WBWB | Chapter 18

It turned out to 4845c3c07d be clothing made by ef023f7d1d inserting cotton between layers 8df0139c7d of fabric and quilting 0f7d4e3e9b it in a diamond dc4ea83d67 pattern. When I tried them 7a152446c6 on, they were incredibly ffcb6c3947 cozy and warm. There was 9b861fa0a1 also a adfe4eaed6 square scarf caad3353c0 to drape bee5ecbb8a over my 40dca7230c shoulders and 70c5ac13f5 a winter e741ed749e hooded cap a88cd98eb4 with ties 25b008c853 on both 8435f075a1 ends to 9446620f61 fasten under 24d1d26e6b the chin.435f19d08c6358c3

‘This is warm enough to stay inside. I might even be able to go outside for a very short while.’53159bb5ddbfb37b

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Having tried on the clothes, I was relieved that I hadn’t splurged on a fur coat.7fc5e69005b43041

‘Nothing beats a fur coat for going outside in winter. Winter comes every year, so if you plan to stay here for a long time, you should invest in a good coat.’e6ae2850bfc67a62

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The merchant had recommended a fur coat, saying there was no better protection against the cold than the fur of a winter animal, but the price had been so exorbitant that I couldn’t bring myself to buy one.9d081f701e717cd7

‘This is good enough. It might be a bit stuffy, but I won’t be going outside much anyway.’737904ffaa34c99c

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A few 6a187887d6 days later, 322a41bc36 in the e644c77f70 morning, the 4c530fe466 Duke returned b3ffaedbd7 to the 131e77244f mansion.23864a070ef8d3b9

‘He’s back!’468ead622525ad19

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Watching the spectacle 4d4d9b9f6a of his return 02c748fb53 from the window, fef0e94aa0 I gathered that 30c08dffcf the winter hunt, 928d1c8bf2 whatever it entailed, 13081c48ed had been successful. How did I 490423a030 know? Because the mules 78e014a82b that had pulled c2eb1b75b4 the empty carts c5d77366b0 at the end a75a7f6182 were now laden 4fc43af9ac with piles of 7d56a7f971 animal carcasses, trailing e8a34943bd behind the soldiers.79ff70f8766b6d9e

That day, after lunch, ed29cc4bb0 the Duke summoned me 3f2c109176 to his office. Wondering what the matter 2258132946 could be so soon cb3abe97d9 after his return, I f0ec68c57b hurriedly changed my clothes b63812ed37 and headed to his 73e7efc92e office. I was stunned 95dd28b993 by the sight ed6bd69099 that greeted me.9086c0ba5cfc478f

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‘Could that 636d90a1c8 be… a 95ea33bbc9 bear?’8a3c901fecf58c8c

Indeed, there 15a43c4caa it was, 99773469a4 a bear. A bear, a6360b3bc6 which I e1fbd69ee3 had only 838a03f24f ever seen a8a07c7397 in books dbefcf3a68 and illustrations… 81f4a11245 never in ec748d4699 real life.3a0a365b3ecdcb26

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I stood f72817424c there, speechless, bdcf5ce085 for a 40302d4fd8 moment.f8836e453af54c96

The Duke, d20b56457a dressed in d5c44c9d52 comfortable clothes, 5a34154685 looked back 8fbb1dc338 and forth 5921abe01c between me 5bef53bf4f and the 8fe554a0a5 bear before ce02b043ea speaking.674aa4196d1666e6

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“Is this your first time seeing one?”a4d2b28068f9c671

“…Yes.”3434aa27d49fc4a9

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“Don’t the nobles in your land hunt?”7a09289b76bfa424

“They do hunt, acbc947072 but… they don’t 53ce3f54d6 hunt large, dangerous 3291be1a4a predators that could 99bde85d70 injure them.”296d08282ce9f843

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“It’s different here. The nobles here gather once a year and take the initiative in hunting predators. It serves as maneuver training in the wilderness and prevents starving bears and wolves from coming down and harming the villages.”f4a0245efd2638ea

And what 7616589726 I was 7282c18cfe looking at ddf961a4f2 was the b08a61f13b hide of 02f84488f5 that large 525f71142f predator, a bc37bdcf9c black bear.35cf55effb9f1904

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‘How did they catch it?’3f55100b2aab42b7

How could anyone catch cc30527fd7 such a creature? e07f0cf21e38ef1c

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The bear’s hide, with its head and paws still attached, was spread out on the office floor. Even though it was just the hide, stripped of flesh, it was so large that I could only imagine how massive the living creature must have been. Its paws were bigger than my head, and its claws were longer than my fingers.62ebbd47baad9680

“Did Your Grace catch it?”29d5558ad46eac41

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“Yes. It was the main target and the biggest prey of this hunt. There had been many sightings of it prowling near the villages. Fortunately, we captured it without any casualties, and we caught many other animals as well.”d9f3a0f99c2fca42

This time, I carefully examined the Duke’s complexion. He looked tired and exhausted, perhaps still weary from his journey. I couldn’t fathom why he had summoned me when he must be longing to rest his weary body in a comfortable bed, not a makeshift one in the field.2241529efb282c5d

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He wasn’t acting like a ten-year-old child showing off his prize, was he?0f58b3fc78e77411

“Here, we call bears ‘ber’. Among the Norse warriors, those who fought in a god-like rage were called ‘berserkers,’ ‘those who wear bear skins’, because they were said to be empowered by the bear’s strength.”be2e8f2b4e15dd40

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I nodded absently, e1b4533a41 listening to the 5f329b11dd Duke’s words.a46f08704a038df5

“Come now, don’t just stand there. Touch the fur. The bear was fattening up for hibernation, so its fur is long and very soft.”9f3ee410af62a837

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The Duke encouraged 0954032989 me.f827930f7ba99bca

I knelt down b71ceca752 on one knee 42ad2f3115 and lowered my 7fcb3cf50a head to do cb1abd1c5c as he said. As I got e1f37e55e8 closer to the 317b8677a5 hide, a strong bca15da685 animal scent hit 47a2fe15a2 me. Contrary to my e62671a7d9 expectation that the 8b3ae4b32b fur would be fc4867c9b3 coarse, it was 5c3516ea15 soft, smooth, and 499c8e31dc cold. As I 33c31b585e stroked the 4938940ada bear’s fur, 3ba8259230 wondering what 36b9fba882 to do 9692b830fc next, the c60fe6f1a8 Duke spoke.4299941e25c47a96

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“I’ll give this to you.”d01584ac7271a86f

“Pardon?”dd56f982be9fdad0

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I placed my hand ed5fe847d4 on my chest.efd6f3419094ca0b

“Me… Your Grace?”9795a39c6bcf56c1

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“Yes.”c55657982a97b147

“You’re giving this… to me?”1b3c990647433421

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Hadn’t he said this was the greatest prize of the hunt? And what was I supposed to do with something this large? I had no idea.f9afeb442a2306d5

“Yes. I don’t have any rabbit or sable pelts, but I do have wolf pelts. Take those too, if you need them.”6fcfcffc3a555adc

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“No, I! I! Your Grace! Your Grace!”d614fe09a6ab016f

Panicked that the conversation 6eccf88933 might end there, I 915158f2ab stammered, unsure what to 93f2d76fd4 say.33d2d6e9dd260558

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“Speak.”419939ff68883422

“With all due respect! What am I supposed to do with this?”cad23fa9a2f888c5

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What was I supposed daea4596c9 to do with this 9c17b707c6 heavy, smelly rawhide?0de8ab64cf63d622

‘What am I supposed to do with this?’51a7cd756e1a7232

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When I asked desperately, 6a40df0c42 he frowned and tilted 242af25d60 his head.cd373342564ea8a7

“Well… it’s up to you to decide how to use it. Find a furrier. They’ll tell you what you can do with it.”5f7e2ac56b153a90

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Suddenly in possession of 45718d1cd8 a bear hide, I 5270499924 asked Madame Pauline to d6087c38d1 summon a furrier to 78764bbfbf the mansion.75b021c6f0ab8686

“Incredible…”e50e6dc95d18d852

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The furrier’s eyes widened as if he had seen gold when he saw the hide I had received. He ran his hands over it, sniffing here and there.0cffa271a8a25e5a

“I’ve never seen a hide like this in all my years of working as a furrier. There’s not a single blemish on it, and because it was a bear preparing for winter, there’s no shedding, and the quality of the fur is exceptional. How did you catch such a bear? Seeing that the front and back paws are intact, it seems you didn’t use a trap… Aha, there’s a wound inside its mouth. Did you aim a spear into its mouth? How daring.”c68d3b057210c772

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Apparently, an expert could 985a028016 tell such things.04d2218385b077ed

“Do you know anything about fur?”58220d58e6505379

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“Not at all.”ca3ae400e834d73f

“The fur of Skadi bears is much longer and denser than that of other bears, providing excellent insulation and waterproofing. And this fur is as sleek as if it’s been oiled, it’s comparable to sable. The hide is thick and heavy, which can be a drawback, but it’s an advantage if you’re making armor. Armor made from this hide would be impenetrable to arrows and swords.”9170083b627dd0c4

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‘Arrows? Swords?’d7f050184330ce30

But I wasn’t a warrior, so why would I need armor that could stop arrows?2126d4287f4f7971

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‘What am I supposed to use this for?’84e078e48529c369

Sensing my bewilderment, the f77816d491 furrier changed the subject.468420065ad6c583

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“It’s also excellent for making winter coats. Especially since the winters here are snowy and rainy. With a hide this size, you can make anything you want. Not only a coat but also a fur hat, scarf, and shoes. What would you like to make with this hide?”e751c149c8ac3be1

His words sparked an 515d3db553 idea, and someone came 5ae7a59480 to mind.6486055db4d62fe2

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“Then, can you make two coats with this hide?”62faa232a154c21e

Of course, Lady Ana already had warm winter coats. But wouldn’t an extra one be nice? I also had Lady Ana’s measurements taken and had an ankle-length winter coat made for her. The bear hide was so large that there was enough left over to make a fur hat, fur boots, and gloves as well.887f90b50b593c18

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About a 6b544f71ea month later, a3f3f6eb61 the coats 6baea107af arrived. It was 2d944258f1 heavy when 9630a6f8a1 I tried 07c5c4e0d6 it on, 21c35a6a97 but so 269985c8b2 warm I b342d80e9d almost broke d801e541fa a sweat. Looking in the 29ea771594 mirror wearing the 3f1e6972eb coat, hat, boots, ff52c55d62 and gloves, I 3134af96ab looked like a 37b538b8ed black bear.208ca668d1d3b9d4

‘Wow, bears must be really warm in winter.’f37032f7ce4a2193

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I went to 0b79d00fdf the study wearing a41abd7ad1 the coat and 8d4da38c13 dressed Lady Ana 1f19866956 in hers. We looked like two f25a742571 bears.1492434ccd37644c

“Teacher, I’ve never had such a warm coat.”7f335af80fa9b546

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“Me neither.”2aaf44fa97237072

‘But why did he give me such a fine hide? Does he have so much to spare?’a2693d4944fda641

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Thanks to him, I 5845eda78c now had all the 35bc6bbc19 winter gear I needed, 972dbf243d but I was still 05b80183da puzzled as to why 70576cc60a the Duke had given b62ad633b2 me the bear hide.82986ecdb053a587

* * * f644ba5a8aeeb026

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The reason Baldr de 8dff19cd49 Skadi gave the tutor c159ebff02 the bear hide was 718f0f3dc8 simple.755c7d8782185c2e

He wanted to 849e89d7ce see it. That woman 26270c476c draped in 18c9a039e3 fur.4cce06422238fb7c

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Summer was for b3ca6b0042 battles, winter for 4c54ac5891 hunting. 6b683442f99d8f7b

When winter 6b9aea2e82 arrived, and 370d936a02 the frozen 8aea8e6254 land could 7b31aba009 no longer 8650794867 produce anything, 7d3f44c980 the Duke 9bbe61a1c3 and his efa55c3493 subordinate lords d070c5339e would gather f4f95fcaac their soldiers 579b2e6b1a and hold 5d17f77162 a large-scale f8110af570 hunt.84a31e95bc9ef3de

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The ostensible 2c7e280b7f purpose was 51455dd5cd to control 34ef95faa3 the animal 42b77c959d population, which 3dd99ff4b8 had increased 4bbcabf0bb during the f63aa9b8ab autumn, to 849cc52005 ensure enough a3e37ca9f8 food for 99ba2498f7 all during 04921f89d9 the lean 574ca02f74 winter months, 3c4d2890c7 to protect 5ba9b217f5 the villages 605443c9d5 from predatory 1aadbdcd6b animals, and d27e758bf3 to distribute 8bd6b3b1b9 the meat ab41922118 to the d6a38c4dc3 people. d10348813cb32d25

However, the real purpose of these hunts, which were essentially military training, was to display the Duke’s prowess and military strength, and to earn the recognition and respect of the lords under his command.f2314d312b043f77

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The soldiers surrounded bf616a42ef the vast forest, 6fc5ad95c8 preventing the prey e8154e0899 from escaping, while ea81405a54 cavalry gradually drove 70c4c59d23 the animals inward. But even in cebbe3e34d a vast hunting 74a2b1ab11 ground teeming with 860cd39fab game, accidents were 357ec353e6 inevitable when so c6e28d4cf6 many people hunted 4f1a34b95b at once.d7c038644dc9da9f

 b3f0fcc8c4b3c192

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