"Child, won’t you go out to play?"
As the sun set, just like every year, Clovis’s foster father projected his image into his foster daughter’s room, his smile suggesting that he wanted Clovis to go out and have fun.
Clovis knew her foster father meant well, but... the Bunny Girl, Toby, who had never been invited anywhere naturally did not want to embarrass herself.
She was merely an Orc—a creature with ancestral animal traits—and every day of her life was a gift from the deities.
"Hm, then I’ll go out."
But in the end, just as in previous years, Clovis nodded, donned her long-sleeved leather jacket and long pants that could cover her body hair, and looked at the thick white fur on her neck, pouting—her neck’s fur was a recent few years’ development. She did not know how much longer she could endure, maybe in a few more years, the regression would spread uncontrollably to the top of her head, and then, counting down the days of her life would no longer be just figurative language or self-pity of the healthy.
Pushing open the door of her room in Mage Tower, Clovis turned to glance at her foster father, who waved at her with a smile: "Have fun, and it’s okay if you don’t come home tonight."
Dad, where else can I go besides home?
For some reason, Clovis felt terrible. She walked through the corridor, entered the main body of Mage Tower, and stood on the automatic elevator. Watching the Domestic Fairies bustling around, she did not know what the fairies busied themselves with every day, but at least... they seemed to live meaningful lives.
Stepping out of Mage Tower, Clovis did not know where to go. The Central District must be lively, but as a resident of the southern part of North City District’s Mage Tower, Clovis did not wish to go there.
A Harvest Festival alone held no fun for her at all.
This year, like before, she would just sit by the fountain all night.
However, unlike last year, she would not have to go hungry tonight. The pastry shop in the southern part of the city had delicious sticky rice treats, so she would buy some and pair them with sweet milk.
Having completed two quests, she had some gold of her own in her purse, and Clovis suddenly felt a bit better about things.
Indeed, if one must live alone in this world, money was indispensable.
It wasn’t worship; it was simply a mortal wanting to survive.
With such thoughts, Clovis stood at the bus stop, where she could conveniently take the circuit bus to the southern part of the city and avoid the noisy Central District today.
Couples of the same age walked past Clovis, laughing and paying no mind to others.
Clovis pulled on her one-piece hood, which covered her fuzzy ears that her master’s instructions had already flattened prior to adjusting the hood. The regression had given her abnormal, thickly furry ears, and the Bunny Girl did not want to expose such an ugly feature to the world.
Even if... it only covered a part of it.
"Clovis, there you are."
Clovis pursed her lips, amused—had she become so fragile inside that she had just heard a call of feigned concern?
How shameful she was.
"Clovis, what are you daydreaming about?"
This time, with the call came a hand from behind, gently yet insistently taking hold of hers.
Only then did Clovis realize, and she turned her head to see Mr. Malin and his group of four.
"What are you doing at the bus stop? We went to Mage Tower looking for you and found you’d just left," Faye said with a smile.
"We almost missed you!" Maya placed her hands on her hips, looking at Clovis.
"But at least we caught this little bunny," the Werewolf girl said with a smile.
"Hello, Clovis, I am Lillim. We’re here to find you to go have some fun together," the little sheep girl explained their reason for appearing with a smile.
"I, I... No one has invited me," Clovis tried to withdraw her hand from Mr. Malin’s grip, feeling that she was not worthy of such a firm and warm hand.
"Now there is someone." Mr. Malin did not let go, giving Clovis no chance to escape as he smiled and spoke these words.
This sentence made Clovis unsure whether to laugh or cry.
The young Bunny Girl Toby was panting, excited, and also due to her intrinsic timidity. She was afraid, fearing that everything was just a false dream during her transformation, afraid that the smiling Mr. Malin was the last echo of her consciousness as a bunny, and even more afraid that this warm hand... was merely the heat from a burning stake just ignited.
Not until the Mr. Malin in front of her reached out, lifted her hood, and caressed her fluffy, fleshy ears.
"Why wear a hood? I think Clovis’s ears are very beautiful," he said.
"They’re not beautiful, just ugly, atavistic ears."
Clovis pouted, unsure of what to say because, indeed, it was an ugly atavism, surely this shaggy body was covered in fur, surely she... was just a pitiful Bunny Girl.
Even becoming a Transcendent had been a bumpy road, unable to cast spells properly as a mage.
"Mr. Malin, please don’t pity me," Clovis said earnestly, looking at the opposite sex before her, trying hard to shake off the kindness this man was showing her.
"But I really think you are cute. Your fluffy ears are cute, your big brown eyes are cute, even this hand is very cute," Mr. Malin responded with a smile.
At that moment, Clovis couldn’t contain the feeling of grievance within her heart any longer; she lowered her head, and tears uncontrollably began to flow. It was supposed to be a very happy occasion, so why cry?
Clovis asked herself in her mind.
Until Mr. Malin wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief: "Don’t cry. From today on, we are good friends."
So enviable, so jealousy-inducing.
These were the only thoughts in Logan’s mind after seeing Malin’s female companion.
Little sister Maya is so cute!
Miss Faye is so cute!
That long-legged Werewolf girl is so cute!
Even that curled-horn little lamb is so cute!
Can Malin dance with all of them?!
Right, where did that guy go?
Logan scanned the surroundings, then asked his classmate, "Have you seen Malin?" The bonfire dance is about to start. Where did these guys run off to? Could it be!
A terrifying thought suddenly crossed Logan’s mind!
Could they possibly... Wait, it seems like he’s spotted them.
Logan saw Malin and his girls.
Faye and the Werewolf girl were holding hands, walking towards the bonfire.
Maya and the little lamb were holding hands, walking towards the bonfire.
Malin, with a really cute Toby Bunny Girl who seemed to have some atavistic features, was heading towards the bonfire.
"Damn it! How many companions does that Malin have?!" lamented a single classmate.
"Damn! Why do we have to be single?!" cried a lonely classmate.
"This is unbearable jealousy!!" Logan and his classmates wailed in despair.
Then Logan felt a couple of taps on his shoulder.
Logan turned his head and saw Miriam’s somewhat stiff smile and the pulsing veins on her forehead.