Chapter 30: Bear is not a monster (1)

The impact of the sword aura hitting echoed strongly throughout the forest.

I frowned and examined the bear doll.

‘Is the bear doll okay?’

It seemed the orichalcum, or falcon, whatever, was strong metal.

It was clearly a strong attack,

But only the goo splattered here and there,

Not a single flower attached to the bear doll’s body was damaged.

The bear doll, as if angry, puffed up all the flowers on its body.

Its red eyes glared with murderous intent.

The man frowned at the bear doll.

“…What is it? What is that monster.”

“It’s not a monster! It’s a cute and lovely mascot!”

I immediately retorted with a stern voice.

They have such a bad eye for this.

Bad people’s eyes are as terrible as their character.

But the man’s gaze was only directed at Ria and the bear doll.

As if a child like me was no threat.

Is it because I am always the first target?

This kind of lack of interest felt very strange.

The man, who still didn’t care about me, muttered, looking at Ria.

“This is getting troublesome.”

“That’s what I should say♡”

The man, holding the large greatsword lightly like a dagger.

In his other hand, he was carrying someone who was unconscious, just like the person who was kidnapped earlier.

‘…Is he the leader?’

Compared to the lackeys nearby, he was definitely strong.

There was no gap in his posture.

His attitude was casual, but his posture holding the sword didn’t waver.

He was perfectly prepared to switch between attack and defense at any moment.

The man clicked his tongue as if he was dissatisfied.

“Tsk, he can’t even win against a woman like that.”

The man tilted his head.

At that moment.

The space distorted as if it had torn apart, and people popped out one by one.

‘…Instant teleportation?’

No, the feeling was different.

It felt as if they had been trapped in one place and forcibly pulled out.

It felt awkward and unpleasant, more than just a simple space transfer.

The man threw the person he was carrying to his companion.

“Take them away.”

“Yes.”

“Aah!”

As if my shout didn’t matter, the man held up his sword with an expressionless face.

“Shall I help?”

“You don’t need to, just release those guys first.”

Ria, watching that, raised one corner of her mouth and adjusted her whip.

“He’s underestimating me a lot, isn’t he? … Me.”

‘That’s what I should say, miss.’

…Isn’t it me who’s being underestimated the most here?

The other support troops were either paying attention to Ria,

Or trying to save their companions who were caught by Ria,

Or facing off in a tense standoff in front of the bear doll, holding their weapons.

Truly.

Amazingly.

No one pays attention to me.

Even though I’m in a position where I can run away,

Or get in the way!

‘I am almost treated like the background…’

I’m the one who is being treated like this.

It’s a bit sad even though I’ve never been ignored like this in my life.

More than that—.

They have to capture these people alive, rescue the hostage,

Chase down the sniper, and deal with the support troops.

‘We three aren’t going to be enough.’

But there was a way.

Anyway, no one is paying attention to me.

I just have to do what I want.

I, without any interference, approached the bear doll.

When I stood beside the bear doll, a gaze, finally noticing me, was felt.

“What is this kid?”

“Hey, did he come from earlier?”

“There was a kid?”

‘What’s my treatment.’

I was suddenly saddened, and my cheeks puffed out.

Then the person in front exclaimed, clutching his chest.

“…Ugh, cute.”

“Eh, am I cute?”

When I blinked at the unexpected reaction, the man nodded vigorously.

The companion next to him punched him in shock.

“What are you doing, man.”

“No, no, did you see his cheeks puff out just now?”

“What does that have to do with anything!”

They started bickering with each other.

…This cursed special skill also has its uses.

I poked the bear doll with the magic pen and said.

“Hey, you know….”

“…Yes?”

“Are these guys cute?”

Stamp!

Stamp!

Stamp!

Stamp!

Stamp!

[Copy, Stamp!] The bear doll multiplied in an instant.

I jumped on top of the bear doll next to me and said, sticking out my tongue.

“It’s common sense to take out the summoner first, uncles.”

“…Wh, what!”

“Those monsters, when did they increase like that?”

“It’s not a monster, it’s a mascot—!”

I shouted at the leader holding the greatsword.

The moment the leader tried to unleash a sword aura in this direction,

Ria, who swung her whip, quickly wrapped around and twisted the greatsword.

The greatsword bent in an unexpected direction, and the trajectory of the sword aura veered off in a strange direction.

“Ria—!”

“Yes♡ Senior♡”

“I will chase after the escaped sniper, so take care of here with the other bear dolls!”

“Leave it to me♡”

Ria tightened her whip with an excited expression.

At that moment, the leader’s greatsword bounced powerfully, and his balance was disrupted.

“Kuh…!”

As a rule, when the leader is in danger, the subordinates also shake.

It was plainly visible that the support troops were agitated.

The bear doll army didn’t miss that opening and further narrowed their encirclement.

The surrounded support troops were captured one by one by the bear dolls’ warm embrace attack.

“Ugh, thi, this, let go…!”

“What strength is this?!”

They were trying to resist somehow……

The moment the bear doll, filled with even more love, gave a deep hug,

“…What is this sweet smell?”

“No. My mind…”

They, one by one, accepted the bear doll’s hug quietly with a ‘creak’ sound.

…Did they accept it, though?

“I’ll take care of these guys here, leaving nothing behind♡”

“No… Just tie them up quietly.”

“Yes♡”

Is it okay? It’ll be okay, right?

I left my anxious heart behind and got on top of a bear doll.

“Let’s go. With all our might, the goal is the escaped sniper, okay?”

I nodded, the bear doll ran through the forest at full speed.

The moment the village entrance appeared before my eyes,

The bear doll, running with all its might, stopped so suddenly that my body was thrown forward.

“Hyaaaaaaaaaat?!”

I desperately held onto the bear doll’s head to prevent myself from being thrown forward and barely managed to hold on.

The body, which was swaying precariously, was stabilized with difficulty.

I took a sigh of relief and shouted.

“Why did you stop! It’s dangerous to stop suddenly!”

The bear doll raised its forepaw and pointed forward.

I followed the direction the bear doll pointed.

And there—.

“…Huh?”

People were standing in front of the village entrance.

They were holding weapons, and their expressions were tense, staring at me.

…Wait a minute, is this….’

Could this be the situation I had been worried about all along?

Misunderstanding the bear doll as a monster,

And the villagers will see that and scream and attack……

The bear doll can’t be sad.

Never!

I quickly tried to persuade the villagers.

At that moment—.

The woman I saw earlier approached me.

“Oh my, that’s the child who cleaned our firewood….”

The bear doll I brought along seemed to be the original bear doll.

The bear doll, who recognized the aunt, shook its forepaw happily.

However, the villagers’ tension still hadn’t disappeared.

At that moment—.

“Hey, kid. You found that bear or whatever it is?”

“Ah, it’s the cart uncle! Yeah!”

I waved my hand, greeting him happily.

The bear doll also waved its forepaws alternately to the uncle and aunt, greeting them.

“…What?”

“That kid…?”

“Does he know them?”

The villagers started murmuring.

The firewood aunt and the cart uncle began to explain to the villagers.

I couldn’t hear the details,

But the villagers’ wariness clearly diminished as their explanations went on.

Did the bear doll realize that?

The bear doll pointed with its forepaw at the small flower stuck in its chest.

As if claiming, ‘I’m a bear doll that loves peace!’

However, the villagers were still murmuring to each other.

At that moment—.

The bear doll suddenly pushed past the villagers and started running towards the inside of the village.

“Eeh?! Bear doll—?!”

I was surprised and grabbed the bear doll with all my might.

I quickly turned around and looked behind me.

Fortunately, no one seemed to have fallen or been hurt.

But……

The villagers clearly looked confused by the sudden movement.

“Look, look! It ran suddenly!”

“Isn’t it dangerous?!”

“Catch it!”

Anxious voices came from among the villagers.

I tried to calm the bear doll, but

The bear doll’s red eyes were looking in only one direction and didn’t stop running.

As if not missing anything.

“No way—!”

A presence was felt from the deep of the village alley.

Something moved in the darkness.

I reflexively looked that way.

The sound of dirt flying.

Footsteps that were gradually getting further away.

‘Escaped!’

The bear doll kicked the ground and powerfully pushed off.

The action was so strong that the ground was shaking.

And—.

“Catch him—!”

The familiar cloak.

It was the sniper who was on the cliff earlier.

My obedient bear doll immediately caught the sniper.

The bear doll’s forepaws tightly wrapped around the sniper.

“Ugh, what is this! Let go!”

“Bear doll! Don’t let him go!”

The struggling sniper was trying to escape from the bear doll’s embrace, but

The more he struggled, the more the bear doll put strength into its struggle.

At that moment—.

“P-please save me—!”

The sniper’s cry resounded in the village.

I could see the light from the torches approaching from afar.

‘…Ah.’

I felt an ominous premonition.

I jumped down from the bear doll’s shoulder and examined the bear doll.

The bear doll held the person tightly, unable to move.

And the person, struggling desperately and crying.

‘This is, no matter how you look at it….’

At that moment, the villagers’ torches illuminated the alley where we were.