“Don’t look!!”
A scream close to a wail burst from Luna’s lips.
“Yes, yes. I understand. Just calm down for now…”
I reflexively closed my eyes immediately.
I tried to lower my voice as much as possible and gently reassure her.
Even with my eyes closed, the white rabbit ears still linger in my mind. They’re so fluffy…
For now, I erased all of that from my mind.
“You’re not peeking, are you?! You’re not looking?!”
“No, I’m not.”
I turned my back slightly, demonstrating with my whole body that I posed no threat to her. Her ragged breathing began to subside, little by little.
And at that moment, perhaps the tension had broken.
“Ugh…”
A very soft sobbing could be heard.
“I’ve been released again… sniff.”
Her voice was becoming increasingly sorrowful. Then, in front of me, with my eyes still closed, a familiar message appeared in the dark.
[Warning: The Composite Magic (B-Rank) is trying to escape from you.]
It was a notification that Luna was trying to use escape magic. I felt a swirling energy of magic rapidly churning beneath her feet. And the following message was completely different from before.
[Do you wish to release Composite Magic (Rabbit Hole)? (Y/N)]
This time, the system was asking for my consent.
It could’ve asked me earlier.
But Rabbit Hole?
It seemed to be her movement technique. It suited her appearance quite well… but it’s not an illusion spell, and I can release this too?
‘…….’
Luna seems somewhat magically clumsy.
As far as I know, all foreigners from the Empire are extremely skilled in magic. While the awakeners of this world also handle magic, I heard they fell far short of the level of the Empire and received much help from foreigners.
Yet, for an S-rank hunter from the Empire to be released by me…
Ultimately, I decided not to release it this time. Forcing her to stay is the worst outcome.
It would be better to let a frightened rabbit dig its own hole and escape than to corner it.
In my mind, I chose N.
[Refusing to release Rabbit Hole (B), the user will escape from you.]
– Bong!
As I heard that sound, I slowly opened my eyes. There was no one in front of me. Only the faint scent of strawberries remained.
I stared at the empty chair for a moment and quietly pressed the intercom button in the consulting room.
“Team Leader, could you come back?”
Within a minute, the door burst open as if it were about to break, and the HR team leader rushed in. His face was a mix of concern, “Did something happen to Luna?” and anticipation, “Has the counseling ended already?”
“Counselor! Is there a problem…? Huh? Where’s Luna?”
He looked around the empty room in confusion. I gestured with my hand for him to sit here. Then I pushed the warm tea I had made just now toward him.
“First, let’s have a drink.”
My calm demeanor made the team leader more restless. I lifted my teacup, savoring the aroma before getting to the point.
With my gaze fixed on his eyes.
“Team Leader, how much do you know about Luna?”
My question was more of a test than genuine curiosity. The information that she was a beastman, something she desperately tried to hide. If even the Union Guild was unaware of this fact, I needed to make sure to keep it a secret.
I had to confirm.
“Huh?… What do you mean…?”
The team leader’s eyes trembled with confusion, just as I expected.
[National Exploration Agency]
[Main Stance]
[I’m wondering if they’ve already found out that Luna is a beastman.]
Good, he knows. I locked eyes with him and quietly spoke.
“What I’m asking is related to Luna’s origin.”
At that, the team leader let out a deep sigh.
“Sigh… You’ve already figured it out.”
With a fatigued look, he finally admitted everything.
“It took us a year to find out…”
I smiled slightly and shook my head.
“What should we do, Counselor?”
There was a plea for urgent help in his voice. I replied calmly.
“I will handle that well from now on.”
After briefly choosing my words, I laid out my future plans.
“First of all, I’ll meet with Luna last today. If she doesn’t come at the end… then later.”
“Huh? But the most urgent thing is…”
The team leader tried to add words in a fluster.
“Right now, she’s likely in an extremely sensitive state. Her meeting with me probably wasn’t very pleasant.”
Not just this morning, but even considering last week, it wouldn’t have been that pleasant. I added in my mind as I continued.
“I’ll give her some time instead of forcing her.”
The team leader nodded in agreement.
“However, I have one request.”
I looked at him and said.
“Could you prepare the guild’s organizational chart? Including origins and such.”
“The organizational chart…? Yes, I understand. I will prepare it immediately!”
The team leader hurriedly stood up and headed out. I gazed at the empty chair across from me.
I still had many clients even without Luna.
***
Several counseling sessions followed.
Most were about light identity confusion experienced as a foreigner or mild stress after combat.
Situations that could be properly passed over.
“Thank you, Doctor. Your words made the path ahead feel clearer.”
“Not at all. Please come by anytime.”
The one I had just finished counseling was a wanderer from Middle-land. He lamented his situation of belonging to neither a proper faction nor a demonic cult.
He was contemplating that identity. I presented a new perspective that true wanderers are those who do not belong anywhere. He left the counseling room with a relieved expression.
I turned on my tablet PC to check the next appointment. A dwarf from the Empire. A blacksmith, who said he was suffering from the pains of creation recently.
Hoping to gather information about Luna along with this, I spoke toward the door.
“Next person, please come in.”
– Creak.
The door opened, and the next client entered.
However, there stood a gray rabbit. Through her long, thick hair, two long, perked ears, tipped in black, peeked out.
Her clothing was very daring. A full-skin leggings-style combat outfit that revealingly showcased her body’s curves. She approached me with a light step, perched her rear on one side of my desk, and bowed deeply.
“Wow~ Teacher, you’re super handsome!”
She scanned me with her red eyes, lightly licking her lips with her tongue.
‘Who is this? Did the order change?’
I hid my embarrassment and quickly turned my eyes to the guild member list on my tablet PC. Inside were the organizational charts.
The profile of the woman in front of me came up on the screen. The client’s name was Alice. She was also from the Empire like Luna… a beastman.
It was clearly written that she was a beastman. In the profile picture, she proudly displayed her ears, which indicated that she seemed to have a style of revealing her identity.
At the moment I recognized her name, my analysis had already been completed.
[Alice]
[Main Stance]
[I’ve discovered a type of male that I find appealing after a long time. I strongly desire to mate with him in this counseling room.]
[Appropriate Response] [Satisfaction Compatibility 100%]
[Please fulfill her wishes.]
‘…?’
Who gave you the right?
I had no intention to fulfill that.
But… what was this?
No matter how I looked at it, she didn’t seem to have any mental problems.
There were no traces of worries or traumas in her main stance, only primal desire filled her profile.
It was hard to consider her as a client.
If that’s the case, Alice must be…
I formulated one hypothesis and awaited her next action.
“Teacher~”
She leaned closer toward me, the gray hair flowing and brushing against her face.
“What are you doing after work today?”
“Probably… unless something comes up, I’ll head straight home.”
I replied calmly.
“Oh really? Then how about dinner with me?”
She didn’t give up and threw out her next suggestion. Then, she began to stare at my face with a blatant gaze.
She swept her eyes over my eyes, nose, and lips in sequence.
A satisfied smile appeared on her lips.
“Hmm… no. The more I look, the more you’re my type. Just sleep with me, okay?”
Alice casually dropped a bombshell statement.
Without giving me a chance to answer, she added insistently.
“Even though I’m a rabbit beastman, I don’t just do this with anyone, you know? Really. Seriously.”
I wasn’t particularly surprised.
This was the image of beastmen I had known from various media.
Luna was just a special case.
I responded in the standard manner.
“I’m sorry, Alice. Due to professional ethics, I do not engage in personal relationships with clients.”
At my response, her smile deepened even further.
“Oh… I see?”
She closed the distance between us, whispering sweetly.
“But I’m not a client, you know?”
That seemed likely. She looked healthy in every way.
I replied nonchalantly.
“Yes, it seems that way.”
“Oh~ then?”
Alice’s eyes sparkled mischievously.
“I’ll have to refuse.”
At that statement, for the first time, Alice’s smile stopped.
