NOVEL WEB Chapter 27 - Eating (4)
Translator: Elisia
Editor/Proofreader: TempWane
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The target was a single male moose.
Since it had been just after mating season, there was a high likelihood that if a female moose was found, a male would be nearby. Having two moose wouldn’t be a major problem, but for two people experiencing their first hunt, focusing on a single target was better.
Just in case, I strung my bow with an arrow and approached the moose with the two of them.
The moose hadn’t noticed our presence yet.
Though it occasionally lifted its head to survey its surroundings due to the faint sounds we made while approaching, we managed to avoid detection because I pressed Amelia and the prince’s backs down to keep them crouched.
As we drew closer to the moose—
The moose, which had been foraging with its head buried in the ground, suddenly snapped its head up.
But the direction it looked wasn’t toward us—it was completely the opposite.
The wolves had completed their encirclement.
When the wolves form a ring around the moose, the wind will inevitably carry their scent to the moose no matter which direction it blows.
However, by the time the moose noticed, it was already too late.
When I signaled to the two, they both raised their bows and strung their arrows.
Good.
If Amelia and Prince Evan could shoot their arrows, it would be best to do so as quickly as possible. While I didn’t know their exact skill levels, I doubted either of them could hit a running moose with their arrows.
As I drew my bow, the two followed suit, aiming at the moose.
Just as we had discussed earlier, I nodded, and both Amelia and Prince Evan released their bowstrings at the same time.
The taut strings snapped forward with a loud sound, and the moose immediately reacted by leaping into the air. But no matter how fast it was, the moose couldn’t outrun the arrows that had already been released.
The arrows shot by Amelia and Prince Evan simultaneously struck the moose.
But—
“Huh?”
A dumbfounded sound escaped Prince Evan’s lips.
Amelia’s arrow struck the moose but bounced off immediately. The arrow had a proper tip, so it must have caused some injury, but it lacked the force to pierce through its hide entirely.
Prince Evan’s arrow managed to embed itself in the moose’s thick hide but nothing more. Although it had struck near the neck, it wasn’t enough to deliver a fatal blow.
The arrow dangled loosely from where it had lodged, making the injury appear particularly painful. Amelia, standing beside me, to let out an involuntary groan as if she could feel the pain.
“Mmmoooo!”
The moose cried out in pain.
Even if the arrow didn’t pierce deeply, getting hit by a flying arrow was painful enough. Much like how a person flinches even from a punch rather than just a knife wound, the moose was no exception.
The moose leaped frantically in pain.
But the wolves still didn’t attack.
They hadn’t deemed it necessary to chase the moose just yet. From their perspective, Amelia and Prince Evan weren’t effective hunters.
Among the three humans here, the wolves only trusted me.
With the bow and arrow in my hand, I raised it swiftly before the moose could escape my line of sight.
The moose zigzagged wildly while leaping up and down, but…
In situations like this, intuition from experience often outperformed pure aiming skills.
In the Delkis estate, raising livestock was unheard of. Food was scarce enough just for people, so there was no need to share it with animals.
However, I had wolves following me. And naturally, if I wanted to keep the wolves, I needed to provide their food.
To earn the wolves’ trust and secure their sustenance, I had spent months wandering the woods near the castle with them.
Naturally, I had learned how moose behaved when startled, including which direction they would flee.
I adjusted my aim slightly to where the moose was heading, tracked its movement with my bow, then released the taut bowstring.
The sturdy bow launched the arrow forward with a sound like a whip crack, slicing through the air with a sharp whistle before leaving my hand.
And then—
“Mmmooou!”
The moose wailed out in agony.
The cry began deep and low like a cow’s bellow but fractured into a human-like scream at the end.
The arrow had pierced its neck. Blood sprayed everywhere, painting the white background red. For someone seeing it for the first time, it would have been a shocking sight.
Amelia and Evan’s faces had turned pale.
I remembered looking the same when I first followed my father on a hunt.
It seemed that people quickly grew accustomed to things after doing them a few times, as I now found myself indifferent to the scene.
As the moose collapsed forward, the wolves, hidden in the underbrush, immediately pounced.
Before the moose could rise, its flanks, thighs, and neck were simultaneously bitten.
The moose, which must have weighed more than twice as much as the combined weight of Amelia, Evan, and me, lost its life in an instant.
*
“Do you always give the first catch to the wolves?”
“They need it to survive.”
And that’s also why they see me as their leader. Hunts that might have failed for the wolves alone had a much higher chance of success with me.
Thanks to that, the wolves could avoid going hungry.
It’s said a knight’s loyalty is bought with money.
A wolf’s loyalty is earned with food.
“……”
As the three of us sat around the campfire, the sound of chewing came from the distance. Even though we were sitting far away, the nauseating stench drifted over—a mix of blood, the gamey musk of animals, and the foul odor of entrails.
To the wolves, did that smell appetizing? They must have thought so, given how eagerly they devoured the meal.
“So, how was it? Did you find the hunt fulfilling?”
Though I’m used to sights like this, Amelia and Prince Evan, both of noble blood, clearly weren’t. Their usual lives wouldn’t have brought them anywhere near such a scene.
People of Delkis often forgot important details like that. At first, they treated them with respect, but after spending time with them, they started acting as though they were just any other locals.
No doubt my father had the same perspective, considering their presence here nothing more than “children playing.”
Of course, if they had followed an adult, they might have seen the grisly process of gutting and bleeding the carcass in real-time, so perhaps it made little difference.
As I debated which was more grotesque—watching humans prepare a kill or watching animals devour one—Prince Evan spoke abruptly.
“…You’re the one who did all the hunting.”
“Pardon?”
“You shot it and brought it down. I just stood and watched.”
“But Your Highness, you shot an arrow too.”
“But not a killing shot.”
“Ah.”
I furrowed my brow slightly as I replied.
“In a hunt, not everyone lands the killing blow. Even in a wolf pack, only a few get to deliver the fatal strike, while the rest help chase and corner the prey.”
Despite my explanation, the prince pouted. He jabbed at the campfire logs with a twig, his mood thoroughly soured.
“Lady Elsie is right, Your Highness. The game here in the North is large and has thick hides. Even my arrow couldn’t penetrate enough to deal a proper blow.”
“……”
Amelia tried to console him, but the prince’s frustration lingered.
It seemed like his mood wouldn’t improve until he personally brought down a catch.
After a brief moment of thought, I came up with an idea.
“In that case, would Your Highness like me to show you prey you can definitely catch?”
“Something I can catch?”
Seeing the prince instantly perk up, I couldn’t hide my wry smile.
“Yes.”
“Then show me.”
As I turned to respond to the prince, Amelia’s expression turned slightly worried. But it was fine. The prey I had in mind wouldn’t put him in any danger.
“Follow me, then.”
I gave Amelia a reassuring smile and stood.
*
“Oh, how adorable!”
Amelia exclaimed without realizing it.
She had said so upon seeing what I pulled out from within a tree.
“…A squirrel?”
The prince looked at the rodent in my hand with a mix of surprise and confusion.
“Yes, a squirrel. Around this time of year, squirrels hibernate. Although it’s always winter in the North, the real winter—the ‘true winter’—is just around the corner. When it comes, it’s better for them to stay holed up and sleep rather than roam outside.”
That’s why it’s hard to catch hibernating squirrels outside of this season.
Once true winter arrives, it’s tough for humans to roam around outdoors as well.
I held up the drowsy squirrel, which shifted sleepily in my hands.
“They’re a seasonal delicacy.”
“A… delicacy?”
At my words, Amelia froze stiff.