Chapter 50
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: New Rat Village Campaign (2)
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As I stepped out of the capital's high-end antique shop, a delightful spring entered my step.
The ancient pottery and intact silver statues I'd salvaged from the Empire's Tomb fetched top dollar.
"Ooh... these are relics from the Denarius Empire...!"
"The condition is impeccable!"
The results were a resounding success.
A whopping five gold coins came pouring in all at once.
Dungeons really pay off.
With this funding, I can easily train a second generation of Rat Rangers.
Faith had finally borne dazzling physical fruit.
If things kept rolling like this, securing investment for the territory ahead would be no issue.
Back at the territory, I gathered all the Ratkin villagers in the Hamster Wheel Village training yard.
Then, flipping a gleaming gold coin into the air, I shouted:
"Funds are secured in abundance! As of today, we rebuild Hamster Wheel Village. Let's launch the New Rat Village Campaign!"
"Hooray! New Rat Village!"
The top priority?
Moving Rodentia's dilapidated altar from its dank underground mold pit to a sunny spot above ground.
"Heave!"
"One! Two! Pull!"
The Rangers and villagers strained on thick ropes, hauling heavy reliefs and stone blocks up to the surface in time with the chant.
The sunniest spot in the village center.
We pieced together sturdy timber and bricks to erect the skeleton of a ramshackle little Hamster Wheel Church.
It was a humble shack compared to the capital's grand cathedrals, but it was our congregation's first sanctuary, built with their sweat and devotion.
At the heart of the newly adorned altar sat the Hamster Wheel totem, enshrined with reverence.
And so began the first worship service on the surface.
"Ahh...! Your home, our sanctuary, finally bathes in warm sunlight!"
⟨ Rodentia's Tears ⟩
Rodentia materialized above the altar, shedding thick tears of overwhelming emotion.
With the Rat Goddess's tears came a deep golden blessing that warmly enveloped all of Hamster Wheel Village.
But there were clear limits to Ratkin villagers building houses like kids playing in the dirt.
I grabbed the funds from the dungeon and headed back to the capital.
There, I hired human architects and masons, stuffing their pockets with generous pay, and brought them to the village.
"Design a full overview of the village, proper drainage, and solid foundations for the residential areas. And..."
I shook a heavy pouch of gold coins and added:
"Teach our villagers how to fire bricks and lay roofs."
At first, the humans scoffed openly.
Teaching slum rats skilled trades? From their perspective, it must've seemed absurd.
But in just three days, the haughty artisans' attitudes did a complete one-eighty.
"Huh, they're way more diligent than I thought."
"And they've got nimble hands—quick and precise."
They'd come eyeing us like lazy gutter rats from back alleys.
Soon enough, they were impressed by our villagers' diligence, sending friendly glances their way.
Under the artisans' guidance, eyesore ruins were neatly repaired, fresh house foundations laid straight, and the village took shape day by day.
But the real revolution I'd prepared was something else entirely.
"Mani, everything built to spec?"
"Yep! Fixing that axle solid was a real sweat-fest."
In one corner of the village square, Mani wiped sweat from her brow with her sleeve and pulled back the massive tarp.
Three enormous wooden Hamster Wheels, towering over human height, stood proudly.
The ambitious creation I'd carved and assembled with Mani and the Ratkin carpenters over sleepless days and nights!
"What's that?"
"Whoa, it's huge!"
Ratkin girls passing by with tools approached, eyes wide with curiosity.
The moment they faced the massive, smooth cylindrical structures...
A deep-seated rodent instinct stirred violently in their blood.
"I wanna run...!"
Someone murmured like she was entranced and hopped right in.
Soon, the girls were pattering away inside.
The heavy wheel spun smoothly.
"Wheee! So fun!"
"Me too! I wanna run!"
The Ratkin girls leaped nimbly into the wheels and dashed furiously.
The three giant wheels whirred at terrifying speeds, humming with deep vibrations.
The instant their instinctive play exploded into raw exercise energy...
"Now! Connect the axles!"
At my signal, Mani meshed the wheels' axles with a huge wooden gear and thick leather belts.
Clunk!
Taut power transmission unleashed a miraculous sight.
A crude crane linked to pulleys lifted heavy construction logs effortlessly.
Belts to the forge pumped the bellows without pause.
Clang! Clang!
Mechanical hammers pounded glowing red metal with a racket.
From the deep well Hilde had dug, an automatic pump gushed clear water.
A perfect birth: 100% eco-friendly organic biomechanical power system.
This was the Hamster Wheel Power Revolution.
"What in the world..."
Hilde, sipping tea leisurely in the tree shade, froze with her cup in hand.
She alternated stunned stares between the giggling little girls racing in the wheels and the hefty machinery they powered.
"D-Does that even make sense? Just one wooden wheel like that...?"
Hilde let out a disbelieving chuckle, looking queasy.
The foolish half-elf wouldn't understand.
This was the true potential of us Ratkin...!
"Did you see that!? This is the power of the Hamster Wheel!"
⟨ Rodentia's Exultation ⟩
The fuel powering it all? One bowl of meat stew per girl.
The Ratkin girls ran and played tirelessly all day.
Word that Hamster Wheel Village was a great place to live spread like wildfire through the capital's sewers and back-alley networks.
Drifters from the slums flooded in, and before long, the population easily topped a hundred.
"We need to build more houses, fast."
Even cramming multiple families into repaired ruins was pushing capacity.
We had to clear surrounding woods and expand the village footprint pronto.
One oddity: nearly all the new Ratkin arrivals were young girls.
A unique trait of Ratkin, where females overwhelmingly outnumbered males.
The village brimmed with lively chatter from cute Ratkin girls, a strangely peaceful, storybook scene.
But peace didn't last.
Clop-clop! Clop-clop!
Dozens of warhorses charged the village entrance, kicking up fierce dust.
"Al-Alarm! Enemies!"
A sentry Rat Ranger came sprinting with the cry.
Brutal intruders emerged through the dust.
The capital's armed Military Police in blue uniforms.
Leading them: a familiar mustachioed man.
"Everyone, stand down."
Inspector Caldwell from the checkpoint flashed a cold glare as he dismounted slowly, adjusting his leather gloves tight.
"Well, if it isn't those Ratkin adventurers from the checkpoint."
Click!
At his nod, the police raised muskets in unison.
The village's cheerful vibe froze solid.
I held back the Rangers behind me and stepped forward.
"What's this about all of a sudden? And these Military Police?"
"We've had reports of armed non-humans illegally logging the northern woods and building an illegal fortress."
"Illegal fortress?"
"Suspicious from top to bottom. A massive village popping up in these outskirts ruins? What shady schemes are you hiding?"
'What nonsense is this guy spouting out of nowhere?'
Inspector Caldwell scanned the Ratkin and territory with a hawk's eye, dead set on finding dirt.
"If you're that suspicious, look around all you want."
"Fine. You might squirm to erase the stain of doubt, but no one escapes the kingdom's strict laws..."
I shrugged and cleared the way, escorting the snooty police deep into the village like it was a show.
Illegal armed group?
Squatting on crown land?
That prickly inspector no doubt pictured a den of ugly crime.
Regrettably, this village was spotlessly, transparently legal.
"..."
Caldwell's mustache twitched faintly as he scoured everywhere.
The scene before him wasn't just off-script—it was absurdly wholesome.
"Run! Pull!"
Innocent Ratkin girls giggled ecstatically, pumping the well in giant wooden wheels.
Rat Rangers drilled with crisp precision in the training yard, Iron-rank guild badges gleaming on their chests.
And most damningly: the official land deed in my hand, stamped red by the capital bureau.
"...All this up to code... Even hired licensed capital architects for pay."
No dirt, no matter how hard he shook. Pure legitimacy.
Caldwell coughed awkwardly and shoved the deed back.
"Everyone, withdraw. False alarm."
As he ordered the police and mounted up, he paused and turned to me.
For a split second, an odd flicker crossed his icy eyes.
"Village looks decently peaceful and comfy. Reti, was it?"
"Yes, that's me."
He leaned low from his horse, murmuring discreetly:
"But the slums beyond the woods aren't so peaceful."
"What do you mean?"
"Lately, shady job rumors targeting slum Ratkin are swirling. 'No-strings charity work,' 'free high-end skills training'—sweet poisons."
Caldwell left that loaded warning and spurred his horse.
"We'll keep watching. Don't try anything stupid."
"Sure thing, we'll behave."
With no more words, Caldwell led his police back into the dust.
"Ugh... that startled me."
What a picky, exhausting human.
I stuck my tongue out at the retreating force.
Daily peace returned to Hamster Wheel Village.
But as chief, new headaches always piled up for me.
Clearing woods and paving paths had expanded the land too much.
Securing vast farmland on the outskirts was great.
"Potatoes here! Sweet potatoes there! Cabbage, carrots, onions everywhere!"
Sena pointed excitedly at the open fields.
"Then we can make yummy stew and sell the surplus at market for cash!"
But the real issue?
Who'd till that massive plot?
"Land's plenty now, but beasts to plow it? Way short."
In the tent for the night meeting, I sighed, chin in hand.
"Our two donkeys are on the brink of collapse from overwork. This morning, leg cramps kept one from standing."
I reported the livestock's dire state.
We'd bought two donkeys with earnings for plowing and hauling.
But abusing them for village needs had drained them dry.
"What about our ponies?"
"Can't. Need 'em for capital runs."
Stout beasts were essential for tilling this expanse and carting harvests to market.
"Just buy more horses at the beast market?"
Mani twirled her hammer casually. I shook my head firmly.
"Money pits ahead everywhere."
Large livestock were money sinks.
Pigs, cows, horses—maintenance costs were astronomical.
Way beyond our means.
"Hay and oats alone per day? No joke."
Feed was the killer expense.
Racking my brain for a fix, my gaze drifted out the tent window.
In the dark square, giant wooden wheels spun vigorously even at night.
Thanks to Ratkin racial traits.
Fill 'em with a hearty bowl of stew, and they'd run laughing endlessly.
Lightning struck—a wild idea pierced my mind.
"...Mani."
I swallowed dryly, staring blankly as I called her.
"Yeah?"
"Those wheels... Instead of fixed in place like now..."
I traced a huge wheel shape in the air with my finger.
"What if we made 'em roll forward while running?"
"Huh?"
"Ditch pricey horses and donkeys. Use the rolling power to plow fields and pull carts. Fuel source: our endless-running village Ratkin, powered by meals."
Even saying it, it sounded insane.
Am I nuts?
But the moment I finished...
Mani's eyes gleamed with that mad engineer spark.
"That's it!"
"Wh-What?"
Hilde, sipping tea demurely, yelped and dropped her cup in shock.
"Y-You crazy runts... You're joking, right?"