🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 1
Perea was the only veterinarian in Timi, a snow rabbit beastkin village on the outskirts of the Amur Empire, where humans and beastkin coexisted.
Though she was human, she had been abandoned at the forest’s edge as a newborn and was raised under the care of rabbit beastkin.
True to their reputation as a symbol of fertility, the rabbits were skilled at raising children, and Perea grew up among them.
Though human, she was raised like a beastkin, and as soon as she came of age, she made the best choice she could to contribute to her village.
She crossed over to a neighboring town to study beastkin medicine for five years. When she returned to Timi, she was a full-fledged veterinarian.
“Perea, are you awake?”
“Yes! I’m right here!”
Her home was a small, cozy building that doubled as both residence and clinic.
If not for the cross-shaped sign at the entrance, one might not even realize it was a hospital when passing by.
But since it was the only clinic in Timi, which otherwise had no medical facilities at all, her home was always crowded.
This morning was no different.
“Sorry to bother you so early. Lenny’s had a stomachache—he’s been tossing and turning all night.”
“Lenny? Lenny, come here for a moment.”
At her words, a little child shuffled over, ears pressed flat against his head. The pain seemed quite bad.
After a quick examination, the diagnosis was simple indigestion—most likely from overeating.
Thankfully, it was nothing serious. Relieved, Perea explained to Lenny’s guardian:
“It looks like indigestion from overeating. Yesterday, during the festival, I saw him carrying around a lot of sweets…”
“What?! Lenny! Didn’t I tell you not to eat candy?”
Rabbit beastkin were notorious for stomachaches if they ate too many sweets. Lenny’s guardian pressed a hand to their forehead in frustration.
“Oh, heavens! Lenny, you’re going to get a proper scolding at home!”
Hearing that, little snow rabbit Lenny stomped his feet and burst into tears.
Feeling both sympathy and affection for her tiny patient, Perea gently persuaded the guardian:
“At his age, it’s hard to resist what he wants. Please don’t scold him too much. Lenny, you won’t overeat sweets again, will you?”
She winked at him, and the boy, catching her signal, swore over and over that he’d never eat too many candies again.
Only after listening to their combined persuasion did the guardian finally calm down.
Since rabbit beastkin were mostly vegetarians, their digestive systems were delicate. Too much protein or sugar would always end in stomachaches.
And the young ones, especially gluttonous, were frequent visitors to the clinic.
So from early morning with Lenny, Perea was kept busy without rest.
Because of the festival the day before, more than half her patients today were suffering from overeating.
Everyone was grateful to have her in the village, and along with payment, they brought her gifts—potatoes, corn, carrots—all filling up her storage.
For an ordinary human like Perea, it was far more vegetables than she could possibly eat, but she couldn’t refuse the villagers’ sincerity.
“Phew, I’m exhausted.”
It was after 8 p.m. when patients finally stopped coming.
After more than twelve hours of nonstop work, Perea collapsed onto her desk, utterly drained. She felt she could fall asleep if she closed her eyes right there.
“I still need to clean…”
She blinked her heavy eyelids and reached for the broom.
BOOM!
The ground shook with an explosion so loud it rattled the heavens, and the outside lit up in a blinding flash.
“W-what was that?!”
Her drowsiness vanished in an instant. Gripping the broom tightly, she opened the door.
It seemed far off, but she couldn’t relax.
The explosion had brought not only her, but all the villagers outside, their long rabbit ears twitching nervously.
“I’ll go check first! Everyone stay inside—it could be dangerous!”
Harun, head of Timi’s youth group, stepped forward, followed by several men. Perea also started to follow, which alarmed the villagers.
Their tall rabbit ears flapped anxiously as they begged her not to go.
Even in this tense moment, Perea’s fingers itched to stroke those twitching ears. Resisting the urge, she clenched her fists and calmly explained:
“Our village is so remote it doesn’t even show up on maps. No one would come here on purpose. And if there are injured people, I need to help.”
“Well, that’s true, but still…”
“If it’s dangerous, I promise I’ll run.”
Mentioning escape reassured them. Growing up among rabbits, she had learned to run very well—even for a human.
“Perea, are you sure?”
Harun asked once more. When she nodded, he shrugged, knowing from childhood that her stubbornness could never be swayed.
Though there was no second explosion, no one could relax. Peaceful Timi had never heard such a noise before.
They walked quickly, anxiety gnawing at them. At the edge of the forest, they found a massive crater, as though carved out by some unnatural force.
Inside lay the wreckage of a luxurious golden carriage, smashed to pieces. If anyone had been riding it, survival seemed unlikely.
The young men’s eyes widened at the terrifying sight, their ears stiff with tension.
Then—
“Uuuh…”
A faint cry came from the crater.
The sharp-eared rabbits dashed toward it. Upon finding the source, they frantically called for Perea.
“Perea! Over here! Someone’s hurt!”
“Yes!”
Dropping her broom, she hurried forward. As she approached, the metallic scent of blood filled her nose, and her heart pounded.
Accustomed only to treating stomachaches in her peaceful village, she instinctively knew—
This was the gravest patient she had ever faced.
Her premonition was correct. From beneath the shattered carriage, a small pale hand trembled.
The young men, Harun included, were already straining to lift the wreckage. Together, they cleared it away and uncovered the scene.
The child wasn’t alone. A massive man lay cradling the boy in his arms.
The heavy scent of blood came not from the child, but from the man’s shoulder, where it flowed freely.
“Uuuh…”
The child whimpered again as Perea and the others pulled them free. Thankfully, nothing else happened while they worked.
Perea carried the child while the men supported the unconscious man.
But he was so huge that even Harun, the tallest in the village, only came up to his shoulder. Supporting him was no easy task.
After checking there were no other survivors nearby, they quickly returned to the village.
It was strange—why would such a large carriage carry only a man and a child? But none of them had the ability to find what wasn’t visible.
Back in the village, they laid the man on the clinic’s examination bed.
It was designed for rabbit beastkin, so his legs hung over halfway. The child was placed on the sofa in Perea’s living space.
“You’ve all done so well. I’ll take over from here.”
“Are you sure you can manage alone? I’ll stay with you.”
“Mm, thank you. Yes, I’d like your help.”
She didn’t refuse Harun’s offer. If it were only the child, she might not have minded, but the man lying there radiated danger even in unconsciousness.
Despite the dirt covering him, his silvery blue hair gleamed, his body was hard with muscle, and at his waist rested a long, well-kept sword.
The other young men, exhausted from carrying him, excused themselves and left.
Now, only Perea, Harun, and the two unknown strangers remained inside.
