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They arrived at the city—a place where countless races coexisted. Once they finished moving their belongings into the new home, life slowly settled into a peaceful rhythm.
Soon after, Robert enrolled Jane in school. With her innate intelligence, Jane quickly excelled, making Robert proud. She studied diligently, learned many things, and met many people—each with distinct personalities that often reflected their species.
There were the large, adorable beastfolk; the cool and easygoing robots; and very few humans. Most of the humans she saw were women, which sparked her curiosity. That evening, she returned home and asked Robert—a human himself.
Jane: Daddy, why are there so few humans around here?
Robert was resting on the sofa. It wasn't his shift that day, so he looked relaxed. He patted his thigh as a signal. Jane hopped onto his lap, curling into his embrace.
Robert: What a question out of the blue!
Jane (her tail swaying lazily): I was just curious!
Robert's expression darkened, his gaze drifting into the distance.
Robert: A long time ago, humans stood above all—at the top of the food chain. But one day, passionate scientists began creating new races. They artificially evolved animals to walk on two legs. And so, your kind was born—Therians.
Jane: What about the others? Oni, vampires... robots?
Robert gently stroked her head and continued.
Robert: Robots, of course, came from artificial intelligence. As for oni and vampires—they were ancient tribes, long hidden in fear of humanity's cruelty. But eventually, they were discovered.
Jane: What happened then?
Robert sighed deeply.
Robert: What followed was a dark era. Oni, vampires, and therians allied to rebel against humanity. Oni and vampires simply didn't want to hide anymore, but humans wouldn't accept them. War broke out.
His eyes turned to Jane, sorrow weighing them down.
Robert: Therians… were once kept in cages. But when they realized what humans had done, they rose up and dragged the robots into the fight. The war dragged on—centuries of meaningless death and suffering. It only ended when a powerful human mafia boss appeared. He made himself the villain, bearing all the hatred, just to bring the war to an end.
Robert: It's ironic. That filthy man became a hero. Later generations of humans glorified his image. But after the war, humanity was weakened. We couldn't even educate the next generation properly. That's why humans became labeled as "racist," "deceptive," and worse.
Robert: These days, any human entering a multi-species city like this one has to prove themselves. That's why, in the old slum districts, most of the thugs you'll find… are human.
Jane remained quiet, the story too big for her young mind to grasp.
Robert: In any case, let's live for the present—and for the future.
Jane (tail coiling playfully): Okay!
And so, Jane's peaceful and happy life continued. To her, Robert was both father and savior. Because of him, she pushed herself to study, to research tirelessly. She hated crime. That's why she also took up criminal psychology—hoping that one day, she too could become a police officer, just like her father.
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