---

After spending about a year in Rattkinia, I confirmed that the city was running smoothly and started preparing to leave.

Well, when I say “preparing to leave,” I really mean I’m just heading out without any supplies.

I think Maybel will be just fine looking after the Rattkins with her mother’s help. I doubt they need my assistance anymore.

“So you’re really leaving?”

“Yeah. I don’t think my help is needed anymore, right?”

“That’s… true, but…”

The Rattkins have established their home in Rattkinia surprisingly well. They’ve chopped down trees to clear the forest, dug wells to bring up groundwater, and created rice paddies and fields to harvest enough food.

With more than 10,000 rat beastmen thriving, they’re doing pretty well in agriculture. They’re planting beans and clovers to restore soil vitality, so the land isn’t overworked. There’s no special fertilizer, but this should be enough for now.

Really, they don’t need my help anymore.

“So where do you plan to go next?”

“I heard some intriguing rumors over in a nearby city-state. It’d be nice if you could come along, but… you really need to look after those who believe in you now.”

Upon hearing this, Maybel nodded. Even though she’d decided to become a god out of her desire for revenge against those who oppressed her mother, now that she had followers who believed in her, she couldn’t just turn her back on them.

So…

“I think it’s time for me to leave. Let’s see… Once your lifespan comes to an end, we should meet again.”

“Sounds like something the Grim Reaper would say.”

“Well, the Goddess of Life oversees death too, you know.”

Life and death are just two sides of the same coin. Both birth and death fall under my purview.

“Anyway, I understand. It’s a shame, but if you say you’re leaving, I can’t stop you.”

Maybel said this with a slight smile.

“Thank you, Dragon Priestess. Thanks to you, I saved my mom and got to avenge my dad.”

I nodded gently at her words. Somehow, I ended up meeting Maybel, traveling together, and even thwarting a plot that could have destroyed a city.

Seriously, how did it all come to this?

Whether it was someone’s plan or not, I was lucky to catch that idiot’s scheme early.

But… if that guy’s ritual went off just like he intended, would he have shown up?

Of course, it wouldn’t be in his full form, but still… would he have just appeared with me nearby?

Honestly… if he had, I would have given him a good beating.

If he had any sense at all… he wouldn’t have shown his face. Well, that’s all in the past now.

“So you’re off to find this rumor? What’s the rumor about?”

“I heard an interesting one about cow beastmen in a nearby city-state, so I’m thinking of heading that way.”

“Cow beastmen?”

Nodding slightly at Maybel’s words.

Cow beastmen. To be precise, it was a rumor about a cow beastman born suddenly between humans, possessing incredible strength.

A cow beastman, much stronger than an adult despite being young. A cow beastman that others call a monster in fear.

Curiosity sparked within me about this cow beastman rumor, so I plan to take a quick trip over there.

“Then I’ll head off. Let’s meet again someday.”

“Yes, if you show your face whenever you’re nearby, I’d appreciate it!”

“I’ll consider it.”

After saying my goodbyes to Maybel, I left Rattkinia.

Let’s see. First, the rat. Next, the cow.

And then maybe a tiger? I wonder if there are any good rumors floating around?

Well, it’s not like I have to follow a specific order. But you know, it feels good to at least want to keep some order.

For now… I’ll meet that cow beastman known as a monster and then head east.

It’s a bit of a long route, but certainly worth the trip.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

The God of Rats. Guardian of Explorers. Savior of Rattkins. The Ashen Rat.

Before becoming a god, her name was Maybel Cinder. She is the ancestor of the Cinder House, which can be considered the ruler of the Rattkins, and the savior of the oppressed.

Her rise to divinity was rooted in the event where the first beast of the beastmen, named Sirius, became the guardian deity of the Divine Hall.

This left the position of the beastmen’s god vacant, causing various beastmen to start acting solely for their species. Even among beastmen, they no longer viewed those of similar races as kin.

Being left without a strong bond of kinship, the Rattkins, who were oppressed by various races, found their future dim, but their desperate hopes aligned, resulting in the birth of the God of Rats, according to scholarly consensus.

At that time, Rattkins lacked the physical strength compared to other beastmen and were predominantly used as slaves in the mines due to their small stature and digging skills.

Of course, their skills were lacking compared to dwarves, but unlike the Rattkins, dwarves have an inherently robust race, thriving under the divine blessings of the sacred mountain, Sagarmatha. It was out of the question to enslave the dwarves.

While Rattkins weren’t as good as the dwarves, they were often used as mine slaves, discarded, and lost their lives.

Amid such dire circumstances, the Rattkins longed for a savior, their deep faith coalescing around a young Rattkin girl, imbuing her with divinity.

That very young Rattkin girl became a living god, the Ashen Rat, fueled by their fervent beliefs.

The young girl, now a god, punished all of the leadership who sold other Rattkins for their own prosperity without considering the common folk.

Afterward, she gathered all Rattkins living under oppression from other races.

Leading the gathered Rattkin population, she set off to find land for the Rattkins, and it’s said that over 10,000 followed her.

Though they had to set off on a long journey with no preparations, she had no hesitation whatsoever.

When they needed food, she’d pull out enough from a small pouch to feed 10,000 rat beastmen. When they needed water, striking the ground with a stick caused pure water to spring forth, and when dangerous monsters appeared, she would charge ahead, smashing the monsters’ heads with a slender stick.

Witnessing such divine miracles, the Rattkins praised her as they arrived in the land where they could live.

It was originally a lush forest covered in towering trees, but she lightly pierced the ground with her stick, manifesting miracles.

All the trees in the forest lifted their roots, clearing the land for them. The Rattkins settled in the plain that was formed.

In that clearing, the God of Rats named her kind Rattkin, meaning Bloodline of the Rat, and named their newly settled land Rattkinia.

Thus, the oppressed rat beastmen united under the name Rattkin, gathering beneath the Ashen Rat.

We were reborn under the chosen god who was born among us.

…

The cow beastman, revered as the God of Rattkins, also had believers among other races, as her powers excelled in locating objects.

Her abilities greatly aided adventurers’ survival, allowing them to find valuable item positions in dungeons or detecting dangerous monsters and traps.

Explorers specializing in treasure detection always conveyed their deep faith to her.

 

---