Tilde’s POV

So this was the Milham Kingdom.

It was our first time stepping into a modern kingdom, and seeing it with my own eyes felt... strange. This was what it actually looked like beyond all the stories and secondhand descriptions. The moment we crossed into it, everything felt different, almost unfamiliar in a way that made me more alert than usual.

On the surface, I guess... yeah, it really did look like this.

There was nothing immediately overwhelming about it, yet at the same time, everything stood out. The structures, the roads, the movement of people, even the way the air felt carried a different rhythm compared to the Great Forest. It wasn’t loud in a chaotic way, but there was a constant flow of activity that never seemed to stop.

"T-Tilde, a monster!" one of the rabbitwomen with me suddenly said, her voice trembling as she raised the dagger in her hand.

Her reaction was sharp, immediate, and almost instinctive.

I turned slightly to look at her. She was one of the rabbitwomen I had been training recently, part of the rabbitmen strengthening program that Leon and I decided to carry out together. Seeing her react like this made it obvious that she still had a long way to go, though I couldn’t exactly blame her either.

The goal of that program was simple on paper but difficult in practice. We wanted to increase the military strength of the Great Forest. For a long time, rabbitmen had been seen as weak, fragile, and easy prey for others. That wasn’t entirely wrong, but it also wasn’t the full truth.

Leon pointed it out first. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

He said there was a lot of untapped potential within rabbitmen, especially in our natural agility, speed, and reflexes. Those traits were always there, but they were mostly used in one way. Running away. Surviving. And escaping danger.

That meant those abilities were never truly refined for anything else.

Like fighting.

Instead of running, rabbitmen could start applying those same instincts to combat. The results spoke for themselves. We grew stronger, faster, and more precise. Eventually, we would become someone capable of killing efficiently.

An assassin.

Now, I was passing that same knowledge to others.

Teaching them how to move, how to think, how to use what they already had instead of wasting it.

It was a big step forward for our kind.

Still, what Cadra was pointing at right now... wasn’t a monster.

"That’s a modern vehicle in this country," I said, keeping my voice calm so she could settle down. "They don’t use horses or carriages anymore. I think they call those cars."

The object in question moved past us smoothly, its motion steady and controlled. It didn’t feel alive. There was no killing intent and no presence, just something mechanical.

I glanced back at her dagger.

"You shouldn’t attack something like that when you see it, Cadra," I added.

Cadra lowered her weapon slowly, though she still looked wary.

She was a rabbitwoman with extremely quick legs, probably one of the fastest among those I was training. Her strength lay in her movement. She could close distances quickly, strike, and retreat before anyone could react properly.

She hadn’t killed any real enemies yet, but she had experience hunting animals, which was a good starting point.

Her appearance leaned heavily toward the beast side.

Compared to me, the difference was obvious.

If I had to explain it simply, the balance between human and beast traits wasn’t the same for all rabbitmen, or for all beastfolk in general. In her case, the beast side dominated. Her face clearly resembled that of a rabbit, while her posture and movements carried human characteristics.

In my case, it was the opposite.

My face looked human, but my body still carried distinct rabbit traits. My legs, my ears, even the way I moved sometimes gave it away.

There were many like us, each with different balances between those traits.

"Were they... rabbitmen?" someone nearby muttered as we walked past.

I heard it clearly.

People around us were staring, some openly, others trying to be subtle about it. Their curiosity was mixed with caution, maybe even a bit of discomfort.

It made sense.

Rabbitmen weren’t something people saw every day. Most of us stayed within the Great Forest, living our lives away from places like this. The only time outsiders really saw rabbitmen was in places we didn’t want to be in.

Prostitution dens.

We were seen as easy targets for slavers, after all. We were weak and vulnerable.

I let my gaze sweep the area briefly.

Fortunately, there was no slavers nearby.

That was good.

Rabbitmen were especially prone to being captured, so our presence here naturally drew attention. In a kingdom like this, known for having entire districts dedicated to pleasure, the risk should have been higher.

Still, things were different now.

If any slaver tried to capture us in our current state, they would regret it immediately.

I shifted my focus back to the reason we were here.

Leon.

I still didn’t fully understand why he asked me for this favor. He wasn’t the type to call someone unless it mattered. That alone told me this wasn’t something trivial.

If he reached out to me specifically, then it had to be important.

And right now...

It was the middle of the year.

Which meant my body was reacting accordingly.

The estrus period.

Most female beastmen went into heat during certain times of the year. The hottest days, like now, and the coldest ones at the beginning or end of the year. Those were the times when we stayed in as well as when we focused on reproduction.

It was natural.

And right now, I could feel it clearly.

I had already entered that state.

There was a persistent warmth in my body, a subtle but constant pull that kept returning no matter how much I tried to ignore it.

That was why my thoughts kept drifting back to him.

Leon.

I wanted him to fuck me.

The desire wasn’t something I could just brush off. It sat there, mixed with instinct and something more personal. I wanted him to take me, to fill me, and to leave me carrying his child.

It was straightforward in my mind.

That would have to wait, though.

We had something to do first.

Still, the thought lingered.

I imagined it briefly. Raising a child that was half rabbitman. Strong. Capable. Someone who carried both our traits.

If their father was strong, then they would be too.

My steps slowed slightly before I realized it, and I adjusted my pace again.

Beside me, Cadra suddenly stopped focusing on her surroundings.

She was staring at someone.

"Cadra? Who are you looking at?" I asked, tilting my head slightly.

She glanced at me for a moment, like she wasn’t sure if she should say it, then looked back.

Following her gaze, I found the person she was watching.

A man.

He wasn’t doing anything particularly noticeable. Just standing there, blending in with the flow of people. But there was something about him that felt... off. He was also carrying a plant.

"He looks a little... sad," she said quietly.

Her voice carried a hint of uncertainty, like she wasn’t completely confident in what she was seeing.

I observed him for a moment.

His posture, the way he held himself, the slight lack of energy in his movements. It wasn’t obvious unless you paid attention, but once you noticed it, it was hard to ignore.

"I see..." I said, thinking about it briefly.

Then I looked back at her.

"Do you want to cheer him up?"