“In any case, let’s first try to put it to sleep.”

  Hulim Heyerar raised her Seven Luminaries wand and aimed it at the Mother Tyrant Giant Bear.

  Hum!

  A magic circle unfolded before Hulim.

  Seeing this, the Mother Tyrant Giant Bear lying on the ground immediately grew extremely agitated.

  Its eyes turned increasingly red.

  Yet it teetered on the edge, refusing to enter a berserk state no matter what.

  Hulim’s doubts deepened.

  Just as she was about to unleash the magic—

  “Peep!”

  A small, faint cry reached her ears.

  “Huh?”

  Boom——!

  The magic grazed the Mother Tyrant Giant Bear’s scalp and blasted upward.

  Countless stalactites shattered and fell into the lake, sending up massive splashes.

  Hulim’s gaze passed over the Mother Tyrant Giant Bear and fixed on the opposite shore of the lake.

  “Peep!”

  There, a bear-like creature only the size of a human was staring eagerly in their direction.

  “Peep! Peep!”

  It let out urgent calls, over and over.

  Hearing the sound approaching, the Mother Tyrant Giant Bear—who had been hesitating this entire time—suddenly changed expression drastically.

  “Roar——!!!”

  It let out the loudest roar since appearing, directed at Hulim.

  The red light in its eyes nearly solidified,

  its threat unmistakable.

  Presumably, if Hulim dared to make any move, it would immediately berserk......

  “......I see.”

  Hulim lowered her raised Seven Luminaries wand.

  “No wonder a Tyrant Giant Bear—normally dwelling in the deepest regions—would come to such an outer area.”

  Seeing Hulim lower her wand, the red light in the Mother Tyrant Giant Bear’s eyes dimmed slightly, but it did not let its guard down.

  It continued to stare fixedly at Hulim.

  What it did not expect, however, was that while Hulim had ceased action, another being would not.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “Peep!”

  The little cub that had been on the opposite shore suddenly jumped into the water and began swimming toward them.

  “Peep!”

  Hearing the cub’s voice drawing near, the Mother Tyrant Giant Bear panicked.

  Ignoring the threat before it,

  it turned and roared at the cub.

  “Roar——!”

  “Peep?”

  Scolded, the cub stopped, looking wronged.

  Then it resumed swimming toward the Mother Tyrant Giant Bear.

  “Roar!”

  “Roar......”

  The Mother Tyrant Giant Bear was truly desperate.

  But no matter how it roared, the cub refused to turn back, inching closer and closer.

  Finally, the cub reached the shore.

  Then, under the Mother Tyrant Giant Bear’s frantic gaze, it approached her—and did something that nearly pushed her over the edge.

  The little cub walked straight in front of Hulim, shielding the Mother Tyrant Giant Bear behind it......

  “Peep!”

  Despite its pitifully weak aura,

  it let out a warning cry at Hulim.

  “......”

  “......That cub—it’s the Mother Tyrant Giant Bear’s child, isn’t it?”

  “Huh? So it’s trying to protect its mother?”

  Miko and Alicia stared in disbelief at the Young Tyrant Giant Bear Cub before them.

  Among A-rank creatures in the depths of the Monster Great Forest, relationships were far from harmonious; on the contrary, intense hostility often existed between them.

  After giving birth, a Tyrant Giant Bear’s body would enter a period of weakness.

  During this time, rivals might seize the opportunity to attack.

  If that happened, not only would the mother be in danger, but the newborn cub might also meet a tragic end.

  Thus, when a Tyrant Giant Bear was about to give birth, it would travel to the safer outer regions, find a hidden spot as its temporary den, and give birth there.

  Only after recovering from its weakness would it return to the deepest regions with its cub......

  “Peep!”

  The Young Tyrant Giant Bear Cub kept crying at Hulim, seemingly warning her not to harm its mother.

  “......”

  Hulim looked at the cub before her and seemed to notice something.

  She held out her left hand toward it.

  “Come here, little one.”

  “Peep......?”

  The cub stared at Hulim in confusion, unsure of her intentions.

  “Roar——!!!”

  Instead, the mother behind it let out a furious roar at Hulim.

  But Hulim paid no heed, her gaze fixed entirely on the cub.

  “Don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you.”

  “Peep?”

  The cub was perplexed, hesitating to move forward.

  It even looked back at its mother, seeking her guidance.

  “Roar——!”

  Naturally, all it received was a warning roar from its mother.

  Yet at that moment—

  A hand suddenly rested on its head.

  “Huh!? ”

  “Wait! Hulim——!?”

  “Roar?!!”

  “Peep?!”

  Hulim had suddenly appeared in front of the cub, startling both the two humans and the two bears.

  The cub jumped in surprise and spun around.

  “Roar——!!!”

  The Mother Tyrant Giant Bear was so enraged it nearly berserked on the spot—but at the last second, it remembered its cub was in the way, and reason reined it in.

  If it berserked now, its own paw would likely send the cub caught in the middle flying......

  “......I told you not to be afraid.”

  Hulim gently stroked the cub’s head.

  “Peep?”

  The cub stared at the human before it in confusion.

  As she had said, it sensed no hint of threat from her.

  “Grrr!”

  While the cub was being petted, its mother behind it was grinding her teeth in fury.

  After stroking the cub for a while,

  Hulim withdrew her left hand.

  “As I thought—something’s wrong.”

  Hulim had not petted the cub out of mere interest.

  Earlier, as she observed it, she had noticed something amiss.

  Combined with the fact that the Mother Tyrant Giant Bear—who had been hiding underground—had somehow ventured to the surface not long ago,

  Hulim had formed a hypothesis.

  So she had checked the cub personally.

  Sure enough, she discovered that the Young Tyrant Giant Bear Cub was suffering from some kind of illness.

  Its mother had clearly realized it was sick, which was why she had gone out to find something to cure it.

  But as things stood, Tyrant Giant Bears were not skilled healers—not only had she failed to cure the cub, but its condition had only worsened. If this continued, the cub would likely face the danger of dying young.

  Hulim opened her backpack, rummaged through it for a moment, and finally pulled out a small vial.

  She uncorked it and held it out to the cub’s mouth.

  “Peep?”

  The cub stared at the vial Hulim offered, confused.

  Meanwhile, its mother’s eyes blazed with rage.

  Hulim’s current action was undoubtedly dancing on the edge of her patience.

  “Trust me—drinking this will do you good,”

  Hulim said in a calm tone.

  “It won’t cure your illness, but it will ease your symptoms and make you feel much better.”

  “......Peep.”

  Seemingly sensing no malice from Hulim, the cub hesitantly opened its mouth.

  ...