Chapter 31: Bear is not a monster (2)

I urgently blocked the people from the front.

It was not allowed for the bear doll to be misunderstood.

Besides, I didn’t know what harm that person might cause to the village if he were released.

‘I have to persuade them somehow.’

The people who gathered one by one looked in my direction with sharp blades.

I spread my arms and shouted desperately.

“The bear doll is not a monster! That person is a bad person from hell! The bear doll is trying to protect the village!”

“No! P, please save me! Please, save me!”

The sniper twisted his body, gasping for breath.

“I, I just revived in Elysium, and this monster targeted and attacked me!”

“What?! Lie—! He’s lying, that uncle!”

“I was just trying to return to the village safely! Please, help me!”

The sniper cried, sobbing.

The people murmured and looked back and forth between me and the sniper.

I shook my head violently and shouted urgently.

“It’s not true! That person is the real dangerous person! There are bad people wearing similar clothes in the forest…”

At that moment, the people who were looking around covered their ears all at once.

As if they didn’t want to hear my words.

‘…Why?’

The bear doll is definitely a good child.

It just wanted to protect the village.

Why wouldn’t anyone listen to me?

What do I have to do?

I clenched my fists, looking at the villagers, and at that moment,

Someone quickly approached me and crouched down in front of me, covering my ears.

“…Auntie Eru?”

“Sajjang, just stay still like this.”

“Eh…?”

I looked at Eurydice, bewildered.

Then I heard a faint, familiar sound of a lyre in my ear.

This sound is definitely—.

“Uncle Orpheus?”

Eurydice nodded.

The soft lyre sound, faintly heard, somehow made my body and mind relax.

A moment later.

The lyre sound was no longer heard in my ear.

The people lowered their hands, which had been covering their ears, one by one, as if they had been waiting.

“Oh my, it’s over.”

“That thing?”

“Did he fall asleep?”

“+?”

I looked around, bewildered.

Then I saw the sniper, who had fallen asleep in the bear doll’s arms, and the bear doll sleeping with the sniper held tightly.

“Bear doll—!”

“I’m sorry, Sajjang. There was no way to block the bear doll’s ears.”

“Eh….”

Orpheus, who had broken through the crowd, stood in front of the sniper.

Then, people with tools to restrain the sniper entered the alley one by one.

I looked at Orpheus with a blank expression.

“What…?”

“Uncle’s performance has a power to enchant people. When subduing the opponent like this, it’s more reliable than anything else.”

“If they are from hell, they might do something when the bear doll releases the restraint. So we couldn’t have a single moment to break. That’s why we subdued them like this.”

Orpheus smiled and patted my head.

When I heard Orpheus and Eurydice’s explanation,

I seemed to know the reason why the people covered their ears like they had made a promise.

‘They didn’t want to hear my words.’

I felt relieved at that moment and sighed.

The people knew that if they heard Orpheus’s performance,

They could fall asleep or become mentally confused in an instant.

“I see…”

“Huhu, the little girl seems to have been very surprised.”

“Ah, uncle?”

The familiar uncle who was standing in front of me.

He was definitely the chef uncle who served us delicious soup when we first came to this village.

“Huhu, it’s you, the little girl that Orpheus mentioned. This world is really small.”

“Chief also knows Sajjang?”

“Eh, the uncle is the chief?!”

The chief uncle smiled warmly and patted my head.

I looked around at the people with wide eyes.

The wariness in the people’s eyes, looking at the bear doll and me, wasn’t felt.

Their expressions were filled with relief,

Faint embarrassment, and a heart to understand.

There was no sign of hostility towards us at all.

I released the tension and let out a long breath.

Eurydice stroked my cheek and said, looking sorry.

“I’m sorry. You must have been very surprised. Our team should have found Sajjang first.”

“Uung? Team?”

“Yeah. After hearing the story that Sajjang was looking for the bear doll, we divided ourselves into two teams, centered around people who knew what Sajjang and the bear doll looked like.”

“Ah! That’s why Auntie and the cart uncle…!”

I realized why the people were whispering to us.

They were checking whether the people knew how the bear doll looked or not.

I blinked and looked at Eurydice.

“So, everyone was worried about the bear doll?”

“Of course, we were worried about the bear doll, and Sajjang as well.”

“…Do you believe in the bear doll and me?”

Eurydice nodded, smiling.

‘They believed in the bear doll and me?’

My heart felt warm.

I thought that they had been suspicious of the bear doll and me until a moment ago.

But that wasn’t it.

They were worried about us from the beginning,

And they were trying their best to figure out the situation.

“Thank you for believing in us—”

I bowed deeply towards the villagers with all my heart.

The villagers paused for a moment at my greeting, and then gave a warm smile.

“Oh my, is it okay for us to receive such a greeting?”

“Ha-ha, this little girl is so polite.”

“Yeah, yeah. Fortunately, it was resolved without any major incident, so we also feel relieved.”

The people’s expressions softened even more.

The chief uncle patted my head and said.

“We couldn’t just believe it directly because we have to protect the village. But the people who know the bear doll said so. It’s… unique, but it’s a good friend.”

“Yeah! Our bear doll is kind!”

At the chief uncle’s words, I smiled brightly and stroked the bear doll’s head.

The bear doll, who had successfully completed the mission,

Was now sleeping without knowing the world, while giving the sniper who was holding on it to the villagers.

The villagers chuckled at the sight.

“More than that, Sajjang. Are the sniper’s companions in the forest?”

“Yeah! The other bunnies and Ria worked together to subdue them all!”

“…I see.”

The atmosphere of the people became heavy in an instant.

A subtle killing intent, as if they had been plotting it all along, was also sensed.

“Orpheus-nim, will you go to the forest?”

“Yes. I will.”

“We will capture them all alive and question them.”

“Yes, there are many things to ask.”

The villagers, including the chief uncle, had their eyes sharpened.

They tightly pulled on the rope in their hands,

And stared at the sniper, who was sleeping soundly, without knowing what was going on.

How long has it been?

My hands are full.

The surroundings of the bear doll are also full.

My cheeks and stomach were in a full state.

“Sajjang, is the sandwich delicious?”

“Yeah! It’s delicious, this!”

“Sajjang, would you like to try this too?”

“What kind of thing does the bear doll like?”

“…I don’t know.”

We were waiting leisurely, eating the food and hot chocolate that the villagers had given us—.

With a thud, dirt was raised by a sound, and a dusty air came from the edge of the village.

I blinked and looked at the village edge.

“Uung?”

“Oh my, the cute things have increased.”

I nodded vigorously, listening to Eurydice’s admiration.

The army of bear dolls that were rushing in from the dusty air.

And a person perched on the bear doll’s shoulder, with shining eyes.

I stood up from my seat, excited by the good news.

“Ouch!”

“Senior♡”

I waved my hand, smiling brightly.

Ria smiled brightly and raised her hand.

I knew Ria could subdue them with ease.

The people who went with Orpheus also returned,

They were not injured at all and returned in a healthy state.

And—.

In some of the bear dolls’ arms, there were those bad guys from earlier, tied up with ropes.

When the chief uncle saw them, he clicked his tongue.

The villagers also approached one by one and murmured.

“Are those them?”

“Yeah—!”

“There are a lot of them.”

“There are more than usual, aren’t there?”

The chief uncle sighed, holding his forehead low.

“Hmm, there are more than expected. We have to investigate this properly.”

“Shall we wake them up?”

“Yes, please, Orpheus-nim.”

Orpheus nodded and slowly took out his lyre.

As a soft melody flowed from his fingertips,

The tied people flinched one by one and slowly opened their eyes.

They squinted, looking around in a bewildered manner.

And then, realizing that they had been surrounded, their faces turned pale instantly.

“…Wh, what is it?!”

“What the hell is going on?!”

“That’s what we have to say.”

Several bear dolls stood in front of the tied people.

• Thud!

• Thud!

• Thud!

A dull sound echoed.

The bear dolls thumped their thick bellies as if they were angry.

The fragrant black-red goo scattered in all directions,

But the villagers, who were used to the bear doll’s goo, just wiped it away slightly.

But the bad people, who didn’t know the bear doll’s cuteness, were just trembling with pale faces.

The chief uncle, seeing that, quietly said.

“Now, let’s ask them in earnest. Did you do it to the missing souls of Elysium?”

The faces of the tied people hardened.

The leader of the group, who had been using a greatsword, smiled bitterly and opened his mouth.

“We―.”

At that moment…

The people who were captured began to turn into powder and scatter.

“Wh, what is it?”

“Hey!”

“Wait!”

The surprised exclamations rang out among the villagers.

‘…What?’

I widened my eyes in horror.

The people, engulfed in red heat, disappeared, turning into powder.

They disappeared into the air without a sound, without even being able to scream.