Linda hopped closer, hesitated for a breath, then placed her tiny furry paw on his outstretched hand.
The moment her soft paw touched the back of his hand, Gaffer didn't feel anything. There was no flow of affinity, not even a trace or a spark.
It felt like he was touching a pillow.
His eyebrows twitched.
This really was a defective little beast… no, even worse than that. At least defective beasts had something. But she had nothing, absolutely zero affinity. If he hadn't personally seen her hop around, he would think she wasn't a proper beast at all but some unfortunate creature.
Yet, she was looking at him with those shiny purple eyes filled with trust.
She must have thought he saved her. Meanwhile he was the one who left her on fox land.
Gaffer cleared his throat lightly and lifted the little rabbit in his palm. She wasn't heavy, just a soft little fluffball.
"This little thing…" he muttered quietly to himself, "you really survived on your own?"
He carried her into the skyship.
The moment they stepped in, every single beastman froze.
"Master brought back… the rabbit?"
"From the fox lands? Didn't that beast food belong to them?"
"Is that…? No identity stone?"
"What rank is it? Why does it look so white?"
"It looks like a female rabbit thought. But it definitely isn't, females are nowhere to be found."
Linda looked around with her purple eyes, feeling like she'd stepped into a busy market where everyone was staring at a vegetable.
Linda held onto Gaffer's sleeve tightly, nervous. She didn't understand these beastmen. They looked big and strong and a bit too curious.
Gaffer noticed and placed his large hand gently over her back so she wouldn't fall. "Be calm," he said to her softly.
Then to his subordinates, his ordered. "Prepare a temporary identity stone."
"…" Everyone was shocked again.
"Master… for the rabbit?"
"Yes," Gaffer said. "It will stay with me."
"…!"
Linda perked. Stay with him?
She didn't mind that at all. He was warm.
Scliff, the one closest to Gaffer, stepped forward and whispered, "Master, that little thing… is it a beast pet or a beast food?"
Linda tightened her tiny paws around Gaffer's shirt. She didn't know what a beast pet was in this world, but she disliked how they said 'thing.' She was not a thing.
Gaffer shifted his hold slightly, covering her with his larger hand as if shielding her from their voices.
"It first has to be cleaned," he commanded coldly. "Then Doctor Swaid will check the health."
The lead doctor frowned. Why does he have to check the health of such a thing when there are tons of lower ranked beastdoctors here?
"Afterwards, an identity stone will be instilled in it." His tone carried a sullen weight.
He knew what placing an identity stone on a beast with no affinity meant. It was a crime with a self-degrading punishment.
He was unquestionably bold to dare want to do such a thing.
Even he, Gaffer Imoogi, the undefeated general of the Scales Tribe, did not have the authority to create an identity stone on his own. The materials, the ritual, the tracing, the sealing all required a specific foreign region's supervision.
Even his subordinates knew that Master planned to do something he absolutely should not when he told them to make an identity stone for the rabbit. It was already something illegal even though their master had access to Amberfall cores, the pertinent material for making the stone.
Definitely, they'd loose their minds if they knew the rabbit didn't even have any affinity.
And none of them were brave enough to ask why.
The doctors came closer, peering at the rabbit like she was either a miracle or a poisonous fruit.
"Master, before we get down to those activities… should we examine it? To see if it carries any disorders, defects or—"
"The little rabbit is not defective," Gaffer cut in.
Linda blinked, surprised at how quickly he defended her.
The doctor was stubborn but he also needed to take precautions for the Master's sake. "But, Master…."
"The rabbit is not defective." His tone was final.
Linda blinked again. Was she really not defective? She didn't feel defective though, she just couldn't transform or talk or do anything but hop and chew. But hearing someone defend her this fiercely made her small rabbit heart soften.
Gaffer carried her deeper inside and let her rest on the curve of his arm.
Linda snuggled into his chest again. It really was warm. Warmer than her little holes. Warmer than anything she remembered. It was safer than anything, too.
For a brief moment, it felt like she could sleep here forever. But just as she was drifting, a violent thump shook the room.
"Hissst~"
The glass case at the center of the room had trembled.
Everyone froze.
Scliff whispered, "The young master… reacted?"
Another doctor muttered, "Does he want to eat the rabbit? She's small enough."
"It fits the size of his usual prey…"
Gaffer's brows tightened. The little rabbit was indeed very very little. It was the exact size of a beast rat.
He was about to check on his son, but before he could even make a move the little rabbit leapt out of his arms.
"!"
Too late. She hopped across the metal floor straight toward the giant glass case like someone walking toward her destiny.
The crew panicked. "She's heading there?!"
"Master, the rabbit—!"
"Catch her before she becomes food!"
No one dare moved, though. No one dared try to snatch something the master personally carried in himself.
And the master in question—Gaffer, he didn't stop her. He just watched with a strange interest intertwined with large chunk calmness.
Inside the glass case, the silver slim beast—
Gaffer's son—lifted its shimmering head the moment she approached. It's silver scales rippled like liquid light as it crawled upper and out of the glass case.
Linda didn't even pause for a second.
Maybe she and silver slim beast could get along now. Even if they started on a bad note.
Even if she once poked the stick on his father when he was unconscious. Even if she tricked him into her hole when it was at its weakest.
It wasn't dangerous if perhaps the snake missed her and was coming to give her a hung, right?
The silver slim beast slid forward on the wet floor. While Linda hopped closer.
The doctors looked ready to scream.
"Master, she's jumping toward her death!"
"She really thinks the young master won't eat her!"
"Wasn't the case locked in the first place."
It was Gaffer who had unlocked it before they landed at the fox lands. He was holding his son then placed him back in there without locking it when they had arrived.
Linda hopped, opening her arms. How rabitty!
The silver slim beast lunged and wrapped around her tiny body, fastly, strongly, tightly. He was literally squeezing her to death.
That ungrateful little….!