Rat God (4)
After sticking around Ratkinia for about a year, I confirmed the city was running smoothly and got ready to leave. Well, "getting ready" just meant heading out with nothing but the clothes on my back, but whatever.
Maybel seemed more than capable of looking after the Ratkin with her mother's help. She didn't need me anymore.
"So you're leaving, Dragon Priestess?"
"Yeah. You don't need my help now, right?"
"Well... that's true, but..."
Ratkinia, where the Ratkin had settled in, was doing better than expected. They'd cleared the forest by chopping trees, dug wells to tap into underground water and channeled it properly, tilled fields and paddies, and harvested plenty of food. Farming was thriving enough to feed over ten thousand rat beastkin.
They were even diligently planting beans and clover to restore soil fertility without overworking the land. No fancy fertilizers or anything, but this would do for now. Yeah, they really didn't need me anymore.
"So where are you headed next?"
"I heard a pretty interesting rumor. It's got me curious enough that it'd be fun if you came along... but you've got people who believe in you to look after now, don't you?"
Maybel nodded at my words. She'd decided to become a god out of revenge against those who'd tormented her mother, but now that she had followers who trusted her, she couldn't just abandon them.
Exactly.
"I'll be off then. Let's say... we'll meet again when your lifespan's up and it's time for you to go."
"That sounds just like something a death god would say."
"Well, yeah. The Life Goddess oversees death too, you know."
Life and death are two sides of the same coin. Everything from birth to passing is under my domain.
"Anyway, got it. I'm sad to see you go, but if that's your decision, who am I to stop you?"
Maybel gave a small smile.
"Thank you, Dragon Priestess. You saved my mom and helped me get revenge for my dad."
I nodded slightly at her words. Somehow I'd ended up meeting Maybel, traveling with her, and smashing a conspiracy big enough to topple a city. How the hell did things turn out like this? I had no idea if it was all part of some plan, but at least we'd nipped that idiot's scheme in the bud early on. Lucky break.
Though... even if that ritual had gone off without a hitch as he planned, would he have actually shown up? Sure, not in his full form, but... with me right there, would he have risked it?
Honestly, I probably would've beaten the crap out of him if he had. If the guy had any brains left, he'd have chickened out and stayed hidden. Whatever, water under the bridge.
"So you're off to chase that rumor? What's it about?"
"Heard something fun about some cow beastkin in a city-state not too far away, so I'm thinking of checking it out."
"Cow beastkin?"
I nodded at Maybel's question. Specifically, rumors about a cow beastkin born to human parents with freakish strength. A kid way stronger than any adult, feared and called a monster by other humans. I was a bit intrigued, so I figured I'd swing by.
"Alright, time to go. See you around sometime."
"Yeah! Come visit whenever you're nearby—I'd appreciate it!"
"I'll think about it."
And with that, I said goodbye to Maybel and left Ratkinia.
Rats first. Cows next. Tigers after that? Wonder if there are any good rumors out there. Not like I have to go in order or anything, but I'd kinda like to.
Anyway... after meeting that monster-cow kid, I should head east. It's a bit of a trek, but worth it.
Protector of Explorers. Savior of the Ratkin. The Gray Rat.
Her pre-divine name was Maybel Cinder1.
Progenitor of the Cinder clan, rulers of the Ratkin, and savior of the persecuted Ratkin.
The backdrop to her emergence involved the first Beast God—the original deity of beastkin—taking the name Sirius and becoming the guardian god of the Pantheon. This left the seat of the beastkin gods vacant, causing various beastkin to act solely for their own kin. Even fellow beastkin were no longer seen as family.
Losing the protective umbrella of "beastkin," the Ratkin—then called rat beastkin—faced persecution from other races. Their future looked endlessly bleak, but their collective desperate prayers coalesced to birth the Rat God. This is the academic consensus.
Unlike other beastkin, rat beastkin lacked physical prowess, but their small size and digging skills made them prime slaves for mines. Though inferior to dwarves, those sturdy folk were too tough to enslave—blessed by the sacred mountain Sagarmatha and thriving on their own merits. Ratkin, however, were perfect for mine work: not too strong, easily replaceable. They were used up, discarded, and died in droves across many races' mines.
In this harsh reality, the rat beastkin yearned for a savior. Their profound faith gathered on one young rat beastkin girl, imbuing her with divinity2.
Thus, the young rat beastkin girl became a living god fueled by desperate belief: the Gray Rat.
The newly divine Gray Rat first punished the entire leadership who'd sold out their own for personal glory, ignoring the common folk3. Then she rallied every persecuted rat beastkin from across the lands.
Leading this horde, she set out to find a homeland for her people—some ten thousand strong, by all accounts4.
With no preparations for the long journey, the ragtag rat beastkin followed their fearless child-god without hesitation. When food ran low, she pulled enough from her tiny pouch to feed ten thousand. When thirst struck, she struck the ground with her staff, and pure water sprang forth. When monsters attacked, she charged ahead, smashing their skulls with her slender rod in one blow5.
Witnessing these miracles, the rat beastkin praised their god and arrived at their new land under her guidance—a dense forest of towering trees. But with a light tap of her staff, she wrought another miracle: every tree uprooted itself, clearing the plain for settlement.
There, the Rat God named her kin "Ratkin"—meaning the bloodline of rats—and their new home Ratkinia.
Thus, the persecuted rat beastkin united under the name Ratkin, reborn under the guidance of their chosen god born from their midst.
...
Beyond the Ratkin, the Gray Rat—revered as their god—had followers among other races too. Her divine power excelled at locating objects: pinpointing valuables in dungeons, detecting dangerous monsters or traps. Invaluable for adventurers' survival, it earned her eternal devotion from scouts and explorers.
1 This was her human name, but as her true name, it must not be uttered lightly. Those who profane a god's name invite divine punishment.
2 Claims of unknown intervention in elevating the ordinary girl to Rat God appear only in wild tales, lacking any evidence.
3 Among the punished was the Rat God's own grandfather, signifying her willingness to judge her own kin for the persecuted. Her nobility deserves eternal praise.
4 Given the era's demographics, "ten thousand" seems exaggerated, but Ratkin high birthrates and excavated hearth counts lend it strong credibility.
5 Her staff was a black metal rod bent at 90 degrees, believed to hold the power to find anything desired—an embodiment of her ability. Through it, she could locate whatever she sought.
