12 - Baby Yong's Housekeeping
The Dragon Cub Saves the Duchy, Episode 12
* * *
Ashil, who had blown the bear away in one hit, shook his front paws.
He had originally intended to gently scold it, but when the bear came leaping at him with all its might, he inadvertently hit it hard.
"Kuooh...!"
The bear, which had knocked down several trees as it flew, shook its head from side to side.
It seemed to have only suffered a bit of shock and wasn't injured.
Ashil glanced at Dylan.
'He must have seen how strong Ashil is!'
Then, startled, he flinched.
"Squeak!"
Dylan was pointing his sword at him.
In truth, he had drawn it because of the bear, but in Ashil's eyes, it looked as if he was about to pounce on him any second.
Even if you get close, you can't let your guard down with humans, they say. You never know when they'll attack!
Ashil, so tense that the scales on his entire body were trembling, shouted loudly.
"Ppiya!" (Knight human!)
"...Excuse me?"
Dylan, who hadn't yet processed that the bear had been hit and sent flying by Ashil, stammered.
Ashil squeaked, more nervous than when he had faced the bear rushing at him at full speed.
"Ppiit ppiya!" (We're on the same side!)
At that moment, the bear pounced on Ashil again. Kuooh!
Ashil, blocking the bear's forepaw that was trying to crush him, shouted at Dylan at the top of his lungs.
"Ppiya!" (Put your sword down!)
"..."
"Ppiya ppi! Ppiyaaaa!!!" (Put your sword downnn!!!)
Then, he sent the bear flying again.
Kuooh! The bear, howling, flew and stopped only after knocking down several trees.
Meanwhile, Dylan saw Ashil's legs trembling with fear.
It was because of him drawing his sword, but he, not knowing the inside story, was completely mistaken.
'Even though he's scared of the bear, that lizard is fighting with all his might, and what am I doing?'
He was even reassuring me that we were on the same side.
The confusion in his head cleared. It felt like his lizard phobia was being cured in an instant.
He straightened the sword he was holding.
"No. I will fight alongside you as well."
"Ppiai!"
Why are you doing this!
Ashil, frustrated by his stubborn reaction, jumped up and down.
Because of that, he didn't see the bear heading towards Dylan.
The bear charged straight at Dylan.
"Kugh!"
He almost dropped his sword from the immense force.
He managed to block it for now, but the difference in strength was significant.
Originally, Biante's Bear Holy Beast wasn't this strong, so what was going on? Did it perhaps take some kind of drug?
"What, this..."
He thought he was quite strong, but even after a brief exchange, he could taste blood in his throat.
To blow away a guy like this in one hit, just what is that lizard-?
"Ppiyat!"
At that moment, Ashil, who had rushed over, kicked the bear in the back.
Thwack!
"Kuooh!"
"T-thank you..."
"Ppiyat ppi." (Weak human's help is not needed.)
He had meant to say, 'Humans are weaker than Beast-man, so you have to be careful,' but by changing a few words to become a ferocious Dragon beast-man, it became a completely different statement.
Shocked, Dylan dropped his sword.
Ashil merely breathed a sigh of relief.
'Whew, the human finally put down his sword.'
Just in case he might pick it up again, he kicked it far, far away.
Dylan stared at the sword, split in two and flying away, with eyes shaking as if there was an earthquake.
"I'm... a weak human..."
Even though I'm supposedly the best in the knight order...
"Kuooh."
Meanwhile, the bear, only irritated by being hit little by little, lumbered closer. It was a silent signal that it was time to stop playing around and get serious.
"Ppiya."
There was nothing more to be afraid of, so there was no need to hold back.
Ashil, flicking his fern-like front paws, took a stance, telling it to come at him.
And that day.
"Kuooh!"
The Bear Holy Beast, which had been recklessly rampaging, was literally beaten to a pulp.
* * *
"An attack? What are you talking about!"
Edenber, upon receiving the report, was aghast.
He set aside all his work and rushed to the central hall where Ashil was.
His aide, running alongside him, explained the situation.
"Someone deliberately opened the door to the bear enclosure, it seems. Sir Dylan and the lizard were passing by at the time, and the bear attacked them-"
"Anyone hurt?"
"That's-"
Just then, they arrived at the door leading to the central hall.
Edenber didn't wait for his aide's words and flung the door open.
And he widened his eyes in surprise at the sight that unfolded before him.
A bear with a black eye was sitting dejectedly, carrying Ashil and a rabbit on its back.
It was battered all over, as if it had been beaten to a pulp.
Next to it, Dylan was standing blankly, looking as if his soul had left his body.
'Was it that hard dealing with the bear?'
Fortunately, no one seemed to be hurt, so Edenber was relieved for the moment, then went to Dylan and cautiously asked.
"Sir, are you alright?"
"Duke."
He lowered his head as if unable to meet his gaze.
"I was a weak human."
"Hmm?"
"I have been too complacent in the present. I should have always strived to improve my skills without being satisfied with my current abilities, but I was foolish."
"It must have been hard dealing with the Bear Holy Beast. I understand. My uncle's Holy Beast is not an opponent that can be easily defeated."
"That's not it."
"Oh?"
"I didn't win. I was of no help at all. It was Ashil who defeated the Bear Holy Beast."
At the unexpected statement, Edenber felt speechless.
Who- did what?
Instinctively, he looked at Ashil, who shrugged and raised his chin.
It seems that it's true that when your head goes blank, no words come out.
'Did you really do it?'
Edenber had the experience of a question getting stuck in his throat.
As he was trying to form a sentence somehow, the closed central door swung open.
It was Elkai, rushing in.
"The Bear Holy Beast escaped from its enclosure again?"
His face was red with anger and disappointment towards Biante.
"The first time is a mistake, but the second time is definitely not a mistake. So, who got hurt? Sir Dylan, is it you?"
Elkai, with a fierce look in his eyes, scanned the surroundings.
Then, he discovered Ashil on top of the bear and made a dumbfounded expression.
"Why are you dangerously up there? Get down immediately."
At that moment, Edenber's voice came from beside him.
"Really, you dealt with it?"
He, who had experienced many things since childhood and now didn't bat an eye at most things, was looking up at only Ashil and asking in a trembling voice.
"Did you really deal with this bear all by yourself?"
"Ppiai."
Ashil nodded lightly.
Instantly, Edenber turned his gaze away.
It was to prevent people from seeing his eyes turning red.
Elkai, quickly grasping the situation, asked Dylan additional questions in Edenber's stead.
"That guy dealt with Biante's Holy Beast alone?"
"Yes, that's right. I was only protected by Ashil."
It was a disqualifying statement as a knight who should be protecting someone.
Elkai, thinking about something for a moment, ordered.
"I have more questions to ask, so follow me."
Afterward, he gave instructions to his aide as well.
"Find out who opened the bear enclosure. Also, tell that Biante if he wants to live in one piece, he should arrive here within three days."
"Ppiyat ppi." (Ashil knows who let the bear friend out.)
Ashil raised his front paw. He had heard something from the bear a little while ago.
"Kuooh, kuwoong kuwoong." (I was eating meat, but they kept whipping me to stop eating and go out.)
"Ppiya." (Oh dear.)
Since their basic form was animals, Beast-man could understand the language of all animals.
Thanks to that, Ashil was able to easily describe the culprit's appearance.
"Ppiya ppi, ppiya ppiya ppiya." (He had a beard like this, his eyes were like this, and his face looked like this, that male human.)
