Ch.72The Wolf Cub’s Tree (4)

Kain coughed softly, having spoken more than usual. Lily quickly took a handkerchief from her pocket and wrapped it around his neck.

Though he was concerned about how clean it might be, he figured it was better than risking a cold. Kain expressed his gratitude with a small smile.

“My father used to say I was better suited to be a hunter than an orchard keeper. It hurt my feelings whenever I heard it. I thought he was saying I wasn’t good at tending the orchard.

But father was right. When I realized the wolf was gone, the first thing I did was examine the ground, looking for footprints or bloodstains.”

“At eleven years old?”

Maria snapped as if to say that was nonsense, but Kain nodded. Lily also nodded in agreement, as if she had expected as much.

“The forest behind our orchard was the lord’s hunting ground. The gamekeepers would often stop by our orchard to rest, and they would help us hunt dangerous beasts when needed. I picked up a lot just by listening to them.

There were no bloodstains, but I could see footprints. They were deeply imprinted in the mud, so they weren’t hard to find. They looked like dog or wolf prints.

But the direction was strange.

If the wolf pup had escaped, it should have gone from the tree outward. This was the opposite. The tracks came from outside toward the tree.

I remembered a fairy tale. If there was a monster that could swallow even human children whole, couldn’t it easily eat that small wolf? I became frightened.

But that didn’t make sense either. There were no bloodstains anywhere, and to eat the wolf pup, whatever it was would have had to clear away the branches I had piled up to block the tree gap. But they were exactly as I had left them.”

“That seems like too big a mystery for an eleven-year-old to solve. What did you do?”

“What else? I told my father honestly. His expression became extremely grim, and he first asked if I was hurt anywhere. I said no.

‘Why didn’t you tell me sooner?’ he asked, and I was wondering how to answer when his next words surprised me.

‘Let’s go take a look together. And as we walk, tell me everything that happened, as much as you can remember.’

My father wasn’t a professional hunter either. But country folk know how to do all sorts of things. As many different things happen in the countryside as in the city, but there are fewer people who can solve problems.

When he saw the footprints, he said:

‘Look. See how far apart the footprints are? They couldn’t belong to a wolf pup. These are the tracks of a larger wolf.’

‘Did a bigger wolf open its mouth wide and eat it?’

‘Maybe. But according to what you said, that wolf must have had quite a personality. Do you think it would have just stayed still and been eaten?’

Honestly, I didn’t think so.

‘No.’

‘Then look at this.’

My father found a trace I had missed. Under the branches I had piled up for camouflage, there were wolf pup footprints. I had missed them because they were slightly faded.

‘Let’s see. The wolf that came this way is large enough to eat a wolf pup. Yet the pup not only didn’t resist but even approached it willingly.

But look here. There are tracks coming in, but none going out. Neither the big wolf nor the pup. Where did they go?’

Whether I was eleven or not, I was inexperienced as both a hunter and a tracker. I had seen the tracks coming in but couldn’t find any going out. When I couldn’t answer, my father gave me some guidance.

‘It’s difficult, isn’t it? Part of the difficulty is your lack of experience. Even people who have lived many years don’t know everything.

No one does. Unless they’re God in heaven.

But we all have another weapon given to us by God. Imagination. We can ‘imagine’ ourselves in the wolf’s position.

Now, let’s think from the big wolf’s perspective. This wolf came straight to the pup without circling around. Why would it do that?’

‘…Because they’re family?’

‘That’s right. This big wolf probably came to get the pup. In dangerous situations, when pups can’t protect themselves, adult wolves carry their young by the scruff of the neck, careful not to draw blood.

Just like how a father or mother might carry younger siblings when going to the market. That’s why the pup didn’t resist and slipped out below.

One more thing. Let’s say you’re going somewhere dangerous. If you had to pass through a very dark alley, what would you do? Rush in, or watch for a while first?’

‘I’d probably watch first.’

‘But this wolf came straight in. Look. Even though it came through this soft ground, there’s no sign of circling. What this means is that the big wolf wasn’t fearless, but rather knew enough about this place.’

A chill ran down my spine, and I clutched my father’s pant leg tightly. But he continued his explanation calmly.

‘While you were playing with that wolf pup, the big wolf was watching you. If you had harmed the pup in any way, it wouldn’t have left you alone. But because you and the small wolf became friends, it left you be. How do I know all this?’

‘…You knew?’

Only then did my father scold me sternly.

‘This orchard is my land. How could the landowner not know what happens on his own property? You might not have known, but I was behind you. With a bow I borrowed from the hunters.

A large wolf with silver fur on its chest was watching you and me from beyond arrow range.

I appreciate that you want to accomplish things on your own. But things where you ‘might get hurt’ are dangerous.

For dangerous things, you should naturally seek help from others. You should have told me. What if you had gotten even a scratch?’

‘I’m sorry.’

‘No one should work alone. Do you understand? Especially when it involves someone getting hurt or matters of life and death. So tell me. Why didn’t you tell me sooner? Don’t think about making excuses.’

Well, I couldn’t escape it. I couldn’t make excuses either. I confessed honestly. I had tried to strike the wolf pup with an axe, but I missed and it got stuck in the ground, and the wolf tried to bite me so fiercely that I practically lost the axe.”

Maria drummed her fingers on the carriage roof.

“I bet you got a good spanking?”

Kain shook his head.

“No. It would have been better if I had.”

“Huh? Did you get hit on the head?”

“It’s not that. It would have been better if I’d just been spanked and it was over. Father took me to the hunters’ cabin. He made me tell the hunters everything I had done, in order.

At first, the hunters looked at me as if they thought I was quite remarkable. I actually felt a bit proud. It was probably that sense of honor unique to children, the feeling that I could work like adults.

So I told the whole story in detail. But their faces gradually became serious. I felt something was wrong, but I finished my story anyway.

The hunters rushed out of the cabin. They rang the bell that was supposed to be rung when wolves appeared, gathering everyone. The village head, the brothers, my father and mother… everyone was serious.

‘Why? What’s happening?’

I was scared. What could be the reason? I wondered if losing the axe was such a grave mistake. Then my father called me over with the bald brother, the one who had taught me to read.

‘Listen carefully. What’s about to happen isn’t your fault. But it is the consequence of what you did.’

The brother bit his lip hard. He must have been struggling with how to explain this to a child. But my father kept nudging him with his elbow.

‘Wolves are similar to humans. They form families, live cooperatively, and share what they hunt. Since ancient times, humans and wolves have lived in competition with each other.

But humans won. Wolves retreated to forests and mountains. They don’t usually come down to where people live. Wolves have ancestors too, and teachings passed down through generations.

Fearing humans is one of those teachings.

But… now that rule is breaking down. The fear of starvation has become greater than the fear passed down through generations. So wolves are doing something truly frightening.

They’re attacking humans. And you… you even became friends with a wolf pup.’

‘Was that… so wrong?’

‘Being able to become friends means they no longer see us as fearsome. And there are no wolves in this world that can be tamed. Such a wolf would only be a devil wearing wolf skin, not a real wolf.

That wolf pup, and its parents, have come down close to a human village, and seeing you has probably diminished much of their vague fear of humans.

When they stop being afraid… then they start seeing us as prey.’

Even before I could understand, I knew. I had put our village in danger. My body began to tremble, and I burst into tears. Like children do.

My father and the brother hugged me tightly. I remember their conversation because even as I was crying, I thought their exchange was quite strange.

‘This child thinks differently from others, and even causes trouble on a grand scale. Do you plan to keep him tied to the village?’

‘As parents, we’d be happy if our eldest son helped with the family business. But… he is quite a promising boy. If he had been born to nobility…’

‘I hear the Emperor has established an academy. If you pass the entrance exam, you can attend without worrying about tuition. Any Imperial citizen, even commoners, can take the exam.’

‘The Emperor?’

‘The nobles pushed back a bit. Breaking the nobles’ pride wasn’t enough for him. He wants to show his authority—that if he decides, he can raise commoners to their level. For this child, the diocese might even write a recommendation letter.’

‘Let’s catch the wolves first.’

They said no, but there was no chance. I had to go straight home. The village was already like a battlefield. Everywhere, people were shouting that we needed to find the wolves before the pack arrived.

There was only one thing I could do.”

Maria snapped her fingers.

“You snuck out, didn’t you?”

Kain and Lily looked up at Maria. Lily appeared quite bewildered, looking back and forth between Maria and Kain.

“Did you go out again?”

“I told you. He does whatever he wants in the strangest ways. I knew it.”

Maria chuckled, trying to hold back her laughter.