63. Errand

63. Errand

“Huk…!”

“Why?”

“Ah, no. It’s nothing.”

A sudden ominous premonition flashed through my mind. It was a premonition that something terrifying and dreadful, enough to make my tail fur puff up, was about to happen.

I casually touched my butt.

My butt felt as soft and squishy as usual. It seemed that the ominous feeling I had just experienced was merely a figment of my imagination.

After all, why would something ominous happen suddenly when I’m here on an errand!

“Anyway, I can really use magic, look!”

“Yes.”

To continue what I was doing, I held the transparent stone in front of Uncle and cleared my throat with a “Kuhum.” Thanks to the “Kkang kkang” barks I exchanged with the hamster earlier, it was fully charged.

“Shine!”

Then, with a “Paaat,” the stone began to emit a powerful light. After the dazzling luminescence filled Uncle’s house, I said to Uncle with a confident face.

“How is it?”

I looked forward to seeing Uncle’s eyes widen. It’s a magic stone that surprised Yura, Yuri, and Sister, so Uncle surely….

Click.

Uncle turned on the flashlight without a word.

“Kkang!!”

“This is brighter.”

“Ah, no! This can do other things besides just emitting light!”

Uncle seemed to enjoy teasing me, his face full of laughter. He looked just like an uncle teasing his young nephew.

As Uncle said, the stone’s light was weak compared to the flashlight. But what of it?

Just emitting light so intensely is too bright and actually hinders visibility. If I accidentally shine it on someone else, it would be like a friendly fire incident. It would even alert other animals to my location.

It’s like announcing, ‘There’s a hungry wolf here!’ everywhere! Hunting wouldn’t be successful if I spread such rumors. It could even attract predators like wyverns.

It’s not that I can’t defeat a wyvern, but there’s no reason to take such risks.

On the other hand, what about the stone!

This transparent, shining magic stone emits light at a user-friendly level. It’s not so dark that you can’t see, nor is it excessively bright; it’s just the right amount of light.

Furthermore, the stone isn’t just for emitting light. Using the stone, I could perform most of the magic I could think of.

Among them, I preferred the magic to find Ice fruit the most. This was truly great magic that would shake the North Pole!

I placed my hands on my hips, puffed out my chest, and shouted at Uncle.

“How is it! The stone is much better, right!”

“Yes, yes.”

Uncle nodded dismissively at me. Seeing Uncle completely fail to recognize the value of the stone, I let out an angry “Kkang kkang” and bit Uncle’s forearm.

“Ugh~”

“Kkang!”

Uncle collapsed with a pained scream. I smugly gnawed on Uncle’s huge, muscular forearm and laughed.

“It hurts~ I’m going to die at this rate~”

“Kya-reung!”

I climbed onto Uncle’s belly, which was sprawled on the floor, and growled in a very, very low voice. It was the picture of an enraged wolf menacing a bear.

Then, I struck a magnificent pose and smiled. My tail stood high in the air, and my chest was pushed forward-the so-called pose of conquest.

“Hehe….”

In the past, no matter how much I bit or hit Uncle, it had no effect. But now, I could even injure him and knock him down!

Indeed, I seem to be growing day by day.

Yahoo!

“… Uncle?”

After cheering with my arm raised high towards the sky for a moment. I suddenly looked down and saw that Uncle Polar Bear, who was lying beneath me, was completely still.

Even when I poked his belly fat with my foot, or when I came down and tapped him with my hand, Uncle didn’t react at all.

“Uncle?”

My joy of victory was short-lived. I trembled with a growing sense of dread and called out to Uncle.

“Oh, Uncle…!”

Could it be that the force with which I bit his forearm earlier was too strong?

I never thought I had grown that much. Of course, I thought it would just end with my teeth sinking in a little.

Th-this… this is…..

I spun around in a panic. There was no way the fallen Uncle would wake up just because I spun around.

When I finally reached Uncle’s side, tears welled up in my eyes.

“Hwa-aang!!”

This wasn’t what I intended. I just wanted to scold Uncle for teasing me.

I cried my eyes out, stroking Uncle’s still warm body.

Eventually, when my throat became hoarse from crying so much, something hit my head.

I didn’t know what it was. I vaguely thought my tail had hit me. My tail often moved on its own.

“Uaaang!!”

“Hey, you’ll make my ears fall off.”

“Kkae, kkae-heung?”

My vision was blurred by tears, but I heard a sound. I gasped and rubbed my eyes, and after blinking a few times, I could see.

It was Uncle’s large, rough palm.

“Oh, Uncle…!”

“You’d think someone died.”

“Uaaaaaang!!”

I cried louder and clung to Uncle’s arm. Uncle, flustered, lifted his arm, and I dangled from it, floating in the air.

“Why, why are you crying more? Why?”

“Uaaaaaaaang!!”

“Hey!”

——

“Hmph.”

Finally, I calmed down and sat with my back to Uncle, looking very, very annoyed. I crossed my arms, puffed out my cheeks, and held my tail high in the air, expressing my displeasure to the fullest.

How dare he tease me with something like that.

I was so scared. I was genuinely terrified, thinking Uncle had died.

Even if he wanted to tease a child, there are limits. If I were a normal 8-year-old child, I might have developed a trauma.

If that happened, I would hesitate to bite anyone with a “Kkang,” and a wolf that can’t bite its prey is a big problem. It would have blocked the path of a future great wolf leading the wolf tribe.

“I’m sorry.”

“Hmph.”

Uncle apologized repeatedly, but I didn’t want to accept it. I decided I wouldn’t forgive Uncle for at least a few days.

Even if Uncle gave me a mountain of Ice fruit, I wouldn’t forgive him.

Though I would accept the Ice fruit.

“Hoo….”

“Hmph.”

Uncle let out a sigh of apparent distress, but I responded by perking up my ears with a defiant “Hmph.”

About ten minutes passed like this. I remained still, my cheeks still puffed out, when suddenly Uncle spoke.

“Why?”

“… What was that?”

For a moment, I almost turned to look at Uncle, but I maintained a firm demeanor. Perhaps Uncle was saying something random to distract me.

“Why did you call?”

“…?”

Why is Uncle acting like this?

I hadn’t opened my mouth once, but Uncle was talking as if he were conversing with someone.

I had resolved not to look at Uncle, but my curiosity was too great, so I reluctantly turned my head.

“Are you feeling any better now?”

“No.”

“Then why did you call?”

“I didn’t call!”

What is this bear talking about? Uncle asked me, as if he were thinking the same thing.

“No, you were just crying ‘Kkang kkang’.”

“I wasn’t crying.”

While it’s true that I’m a wolf who cries “Kkang” at any time, I don’t cry at times like this. Rather, I would keep my mouth shut and sulk.

“Is there anyone else crying ‘Kkang kkang’ here besides you?”

“No!”

“Kkang kkang” is my exclusive sound. Except for Seol-gu, I’ve never seen an animal cry “Kkang kkang.”

“Then it must have been you crying.”

“I told you I wasn’t!”

“You were crying ‘Kkang kkang,’ right? See, you’re crying now!”

“I never….”

At that moment, my ears perked up and twitched. I whipped my head around. I could hear a sound from beyond the wall.

“See, you’re crying.”

“Be quiet!”

When I silenced Uncle, a chilling silence fell upon the house. Then, amidst the crackling of the burning stove, a faint “Kkang kkang” sound could be heard.

A “Kkang kkang” that could never be mistaken!

This soulful “Kkang kkang” is…!

“Seol-gu!”

“Seol-gu?”

“Wait a moment!”

I jumped up from my seat and burst through the door. Sure enough, a familiar white ball of fur was wagging its tail on the snowy field.

“When did you follow me?”

“Kkang!”

It seems Seol-gu had followed me. I thought he was unconscious, but when did he wake up?

Regardless, that doesn’t change the fact that I’m happy to see him.

I picked up Seol-gu and gave him a belly rub.

“Kkang!”

“Ugh!”

Instead of answering, Seol-gu slapped my face with his large, fluffy tail. As a result, my face became covered in fur again.

“What, what is it?”

“Ah…!”

Just then, Uncle Polar Bear came out behind us.

Seol-gu and Uncle made eye contact.