Chapter 45
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Hamster Wheel Church (2)
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In the clearing amid the ruins of the northern forest, a group of timid Ratkin children huddled together.
Just yesterday, they had been trembling in fear.
'Their numbers have grown?'
Word must have spread through the back alleys overnight, or perhaps more hidden ones had crawled out.
Their count had easily surpassed twenty.
The eyes of the group, led by the pickpocket girl, flickered with a mix of anxiety and fierce emotion.
'Will they really give us food?' The blatant hope was plain to see.
I hopped up onto a half-collapsed wall and looked down at them.
"I told you yesterday, didn't I? There's no such thing as free food in our church!"
My low, firm voice made the children's small shoulders twitch.
"If you want to eat and sleep here, follow just two rules. First, work for your meals. Second, pray to Her every single day!"
I pulled out the wooden Hamster Wheel totem from my pouch and held it high in the air.
[Ahem!]
A brilliant golden light burst from behind my shoulder. Rodentia manifested in her translucent form, clearing her throat before gazing sternly down at her children.
[Hear me! My apostles have taken pity on you and welcomed you. Turn the Hamster Wheel diligently! Do so, and you shall never hunger again!]
The Ratkins' reaction was lukewarm.
"A god? That tiny thing?"
"It's yellow... Isn't it just a golden rat spirit?"
They whispered doubtfully among themselves.
Slum orphans and runaway rats wouldn't know gods as grand cathedral deities—they certainly wouldn't resemble themselves.
I smirked and yanked off the tarp from the cart I'd left behind me.
Flutter!
The cart brimmed with foodstuffs I'd practically raided from the outskirts market that morning. Sacks of white flour, thick slabs of meat, bags of potatoes and carrots piled high like a mountain.
"Work hard and pray, and every day you'll get meat stew and fresh-baked bread!"
At that moment, the Ratkins' eyes gleamed fiercely.
"M-meat stew and bread? Squeak?"
"Fine, I'll pray a hundred times! How do I bow?"
It was a miraculous moment when shallow survival instincts birthed deep faith in an instant.
The starving rat girls dropped to their knees en masse, prostrating flat on the ground with hands clasped.
'This is straight-up a scam religion for the needy.'
The church’s beginning was sloppy, but Rodentia trembled her golden tail in emotion.
[Yes! I feel your faith! Your longing! Blessings upon you!]
After the haphazard morning prayer ended, I quickly sorted them into groups of three.
"Group 1, clear those collapsed pillar debris! Group 2, pick out usable wood scraps and trim them! The little ones, scour around for sharp stones and rusty nails. No injuries!"
The Ratkins moved with ferocious energy to earn their keep.
Their nimble Ratkin agility and small frames turned the gruesome ruin cleanup into rapid progress.
But even in a massive gear, there's always a loose screw rattling around.
"What are you doing?"
"Hmph, I'm the special overseer. I'll nobly just give orders!"
"What? Who made you overseer?"
"I'm of noble Adlerheim blood! Of course I qualify as overseer!"
Hilde lounged under a shady tree, arms crossed.
"I have no reason to do vulgar manual labor!"
Then Mani approached, tapping her palm with a massive blacksmith hammer.
"Hey, pointy-ears. No work, no stew broth tonight. You know that, right? Leeching off us without a coin!"
"Leech?! I stayed out of pity for you lot!"
"Oh yeah? If you're staying special-like, do something."
Mani tsked and picked up a battered shovel from the ground, handing it over.
"Here, shovel. Grab it and work."
"Eugh, get that away! You think this premium uniform gets dirt? I'm not some dirt-eating laborer—I'm a noble mage!"
Hilde recoiled in disgust, then thrust out her dainty hands.
Blue mana rose like haze from her pointed fingertips as she grumbled.
"Come forth! Gnome!"
Crunch!
A small dwarf-like earth spirit burst up through the soil.
"Work!"
Rumble!
The spirit swung its arms, and the uneven house foundation crumbled and leveled like magic, smoothing the bumpy dirt flat in seconds.
A human excavator couldn't do better.
"Ow... That took a lot of mana..."
"Whoa... Convenient."
Mani's eyes widened.
"Hmph! See? Shorty? That's the power of a great elf! I'm resting now, bye!"
Hilde plopped confidently back under the tree. Mani retreated, speechless.
I reassessed Hilde's labor value.
'She can use magic like that? Impressive.'
As the morning wore on and the dirt-covered Ratkins slowed visibly,
I gathered bricks and mud from the collapsed house to fashion a crude stove.
"Loti! Is that what you're making?"
Sena's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"Yep, rocket stove!"
I didn't know fancy science, but simple past-life knowledge worked great from last campout to here.
Whoosh!
Simple design, overwhelming efficiency. A bit of firewood created swirling air inside, spewing fierce red flames without a hint of smoke.
I set a large cauldron atop the stove.
"Alright! Stew's mine!"
Sena dumped in hefty chunks of meat, potatoes, carrots, and wild herbs to kill the gaminess, then started boiling.
Bubble bubble.
Soon, thick stew simmered in the cauldron. Rich meat oil and sharp herb scents mingled, taunting empty stomachs as the aroma spread across the ruins.
"...!"
Stone-hauling Ratkins froze mid-air, staring.
Gulp.
Dry swallows echoed openly. Rat girls drooled rivers, fixated on the cauldron while hefting debris their size.
[A-apostle! Me too! Just one bowl! The smell is divine!]
Even Rodentia whined right in my ear.
"Simmer a bit more."
I stirred the heavy stew with a wooden ladle and shouted.
"Finish your work, and I'll stuff you silly! Hang in there!"
At that, fire lit in their dazed eyes.
With cauldron-focused determination, they hauled stones twice as fast.
Peaceful yet intense mealtime approached.
Then.
Hilde's pointed ears perked under the tree where she'd lounged as overseer.
Her brows furrowed sharply.
"Hold up."
Hilde sprang up, grabbing her air gun.
"The breeze... carries a beast's musk."
I snatched up my bowgun.
"Damn... Still around?"
Ominous hunches always hit true.
Ruins' mana pulse was gone, but boiling meat stew scent properly stimulated prowling hungry predators!
Rustle! Crack!
Crimson eyes gleamed from bushes in the dark.
"Kieeeek!"
Unwelcome guests we'd faced plenty on roads. Starving Blood Torani pack drooling as they charged the ruins.
"M-monsters!"
"We'll be eaten! Run!"
Peaceful worksite turned hellish chaos instantly.
Ratkins screamed, scattering. Some tripped on rocks fleeing, neatly stacked wood tumbled down. Dust billowed.
Clang!
Mani and Hilde drew weapons. I aimed my Rapid Bowgun.
"Gotta help quick!"
Sena yelled my way, shield-first charge ready.
Suddenly, my gaze shifted to the panicking Ratkins fleeing.
"Wait. Better way."
"What?"
"Torani. Not goblins..."
Instead of intercepting monsters, I kicked over the toolbox at my feet with all my might.
Crash!
Hammers, pickaxes, sharpened stakes spilled with metallic clamor.
"Where you running?!"
My bellow echoed through ruins.
"Run, and the cauldron's gone! You'll starve today!"
Flailing Ratkins halted abruptly.
"Wanna scavenge trash in slums forever?! Or protect your own bowl?!"
At that shout, the pickpocket girl at the rear stopped dead.
What raced through her mind?
Brutal beatings from alley gangs while dumpster diving?
Cold alley floors ripping her gut with hunger?
Didn't matter. It sparked something.
Her tiny shoulders shook.
"I hate starving!"
The girl whipped around, gripping a rusty shovel tight.
"Kiek!"
A Blood Torani neared the cauldron right then, baring fangs. Eyes shut, she charged, swinging wildly.
Thwack!
"Kigang!"
Dull rupture; Torani nosebled backward.
Other Ratkins watching her struggle gleamed oddly. Pale faces halted flight.
Rats one by one grabbed hammers, pickaxes, even sharp stones, turning back.
"Over there! Our food!"
"Hands off my bowl!"
I grinned satisfied, barking orders.
"Sena, formation up front! Mani, Hilde, flanks!"
"Got it!"
"Ugh! Noble me cleaning up after rat brats?!"
Grumbling aside, Hilde's aim was ruthless. Air gun whistled; precise hole in Torani brow.
Click, bang! Click, bang!
I cranked my Rapid Bowgun relentlessly.
"Die!"
"My food!"
Ragged but hungry Ratkins swarmed with agility and grit.
Girls darted wildly, hurling stones and swinging metal to scatter monster focus. Our party's heavy fire punched into chaos gaps precisely.
Fierce brawl didn't last long.
"Kya... aak..."
Blood Torani lay pincushioned or skull-crushed, rolling in dirt. Survivors screamed into forest shadows.
"Huff... haa..."
Adrenaline faded; Ratkins panted, collapsing.
Scrapes and bruises everywhere, but miraculously no fatalities or criticals.
'Torani pack's doable without deaths.'
I approached stove, lifted wooden lid. Steaming stew intact.
"Grab bowls!"
I smiled at dirt-caked kids.
"Whoa...!"
Rodentia, watching all, teared up in round eyes.
[My poor children... You've finally found courage to stand! Regained strength to spin the wheel!]
Rodentia quivered with uncontainable emotion.
[Apostle Loti, thank you! I'll reward their noble courage with miracle!]
Suddenly, golden waves burst from my Hamster Wheel totem.
"Huh?"
Warm light particles snowed over ruins, settling softly on wounded Ratkin shoulders.
"Eh...?"
"No pain! Bleeding stopped!"
Where light touched, miracles bloomed. Torn flesh healed anew, tension-knotted muscles melted like spring snow.
They'd pegged her as weird spirit dangling food bait.
But real miracle caressed their wounds.
Rat girls' eyes widened lamp-like.
Awe filled rippling pupils.
Survival prayer scam ignited into true faith's spark from abyss depths.
"Pray before spoons."
I spoke.
"Your victory's by Lady Rodentia's grace. Remember that!"
Ratkins clasped bloody, muddy hands tight, bowing sincerely.
Morning prayer was half-hearted meat-lure mimicry.
But now?
First time fending predators for their bowl—girls transformed.
"Thank you... for protecting us."
"Thank you... for today's sustenance..."
Rat prayers swirled hot with fervor.
After the storm, Ratkins licked wooden bowls clean, bellies bulging as they sprawled starfish on dirt.
"Full... squeak..."
"Never eaten like this!"
Grimy faces bloomed with drowsy satiation.
I watched warmly, then approached Mani polishing the ballista in corner.
"Mani. Our Rapid Bowguns. How many per week?"
Mani scratched her head.
"With materials... You and me nonstop? One or two daily easy. Assistants for assembly? Way faster. Why sudden?"
I nodded at belly-rubbing Ratkins.
"Those kids—small, but quick and viciously gritty."
"Gritty?"
"Yeah, numbers too. Got some courage."
Pickpocket girl's bloodshot eyes swinging shovel lingered vividly.
'Standardized bowguns in Ratkin hands, drilled military-style...'
Might build private army for Hamster Wheel Church.
Perfect business plan printed in my head.
Train Ratkins systematically.
Register as official adventurers guild party.
Not just hunting—farming, trading too.
'Capital roads crawl with bandits. Beastkin merchants like acorn traders ache over escort costs—that's reality.'
Ratkin adventurers double as mercs. Cheap custom escorts for Ratkin caravans.
Smash bandit packs for security, real combat hones vigilante skills. Fees plus fame among Ratkins.
Preach Hamster Wheel faith meanwhile. Perfect faith-pump.
'One stone three birds—golden balance!'
We readied to spin massive golden Hamster Wheel.