Translator: Nox

Chapter 11

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Ta-da!

With her nose held high in pride, Bunny grinned mischievously as she yanked off the lid attached to the elephant’s trunk, tilting it forward.

Jingle, jangle. Coins came pouring out of the elephant’s trunk in a rush.

Bunny carefully picked out the cleanest, shiniest ones from the bunch, scooping a handful into her cloth pouch with her small hands before shoving the rest back into the trunk and pressing the lid down firmly to seal it.

She pulled out her Rabbit Backpack and tucked in the quail egg wrapped in cloth, along with her precious cloth pouch, then grabbed Ma-gomi once more to bolster her courage.

And for good reason—because today, Bunny was going to line up to meet the guardian candidates!

She hadn’t shown off a particularly impressive display during the summoning ritual, but to fix that, Bunny had hurried back to her room right after it ended and pored over Luriel’s secret notebook.

“Luri, you big liar…….”

Scratch that.

“Luri, you’re a genius.”

That was what Bunny thought as she rubbed under her nose.

Having memorized the two sentences Luriel had taught her by heart, Bunny hid the notebook back inside Toto’s belly and slung her bag over her shoulder with a determined expression.

Presents prepared, Luriel’s lines perfectly memorized.

‘Time for Bunny to go find a guardian.’

Bunny strode out of the room and took her place at the end of the line of waiting children.

Among the kids dressed in colorful, beautiful dresses and sharp suits, Bunny—wearing her rather shabby clothes—stood at the very back, her Rabbit Backpack dangling and jingling on her back.

“…You.”

Bunny tilted her head at the voice from behind her and turned around.

“Oh, it’s the king snake.”

“I’m Allen!”

Allen looked somehow forlorn as he took in Bunny’s ragged outfit.

‘What is with this kid? She keeps coming up to me so casually…….’

She’d probably call it gross if she saw my real form anyway……

‘And why does it look like she pieced her clothes together from scraps?’

While Allen was lost in thought, Bunny let out a smug little huff and casually turned her back to him. The Rabbit Backpack’s floppy limbs dangled and swayed.

Jealous?

Allen’s lips twitched at Bunny’s look that seemed to say exactly that.

“…Clothes.”

“Hm?”

“I’ll buy you some clothes later. Let’s go.”

For some reason, Allen’s ears flushed faintly red as he grumbled gruffly, turned on his heel, and held out his hand just a bit.

Bunny’s eyes went wide.

Not long after, amid the children holding their parents’ hands, Allen and Bunny walked forward hand in hand.

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The Yudia ducal family’s banquet was packed with people since it brought together both direct and branch family members.

Of course, even after the bustling banquet had begun, no one approached Bunny.

Well, except for Allen.

The other kids, being from branch families and all knowing each other, were chatting in little groups with their parents or others, catching up and talking. But around Bunny and Allen, it was as if a barrier had been cast—no one came near.

“I’m gonna go.”

Naturally, Bunny—who had been tense ever since arriving—couldn’t care less about that.

“Huh? Where…….”

Allen reached out, but he couldn’t grab her. He froze in place as Bunny darted off into the crowd.

“Hey!”

Allen pushed through the throng in bewilderment. And for good reason: the direction Bunny was heading was where the Yudia direct family members were gathered.

Not only that.

Even the top-ranked children from the House of Trials, who would lead the next generation of the Yudia ducal family, were there.

Weaving her way through them with quick little steps, Bunny came to a stop in front of someone and bowed deeply at the waist. Her hair touched the floor again today as she opened her mouth perfectly.

“Hewwo!”

“Hey……!”

Allen shoved his way through the crowd and reached out, only to pale at the stares directed his way and stumble back a couple of steps.

“Um, I four years old, Bunny!”

As Bunny held up four fingers and declared it, everyone’s mouths fell open.

And for good reason: the person Bunny had approached happened to be Kiriel Yudia, the one among the direct Yudias who was the most indifferent to worldly affairs, utterly listless, and judged to have nothing holy or sacred about him except his looks.

Kiriel Yudia—the man who ignored anyone he didn’t feel like dealing with, who wouldn’t lift a finger, and for whom more people had been dismissed than had ever held a conversation with him, child or adult alike.

Born the youngest of the Yudia ducal family, he had overcome a demon clan’s curse, received an overflowing blessing of holy power that would be etched into history, and during the summoning ritual at age seven, summoned something that left even the ever-stern Yudia Duke astonished.

But due to his unique birth, he seemed devoid of emotions, utterly indifferent to others, and arrogant enough to ignore anything beneath him—so he was an oddball who spent most of his time holed up in a private chamber at the Temple.

That was Kiriel Yudia.

Just look—even moments ago, hadn’t he been sitting in his chair with his chin propped up, turning only his head with dead eyes and a bored expression, as if he couldn’t care less about the banquet?

“Tsk, how did this…….”

Everyone clicked their tongues in unison.

It didn’t seem likely that Kiriel Yudia would pay any mind to a kid who had barely summoned a quail egg.

Many children admired Kiriel Yudia, but the number who had actually spoken with him could be counted on one hand.

The rumor was that he found even talking bothersome—which, put nicely, meant he had no prejudices.

In other words, he ignored kids and adults equally without discrimination.

“Wotis Empiwe yeaw 887!”

After nailing the notoriously tricky pronunciation she’d failed several times before, Bunny let out a relieved sigh and wiped away sweat that wasn’t even there with her sleeve.

“May fowteenth! South Wubia… wing? Wubi, hewwo……?”

Bunny faltered, suddenly greeting Rubia.

‘That’s not it…….’

Bunny’s eyes rolled around silently. Watching her intently, Kiriel Yudia let out a soft chuckle and spoke.

“Rubia Territory?”

Laughter tinged his voice, and mouths gaped open here and there once more.

Kiriel Yudia had laughed.

Kiriel Yudia had spoken.

He had even corrected her word for her.

“Ah! Yes! Thank you!”

Delighted, Bunny bowed again and continued with what she had to say.

“Wubia Tewwitory! —has a stwange disease! The medicine needs Minerwa twee’s sap!”

Finally reciting what she’d memorized without looking at the book, Bunny puffed out her chest proudly.

Hmph.

See? Bunny proved her genius!

Kiriel Yudia blinked once after hearing Bunny’s words. He slowly crouched down in front of her, very leisurely, and met her eyes.

“A strange disease broke out in the southern Rubia Territory on May 18th of the year 887 in the Rotis Empire?”

Wow, Bunny nailed it.

How did she say it so perfectly?

Nose puffed up with pride, Bunny rubbed under it and shot up one hand.

“Yes!”

“And the medicine requires sap from the Minella tree……?”

His slow, slightly drawling speech might have felt frustrating, but Bunny just grinned and nodded vigorously.

Kiriel Yudia rubbed his chin a couple times before speaking.

“How did you know this?”

Heh. She had the answer to this question mastered perfectly too.

As expected of Luriel-endorsed, top-of-the-top Bunny.

Ultimate big genius.

“This! Bunny’s eggy told me!”

Bunny proudly declared it as she pulled out the quail egg wrapped in tissue paper from her bag with its dangling rabbit arms.