A Journey Unwanted-Chapter 433 - 422: Bunnybury

[Realm: Álfheimr]

[Location: Quadling Country]

[Bunnybury]

Puck drifted through the open wicket the moment the Keeper of the Wicket stepped aside, the fairy's small figure gliding forward with curiosity, there was no urgency to be found. She had expected something modest on the other side of the marble wall—perhaps a cluster of rabbit burrows or a few wooden homes tucked behind the barrier. Instead, the sight that greeted her made her stop midair almost instantly.

Her eyes widened.

"Whoa…"

The word slipped out slowly, followed by a long, impressed whistle.

Bunnybury stretched before her in a gentle valley enclosed by the high marble walls. Rather than the cramped or chaotic settlements Puck had seen in other lands, the city was open and carefully planned. The streets curved smoothly through the landscape, paved with pale stones that had clearly been placed with patience and by someone with expertise. Small houses sat neatly along these roads, each one built low to the ground with rounded roofs and softly painted walls—mostly whites and warm creams, outlined by wooden trims that were perfectly polished.

What struck Puck most, however, was the feeling of order.

Nothing looked rushed and more than that nothing looked neglected.

Every house had something beside it: a small garden bed, a carefully trimmed hedge, a wooden fence no taller than a rabbit's shoulders. Flowers bloomed in clusters of red, yellow, and violet, their scent drifting lightly through the air. It was pleasant.

"Okay… I was not expecting this," Puck murmured quietly.

Behind her, the Keeper of the Wicket gave a soft chuckle, the tip of his cane tapping gently against the stone path.

"It surprises most visitors," he said.

Puck drifted backward slightly so she could face him while still glancing around the city.

"You mean you get visitors often?" she asked, a little skeptical.

"Oh no, not often," the Keeper replied calmly. "But every now and then someone curious wanders far enough to reach Bunnybury. They tend to react much the same way you have."

Puck folded her gauntleted arms lightly, still floating in place.

"Well yeah," she said. "Talking rabbits were already unusual. Talking rabbits in suits living in a whole organized city? That's definitely new."

The Keeper smiled politely at that, adjusting the feathered hat resting on his head.

"Our people have lived here for a very long time," he explained. "Bunnybury was founded generations ago after all. We prefer a peaceful and orderly life away from the more turbulent regions of Oz."

Puck tilted her head thoughtfully.

"So the Good Witch protects you guys?"

"In a manner of speaking," the Keeper said. "Glinda the Good has always shown kindness toward Bunnybury. We value harmony, and she values the same."

Puck glanced out across the city again, watching several rabbits walk along the nearby street. They all seemed so dignified. And of course, very, very cute.

"Huh," she murmured. "I guess I can see why."

The Keeper gestured lightly with his cane toward the city.

"You are welcome to explore as you wish, Lady Fairy. Take your time."

That was all Puck needed to hear, she brightened immediately. "Really? You're just letting me wander around?"

"As long as you treat our people with respect."

"Oh, that won't be a problem," Puck said quickly with a grin. "I'm pretty good at that."

The Keeper laughed softly.

"Then Bunnybury is yours to explore."

Puck floated forward without hesitation, drifting deeper into the city with open curiosity. The deeper she went, the more details she began to notice.

The roads weren't straight lines. Instead, they curved naturally around clusters of homes, trees, and garden patches. It made the entire city feel freeing rather than rigid in any way. Some streets widened into open squares where rabbits gathered in small groups, chatting quietly or tending to small market stalls.

Puck lowered herself closer to the ground as she floated along the street.

The rabbits began noticing her almost immediately.

One paused mid-step, pink eyes widening slightly as he looked up.

"A fairy?"

Another rabbit turned to follow his gaze.

"Well now… that's certainly rare."

The reactions spread slowly through the nearby crowd. Several rabbits stopped to look at her with polite curiosity.

But none of them seemed alarmed.

One older rabbit wearing a dark waistcoat and round spectacles tipped his hat politely.

"Good afternoon, Lady Fairy."

Puck blinked in surprise before smiling back.

"Oh—uh—hi."

She gave a small wave.

More rabbits began greeting her in the same calm manner as she passed, some nodding politely. Others offered polite smiles. A pair of younger rabbits whispered excitedly to one another before being gently ushered along by what looked like their mother, who reminded them not to stare.

Puck couldn't help smiling wider.

"Huh… this place is actually kind of great," she muttered under her breath. "And cute." She continued drifting along the street, slowing whenever something caught her attention.

A small market stall sat near one of the corners where several rabbits were carefully arranging vegetables in tidy rows. Carrots, lettuce, and small bundles of herbs were stacked with careful precision.

Further down the street, another pair of rabbits sat outside a tailor's shop, meticulously polishing brass buttons and laying them out on a cloth-covered table.

And beyond that, in a small open square, a group of younger rabbits were practicing what looked like a formal dance under the instruction of an older rabbit holding a cane like a conductor.

"Left step—right step—mind the rhythm," the instructor was saying firmly.

Puck floated nearby, watching the scene with interest.

The young rabbits tried their best to follow the instructions, though a few kept stumbling over their own feet. It was strangely charming, everything about the city felt that way. More than that, it was ordered. Not something you exactly expected from sentient rabbits, but she would not complain. This was an interesting sight after all.

And the city was peaceful in a way Puck rarely saw outside hidden or protected places. Even Elfame was often more chaotic than anything. With the various fairy races in one place, things were rarely ever calm. Though that was a given when so many clashing personalities mixed. She was just surprised Elfame was still standing, she wished it was more like this.

She folded her arms thoughtfully as she floated along the street.

"This is something Grimm definitely would've noticed all this," she murmured quietly.

Her eyes wandered back toward the distant marble wall where she had entered; she could almost picture him still standing out there somewhere. Watching and thinking as he always did. Probably analyzing something vague in the air.

Puck sighed lightly.

"Though he probably would've lost interest in like five minutes."

That was the thing about Grimm. He wasn't exactly uninterested in the world. In fact, he often seemed extremely interested in certain things. But those things were different compared to her own main interest. Be it merely unusual phenomena, dangerous creatures, powerful enemies, or merely cities like this.

Quiet places where people just lived their lives? Puck wasn't entirely convinced those things held his attention for very long.

She drifted higher, letting the breeze carry her gently above the street; from above, Bunnybury looked even more charming. Rows of small houses, neatly arranged gardens, and little squares filled with rabbits chatting or working.

There was no shouting and no chaos, just peaceful life continuing quietly.

Puck rested her chin in her hand as she floated.

"Heh, he'd probably say something like 'their architectural structure is efficient but otherwise unremarkable,'" she muttered in an overly deep voice. She rolled her eyes slightly at that thought. "Which is such a boring way to look at stuff."

Below her, a pair of rabbits were carefully watering a long row of flowers beside their home. Nearby, another rabbit sat on a bench reading a book while sipping tea from a tiny porcelain cup.

Puck watched them for a moment.

Then she sighed again.

"Still…" Her gaze drifted slowly across the city. "I kind of wish he'd spend more time looking at places like this."

There was something comforting about it and something worth noticing. Something that didn't revolve around danger or power or strange anomalies. This was a tame sight true, sentient bunnies probably weren't that high up in the 'hierarchy' of interesting things. But even so, she could not help but be invested in their normalcy, their way of living even.

The fairy floated down toward the street again, gliding slowly past another row of homes.

A few rabbits waved politely as she passed, one even offered her a small flower from their garden.

Puck accepted it with a grateful smile.

"Thanks," she said. She turned the little flower between her fingers as she drifted onward. "Yeah, Grimm would probably say this isn't interesting," she murmured. She looked back across the peaceful streets of Bunnybury. "But honestly?" Puck smiled faintly. "I think he'd be wrong about that."

Their interest did often align at times, but it also deviated somewhat. However, their being a middle ground surely meant something.

"Still for him to be patient enough to let me indulge myself," Puck mused lightly as she drifted through the air, Grimm obviously had a soft spot. "Or maybe it's just because I'm pretty darn cute," She mused.