Chapter 1

The Veterinarian Bewitches Beasts

Pera was the only veterinarian in Timi Village, a small settlement of snow-rabbit beast on the outskirts of the Amur Empire, where beast and humans coexist.

An abandoned human child, she had been left at the edge of the forest at birth. The rabbit beast had taken her in, raising her as one of their own.

True to their nature as symbols of fertility, they were skilled at caring for others, and so they nurtured Pera without hesitation.

Though human, Pera grew up like a beast among them. And when she reached adulthood, she chose the best way she could give back to the village—
she spent five years in the neighboring town, studying beast medicine, and returned as a full-fledged veterinarian.

“Pera, are you awake?”

“Yes! I’m  here!”

Her home was a small, cozy building—half dwelling, half clinic. If not for the cross-shaped sign at the entrance, one could easily mistake it for a simple cottage.

But as Timi’s only clinic, it was always bustling. Even this morning, a patient had already arrived.

“Sorry to bother you so early. Lanny’s had a stomachache all night—he’s been rolling around without rest.”

“Lanny, you say? Come here, Lanny.”

The little snow-rabbit boy crept forward, ears pressed flat against his head. Clearly, the pain was severe.

After a quick examination, Pera sighed in relief. Just an upset stomach—from overeating.

“It looks like indigestion from overeating. I saw you carrying a handful of candies at yesterday’s festival…”

“What?! Lanny! Didn’t I tell you not to eat sweets?”

Rabbit beast notorious for their weak digestion, always fell ill if they gorged on sweets or protein-heavy food. And yet—greedy as he was, Lanny had ignored the warning.

“Good heavens! Lanny, you’re going to be in so much trouble at home!”

At that, the little one stomped his feet and burst into tears. Pera quickly intervened.

“Children his age can’t always control their appetites. Please don’t scold him too harshly. Right, Lanny? You won’t overeat candy again, will you?”

She winked, and the boy nodded vigorously, promising again and again never to indulge like that.

Thanks to Pera’s gentle coaxing, the mother finally softened.

So began another day of endless patients. Most had come down with stomachaches after the festival feast, and though exhausted, Pera was showered with gratitude. Patients paid her not only in coin but also with baskets of potatoes, corn, and carrots, piling her storage with more vegetables than she could ever finish.

By the time the last patient left, it was past 8 p.m. Pera slumped across her desk, utterly drained from twelve straight hours of work.

“Ugh, I’m exhausted.”

She wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and drift off, but she forced herself up, broom in hand.

And then—

kwakwakwang!

The earth-shaking roar of an explosion rattled her windowpanes, followed by a flash of blinding light.

“What-what was that?!”

Sleep vanished in an instant. She gripped her broom like a weapon and threw open the door.

The sound had come from afar, but the shock had already driven the villagers out of their homes. Their long rabbit ears twitched in terror.

“I’ll go check it out! Everyone, stay inside where it’s safe!”

Harun, the head of the youth group, stepped forward bravely, several men following. Pera, too, moved to join them.

“Pera, no! Stay here!”

But she explained calmly, “This village isn’t even on most maps—no one would deliberately attack us. And if there are wounded, I need to be there.”

“…If it looks dangerous, you promise to run, right?”

“I promise.”

Raised among rabbit beast, Pera had inherited their swiftness—she could run faster than most humans. Reluctantly, Harun relented, knowing her stubbornness.

They hurried to the forest’s edge, where they found a massive crater gouged into the earth, as if carved by some unnatural force.

Inside lay the wreckage of a gilded carriage, shattered almost beyond recognition. If anyone had been inside… surely, they wouldn’t have survived.

The youths stiffened, ears standing upright.

Then—

“..Huh…”

A faint, childlike cry echoed from within the crater.

The rabbit beast, with their sharp hearing, rushed down first.

“Pera! There’s someone alive!”

She dropped her broom and sprinted toward them. The smell of blood thickened the air. Her heart pounded.

“This… this is going to be the most serious patient I’ve ever treated.”

And she was right. Between the broken planks of the carriage, a small pale hand trembled.

The men heaved the wreckage aside, revealing not just a child—but a child cradled in the arms of a massive man, his shoulder soaked in blood.

The boy whimpered again as Pera and the others pulled them free.

The man was enormous. Even Harun, the tallest in the village, barely reached his shoulder. Supporting him was nearly impossible, but they managed to drag both survivors back to Pera’s clinic.

The child was laid carefully on her sofa, while the unconscious man was lowered onto the treatment bed—so large that his legs jutted out past the edge.

“Thank you, everyone. I’ll take over from here.”

“Will you be all right alone? I’ll stay with you.”

“Actually… yes, I’d appreciate that. Please help me.”

Pera accepted Harun’s offer. She had a bad feeling—this man was dangerous, even unconscious. His silver hair, gleaming beneath layers of dust, the solid muscles hardened like stone, and the long sword at his hip spoke of someone extraordinary.

The other men, exhausted from carrying him, excused themselves, leaving only Pera, Harun… and the two mysterious strangers.