Upon entering the forest, the searing sunlight was swiftly muted, the oppressive heat dissipated, replaced by a stifling humidity akin to that of a sauna.
Richard remained composed, his countenance betraying no change as he followed the procession deeper into the woods.
As time progressed, the company plunged further into the heart of the forest, yet aside from encountering a pair of grey rabbits and a decrepit wolf, not a single other creature graced their path.
Richard remained unperturbed, but he noted Tuku's growing agitation. The captain's gaze toward the hunter became increasingly hostile—a clear sign of waning patience. Richard surmised if they continued to tread this same path without finding the fire bear, Tuku would be the first to lose his temper and mete out a severe punishment upon the hunter.
Another hour slipped by, and still, no sign of the beast to be found. Tuku, possessed of a foul mood, could contain himself no longer. Without warning, he delivered a sudden kick to the forward-leading hunter, then began to rain blows, bellowing, "Where is the fire bear? Thou promised the fire bear! Why have we yet to lay eyes upon it?! If thou hast deceived Young Master Richard, if thou hast fooled me, I shall not only slay thee, but I will also grind thy head into the dust!"
"This…" The assaulted hunter curled into a ball, fearfully seeking Richard's gaze.
But Richard, preoccupied, remained focused on a peculiar plant at the roadside. It was a sapling—not unlike any ordinary tree—yet its bark bore an intriguing texture, and its leaves exuded a faint fragrance.
Richard recognized it as a species known on Earth as "moon orange," valued for its analgesic and hemostatic properties. While commonplace upon Earth, in this world, where medical resources were scarce, it was a treasure beyond measure. Without a moment's hesitation, Richard reached out and carefully collected the medicinal parts before turning his attention back to the hunter.
The man now bore bruises from Tuku's wrath, trembling as Richard glanced at him. "You need not seek my favor. Should you fail to lead our party to the fire bear by dusk, I shall not stay Tuku's hand from following through on his threats. If anything, I shall ensure your fate is even more dire. Thus…finding the fire bear is your only means of survival."
The hunter quivered with dread, relinquishing any last threads of hope. Struggling from beneath Tuku's foot, he hurried ahead, repeating, "Spare me! I shall lead you to the fire bear! I assure you, I will—"
"Let us hope so," Richard replied succinctly, offering no further words.
Another hour passed as afternoon set in, yet still, the fire bear remained elusive. The hunter's despair mounted. Tuku cast a sardonic glance at him, prompting the man to stumble back in fright; at that very moment, a resounding roar echoed from the distance.
"Roar!"
"What was that sound?" The guards, including Tuku, quickly converged, forming a barrier around Richard to guard against any potential threats from all directions.
The hunter found himself isolated on the periphery of their protective circle. Momentarily stunned, the hunter's expression morphed into one of wild elation. He swung his head around, tears of joy brimming in his eyes, and shouted, "Young Master Richard! Young Master Richard! It's the fire bear! That is the roar of the fire bear! I swear, that is indeed the sound! When I first saw the fire bear days ago, it was precisely this noise!"
"Is it truly?" Tuku scoffed, skepticism evident in his gaze.
Richard's eyes gleamed with interest. "Let us proceed to investigate."
"Indeed," Tuku affirmed, immediately rallying the troops toward the source of the fearsome roar.
As they drew closer, the roar's intensity amplified, resonating in their chests.
After traversing a distance, a colossal figure broke the horizon on the hill, emerging in their sight.
It was a bear—upon first glance, that was Richard's immediate impression. Yet, upon analyzing its form, it appeared no more than an ordinary bear.
However…there was something amiss; the air surrounding it shimmered subtly.
Narrowing his eyes, Richard focused intently on the creature. Suddenly, clarity struck him: this was no ordinary bear—it was indeed a fire bear, its entire form ablaze with flames. The distortion of air was attributed to the refracted light caused by the intense heat.
Alas, the others were oblivious to this understanding.
Tuku reacted most vehemently, his expression sharpening as he drew his knight's sword, pressing it menacingly against the hunter's throat, while gesturing toward the bear. "This is the 'fire bear' for which you wasted Young Master Richard's precious time? This is the 'fire bear' you spoke of, engulfed in flames? Where are the flames? I see none!"
"It truly is the 'fire bear!'" the hunter stammered, trembling under the blade's threat, "This bear is ablaze! Only, the flames are small when afar. You cannot perceive them until you draw closer, thus—"
"Liar!" Tuku interrupted, disbelief etched upon his features.
Richard sighed softly, turning to Tuku. "He speaks truth; the fire bear does indeed burn."
"Ah!"
Richard indicated the bear upon the distant hill. "If thou scrutinize deeply enough, thou shalt see the air around the bear is warped—this is due to the combustion of flames. In technical terms, this results from the bending of light as it travels through different mediums. Ahem, thou need not grasp the intricacies—simply recognize that we have indeed found the fire bear."
"Oh, is that so?" With Richard's assurance, Tuku felt no further reason to question, redirecting his gaze toward the fire bear and, pressing his lips together, inquired, "Then, Young Master Richard, shall we prepare to capture it?"
"Prepare, indeed, and release him while we are at it. No need to waste manpower keeping a watch over him," Richard indicated the hunter.
"Understood." Without hesitation, Tuku delivered a swift kick to the hunter's rear, scowling, "Be gone!"
Freed as if granted amnesty, the hunter rapidly chattered, "I'm leaving! I'm leaving!" and darted into the embrace of the forest, disappearing swiftly.
With that, all attention turned to the fire bear a hundred meters away.
The operation to capture the beast commenced in earnest!
Tuku waved his hand, instructing the guards to encircle the fire bear upon the hillside, while Richard remained behind.
All unfolded according to plan.
The first step of the plan involved utilizing hand crossbows and arbalests to incessantly harass the fire bear, inciting its fury while preventing it from going on a rampage, thus depleting its strength and extinguishing the flames enveloping its body.
The second step entailed launching special rope arrows from powerful crossbows to pierce through the bear's flesh and thereby control its movements.
The final step would be to deliver the killing blow.
Before long, Tuku and his party had encircled the bear from three directions, unleashing a hail of arrows.
Lacking substantial intelligence, the fire bear found itself momentarily confused, unable to determine where to focus its aggression. It would dart left when struck from that side, only to redirect right as arrows rained down, creating a chaotic dance of evasion.
As the exchanges continued, the bear's temper ignited; its flames promptly grew from virtually unnoticeable flickers to towering tongues of fire reaching several inches high, radiating a fierce crimson hue.
Richard arched an eyebrow.
The unfurling barrage from Tuku and his contingent did not cease, only stoking the fire bear's rage further. The flames surged and swelled, ascending to over half a meter in height, the color shifting toward a vivid azure.
Meanwhile, Richard, positioned at a distance and observing intently, furrowed his brow.