CH 50

ratfolk was a rather unique and peculiar race within the orc kingdom. it’s important to note that not all beasts had human offshoots, and not all orc races were united.

for instance, ratfolk were ostracized by other orc races for various reasons. not only were they considered unattractive, but their hygiene and thieving habits were intolerable to others. furthermore, ratfolk had a unique ability not to easily fall ill but could transmit diseases to other races.

as a result, they were pushed to the outskirts of the grasslands, where they roamed, making a living through robbery, deception, and fraud. due to their small stature, their only advantage was their numbers, so they only dared to prey on smaller groups, as even the larger merchant caravans were too much for them to handle.

their lives were harsh, living in squalor and filth, and their naturally shifty appearance made them even more marginalized.

despite their numbers, they were all quite frail. even with over thirty of them, they were no match for a group of knights. without lucifer’s intervention, pei xia and the others quickly defeated the ratfolk.

initially, they had considered capturing them, but as they approached, the ratfolk unleashed a strong, foul-smelling biological weapon attack, causing a few of them to escape. the remaining ratfolk were left surrounded by the knights, waiting for lucifer’s judgment.

the ratfolk huddled together, trembling in fear, aware that they had met their match and were unlikely to escape unscathed today.

they also understood the attitudes of outsiders toward ratfolk. if captured, their fate was either death or brutal torture.

thinking of this grim outcome, they couldn’t help but burst into tears.

pei xia was startled and turned to look at lucifer, who was inside the carriage. he asked, “your grace, these ratfolk have ill intentions. how would you like to handle this?”

lucifer stroked his chin and said, “i’ve heard rumors about ratfolk, you know. have you been engaging in these robbery activities?”

seeing that lucifer appeared quite amiable, the leader of the ratfolk found the courage to speak, “noble sir, we have no livestock, and our fields produce too little. this is the only way we can survive. livestock would be stolen, and the crops in the fields wouldn’t feed all of us. we have no way to cultivate more land.”

another ratfolk began to cry and said, “we haven’t had a proper meal in a long time. we’ve been surviving on roots and grass seeds, and my little brother is almost starving to death. please, kind sir, show us some mercy and let us go!”

pei xia was somewhat surprised since his knowledge of ratfolk was limited. he asked, “don’t you have a legitimate way of making a living?”

the ratfolk leader shook his head and replied, “no one from outside is willing to trade with us. they fear we might spread diseases. there are some fields within our tribe, but we have too many mouths to feed.”

pei xia inquired further, “how many of you are there?”

suspicious of the detailed questions, the ratfolk leader began to shake his head frantically, refusing to disclose the tribe’s secrets.

lucifer didn’t press the issue and instead asked, “have you ever killed anyone?”

the ratfolk leader hurriedly responded, “absolutely not! if there were any deaths here, no one would dare to come this way.”

however, if word got out that there were ratfolk stealing things in the area, travelers would likely find them annoying rather than a true threat. these cunning ratfolk were just here to prey on their victims.

during this process, many of their own kind had sacrificed themselves. the ratfolk leader couldn’t help but shed tears of bitterness for his tribe.

seeing that lucifer seemed to be contemplating something, pei xia couldn’t help but ask in a hushed tone, “your grace, have you made a decision?”

lucifer replied, “they haven’t lied.”

pei xia didn’t doubt lucifer’s role as a human lie detector, “yes, your grace.”

lucifer continued, “in that case, their crimes don’t warrant death.” he tapped his finger and instructed buck to bring two books from the rear carriage. “pei xia, do you remember our purpose here?”

“of course, your grace. we’re here to spread the glory of the god of light to more people,” pei xia replied. “i understand. you want to convert the ratfolk, right?”

lucifer nodded, “while the ratfolk may be physically weaker and less hygienic, they possess more agile minds among the orc races. i believe they can be guided with some instruction.”

once the ratfolk leader understood their intentions and realized there was a chance for them to survive, their eyes began to shine. they eagerly agreed to follow lucifer’s instructions.

when lucifer began reciting from the “holy book of light,” it was evident that the ratfolk who had been kneeling collectively lost their enthusiasm.

lucifer closed the book and said with a smile, “if you can memorize the teachings, i’ll let you go.”

if they enter the ratfolk tribe, they might be overwhelmed by the stench.

upon hearing this, the ratfolk’s eyes shone, and they repeatedly expressed their gratitude. the group decided to camp in the vicinity, planning to stay for two days.

during this time, in addition to teaching them the contents of the holy book of light, lucifer also used a light magic spell to eliminate any pathogens the ratfolk might be carrying.

while resting, pei xia was curious about the ratfolk’s internal situation. after spending a day together, the ratfolk had developed some trust in these peculiar humans and, unknowingly, began to share details about their tribe.

not only were there many ratfolk, but they also had limited resources. the high-quality water sources on the grasslands were all claimed by other tribes, and the ratfolk couldn’t find enough clean water. additionally, they rarely fell ill and weren’t concerned about cleanliness, which contributed to their current situation.

lucifer inquired, “how large is your population?”

the leader of the ratfolk, gamma, who was a more educated individual among them with a quick mind, sighed, “our population is so large that we only allow newlyweds to have one child.”

pei xia was surprised, “you’ve implemented family planning? that’s quite impressive.”

gamma added, “we only allow one child, and they usually give birth to ten.”

pei xia commented, “you can control it quite well with only one child per couple.”

gamma sadly explained, “but we can’t help it. we’re naturally prolific. ratfolk easily enter mating periods, and sometimes we can’t control our reproductive desires. now, our tribe is too poor to feed so many children.”

pei xia offered words of comfort, then approached the carriage and asked, “your grace, the situation among the ratfolk seems dire. even if they memorize the holy book of light, they may not have the energy to spread the teachings when they return.”

lucifer nodded in agreement, “that’s a problem. if we can improve their situation, the new generation won’t have to follow in the footsteps of their elders, and passing travelers can feel more at ease. pei xia, do you have any ideas?”

lucifer looked at him with encouraging eyes, and pei xia scratched his head, smiling.

“i don’t know if it’ll work, but what if we teach them how to make soap? they can use soap to trade for essential supplies, eliminate the lurking pathogens on their bodies, and establish peaceful relations with other tribes of the various races.”

lucifer raised an eyebrow, surprised. “the various tribes of the races usually aren’t skilled in crafting. they often trade with humans for soap. that sounds like a good idea. but, pei xia, you know how to make soap?”

pei xia coughed and replied, “well, i used to have a maid at home who knew how to make soap.”

this was, of course, a fabrication. in reality, pei xia had participated in a handmade soap competition during his college days. their group had researched the process, and he remembered how to make basic soap. however, in this world, he quickly realized that there was no room for someone to shine and become an admired figure for their technical skills. everything they needed was readily available.

soap? they had it. glass? they had that too. porcelain? surprisingly, it was here. even though there was no concrete, there were earth magic users and other convenient lifestyle items that filled the void.

there was no grand stage for pei xia to showcase his skills. frustrated with the author’s lack of consideration for historical context, he couldn’t help but complain internally.

after a brief discussion, they settled on a policy for dealing with the ratfolk. then, pei xia went over to teach them how to make soap.

mix fat (any kind of oil will do) with lye water made from wood ash, adjusting the ratio based on the concentration of lye water. boil the mixture until it becomes thick, then let it cool in a cool place for ten to fifteen days, and you’ll have a piece of soap.

as for how the ratfolk would find the raw materials, well, the followers of the light of god weren’t their mothers. they’d given them a method, and it was up to the ratfolk to figure out the rest.

if they couldn’t overcome this minor challenge, then they were truly hopeless and not worth further rescue.

armed with the knowledge of how to make soap, the ratfolk became even more enthusiastic and devout. they were extremely grateful to lucifer and his companions. during the night, while resting around the campfire, they expressed their gratitude.

the young chieftain, gamma, gathered his people with a wave of his paw. “it’s time to change our image!”

they had already memorized the light of god’s scripture, and listening to the conversation between the knight commander and the holy son, it seemed like they were preparing to leave the next day. gamma felt they needed to act quickly.

“we need to tell the outsiders that ratfolk are not without any merit. at the very least, we remember the kindness of others!”

“but, boss, i understand your point, you want to thank them, right? but we are so poor, we have nothing. what can we be grateful for?”

gamma gritted his teeth and said, “do you remember the words we heard when we were ambushing them?”

“of course!”

“rats have sharp noses, pointed ears, agile movements, and are highly nimble.”

“since that’s the case, we should…”

in the early morning, pei xia and lucifer were having breakfast. they planned to sign a contract and then release the ratfolk. however, they didn’t expect the ratfolk to approach them first.

leading the group was the chieftain, gamma, with ten ratfolk men standing behind him, all of them short and slim, possibly not even reaching 5’6”.

“hello, holy son, and greetings, knight!” gamma mustered the courage to step forward and greet them loudly.

“hello, gamma. no need to get so close,” pei xia gently reminded. “is there something you need?”

taking a deep breath, gamma continued, “over the past few days, we have received much education and are deeply grateful. therefore, we wish to express our gratitude to you!”

“oh, what kind of gratitude?” pei xia was curious about what they could offer.

gamma waved his hand, and the ten ratfolk men behind him stepped forward, then began to take off their shirts.

pei xia watched in awe, momentarily lost for words. as they removed their simple shirts, the ten ratfolk men, with mischievous eyes and sharp features, some even with traces of incomplete rat-like facial hair, flexed their arms, showing off their muscles and strength with great enthusiasm.

gamma proudly declared, “that day, i heard you compliment our strength and charisma. to express our gratitude, we are willing to offer the ten most handsome men in our tribe to serve the holy son!”

pei xia: “…”

lucifer: “…”

wasn’t that a question, not a compliment?

the shirtless ratfolk men approached, and pei xia quickly turned around, covering lucifer’s eyes with his hand.

after sternly instructing the ratfolk men to put their shirts back on, pei xia released his hand, which was covering lucifer’s eyes.

lucifer cast a sly glance at him and then decisively took out a magical contract scroll, allowing gamma and his companions to sign the contract: never to harm innocent people, to strive to spread the faith among their tribe, and to maintain cleanliness and positive living.

magical contracts had special effects that made it almost impossible for those who signed them to violate the contract’s terms.

the ratfolk people wanted to continue expressing their gratitude, including, but not limited to, flaunting their pheromones by unbuttoning their collars, but the holy knights kept them at a distance.

afterward, the group of the church of light couldn’t wait to continue their journey. they looked back at the row of tearful and waving handsome ratfolk men in two lines. the two carriages, one team of knights, gave off a feeling of escaping in a hurry.

inside lucifer’s carriage, pei xia knelt in front of him, obedient and innocent.

lucifer raised his hand to rub his forehead and said, “pei xia, please stand up. there’s no need for this.”

“no, i must apologize to you for the misunderstanding with the ratfolk. i promise such misunderstandings won’t happen again,” pei xia said with a cough.

lucifer sighed deeply and touched his own cheek, saying, “the world outside is quite chaotic.”

“outside? you mean you want to resolve things from within?” pei xia was alarmed. “that’s not a good idea!”

“oh? why not?” lucifer raised an eyebrow.

pei xia said seriously, “there’s a saying, ‘not fearing scarcity but fearing inequality.’ if you try to resolve things from within, it’s almost certain that some people will become jealous, leading to various problems.”

lucifer’s face showed a hint of serious interest. “is that so? but what if i really want to resolve it from within?”

pei xia was taken aback by his determination. “are you so sure?”

“have you already set your sights on someone?” pei xia looked at lucifer in surprise. despite being around him most of the time, he hadn’t noticed lucifer having any romantic interests. “i can’t help but feel a little jealous if you’re thinking about that. can i ask who it is?”

lucifer teased, “guess.”

“tom?”

“nope.”

“malory?”

lucifer elegantly shook his head and took a sip of his red tea.

pei xia continued to guess, running through the list of people, but lucifer shook his head each time, leaving pei xia puzzled.

“none of them are right. could it be… are you in love with a horse?!”

lucifer couldn’t help but cough. he wiped his mouth, slightly embarrassed, and looked at pei xia with a puzzled expression. “how did you come up with that?”

pei xia weakly replied, “well, in our team, there are only people and horses, right? compared to objectophilia, isn’t zoophilia more normal?”

lucifer couldn’t contain his laughter. he put down his teacup, leaned forward slightly, propped his chin with one hand, and placed the other on his knee. he gazed at pei xia, his perfect features forming a furrowed brow.

“why didn’t you guess yourself?” he asked.

pei xia, looking puzzled, responded, “oh, you never said that you secretly liked your subordinate, right?”

lucifer admitted, “well, that’s true.”

seeing that his boss seemed somewhat unhappy, pei xia tried to be cooperative. “so, is the person you like… pei xia?”

lucifer stared at him for a while, his brow furrowing, his expression complex. he appeared distant, mixed with a hint of confusion and seriousness. he said, “i don’t know.”

at that moment, pei xia’s heart began to race.