The carriage, which had been racing against the night wind, gradually slowed down.
The mansion of the rabbit territory’s chief was now in sight. Soon, the polite voices of the guards could be heard outside.
“We greet the esteemed guests of the Manionts family.”
Leaning against Ash, Rune quickly hid me in his inner pocket.
“Pardon me, but may we see your identification and invitation?”
After the sound of the door opening, there was a sudden silence. It seemed the guards were at a loss for words.
Rune likely intended to present himself as an animal lover, but to them, he probably appeared as an eccentric nobleman with a loose screw.
‘He should at least take the jerky out of his mouth.’
If there was any issue, it was Rune and Restin’s appearance, with both of their left cheeks swollen.
Feeling suffocated in the inner pocket, I wriggled slightly. Rune, who squirmed from the tickling sensation, discreetly helped me peek out without the guards noticing.
The guard, who had been scrutinizing Rune with a bewildered look, checked the family crest on the carriage once more.
Rune, the crest, and the identification. The guard, who was frantically cross-referencing them, bowed his head in a fluster.
“L-Lord Rune Manionts, we apologize, but what about the black panther…?”
“I would appreciate your understanding. It’s like a child to me, and I can’t bear to be apart from it for long.”
The guards’ eyes were fixed on Ash, who was still wearing the red cloth. As expected, they, being rabbit people, were uneasy about a carnivorous animal.
‘Stop squirming, it tickles.’
Rune whispered, wriggling slightly.
“Lord Rune is weary from the long journey.”
Not wanting to give the guards a chance to object, Restin preemptively signaled to Ash, following the script.
“Alright, salute.”
With precision, Ash brought her front paw up to her forehead, executing a perfectly aligned salute. The guards, almost instinctively, awkwardly raised their hands in response.
“As you can see, she’s a well-behaved and intelligent child.”
“P-Please wait a moment. Apologies, but we need to report the presence of a carnivorous animal to our superiors first….”
“Once we enter the mansion, I’ll secure her with a metal leash. Furthermore, the invitation clearly states that up to three companions are allowed besides the invited guests. If there are any objections, please let us know.”
Restin’s sharp golden eyes glinted as he spoke firmly.
The guards were left with no choice but to open and close their mouths helplessly, clearly wanting to argue that animals didn’t count as companions.
“Since there appear to be no objections, we’ll proceed.”
Even as the door closed, Restin didn’t forget to give them a piercing glare. It seemed that his plan to deal with the situation involved exerting his authority.
With a clatter, the carriage resumed its journey and passed through the entrance of the mansion without further obstacles.
‘Finally….’
I rested my front paws on the windowsill and peeked out. As we passed through the dense trees and statues placed at regular intervals, a domed mansion came into view.
A place where Ahin might be, where I might finally uncover the truth. My mouth felt as dry as if sand were rolling around in it.
* * *
Despite grumbling about the stress we were causing him, Restin displayed impressive crisis management skills.
Thanks to his efforts, Ash, lying in Rune’s bed, soon drifted into a warm and satisfied sleep. She seemed to consider her task important, as she stubbornly refused to unpack her backpack.
It’s okay to relax a little. Watching her massive belly rise and fall, I looked down at my front paws.
‘The method to control pheromones.’
Although my success with Bara had been accidental, if I mastered it, I could avoid most dangers.
‘Was it like this?’
Standing on two feet, I swung my front paw diagonally. I tried raising it high and then extending it like a jab. Fortunately, the sensation of pheromones being emitted from my paws was clear.
“Are you doing gymnastics under the moonlight?”
Is that all it looks like? Narrowing my eyes into a glare, I looked at Rune, who was lounging on the sofa.
“Don’t glare at me too much. It’s late anyway, and since I’ll send you to Grace in the morning, why not keep me company tonight?”
Having given us the bed, he clasped his hands over his stomach and swung his legs. His long legs dangled over the armrest of the sofa.
‘We should be the ones using the sofa, not him.’
Sighing deeply, I walked to the edge of the bed and sat facing him.
Rune’s considerate treatment of me as a person felt oddly touching. Given that he had suspected me of being a beastfolk from the start, it made sense.
“At least the scent of Grace has faded a bit during the trip, so it’s bearable now. I thought my nose was going to rot.”
‘…Rot, you say.’
I brought my front paw to my nose, but all I could smell was a faint mustiness. Sniffing intently, I suddenly froze as a realization hit me. The fading scent of Ahin meant that my own pheromones might start leaking out.
‘…Why?’
They usually lasted for at least a few days. I frantically rubbed my fur, only to notice the curling pink strands of hair. As I slowly moved my gaze, my eyes met Rune’s. In the dimly lit room, his golden eyes stood out, glowing brightly.
It was a striking appearance. Though Rune often seemed too carefree to be taken seriously as the chief’s son, moments like these reminded me that he was undeniably a superior predator.
“I thought you were finally getting comfortable, but now you’re on guard again.”
I couldn’t help it; he was a dangerous being after all. Realizing I’d been caught, I subtly scooted my rear backward.
“Look at that, you’ve got that fierce look in your eyes again. Now I don’t feel like doing anything.”
It was a line devoid of sincerity.
“Thanks to you, Rabbit, I’ve lost all my will to live.”
‘You probably didn’t have any to begin with.’
I didn’t want to hear that from someone who had “lack of will” practically written on their face.
Fortunately, Rune didn’t mention Ahin’s scent again and instead continued with trivial stories.
He spoke of his only sister’s ferocity, and even shared a hidden story about why he didn’t manage to chase me all the way to Endellus.
It turned out that shortly after we parted ways, Rune was surrounded and detained by the police, thanks to Ahin reporting him as a kidnapper.
‘You scoundrel, tell the truth!’
He even discovered for the first time that his unfocused eyes were considered suspicious during the interrogation.
At that part of the story, he blushed, embarrassed that he’d let it slip.
After dealing with Ahin and Everine’s utterly shameless attitudes, Rune’s relatively sensible demeanor was a refreshing change.
It was also a relief that he wasn’t asking any uncomfortable questions, likely in an effort not to trigger my wariness.
“…For some reason, I’m getting really sleepy. Is it just me?”
As the night wore on, drowsiness settled over his golden eyes.
You’re always sleepy, aren’t you? I, who had been secretly planning an escape, gestured for him to go to sleep, bringing my front paws together and resting them against my cheek.
“This is crazy, seriously… What is this?”
Rune shifted, burying his face into his arm as he lay down. His murmuring, filled with meaning, suddenly made me uneasy.
“There was a reason Grace smeared his scent all over.”
Ah, so it was because Ahin’s scent had faded. Rune’s voice, now soft and drowsy, began to melt into the air.
“That black panther falling asleep earlier too… Is it a sleep pheromone?”
His hypothesis turned out to be true.
I had thought it would last for at least a few more days, but it was likely that using the pheromones in the border forest had depleted their effectiveness.
Rune, being no ordinary beastfolk, seemed to be intoxicated merely by the scent that was stimulating his senses.
‘What do I do?’
The overwhelming sense of urgency caused the pheromones I had gathered in my core to start stirring wildly.
I felt like I needed to go to Ahin immediately. Sweat beaded on my forehead as I sniffed the air nervously.
There was something strange, an inexplicable aura emanating from the now relaxed Rune.
Pheromones.
It was clear that Rune was releasing his own pheromones to push back against mine.
‘This can’t be happening.’
A mild pheromone might not be a problem, but considering Rune’s lineage as the son of the Lion Territory’s chief…
‘No, no, that’s not it.’
Lazy predator, snap out of it! Panic washed over me as I frantically paced in place.
“I feel like I’ve been drugged.”
Rune turned his head towards me, rustling the sheets. He already seemed like the type to enjoy sleeping, but now, with that mellow expression, he looked utterly content. It made me wonder if he was intentionally letting the pheromones take over.
“…With pheromones like these, you can’t be just an ordinary territory dweller. What’s your family, or your profession?”
‘No, no!’
That’s not the issue right now! Anticipating the impending pain, I pressed my paw against my cheek, overwhelmed with fear.
Rune had no idea that inhaling the pheromones would trigger my transformation back into a human. My grasp on rationality was slipping.
‘Maybe if I start dancing, it’ll help ward off the transformation.’
‘Please understand!’
In desperation, I got up and began to wiggle my hips. I performed the traditional dance of the rabbit clan I had read about in a book, followed by two mid-air spins and a graceful landing.
“You’re really good at that…”
Rune, now gazing at me in a daze, spoke in a voice that was soft and pliable, like jelly.
“Ah, so your real job is a ballerina.”
That explains the long hair; must be part of the artistic profession… Rune, having come to this absurd conclusion, closed his eyes and succumbed to sleep.
“You might even win the Aymond Crown…”
What on earth are you talking about? The Aymond Crown was a prestigious award given only to continent-renowned dancers.
‘This isn’t the time for nonsense!’
Wake up! Despite performing a waltz to catch his attention, I finally realized that Rune would never recognize the signals I had practiced with Ahin.
Thunk. Rune’s head slumped to the side as he fully surrendered to his dreams, soft snores escaping him.
I couldn’t jump off the bed. As I frantically paced back and forth, my gaze fell on Ash’s backpack.
‘…Pherenium.’
The image of Ahin’s pocket watch swinging before my eyes struck me with urgency. Without a second thought, I kicked off the ground and dove into the backpack.
* * *
Dawn had broken. Cloaked from head to toe in a robe, Ahin and Everine entered a building located at the edge of the slums.
It appeared to be a simple residence from the outside, but it was, in fact, the most prolific information guild in the rabbit territory’s capital.
The interior was so dark that one could barely see a step ahead. Ahin sat down on a chair provided and pulled out a pouch filled with gold coins from his robe.
Jingling the coins in one hand, tossing and catching them repeatedly, he stared at the opaque glass in front of him. He needed information that only the rabbit territory’s information guild could provide.
“You’re from the Ta Tribe, I see.”
A voice echoed from behind the glass.
“An inside-only view, huh? That’s quite underhanded.”
“You’re the one covering your face with a robe. I simply inferred from your fangs.”
Ahin then pushed the hefty pouch through a small slot just large enough for a hand to fit. The pouch contained gold coins and some finely divided ashen powder.
“I assume you’re aware of what the ashen powder inside is.”
“Of course. It’s a drug derived from the sap of the Blum tree. It’s been a while since I’ve seen it; it’s quite rare in the rabbit territory.”
Satisfied with the weighty pouch, the information broker began to spill details freely.
“It had a brief surge of popularity in the herbivore territories over a decade ago, but now it mostly circulates in the predator territories. Hence, we don’t have a lot of information on it here in the rabbit territory. What specific type of information are you seeking?”
“A list of rabbit territory nobles who have dealt with it.”
“……”
The voice from behind the glass abruptly fell silent at the mention of nobles. A sly smile curved Ahin’s lips, visible beneath the robe.
“I don’t need the upper-tier families. Lower to middle-tier families will do. It would be even better if any of them are known to have white-haired members.”
Ahin pushed a second, even heavier pouch through the slot. The sound of gold coins rubbing together indicated the broker was counting the amount.
“…It’s impossible to disclose full names, but I can provide a verbal list of families. However, I can’t issue any documents.”
“Stop being stingy and start talking.”
“We still need to protect our lives, you see. The moment we divulge noble information, we have to relocate our base, so please understand.”
The broker let out a weary sigh as they swept the pile of gold coins into their hands.
“First off, none of the upper-tier families are involved. The rabbit territory’s chief is extremely strict about drugs, so even non-nobles who get caught dealing with them face severe punishment. Most of those directly involved are low-ranking nobles or gangs.”
The broker, now wearing a magnifying glass, rifled through a stack of documents.
“Most of them were probably hoping to obtain superior pheromones to win faction battles or advance their status… But there’s no record of anyone successfully awakening pheromones. It’s an old issue, after all.”
The broker listed a few families that had been involved with the drug as they flipped through the papers.
“Among those, the families with white-haired members are…”
Ahin smiled faintly as he handed over yet another pouch of gold coins. The sound of papers being shuffled intensified.
“Ah, here we go… The Wiggins family, the Benzel family….”
“And?”
“The Rabian family, it seems.”
* * *
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