Aven was a careful and cautious person. Even though Ahin deliberately spread the information about the existence of the rabbit, he had not even heard of a castle called Rabian for more than half a year.
There was no other way to surely lure out such a person than by throwing out prey. The method of sending Vivi first on the carriage without the fence called Ahin.
And setting the destination as the Black Panther territory so that no other means besides kidnapping could be found.
Sure enough, as soon as Aven received the information, she began to act.
She scattered money in the guild, hired personnel, and it took less than a whole day to prepare to enter the Boundary Forest to receive Vivi in person.
The Boundary Forest was a place where people were rare and, other than the border of the territory, the guards were lax, making it the most suitable place to carry out such a deed.
Even amidst this, she had been meticulous. She even attached an informant who reported Ahin’s movements in real time.
‘Huh, spare…, please spare me.’
The informant who had been caught by Ahin by the scruff of the neck reported false information to Aven, saying that he still stayed at the mansion.
With that, she boarded a carriage heading for the Boundary Forest. Normally, she would have doubted it once more, but even if she knew it was a lie, she had no immediate time or means.
Ahin, having confirmed Aven’s movements, first turned his horse and followed Vivi’s carriage. Even with Quinn and Everine, and three knights, it would have been enough to thwart Aven’s trickery, but it was a somewhat impulsive choice.
Just as Ahin caught up, the ambush erupted. He, who caused death to those who blocked him with pheromones, thought the inside of the carriage was too quiet.
As the puzzled Ahin approached the window, he heard the murmuring voices of Vivi and Everine.
[Even if it was just a mere bandit… isn’t it dangerous?]
[Miss Rabbit, you could take refuge inside this silk hat. There’s no time, hurry.]
[Ah, got it,]
Soon, the sound of Vivi panting and banging down on a chair rang out.
[…Say something that makes sense!]
It was a reaction and voice that came out when one had been scared in advance.
That meant the probability of her getting off the carriage was extremely low. Though certain, Ahin, who still could not be at ease, carefully locked the latch on the window. Just in case, he even removed the chance of her trying to open the window.
Because sometimes Vivi really acted like a general. Listening to it, Everine’s exaggerations were not entirely wrong.
Ahin dealt with the rabbit beastfolk without using his sword at all. It was an action taken in case of the nonsensical scenario where, after Vivi had overpowered Quinn and Everine, she got off the carriage.
“Do not leave any bloodstains if possible.”
“B-blood, do you mean do not show blood?”
What nonsense is this? The knights who participated in the battle trembled as if they had heard something they should not have heard.
“Can’t you do it?”
“…Yes, my lord.”
Thus, even during battle, they had a strange experience of struggling not to let blood spurt out.
After finishing his recollection, Ahin licked his lips with an unpleasant feeling. It bothered him that he had chased Aven without having dealt with all of the rabbit beastfolk.
As he stopped talking and fell into thought, Aven spoke with a face filled with anger.
“What are you doing right now.”
Flustered, a startled white rabbit ran away to the distance at the old voice.
Feeling some inexplicable regret, Ahin checked the time with his pocket watch. He felt that to make this uneasy feeling disappear, he had to confirm as soon as possible whether Vivi had arrived at the Black Panther territory.
“Let’s finish this quickly. I am busy too.”
* * *
Rabbit beastfolk. Mother. Fire. Ahin.
Several words without any connection were mixed up in my head.
Rustle, rustle, I diligently extended my arm diagonally while walking through the bushes, following Ahin’s trail.
“Ash, wait a moment.”
I saw a group of white rabbits by the tree roots in the distance.
Ash’s hunting instinct had never died.
She just did not attack because she regarded me as her master, but there would be nothing strange if she pounced on the group of rabbits ahead.
‘However….’
It seemed that I should not watch her hunt. It had just become possible to finally face her, and I did not want to be afraid of Ash again.
“Ash, could you wait?”
When I stood at attention like a knight and saluted, Ash, not understanding the meaning, saluted back. Feeling how admirable she was, I patted her butt and ran out to drive the rabbits away.
Thump, as I stomped my foot, the grass scattered. At my vigorous appearance, the group of rabbits scattered with a rush, but they did not run far away.
‘What’s wrong with these guys?’
As I looked blankly at the rabbits hiding behind the large tree root, my expression hardened. There was one that could not run away at my feet.
‘…How did it come to this.’
Her delicate hind leg had been penetrated by a tree branch. Because it was not even a fully grown rabbit, the branch felt even more sinister and sharp, like a weapon.
It also seemed like the rabbit that had run away headlong after seeing Ash earlier. The rabbit, which could not even express its pain, groaned and exhaled its breath.
I tried to tear my clothes but bit my lip hard. I seemed to have to pull out the branch, but considering excessive bleeding, I could not pull it out carelessly.
“Ah···.”
If things stayed like this, it would die. Even if it survived by chance, if the rabbit limped on its leg, it would soon be weeded out by survival competition.
Seeing the soaked red blood, I fidgeted restlessly and looked down at the pherenium wrapped around my wrist.
Clink, the pocket watch flaunted its presence extraordinarily.
There was only one use left. Petty and shallow selfishness reared its head.
What if I used it on this rabbit, and then I had to use pheromones right away?
Then I would turn back into a rabbit again, and I was not sure I could find Ahin ahead.
I might never know when I would get such a precious gem again. No, it might be the first and last time.
‘What am I supposed to do…’
When I turned my head, the rabbits, whose relationship to the injured one was unknown—whether friends or family—still peeked from behind the tree roots. Even though they must have known Ash was far away, they could not easily leave.
My tear ducts, which were loose and broken, made me look down at the rabbit.
After picking it up and finding Ahin, I would borrow a dominating-class pheromone. And,
‘And…’
They were all excuses. I could see the life in the rabbit’s dimming eyes was going out, so there was no way it would hold out until I found Ahin.
It was the inevitable law of nature. Just as a wounded cub would be abandoned even if it was born from a beast, just as one who failed to become human would be abandoned by their family.
After countless repetitions of rationalization, hesitation, excuses, and decisions, I lay down on the ground.
‘…If it were not a white rabbit.’
I might have just closed my eyes and passed by. Why could it not say it was in pain? Why did it have a family waiting for it, of all things?
“Hold on a moment.”
Why did it have to look so much like me? I clenched my teeth and brought my hand to the branch that had penetrated the rabbit’s leg.
Creeeeak!
As soon as I pulled out the branch, the rabbit let out a scream as if it were being torn apart. The mere sight of its struggle pained me, so I immediately operated the pherenium and pheromones strongly.
I gradually saw the wound disappear from the blood-stained fingertips. Even though I had not seen it for a while, it was still a marvelous sight.
After confirming that different skin had settled in place of the wound, I wiped the sweat from my temples. I actually did not know if the treatment would work, so it was almost a gamble.
‘Thank goodness.’
Unaware of my nervousness, the rabbit flapped its hind leg with a bewildered face.
“It does not hurt anymore, right?”
It was the handiwork of Vivi. The rabbit, which could not understand the question, jumped up and shook its head with its hind leg.
Then the rabbits hiding behind the tree roots began to approach one by one. Several of them gathered, as if murmuring, and I let out a silly laugh.
I looked at them happily, then recalled the darkening sky and stood up. Since the pherenium had expired, there was no time to delay.
‘Ash, let us go.’
I had to find Ahin. I gestured and felt a strange sense of incongruity.
I had clearly spoken it out loud, so why did no sound resonate?
Thump. At that moment, a giant forepaw was laid down right in front of my nose.
‘Ah…?’
Slowly raising my head, I saw the rabbits’ huge jaws. Suddenly, several rabbits, having become giants, surrounded me.
Go away, I get scary when I am angry. Taking it as a kind of threat, I hurriedly reached out my hand.
But what I saw in front of me was not a hand, but a forepaw the size of a fingernail. Standing up on two legs abruptly, I groped my entire body.
‘Why did I turn into a rabbit!’
Surely I had one use of pherenium left. While I searched for the cause, a terrifying shadow fell behind me.
‘Ash!’
The startled rabbits jumped over tree roots, tumbled, and made a big fuss.
If Ash attacked by any chance. Panicked, I spread my forepaws, trying to mediate the situation.
Ash, who looked down silently, gently licked my cheek.
The protrusions on her tongue made my fur stand on end, but knowing it was a sign of affection, I nodded. Fortunately, she did not seem willing to attack the rabbits.
‘We must go for now.’
I would think about the reason I turned into a rabbit while I searched for Ahin.
I pointed to the bushes and led the chain of the pocket watch. I had no choice but to leave behind my clothes and Quinn’s dagger.
As I groaned as if carrying a bundle, Ash picked up the pocket watch with her mouth instead.
‘If I thought about it positively….’
Since my mobility had improved significantly, I might be able to find Ahin faster.
‘Ouch!’
As soon as I took a step, I bumped into white cotton and fell flat. The identity of the cotton was the rabbit that had hurt its leg, the one that somewhat resembled me.
The rabbit, pushing off the ground with its hind legs, shook its head as if to say “follow me.” The place it pointed was the same direction Ash and I were heading.
If it seemed handsome for a moment, maybe my eyesight had gone wrong. I rubbed my eyes and, having nothing to lose, followed the rabbit.
‘The first time was when I turned into a human, and the second time was definitely the one I used today.’
While running and counting the number of times I had used the pherenium, I realized belatedly.
When I confronted my mother’s escort knight in the rear garden, the pheromone I had raised might have flowed in and activated it.
Right after that, Ahin showed up and startled me, so I might have missed it.
‘I guess it’s still hard to maintain human form on my own.’
But at least handling pheromones wasn’t as difficult as before.
Forcing myself to think hopefully, I ran while looking around.
It was a somewhat hard-to-accept scene: a black panther and a group of rabbits running together.
My pupils trembled as I glanced up at Ash. Because of me, did rabbits no longer whet her appetite?
‘Doesn’t this bother you at all?’
When our eyes met, she wagged his tail like a windmill, looking pleased. I was confused as to whether it was really okay to raise a beast like this.
‘Somehow….’
I felt I must never let Ahin or Everine catch me in this scene.
Just as I swallowed my empty breath, the injured rabbit in front suddenly braked. Screech, a whirl rose on the dirt floor where it stopped.
The rabbit darted into the bushes, now showing nothing but its round backside.
‘Does it mean to follow it?’
Sticking my head out after it, I saw a spacious area with sparse trees. An old carriage stood in the flat ground at the center.
As I looked around carefully, I hurriedly stopped Ash, who was about to run out in delight.
It was Ahin and Mother.
* * *
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