Chapter 549

Bear-san, Heads To The Hideout

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Senia-san and I slowly entered the mountain. There was no reaction to my movement. After all, it seems that the bandits don’t want to report someone like me dressed as a bear because they don’t think I am a threat. I was a little worried because of Swaying Bear. People don’t usually think that a girl dressed as a bear on a bear was out to get them.

Sometimes, bear equipment has its usefulness.

`Ku~u ~ n’

“What did Swaying Bear say?” (Senia)

“He doesn’t seem to be alarmed.” (Yuna)

“Then let’s go catch him quickly.” (Senia)

We used the trees to move into a blind spot and had no trouble catching the man we thought was on guard duty. Just as planned.

“Damn it, let go of me!” (Bandit 2)

Senia-san quickly tied up the watchman with a rope, and now, he was lying on the ground.

“Be quiet, or I’ll feed you to my bear.” (Yuna)

When I turned my gaze to Swaying Bear, he started acting and approached the man while drooling. It’s more effective for a ferocious beast, Swaying Bear, to intimidate the man instead of me, who’s dressed as a bear, and a cute girl, Senia-san. This has been verified from my past experience.

Swaying Bear drooled over the lying man’s face.

“Wait! Even if you eat me, I won’t taste good.” (Bandit 2)

`Ji~yuruuu~’ (tn: cute growling noises)

Swaying Bear opened his mouth wide.

“We won’t know unless we try it.” (Yuna)

“Wait! I’ll tell you anything, just stop it!” (Bandit 2)

The man surrendered easily.

“You’re one of those bandits who showed up recently, aren’t you?” (Yuna)

“…………”

“Swaying Bear.” (Yuna)

When I called out to him, Swaying Bear opened his mouth again.

“Y-yes. But I was just watching. I didn’t help them steal it.” (Bandit 2)

Well, that’s not for me to judge.

“Are there any other guards? Where are the rest of your people? If you tell me one lie, I’ll feed you to my bear later, so tell me the truth.” (Yuna)

The man began to speak with a strained expression.

“……There was another lookout, but when he saw the girl dressed as a bear, he hurried over to the others.” (Bandit 2)

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“Saw me?” (Yuna)

“Yeah, he ran like he was in a panic.” (Bandit 2)

Someone who knows me, perhaps?

Well, I am an adventurer, and I am based in Crimonia, so it is not surprising that they know me. To begin with, I don’t know what kind of people bandits are comprised of. They may have been former adventurers, or they may have been desperate people who failed at their previous jobs. They are probably made up of a bunch of ruffians. A group comprising of all kinds of people. It was not surprising that someone among them might have recognized me. This may have been a mistake.

I supposed we need to hurry up.

Then I asked him about how many friends he had and the direction of their hideout. If I knew the direction, I would be able to catch them with my detection skills.

“There are about ten of us. The hideout is over there.” (Bandit 2)

The man was tied up, so he could only point in the direction of his gaze.

That’s less than I expected.

“Any mages?” (Yuna)

“None. I mean, if you can use magic, you should become an adventurer in the first place.” (Bandit 2)

That’s right. The mages were far too few in between. If a person can use offensive magic, they would probably get headhunted and receive invitations from various parties. Unless they’re exceptionally bad at magic, they wouldn’t want to be a bandit.

After confirming that there were no other guards, I called Hugging Bear to come to us.

I think he got the message, but I get a little anxious when I don’t hear the [ku~u ~ n].

“Senia-san. I’ll go ahead first.” (Yuna)

Honestly, I wanted to meet up with Jade-san and the others and then go to the hideout together, but they had already gone to report my arrival. So there was no time to wait for Jade-san and the others.

“Yuna, I can’t let you go out there alone.” (Senia)

Senia-san grabbed my bear costume.

“I’ll be fine because Swaying Bear will be with me. Besides, it looks like my plan has failed.” (Yuna)

“Everyone agreed. Yuna, you’re not solely responsible for the banditry. So you don’t have to take responsibility alone.” (Senia)

I appreciate Senia-san’s kind words, but if we wait for Jade-san as is, they will surely escape.

“Thank you. But I have to go.” (Yuna)

Senia-san looked at me. Then her hand let go of my bear suit she was grabbing.

“…I understand. But don’t do anything rash.” (Senia)

It’s nice to know that someone was worried about me.

“I’ve also called Hugging Bear over here, so when Jade-san and the others arrive, have Hugging Bear lead the way and follow him.” (Yuna)

I asked Senia-san to take care of the rest and head to the bandit’s hideout with Swaying Bear.

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-Bandit’s POV-

Out of breath, I arrived at an old hut.

There were several men outside. One of them came over.

“What’s wrong?” (Bandit 3)

“I’ll tell you the details inside.” (Bandit 1)

I went inside the hut. The men outside followed me. As I entered the hut, the men, who had been relaxing, looked at me.

“A girl dressed as a bear is coming here, so you’d better run.” (Bandit 1)

“A bear?” (Bandit 4)

“What are you talking about?” (Bandit 5)

“Could it be, that bear?” (Bandit 6)

The reactions were divided between those who knew about the bears and those who didn’t.

“Yeah, that’s right. It’s that girl dressed as a bear who broke into that nobleman’s house. We can’t win against her. We’d better run now.” (Bandit 1)

If they have seen the fight with the black man in that nobleman’s house, they’ll know that it’s reckless to fight the bear girl.

“Is that girl dressed as a bear with a black bear and a white bear, by any chance?” (Bandit 7)

A man asked.

If I remember correctly, his name was Greed. (グリード)

“Yeah. She was with a black bear just now.” (Bandit 1)

“Then there’s no doubt about it. That girl dressed as a bear is an adventurer called ‘Bloody Bear’.” (Greed)

“Bloody bear, what’s that?” (Bandit 1)

“Goblin King, Black Viper, she defeated them all by herself. Don’t be fooled by her appearance, she may look cute, but her ability is the real deal.” (Greed)

So that girl dressed as a bear had defeated the Kraken and such monsters.

“Apparently, it seems that this is the end for this group. I also agree on escaping.” (Greed)

When Greed said it, everyone around him seemed to understand that it was a serious situation and that staying any longer was a bad idea. Everyone tried to escape, but there was a man who stopped them.

“Wait, I won’t allow you to run away.” (Man)

This man was sent by the merchant. Simply put, he’s the watchdog.

“I have no obligation nor the will to fight that bear just to make money for a merchant. Besides, I have no intention of staying in the mountains forever.” (Greed)

“Don’t be stupid! You can’t just run away on your own, and Redent-sama won’t let you go. He’s going to chase after you as far as he can.” (Man) (リーデント)

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“And that same Redent probably doesn’t know our names or what we look like. Besides, all these people here are probably using aliases, just like me.” (Greed)

From everyone’s reaction, it seems I wasn’t the only one using a false name. If someone was using their real name, they could be caught by that person. But with a fake name, you won’t get caught if the face doesn’t match.

“We didn’t kill anyone, but we took their stuff, and we got paid by Redent. I mean, we’re not meant to be the good guys, but we’re not going to go along with Redent’s tail-cutting.” (Greed)

If we get caught, we’ll become their scapegoat.

“Don’t give me that shit!” (Man)

“I have no time for this. Those who want to stay, stay. I’m going to run away.” (Greed)

All but Redent’s dog chose to run away.

They all know that even if they stay, nothing good will come of it.

“Speaking of which, what happened to the other lookout?” (Greed)

“I advised him to run away. I don’t know what happened to him.” (Bandit 1)

“I see.” (Greed)

Greed said nothing more about it.

This man also knew that if the lookout got caught, there was nothing he could do to help him.

“What are we going to do with the stolen things?” (Man)

The man, who had been listening silently, asked.

“Leave it. If that bear girl is here at the guild’s request, her work may be finished when she retrieves the stolen goods. If you run away with it, she’ll likely come after you. So just leave those items behind. And above all, she has those bears. They can trace you by your scent. It’s better to increase the chances of escaping as much as possible.” (Greed)

Greed is the man who manages the group, and he makes quick decisions.

“This is mine.” (Man)

The moment Redent’s dog turned around and grabbed the item bag, Greed twisted the man’s arm.

“Ow ow, what are you doing!” (Man)

“You weren’t listening to what I said, were you? There is a possibility that she will chase you. So, we would also be in trouble if you took it.” (Greed)

Greed said and asked someone to bring a rope and tie the man up.

“What the hell are you doing?” (Man)

“No, I was trying to get you to buy us some time so we could escape. Good luck with your excuses. If you honestly say it was Redent’s idea, you might get a lighter sentence.” (Greed)

Furthermore, Greedo covered the man’s mouth, grabbed a pen from the table, and began writing something on paper. He placed the paper on the man’s body.

It seems that he’s a guy who does interesting things.

“Now then, if you guys get caught, tell them that the merchant Redent sent you. Your penalty may be lightened.” (Greed)

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Certainly, we helped commit the crimes.

However, there was no doubt that the principal offender would receive the most severe punishment. The execution of a former nobleman proved this point. Of course, it doesn’t change that we lent a hand to the crime. So we have to run away.

Next, Greed grabbed the item bag and dumped the contents inside the hut.

Recently robbed bags of fine cotton were scattered around the room. Furthermore, the item bag was cut up with a knife so that it cannot be used. This way, no one can slip out and take them.

“With this, the bear girl that is coming will have more options. Whether to collect the stolen goods, follow us, or get more details from this guy. Also, you guys, we are all strangers from here on out. If you bump into each other in any town, pretend to be strangers. I’ll do the same. You’ll also have some money, the one we got from Redent. If you can, live decently…… I’m not the one to say that though.” (Greed)

When Greed laughed, so did everyone.

“Now then, time to escape. If you get caught, consider yourself out of luck. It was fun for a short time. All of you, get the hell out of here. Flee!” (Greed)

At Greed’s words, everyone nodded and left the hut, running in the opposite direction of the bear girl.

I also ran away.

Not going by Greed’s words, but if I successfully escape from here, I’ll seriously live a decent life this time.

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Author’s Note:

Somehow, the main story has become about the bandits.

Well, Yuna is still a human. She may also make mistakes.

[Notice] I am sorry. The monitor I have been using for many years has broken. (It’s still usable, but the screen turns white when I use it.) I will buy a new one soon, but it will delay my posting. Please understand.

Also, I don’t think I will be able to reply to your feedback.

※ Thank you, as always, to everyone who always reports typos. I will not be able to reply to you, so I’ll leave this here.