I Became The Rabbit Swordsman In A Novel

When I regained my consciousness, I was in bed, with the blanket all the way to my neck. From hearing the waves and feeling the bed shake, it seemed that we came out to the ocean even after the elf got killed.

When I looked around the surroundings, I noticed first that my hat and coat was removed and placed on top of the table. Further out, I saw Arje drinking tea wearing a comfortable pajama dress.

“You are awake. I was surprised that you fainted suddenly.”

From hearing that I was awake, Arje placed her teacup down and looked over at me.

“What about the elf? What happened to her?”

I had seen to the point where the elf got a bad burn from holding my sword, and then fell into the sea after getting struck by Arje’s magic, but I wanted to confirm.

“I am not sure. “

I could not understand Arje’s reply. 

“You don’t know? Why? Did you faint as well?”

From what I last remembered, Arje had run to me instead of fainting. Had she fainted right after me?

“No, I did get hit by that elf, but it wasn’t so bad that I fainted.”

“Then how come you are not sure if you didn’t faint?”

When I looked puzzled, Arje made an awkward expression. 

“Well, I was so busy looking after you that I didn’t get to check what happened to the elf.”

Should I be glad, or say something.

“Still, the elf did not emerge from the water after falling! I’m not lying! The other sailors checked as well.”

As if Arje felt that I was a parent scolding the child, she started to come up with excuses like a little child who made a mistake.

“Really? Then the elf must be dead, then.”

Since I never read in the novel that the elf could breathe underwater, it should be dead if it never came back up.

“Phew! I can finally relax now.”

I lay in bed in a good mood. Now, I didn’t have to worry about being chased and go around to look for treasures and Pucci, my original goal.

“But it’s still too early to let our guards down. Although the elf is gone, her subordinates are still roaming around.”

Arje mentioned the subordinates of the crazy elf. 

“Arje, they are a piece of cake, so they do not concern me a little bit.”

They were none of my concern.

“What do you mean by that?”

From her question, I rose from the bed again and smiled at Arje, who seemed frustrated.

“Fruit flies are annoying, not something to be scared of!”

Even if they were to chase me down, I would be able to wipe them out. It was weird to worry about them.

“Your confidence feels conceited, yet I can’t say anything because you are often right.”

Arje shook her head and then took another sip of her tea.

“So don’t worry about the elf flies. Let’s focus on our original goal.”

I rose from the bed.

“Aris, you still lie down a little more, since you might not be fully recovered.”

Arje suggested that I lie down a little longer, but

“No, I should get up now.”

I got out of bed and then checked over my body to see if I had any injuries.

“Huh?”

I then realized that I was also wearing a pajama dress like that of Arje.  

“Ah, it’s provided by Mary. It might be a little big for you, but that’s all right since it’s sleepwear, right?”

This also must belong to Mary. But why was I wearing this?

“Why am I wearing this? Where are my clothes?”

There would be no way that I would have changed myself while unconscious.

“Oh, I changed you. The one you were wearing got muddy, so it’s drying after being washed.”

Oh, I see. I guess I should be assured that I was changed by Arje…I guess?

“You changed me, Arje?”

“Yes, I did. Why?”

Unlike me, who was shocked, Arje just sipped on her tea as if it was nothing.

“Wait. If you changed me, does that mean you used magic to do it easily?”

It would be okay if she used magic.

“What kind of a spell helps you change clothes? Of course I did it manually.”

Thinking about it made me blush and my ears to fold down.

“Oh, I see..”

I didn’t know it was such an embarrassing thing to show a woman my naked body.

“Why so shy, Aris? We are the same gender!”

Arje laughed at my reaction.

“I’m not shy, it’s just…you know… cough.”

I tried to explain myself while tapping on my ears that kept folding on their own.

“It makes me look like a weird person if you react that way! I didn’t have any thoughts while changing you except getting jealous that your skin was really nice and soft!”

Arje got embarrassed instead. True, it wasn’t like a male to female exchange and Arje wouldn’t know why I felt so awkward.

“No, not that I thought you did something weird to me.”

I pretended to not be awkward, but

“But you just did think so, right?”

Arje stood up from her seat.

“Arje?”

Her evil smile was a little creepy.

“Be ready to get punished for making a royal princess feel bad.”

And with that she ran towards me, and

“Arje? No, stop, stop!”

She started to tickle my sides. I couldn’t get enough strength from how ticklish I was, so I couldn't help but stay helpless.

“I’m sorry! I really am!”

So it was that time when I could barely get a hold of myself from getting tickled by Arje.

Knock knock.

Someone knocked on the door politely, and then Arje got off of me immediately and coughed as if it never happened.

“Yes, who is it?”

Arje replied politely as if she had been sitting the whole time.

“Ha…..”

I thought in bed, whether the Arje I just saw was her true self, or if she had gone crazy.

“Our captain says that if the bunny, I mean Miss Aris, is awake, to see her inside her room.”

A voice of a pirate sent the message.

“To see Aris?”

Arje looked over at me.

“Aris is a little busy right now.”

Arje didn’t seem like she was ready to let me go.

“No, it’s fine. I will be back.”

But to look for me at such a late hour, it must be something important.

“Aris, are you going to go dressed like that?”

Arje looked at me with a surprised face. Right, I was in pajamas.

“I can wear a coat over it or whatever.”

I wore a coat on top. It should work.

“And Aris, you wouldn’t know because you just woke up, but it’s late. Wouldn’t it be better to see her the next day?”

“It’s okay. I will be right back.”

When I got dressed, Arje just sighed that she couldn’t help me from going.

“Well if you say so, please return safely. I will be in bed.”

Arje just yawned and went over to the bed, as if she was not interested in coming along or persisting longer. I felt this from earlier, but was she sulking?

“Arhe, are you upset that I reacted that way earlier?”

I apologized before heading out. From her standpoint, she was just trying to help and I overreacted.

“Oh, that? Pshh. I was just messing with you. Don’t worry about it.”

…Of course. I was glad that Arje wasn’t hurt or mad at my reaction. I learned my lesson from this event to think of myself as a female body: to not think it’s weird when Arje changes me, as I wouldn’t feel awkward if a man had changed me when I was a man.

Click.

I cracked open the door.

“Hmm.”

The sailor turned his head after seeing my attire, even though I had a coat over it.

“Mary called me, right? Take me to her.”

“Ah, yes.”

And so I followed the pirate to the captain’s deck.

“Captain, Miss Aris is here.”

As I waited in front of the captain’s room, I could feel the stares of the other pirates. Maybe it was because the pajamas were too loose?

“Tell her to come inside.”

And when I entered the room, there was a giant table with settings of various vegetables, greens, meat and wine.

“Welcome, our hero! The bunny who killed the eary!”

Mary looked at me and smiled after pouring a glass of wine.

“You have no sense of shame, I guess because you are a bunny!”

Mary laughed at my attire.

“What does shame have to do with being a bunny?”

I sat on a nearby chair and questioned Mary’s comment.

“I mean, it’s okay because I am a woman, but all the other guys are male. This is also a ship.”

“So?”

I knew what Mary was saying, but I still pretended to be clueless.

“You might get something to cry about if the guys go crazy.”

Then Mary looked at me with an exaggerated expression, as if she was trying to make a scary face. It was too funny to be frightened. Also, Mary was fine being the only female, so I should be safe, too.

“Really? Then you, as the captain, should control the guys so something like that won’t happen. Or else, your guys will cry after losing their important parts.”

“What a bluff.”

“I’m not bluffing.”

I really wasn’t bluffing. I would really do it.

“Hahaha! That’s the bunny I like. You must be hungry after waking up, right? Dive in.”

Mary pushed the plate with a bunch of vegetables towards my direction.

“Why is everyone so eager to feed me grass?”

I brought one of the steaks on Mary’s side over to my plate.

“You eat meat? Interesting.”

She was definitely stereotyping my race.

“Whatever, I don't think you called me here to feed me a late night snack. You called me to ask about the treasure, right?”

Mary wouldn’t treat me without expecting something.

“You are quick to take a hint. As expected of someone who has killed an elf.”

Mary picked up her glass with a satisfied expression.

“So, where do we have to go to get the treasure?”

After I finished eating a slice of steak, I mentioned the name of the place that Jarrod visited.

“The treasure is located at the island of lost spirits.”

Mary froze up, as expected, and she dropped her glass of wine.

“I think I heard wrong. Where?”

I shrugged my shoulders and repeated.

“Can humans not hear well with their tiny ears? The island of l-o-s-t s-o-u-l-s.”

“Oh god.”

Mary looked at me in disbelief, but the wine was already spilled.