The Villainous Older Sister Who Loves Her Younger Sister Aims for the Guillotine 92

92: Bears and Food Service

“In the Vandergant Territorial Army, pest control is part of a knight’s training and duties. Only those deemed proficient with a bow participate, though. It doesn’t happen every year. Usually when there’s an overabundance of deer.”

He spoke in a reminiscent tone, as if recounting a memory.

Then, he paused.

“…That year, there was a dangerous bear.”

Silence fell over the group, so profound that I, hidden in the shadows of the tent, could hear the crackling of the campfire.

While bears were often depicted as cute stuffed animals in shops, they were, in reality, the largest land predators on the continent.

Pest control was the responsibility of the Hunters’ Guild, and the Territorial Army assisted them upon request.

There were two reasons for such requests.

One: The number of pests was too overwhelming for the hunters to handle alone.

Two: ――The prey was too dangerous, and the hunters were afraid.

“It snapped the neck of a heavy cavalry warhorse and dragged it away. When we finally found it, only the entrails, which decompose quickly, had been eaten, and the rest was buried… as if to mark its territory.”

There were two main types of military horses: draft horses and riding horses.

The riding horses were further divided into those bred and trained for horse archers, emphasizing speed, and those bred and trained for heavy cavalry, capable of carrying heavier riders.

Only the largest of bears could kill a large, heavy cavalry warhorse and drag it away with ease.

And the bear that year… was one such bear.

“The bear hunters from the Hunters’ Guild, the Territorial Knights… and us trainees. Lady Adelheid was among us.”

Ah, yes, that year.

So, this story was about me again.

“We were given special arrow poison, managed by the Vanderwaals family. The potent kind, for bears. Each arrow was numbered and tracked. We only got two arrows each. Those were our lifelines.”

He paused again, his words trailing off as if lost in the sea of memory.

“S-so…?”

Leticia prompted him, and he continued.

“She was… unnervingly calm. We trainees were terrified. Well, even the active knights were. Some of the bear hunters were also scared. —But Lady Adelheid wasn’t afraid.”

His recollection, accurate up to this point, suddenly took a strange turn.

Inwardly, I had been terrified.

“One of the bear hunters asked her if she was scared, and she said…”

He paused for dramatic effect.

I vaguely remembered being asked that…

“‘Of course I’m scared. But I’m used to it.’—That’s what she said.”

Did I really say that?

“…Lady Adelheid was only sixteen at the time. Saying ‘of course I’m scared, but I’m used to it’… used to what?”

Silence fell again.

Each of them was probably pondering the answer to that question.

They couldn’t possibly imagine that a noble lady, the first in line to inherit the ducal title, had been made to traverse the “Black Forest,” bordering the Hargau and Vanderwaals territories, with her governess, before even coming of age.

But that bear had been unusually large, even for that area, and I had been terrified.

I had simply been trained not to show fear or anxiety.

“We split into teams and searched for the bear. Five people per team: a bear hunter to guide us to where the horse was buried, an active knight, and three trainees… if I remember correctly.”

That was the team composition, indeed.

Too many people, and there was a risk of friendly fire due to panic. Too few, and it was too dangerous… it was a delicate balance. Considering that bear hunters sometimes hunted alone, our teams were large.

If the bear was scared off by our presence and retreated further into the forest, so be it. Otherwise, we would rely on our numbers to find and quickly eliminate it.

Military horses were strategic assets—essential for the Kingdom of Eustasia to maintain its military advantage over neighboring countries.

“Whether it was good luck or bad luck… our team found the bear. The bear hunter shot it from behind, but it turned around, and the arrow deflected off its skull. Our arrows were the same. They bounced off its thick fur or barely penetrated its skin…”

A tense silence fell, so profound that even the sound of someone swallowing was audible.

Even the cheerful chatter of the other soldiers, finishing their exercises, couldn’t penetrate the silence.

What had he meant by “I’m not a good storyteller”? His matter-of-fact tone was perfect for this story.

“I thought we were all going to die. The hunter who had told us, ‘Never turn your back on a bear,’ turned and ran. As the bear charged after him, we shot our second arrows. It was a big target, so they hit… but nowhere near any vital points.”

I, too, had been prepared to die.

――The decision I had to make was whether to abandon the hunter.

And how many others I would use as ‘shields.’

“Then, from the side, an arrow pierced its heart. —It was Lady Adelheid’s arrow that finished it.”

“Wow…” “Impressive marksmanship.” “Bearslayer.” “A gecko stronger than a bear.” “Incredible skill with a poisoned arrow.” “Stealing the spotlight.” “As expected of… the Vanderwaals.” “I think I could do that.” “I doubt it. She’d probably shoot you while you were being mauled.” …Those last two… were they friends or rivals?

“And she still had one arrow left. We had all used both of ours.”

That was also true.

However, their perception had been distorted by the extreme situation.

While it was true that my arrow might have been the final blow, it was probably the combined effect of all our arrows that ‘killed’ it.

Even deflected or shallowly embedded arrows carried a potent poison that could kill a human with a single scratch. By the time I shot, it was already weakened.

Due to its large size, the poison was slow to take effect. Even with the Vanderwaals’ lethal poison, I wasn’t sure a single arrow would have been enough.

The reason I had saved one arrow was, to put it nicely, to ensure the kill.

…To put it less nicely, it was to ensure my own survival.

It was fortunate that we all survived.

While someone had said, “She’d probably shoot you while you were being mauled,” that was, in a sense, a necessary coldness.

I had been able to remain calm only because I was initially in a safe position.

In that moment, I had placed the highest value on my own life.

I had constantly calculated how many lives I would sacrifice.

I had seen my comrades as shields and decoys.

No wonder my memories were hazy.

I wanted to forget.

――It was far from a glorious moment for me.

It was a memory that forced me to confront the ugliness within myself.

And I was simply… terrified of the bear.

“Can I share a story too?”

The next voice was a young woman’s.

I had only intended to listen to one story… but perhaps one more wouldn’t hurt.

“Aren’t you… one of the food servers…?”

“Yes, I work with the Territorial Army, preparing and serving meals.”

“Always appreciate your hard work!”

“You’re the best!”

Voices of agreement.

Now that I thought about it, her voice was… vaguely familiar.

“Thank you! …So, I know a little about the knight training program.”

Ah, yes, I recognized her voice. And her face. A plain-looking girl with freckles and red hair in braids.

I tried to remember the faces of the food servers… for safety reasons.

And, more importantly, she had been popular among my training cohort, as young girls who greeted you with a smile were always a welcome sight.

“At mealtimes, everyone would be so hungry, their stomachs rumbling…”

How nostalgic.

My own stomach rumbled at the memory, and I tightened my abdominal muscles.

“But Lady Adelheid always had a composed expression. I thought, ‘Nobles are different.’”

Yes, I had tried to maintain my image.

I didn’t know how well I had concealed my true feelings during the training, but mealtimes were when my noble lady, future head of the family training came into play.

Even knights couldn’t neglect etiquette.

There were even etiquette classes for those aspiring to become high-ranking knights.

“…But then, one time, her stomach growled… so cutely…”

What?

“…She glanced around, and when she realized no one had heard… she looked so relieved… it was adorable…!”

…That was… unexpected.

What kind of anecdote was that? Who was the target audience?

And, again, I was caught off guard. I hadn’t realized she had noticed.

…Well, even if I had, I wouldn’t have done anything.

“I couldn’t help but give her an extra-large portion. I wanted to feed her forever.”

“I get it.”

“Good job.”

“I would have given her my entire portion.”

So, she had received special treatment.

I hadn’t noticed.

…I was so attuned to malice…

…and so oblivious to even the smallest kindnesses.

“Please share that memory with me.”

“I can’t, Lady Leticia. And your eyes are scary.”

…What was my sister saying?

As the conversation lulled, I considered joining them, pretending I had just arrived, or simply turning and leaving.

However, on the battlefield, there often wasn’t time to carefully consider your options.

The situation changed constantly.

――I heard my sister’s voice.

“Well then, it’s my turn again!”

…Again?