Chapter 3: 1.3. Table Talk

“That’s a bunny… You’re feeding me bunnies…”

“Well~, they certainly had four legs, a fluffy tail and two long ears. So yes, it would appear that you got the answer to our breakfast right!”

“…”

Having delivered the morning riddle, I proceeded to help myself with another slice of meat. Meanwhile, my guest seemed to have choked on his own words, if the “but… but… but…” going on repeat was any indication. 

Stifling a laugh, I waved down the concern of some fledglings that just peeked in, no doubt thinking that their honored guest was having a seizure.   

“Hiro, did you actually believe that bὕnnies have no taste for meat?”

The question seemed to snap the boy out of his daze. With an awkward stammer, he gave me his reply.

“But… but you are a bunny… and the meat is a bunny’s…!”

I could just feel my brow raise in amusement at those words. In fact, they sounded just like the silly mumblings of some rookie adventurers at Resting Branch after I accepted their “welcoming gift”. 

Also, the face they made once I asked for a second helping was practically priceless~.

“First of all, I am a bὕnny, not a bunny.” I started slowly, putting another juicy piece into my mouth. “Calling someone like me a bunny is no different from saying that dragons are just big wyverns, which simply sounds silly.” 

“I suppose that makes sense… So you really don’t feel anything while eating a bunny at all?”

“Oh yes, of course I do!” Wiping my mouth with a piece of cloth, I then continued. “Just like dragons, I find the beastly, unevolved version of myself incredibly delicious!” 

Once again, my attempt at humor went unappreciated, especially if the new choking noises from my guest were any indication… 

•ㅅ•

After both of us had finished our bite of breakfast, I decided that it was then safe for further conversations without having to worry about more accidental stranglings.   

“Hiro, I know that I had already asked this last night. However, do you truly don’t remember where or when your “throw” happened?”  

The human boy turned pensive at my question. I helped myself to a bite of fruit while waiting for him to collect his thoughts. Finally, he spoke up, his tone resigned.

“... I don’t remember seeing any other place other than the one I told you about. As for where I was before that happened, I-” 

The boy jerked up again, his expression contorted into one of pain and anguish. Seeing this, I immediately rushed over and stroked his back. After a while, my guest finally calmed down, though there were still signs of sweat and soreness on his face.   

A doe sent me a worried look from the corner of the door. In response, I merely shook my head and motioned towards the finished plates. With a nod, several fledglings moved in and swiftly cleared the table, leaving behind only a bowl of peeled fruits. 

“You don’t have to say anything that might cause you discomfort.” I sent a helpless smile as I returned to my seat. Meanwhile, a great sense of pity and sympathy was rising within me.

Earlier, when I told him that he might not be able to return home for the foreseeable future, a halfhearted affirmation was all I received. Now that I was once again reminded of his condition, the apathy he showed began to make sense. 

It was clear that the damage caused by “the throw” did not only rob him of his memories, but also rendered any effort to recall the past a painful experience. And the human boy, now bereft of the will and magic that he took for granted since birth, had simply chosen to shut himself off from further attempts as a form of coping…  

When Elder Ruink picked me for this task, he must have anticipated the very same circumstance. After all, any other runner would have simply told the boy to “man up and get over it”, not knowing how fragile a human’s will could be.  

Glancing over my guest, the image of a weak and confused youngling who had lost everything was all I could think of.

That old crow must have thought the same… 

Taking a quiet breath, I decided to make a firm resolution: I would definitely do my best to help the boy get back on his own two feet! The same boy that was currently popping some fruit slices into his mouth with a carefree expression!!

“Oh wow, there were actual stars in your eyes for a moment. This really is a “fah-ah-see” world, huh?” 

Ignoring the odd mumblings of my guest, I began to storm my brain for possible ideas that could help with his recovery.

•ㅅ•

“So today is July 14, year 999 After the Fall. And it is currently the Age of Discovery?”

“Yup.”

“We are also at Growling Trunk, a wylder city in the southwest of Wyld Land?

“Correct~”

“... Say, can you repeat how everyone in Frthea, no matter the race, somehow manages to speak the same language?”

“Magic!”

“...”

My guest’s flipperghasted look aside, I was feeling quite pleased with my success. After all, thanks to a little bit of stormingbrain, I had finally found the best way to help him recover without needing to fear possible backlash.

Indeed, if my guest couldn’t recall the memories on his own, then all I had to do was to reteach him all the basic knowledge myself! 

Already, my effort had begun to bear fruit. When I showed him the brilliant wood slider so commonly used in Bright Land, the boy’s eyes were practically popping out of his head. He then proceeded to effortlessly solve various calculations with the slider, displaying skills that could even surpass a student at Eagle’s Flight. 

The Bright invention had obviously awakened a part of his memories, allowing him to regain a skill thought forgotten. Afterwards, the boy even eagerly asked me about the inventor of such a brilliant tool without showing any sign of pain, confirming that my method was indeed working!   

Of course, not all attempts managed to yield such an excellent result. My guest also had a funny habit of making weird faces whenever something was explained with “because magic” or “some wizards did it, go ask them, not me”. On top of that, there were these strange words that he used to describe some Bright inventions, such as calling the wood slider earlier an “ah-buh-kus”. 

Naturally, I just chalked it up to some strange quirk caused by “the throw”.

“Still, I can’t believe that the orcs and wyverns are all gone now… Really makes me feel glad that I wasn’t “thrown” here during the Age of Darkness…”

“The death of the orc tribes was certainly tragic.” I nodded in agreement. “However, their last stand had also brought life to a new Horde, inspiring us wylders to carry on their legacy.” With a solemn voice, I continued. “We both lent each other a helping paw during our darkest moment, and for that, they will always live on in our heart!”

“Yeah… That’s certainly a comforting thought… Wait a minute, I thought you said orcs and wylders fought a mortal battle that completely wiped out the former!?”

“Uhm, yes? They inspired us to form a Horde of our own, and as a token of gratitude, we helped return them all to the soil.”

The human boy once again let out a string of “but… but… but…” with his mouth resembling that of a stranded fish. After having admired my ward’s ability to act like a merfren, I decided to continue the lessons.

•ㅅ•

All in all, it was quite a productive day.

While chomping down on my dessert, I could not help but marvel at the progress that we had made. My guest, despite still lacking in common knowledge, could now actually be passed off as a hermit that had been living under a rock! 

Given how just yesterday, he was more like a human wylder that Brightland parents loved to scare their children with, I would say that this was quite an improvement. 

“Uaaaa…” 

The boy seemed to share my excitement as well, if the way he hungrily devoured one knowledge after another was any indication. Of course, he had also learned not to let the same hunger blind his judgment, given the predicament he was in now.

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“UAAAA…!!!”  

“I have already told you, Hiro.” Taking another bite of my apple, I continued. “If that chicken leg is too tough, just leave it on the plate. Some fledgling will gladly handle it in your stead.”

“No…! What kind of person would I be… If I just leave my food unfinished…!?”

I badly wanted to tell him that several fledglings had been standing on their tiptoes, eagerly waiting for the permission to bolt and snatch the blessed prize away. Then again, being reminded of the superstitions pestering those of his nature hardly felt like something he would appreciate. 

Thus, I decided to spare the boy his inevitable trauma, for now… 

With one last bite, I stood up, stretching my arms and legs. “Anyway, it’s time for me to leave.” Once my guest’s attention no longer lingered on his hated prey, I added. “If you require anything, feel free to bring it up with the fledglings. And please take some of them as an escort if you plan to have a walk around the city. It will take a while until the blood moon is at its worst again, but we could never be too careful…”  

Considering what had happened was left unspoken.

The boy took a quick glance at the time, before his gaze moved towards the window. With a sigh, he said.

“I still find it surreal that the sun has yet to set, even this late…” I made a mental note that my guest most likely did not come from the South of Bright Land, given his unfamiliarity with its schedule. “Good thing that Ser Mourin blessed us with his brilliant timekeeper, just like the rest of his original inventions, huh?” 

“Indeed! Such tools have completely changed the way we live, to the point that I can hardly imagine life without them!” I paused to give my sincere agreement, the bag of bones briefly free from my grasp. “Sometimes, I just wish that I could visit Bright Land properly, taking in the sight of the miraculous wonder it has become…”

“Well…” The boy started, albeit a bit startled. “Why haven’t you?”

That question immediately roused me from my daydream. Raising my paw up for a cough, I excused myself before bidding my guest goodnight. 

And, tried as I might, the comical sight of my ward waving a chicken leg at my departure still managed to tease a laugh out of me.    

•ㅅ•

The hour before dusk could always be considered the fussiest time of the day, especially in areas where wanderers and fetchers changed shifts. Shouts and boasts of courage had a habit to accompany those who would brave the night, as if they were the patrollers’ very own battle cry.

As I made my way toward the city center, the sight of a familiar buck caught my eye. After a quick whiff, I put a tight grip on my bag and crouched down…  

*Whoosh*

Finally sensing the upcoming danger, the young buck twisted towards my direction and put his guard up. Alas, it was simply too little, too late.

“NOM! YOU’RE DEAD!!”

Despite his fierce resistance, the kit simply could not stop me from ruffling his hair. Finally, I could understand why big sis Nexa liked to do this so much. The image of a pouting bὕnny was, indeed, adorable! 

“How was your patrol, little Imit? Not many banes managed to sneak up on you like this, I hope?”

“Bun`Imit! It’s Bun`Imit!” With puffy cheeks, the little one continued his protest. “I’m a wanderer now! Wanderer Bun`Imit, not little Imit the fledgling anymore!” He jumped up and down as if trying to flap his small shoulder cape, not noticing the amused look from passersby who were shaking their head in mirth.

“Perhaps~” I drawled, my tone teasing. “But, have you survived an entire harvest season yet? Last I checked, one needed to do so before being recognized as a “real” wanderer, no?” 

“Uuu…” Little Imit adorably tilted his head to the side, no doubt trying to think of something that could refute my claim. It was not long before he started rubbing his foot on the ground, and I had to resist the urge to ruffle him again when a paw began to scratch his head.      

“Well~” I started, throwing a bait. “If you really want to prove yourself, how about going on some quests for me?”

“Quests? Like what the adventurers do?” The young buck’s expression completely brightened up. “What kind of quests!?”

I immediately presented the bag of bones and a parchment without breaking my smile. 

Also, the sight of a little bὕnny freezing like a dέέr in the manalights was amusing, to say the least.

“You’re just making me do some chores!” With a jumpy start, he said. “Can’t you have big bro Lunck or others from your flock do it instead!?”

Ah, right, Lunck…

The punk that led my other punks, who all decided to ignore my summon today…

I would have to ask Imun about this later, given my current schedule.

Anyway…

“Woe is me…” I put a paw on my head while twirling around. “The little fledgling that I so cared for, that I taught everything I knew…” With a flourish, I continued the theatrics. “Now that he had left the nest, not only my flock he rejected, but also-” 

“Alright, I get it already… Geez…” 

“Good boy.” With a smirk, I called upon the oaken badge deep within my body, willing it into my paw. After a good rub, the top of Imit’s head began to carry a faint wooden scent, much to his grumbling. “There. Now the grove tenders will know that I sent you.”  

“Uuu… And the parchment?”

“Deliver it to ma Mma for me. Tell her that I will be busy for the foreseeable future, and that I need the map she displays at her nest.” 

“Why that specific map… Oh… Ohhh!” Both of Imit’s ears shot up, as if realizing something. “I see, I see… So the gossips are true, you are trying to ensnare that human guest~.” 

Looking at his mischievous face, there was only one thought running through my mind. 

What the buck!?

Reining in the urge to stomp my foot, I took a quiet breath and strengthened my resolve to kick the ass of my flock. Not having them around had essentially cut me off from the rumor mills.

“Just, do these two things for me.” With a tired sigh, I decided not to fight an uphill battle while already exhausted. “And whatever you hear at the shouting halls are gossips at best, remember to take them with a pawful of salt.”

“Hm, hm. Sure thing, big sis~” Imit put the parchment inside his bag and strapped the bag of bones to his shoulder. Before he hopped off, however, the little rascal decided to send a whisper my way. “Seriously, though. I’m glad to see that you’re finally going to get laid!” 

Smiling patiently, I bid the little bὕnny goodbye with my foot. For good luck, of course. 

•ㅅ•

Dragging myself to the second floor of my dwelling, I opened the door and entered the bὕnny lair. A quick glance revealed that it was almost past 9, with the sun slowly beginning to set.

Once the entrance was shut, only a single thought remained in my mind. 

… Has the bed always been this beautiful?

Across the street, the sound of someone still chewing on a chicken leg was barely audible…

The hardship might have only just begun. But, I cared none for that right now.

With a hop, I flopped down on the bed, not bothering to change my clothes.

Let that be a problem… for future me… to deal… with…

After a night full of stress, this bὕnny could finally get some Zzz…