TBF 10

Chapter 10

A sticky sensation made Nabom shake her head, but something long and wet brushed across her face again. She barely managed to open her eyes through the panting and found a puppy standing in front of her.

It had brown fur draped over its back like a cloak, with a white belly and white markings above its eyes.

“Alexei! You little rascal!”

Nook scolded him from the side, but the puppy simply grinned happily.

I’ve seen this dog on YouTube animal videos before.

A Malamute?

The moment Nabom guessed the breed, the puppy jumped into the air and began kicking snow behind him with his hind legs.

Ahhh!

In an instant, Nabom was buried in snow.

Pff!

She hurriedly poked her head back out and shook the snow off.

As a protest, she shoved the puppy’s hind leg with her paw, but the Malamute only opened his mouth again with a goofy grin and stuck out his tongue.

He’s going to lick me again!

She covered her face with both front paws.

Then—

-Don’t cry.

A young boy’s voice echoed directly inside her head.

Looking up through the puppy’s panting, Nabom blinked.

…Is this puppy a beastman too?

A Malamute… Then he’s part of the Sled Dog Knights?

Before she could think any further, the puppy’s tongue covered her face again.

While she endured the wet licking with her eyes tightly shut, the voice came again.

-Don’t cry. Come play with me.

When was I ever crying?!

Nabom shouted inwardly as she hopped backward.

She wasn’t so weak that something like this would make her cry.

There had to be a way.

Somehow, she would survive!

Filled with determination—and annoyance at the puppy—she stomped both hind feet on the ground.

The Malamute spun happily in place before grinning from ear to ear.

-The tears stopped! Then let’s play!

His excited voice echoed in her head as he began running around, spraying snow everywhere.

Fwoosh!

A flurry of snow hit Nabom square in the face.

That was the last straw.

Thump!

She stomped her hind feet again and charged straight at the puppy.

Whether it was because the snow excited her or because the puppy’s teasing awakened her rabbit instincts, before long the rabbit and the Malamute were racing happily around the garden.

Nabom didn’t even realize she was running smoothly on all four legs.

Watching the Malamute run the same way, she naturally did the same.

The cold, crisp feeling beneath her paws felt wonderful, and every so often she stopped to leap straight into the air.

“Wow! Snowflake runs so fast!”

Unable to hold back any longer after watching the rabbit and puppy play, Louis dashed toward them.

Ferdi, who had been watching from the side, soon joined in as well.

Watching the four of them playing together across the garden, Heinz cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted,

“Didn’t you say you wanted to tour the castle?!”

Hearing Heinz’s shout, Nook, who had been smiling contentedly, blew his whistle.

The Malamute immediately ran back and stood in front of the sled.

After Louis and Ferdi climbed aboard, Nabom came running over as fast as she could.

Watching her, Anna smiled warmly.

“I think we can finally take off your bandages.”

***

That afternoon, under the glow of the setting sun.

Anna bowed as Theodore entered Nabom’s room.

“The rabbit.”

At his brief question, Anna silently guided him farther inside.

“I’m sorry for failing to follow your orders.”

Ignoring Anna’s apology behind him, Theodore stopped walking.

On top of the red carpet, Louis, Ferdi, and Alexei Malamute—the Sled Dog Knights’ page—were lying together in a circle around something.

Curled into a tiny ball with bits of dirt clinging to her fur was the little rabbit.

Her white belly rose and fell steadily with each peaceful breath.

“It’s fine.”

Theodore answered quietly.

He had ordered that no more than two people should visit the rabbit’s room at a time.

But if the rabbit herself was comfortable, then it didn’t matter.

Looking at the four sleeping beastmen, Theodore fell into thought.

“So… you had already made up your mind.”

Palas’s mocking voice echoed in his memory.

He was cynical, but he never lied.

That was why Theodore had always accepted his words in silence.

But this time was different.

“Then I don’t even need to play the villain.”

“I won’t.”

“What?”

“I have no intention… of forcing her to use that power.”

Palas narrowed his eyes.

“So it really is nothing more than cheap sympathy. Your daughter is already dead. If you brought that rabbit home as a replacement for your daughter, then the truly pitiful one isn’t you—it’s that tiny life.”

“Even if it is cheap sympathy…”

Theodore answered without hesitation.

“A power of unknown origin.”

“We don’t know what might happen if it’s used recklessly.”

“…”

“We are not so weak that we must be saved through the sacrifice of a small life.”

Those were his true feelings.

Perhaps not only he and his wife, but even his late daughter would never wish for such salvation.

His wife had thrown herself forward to protect their daughter.

She failed to save her.

Instead, she herself was left with an incurable curse.

He had believed that was the end.

That their story had already ended there.

Theodore slowly walked over to the sleeping rabbit.

He knelt beside her and gently reached out toward her head.

“…”

The tips of his fingers trembled as they brushed against her soft white fur.

Why?

She felt like a gift.

As though this tiny life…

…was the gift his daughter had left behind before she departed.

“You people never cease to amaze me.”

After laughing for the first time in a long while, the sage smiled faintly.

“Then at least tell her she wasn’t brought here as emergency rations.”

With those words, Palas disappeared without a trace.

Gently stroking the rabbit’s forehead with his thumb, Theodore murmured,

“Next time.”

He couldn’t bring himself to wake a child who was sleeping so peacefully.

***

Nabom opened her eyes.

Perhaps because she had dreamed of running across snowy fields, all four of her paws were kicking at the air.

Slurp.

She wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth with a paw before springing upright.

What… was I doing?

And…

What was I supposed to do again?

Her sleepy mind refused to work.

But her body felt incredibly refreshed.

Since arriving at Grizzly Castle, she had never felt this light before.

After sitting on the carpet and looking around, something felt strange.

I think there were more people here.

Just then, she felt someone’s gaze.

Nabom’s shoulders twitched.

Something was there.

Perfectly camouflaged against the dark brown wall, it stood completely still.

The moment its yellow eyes met hers, its thick fur puffed up into a round shape.

It looked like a furry cylinder with the face of a tiger cub… or perhaps a cat.

The unfamiliar animal walked toward her expressionlessly.

For some reason, Nabom felt as though she were dreaming.

At that moment—

-I never thought I’d meet you while I was still alive.

A voice echoed inside her head.

-Especially from this close.

It was the calm voice of an adult man, filled with curiosity and quiet satisfaction.

-How fascinating. Your power and your soul are tangled together. Is that why everything is so tightly sealed away?

The strange animal had already stopped right in front of her.

Nabom blinked.

It wasn’t very large.

Nor did it smell like a predator.

Yet somehow…

Its presence alone felt overwhelmingly majestic.

The black pupils within its golden eyes seemed to look straight through her.

-Are you truly satisfied staying like this?

Like this?

Nabom tilted her head.

-Yes. Like this. Living your entire life trapped in a rabbit’s body. Are you truly fine with that?

She tilted her head again.

It wasn’t something she could choose.

She had died.

She had been reborn.

She still couldn’t transform into a human.

Truthfully, she wasn’t even sure whether she was really a beastman or not.

-Your words have never reached the other beastmen, have they?

How does he know that?

Am I really dreaming?

Thinking that, Nabom slowly nodded.

-Tell me. Wouldn’t you like to become human… and speak with everyone?

A human…?

Is that really possible?

And… everyone?

Could prey and predator actually hold a conversation?

As she wondered, another thought suddenly appeared.

If they could hear my voice…

If I could show them my human form…

What expressions would they make?

Would Louis smile brightly?

Would Ferdi proudly pat her head?

Would Anna beam with happiness?

And…

How would Theodore react?

-Let’s go back.

Would he speak to her again…

…with that same gentle voice?

“…Yes.”

The answer escaped her before she realized it.

“I want… to talk to them.”

As Nabom nodded, the strange animal nodded back.

-Good.

Maybe it was her imagination.

But it looked as though the animal smiled.

Suddenly, her vision filled with light.

Nabom woke up.

Blinking repeatedly, she looked around the room.

No one was there.

So… it really was a dream?

Just as she thought that, there was a knock.

The door opened.

“Snowflake! Time for hay!”

Louis, Ferdi, Anna…

…and the Malamute walked inside.

Without thinking, Nabom jumped straight into the air.

Food!