CH 49

Chapter 49 – A New Announcement 

“How is it? The clothes might be too big for you, bunny.”

“It’s fine. It’s a little big, but it fits.”

I borrowed Mary’s clothes. Arje and I had similar figures, but Mary was a bit more muscular and fit. Still, she said that she had clothes that she wore in the past and I tried them on. They were big as well, but there was no issue moving around.

“Of course they are baggy.”

Mary was looking around my breast area. Knowing what she meant, I frowned and turned around abruptly.

“You really remind me of when I was a girl. When I was a new captain. So, would you like to join our crew? I will treat you as if you were my real sister.”

Mary laughed at my reaction, and the others also chuckled. I wanted to kick her, but since she let me borrow her clothes, I held it in.

“I refuse.”

Then Mary nodded while still keeping her smile. She wouldn’t have expected much asking me, either.

“By the way, you really suit pirate clothes well even though you are not. You look like a captain!”

I couldn’t check how I looked, but her clothes were similar to my swordsman outfits. The only difference was that the hat, baggy sleeves and a giant cape big enough to cover the entire body.

“Aye, captain. That bunny sure suits the outfit well.”

The crew started to agree with Mary as well.

“Yes. If a captain like her was recruiting, we would easily get more to join.”

One of them even said this, and got kicked by Mary as they fell into the water.

“Bwahahah!”

Unlike angry Mary, the rest laughed out loud. Mary glared at them, then looked at me puzzled.

“So, why did you want my clothes? Because you didn’t like the robe?”

There were two reasons why I borrowed Mary’s pirate clothes. One was to get rid of the white robe that would make me look suspicious, and second was

“Soon, you will hear some big news.”

From the novel, something big was going to occur soon. The events hadn’t really exactly followed the plot so far, but this one was to occur since all the conditions were met.

“Announcement! To celebrate the safe return of the princess, the emperor will be having a martial arts competition! Those of you who are interested, register at the Aldroff Hall!”

In the original story, Arje abandoned her runaway from home from some event, and the same celebratory event occurred. Jarrod participated, and for the prize he wanted Arje, and blah blah it was a pretty happy ending. Although now, Jarrod was not here and I would be the one to participate.

“Bunny, does the outfit have something to do with the competition?”

Mary seemed curious, and I nodded.

“Yes.”

The reason I was participating was not only because of Arje, but because Aldroff Hall was actually like the colosseum of rome. The duel battle of dual specimens were held regularly at this place, which meant that Pucci would definitely be linked to it. It was a big chance that he owned the place, which would mean that he could come visit to watch, and I would get to see him the closer I make it to the finals.

“Is that so? Then I will also participate.”

Mary stretched. The others were excited to participate as well.

“But where are your original clothes and why are you borrowing mine? I mean, you could just wear the robe, right?”

Mary asked, clever unlike a pirate.

“Just. I don’t want to stand in front of many people wearing those kinds of clothes. Being a swordsman.”

But I made up some excuse, since I didn’t want to talk about how I was on the wanted posters.

“And I make another announcement! The emperor has guaranteed a great prize for the one to catch the rabbitman who killed the bishop and director of the church of the emperor and the kidnapper of the princess! However, if you are the one to be hiding the rabbitman, then we will punish you for treason!”

Ugh, he didn’t have to say that part.

“That can’t be you, right?”

Mary looked at me surprised, and I just nodded since I was already caught.

“It is.”

Then the looks on the pirates faces changed.

I knew what the crew was going to do, so I got prepared to fight.

“Hey, since when did you guys follow the law?”

Mary took my side right away.

“You guys were the ones to empty barrels of beer in the bar that forbade pirates, parked the ship in the no pirate zone and even fought the managers guarding the dock! And now you want to follow rules?”

Mary blurted out the acts of the pirates like a storm, and the pirates who heard this scratched their heads.

“No, we were just about to convince you just in case you were thinking about turning her in.”

Mary blinked at their reply.

“Me? Why?”

“Because we know very well how gluttonous you are with prizes!”

“Yes. You even went all the way to Profin so that you could win something big. I mean, although we haven’t really gotten rewarded for that last trip.”

Mary let out a dry cough at their accusation.

“I mean, there’s nothing wrong with the greed of a pirate…anyways, I am glad that you guys are on the same page.”

Fortunately, Mary and her pirates didn’t seem to plan on going against me. No need to use my sword.

“So, our bunny lady wants to borrow my clothes and participate in the competition while her face is on the wanted poster?”

“Yup.”

Mary lost it, as if I had replied so brightly.

“Since you helped us before we were sentenced to death in Profin, we will help you…and also, Lady Arberaj will reward us well for helping you out. Still, if you get caught, we don’t know each other, okay?”

I shrugged at Mary’s last remark.

“Then, all I have to do is not get caught.”

“Your confidence is something of a great pirate. Well then, I wish a good battle if we meet in the competition.”

So I headed towards Aldroff Hall receiving Mary and her crew’s farewell. Although I didn’t know the way, there were many guides and arrows leading towards the place.

“That’s a lot of people.”

There were so many people, as if everyone already knew about the event before it was announced. I guess there are many fighters around the area in the capital? If it weren’t something for this, I would be going through alleyways finding a match. For now, I just pushed down on the hat to cover my ears.

“I am here to register.”

I registered after getting through the swarm of people.

“Now even kids want to sign up?”

One of the soldiers taking participants chuckled. Without my ears, I just appeared like a girl to most people.

“Wait. Your face looks familiar.”

One of them made a dubious face, as if they had seen me before.

“Take off that hat of yours.”

Then he ordered me to take the hat off. If I were to take it off, they would go mad.

“Why? Are you accusing me just because of my face?”

When I pretended not to know, the soldier frowned.

“It’s because you look similar to the culprit of the kidnapping and murdering. Take that hat off.”

I blinked my eyes, acting as if I was surprised.

“I can take the hat off, but if I were really the culprit, would I be revealing my face and participating in such a big event?”

Then the soldiers looked at each other. This bluffing was a dangerous one. The others were already full of suspicions, and the situation was not so favorable to be able to convince them. Probability-wise, it was like having to roll 6’s for all three dies. If my bluffing didn’t work, I would have to take my sword out or start running and change my plans.

“Well, that’s also true.”

“It would be suicidal, since the moment you get caught, you’d get killed.”

“You must have seen it wrong. Such an assassin wouldn’t have such a young face.”

Finally, the soldiers concluded that my face did not fit that of a murderer. Wouldn’t that also mean that Cream didn’t fall under the category, either?

“Yeah, just stop dragging time and let me pass if you don’t have any problems.”

I didn’t stop bluffing until the end. If I were to stop, they would get suspicious again.

“Okay, fine. So, what is your name, Miss Pirate?”

Fortunately, but risky bluffing worked. I almost told them Aris, but I realized that it was not a good idea to reveal my real name. So, I used the name I hadn’t mentioned in a while.

“Arix.”

Which was the name I had before I became a bunny. Aris was my fake name, but now Arix felt more awkward.  

“Arix? What a handsome name. Are you a boy, by any chance?”

The soldiers goofed off then tore off a piece of paper and handed it to me.

“It’s the ticket for your place in line, so tomorrow at the preliminaries, when they call this number, you go up and fight.”

“Thanks.”

I grabbed the ticket then went outside of the hall. If Pucci and his associates went by the building before I participated, I would be able to skip through everything and end it all, but unluckily that did not happen.

“The poster is still there.”

The poster was still well-glued onto the walls. To be charged for something like this. I was a respectful swordsman, not an assassin. While I stared at the poster, I got a question in my head.

Why was my name still not written?

I didn’t think that Arje would reveal my name. Banu wouldn’t either, since he was on Arje’s side. Then, how about Cream, who was on Pucci’s side? That conbunny would have already told Pucci my name, and it should be on the poster, but my name was still ‘anonymous.’ Had they not updated the latest information?

No. If I thought about it differently, it made more sense that Cream did not give out my name on purpose.

And whether that was to help me or use me was yet to be known. One thing for sure is that Pucci and Cream would know that I would participate in this competition in disguise. I will find out tomorrow, if they will stop me from the beginning, or watch me until the end.