The Symbiotic Relationship Between The Rabbit And The Black Panther [EN]: Chapter 16

Rabbit and Black Panther Symbiosis 16

Just before the territory border security was reinforced, as the sunset painted the sky, rabbit beastkins, their identities concealed by black masks, entered the Black Panther territory.

Walking through the dense forest, they exchanged furtive glances. On the side of the path, bones, presumed to belong to beastkins, were scattered.

‘This is….’

The leader, who was guiding the rabbit beastkins, frowned. Not long ago, even the investigators sent by the Rabian family twice had not returned. It seemed they had been hunted by the black panthers here.

‘Strange.’

The leader’s eyes narrowed with doubt as he examined the bone fragments. They shouldn’t have been easily hunted by a few black panthers. Moreover, confirming the life or death of just one rabbit was taking an unusually long time.

“You’ve crossed the border again without permission.”

At the sudden voice from behind, the rabbit beastkins quickly turned their heads. There stood Ahin and Ivelin, along with several black panthers.

“Who are you!”

“I’d like to ask you that.”

The rabbit beastkins’ eyes widened slightly as they faced Ahin, with his striking appearance. Just looking at the red eyes of the two men and the surrounding black panthers, it was clear they were from the Black Panther clan. Moreover, the fact that they hadn’t sensed their presence until they spoke meant they were quite skilled.

‘Could it be.’

The leader swallowed hard, his gaze falling on the bone fragments. If the bones of the beastkins were the work of those black panther clansmen, a cold tension ran down his spine. He subtly scanned the swords hanging at Ahin and Ivelin’s waists.

“…It’s none of your concern,”

“Looking for a rabbit?”

Ahin’s question, cutting him off, made the leader’s shoulders flinch.

“I picked it up.”

*Picked it up.* A sense of despair washed over the rabbit beastkins. The Rabian family wanted the rabbit killed, but this meant it was alive and well.

Perhaps sensing their anxiety, the black panthers beside Ahin and Ivelin bared their fangs.

“Are you going to take it back?”

Ahin, stopping the growling black panthers, smiled faintly. Because that smile didn’t feel very kind, one of the rabbit beastkins, clinging to a sliver of hope, opened his mouth.

“If you are protecting it, we would like to…”

“Look at you lot; you’re no different from common poachers. We cannot hand over Rabbit-nim [term of endearment] to suspicious people like you. Now, Rabbit-nim has completely adapted as Ahin-nim’s emergency rations, so give up.”

Due to Ivelin’s sudden outburst, a chilling silence hung in the air. Despite the bizarre content, his expression was utterly serious.

‘Rabbit-nim…?’

‘Emergency rations?’

It was a title the rabbit beastkins were encountering for the first time. Moreover, emergency rations? It took the leader some time to process his words, and he asked, bewildered.

“Emergency… no, then the rabbit’s life or death….”

“Do not speak of death so carelessly. Even today, he started the morning energetically by kicking this Ivelin with his hind legs.”

To claim to be emergency rations, but then say not to ask about the possibility of death, what kind of logic was that?

The rabbit beastkins, bewildered, opened their mouths slightly. As the atmosphere grew increasingly strange, Ahin clicked his tongue and turned to look at Ivelin.

“Ivelin, what exactly are you trying to say?”

He asked the desperate question that the rabbit beastkins wanted to ask. Nevertheless, Ivelin, not losing his cold expression, put his hands behind his back.

“I couldn’t bear the thought of those daring to covet Rabbit-nim, who is Ahin-nim’s emergency rations.”

“Too many unnecessary words mixed in.”

“Who knows? Maybe those guys are planning to kidnap Rabbit-nim.”

“They came to kill him, that’s why they’re here.”

The conversation was too eerie to be taken as a joke. While Ahin and Ivelin were in the midst of their debate, the rabbit beastkins, having confirmed the rabbit’s well-being, exchanged glances.

‘…Leader, what should we do?’

‘We retreat for now.’

‘Even after coming this far?’

‘Judging by the fact that we don’t sense a clear presence from them, they are quite skilled. We will flee into the territory, so prepare to scatter.’

‘Indeed. That strange conversation is likely a ploy to induce carelessness.’

It was impossible to snatch the rabbit, who wasn’t immediately visible, and it was better to return to the Rabian family and report this fact. As the rabbit beastkins, having assessed the escape route, turned their bodies, a strange pheromone washed over them.

“Kuh-erk!”

It felt as if their entire bodies were drooping like cotton soaked in water. Realizing it was a beast’s pheromone, they immediately tried to counteract it with their own, but it was not enough.

“Kuh,”

Their actions were already out of control. Due to the ability that had instantly invaded their bodies, one by one, they collapsed to the ground.

“Heo-eok.”

In the end, one of the rabbit beastkins, unable to withstand the strong pheromones, rolled his eyes and fainted. Ahin, watching them crawling on the ground, nodded to the black panthers.

“Eat them.”

As soon as the order was given, the black panthers bared their sharp teeth and rushed in.

“Aaaaaaah!”

“Keok!”

The scent of blood spread thickly through the forest. Ahin, ignoring the merciless hunt, took out the sword from his waist. Then, approaching the leader who was giving instructions at the front, he slowly pointed his sword.

“I have a few questions. Are you planning to take the rabbit again?”

“Th-…”

The leader’s voice trembled as he faced the threatening blade. He couldn’t even move his body; it felt like his neck would be severed at any moment.

“Ah, it doesn’t matter since it fell into my hands anyway.”

Ahin, looking back towards the mansion, raised the corners of his lips. Ivelin, noticing that it was the dark-hearted smile he occasionally wore, advised.

“Ahin-nim, you have an expression no different from a villain.”

“Shut up.”

“Yes.”

Ahin, silencing the mouth that was constantly chattering, looked back at the slumped leader. He seemed to be on the verge of foaming at the mouth, perhaps because he had been exposed to too much pheromone. Lowering the intensity of the injected pheromone, the leader finally gasped for breath.

“Heo-eok, heok,”

“I want to ask you about that rabbit.”

“Wh-what….”

“Its identity, it’s not an ordinary rabbit, is it? First of all, is it a beastkin?”

*Swoosh*, the tip of the moving sword pulled down the mask concealing the leader’s identity. Even though the cold air touched his exposed face, he kept moving his lips. As the hesitating time grew longer, Ahin let out a regretful breath.

“If you don’t want to talk, I can’t help it.”

In an instant, the sword pierced the leader’s thigh. As a sudden, terrible pain surged, he writhed with a scream.

“Aaaaaaah!”

“It seems like people like you will cross the border again next time, so I’ll ask then.”

*Swoosh*, the sword blade that had been pulled out of his thigh was raised high. The blood that flowed down the sword dripped onto the leader’s bare face. His reason was consumed by fear, and he blocked his arms and shouted.

“I-I’ll talk! I’ll tell you!”

The sword, which was about to come down as if to cut his head in two, stopped abruptly. The leader, looking up at the emotionless smile with fearful eyes, quickly opened his mouth.

“H… Th-that rabbit is a beastkin.”

He had been guessing, but when he received direct confirmation, the smile disappeared from Ahin’s eyes. As if urging him, the sword grazed the leader’s neck.

“Ugh,”

“It doesn’t turn into a human. Is it still a baby?”

Even as he asked, Ahin thought the question was quite ironic. The rabbit had learned not only the common language but also the knowledge necessary as a beastkin.

Moreover, when meeting Valence, it was amazing to see it using its front paws to give its own kind of greeting. The leader, watching Ahin smile again, continued to speak.

“No. I-it’s already eighteen.”

“…Eighteen?”

“It’s a freak that hasn’t undergone humanization even after the coming-of-age ceremony.”

* * *

The life of the leader, who was only making excuses that he had come to confirm his life or death, did not last long.

Due to the sword blade that cut through the air, the neck of the last surviving rabbit beastkin fell to the ground with a thud. Ahin, slowly licking the bloodstains that had splattered on the back of his hand, made a regretful sound.

“…I forgot to ask about Bibi’s family.”

Ivelin, who had been spacing out the whole time, looked surprised.

“I apologize. I was quite surprised, so I just remembered now.”

The two people’s dumbfounded eyes lingered on the leader. The corpse, which was no longer able to answer, had been transformed into food for the black panthers who had rushed in. Ahin, staring at the group of black panthers devouring it ravenously, waved his hand.

“Ash, go on, go away.”

Ash, the leader of the group, nodded. After a short time, the black panthers, having finished their feast, scattered into the forest. Ivelin, taking his eyes off their receding backs, muttered.

“Eighteen means they are the same age as me and Ahin-nim.”

Not just any rabbit, but an eighteen-year-old beastkin. Doubt settled on his red eyes as he mulled over the leader’s testimony.

“That doesn’t make sense. A beastkin who hasn’t undergone humanization even after the coming-of-age ceremony.”

“Then, is it okay for the rabbit to use the common language or read books?”

Ahin, smiling faintly, sheathed the blood-stained sword at his waist. He was too relaxed even after hearing the surprising fact. A hollow breath escaped from Ivelin, facing him.

“From the beginning, my lord, you were convinced that Rabbit-nim was a beastkin.”

“To some extent.”

“…Why did you pretend not to know when I guessed it was a different species?”

“Because it was funny to see you worrying.”

‘What a nasty hobby,’ Ivelin muttered, his expression complicated. The fact that Ahin had slept with a beastkin of the same age, even if it was a baby rabbit, felt very ambiguous.

“What on earth….”

While he was lost in his own world, Ahin sat down on a nearby rock. It was an inevitable reaction for Ivelin, who had never properly encountered Bibi’s pheromones.

“Even so, a beastkin who cannot humanize…. If it cannot become human, does that mean it has to live as a baby rabbit with reason?”

“That’s not so bad either.”

Ahin, glossing over his words, dangled his legs as if teasing.

“My lord, why?”

Ivelin, whose frustration had reached its peak, frowned openly. Then, Ahin, who had been grinning, also made a more serious expression than ever.

“Ivelin.”

“Speak.”

As if the main point was finally about to come out, the atmosphere suddenly turned chilly. Sensing this, Ivelin waited inwardly for the words to follow.

“That rabbit….”

“Yes.”

“When it sleeps, I want to devour it.”

“I see. …What did you just say?”

‘Devour,’ Ivelin’s shoulders drooped as his strength drained. Contrary to expectations, it was too absurd an assertion.

“I almost really bit it.”

“Ah, yes-…. That’s a truly amazing fact.”

Ahin, who had explained vaguely, recalled the pheromones he could feel at night. When the rabbit sleeps deeply, it emits a much stronger pheromone than when it is awake.

It was a scent that it could never have unless it was a beastkin. There had been more than one or two times when he instinctively wanted to devour it.

Also, if he guessed correctly, the pheromone ability that the rabbit possessed was the kind that could be used for a long time. It had an irreplaceable value.

‘It’s already eighteen.’

‘It’s a freak that hasn’t undergone humanization even after the coming-of-age ceremony.’

The age of eighteen was unexpected, but whatever it was, this fact was like killing two birds with one stone. If it was a rabbit that was not human and had limited range of activity, it would be easier to keep it in sight.

There were still many questionable parts, but it was a matter of finding out gradually. Ivelin, facing Ahin who was unknowingly licking his lips, urged.

“Ahin-nim, please explain in detail.”

“Too lazy.”

“You are truly petty.”

Ivelin, who would normally have replied with flattery such as, “If that is Ahin-nim’s will,” gave a rather impious answer this time because he was quite curious. Ahin, letting out a faint laugh, rubbed his fingers together and made a snapping sound.

“Looks like you want to run for a long time?”

At the same time, the black panthers he controlled reappeared, tearing through the forest again. The sight of several black beasts gathered made the air feel eerie.

“Dessert.”

As soon as the order was given, the black panthers showed a fierce momentum towards Ivelin. Undried blood dripped from their exposed teeth. Ivelin, noticing the threat, calmly responded by stretching out his arms.

“Black panthers, please calm down. I’ve been with you for quite some time, how can you be so heartless?”

“If possible, it would be nice to tear off that noisy mouth.”

“That’s the same as my life, you’re really too much.”

Ivelin, who was familiar with this situation, ran away as fast as he could. It was a quick reaction for someone who disliked having his neat black hair disheveled. Ahin waved his hand lightly, seeing off Ivelin and the black panthers who had started a game of tag.

* * *