The Symbiotic Relationship Between The Rabbit And The Black Panther [EN]: Chapter 27

The Symbiotic Relationship Between a Rabbit and a Black Panther 27

As Ahin entered the inn, he removed his silk hat and tidied his slightly disheveled hair, then looked up at the sunset-colored sky.

He had visited several merchant guilds in the Endelus region, but none dealt in drugs. Whether they were feigning ignorance or using separate carriers, information was scarce. Unable to stay away from the inn for too long, he returned before nightfall.

“Ahin.”

Crossing the garden lined with red lanterns, he turned at Ivelin’s call. She hesitated before speaking.

“…Are you planning to keep Rabbit?”

“Why the sudden question?”

“He’s not just a beastman, you know. He’s not a mindless pet.”

Turning to face her fully, Ahin met Ivelin’s calm gaze. Her expression was as neutral as ever, but he detected a subtle concern in her tone.

Ivelin didn’t easily open her heart to others, but the little rabbit seemed to have softened her. She even came to tease Bibi every evening, something she usually skipped. Ahin saw what Ivelin was trying to say, a slight curve forming in his eyes.

This was a matter of life and death for Bibi.

Moreover, the incident with the wolf in the mansion confirmed that the black panther’s territory wasn’t a safe place for a rabbit.

Therefore, if Bibi wasn’t just a pet, wouldn’t it be better to return him to his original territory, where there would be less conflict? That was the implication of her words.

“This place is where the weak die, remember?” Ahin said, a corner of his lip lifting. The red lanterns cast a sinister, yet dangerous, light on his face, creating a dualistic impression.

“And you were the one who advised me to use anything useful to the fullest.”

Ahin vaguely explained, placing the silk hat on Ivelin’s head.

She frowned, removing the hat that obscured her vision. Ultimately, it meant the rabbit was useful to Ahin, but she wished he would explain how. Knowing her wishes, Ahin ignored them and stroked his chin with dissatisfaction.

“Ivelin, I’ve been with Bibi for months now…”

“Yes.”

“He seems excessively afraid of me.”

It was amusing when the rabbit struggled, but seeing his terrified expression in human form made him feel strange.

“Rabbit…” Ivelin recalled the past.

Ahin putting the rabbit on a plate on the table. Ahin handing the rabbit to the chef. Ahin trying to put the rabbit on Ash, and so on.

“To be precise, I think he hates you.”

“Ah.”

Ahin, understanding, nodded. ‘So, that face Bibi made was a look of disgust.’ The faint smile vanished from his face.

Thinking he was easily convinced, Ivelin added calmly, “Since you are so mischievous, he relies on me a lot.”

“That’s a misunderstanding.”

“It can’t be.”

“It is a misunderstanding.”

In the midst of their strange war of nerves, a man in a servant’s uniform hurried past, panting.

Ivelin, watching him go, placed a hand on her chest.

“Rabbit often speaks with his eyes. A strong affection for cherishing this Ivelin. You can tell by the burning gaze.”

“More like wanting to get rid of you intensely.”

Whirr, a strange footstep sounded. Before they could check, a tiny animal darted past. A large lion ran after it, and a black panther closely pursued the lion.

Ahin stared at the animals’ retreating backs and muttered, “…I think I just saw something strange.”

“You witnessed a baby rabbit running away, a lion chasing behind, and a black panther chasing the lion.”

“That rabbit looked like Bibi.”

“The black panther resembles Ash.”

“Then what about the lion?”

“Well…” Ivelin joked, looking at the distant animals, “Perhaps they’re running an animal farm nearby.”

Seeing his stiff expression despite her relaxed words, Ahin clenched and unclenched his fist. A bad feeling bloomed from his toes.

“That way!”

“Damn it, hurry! We might miss them!”

Following the shouts, the escort knights and Restin also rushed through the inn entrance. A heavy silence fell over Ahin and Ivelin.

Exchanging a look, the two beastmen sprinted as if on cue.

* * *

The fear-stricken consciousness gradually returned. As I ran, I spotted the back of the employee who had run away when Roon transformed into a lion.

‘Surely…’ The moment that person sprinkled the gray powder, Roon transformed. There was no other reason for him to undo his human form during the battle. The drug related to pheromones flashed through my mind.

‘Is it possible to forcibly undo humanization?’

Roon inherited the bloodline of the lion territory’s leader, so his pheromones would be far superior to ordinary beastmen. It shouldn’t be easy to influence someone like that.

Concluding that I couldn’t handle it alone, I turned my head.

‘Ack!’ I mechanically fixed my gaze forward. The lion had already caught up and was running towards me.

Oh, my god. Even knowing the lion was Roon, it was still terrifying enough to make me faint. His head was huge.

Moreover, even Ash, who followed behind, looked fierce.

Beasts look the scariest when they run.

The scenery blurred. The employee running between the red buildings looked like a mirage.

I was out of breath and my feet ached. Cursing my uncooperative legs, I realized these days were precarious in a different way than those at the Rabian estate.

Fangs and claws that could tear a body apart in an instant. The bloody scenes and fishy smell of blood, the corpses with their heads cut off, that I had encountered several times.

‘…Scary.’

Scary, scary. It was like running alone in endless darkness, and that desolate path seemed like it would shatter like glass.

* * *

It didn’t take long for Ahin and Ivelin to catch up with the escort knights and Restin. According to their account, Bibi, Roon, and Ash were talking on the terrace when a commotion broke out. When they checked, Roon was in lion form, and Bibi was chasing after an employee.

‘More like scared of the lion,’ Ahin chuckled, not slowing down. There was no way that cowardly rabbit would calmly stay still after seeing a lion.

“Restin, we definitely requested support from the Grace family.”

Ahin’s quiet remark, “Why are you here instead of a member of the family,” made Restin tremble slightly.

It wasn’t like Restin wanted to come.

When the request for support came up at the alliance meeting, Roon suddenly raised his hand. Restin, his aide, was embarrassed by Roon’s unusual behavior, as he usually just slept.

No one could object to the claim that the lion clan also had the right to be involved in the drug case in Endelus.

Therefore, he had come with Roon almost forcibly.

Ahin thought, ‘I wish I knew why the higher-ups were personally investigating instead of sending subordinates. Was it like a tank, charging in like a high-ranking beast?’

Hiding his frustration, he watched Ahin’s expression.

“The drug case is a matter that requires mutual cooperation…”

“So, Lord Manyantz personally came all the way here?”

“Yes…”

“That Lord Manyantz?”

“Y-yes…”

‘I also wonder why that lazy bum is doing this.’ Restin swallowed his resentment, not adding the rest of his words.

When Roon arrived in Endelus, he showed interest in a strange rabbit, let alone drugs. The fact that it was Ahin Grace’s pet rabbit added to Restin’s anxiety.

“By the way, why did Lord Roon undo his humanization? Who is the employee?” Ivelin asked. The escort knights and Restin exchanged glances. If they knew, they wouldn’t be frustrated; they were just chasing after them.

“Ash.”

Ahin stopped, spotting Ash looking around near the alley. He seemed to have lost Bibi and Roon.

He perked up his sense of smell, but it was difficult to track the scent due to Endelus’s unique fragrance.

Ahin combined the information: the employee in the servant’s uniform who disappeared, and Roon who suddenly turned into a lion.

“There must be a reason why Lord Manyantz transformed unless he was bored. For example, he came into contact with a drug related to pheromones.”

“Are you talking about drugs?”

“…Or he might have been bored.”

“Someone who is that bored… No, the possibility is high enough.”

Restin, taking a breath, didn’t defend Roon. Since he wasn’t the next head of the Manyantz family, he just thought of Roon’s usual lazy self and felt frustrated.

Ahin, leaving behind Restin, gave a short instruction. The escort knights and Ash to the right, Ivelin to the left, Restin to the opposite alley.

“Where will you go, Ahin?”

Ahin immediately stepped forward, not even listening for an answer.

Restin stared at his hasty back, opening and closing his mouth. He, who was always relaxed, seemed particularly anxious today.

* * *

The passing scenery was very different from the Grace family’s city.

Red lanterns hung on every curved building, and it was filled with the pungent fragrance I smelled at the inn.

While running blindly, even when my feet hit the stones, I came to my senses when I realized I had entered a deserted alley.

I stopped abruptly and looked around. The employee had disappeared. Gasping for breath, I was overcome with self-reproach and regret.

I ran to a place I didn’t even know because I couldn’t overcome my fear.

I was well aware of my situation, where it was difficult to even save my own life without Ahin.

Determined to return to the inn somehow, I stiffened at the sound of a beast roaring behind me.

‘…Let’s calm down.’

Who am I? I was a brave rabbit who had cultivated immunity to beasts by engaging in several staring contests with Ash.

‘That’s Roon.’

Rather, it’s fortunate that he chased me all the way here. Hypnotizing myself, I widened my eyes and turned around.

The lion that appeared was facing the sunset, creating the illusion that his mane was burning.

I couldn’t help but collapse at the majesty I felt just by standing still. That handful of courage disappeared.

As I lay flat on the ground in a position close to surrender, Roon slowly approached. Following him, he lay down and snorted. It felt like he was telling me to praise his hard work.

‘This is all because of whom.’

Such an arrogant beast. As I gritted my teeth, my eyes widened as a shadow fell behind Roon.

‘Ahin!’

Ahin, who I didn’t know had caught up, was breathing shallowly. His silver hair was sticking up, and he irritably loosened his cravat.

As I blankly looked up at him, I felt a throbbing sensation near my chest.

The temple, the ball, the attack by the wolf beastman. And now.

Ahin’s presence gave me an indescribable sense of relief, even though I hated it.

“I finally caught you.” Ahin’s expression hardened as he picked me up.

Before I could be puzzled, my body was flipped in the air. A stinging pain occurred the moment his hand touched my front paws.

“You’re hurt.” Only after seeing the bloodied feet did I remember they had been scraped by the stones. Moreover, both front paws were scraped.

My precious front paws….

With a heavy heart, I looked back and forth between my paws and subtly examined Ahin’s expression. His usually smiling face was frighteningly stern.

“Why did you run until you were in this state?”

I glanced at Ahin, who was reproaching me, and suddenly recalled the scene where Ash’s injuries had disappeared in an instant.

Could that have been Ahin’s ability? Hesitantly, I stretched out my injured front paw.

‘Heal me.’

Like before. As I brazenly waited, Ahin blinked as if trying to understand my meaning. After a moment of silence, he relaxed his expression and creased his eyes into crescents.

“I’ll heal you when we get back. And,”

‘And?’

“If you keep acting like this, I’ll lock you in my pocket forever.”

Why would he suddenly say something like that? It was a joke, but it sent a chill down my spine.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen you in your true form, Sir Manients.”

Holding the trembling me in one hand, Ahin bent down and abruptly grabbed Roon’s mane.

“I didn’t know you had a hobby of playing tag with rabbits.”

His voice was quite cold compared to his calm tone.

Roon then gave a wronged look. It wasn’t his intention; he had been transformed after being hit by the gray powder.

Perhaps to explain this fact, Roon desperately shook his front paws. Watching his strange movements, Ahin lowered his eyes halfway and murmured.

“So, he’s finally gone crazy.”

Roon, treated like a madman, roared and rolled on the floor. He pounded his chest with his front paws in frustration, and I felt a strange mix of fear and pity for the loud lion.

‘I know that feeling well….’

Was it more empathy than pity? As I stared at him with sympathy, I suddenly felt a strange sense of unease.

I quickly averted my gaze from the lion and checked on Ahin, making a dumbfounded expression.

His eyes were a deep blue, not red. It was dark outside because the sun had set, but it wasn’t so dark that I couldn’t tell the difference.

‘Ahin’s eyes?’

Could my eyesight be failing me? Before I could panic, Ahin suddenly stuffed me into his pocket.

I struggled, suffocating, and poked my head out.

In my regained vision, several beastmen with weapons surrounded us.

At least a dozen of them. The glint of the blades in their hands made me quickly duck back down, revealing only my eyes.

Where did these guys come from? As I rolled my eyes, I spotted a man in a waiter’s uniform among them.

‘That…!’

My gaze met Roon’s in the air. That man must have brought the others.

The waiter, sensing our gaze, whispered something into the ear of a burly man next to him.

The man bent down to listen, his eyes widening in disbelief.

“…Just inhaling it made him revert to his original form?”

The other beastmen’s gazes also focused on the lion. There was a stir, as if Roon’s case was unusual.

“Hey.”

Someone’s well-honed sword was pointed at Ahin’s neck.

“You’ll have to come with us.”

Why did he have to threaten the crazy black panther first? Foreseeing the bloodshed that would follow, I anxiously watched Ahin.

As I stared at his inscrutable expression, a realization dawned on me.

If a battle broke out here and I was exposed to pheromones.

‘The jacket pocket will burst open.’

I swallowed, my mouth as dry as sand. The man, seeing Ahin’s lack of reaction, pressed the sword closer and glared.

“Judging by your eyes, you’re either a raccoon or a cat. It’s best not to resist clumsily.”

The man’s expression became even more triumphant, having determined that Ahin wasn’t a particularly strong beastman. After all, the beastmen surrounding them all looked like predators. They also had a significant numerical advantage.

After a moment of silence, Ahin wiped his eyes with his index finger and raised both hands. It was as if he was surrendering.

“Please, spare me.”

“…….”

“Please.”

His words were wooden and didn’t sound even remotely desperate. However, his eyes were incredibly pitiful.

“First….”

The man, eyeing Ahin suspiciously, tied his wrists with rope.

“We’re going back to the guild. Tie up the lion too.”

Roon also surrendered meekly to the beastmen who were tying him up.

Observing the strangely unfolding situation, I soon realized what the two were planning.

They had come to Endelus to investigate the drug, and these people were likely connected to the clues. So, following them was a golden opportunity to reach their base.

‘Bibi, Evlyn will be waiting just around the corner after you turn [transform back into a human].’

Ahin’s whisper reached my ears from deep inside the pocket.

‘In situations like this, she hides in a safe place first.’

It was indeed a plausible statement.

Just then, Roon, tied with ropes, roared and tried to resist with exaggerated gestures. In the moment everyone’s attention was diverted, Ahin took me out with his bound hands and placed me on the floor.

I looked up at him, who was gently nudging my butt with his toes, with a determined look. I didn’t forget to show my support with my front paws.

‘Good luck.’

I didn’t want to risk following them.

With Evlyn’s words, “Whack, swish, pow” to end the battle, and with Roon and Ahin together, there was no need to worry much.

I turned away from Ahin, who was chuckling softly, and immediately sprang into action.

As I frantically moved my legs, I frowned with a strange feeling. Why couldn’t I move forward even though I was running so hard? Come to think of it, it felt like someone was grabbing the back of my neck.

I looked up and saw a man who looked even more menacing than a gorilla holding me.

“We’re taking the rabbit too.”

Ah.

Horrified, I instantly used my wit and kicked the man’s finger hard.

His face twisted in a fierce grimace, probably because it hurt quite a bit. Unfortunately, he didn’t let go of the back of my neck.

“…That’s no ordinary rabbit. Lil, tie up the rabbit too.”

The man’s companion, who had been watching, clicked his tongue.

“No, I’ll take care of it myself.”

Fortunately, I wasn’t wrapped head-to-toe in rope.

The man who was holding me was surprisingly sensitive. He stroked my head with his pot-lid-like hands, blushed shyly when others weren’t looking, and seemed more upset about my bloodied front paws than I was.

It was nice to be treated so carefully, but it was also a very awkward feeling. Just based on his appearance, it wouldn’t be strange at all if he were a gorilla beastman.

As I ignored the man, my eyes met Ahin’s, who was watching us closely. He was making a strange expression, as if he had forgotten his role as the kidnapped one.

It looked like the corners of his mouth were twitching. In the end, Ahin turned his head away the moment the man said in a lisp,

“Baby, look over here.”

His shoulders were trembling slightly, so he must have been laughing.

‘…I knew it.’

He always finds it funniest when I’m suffering. The beastmen who were taking Ahin away shook their heads.

They must have thought he was crazy. I’m also curious how long he plans to be crazy. As I sympathized with their feelings, my vision was soon blocked by the man’s hand.

They carefully blindfolded Ahin, Roon, and even me before entering an unknown building.

“Where is the guild master?”

“They said he’s away. Just lock them up for now.”

“That lion… as a member of the lion clan, he must have quite a bit of strength.”

“Didn’t he end up like that from just one dose of the drug? Not all lions are strong.”

Roon’s nostrils flared at being treated as weak. After a brief conversation, they pushed us into a place with a musty smell.

The man who had placed me on the old floor hesitated.

“Eat this while you’re here.”

He bent down and offered me a whole, large carrot. Then, the man’s companion urged him in an annoyed voice.

“Seriously, you still can’t resist small animals. Lil, hurry up and close the door.”

In the end, he sighed with concern and turned to grab the doorknob. The eyes that were visible through the closing door flickered pathetically.

* * *

Bang, the door closed, completely blocking out the outside noise. Compared to the shabby interior, the door was a solid, iron type. It felt like a warehouse.

‘…I can’t eat these yet.’

The reddish-orange carrot that the man had given me caught my eye. Kong [onomatopoeia for a light thud], I carelessly rolled it, then suddenly lost my balance and fell over.

At the same time, a whistling sound echoed from the corner of the warehouse. It was the sound of Ahin and Roon, who were tied up, chuckling.

Embarrassed, I got up and took a seat in a secluded corner of the warehouse. And, with only half of my body exposed from behind a box, I watched the two beastmen.

When Roon was in human form, he was so innocent that he could transform even his lifeless eyes into eyes with a story. But his true form was truly hideous. The expression ‘a head the size of a bucket’ wasn’t enough to describe it.

‘I can’t be friends with him either.’

Ahin, who had been smirking at my wariness, soon turned his gaze to Roon. His blue eyes, relying on the lamplight for visibility, were tinged with a strange color.

“Sir Manients, can’t you turn back into a human?”

Roon, with all four paws tied, only nodded. It seemed he couldn’t control his transformation due to the gray powder.

“What a useless bastard.”

Roon, having heard the quiet murmur, cried and twisted his body with all his might.

“Stupid lion.”

Ahin, seizing the opportunity, threw all sorts of insults and wore a mischievous smile. Because both of his legs were tied, Roon gnashed his teeth and struggled.

He was the heir to the lion clan, yet he was being treated like this. I suddenly felt sorry for his disheveled mane.

After mocking him to his heart’s content, Ahin began to twist his bound wrists. Before long, he had freed the rope from his wrists and brought his hands to his ankles.

“It’s so sloppy.”

As he untied all the ropes that were hindering his movements, Roon snorted. Ignoring his request to be untied as well, Ahin came towards me and picked me up by the scruff of my neck.

His face came closer, as if to check my injured front paws. I couldn’t read his thoughts at all from his dry expression.

His beautiful face was so close that I averted my gaze, then quickly turned back to face him. Unlike his red eyes, which sometimes looked sharp, Ahin’s blue eyes had a calmer atmosphere.

How did his eye color change anyway? As I stared intently, Ahin, noticing my deep question, tapped his eyes.

“A drug made by the raccoon clan. It’ll be back to normal in a few hours.”

According to a passage I read in “Pheromone Theory,” the raccoon clan mainly possesses pheromones that alter appearance. They use them to develop unique tools and new drugs.

It’s so rare that you can’t even buy it with a few gold coins, but I never thought I’d see someone change their eye color in person. As I stood there dumbfounded, Ahin gently scratched my chin and added.

“The black panther clan, with their strong pheromones, are heavily guarded against.”

It seemed he was using a disguise to investigate Endelus, which was mixed with various clans.

After explaining briefly, Ahin continued to stroke the area around my injured front paws. Feeling awkward for no reason, I quietly pulled my front paws away from his hand.

What on earth is he thinking behind that harmless face? Even though he saw me transform into a human, Ahin’s attitude hadn’t changed much.

Due to the series of events, we hadn’t even had a chance to talk about what happened back then. Noticing my hesitant attitude, his eyes darkened for a moment.

“Bibi.”

The moment his lips parted, Roon howled so loudly that my ears rang. It seemed he hadn’t given up on his request to be untied.

“How annoying.”

In the end, Ahin put me down on the floor and approached Roon, tapping his cheek. After dodging his attempt to bite his hand, he began to untie the ropes.

Suddenly faced with the lion’s fangs, I crouched down and felt a tingling sensation on my nose. With an ominous feeling, I turned my front paws over and saw gray powder on the floor.

It was definitely the same color powder that the waiter had. As soon as I recognized it, my nose began to itch.

“Bibi. Evlyn should be following us, so join her before it gets dangerous,”

Achoo, Ahin stopped speaking at the sound of my sneeze and turned to look at me. I quickly moved my nose away from my front paws, but I continued to cough.

‘I, I can’t stop.’

If it was a drug related to pheromones, it was likely to have a negative effect on me as well. It had even turned Roon back into his original form in an instant. A chilling foreign sensation washed over my entire body.

* * *