Chapter 8
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Bearskin Gift
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The first battle since possessing this body had ended successfully.
We'd secured a hefty haul of monster byproducts from the subjugation on Argon Mountain.
Monster parts had all sorts of uses, which made them valuable.
Places like the Mage Association or research institutes—anywhere focused on study and development—were especially eager to buy them up.
In the North, where monsters roamed in droves, those byproducts often formed the backbone of a territory's income.
The Winterguard lands were no exception.
'This should be enough to hire a mage right away for the road repairs.'
To think we could afford one just from a single subjugation.
The pay was nothing to sneeze at, sure—but relying solely on monster hunts for income was a bad idea.
'Monster subjugations are too unstable.'
Of course, judging by the original story's epilogue, the monster population wasn't going anywhere...
Regardless, for the territory's future, securing a steady revenue stream was key.
"Careful with that!"
"Hey! The hide's dragging! It'll lose value if it gets damaged!"
The canyon where the monsters had fallen was abuzz with voices and the rumble of carts.
Truth be told, most of the subjugation force consisted of people like these—handling the dismantling and transport after the fighting was done.
Once the thirty-two combatants, including me and Kind, finished up and fell back to a safe spot, their work began.
And I no longer had any reason to stick around.
My job was over. Plus, with the top authority figure looming over them, the rest would just feel pressured and fumble.
Still, I hadn't left right away because of the one smack in the middle of it all.
"Your Grace, the Giant Black Bear has been fully processed."
It was the hide of that massive bear monster—the last one that had charged straight at me.
'How the hell did I even take it down?'
Honestly, from the moment I registered it coming at me, my memory got fuzzy.
I must've instinctively poured power into my spear and hurled it... but all that lingered in my head was sheer shock.
Anyway, the Giant Black Bear I'd felled was bigger than average.
Among its kind—or even on Argon Mountain—it had probably been a notable beast.
With the Storm Knight Order's operation disrupting its territory, it must've charged out in a rage.
'If we'd just passed by... the territory folk might've taken the hit instead.'
Even the Storm Knight Order couldn't stop it. Regular civilians without aura would've been swept away like leaves.
At minimum, an entire village would've been wiped out.
In that light, bagging it was a stroke of luck.
I'd waited for its processing because I wanted one last look—and to claim the hide.
'She seemed to like bear pelts. Time to build some goodwill.'
Compared to the milder southwest Astria lands where Yelena had lived, the North was brutally cold.
Sure enough, when we'd bumped into each other in the hall and she'd growled at me, she'd been draped in a bear pelt.
Of course, this Giant Black Bear hide was several times larger—probably awkward to wear as is...
'Eh, she'll figure it out.'
Worst case, summon a tailor to make clothes or bedding from it.
"My lord, the hide is fully loaded."
"Good. Carry on, then."
"Safe travels home, my lord."
I eyed the pelt bundled onto a cart, mounted up, and headed back to the mansion.
The rest would be handled by the steward who'd come with us; he'd report to Alf later.
A few hours later, back at the mansion, I summoned Yelena—who, for some reason, was wearing an apron and cleaning with the maids.
"You seemed to like bear pelts, so I brought one. Use it however."
Thud!
As if on cue, two servants with odd looks on their faces dumped the cart's load right in front of her.
But...
"...Hic!"
For some reason, Yelena's face flushed beet red.
Right after that kitchen fiasco yesterday, Yelena had asked Lucia for work.
She was already familiar with maid duties, so she figured she could pitch in.
Lucia said she'd check with the master—Cassius—and stepped out.
She soon returned with good news.
[I asked His Grace as he was heading out for the subjugation, and he said to let you do as you wish.]
[R-Really?]
[Yes. Shall we start with my duties—escorting Miss Yelena? I'll stand in for you.]
[...Huh?]
[Just kidding. Let's begin with something light.]
Thanks to Lucia and the other maids' kindness, she started with easy tasks that didn't wear her out.
'The mansion's layout is still unfamiliar, but the work's no different from back home.'
Having handled everything from chores to odd jobs in her family, she quickly took on more of their load.
With their workloads lightened, the maids grew even friendlier despite her lady status.
In just hours, Yelena was chatting with them like old friends.
"Anyway, you wouldn't believe how hurt I was!"
"But you held it together somehow. Good job. Better than things going weird."
"Right? And right then... Sir George from the Storm Knight Order called me over..."
"Eek! No way? You mean what I think?!"
"I... wouldn't know."
Mid-romance gossip, someone switched topics.
"Oh yeah, monster subjugation's today, right? Sudden call-up?"
"Yeah, heard His Grace decided two days ago."
Yelena recalled what happened two days prior: Cassius visiting her room.
"Sir George seemed tense about it. Not sure on details, but I heard the plan changed."
"Totally. Passed the training grounds yesterday—the knights looked way more beat than usual."
"I hope no one gets hurt..."
As worry over the departed knights dampened the mood, Lucia—who'd been observing from afar—spoke up.
"Come to think of it, His Grace ordered the subjugation right after leaving Miss Yelena's room, didn't he?"
"Huh?! Lucia?!"
"Wait, really?"
"Uh, y-yeah...? Miss?"
The maids turned on Yelena like hyenas at Lucia's bait.
She felt nothing amiss, but their stares made her cheeks burn anyway.
"N-Nothing happened!"
"Doesn't mean it had zero effect~"
"Yeah, and lately His Grace seems more... with it."
"Huh? What do you mean...?"
One maid glanced around, then whispered.
"Well... rumor is, you accepted His Grace, healing his broken heart and all."
"What?!"
She'd heard something similar from Lucia before—the misunderstanding about her being the Grand Duchess.
But it had snowballed, complete with details neither knew about.
Yelena swore nothing rumor-worthy had happened.
She'd even checked herself after Cassius left—no issues there.
He'd denied it too.
But from others' eyes...?
A woman he'd paid off family debts to bring here.
Enters her room, spends a long time (allegedly), emerges looking cured of mania.
Ergo, Cassius and Miss Yelena...?
That's how it looked to everyone else.
"N-No! Nothing happened with Cassius... sir!"
"Who knows? Hehe."
"Right? Maybe after this subjugation, he'll slyly hand over a monster pelt."
"A pelt? W-Why a pelt all of a sudden...?"
The maids blinked, then remembered she wasn't Northern-born and kindly explained with laughs.
"We Northerners have this tradition. When a hunter marries, he gives his bride the pelt of his hardest kill."
"There's... such a thing?"
"Yep. Pretty romantic, huh? Even non-hunters do it their own way sometimes."
"No true Northerner doesn't know it."
It did sound romantic.
Her lands and the south had no such love traditions.
Northern men were said to be gruff, but expressing feelings via a hard-won pelt? Adorably sweet.
"So, Miss Yelena, get your hopes up. His Grace is stoic, but who knows?"
For a split second, she pictured Cassius gruffly handing over a deer pelt or somesuch—ears faintly red...
"...No way."
Her heart fluttered, but she shook it off.
Because when they'd met in the hall, he'd received her protests about the Grand Duchess rumor with icy denial.
A stare like 'You? Dare?'...
"..."
Thinking back, her temperature plummeted.
Back when her family was whole, she'd been popular at balls for her looks. That treatment stung.
If Ulpi had been near, she might've bared teeth with a growl.
"No way that'll happen. Absolutely not."
She huffed firmly to the maids.
Neither she nor Cassius felt a speck of affection for the other, after all.
......
....
"You seemed to like bear pelts, so I brought one. Use it however."
"...Hic!"
Yelena hiccuped involuntarily at the sight of Cassius handing over the massive bear pelt so matter-of-factly.