Dark Fantasy: Super Coward Mode

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Puduk, puduk.

There was a group walking along a path covered in snow.

Leading the way was a girl with dog ears who seemed incredibly excited, moving in a way that suggested she might let out a little chirp of joy at any moment.

Sometimes she looked serious, but the moment something caught her eye, her face lit up with that innocent excitement again.

“Bel, slow down. The others can’t keep up.”

I warned Bel, who was overflowing with energy.

Whether she heard me or not, seeing her bounce around with such glee made me sigh in resignation.

If I were alone, it wouldn’t bug me much if she caused a ruckus like that.

I turned to check on the knights following behind us.

There stood the Deputy Director and the Knight Commander, maintaining their watchful stances while keeping a close eye on Bel’s antics.

Behind the two, the knights had fearfully soaked expressions, inching closer to them.

With someone capable of shattering a Rondan in seconds behaving like that, it was no wonder they looked scared.

“Human! Look over there at that oddly shaped tree!”

“…Bel, the people are frightened.”

“Huh?”

Bel turned around to gaze at the knights upon hearing my words.

After examining their expressions, she tilted her head like a puppy, confusion etched across her face as she looked back at me.

“The humans’ faces are strange, woof.”

Hearing her point out the knights, I couldn’t help but slap my forehead.

Was she clueless or just pretending not to know?

“People are worried you might get lost since you’re darting around, so let’s walk a little more calmly.”

“Eek.”

Bel’s expression drooped as she seemed a bit disappointed, her head hanging low.

I felt somewhat bad.

She was just excitedly enjoying a walk, and here I was putting the brakes on her fun.

As I looked at her with an awkward smile, she suddenly opened her arms wide for me.

“Hmm?”

“So, pick me up!”

Hmm.

Since we couldn’t stroll about, was she trying to make up for it with something else?

It was amusing to see a puppy being so resourceful.

“Ugh, come here.”

Well, those folks would probably see me in a bizarre light anyway, so maybe it was okay.

Still, I felt a bit like I was sacrificing my dignity, but the memory of my grandfather’s words—about not causing even a hint of dissatisfaction—came to mind, so I decided to go along with it.

With that in mind, I lifted Bel in a princess carry fashion.

Though she looked human, maybe due to her puppy traits, she was surprisingly light.

“Aah, Senior Tanton is ultimately sacrificing himself!”

“We cannot afford to fail this mission, considering his bravery!!”

… I thought they might appreciate it, but I didn’t expect such cheers.

I felt a bit dazed, as if I had unexpectedly become the hero who burned himself to fulfill a mission.

Well, it’s always nice to be appreciated.

I ought to use this as an excuse to treat the Deputy Director to some food.

…However, Bel seemed to be panting even harder now.

She looked happy, so I decided to let it be for now.

#

Bel pointed out the way we should go from my arms, and we followed her lead.

At a glance, it seemed like she was steering us towards a more secluded area, but strangely enough, I noticed faint footprints suggesting someone had passed by.

If we wandered in here, the risk of being attacked by the divine race that laid out territories would significantly increase.

There were hunter followers around, so it seemed they were skillfully avoiding detection through scent.

“Did they come all the way in here to evade the knights? Smart little rascals. No wonder they’re hard to find no matter how thoroughly we search.”

The Deputy Director let out a sigh, as if finding it tiresome.

It seemed he couldn’t fathom what they stood to gain by cooperating so perilously.

I didn’t understand it either.

Wasn’t their collaboration similar to when bandits came in a large group before?

But the conditions were the complete opposite now.

Back then, they had ample justification because they received word that the Knight Commander was acting strangely.

Yet now, she had regained her memory and the hunters were far stronger than before.

I needed to figure out what basis they were moving like this.

“We’re almost there, woof!”

At that moment, Bel whispered playfully, wriggling like she wanted to jump down from my arms.

I let her down, and she quietly dashed away, hardly making a sound.

“We should hurry after her!”

Thinking Bel might go on a rampage, the knights all took up defensive stances, and I waved my hands, pointing in the direction she went.

I couldn’t believe they didn’t trust me, considering how they praised me as a seasoned instructor!

The more we went the way Bel darted off, the more I felt a strange warmth.

The warm feeling that puts one at ease belonged to the fire emitted by logs bandits carried.

Bel was hiding behind a rock, staring intently at something, and I crept up behind her as quietly as I could to see what she was focused on.

Finally, I spotted what we had been looking for.

Bandits.

They seemed to be hatching some kind of plot, whispering to each other and huddled together.

Maybe it was the distance, but I couldn’t hear what they were saying.

But my ears weren’t the only ones around.

Bel’s ears perked up, standing tall.

She seemed to be focusing on whatever they were discussing.

“Tanton.”

“Shh.”

The Knight Commander had directly moved up behind me to call my name, signaling that we needed to be quiet.

Receiving my cue, she relayed the message to the following knights to hush as well.

I gently nudged Bel’s shoulder.

Bel quickly turned to look at me, and I tapped my head with my finger.

It was a signal asking her to relay what they were saying via telepathy.

Fortunately, she seemed to understand, nodding once before returning her gaze to the bandits.

“They seem displeased, woof. Especially, they’re cursing humans a lot.”

It appeared they had decided to take a break from their plotting and were chatting behind our backs.

What an unfortunate timing.

But why were they cursing me specifically?

As far as I remembered, I hadn’t caused them any direct harm except for the war with the candles and during the rescue of the Knight Commander.

Suddenly, I felt a strange annoyance.

“What are they saying?”

“… They are, um, cursing.”

“Huh?”

Hearing the Knight Commander’s surprised reaction to my words, it seemed she found it quite absurd as well.

Well, right, even if they gathered for work, they wouldn’t solely be discussing the job.

In the army, we’d curse our adversaries or even our fellow comrades at times, right?

I thought about that as I waited for Bel’s next words.

“Woof?! Human, we need to avoid them!”

With Bel’s sudden shout, I instinctively grabbed the Knight Commander and the Deputy Director, pulling them back.

At that moment, an incredibly loud sound blasted through the area.

Kugugugung!

Luckily, just the four of us—me, Bel, the Knight Commander, and the Deputy Director—were close to the rock, so there were no injuries.

But that wasn’t necessarily a good sign.

“Are you alright?!”

I quickly checked on the Knight Commander and the Deputy Director, confirming with their nods that they were okay before looking towards the source of the noise.

The bandits were all aiming their weapons at us, now on high alert.

It seemed the hunter followers had already caught our scent.

Wait a minute.

So, they were aware we were here and were badmouthing us?

All of a sudden, I felt a wave of indignation.

“Captain! We’ve got a Watcher!”

One of the bandits shouted, and simultaneously, the others were lowering their bodies, grimacing in distress.

As soon as Bel was sensed, every human felt an urge to commit self-harm and fell into an incapacitated state.

That was the power that Bel had transformed into, thanks to the Second Princess.

“Above you! We need to swing our weapons above their heads!”

As soon as one of the most oddly dressed bandits shouted, the largest of the group swung his weapon fast overhead.

Then, we heard a fracture-like sound, and things began returning to normal.

How did they know that information?

That seemed like a detail only the hunters would know.

It appeared the one with the strangest attire was a hunter follower.

“It seems combat is unavoidable.”

The Knight Commander said that and drew her weapon.

“Knights! Forward!”

“Uaaaah!”

Under the Knight Commander’s command, all the knights charged at the bandits.

Just as I was about to follow and strike down the bandits…

Someone suddenly placed a gentle hand on my shoulder.

I turned to see it was Muyun.

There was a strange flush on her face for some reason.

I wondered what she wanted amidst all the chaos.

“Tanton, could you do me a favor?”

I nodded, signaling for her to be quick since I was in a hurry.

Then she proposed something I shouldn’t have nodded to.

“Once this fight ends… I’ll confess to you! Just so you know!”

Saying that, Muyun quickly joined the knights.

Her suggestion was shocking, leaving me stunned for a different reason.

Hey, what’s wrong with you, crazy person!

That’s a death flag!

To save Muyun, I hastily followed her into the fray.

 

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