Chapter 307
His ears twitched suddenly, catching the faint sound of someone approaching. The ratman turned his head slightly, spotting one of the stable goblin boys entering the enclosure, dragging a small cart filled with tools and supplies.
"Hey," the goblin boy called out, his voice rough from sleep. "Boss said you need to help reinforce the northern gate today. Heard some of the boards came loose."
The ratman sighed, pushing himself up from the ground. His muscles ached, still tired from the morning’s labor, but there was no choice. He nodded in response, slowly getting to his feet.
"After that, you’ll need to clean the pens. The nobles are having a feast tonight, so they’ll be checking the stables. You know how it is—everything has to be spotless," the boy added, giving him a half-smirk before turning away.
The ratman grumbled under his breath but said nothing. This was his life—a constant cycle of labor and exhaustion, all to keep the mansion’s animals fed, the stables clean, and the nobles satisfied. He grabbed a long, rusted rake from the cart and made his way toward the northern gate.
In the carriage, Ikenga and Keles watched through the small portal, their eyes fixed on the ratman’s daily routine.
"This one seems to have adapted well to his role," Keles remarked, a hint of amusement in her voice. "Or perhaps he’s simply given up hope of anything changing."
Ikenga, leaning forward slightly, observed the ratman’s movements. "It’s not adaptation—it’s survival," he said. "But there’s a difference between enduring and breaking. I wonder which one he’ll choose."
Just as he spoke, something strange caught their attention. As the ratman approached the northern gate with the rake in hand, a low, growling sound echoed from beyond the wooden fence. The ratman paused, his ears perking up as he turned toward the noise. It wasn’t one of the stable beasts—that much was clear. This was something different.