WBWB | Chapter 18

It turned out to be clothing made by inserting cotton between layers of fabric and quilting it in a diamond pattern. When I tried them on, they were incredibly cozy and warm. There was also a square scarf to drape over my shoulders and a winter hooded cap with ties on both ends to fasten under the chin.

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

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

‘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.’

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.

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

A few days later, in the morning, the Duke returned to the mansion.

‘He’s back!’

Watching the spectacle of his return from the window, I gathered that the winter hunt, whatever it entailed, had been successful. How did I know? Because the mules that had pulled the empty carts at the end were now laden with piles of animal carcasses, trailing behind the soldiers.

That day, after lunch, the Duke summoned me to his office. Wondering what the matter could be so soon after his return, I hurriedly changed my clothes and headed to his office. I was stunned by the sight that greeted me.

‘Could that be… a bear?’

Indeed, there it was, a bear. A bear, which I had only ever seen in books and illustrations… never in real life.

I stood there, speechless, for a moment.

The Duke, dressed in comfortable clothes, looked back and forth between me and the bear before speaking.

“Is this your first time seeing one?”

“…Yes.”

“Don’t the nobles in your land hunt?”

“They do hunt, but… they don’t hunt large, dangerous predators that could injure them.”

“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.”

And what I was looking at was the hide of that large predator, a black bear.

‘How did they catch it?’

How could anyone catch such a creature? 

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.

“Did Your Grace catch it?”

“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.”

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.

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

“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.”

I nodded absently, listening to the Duke’s words.

“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.”

The Duke encouraged me.

I knelt down on one knee and lowered my head to do as he said. As I got closer to the hide, a strong animal scent hit me. Contrary to my expectation that the fur would be coarse, it was soft, smooth, and cold. As I stroked the bear’s fur, wondering what to do next, the Duke spoke.

“I’ll give this to you.”

“Pardon?”

I placed my hand on my chest.

“Me… Your Grace?”

“Yes.”

“You’re giving this… to me?”

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.

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

“No, I! I! Your Grace! Your Grace!”

Panicked that the conversation might end there, I stammered, unsure what to say.

“Speak.”

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

What was I supposed to do with this heavy, smelly rawhide?

‘What am I supposed to do with this?’

When I asked desperately, he frowned and tilted his head.

“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.”

Suddenly in possession of a bear hide, I asked Madame Pauline to summon a furrier to the mansion.

“Incredible…”

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.

“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.”

Apparently, an expert could tell such things.

“Do you know anything about fur?”

“Not at all.”

“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.”

‘Arrows? Swords?’

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

‘What am I supposed to use this for?’

Sensing my bewilderment, the furrier changed the subject.

“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?”

His words sparked an idea, and someone came to mind.

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

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.

About a month later, the coats arrived. It was heavy when I tried it on, but so warm I almost broke a sweat. Looking in the mirror wearing the coat, hat, boots, and gloves, I looked like a black bear.

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

I went to the study wearing the coat and dressed Lady Ana in hers. We looked like two bears.

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

“Me neither.”

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

Thanks to him, I now had all the winter gear I needed, but I was still puzzled as to why the Duke had given me the bear hide.

* * * 

The reason Baldr de Skadi gave the tutor the bear hide was simple.

He wanted to see it. That woman draped in fur.

Summer was for battles, winter for hunting. 

When winter arrived, and the frozen land could no longer produce anything, the Duke and his subordinate lords would gather their soldiers and hold a large-scale hunt.

The ostensible purpose was to control the animal population, which had increased during the autumn, to ensure enough food for all during the lean winter months, to protect the villages from predatory animals, and to distribute the meat to the people. 

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.

The soldiers surrounded the vast forest, preventing the prey from escaping, while cavalry gradually drove the animals inward. But even in a vast hunting ground teeming with game, accidents were inevitable when so many people hunted at once.