There was a reason I was reading these educational comic books for kids—it was a chance to learn new things unique to this world.

“Hmm…”

The general concepts seemed similar, but there were tiny differences here and there. Occasionally, I’d come across new knowledge that kept me engrossed.

“Gyeoul, is the book interesting?”

“Yes, it’s kind of fun. I never went to school, so there’s a lot I didn’t know.”

“…Really?”

“Yes.”

It wasn’t a lie—I’d never attended any school in this world. I was embarrassed by my lack of common knowledge, but having an excuse made me feel a bit better.

“Hmm… Gyeoul, do you want to try going to school?”

School, huh? They say there’s no age limit to learning, but I had no desire to start school now. My ears perked up as I shook my head.

“It’s fine. I prefer studying on my own.”

“O-okay. But if you come across anything you don’t understand, you can ask me.”

“Yes…”

Would there even be anything confusing in a children’s comic? Since it was entirely for kids, even concepts that were new to me were easy enough to understand.

Just as I was burying my face in the book, determined to keep my pride intact, I stumbled upon something I truly couldn’t grasp.

“Padd?”

What in the world was “padd”? If it appeared in a children’s comic, it shouldn’t be that difficult, yet it was a word I’d never encountered before in this world. I glanced at Yeoreum and cautiously asked her.

“Um, what does ‘padd’ mean…?”

“‘Padd’ is a unit used to measure weight.”

“W-weight? Isn’t weight measured in grams…?”

“Yes, grams are common, but padd is a unit only one country abroad uses.”

“Ah…”

So there was a country here like America, too. Now that I thought about it, “padd” did sound a bit like “pound.”

“Hehe, maybe this is a bit challenging for you?”

“It’s... not *that* hard…”

“Well… Gyeoul, you are quite smart.”

“Yes…”

Telling someone reading a children’s comic that they’re smart could only come off as teasing. But knowing Yeoreum meant no harm, I decided not to let it bother me.

“I’ll buy you more educational books later…”

“Eek!”

Before Yeoreum could finish her sentence, Levinas let out a small scream from beside her. Startled, I turned to see her holding a portable gaming device.

“Levinas?”

“Hey! Levinas just died!”

“Oh, okay.”

So, it was just that she lost in her game. I let out a sigh of relief.

“But hey, what does ‘kaesaekki’ mean?”

“Ka-kaesaekki?”

Everyone in the room, including Sophia and Choi Jinhyuk, looked taken aback.

“Yes! Someone in the game called Levinas that! But Levinas isn’t a dog—she’s a horned rabbit!”

“Uh, how did you end up hearing that…?”

“Well, I healed a monster that was about to die, and then they called me that!”

“Oh dear…”

Healing a monster she was supposed to defeat… Levinas probably did it out of pure-heartedness, but in the game, it was a move that could easily be seen as trolling.

“Levinas, that’s...”

Just as Yeoreum was trying to explain, Levinas clumsily began typing a message in the game chat.

\- Hornedrabbitseki

Trying to identify herself, but it would come across as a taunt to the other player.

\- Where do you live?

“They’re asking where I live…! Do you think they want to be friends with Levinas?!”

Was she excited by the idea of making a friend? Levinas looked at me with sparkling eyes, her innocence both adorable and troubling.

“Levinas, they’re mad at you.”

“Mad? They’re mad at Levinas?”

“Yeah, they said something mean to you.”

“Mean…”

Levinas tilted her head, puzzled by the word.

“Kaesaekki?”

“Y-yeah. That’s a bad word.”

“Why is kaesaekki a bad word? Doesn’t it mean puppy?”

“Well, uh…”

How should I even explain this? I decided to try a real-life example.

“When people hit me, they’d say mean words like that.”

“Like... kaesaekki?”

“Y-yeah…”

“Gasp! Then it must be bad!”

Shocked, Levinas stared at the screen. Relieved that I’d successfully convinced her, I looked around, only to find the others’ faces had turned pale—even the usually composed Sophia.

‘What’s going on?’

Did I explain something wrong? Just as I was about to retrace my steps, Levinas began typing again.@@novelbin@@

\- You’re a fool

\- What did you say, you brat?

\- You’re a very bad snake

Fool and snake. It seemed to be the most insulting language Levinas could think of. It was almost cute, but I couldn’t let her continue down this path.

“Levinas, let’s stop here.”

“But they started it! They were mean to Levinas first!”

Levinas was technically the one who made the mistake, but I wanted to preserve her innocence—the kindness that had led her to heal the monster she was supposed to defeat.

“There’s no need to fight with every bad person you meet.”

“Okay! I got it!”

Levinas huffed and glared at the game screen, preparing her goodbye message.

\- Goodbye, bad snake

\- Hey, you brat! Where do you live?

---

The next morning, I was moving around busier than usual, determined to make up for the laziness of the previous day.

“Ugh.”

Ten children’s comic books in one day—that was all I’d done. I felt so ashamed of myself for wasting time like that.

Maybe I should work non-stop for the next year. Just as I made that promise, Yeoreum approached.

“Gyeoul, you’re up an hour early today?”

“Yes. I felt like I slacked off too much yesterday. I think I should focus on work for at least the next year.”

“What…?”

Yeoreum looked down at me with her mouth hanging open, opening and closing her lips like she wanted to say something.

“It was my first time doing nothing for so long in my life.”

“Hmm… how long did we play yesterday?”

“Almost five hours.”

Five hours just playing around. That was a lot of time, and I couldn’t help but tap my foot impatiently as I thought about it. Just then, a shout came from nearby.

“Where’s that horned rabbit?!”

It was an angry woman’s voice. Though it wasn’t unusual to hear shouting in the park, what she said caught my attention.

“Horned rabbit?”

Levinas was the only horned rabbit in the park. Why was this stranger looking for her? I looked up at Yeoreum in confusion, and she blinked down at me.

“Is she looking for Levinas…?”

“Yes, it seems that way.”

Yeoreum rubbed her chin thoughtfully, then tapped my shoulder.

“Gyeoul.”

“Yes?”

“I’ll stay hidden and watch; how about you go out first?”

“M-me, by myself?”

She wanted me to face that angry woman alone? I instinctively shook my head.

“It’s because people act differently when I’m around.”

“Oh…”

She wanted to observe the stranger’s true intentions. Anyone would feel intimidated by Yeoreum’s presence. I understood her reasoning.

“If anything happens, I’ll step in right away.”

“You’ll come out before she hits me…?”

“Yes. If she tries to hurt you, I won’t let her.”

“Okay…”

If Yeoreum said so, I had nothing to worry about. But why was this woman so angry?

As I cautiously approached her, Levinas suddenly popped out of nowhere.

“I’m the horned rabbit!”

Horned rabbit. Levinas’s game ID yesterday had been “horned rabbit.”

‘Could it be…?’

Was this a real-life confrontation? I rushed over to Levinas as quickly as I could.

---

Kwon Arin. She once dreamed of being an adventurer, but, discouraged by her lack of talent, she turned to gaming instead. Unlike the world of adventuring, games rewarded her effort.

Though she had remained at the lowest adventurer rank for years, she’d reached the highest levels in most games. This new game was no exception—she aimed for a top rank and was on her way there until a troll ruined her experience.

‘That horned rabbit brat, I heard they’re in Dawn Park.’

Even a low-ranked adventurer like her could easily overpower a regular person. Most players she encountered were ordinary people.

Damn brat. She was going to teach them a lesson. Yet, when Kwon Arin finally stood before “horned rabbit,” she froze.

“A-are you… horned rabbit…?”

“Yes! Why did you say mean things to Levinas?!”

A child. Not just any child, but a beast-kin kid under national protection. Kwon Arin, who considered herself a smart gamer, quickly realized what had happened.

‘Healing the monster… could it be…?’

The child had likely healed the monster out of pure sympathy.

‘And the “horned rabbit brat” comment…?’

Kwon Arin noticed Levinas’s small horn and her perky rabbit ears—she was undoubtedly a horned rabbit beast-kin.

Had she typed “horned rabbit brat” to clarify that she wasn’t a dog but a horned rabbit? Kwon Arin’s jaw dropped open in realization.

“

Great Supreme Kwon Arin! Why did you say mean things to Levinas?”

“Great Supreme Kwon Arin”—her gaming nickname hastily chosen—echoed out loud, drawing attention to her, and her face turned bright red.

“Um, uh…”

At that moment, someone tugged on her sleeve. She turned to find a white-eared girl with cat-like features staring up at her.