Ch.144144. Rabbit Knight (2)

After a while, I returned to the tree house of Grand Master Hecate, where I had briefly decided to stay, and I couldn’t help but bring along the rabbit I simply couldn’t leave behind.

I had already given him a magically created carrot, but that alone wouldn’t have been enough to fill his stomach, and…

I also couldn’t ignore the uncomfortable truth that this small, adorable creature looked so pitiful.

Anyway, I brought the rabbit who had completely collapsed from hunger, sat him down in this tree house, and served him various foods.

-Crunch, crunch. Munch. …Gulp.

In truth, it would normally be better to serve liquid food that wouldn’t burden the stomach of someone who had been starving for a long time, but this rabbit person… though he looked like he stepped out of a fairy tale, he was clearly intermediate-ranked.

He possessed digestive capabilities and tenacious vitality far beyond ordinary beings, not to mention a robust physique incomparable to normal creatures, meaning that even such a heavy meal wouldn’t cause any major problems.

Indeed, this small rabbit devoured several egg sandwiches and strips of bacon I prepared, and if that wasn’t enough, he finished off a vegetable stew with tomato base and an entire carrot cake without any issues.

By the time I started wondering how all that food could fit into such a tiny body…

-Yum, munch munch…

After eating the last piece of cake and finishing his drink (lemonade), this small rabbit finally looked at me directly… then stood up, bowed respectfully, and expressed his gratitude.

[To show me such kindness… I thank you from the bottom of my heart!]

“It’s nothing, I was happy to do it.”

Even as I said this, I couldn’t maintain my composure after hearing this rabbit’s voice.

On the outside, he appeared to be just a small, cute domestic rabbit, but when such a deep, dignified voice emerged from that tiny rabbit’s mouth, I naturally felt a sense of dissonance.

Of course, that feeling didn’t last long.

[Oh my, how can you say that! What a kind and gentle person you are!]

Taking an exaggerated, theatrical pose as if he were a stage actor, the rabbit spoke to me like he was delivering dramatic lines, then proudly introduced himself while thumping his chest with one hand.

[I am Lancelot, the Wandering Knight Rabbit! Currently, I am wandering in search of a master to serve. And your name, my benefactor…]

“Gregory Aleinos, a druid and guardian of the forest.”

[Ohhh, I see!]

The self-proclaimed wandering knight, Rabbit Lancelot, was behaving like a knight straight out of chivalric literature.

His voice sounded enthusiastically elevated in a good way, his gestures were exaggerated, and he carried himself with manners that seemed ingrained in his very being.

Although there was a certain incongruity because his appearance was that of an adorable rabbit, he nonetheless presented himself exactly like an exemplary knight of the Frankish Kingdom.

And to this Lancelot… I voiced a question that had been on my mind.

“Then… Sir Lancelot?”

[Ohhh, ‘Sir’! To think you would address this unworthy one in such a manner! Yes, I am Sir Lancelot!]

“Right, Sir Lancelot. There’s something I’d like to ask.”

[Please, ask anything you wish!]

“Alright. Then… what species are you exactly?”

This question had been circling in my mind for a while.

Given that an animal friend contract was possible, it was clear he wasn’t a beastkin—a type of human—but rather some other species, specifically an animal or magical beast.

But since I had never encountered Sir Lancelot’s species anywhere before, I couldn’t contain my bubbling curiosity and asked the question…

[…? Master Aleinos, I am obviously a rabbit, am I not?]

“A… rabbit, you say?”

The rabbits of this world certainly survive among magical beasts and have even mixed blood with rabbit-type magical beasts, making them predator-level compared to Earth rabbits…

But even so, a rabbit is still a rabbit. Without any special abilities, they’re classified as animals, not magical beasts, right?

“Sir Lancelot, you’re a rabbit?”

[Yes, that’s correct…?]

But as he steadfastly introduced himself as a rabbit, something seemed off about the creature before me, so I used the wild magic spell for species identification to discover his true identity…

“…?”

The result of the spell that came to my mind was enough to leave me inwardly astonished.

‘…W-why?’

The creature before me wasn’t a magical beast. Not at all. Despite sensing the powerful vitality characteristic of an aura user, my magic was unmistakably telling me that the being before me was not a magical beast but… an ordinary animal.

However, rather than what we would consider an ordinary animal…

[Animal/Rabbit(Variant)]

It was classified as a variant, a unique type of creature.

※ ※ ※

Variant. This isn’t a term that encompasses an entire biological group like “magical beast” or “dragonkin,” but rather a way to describe creatures with certain characteristics.

As the name suggests, variants are mutant life forms born with features different from their original form…

The most representative variant I know is the Blood Saurus variant, which existed before evolving into the independent species known as Chompantlus.

In reality, albinos or six-fingered beings would typically be considered variants, and such variants are usually stronger than their original species.

Or more precisely, variants that survive tend to be stronger than their original counterparts.

Unlike the original species optimized for survival in their environment, most variants are born with one or more disadvantageous traits for survival competition, which is why most variants die before reaching adulthood, let alone maturity.

However, if there are individuals who overcome these disadvantages and establish themselves, they must possess “something” that compensates for their disadvantages…

Consequently, the perception that variants are strong is a classic case of survivorship bias.

Thus, mutations that occur, whether magical or scientific, are all called variants, and the rabbit before me is probably a variant of the rabbit family.

‘….’

Of course, this raises the question of why he’s classified as an animal rather than a magical beast, but thinking about it carefully, this was somewhat understandable.

A magical beast is, after all, an animal with “magical special abilities originating from innate factors.” That’s why griffins, who are non-human aura awakeners at the species level, are magical beasts, while this rabbit Lancelot…

‘…He awakened his aura through self-training?’

It’s hard to believe, but perhaps he awakened his aura and reached the intermediate level purely through physical training, without any species-related advantages.

Anyway, as I looked at the rabbit knight before me, I felt a certain desire bubbling up inside me.

Not a biological desire, but one stemming from social experience.

If I had to explain it, it would be like a professor’s desire to recruit a promising talent—like eyeing a potential graduate student with a keen gaze.

From becoming intermediate-ranked with no foundation through his own efforts, to the fact that based on his life force, he hadn’t awakened his aura very long ago.

And even more, the fact that he could form an animal friend contract because he wasn’t human.

‘…Should I entrust him to Gatrang?’

Facing this rabbit knight who had made me seriously consider such a thing, I tried to maintain a calm exterior as I spoke.

“Sir Lancelot, I’d like to make a proposal to someone with your bright future. Would you consider becoming my knight?”

[…Pardon?]

Having moved the conversation to the next phase with my recruitment proposal, everything I said afterward was aimed at persuading Sir Lancelot to join me as a companion.

That I personally owned a manor and would eventually inherit the position of forest administrator, giving me a status equivalent to a territorial noble (lord).

That I currently governed a separate manor where there was a veteran knight who had formed a vassal contract with me and could provide instruction in swordsmanship.

My current status (advanced rank) and the various benefits an animal friend contract could bring to Lancelot.

Furthermore, that I could provide magical equipment with magical effects—precious items that money alone couldn’t easily buy.

Prepared to form a vassal contract if an animal friend contract wasn’t possible, I laid out all the benefits I could offer to this rabbit knight, Sir Lancelot.

Now all that remained was to wait for ‘Sir Lancelot’s’ response.