Chapter 115: Church, Cellar, Ratmen

"What a fat rat, wouldn't it make good jerky?"

"Hush, quickly take it outside the manor and burn it. The butler specifically instructed that these rats might carry plague, and we're not allowed to eat them."

Gauss and Arya arrived near the manor just as two servants were passing by, carrying a bag and talking.

He withdrew his gaze, thoughtful.

They followed the caravan further into the manor grounds.

The manor was surrounded by tall stone walls. Outside the walls were undulating golden waves of wheat, while inside were neat roads paved with flat stones, showcasing order and wealth at every turn.

Inside the manor, they were greeted by an elderly butler dressed in a perfectly tailored servant uniform.

"Honorable Adventurers, welcome to Wheat Valley Manor. This estate belongs to the noble Baron Hayden Walker of Graystone Town. I am Hoven, the butler here," said the old butler Hoven, his voice calm and clear, exuding just the right amount of respect.

Gauss showed him the Mission Commission document, his peripheral vision catching the caravan negotiating procurement with the manor’s junior steward.

However, Butler Hoven did not move away. Perhaps in his eyes, the two Bronze-rank Adventurers who came to deal with the rat infestation weighed more than an ordinary transaction. Or perhaps he simply wanted the problem resolved as quickly as possible.

The Baron mentioned by Hoven was indeed the lord of Graystone Town. All taxes from the town ultimately flowed into this family’s coffers.

No wonder the manor’s tidiness and opulence far surpassed that of any ordinary village — it was private property of the lord.

However, from the intelligence Gauss had gathered, members of the baronial family usually resided in the bustling city of Barry, only occasionally returning to Graystone Town to inspect their holdings:

"Please follow me," Hoven led the way, guiding them deeper into the manor.

"The Baron has always treated Adventurers with honor. He specifically instructed us to receive visiting Adventurers with care. The kitchen has already prepared lunch. Please dine first; there's no rush to begin the commission."

"Much appreciated."

Gauss and Arya exchanged a glance.

They both understood clearly that by "Adventurers," Hoven meant Professionals like themselves.

Just look at the elite Town Guard at the gate — armed with long spears, clad in armor, solemn-faced. Ordinary low-level Adventurers probably couldn’t even pass through the manor gates.

As they walked, Gauss’s gaze swept over the carefully trimmed flowerbeds, the clear water flowing through stone canals, the towering windmill, and the solid stone walls.

Such a wealthy estate must surely have its own Professionals guarding it.

Why then hire outsiders like them? A hint of doubt flashed through Gauss’s mind, but he did not voice it.

Perhaps it was a collaboration between nobles and the Adventurer’s Guild? Or maybe, to the manor, any problem solvable with coin wasn’t worth mobilizing their own defenses.

They arrived at the central villa of the estate.

The two were led into a side hall for dining. Though called a side hall, its lavishness exceeded anything Gauss had ever seen in this world: exquisite ornate carvings, a giant mounted deer head on the wall, and a long walnut dining table. Apart from them, there were only a few servants standing quietly by, ready to be summoned at any moment. A mere glimpse of noble life revealed its decadence.

Even if the manor’s owner visited only a few times a year, the grandeur within remained undiminished.

Sadly, when the dishes were served, Gauss felt a tinge of disappointment.

It wasn’t the taste — in fact, the food was quite delicious. It was just that the ingredients were rather plain and unremarkable, far less impressive than his first meal at the Firefly Kitchen.

He had expected a noble’s fare to be more exceptional. Clearly, that was wishful thinking. To entertain "outsiders" like them, they wouldn’t use any rare ingredients.

What a pity.

After a short exchange of pleasantries, Gauss and Arya focused on eating.

Gauss, in particular, ate the most.

The [Energy Storage Gland] talent indeed gave him an appetite far beyond that of ordinary people.

After the meal, Gauss got to the point with Hoven. "The cellar is about four kilometers from the manor, located beneath an abandoned church," said the butler as he took out a map and accurately marked the location.

"At some unknown time, it was occupied by a group of Ratmen. Lately, the number of rats in the manor has surged. It’s likely connected to them."

Though the Mission Commission already included exact coordinates, it was still necessary to go through this communication process with the client present. Of course, the process also came with perks — like a hot and tasty meal.

They discussed a few more details with the butler.

After a brief rest, the two boarded a carriage provided by the manor and headed toward the abandoned church.

"My lords, follow this dirt road and you'll reach the church," the coachman said as he stopped the carriage some distance away from their destination,

His tone carried an apology. "I can only take you this far. If you need the carriage again, find me under the large oak tree ahead."

Seeing the coachman’s timid demeanor, the two paid it no mind.

They nodded, allowing him to keep a distance.

Ratmen posed no deadly threat to them, but for ordinary people — especially in groups exceeding seventy — they were undoubtedly a terrifying disaster.

Gauss looked around at the surroundings.

Though it was a blazing sunny afternoon, the area was shrouded in an eerie gloom.

The nearby trees were unnaturally withered and dying, and the ground was thickly covered with out-of-season yellow-brown fallen leaves.

Gauss activated [Insight Technique], and his senses instantly sharpened. Information flooded into his awareness like a tidal wave.

In the muddy patch ahead on the left, there were traces resembling rat tracks.

On the white bark of that tree were gnaw marks from rodents, and at the roots were several black droppings, each the size of a fingernail.

"Their range is large," Gauss muttered. "We’re still nearly two hundred meters from the church."

"It’s the work of the swarm," Arya’s voice sounded muffled through her Gas Mask, her expression serious. "They frantically pillage nearby resources to feed themselves and their breeding servant creatures."

They had been fully equipped before departure.

Besides Arya’s Protective Leather Gear, Gauss also cast [Gauss Force Field] on her.

To avoid alerting the enemy, her large Wolf Companion was stationed at a distance on standby.

"Indeed, they seem to have been entrenched here for some time," Gauss nodded.

With a Perception of 7, enhanced by [Insight Technique], he could even estimate the rats’ size from their tracks.

Among them, one Giant Rat’s body — excluding the tail — was nearly half a meter long, comparable to a small dog! The number of other rats would be far from small.

According to the Monster Encyclopedia’s entry on Ratmen,

it was likely that the Ratmen couldn’t provide enough food, so they released their domesticated rats to forage freely.

That would explain the rat infestation at the manor several kilometers away.

As they were speaking,

a large rat over thirty centimeters long suddenly burst out of the pile of fallen leaves, a stiff bird corpse clutched in its mouth.

It clearly froze upon seeing Gauss and Arya standing in its path, the bird still in its mouth, staring in confusion at these two uninvited intruders who had entered its territory.

"Zii-zizi!"

A sharp, high-pitched sound rang out — not from the rat, but from Arya’s mouth.

Gauss knew she had mastered a spell that allowed for basic communication with wild animals, the [Animal Communication] spell. She must be trying to gather information, so he stayed silent and waited.

"Zizi-ai!"

"Ai! Zii—zii!"

Arya tried again to communicate.

But the rat gave no response and turned to slip away with the bird in its mouth.

"Failed."

Seeing the rat about to flee, Gauss fired his Hand Crossbow.

Whoosh!

His Crossbow Bolt pierced the air and nailed it precisely to the ground.

After killing the large rat, he turned to Arya.

"Can’t use Animal Communication with rats?"

"No, this spell can communicate with the vast majority of animals. The response depends on the target’s intelligence. But this rat... it was like a block of wood, completely unresponsive. This might be some kind of modification by the Ratmen," Arya said grimly.

"Then we’ll need to be extra careful," Gauss reminded. "If your Protective Magic breaks, run to me for another cast. I have plenty of Magical Energy. Don’t worry about me running out."

"...Alright, I understand." Arya paused, looking into Gauss’s eyes.

She felt he was indeed quite different from the other mages she had encountered before.

The two continued toward the church.

The closer they got, the more traces of rodent activity they found. A pungent, unpleasant stench filled the air, and more withered plants appeared.

"Are they gnawing at the roots on purpose, or is it some kind of toxic contamination?" Gauss remained alert.

While Ratmen weren’t as strong as Goblins, they were much more intelligent.

Excessive destruction of vegetation would expose the lair’s location too early — something clearly against their habits.

Eventually, after walking a bit farther,

the abandoned church came into view.

The steeple’s shingles had peeled off, and the walls were mottled and crumbling — time had left deep marks on the building.

All around the church, rat tracks were everywhere.

Excavated burrow entrances were scattered about, the ground littered with the picked-clean bones of animals, and even seeped with a strange, dark green mucus.

But the most hair-raising sight was the gray-black patch of ground in front of the church.

On closer inspection, it wasn’t ground at all — it was a writhing "carpet" composed of hundreds upon hundreds of rats! Densely packed together, their gray-black fur formed a chilling wave.

Among them were several Giant Rats nearly seventy centimeters in length, especially conspicuous as they crouched like leaders within the horde, their scarlet eyes gleaming with ferocity.

Suddenly, Gauss felt his heart jolt, a prickle of being watched piercing him like a thorn!

He narrowed his eyes slightly, his sharp gaze scanning toward a shattered window high on the church wall where the glass was gone.

A flicker of crimson light vanished into the shadows.

They’d been spotted?

"We’ve been spotted," Arya said as well.

Her Perception was equally keen.

"Of course," Gauss gripped the Bone Wand. "With this many lookouts, it’s nearly impossible to approach unnoticed."

"Prepare for battle!"

Since stealth was no longer an option, there remained only one path — a full frontal assault!!

He raised his wand, the Wand Tip aimed at the densest part of the rat swarm, and chanted loudly.

"Fire Bolt!"

The air at the wand’s tip began to ripple. Orange-red flame energy rapidly gathered, and within a brief chant duration, it condensed into a fire arrow the length of a forearm.

The arrow’s core glowed white-hot, edged with flickering crimson flames, and fine sparks scattered outward in bursts.

This was exactly the cantrip Gauss had recently mastered — he hadn’t expected it to be put to use so soon.

Whoosh—!

The Fire Bolt launched, trailing a dazzling orange streak through the air, and struck directly into the rat swarm!

Boom!

The missile embedded itself viciously into a Giant Rat and exploded instantly! Scorching flames burst forth with flying sparks, igniting the surrounding crowded rats like oil-fed fire.

The dry fur served as the perfect fuel, and the fire spread at an alarming rate.

"Aiii-zii—!!!"

The desolate church ruins were instantly drowned in shrill, piercing screams, while the stench of charred flesh and burning hide filled the air.

"Giant Rat slain *1"

"Total Monsters Killed: 369"

Another new entry had been unlocked in the Monster Encyclopedia.

As expected, Giant Rats were also considered a distinct type in the Monster Encyclopedia.

Gauss nodded slightly.

Including these Giant Rats, the total number of monsters involved in this mission might be close to a hundred!

A solid big commission.

Watching the fire spread through the dense rat swarm, triggering a chain reaction of burning,

as countless rats rolled and screamed in the flames, Gauss felt deeply gratified.

Fire Bolt had definitely been the right choice to learn.

Though not as powerful as the Tier 1 Spell Magic Missile, against clusters of weak monsters like these, it proved even more effective.

Weak fur, strong flame — an eternal truth.

Seeing the exceptional effect of Fire Bolt, Gauss did not pause his movements in the slightest.

The Bone Wand continued to point at the densest parts of the rat swarm, unleashing wave after wave of searing orange-red arrows, each trailing a burning tail as they pierced into the writhing black carpet.

Notifications of Giant Rat kills kept ringing out.

Before confronting the real target of the commission — the Ratmen — he had no qualms about clearing out their minions in advance.

Beside him, Arya began hurling Fire Bombs as well.

Her strong arms traced powerful arcs as she flung the lit bottles hard toward areas untouched by fire.

Crash! Crash!

The sound of shattering bottles intertwined with the whooshing of rising flames as the oil spread the fire rapidly.

The surrounding vegetation had long been devastated by the rats, reduced to a barren scorched field, which allowed Arya to throw without the slightest hesitation.

In an instant, the area around the church ruins turned into a blazing battlefield.

Countless small rats were swallowed by the inferno, screaming "aii-zii" in despair.

Only the large, more resilient Giant Rats, with their thick fur and ferocious instincts, managed to forcefully charge out of the sea of flames. They rolled madly on the ground, using their mud-caked bodies to snuff out the flames clinging to their hides.

Those pairs of scarlet little eyes burned even fiercer with pain, fixed dead on their fiery enemy — Gauss.

And deep within the church, from the shadowy entrance leading to the damp cellar,

amid the sharp, hurried squeals rising from the rat tide that blanketed the ground like a carpet,

more than a dozen Ratmen — taller and more agile than the average of their kind — clad in armor and wielding rust-covered yet still sharp weapons, mounted the backs of the Giant Rats.

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