Bunny Princess, what are you doing?

*

I had a rough plan in mind, but as always, you never know what will happen even a step ahead.

Life rarely goes smoothly, no matter how much you plan and envision. Variables are bound to appear one by one.

For me, the variable was other hunters. They made me give up before I even started.

I couldn’t blame anyone, and it was truly frustrating.

“So, there’s no Ekricky request?”

“That party has already set out… and there haven’t been any recent sighting reports.”

“Hmm…”

I touched my lips at the assistant’s words.

Hoping against hope, I asked about other quests, but monsters aren’t that easy to find, so there weren’t many options.

“Alice, you’re Rank 10 now, right?”

“Yes.”

“Honestly, at Rank 10, I wouldn’t recommend Ekricky just yet. How about this instead?”

The assistant pulled out a thick book from under the counter. It was filled with bookmarks.

Flipping through the pages quickly, the assistant stopped at the desired page and showed it to me.

“Since Alice, your skills are well-known, I’m offering this even though your rank is a bit low. It’s a Stonehide Beast, Cometras. There happens to be a request for it.”

“Cometras…”

The Stonehide Beast, Cometras, looks like it’s carrying stones on its body.

From the sky, it probably looks just like a moving rock.

Its face and back are covered in hard, stone-like keratin, making it nearly impossible to cut through without breaking those parts first. The flesh is so tough it feels like slashing at a rock.

It would be like trying to cut a stone with a sword.

A greatsword might fare better, but with a simple iron one, the blade would dull long before breaking through Cometras’s stone armor.

Instead of slicing, it would be like bludgeoning with a dull club.

I could bring materials to Matillo to make something better, but it would take a while to gather enough to penetrate Cometras’s rock-like hide.

Besides, Cometras is a foe I can handle with my current weapon.

Though it seems impervious to bladed weapons, it has weaknesses.

Its stone-like armor doesn’t cover its entire body. From a human’s perspective, not a monster’s, it’s different.

The legs, abdomen, and chest lack those stones, so the flesh there is softer.

For slashing weapons like greatswords, targeting those areas is the way to go.

“Alright.”

Cometras isn’t a low-tier monster either.

It might not match Ekricky, but it’s large and tough enough to be considered mid-tier.

“But you’ll have to go with others. Is that okay?”

“…Is there already a party?”

“Yes, the one who took the request first wants a four-person team.”

“Hmm.”

I was planning to join a party anyway.

I had thought about leading one myself, but joining an existing one isn’t bad either.

I’m not the most proactive person when it comes to group activities.

Communication would likely be an issue too.

This mouth of mine doesn’t know how to speak politely. It’s a relationship-destroying mouth.

“Where are they?”

“Over there, sitting.”

I followed the assistant’s finger and couldn’t hide my surprise. It wasn’t because there were many people where she pointed.

I briefly locked eyes with that man from before. Somehow, I had a feeling.

“…The one with brown hair?”

“Yes.”

Was this fate?

I blinked and nodded.

I’ll do it, I whispered to the assistant, then walked toward the man.

He was chatting with two others but stopped when he saw me approaching.

I scanned the group. They were all dressed in leather gear similar to mine. Not the kind made from monster materials like other hunters wear.

That meant they were all around the same rank. We’re all newbies.

“…Hello.”

As I greeted them, I recalled how I’d shut him down last time.

Maybe I should have been more tactful. But back then, I had a prior commitment.

“You’re…”

“The one with white hair and a greatsword!”

Before the man could say anything, the woman in front of him jumped up.

W-What?

I was momentarily overwhelmed and stared at her. She approached me and placed her hand on my cheek.

Perhaps because she was a hunter, her skin felt rough against mine. She grinned with a flushed face.

“They said you’re cuter than expected, and it’s true! You’re like a bunny—a grumpy bunny.”

“…Sorry, Cloy loves cute things.”

The man apologized on her behalf.

I was fine, but as a former man, it was a bit disheartening.

I should be used to this body by now. I didn’t mind. I took her hand and gently lowered it.

“We met before, right?”

The man addressed me familiarly. I nodded.

That was already a month ago.

“I thought you just didn’t like me, but I heard you’ve been doing a lot of requests with a veteran hunter since then.”

“…That’s a rumor too?”

“Well, when you’re the center of attention, stories spread from everywhere. Hunters are a chatty bunch, and trouble follows.”

The man laughed.

I realized the hunter community was smaller than I thought.

—

From what Leo observed, Alice seemed uninterested in the world around her.

Hunters are usually sensitive to rumors, but she showed no such signs. She just acknowledged them and moved on.

Interest in Alice had cooled a bit since she hadn’t done anything major in the past month, but among rookie hunters, she was still a hot topic.

Since the beginning, Alice had been relentlessly completing requests without pause.

Even with a veteran hunter by her side, such consistency and connections ultimately come down to the hunter’s own strength.

Leo was senior to Alice in terms of experience.

His rank was 30, much higher than Alice’s, but that was after a whole year of effort.

Leo hadn’t hunted strong monsters; he’d made a living by taking down weaker, lower-tier ones.

For Leo, this request—hunting Cometras—was like a grand journey.

After always handling small tasks, he was finally facing a mid-tier monster for the first time.

He couldn’t even imagine how tough Cometras would be, having struggled with Kakaari.

So, having Alice join them was incredibly reassuring.

He hadn’t expected her to come, but choosing Cometras today turned out to be a great decision.

Rumor had it that she’d defeated a Kakaari solo, without the veteran hunter. Observing her skills would surely be educational.

But the girl before him didn’t look the part at all.

Her white hair seemed cool even in the humid air of the forest city. Her leather armor was stylish and perfectly fitted, clearly the work of a skilled craftsman. Her pink eyes were simply charming.

The shoulder guard on her left had many scratches, hinting at her greatsword style. Contrary to her appearance, she wielded it roughly.

An infighting style, sticking close to the enemy, wasn’t recommended for novice hunters by the Association.

She must indeed have exceptional skills, as the rumors suggested.

Looks really have nothing to do with ability.

Leo chuckled as he watched Cloy stick to Alice like glue.

Cloy adored cute things. Even during requests, if she spotted a cute creature, she’d immediately grab a net and cause a commotion trying to catch it.

Alice, appearing before Cloy, was a perfect match for her tastes. Cloy’s mischievous hands kept reaching out. Alice, with a deadpan expression, struggled to fend them off.

…Maybe this is their way of bonding?

The party consisted of four members.

Leo himself, Cloy, Aaron, and Alice.

Cloy and Aaron were reliable comrades, but they couldn’t compare to Alice. It was natural to be more drawn to the comet-like newcomer than to long-time companions.

Perhaps this request could be a chance to build a connection.

Leo harbored such vague hopes. For a hunter, good connections were not to be missed.

Thanks to Cloy, it wasn’t too awkward, but everyone was meeting Alice for the first time. The first thing Leo did was initiate introductions to set the party’s atmosphere. It was only natural to get to know each other before embarking on a request.

“Let’s start with introductions. We know each other, but there’s someone new.”

“Yeah.”

A low voice resonated among the four. It was Aaron, who had been observing the situation. His muscular build, tanned skin, short-cropped hair, and the hammer on his back spoke volumes about his personality.

He shook his head at Cloy.

“Cloy, it’s rude to act like that from the first meeting.”

“Oh, are you done talking? You’re just too shy to approach her yourself.”

“No, I’m saying we should introduce ourselves first. Hi, I’m Aaron.”

“Yeah, hi.”

Aaron was the first to introduce himself. Alice nodded while fending off Cloy’s persistent advances from the side.

As soon as Alice acknowledged Aaron’s greeting, Cloy popped her head out from the side. Her purple hair swayed, covering Alice’s eyes. Alice flinched slightly and pulled her head back.

Cloy raised the corners of her lips and chuckled.

“I’m Cloy. Nice to meet you.”

“…Hi. Um, your hand…”

At Alice’s words, Cloy promptly withdrew her hand and raised it beside her shoulder.

She listened well to the request to stop, but her grinning face and fidgeting hands suggested she was ready to start again at any moment.

Alice, who had been looking at Cloy with weary eyes, soon turned her gaze to Leo. Leo cleared his throat twice and spoke.

“I’m Leo. Glad we’re working together this time. I’m the party leader, but don’t hesitate to share your opinions freely.”

“…Okay.”

Alice responded briefly to Leo’s bright expression and swallowed nervously.

Then, her tired eyes softened into a gentle gaze. She tilted her head slightly, lifted the corners of her lips, and said,

“I’m Alice. Nice to meet you.”

It was Alice’s best attempt at communication.

It was a bit awkward, but no one could help but smile at her clumsy greeting.

“Now that we’re all here, shall we stop by the commercial district and then set off?”

“We need to get to know each other over a meal. Right?”

“Ugh…”

“Cloy, can’t you see Alice is uncomfortable? Give her some space.”

“Are you jealous?”

Leo led the party like a true leader.

Aaron and Cloy grumbled at each other but followed Leo out of the Association’s counter area. Meanwhile, Cloy stuck close to Alice, playing various pranks. Alice’s hands were busy trying to fend off Cloy’s attacks.

It was a smooth start.

—

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