Deep within the misty forest, a single figure was running with all its might. Her pale
blue hair blended in with the mist, but the speed at which she moved sent ripples
through the fog. Despite how lightly her hair was fluttering through the wind, her
expression was anything but light. In fact, she was crying as she ran.
It was quite easy for a young girl of five to six to get lost and eaten within the Haltina
Woods, a place considered to be a den of monsters by most men. Still, there was no
worry of this particular girl getting eaten. It was hard to tell because she was
crouching, but the girl running through the fog had a splendid pair of rabbit ears
growing out of her head. She was a member of the beastman race that inhabited these
woods— a rabbit girl.
The rabbitmen were considered the weakest of the beastmen races, but in return they
had the best sense of hearing, and were skilled at hiding themselves. Even a girl like
her had very sharp ears. Few creatures could escape the notice of a rabbitman's sense
of hearing.
And this bunny girl in particular had a special ability other rabbitmen didn't possess.
Hence why there was little chance this particular girl was in any danger of dying,
especially as she was so close to her village.
As expected, the young bunny girl safely reached her village, despite her loud wailing.
The fog began to thin out as she approached. The boundaries of her hometown were
defined by a well-kept wooden fence. It was far better maintained than most other
beastmen settlements, even those that belonged to other rabbitmen tribes. The fence
posts were close enough together that one wouldn't easily be able to peek inside, and
each of them were three meters high.
Normally most rabbitmen's only options when it came to a confrontation were to run
or to hide. Both in regards to themselves, and in regards to their villages, they rarely
focused on heavy defense. As long as it could buy them enough time to run away, and
was spaced out enough to give them a good view of the situation outside, it was a good
enough fence for them.
And yet, the fence surrounding this village was surprisingly sturdy. At first glance it
appeared quite sturdy, but a closer inspection showed that the planks used to hold the
fence posts together were surprisingly fragile. It seemed almost as if this village was
focused more on making sure their fence couldn't be seen through than creating an
adequate defensive barrier.
The young bunny girl circled around the unusual fence and went inside. The
rabbitman guarding the gate said something to her as she passed by, but she ignored
him.
Many other rabbitmen called out to her as she ran past, but she ignored them all and
headed straight for her house.
"Oh my… What's wrong, Shea? Your bunny ears are drooping." The five year old bunny
girl, Shea, looked up to see an older rabbit woman come out from inside a room. She
had the dark blue hair that was characteristic of her race, and gentle eyes that belied
a powerful will. The latter was a rarity among rabbitmen.
"Mom!" Still crying, Shea leaped into her mom, Mona Haulia's, arms with a speed that
seemed unthinkable for a five year old girl.
Mona let out a very unseemly grunt as Shea barreled into her. But Shea didn't notice,
as she was too busy wiping her eyes and nose on her mother's chest.
The rabbitmen's traditional clothing was surprisingly revealing. Women wore what
was basically nothing more than a bikini and mini-skirt. For rabbitmen, wearing heavy
clothing would only get in their way when they were trying to run. The sound of
rustling clothes would alert them to their more perceptive enemies. Because of the
perpetual fog, the temperature didn't vary much year round, and there was little point
in keeping clothes that would have to be discarded if they ever had to run.
And so, Mona's cleavage was soon smeared in tears, snot, and drool. But she didn't
seem bothered by that at all. In fact, she was currently busy coping with the pain in
her stomach and making sure she didn't throw up all over her daughter.
With tears still in her eyes, Mona gently patted Shea's back and once she'd calmed
down a little asked her what was wrong.
Shea sniffled and looked up at her mother. Instead of an answer, she replied with a
question of her own.
"Mom… Am I… a monster? Am I evil?"
"…Shea."
It was rare for a girl so young to think about such terrible things, but Mona knew about
her daughter's peculiar abilities so she could guess what must have happened.
Shea's light blue hair wasn't the only thing special about her. She also had the ability
to store and manipulate mana, something no beastman should have been able to do.
Furthermore, she was even able to use special magic of her own.
Not even humans or demons could do the last two things, which were abilities unique
to monsters. And monsters were hated by all, regardless of race or nationality.
This was why the Haulia village's fence had been made to prevent anyone from seeing
inside. Her family had done their best to try and raise her inside the village, so that no
one could find out about her existence. If anyone discovered who she was, even just
among the beastmen of Verbergen, she would surely be executed.
Had Shea not been born to a tribe of rabbitmen, who were known for valuing familial
love over all else, she would surely have been executed the moment she was born. Only
the Haulia would be willing to take such risks to protect her like they had.
But no matter how much the adults tried to protect her, there was no way a curious
young child would be satisfied living in the confines of her small village. It was only
natural for her to want to explore the outside world.
"Shea… you went out again, didn't you?"
"Uuu… I'm sorry mom. But… But…"
Shea hung her head apologetically, and Mona smiled gently. Someone must have
spotted Shea on one of her excursions.
While beastmen didn't lose their sense of direction in the fog, their vision was
hampered just like with every other race. And while Shea was curious about the
outside world, she knew how much trouble it would cause her family if anyone spotted
her. Which was why she had used her innate stealth abilities, which far surpassed
many adult rabbitmen's, to stay out of sight when she left the village.
So even if anyone had spotted her, Mona doubted they'd gotten a good look at her.
Meaning there could be only one reason Shea was crying.
"A white silhouette running through the trees. No matter how quickly you chase after
it, it vanishes like an illusion before you can catch up. It must be some kind of new
monster, or perhaps an evil spirit that has haunted the forest for centuries… Is that
what you've been hearing people say about you, with those sharp little ears of yours?"
"Mom… You knew?"
Mona nodded as she softly ruffled Shea's bunny ears. She had heard the rumors her
fellow rabbitmen had been whispering about. For now it was still nothing more than
an urban legend of sorts, the kind of thing people talked about just to have something
to talk about. There were more legends about this forest than there were trees though,
so it wasn't anything to be concerned about yet.
Though of course, Shea must have been quite shocked upon hearing them for the first
time. She'd already known that she was different from the rest of her family. And she
knew she could do the same thing monsters could. She'd avoided thinking about it as
much as possible, but it was hard not to when she heard people talking about it.
Maybe I really am something different. Maybe I really am some kind of freak that isn't
monster or beastman.
Fresh tears welled up in the corners of Shea's eyes, and she sniffled. Mona gave her
daughter a look that was equal parts kind and equal parts stern, but all of it filled with
love.
"Shea, do you hate monsters?"
"Huh? O-Of course I do!"
"Why?"
"B-Because…"
Shea couldn't understand why her mom was asking this. Does mom think I'm a monster
too? She thought sadly, her bunny ears twitching. Mona gently cupped her daughter's
cheek, and looked gently into her eyes. There was a surprising amount of weight to
her gaze.
"You're afraid because you're different from everyone else. It's scary, and lonely, and
sad. I know. But you know, Shea. Mom's jealous of you. She's jealous, and she's happy
to have such a wonderful daughter."
"Why?"
"Because if you're different from everyone else, that means you can do things no one
else can. Don't you think that's amazing?"
Mona's words made no sense to Shea, and she looked around restlessly while sky blue
tears dripped from her eyes.
"Amazing? What would you do, if you were like me, mom?"
"Fufu. Weeell, your mom's always wanted to be a hero ever since she was little."
"A-A hero?"
Mona had a surprisingly weak constitution, and was sick in bed for half of each month
usually. Shea blinked in surprise as she looked up at her mother. It was an odd thing
to say, for someone as weak as her, but then Shea nodded, thinking it was very like her
to have such a wish.
"That's right, a hero. You know, I've always wanted to be someone who could protect
their family. And not just spend all my time running away or hiding. I wanted to be the
kind of person that could stand up to anything that tried to hurt the people I love." The
rabbitmen were gentle, peace-loving people. It was rare for one to be as assertive as
Mona. However, she had too weak a constitution to become the kind of person she
wanted to. Though she had a stronger will than any of her brethren, a stronger heart
than any of her family, fate had dealt her a body that was frail even by the low
standards of her already weak race. Could anything be more ironic?
But that was precisely why she had prayed.
"I had always prayed my child would be stronger than I… And Shea, you were
everything I could have hoped for. You can't imagine how happy I am to have you as a
daughter."
"Mom…"
Mona hugged her daughter fiercely, trying to convey the depth of her happiness and
pride.
"Shea. It doesn't matter if you're a beastman, or a monster, or even a freak. They're all
just words. Only you can decide what kind of person you want to become. And all that
matters is you become that person. It's precisely because you're different from a
normal rabbitman that you can become anything your heart desires."
"...…"
Shea could see from up close just how much her mother loved her. Captivated by her
gaze, Shea stared back.
Then, like a prophet, Mona started predicting the future.
"Shea. I'm sure you'll face many hardships in the future. Far more than any normal
person would. Growing up will be hard. That's what happens when you're different
from others."
"Mom…"
Shea's rabbit ears drooped and she looked around uneasily. But that wasn't the end of
Mona's prophecy.
"But I know you have the power to overcome all of them. That's why, Shea, never hate
yourself. Stay bright, stay cheerful. Blow away all those nasty things with a smile. Puff
out your chest with pride, 'I'm Shea Haulia, got a problem with that!?' As long as you
still love yourself, everything will turn out okay."
"Everything?"
"Yep, everything."
"Okay, I'll try."
"Fufu, what a good girl you are."
Her unnaturally bright hair bobbed up and down as she nodded. She decided first
she'd start by trying to love the color of her hair.
Mona's serious gaze vanished, and she smiled playfully.
"Oh yes, mom has one more prediction for you."
"?"
"One day, I'm sure you'll meet some wonderful people. It's possible they won't be
rabbitmen, or even beastmen. They might not even be from this forest… but they'll be
different, just like you, Shea."
"Just like me?"
"Yep. I'm sure you'll meet them eventually." She can't see the future like me, so why is
she so sure? Shea tilted her rabbit ears to the side quizzically.
"After all, it'd be too sad… if you were the only one of your kind in the world. The world
can be a cruel place, but it can also be a kind one. That's why, I'm sure you'll meet them
one day, Shea. People you can trust to have your back, and who will trust you to have
theirs."
"Are there really people like that outside the forest?"
"There are, I'm sure of it. Fufu. Who knows, maybe one of them will end up being your
husband."
"Fweh!? M-M-M-M-My husband!?"
"Yep, and there'll be a girl you'll fight with over who gets him that'll come to be your
best friend!"
"Fight with!?"
Mona looked like she was really enjoying herself now. The young and impressionable
Shea drunk in every word of her mother's prophecy.
She had long since forgotten her sadness at being called a monster, and talked happily
with her mom. Then Cam, who'd just returned from gathering food, and all the other
Haulia who'd seen her run past came into the house and started teasing her about her
future husband.
Cam looked a little disappointed upon hearing that Shea was already going to be
married, but both Mona and Shea ignored him. No one could have foreseen that her
supposed future husband would go on to turn the Haulia into a race of bloodthirsty
raiders. Not even Mona could see the future that accurately.
"Mmmmm…" A single girl's yawn vanished into the general tumult of the busy inn. She
stretched and opened her eyes.
"Mmm, it's morning already?"
"More like it's past noon already. Just how much longer were you planning on sleeping,
you airheaded rabbit?"
Those words instantly brought Shea to alertness, and her bunny ears perked up
sharply.
She looked around and saw Hajime sitting by the window, polishing his revolver and
staring at Shea with a look of disdain.
"Huh? What are you doing here, Hajime-san? Wait, don't tell me you snuck in here to—
Abweh!?"
"I just said it's past noon. Yue left to go shopping ages ago. We promised to go together
but you wouldn't wake up even after I tried shocking you so she left by herself."
"I-I see. Sorry. I'll get ready and then we can go catch up to her… Wait, so then why did
you stay behind in my room?"
Her bunny ears tilted quizzically. Shea had thought Hajime would have gone with Yue.
Hajime grimaced and muttered "I'm… not good at dealing with that monster of a
clothing store owner."
The clothing store owner that Hajime and the others had traveled back to Brooke with
seemed to put him on edge. He was so unwilling to meet with him that he'd even
turned down a date with Yue.
Shea smiled awkwardly and replied, "He's a nice guy once you get to know him,
though." The way Hajime had said "monster" bothered her a little. Probably because
of the dream she'd just had.
"What's wrong, Shea?"
"Huh?"
Before she knew it, Hajime was staring intently at her. He must have somehow sensed
her discomfort. Though she was happy he'd noticed, she wasn't sure how to respond.
Before she could think of what to say, Hajime answered for her.
"Is it something to do with your mom?"
"Huh!?"
"Do you have a mind reading skill too or something!?" Shea asked, amazed. Her bunny
ears flattened in shock, and she brought her hands up to the voluptuous chest she'd
inherited from her mother.
"Nope. You were just muttering 'mom' a lot in your sleep."
"Oh… I see. Ahaha, how embarrassing. I can't believe I'm still doing stuff like that even
at this age."
Shea scratched her head in embarrassment, but Hajime didn't buy it and kept staring
at her with the same intensity. Finally, it seemed he'd realized something and shrugged
his shoulders dismissively.
"Well, it didn't look like you were having a nightmare at least." Shea's heart skipped a
beat as she realized he must have been worried about her in his own classic way. She
hadn't told either Hajime or Yue about Mona. It wasn't like she was trying to hide it,
there just had never been a chance to bring it up. Hajime himself had guessed what
must have happened to her considering that she hadn't been anywhere among the
Haulia, and that Shea never talked about her. He thought it was a topic she preferred
to avoid.
He was far more considerate of her now that they'd cleared a labyrinth together. Shea's
ears and tail flapped about happily.
"Yes, it was a very nostalgic dream. My mother died ten years ago from an illness. Her
constitution had always been weak, and after she gave birth to me the doctors said it
would be a miracle if she lasted another ten years even."
"Really?"
"Yes. Don't worry, she didn't die when we were being chased by the empire, and I was
at least able to say my farewells to her, so it's not like you need to take any extra care
not to mention her or anything."
"Who said I was?"
Hajime turned around sulkily. Shea followed up with a "Someone's not being honest
with themselves~ Hehe," to which Hajime responded with a flick to the forehead. Shea
rubbed at the red mark that had appeared on her forehead before continuing
cheerfully.
"I was actually thinking of telling you and Yue about my mom sometime soon. Would
you like to hear about her?"
She wore the same expression she had when she'd told Hajime there were some
futures you couldn't change no matter how hard you tried. Perhaps she had been
thinking about what had happened to her mom when she said that. Though this time,
there was a hint of pride mixed into her voice as well. Hajime could tell just how much
pride Shea must have had in her mother.
"Go ahead. I'm tired enough to sleep through a whole barrage of electric shocks. So
since we'll be staying in here a while longer, I might as well hear some stories about
your mom to pass the time."
"Ehehe, okay."
Her ears flopped about happily. Hajime found them rather charming, and stretched
out his hand to scratch them. Obviously there was no deeper meaning behind that
action, he just wanted to know what they felt like. But at that moment,
"No flirting."
"Oh, Yue. What're you doing there?"
"Wawawah. You scared me for a second, Yue-san."
Yue's emotionless face was glaring at them through the open window. The bags in her
hand indicated that she'd finished shopping, and had returned to invite Hajime and
Shea to go out with her.
Hajime leaped out the window. Shea quickly got dressed herself and followed after the
two.
The warm rays of the sun, something she'd seen little of in the sea of trees, shone down
on her as she watched crowds of adventurers and merchants and craftsmen go about
their business. Shea closed her eyes happily and skipped lightly through the street.
Many sad things had happened in her life. Most of them had been things she couldn't
change. She'd lost many things important to her. But just like her mom had said, Shea
had met them. And that meeting had saved her family. That meeting had led her out
into the sunlight. And now, all of Mona's family had become the kind of determined
fighters she'd wanted to be herself.
"You can become anything your heart desires." Mona's words echoed through Shea's
mind. "Do you hate monsters?" Nope, definitely not. Shea could say that with certainty
now.
"Hajime-san, Yue-san."
Because next to her were her two favorite people in the world.
"Yeah?" "…Hm?" Hajime and Yue turned around and exclaimed simultaneously. Shea
smiled, then said the following.
"I'm glad I was born a monster."
She smiled, content with who she was.
Hajime and Yue looked at her blankly for a moment. They exchanged a brief glance
before smiling back at her. She couldn't tell if it was an exasperated smile or a happy
one. Regardless, this is what they said to her:
"Stop talking nonsense and get over here, you troublesome rabbit. If you lag too far
behind, you'll get a crowd of people begging you to be their slave again."
"…Yeah. Come closer. I don't want to have to go looking for you if you get lost."
Not exactly words of encouragement. But their expressions were gentle. Shea knew
that even if they didn't say it out loud, they treated her like a member of their family
now.
Her rabbit ears twitched merrily.
"I'm coming, I'm coming!"
"Oi you, who said you could get between me and Yue?"
"You've got guts, Shea. If you want a duel, I'll gladly take you on."
Shea purposely butted in between Hajime and Yue while taking both of their hands.
Their empty threats were always just that, empty. As the sun neared its zenith, the
town grew even livelier. The trio's banter became just another part of the hustle and
bustle of the busy main street. Mom, I've found the husband and best friend you said I
would. Well, he's not exactly my husband just yet, but… I'll do my best to change that!
Shea resolved to herself, praying that her words would reach the soul of her departed
mother.