Once we reached the area housing the medium-sized monsters, we walked around for a bit until we spotted the Funny Rabbit we had been talking about.
The species was clearly a crowd favorite; a fair number of people had already gathered, and the rabbits had been assigned a prime location. It seemed they were the star attraction of the medium-sized monster zone.
"There’s quite a crowd here," I noted.
"Funny Rabbits are always popular," Sieg replied. "They don't mind being handled by people at all."
"They’re just flopped over like that... it’s actually pretty cute."
"Yes. Their reputation for speed when hunting is legendary, but in their downtime, they hardly move. They spend most of their lives just sprawling out like this."
They really were just like Fate-san in rabbit form. Still, I could certainly see the appeal. Seeing a large, fluffy rabbit lounging around in such a lazy manner was undeniably soothing.
Heartened by the sight of the rabbits reclining all over the place, I went ahead and purchased our interaction tickets. The interior of the fenced enclosure was divided into numbered zones; Sieg and I were assigned to Area 8.
The staff made sure there was at least one rabbit in every section at all times, but they warned us that even if a rabbit moved into a different zone, we had to stay in ours. After the briefing, we stepped inside the fence. Given how popular they were, the staff likely used these zones to manage the flow of people and keep the rabbits from wandering off wherever they pleased.
"Kaito-san! Look, there's a Funny Rabbit right there!"
"Ah, then let's go over—whoa, fast!?"
By the time I followed her gaze, Sieg had already bolted to the creature’s side. I gave a wry smile at her incredible speed and followed at a more human pace.
The rabbit was hunkered down in the grass, looking utterly tranquil. It didn't flinch when Sieg began to stroke its fur; it simply let her do as she pleased, acting as if it were perfectly content to allow anything.
I knelt beside her and reached out. While Sieg rubbed its flank, I focused on its head, making sure to avoid the horn. Its coat was incredibly soft and felt warm, perhaps because of a high body temperature. The horn was quite sharp, but it had a protective cover on it—presumably for safety—so there didn't seem to be any real danger.
"It's adorable, isn't it?" I said.
"Yes! I’m so moved. I can see why they're so popular... they feel wonderful to the touch, their movements are lovely... they’re just the best."
Watching her enjoy herself was heartening. "I'm glad you're having a good time, Sieg—" I started, then paused.
"Oh?"
I had momentarily pulled my hand away, but the rabbit immediately nudged my palm with its head. It seemed to be demanding more attention. When I resumed petting it, the rabbit narrowed its eyes in bliss and slumped back into its lazy posture.
"That’s unusual," Sieg remarked. "I’ve rarely seen them act so needy... Then again, between Rin and our previous travels, you’ve always had a way with animals and monsters, haven’t you, Kaito-san?"
"Now that you mention it, I recall being told it was an effect of Shiro-san’s Blessing."
"As for me, I find that a truly enviable ability. Even so, Funny Rabbits really are charming."
"I like their relaxed vibe. But they're really fast when they run, aren't they? I saw one in a monster race once, and it won by a mile."
"Their speed when chasing prey is famous," Sieg agreed. "But since the rabbits here are all raised in captivity, it's almost impossible to see them run. Seeing one in action is rare; I’ve never seen it with my own eyes."
True, if they only ran seriously when hunting, they probably had no reason to exert themselves in an environment where food was provided. Thinking about it that way, the fact that one had run in that monster race must have been an extremely rare occurrence, which explained why it had been such a long shot.
"It definitely was impressive. I’d love to see that kind of speed again... wait, what?"
The moment the words left my mouth, the rabbit scrambled to its feet. It gave me a quick look, then blurred into motion. It tore around the fenced-in area in a single, lightning-fast lap before skidding to a halt in front of us and flopping back down.
"...Did it just run because it heard us talking?"
"Monsters are known to understand human speech to a degree, so it’s possible," Sieg said, looking impressed. "Even so, they usually wouldn't bother to show off like that..."
"I see. Well, thanks for the show," I said, giving its head another scratch. The rabbit narrowed its eyes comfortably. Thanks to its little demonstration, we had managed to see something special.
"Um, excuse me..." a voice called out. "By any chance, are you a famous professional breeder?"
"No, I'm not."
I was a bit bewildered when the staff member in charge of the area approached me with such a question immediately afterward.
Serious-senpai: "A Behemoth child already stronger than an adult, a White Dragon in the middle of a special evolution... I mean, even if he isn't public about it, hasn't he already reached an 'abnormal' level as a breeder?"