Chapter 12
Asil, who had sent the bear flying with one swipe, dusted off her front paws.
She had originally intended to scold it gently, but since the bear had jumped at her with all its might, she ended up hitting it harder than she meant to without realizing it.
“Kuwwooooong….”
The bear, which had flown away and knocked down several trees, shook its head from side to side.
It seemed like it had only taken a bit of a shock and there were no visible injuries.
Asil glanced toward Dylan.
‘he must have seen it well, how strong Asil is!’
Then, she suddenly flinched and shrank back in surprise.
“Salk!”
Dylan was pointing his sword at her.
In fact, he had drawn it because of the bear, but in Asil’s eyes, it looked like he was about to charge at her at any moment.
Even if they had become friendly, humans were something you couldn’t let your guard down around, as they say. You never knew when they might attack!
Asil, so tense that the scales all over her body were rattling, shouted loudly.
“Ppiya!” (Knight human!)
“……Yes?”
Dylan, still unable to accept that the bear had been hit by Asil and sent flying, stammered.
Asil, more tense than when she had faced the bear charging at full speed, squeaked.
“Ppitt-ppiya!” (We’re on the same side!)
At that moment, the bear charged at Asil again. Kuwwooooong!
While blocking the bear’s front paw that was trying to crush her, Asil shouted at the top of her lungs toward Dylan.
“Ppiiya!” (Hurry and lower the sword!)
“…….”
“Ppiya-ppi! Ppiya-aaaa!!!” (Hurry and lower the swoooord!!!)
Then, she flung the bear away once more.
Kuwwooooong! The bear, howling as it flew, finally stopped after knocking down several trees.
Meanwhile, Dylan saw Asil’s legs trembling with fear.
It was because he had drawn his sword, but not knowing the circumstances, he completely misunderstood.
‘Even in the midst of fearing the bear, that lizard is fighting with all her might, so what am I doing right now?’
What’s more, she had even reassured him by saying they were on the same side.
His confused mind cleared up. It felt like his lizard phobia was cured in an instant.
He straightened the sword he was holding.
“No. I will fight alongside you as well.”
“Ppii!”
Why are you doing that!
Frustrated by the stubborn response, Asil jumped up.
Because of that, she didn’t notice the bear heading toward Dylan.
The bear charged straight at Dylan.
“Kuh!”
With the immense force, he nearly dropped his sword.
He managed to block it for now, but the difference in strength was huge.
The bear beastmen of Viante weren’t usually this strong; what could have happened? Did it eat some kind of drug?
“What, this….”
He thought he was pretty strong himself, but even after just a brief clash, he tasted blood in his throat.
To send a guy like this flying with one hit—what on earth is that lizard-?
“Ppiiyat!”
At that moment, Asil came running over in a hurry and kicked the bear with her hind leg.
Puk!
“Kuwwooooong!”
“Th-thank you….”
“Ppiiyat ppi.” (Help from a weak human isn’t needed.)
It was meant to say ‘Humans have weaker bodies than beastmen, so be careful,’ but after changing a few words to become a fierce dragon beastman, it turned into something completely different.
Shocked, Dylan dropped his sword.
Asil just let out a sigh of relief.
‘Phew, the human finally dropped the sword.’
In case he might pick it up again, she kicked it away far, far away with her foot.
Dylan stared at the sword flying away in two pieces with eyes shaking as if there was an earthquake.
“I… weak human….”
Even though I’m called one of the best in the knight order….
“Kuwwooooong.”
In the meantime, the bear, which had been lightly hit and only stimulated, approached leisurely. It was a silent signal saying, ‘Stop playing around and let’s get serious.’
“Ppiiya.”
There was nothing to fear anymore; there was no need to hold back.
Asil wiggled her fern-like front paw and took a stance as if to say, ‘Come to me.’
And that day.
“Kuwwooooong!”
The recklessly rampaging bear beastman was literally beaten so badly that dust rose even on a rainy day.
* * *
“An attack? What do you mean!”
Edenber, who had received the report, was astonished.
He set aside everything and rushed to the central hall where Asil was.
The adjutant running beside him explained the situation.
“It seems someone intentionally opened the bear enclosure. At that moment, Sir Dylan and Lizard were passing by, and the bear charged at them just like that-”
“Any injuries?”
“That’s-”
They arrived right in front of the door leading to the central hall at that moment.
Edenber didn’t wait for the adjutant’s words and flung the door wide open.
And at the scene that unfolded, he widened his eyes in surprise.
The bear, with one eye swollen like a ping-pong ball, was sitting dejectedly with Asil and a rabbit riding on it.
It looked like it had been beaten terribly all over its body.
Next to it, for some reason, Dylan was standing there blankly as if his soul had left him.
‘Did she have a hard time dealing with the bear?’
Fortunately, no one seemed to be injured, so Edenber first felt relieved, then went to Dylan and carefully asked.
“Sir, are you alright?”
“Lord Duke.”
As if he couldn’t even meet his gaze, he lowered his head.
“I was a weak human.”
“Hm?”
“Until now, I’ve been too complacent with the present. I should have always strived to improve without being satisfied with my skills; I was foolish.”
“It must have been tough dealing with the bear beastman. I understand. Uncle’s beastmen aren’t easy opponents to defeat.”
“That’s not it.”
“Hmm?”
“I didn’t win. I wasn’t of any help. The one who defeated the bear beastman was Asil.”
Edenber felt his words stuck in his throat at the unimaginable statement.
Who- did what?
When he reflexively looked at Asil, she shrugged and lifted her chin.
It must be true that when your mind goes blank, no words come out.
‘Did you really do it?’
Edenber experienced the feeling of a question getting caught in his throat and not coming out.
While he was struggling to form a sentence somehow, the closed central door swung wide open.
It was Elcai, who had rushed over hurriedly.
“The bear beastman escaped from us again?”
His face was flushed with anger and disappointment toward Viante.
“The first time was a mistake, but the second time is absolutely not. So who got hurt? You, Sir Dylan?”
Elcai, with his sharp gaze, scanned the surroundings.
Then, spotting Asil on top of the bear, he made an absurd expression.
“Why are you sitting there so dangerously? Get down immediately.”
At that moment, Edinber’s ’s voice came from the side.
“Really, did you take it on?”
He, who had experienced many things since childhood and now didn’t bat an eye at most events, was looking up only at Asil with a trembling voice.
“Did you really face this bear alone?”
“Ppii.”
Asil nodded lightly.
In an instant, Edenber sharply turned his gaze away.
It was to avoid letting people see his eyes reddening.
Elcai, who quickly grasped the situation, asked Dylan additional questions in Edenber’s place.
“this girl took on Viante’s beastman alone?”
“Yes, that’s correct. I was only protected by Asil.”
It was a disqualifying statement for a knight who should protect others.
After thinking for a moment, Elcai ordered.
“I have more to ask, so follow me.”
After that, he also gave instructions to the adjutant.
“You investigate who opened the bear enclosure. Also, tell those Viante guys that if they want to stay alive and well, they should arrive here within three days.”
“Ppiiyat-ppi.” (Asil will find out who let the bear friend out.)
Asil raised her front paw high. It was because she had heard something from the bear just moments ago.
“Kuwwoong, kuwong kuwoong.” (I was eating meat, but he hit me with a whip and told me to get out and stop eating.)
“Ppiya.” (Oh.)
Since their basic form was animal, beastmen could understand the language of all animals.
Thanks to that, Asil easily described the culprit’s appearance.
“Ppiiya ppi, ppiya-ppiya-ppiya.” (The chin beard was like this, the eyes were slitted like this, and the face was like this for the male human.)
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By Anna 💓
