Note: The chapter title has been updated. "Table" has been corrected to "Teak" as per reader feedback.
The Wanderer, the Chef, the Blacksmith, and the Spice
"Ugh… huh…?"
Pepper stirred, blinking groggily. Above him stretched a wooden ceiling, its grain swirling in the dim light. Sitting up, he glanced around and realized he was lying on a bed in some unfamiliar room.
"Wait, hold on… I called him Teacher, didn't I?! Was that okay?! Did I screw things up with Weissash?!"
His voice echoed in the quiet, a mix of panic and self-reproach.
"Talking to yourself, huh? That's one way to pass the time," a familiar voice chimed in. "Don't worry, Pepper-han. You're all set to get trained proper by our Okashira."
Pepper turned to see Aitoil perched on a round stool, munching on a carrot-shaped cookie with a satisfying crunch. She pulled a gourd-shaped canteen from a small pouch on her back and took a swig, her black fur glinting in the soft light.
"Oh, and the Okashira told me to pass on a message," Aitoil continued. "That collar around your neck? It's from him. And I've been tasked with looking after ya. So, let's get along, alright, Pepper-han?"
"Uh, yeah, sure. Wait—collar?" Pepper's hand shot to his neck, where he felt a soft red cloth embroidered with white flames. Curious, he opened his status menu to check the accessory's stats.
Vorpal Soul Collar
Effect: Halves acquired experience points but grants 2.5x (rounded down) stat points per level-up.
A collar of discipline crafted by the King of the Vorpal Bunnies. It cannot be removed without the King's permission, symbolizing the extraordinary trials one must endure to achieve true strength.
"…This is straight-up nuts," Pepper muttered, eyes wide. Even with the Lycaon's curse halving his combat experience, the collar's 2.5x stat point boost was absurd—borderline game-breaking. Without the collar, a level-up might grant 5 points; with it, he'd get 12. If he wore this all the way to the level 99 cap, the stat difference compared to a standard level 99 character would be astronomical.
"Oh, one more thing," Aitoil added, snapping him out of his thoughts. "The Okashira said to show you around the Rabbit Palace once you woke up. It's getting close to night, and a fine moon's rising. So, whatcha wanna do, Pepper-han?"
Checking the time, Pepper saw it was nearly 5 p.m. Through the room's window, the sky glowed with the hues of sunset, painting Rabbits in shades of amber. Lights began to flicker on in the distant bunny-shaped houses.
"Hmm… Alright, Aitoil, take me to the places you think I should check out. Oh, and I wanna update my respawn point while we're at it."
"Places worth visiting, huh? Got just the spots in mind. Follow me, Pepper-han!"
Aitoil hopped off the stool, and Pepper trailed after her. Their first stop was a dining hall, marked by a red noren curtain. The savory aroma of dashi wafted out, teasing Pepper's appetite.
Inside, wooden tables and round stools were neatly arranged, spacious enough for over thirty Vorpal Bunnies to dine comfortably. The sunset's glow streamed through the windows, casting a warm light over the scene.
"This here's the Rabbit Palace's dining hall," Aitoil said proudly. "My little brother runs the kitchen."
"Oh? Now that's intriguing," Pepper replied, his curiosity piqued. If this was the Rabbit Palace's kitchen, the menu was probably packed with Japanese dishes, right? His heart raced with anticipation.
Aitoil called out, "Yo, Teak! You in there?"
A brief silence followed, broken by the clatter of geta sandals. Emerging from the back was a gray-furred Vorpal Bunny dressed in the pristine white uniform of a high-end chef, a cross-shaped eyepatch over his left eye. A custom-made sheath at his waist held a gleaming kitchen knife.
"Well, well, Aitoil-nee," Teak said with a grin. "Finally tired of guzzling sake and nibbling snacks? Ready for a proper meal?"
"Huh? Sake's delicious, y'know. It's life itself. Don't diss it, Teak," Aitoil shot back.
"Oh? Wanna go? I'll take you on!"
"Bring it, then!"
Teak drew his knife with a dramatic flourish, striking a battle stance, while Aitoil tossed her straw hat aside and spun her naginata overhead. The air crackled with tension, as if the dining hall—nay, the entire Rabbit Palace—might come crashing down.
Panicked, Pepper jumped between them. "Whoa, whoa, fighting's no good! Only chefs can make people smile with blades! Put those weapons down, please!"
"Ugh… yeah, got a bit carried away there. Sorry, Nee-san," Teak muttered, sheathing his knife.
"My bad, Pepper-han," Aitoil said, lowering her naginata. "Almost lost my sake and dinner privileges there."
Relieved, Pepper sighed as the crisis was averted. Aitoil cleared her throat. "Ahem. So, Pepper-han, this is my brother, Teak. He's the head chef here at the Rabbit Palace. Get along with him, yeah?"
"Pepper, nice to meet you, Teak-san," Pepper said, extending a hand.
"Yo, I'm Teak. Good to meetcha," the bunny replied, shaking Pepper's hand. His paw was rough, calloused from years of wielding a knife—a true craftsman's grip.
"Heard you're a backline fighter, yeah?" Teak asked.
"Yup, I'm a backpacker," Pepper confirmed.
"Nice. So, that weapon you used to slice Night Raid's eye—you got it on you?"
Teak's interest was piqued by the Vorpal Chopper, the dagger Pepper had used to wound the Lycaon. Pulling it from his inventory, Pepper held it carefully, blade toward himself and spine toward Teak, offering it with a polite "Here you go."
Teak took the dagger, inspecting it with a craftsman's eye. "Well, damn. This blade's got a fine edge. You can practically smell Night Raid's Afterglow clinging to it."
"Afterglow? What's that?" Pepper asked, puzzled.
"You don't know? Weapons with the 'Vorpal' name carry memories of the battles they've fought against the strong," Teak explained. "Aitoil-nee, imagine showing this to Big Sis Bilac. She'd lose her mind, yeah?"
"Oh, for sure," Aitoil chuckled. "She'd probably tinker with it all night, eyes wide as saucers. A weapon that cut Night Raid's eye and carries its Afterglow? Even we bunnies don't see that every day."
Pepper's brain was drowning in information, like he was back in high school cramming for a test. "Teak-san, is an Afterglow weapon that big a deal?"
"Worth more than your average blade, that's for sure," Teak said, handing the dagger back. "Humans tend to shy away from 'em, though. Too spooky to buy."
Aitoil glanced at the blade and dropped a bombshell with a casual shrug. "That dagger's the one that scarred Night Raid, yeah? With that Afterglow, it might just draw the beast right to you. Who knows?"
Pepper's eyes snapped to her, his stomach lurching. In revenge-driven games, it was classic: a hero tracks down a foe using a weapon or clue left behind. If Aitoil was right, and the Vorpal Chopper's scent could lure the Lycaon, it might be a secret weapon to draw out the elusive beast prowling the Frontier's shadows. But that also meant swinging it at night could summon the Lycaon right to him—a dangerous gamble.
"Ugh, what am I gonna do…?" Pepper groaned, his head spinning. Unexploded bombs were piling up around him, each one ticking. Between the Lycaon's curse, his growing reputation, and the looming threat of Arthur Pencilgon, Shangri-La Frontier was testing his stomach's endurance.
"That damn Lycaon… I'll never forgive it!" Pepper growled, veins bulging as he glared at the cursed mark on his right hand, his resolve to hunt down the fleeing wolf burning hotter than ever.
After meeting Teak in the dining hall, Pepper followed Aitoil to the Rabbit Palace's forge. The workshop was a vision of medieval Europe, brimming with meticulously maintained tools and equipment. Unlike typical forges, it was nearly spotless, with only faint traces of soot—a testament to the fastidious nature of its keeper.
"This here's the Rabbit Palace forge, Pepper-han," Aitoil said.
"Wow, it's pristine," Pepper marveled. "Normally, you'd see soot stains everywhere."
"Any fool who can't keep their tools clean is second-rate at best," a voice called out.
From behind a noren curtain emerged a Vorpal Bunny with dark brown fur, a white sarashi wrapped around her chest and overalls slung over her frame. The moment she spotted Pepper, her eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Aitoil, this bunny is…?" Pepper started.
"Yup, that's our big sister, Bilac," Aitoil said. "Sis, this is Pepper-han."
"Pepper, nice to meet you," he said, bowing politely.
Before he could finish, Bilac bounded over, grabbing his left hand with enthusiasm. "Whoa, you're Pepper?! I've been dying to meet you!" Her grip was firm, and for a split second, Pepper's mind flashed with a vision of being swung around like a ragdoll.
"Big Sis Bilac, is Pepper-han that famous?" Aitoil asked, smirking.
"You drunkard! Of course he is!" Bilac snapped. "This guy's the one who helped create the Small Hammer! For anyone in the smithing game, not knowing him is downright embarrassing!"
Pepper broke into a cold sweat. His role in the Small Hammer's development had reached even the blacksmiths of Rabbits, a testament to the ripple effect of unique quests. If this gets any bigger, I'm in serious trouble… Showing Bilac the Vorpal Chopper that scarred the Lycaon would probably send her into a frenzy.
"Look, Pepper-han," Bilac said, her tone softening. "What you've done is huge. Probably even got humans fighting over you out there, huh?"
"Not sure that's a good thing…" Pepper mumbled, his stomach churning. If he didn't deliver the Mad Frog pelts soon, his reputation would spread further, and a net of rivals might close in. Time was running out.
"I need to gather those pelts fast, but the Lycaon's curse is slowing me down. What do I do…?"
"Simple. Draw it to you," Aitoil said matter-of-factly.
Pepper and Bilac turned to her, stunned. It was a brilliant idea. If he could lure the monsters to him, he could take them out in one fell swoop and gather the pelts in no time. It was a perfect plan—except for one tiny problem: he lacked the means to pull it off. Or so he thought. Unbeknownst to him, Pepper's luck was about to turn.
"No way it's that easy, right?" he said skeptically.
"If you're aiming to lure specific monsters, it ain't impossible," Aitoil replied with a sly grin.
The solution to his material-gathering woes, it seemed, was closer than he realized—right in Aitoil's paws.
Clear the Quest Before the Siege
Character Profiles
Aitoil: A black-furred Vorpal Bunny who guided Pepper to Rabbits and the Rabbit Palace. She uses "wai" as her first-person pronoun, calls Pepper "Pepper-han," and refers to Weissash as "Okashira" or sometimes "Dad." Her outfit blends yakuza swagger with a wanderer's flair, and she's female with a voice reminiscent of Mao Yasaka. A free-spirited drifter, she wanders as the wind takes her, always returning home unexpectedly.
Teak: The gray-furred Vorpal Bunny serving as the Rabbit Palace's head chef. He uses "oi" as his first-person pronoun and calls Aitoil "Aitoil-nee." Male, he's obsessed with culinary research, and players can eat his dishes or take some to-go using ingredients and money. His class is the advanced "Food King."