper. I also made combinations of sausages and cheese, candied forest apples, and chocolate, from savory to sweet.

I made a lot so that the captain and his team could eat them immediately when they returned.

Urgas and I ate two or three and were full.

I felt a bit overwhelmed and couldn't eat more.

"The captain and his team haven't returned yet..."

Urgas muttered, his voice dark.

At least, we continued to keep the fire going, gathering branches nearby and adding them to the fire.

All I could hear was the wind howling through the snow, which only increased my anxiety.

The captain and his team still hadn't returned.