Chapter 4

On the morning of his third death and resurrection, Aleksey was approached by a mysterious creature dressed in clothes.

"What's a human child doing here?"

The mysterious creature, which walked on two legs and had a wobbly green skin, seemed to understand human language. However, Aleksey was afraid he might be killed again. The thought made his legs tremble with fear. Unaware of his anxiety, the creature spoke in a hoarse voice.

"You're so cute. Oh, I've never seen such a cute child before. But being naked isn't good."

The creature wrapped a tattered shawl around Aleksey. Instinctively certain he wouldn't be killed, Aleksey obediently put the shawl over his head. He then took a closer look at the creature. From the skirt she was wearing, it seemed she was female.

Feeling a bit more at ease, thinking he might be saved, a loud stomping sound was heard as a fierce three-eyed red bear ran towards them. It was the same beast that had killed Aleksey twice. The fear was so overwhelming that he couldn't even speak, only tremble.

He will be killed again.

The fear made him lose control of his bladder, but he was too terrified to care.

However, she stood calmly in front of the three-eyed red bear.

"Hey! What are you doing? You're not thinking of eating such a cute child, are you? If you do, I'll kill you and put you in a pot! Got it, you're bear stew!"

When she shouted this, the three-eyed red bear ran away in fear. She patted Aleksey's head and smiled.

"Don't worry. I'll protect you."

Then, she picked Aleksey up and carried him on her back.

"So cute, so cute. Were you abandoned in this forest? That's right. No child should be here alone. For now, come to my house."

She carried Aleksey deeper into the forest. Along the way, various beasts approached her. There were two-horned rabbits the size of large dogs, venomous tigers, and giant blue slugs that spat acid. All of them were beasts that Aleksey had heard knights talk about as being difficult to slay.

When Aleksey clung to her shoulder in fear of the beasts, she gently patted his bottom and spoke to the beasts.

"Have you been good? As you can see, I found a cute child today. I'm sorry, but I need you to stay away from me for a while. Tell your friends too. Maybe one day this child will become friends with you. Until then, be good. It's a promise to me."

The beasts seemed to agree and left one by one. After a while, they came to a cave.

"I live there. You'll live with me."

She pointed to the cave, which was covered by trees. Only then did Aleksey feel a sense of relief, thinking he might not be killed today.

"What's your name?"

"..."

"Can't you speak? Don't worry about it."

"I can't say my name. If it's known I'm alive, I'll be killed."

"Wow! You can speak. That's good, that's good. You have a beautiful voice."

The conversation over her shoulder reassured Aleksey. When they entered the cave, he could see a makeshift bed and some belongings in the back.

"Are you hungry? Do you want to eat?"

Her words made him realize he hadn't eaten anything since he was killed the first time.

"Yeah..."

"Sure, sure. I'll prepare something, just wait."

When she put Aleksey down, she noticed he had an accident and quickly took out a tattered cloth to clean him with water from an underground lake in the back of the cave.

"You must have been scared. It's okay now. I'm here."

Hearing this, Aleksey distorted his face and burst into tears. She hugged him gently and patted his back.

"Hey, am I safe? Can I stay here?"

She stroked Aleksey's head and smiled.

"Of course. I'm happy to be with such a cute child."

"…Are you human?"

"Yes, I'm human."

"What's your name?"

"Everyone in the village called me a monster."

"But didn't you call yourself 'mom' to the beasts?"

She tilted her head, not understanding.

"You called yourself 'mom' to the beasts, right?"

"…Oh! I meant 'mom.' I don't have a family, so I wanted to be everyone's mom."

"Mom?"

"It means mother. But more importantly, it's inconvenient not to have a name."

She looked at Aleksey closely. His soft white cheeks, large blue eyes, and shining silver hair were more beautiful than the doll the mayor's daughter had.

"For now, I'll call you Ham."

"Ham?"

"Is it okay?"

"…Sure. What should I call you?"

"Sure. You decide."

Before thinking of a name for her, Aleksey asked why she called him Ham.

"I've seen ham a few times in the village, but I've never eaten it. I heard it's so delicious that your cheeks fall off. Your cheeks are so soft, they look like they might fall off too. That's why I called you Ham."

"Ah… Is that the reason?"

"Is it bad?"

"No, it's fine. You saved my life. Then, I'll call you Pie. My favorite desserts are custard pie and apple pie."

"Pie? I've never eaten it, but if Ham says it's good, it must be good."

Thus, Aleksey began to live in the enchanted forest.