Chapter 271: Rabbit in the Moon (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 271: Rabbit in the Moon (1)
“Master, I’ve come to report on last month's business performance….”
“Ah, no need this time. I’m sure Narsha handled it perfectly. I trust you, so we can skip it.”
“Master~ It's your night to sleep alone, right? If you're bored, should Rin keep you company?”
“I’m fine. I have plans tonight.”
“Plans? With who? A woman?”
“Besides my slaves, what women are there in my life? It's an appointment with Master Victor, so you don't need to worry.”
Lately, the slaves had sensed something was off about Karami. For them, who spent all day watching their master, detecting an anomaly was child's play.
“Every Sunday, when no one is on duty, the Master disappears somewhere at night.”
Elize, who clung to Karami’s bedroom windowsill to spy on him even on her days off, shared what she had seen.
Karami had told them not to enter his room without permission, and the windowsill was technically outside, so she hadn't disobeyed his order.
“He goes to my Dream Garden. He crosses over to Vestia with that old geezer from the bar.”
“When I wake the Master in the morning, he smells of alcohol.”
“He seemed excited, as if he were looking forward to his plans.”
Karami was disappearing every night.
Where to?
To Vestia, via Rin's Dream Garden.
With whom?
With Victor, the master of the Peacock’s Night Gathering.
To do what?
That was unknown.
But it was something Karami looked forward to.
And it left him smelling of alcohol every morning.
They pieced together the information.
Alfia, who had known Victor the longest, offered her opinion.
“Isn't he just going to Vestia to drink? He and I used to drink together often.”
“He can drink in Noctar. That’s no reason to go all the way there.”
“Isn't he meeting some sow of a woman?”
“No way. He has us, what more could he want from creatures like that? Besides, his companion is an old man on his last legs.”
“Maybe there’s something he can only do in Vestia?”
“And what would that be?”
“If I knew that, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
Neither Elize nor Rin could come up with a satisfactory answer.
Mirabelle spoke up timidly.
“Come to think of it, the Master asked me for a favor a while ago. He asked me to create portals to Vestia in the Holy Kingdom and Doomheim.”
At the news that something was happening related to the Holy Kingdom that even the Saint didn't know about, Elize pressed her.
“A portal in Kassilon? Why?”
“I… don’t know the details.”
“Didn't you ask when he requested it?”
“No.”
For Mirabelle, obeying the Master's command without question was the sacred duty of a slave, a truth she held dear. She was so overly diligent that the thought of asking why had never even occurred to her.
Victor lived in Noctar, so that made some sense, but why connect portals to Doomheim and the Holy Kingdom, which were on the opposite side of the continent?
A portal was the pinnacle of magic, capable of teleporting objects instantaneously.
This meant something from Doomheim and the Holy Kingdom needed to be moved to Vestia. But no matter how much they racked their brains, they couldn't figure out what it could be.
Finally, unable to bear the frustration, Elize declared.
“This won’t do. We’ll tail the Master.”
“I was just thinking the same thing,” Rin chimed in.
“A slave tailing her master. That's an absolutely unforgivable act.”
“I understand how you feel, Miss Mirabelle. But shouldn't a slave know what her master is up to? If he's in danger, we must protect him.”
A slave had no obligation to know about her master's private life. And frankly, he didn't need their protection. They had each already put a measure or two in place to ensure Karami’s safety.
There was no one in the world who could break through all that and harm Karami.
Therefore, Elize’s argument was nothing but sophistry.
“…I believe you have a point.”
Mirabelle decided to just let herself be persuaded.
She was curious about what her master was doing, after all. If he really was meeting another woman, that hussy who dared to wag her tail at the Master without knowing her place…
Right, I’ll think about what to do later.
Even Narsha, who usually put the brakes on the slaves' strange antics, didn't try to stop them this time.
*
The day had come.
The day after each of the six slaves had had their turn, the day with no one on duty. While it might be disappointing for the slaves, for Karami, it was his own day of liberation.
Not liberating his slaves, but being liberated from his slaves. It sounded strange, but that’s what it was.
Looking as excited as someone with delightful plans, Karami left his bedroom as the sun set and the moon rose.
Victor was waiting for him in the hallway.
“You’ve come again today, Master.”
“Of course. Who would refuse a feast for the eyes and free drinks?”
“A very good point. Let’s be on our way.”
As this was not their first or second time, the two men simply smiled and moved on without needing to say what they were doing.
Just as the shared information had indicated, they passed through the Dream Garden connected to Rin’s room and crossed over to the Celestial Pavilion. Arriving in Vestia in an instant, they left the pavilion and walked the night streets.
The slaves followed them secretly.
“We won’t get caught, right? The Master is a famous former assassin, his senses must be incredibly sharp.”
“Absolutely not. Rin has already cast a barrier over all of Vestia.”
A frog in a well must leave the well to realize how small it is.
No matter how skilled an assassin Victor was, he couldn't detect anything amiss once he was inside the barrier.
The slaves stealthily tailed Karami. Unaware, he entered a certain building. His followers stopped in front of it.
The building glowed like the moon, bathed in brilliant lights that blazed even in the dead of night.
Rabbit In The Moon.
A sign with elegant cursive script depicted a wine bottle and a glass.
“Rabbit in the Moon? What kind of place is this?”
“It looks like a bar.”
“Oh, my… But the women’s outfits are…”
Mirabelle covered her face with her hands, yet peeked through the gaps between her fingers.
The employees trying to attract customers were all women.
Specifically, they were from the Myoin tribe, also known as rabbit beastkin. And their uniforms? A glossy, skin-tight leotard paired with high heels that accentuated the lines of their legs.
They were, in short, bunny girls. Except in this case, it wasn't a bunny girl cosplay, but actual bunny girls, worn by real rabbit beastkin.
A bar run by such bunny girls?
It was obvious what was happening inside.
And Karami had just walked in.
The atmosphere among the slaves grew heavy and sank.
Further surveillance was meaningless.
“Let’s go in.”
*
Rabbit in the Moon.
It was the most famous bar in Vestia.
Making good use of the beastkin nation's unique characteristic, all its employees were rabbit beastkin. Better yet, their standard uniform was a bunny girl outfit. You could drink delicious alcohol and feast your eyes at the same time.
When I was staying in Vestia before, Rin wouldn't let me go, so I could only stare as I passed by, but not anymore.
I’ve raised the kids, now it's time for me to relax and enjoy life.
I’d done enough. It was time to set down the burden of being the head of the household.
There was no big reason for bringing Victor along.
He was a drinking buddy who transcended age.
When you find something good, you should share it.
“Hop, hop! Welcome to the rabbits’ moon! Whoa! It’s our VVIP, the Dark Master! You’re a little late today, aren’t you?”
“Things just worked out that way. Are the others inside?”
“Yes, they arrived ten minutes ago. I’ll show you the way!”
Welcomed by the bunny girl employee, I entered to find a large space.
A central stage with a long pole reaching to the ceiling. Seats arranged around the stage like an auditorium. A mysterious, mellow atmosphere created by yellow lighting and a bar-style barrier.
And numerous bunny girls moving about the establishment.
It was a Sunday, so it should have been crowded, but there were no other customers.
Because I rented the whole place out.
I wanted to hang out with the cute bunnies, but I didn't want to see other guys drooling over them. I wanted the staff to focus solely on me.
Of course, it cost a lot of money, but what’s money when you have plenty of it?
In the rented-out establishment, three men besides Victor and me were already seated.
“You’re all here early.”
“You’re the one who’s late, twig!”
“My apologies. I had something that absolutely had to be finished by today.”
One was a dwarf from Doomheim.
One of the Seven Meisters, Hargran of the Berserker’s Hammer.
“Of course, of course. The master of a merchant group is bound to be busy. Karami, I understand.”
“Thank you.”
One was not a furry-loving-gay-pervert… but a merchant acquaintance who had helped me in Vestia. The beastkin aficionado, Bolt.
“Hmph… To think such a bizarre place exists…”
“You didn’t refuse the invitation, did you, old man?”
The last one was the father of the Holy Kingdom.
His Holiness, Pope Antonius.
The initial members were just me and Bolt. Then I invited Victor and Hargran, and today was Antonius’s first time.
Since I was spending a fortune anyway, I figured I might as well invite some acquaintances to enjoy it with me.
I may only take women as slaves, but when it came to having fun, it was just more comfortable hanging out with men.
“To think I’d live to see the day I drink with His Holiness. Karami, befriending you was the best choice of my life!”
“His Holiness seems rather uncomfortable, though. Well, he is a man of integrity. If you really don’t like it, you can take the portal back.”
“Tsk, tsk… You still haven’t fixed that nasty personality of yours. One must occasionally walk among the secular world to maintain balance.”
Simply put, the old man wanted to drink with bunny girls, too. It made sense. As the Pope, he had to be solemn in front of his people all day; he needed to blow off some steam.
Of course, given who he was, he was wearing a recognition-obstructing robe so that no one would recognize him. No one short of an Archmage could see through it.
“Shall we start with something simple? Rabbit-chan, some appetizers and cider, please.”
“Right away, Master~ Hop, hop, Rabbit-chan will be right back~”
The bunny girl employee disappeared with a cute farewell. Her tail, a real rabbit tail and not a decoration, bobbed up and down, making me want to touch it.
“Let’s drink until the sun comes up today.”
“You said it, twig. Let’s drink until one of us drops dead.”
Amidst the boisterous chatter, an employee approached and began placing our orders on the table.
“Hop, hop. Here are the appetizers and dishes you ordered. What should I do? Shall I pour for you, Master?”
“I’d appreciate that. You’re very thoughtful.”
“Of course. We’ve been living together for more than a day or two. This much sense is basic.”
I did come every week, and I was a VVIP, but I wouldn't say we were living together.
What’s that forest scent?
Puzzled, I lifted my head.
A blonde bunny girl was pouring cider into a glass.
Long rabbit ears.
But next to them, another pair of long, pointed ears stuck out.
Elf ears.
Why was an elf in the land of beastkin…?
Just as I felt a sense of foreboding, the employee looked up, and our eyes met.
Familiar green eyes.
“…Alfia?”
“Alfia? Who’s that, Master? I might look similar, but I’m different. I’m Ar-chan, you know?”
“No, anyone can see you’re Alfia…”
As I was talking with the bunny girl who introduced herself as Ar-chan, another one popped her head between me and Antonius.
Pale white hair, devoid of pigment.
An albino with blood-red eyes.
Was it my imagination? I could smell a faint scent of blood, reminding me of a killer rabbit.
“My, my, who do we have here? The father of all people, the venerable His Holiness, here in Vestia, and in a bar with waitresses young enough to be his granddaughters, no less.”
“Ah…”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Holiness. I’m the new girl, Lize-chan, starting from today. Please take good care of me, okay?”
It was Elize, calling herself Lize-chan.
And that wasn't all.
Six familiar faces had, at some point, surrounded us.