Being able to move on your own… that’s a blessing you don’t appreciate until it’s gone.

First, I got control of my neck. Then I managed to roll over. And now—I can crawl.

“Kyu!”

Rabbichu bounced ahead of me like he was leading the way.

…Wait a sec. Why are we just casually hanging out indoors like this? Wasn’t Rabbichu supposed to be an NPC? He shouldn’t be following me into private spaces like this, right? Did the game ever allow monsters to leave the field or dungeon? Isn’t this breaking the system? Or, I mean…

“What kind of house even is this…?”

As my baby brain ran a surprisingly smooth internal monologue, I made up my mind: If I can move, I need to investigate.

First stop: the room I live in.

—It’s huge. The ceiling’s high. Everything’s made of wood. The furniture looks hand-carved, warm and rustic… and clearly expensive.

Next: the hallway outside.

I snuck out—or, well, crawled out—with all the stealth a baby could muster.

The hallway was wooden too, and solidly built. Landscapes hung on the walls in ornate golden frames. Again, not cheap-looking at all. …This place is fancy. Like, nobility-level fancy. This is no commoner’s house.

At the far end of the room, Rabbichu had his nose stuck in a treasure chest. A treasure chest!? Wait, isn’t that one of those inventory-linked ones from the game!?

…Stay calm. This is the world of Monster Pockets, yes—but it’s no longer a game. The rules, the logic, even the world itself might be completely different.

I crawled farther down the hallway and came across a staircase. A cruel, impassable wall for the crawling class. I gave up immediately.

Just then, a woman in a maid uniform walked by.

“Oh my, young master! Off on another little adventure, are we? Try not to go too far…”

Oops. Caught. She scooped me right up.

“Mm… bwaah!”

I flailed a little, putting my whole heart into expressing my desire to explore. She giggled and held me gently.

“My, you’re energetic today! Well then, how about we visit the study for a bit? Your father’s working, but I’m sure he won’t mind…”

The study!

That’s prime territory for exploration!

The room she brought me to had bookshelves lined with both scrolls and bound volumes. A man—probably my father—sat in a chair and smiled down at me.

“Well, someone’s lively today. How are you, Kanon?”

So that’s my name. …Actually, I think Mom called me that yesterday too. Anyway, looks like I’m “Kanon” now.

Dad gave me a quick glance before returning to his thick book.

I wasted no time. Thanks to my tiny size, I could reach the bottom shelf with ease. One of the few perks of being a crawling baby.

Let’s see… “A Field Guide to Local Flora and Fauna”?

God has spoken: You have a duty to understand this world.

The moment I opened the picture-book-style guide, the first entry that caught my eye was “Catoblepas.”

“Herbivore. Non-toxic. Bodily fluids are slightly irritating. Milk is highly nutritious and can be made into cheese.”

…Yup. Monsters are livestock in this world.

As I processed that revelation, Rabbichu plopped down beside me.

“Kyu~♪”

“…You know, this world might actually turn out to be kinda fun.”