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[Crossover] Ch 51: A Promise
🕑 Added 2025-05-29 12:31:00 +0000 UTC— — — — — —
"Lady Leticia!!"
With a joyful shout, Black Rabbit dashed into Leticia's open arms the moment she stepped through the community gates.
Leticia caught her effortlessly and spun her around in a warm hug. "Still as childish as ever," she teased with a gentle smile, cradling Black Rabbit by the waist and lifting her lightly off the ground.
Even with her adult appearance, the gesture looked completely natural on her.
"You haven't grown up at all, have you?"
"That's so mean! I am a grown-up, y'know!" Black Rabbit huffed, shooting an embarrassed glance at Ryo nearby.
Despite being over two hundred years old, she still got treated like a kid — and right in front of Ryo, no less. It was mortifying.
But to be fair, Leticia was technically her elder. Not just in age — Leticia was a close friend of her adoptive mother, Canaria. Basically, she was in the "auntie" category.
Of course, Black Rabbit wasn't dumb enough to actually call her auntie.
Even the most good-natured knight of Little Garden wouldn't be happy being called that.
Leticia gently set her down, then took out a ribbon and tied back her hair. In a blink, she shifted back into the childlike form Ryo had seen earlier.
As she stepped onto the yellowing grass and looked over the dilapidated estate before her, she let out a soft sigh. "It really is unrecognizable now."
Compared to the prosperity of the old [Arcadia], the current state of [No Name]… well, "slum" wouldn't be far off.
"It's just temporary! We're still rebuilding!" Black Rabbit quickly waved her hands, trying to reassure Leticia.
"The base may look a little run-down now, but that's only because we haven't had time to fix it up. Once the workers get here in a few days, we'll give the place a proper renovation."
As she said that, she glanced at Ryo and grinned.
"Speaking of which, the renovation budget came from Ryo's latest scheme. He disguised himself as a benevolent guy and totally scammed those corrupt beastmen."
She half-bragged for him, half-called him out — clearly nudging Leticia to rein him in a little. After all, Leticia used to be the one in charge of discipline back in the Arcadia days.
"Hey now, was that necessary?" Ryo rolled his eyes.
"If forcing people into Gift Games didn't automatically make you a Demon Lord, I wouldn't have needed to do all that!"
Black Rabbit crossed her arms and shot back confidently, "I'm just trying to nip your illegal tendencies in the bud."
"Got it. I'll scam some more beastmen then."
"Hey! That's not what I meant!"
Leticia chuckled softly as she watched the two bicker. "You two still get along so well."
Back when Ryo first arrived in Little Garden, it was Black Rabbit who guided him and helped him adjust. After the community fell, she was also the one who nursed him back to health and kept things running.
They'd really been through hell together.
"'Get along,' huh?"
Ryo glanced at Black Rabbit.
She looked back at him.
Their eyes met for a moment… then they quickly looked away in sync.
Then, as if to shift the mood, Black Rabbit suddenly clung to Leticia and exclaimed, "Enough about that! Since Lady Leticia's back, let's throw a celebration tonight! We've got all those high-quality ingredients in storage — perfect chance to use them!"
Leticia gently patted her hands but shook her head.
"No... I haven't actually come back."
"Eh?" Black Rabbit blinked and turned to Ryo in confusion.
Wait… then how did he bring Leticia back?
Ryo remained silent, giving Leticia space to explain herself.
She sighed softly, placing a comforting hand over Black Rabbit's.
"This visit was arranged through negotiations between Lord Shiroyasha and Perseus."
"According to the terms, I'm allowed one year of free movement — during which I'll serve as Ryo's swordsmanship instructor."
"In exchange, I'm required to support Perseus's strategic efforts in the upper tiers as a subordinate."
She smiled gently as she said it — a soft, bittersweet smile that made her words all the more painful.
"The ownership hasn't changed hands."
"…I see." Black Rabbit's smile wavered for a moment, but she quickly recovered.
"Well, even one day with you back is a blessing. The kids in the community have been begging to eat those ingredients for ages. Now that you're here, let's dig in together!"
"Oh! Maybe I'll cook!"
At that, both Ryo and Leticia froze.
"…What's with those looks?" Black Rabbit tilted her head in confusion.
Leticia maintained a calm expression as she said, "High-grade ingredients require special handling. Since the only ones left in the community are children, I'll take care of it."
Ryo immediately backed her up. "Yeah, Lady Leticia's cooking is seriously good. I had it once last year, and I still remember the taste."
"Huh? But haven't you mostly eaten food I made?" Black Rabbit asked suspiciously.
"Sure, but… there must've been a meal or two that wasn't," Ryo replied awkwardly.
Truth was, Black Rabbit's everyday cooking was fine — pretty great, actually. But when it came to high-grade dishes, her methods (learned in secret from Canaria) were... dangerous.
Rumor had it that Canaria once used that very recipe to incapacitate Hercules himself for three straight days.
It was practically a war crime in culinary form.
"In any case, let me handle the food," Leticia said with her usual smile.
"Well… alright," Black Rabbit finally agreed, albeit reluctantly.
She was handing over the job not just to avoid another disaster meal, but to spare Leticia from being reminded of her current situation.
"Two birds, one stone!" Black Rabbit, strategist extraordinaire.
---
After the midday feast…
While Leticia played with the children, Ryo headed toward the reservoir in the back garden. Clouds blanketed the sky, creating the perfect conditions for what he needed to do.
He carried a gift from that snake Water God — a sacred water tree — planning to install it in the reservoir to provide a new water source.
"With the water issue solved, we'll finally be able to use the full thousand acres of land back here," he muttered as he walked.
Just as he passed through the corridor toward the backyard, he saw Black Rabbit leaning against one of the marble pillars, clearly waiting for him.
He sighed and approached. "…Leticia's here, isn't she?"
Black Rabbit sniffled and wiped her eyes.
"Yeah, but she still belongs to another community. After everything she did for me… for us, I can't stand seeing her treated like someone's slave."
It was supposed to be a happy day, and yet…
Ryo opened his mouth to say something but ended up just sighing.
"If you put it like that, I might just go block Perseus's front door tonight."
"Don't you dare!" she blurted instinctively — then realized he was joking.
Her cheeks puffed out in mild frustration. "This is the part where you hug me and whisper something comforting, isn't it?"
"Sorry, I've recently developed an allergy to rabbit fur."
He quipped, but then gently ruffled her hair.
"Don't worry. As the current leader, I promise — I'll bring our 'senpai' back. Completely. That's my vow to you."
"Being leader means keeping yourself safe, too, you know!"
She grumbled, but then sighed.
"…I want to believe we can bring her back safely too. But we both know Perseus isn't going to let her go."
Ryo narrowed his eyes with a sly grin. "Well, we won't know unless we try."
"No risky moves!" she said immediately, crossing her arms in front of her like a big red X.
Ryo shrugged and lifted the water tree in his hand. "Alright, we'll worry about that later. For now, how about helping me set this thing up?"
"…Wait. That's a high-grade production Gift!"
Her eyes lit up like a child's on Christmas morning.
Ryo grinned and gave the tree a little shake. "So? Want to come?"
"Of course!!"
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