“Twitch twitch.”
The sight of the rabbit’s ears twitching as they moved this way and that, drooping slightly at the back.
Although its fluffy legs were buried under its body and hard to see, Ophel was certain that this was undoubtedly a rabbit.
“Oooh…”
Even rabbits can knock on doors!
Thinking this with such natural certainty, Ophel’s golden eyes sparkled as she crouched down and looked at the rabbit, asking, “Is it you who knocked on the door?”
“Igogodon.”
“I see. My name is Ophel Transrente, but…”
“Igogodon.”
“A rabbit knight? So, what brings you here? Are you lost, perhaps, and wandering about? I think I could help you find your way.”
“Igogodon.”
Although the rabbit only uttered “Igogodon,” for some reason, Ophel was able to converse with it as if they were having a normal conversation.
“That’s not it, then? In that case, why are you here?”
“Igogodon.”
“You came to help me…”
“Igogodon!”
“…Do you want to become my companion?”
The rabbit leapt joyfully up to Ophel’s level, her eyes shining with excitement.
She nodded and smiled.
“How you found me doesn’t matter. The fact that you’ve come to join me is what’s important. Whether you’re a human or a rabbit is secondary. I look forward to working with you, Rabbit Knight! My body may have its flaws, but how about we work together to understand the simple facts of the divine?”
“Igogodon! Igogodon!”
The rabbit blinked its eyes like little stars, hopping this way and that.
“Hmm, that’s quite the impressive jump…! I suppose I must also try harder!”
If Ophel had been an ordinary person, she might have questioned the odd sound coming from the rabbit.
But Ophel was the type to believe that everything in the world had a reason, so she never questioned it.
If the rabbit had come to join her as a companion, she took it at face value.
Certainly, her way of thinking was quite different from that of the average person.
This could be seen as a flaw, but—
What was most fortunate for her was that—
She was a woman chosen by the divine.
***
The next day.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning, Luca.”
Luca, who had come to the dining hall for breakfast, could not help but stop in her tracks.
There, sitting a top Ophel’s head, was a white, fluffy creature she’d never seen before.
“Ophel ? What’s that on your circlet?”
“Oh, this friend? It’s Rabbit Knight. My new companion.”
“A rabbit…?”
Luca cautiously approached Ophel .
At first, she was more startled than anything else, but as she looked more closely at the creature sitting on her head, his feelings quickly shifted to curiosity.
“It’s so cute…! Is it really a rabbit? It does have ears like a rabbit, but its legs are a little short, and its fur is so fluffy…”
“Well, it introduced itself as a rabbit, so it must be one, right?”
“It introduced itself…? The rabbit?”
“Igogodon.”
“Ugh…! Its cry sounds a little strange, don’t you think?”
Just as Luca was taken aback by the unexpected sound, someone grabbed her sleeve—it was Erin, the Saintess, who always wore a gentle smile when addressing the Paladins, a woman chosen by the divine.
“Don’t be too surprised, Luca.”
“Saintess, good morning.”
Erin immediately offered a prayer.
She was a woman whose radiant beauty could easily turn heads wherever she went, but her beauty shone brightest when she was praying to the divine.
“Rabbit Knight is a messenger of the divine, chosen by Igogodon Himself.”
“A messenger of the divine? That cute little rabbit?”
“That round, white, fluffy rabbit?”
“That cute little creature?”
“Yes. Luca, now that you’re here, I’ll explain. Rabbit Knight came to this world to assist Ophel, who has been chosen by the divine. Naturally, it is not an ordinary animal. This is a grace from Igogodon Himself.”
Erin spoke with fervor, her face flushed with excitement as she clutched her Bible and seemed ready to bury it in her sacred pouch.
“Igogodon heard our prayers. He has shown us His favor…”
Erin’s expression was complex, filled with both gratitude and a touch of guilt.
“I see…”
“Please, take care of the messenger of the divine, Rabbit Knight. I will continue to do my part for Igogodon. Now…”
***
After Erin had left, the next person to speak to Luca was Linnea, who had been quietly continuing her meal.
“You know,” Linnea said, “if you listen closely, it almost sounds like that cry is saying the name Igogodon.”
“Ah? Now that I listen closely, you’re right!”
“Not only does such a rabbit actually exist, but considering my mother and sister’s examples… it seems that the divine really does exist.”
She said “the divine exists,” but Linnea’s expression was very subtle.
It wasn’t the expression of a believer—it was the face of a researcher.
A face that seemed to demand more concrete evidence.
Perhaps because she knew that this wasn’t the virtue expected of a Paladin, Linnea gave a wry smile and stood up.
“Luca, today I will be exploring near the dungeon. You can take on a simpler task today.”
“Huh? But—”
“No. You’ve been working hard these past few days.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now, if you’ll excuse me. I hope you both do well today.”
“Mm. Take care, Linnea.”
***
Without waiting for a reply, Linnea disappeared, and Luca let out another sigh.
“At least I managed to get close to Ophel without too much trouble, but it seems that getting closer to Linnea is going to be harder…”
Unlike Ophel, who treated her very familiarly even though it was their first meeting, Linnea definitely seemed to be keeping a distance.
Of course, this wasn’t because she didn’t acknowledge him—she always showed proper manners and had helped her adjust to her role as a Paladin.
It was more like she was cautious about their relationship being more than just colleagues.
Moreover, she didn’t use the typical religious language.
For instance, she didn’t say things like, “May the simple facts of the divine be with you.”
What she had just said, too… perhaps she was questioning the existence of Igogodon?
From Luca’s perspective, she wanted to grow closer to her since they would be seeing each other often, but…
”I’m sure there will come a time when she opens her heart.”
Linnea was also a being chosen by Igogodon.
There must be a reason she was selected as a Paladin, and Igogodon’s decisions were never wrong.
She was certain that, someday, they would have deep discussions about the simple facts of the divine.
Well, as for Linnea…
What was on her mind now was, of course, the “Messenger of the Divine” sitting so quietly on Ophel’s head.
***
“Hmm? What’s wrong?”
Luca had always been weak to cute things.
Even during her time at the orphanage, when food was scarce and she had barely enough for herself, she would share bread crumbs with stray animals on the streets.
The reason she started doing this was, of course, because she believed “the divine is watching over me.”
But at some point, she began to genuinely prefer animals themselves.
“U-um… is it okay if I pet you…?”
It was only natural for Luca, with her sparkly eyes, to become interested in the rabbit.
“Igogodon.”
“It seems it’s fine. After all, you’re also a Paladin chosen by the divine, aren’t you?”
“T-then…!”
***
Softly, softly.
The soft texture of the rabbit’s fur spread deeply into Luca’s heart, gently stroking the “veins of his heart.”
”So cute…!!!”
It was incredibly cute.
The texture felt so good…
It was so warm.
There was something in this warm little animal that made one’s heart feel so cozy and full.
“She seems to like your touch, Luca.”
“Ah? This rabbit is a… girl? I mean, a lady?”
Even though it was so cute, it felt strange to use informal speech with the “Messenger of the Divine” certified by Saint Erin, so naturally, Luca switched to formal language.
“Yes, indeed. She is a very modest lady. Surely, you can tell just by looking?”
“R-really…? I’m not sure, but she’s still so cute.”
At that moment.
Jump!
“Oh…!”
The rabbit leapt into Luca’s arms.
Luca, holding the warm little creature in her arms, looked into its eyes—those beautiful, innocent eyes of the “Messenger of the Divine”—and her face flushed red with affection.
”So, so cute…”
“Rabbit Knight, Luca must go eat now, so it’s probably best to head this way.”
“Igogodon.”
Jump!
“Ah, it’s okay if you stay a bit longer…”
“Don’t worry about it. I need to leave soon anyway, and I can’t take up any more of your precious time.”
“It’s just…”
“Isn’t it the longing that makes the next meeting so much more anticipated? Alright then, shall we go and share the divine’s sweet truth with everyone today?”
“Igogodon.”
“Ah… right, the simple facts. Thank you for reminding me, Rabbit Knight! Without you, I might have disappointed the priests, huh?”
“Wow.”
”I can actually communicate with you…”
It was such an amazing thing, but considering all the miracles of the divine that had already happened, this wasn’t such a big deal.
“Well… Rabbit Knight. I’ll see you again next time…!”
Jump! Jump!
Instead of making a sound, the rabbit hopped a few times on Ophel’s head in farewell.
“Well then, let’s meet at dinner time. Luca, let’s keep working hard and share the divine’s simple truth with everyone.”
“Yes!”
Luca couldn’t take her eyes off Ophel’s back as she walked away.
The rabbit had quickly infiltrated Ophel’s life more than Luca had expected.
Whenever she did various tasks, the rabbit would keep her company.
And due to its cute appearance, whenever she went on volunteer work, it attracted quite a bit of kind attention from others.
As a Paladin, securing the public’s favor for the faith of the divine was one of the most important roles, and the rabbit had been a huge asset in this regard.
The most beneficial thing, however, was that the rabbit continued to remind her of the phrase “simple facts.”
For Ophel, who strangely kept forgetting this important phrase despite being a Paladin, it was almost like a pinpoint advantage.
Moreover, the frequency with which rumors about Ophel spread among the clergy had also decreased.
Because she kept making mistakes with “simple facts,” it was only natural that there would be gossip about her, but the glow of being chosen by the Messenger of the Divine had overshadowed all of that.
And since Saint Erin herself had personally guaranteed her, for the time being, there was little chance that anyone would question her qualities among the clergy.
The peaceful time passed, and on one particular day…
***
“Did Her Majesty the Empress say something?”
“Yes. She is heading to the cathedral right now because she wants to offer prayers to Igogodon.”
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