A Rattling Monster

Chapter 52: The First Attack of the Ratmen

Now is the time of truth. Will I manage to survive or not? For the first time, I am a walking target. Before, the only things that could threaten me was something that I brought on me or just the bad reputation of the ratmen. But being chased by the most feared assassin of this world is something new. Especially when I know he can track me without missing a single of my movements. So I need to be perpetually on the move and remember where I have gone. I can't walk nearby a place I was some hours ago. So my best chance is to run around the city without resting a single time. While dodging the incoming answer from the mayor.

Even if I know that the ratman after me is highly trained, at least I have seen them at work, during the memories inside the ritual. For the mayor on the other hand, everything that he will do is unpredictable. I don't know how much power he has really. He managed to force the magicians and the alchemists to make a cure in less than a day and get the help of everyone inside the town. Only my assassination on the daughter of the adventurer Guild Master put an end to the help coming from this faction. But the rest was immovable, they didn't flinch when hearing my deeds.

Dawn is here, so being his answer. I stop near a well, to listen to the commoners. Even if they are not in the secret, they are my best way to get some information. Oslo, you are sure that you can't find the mayor or even someone important?

(No, the castle is an empty shell. And both the master room of the Mage Tower and the residence of the Archbishop is empty. They are hiding, to not get killed as the daughter of the Guild Master.)

Like I said, really smart. If I were them, I would sleep in a different noble residence each day. There is at least 50 of them, dispersed across the entire city. And even inside a new residence, maybe they are walking in butler and maid outfits, to prevent me from finding my real target. If they are really doing this to that point, I have no way to really kill them. Of course, that is the worst possible outcome, but even the best would probably to stay inside the basement of a secret mansion, reserved for that kind of occasion. And now that they are already in hiding, you can't find them.

(Well, try to scout every single meter of a city that big. It will take me a year to find a single trace. Even if I just watch every house one by one, to see if there are some unusual visits from the guards, the magicians or the priests, it will take some months. You can't influence that side, only predict what they will do.)

And apparently, what they are doing is organizing an evacuation from the city. That was my worst fear. First, an evacuation means fewer victims. Then, it means that the army will replace those that left. I am sure that currently; a courier is riding toward the nearby military camp or the capital. And I have no idea of the time they will take to reach Ronta. The later it is, the best it is. I need to grow before facing such forces. What's the number of guards and other forces on the outside?

(You remember their numbers when you were trying to flee?)

Yeah, there were a lot of them. I am certain that no guard was resting that day. Everything was activated to prevent my escape and try to capture me.

(Well, it looks like they got some reinforcements since that time because they are at least triple that number. And not just triple in the guard faction, no, no, no. The priests are even more actives than before and the alchemists are actively checking the wells. You can't approach them at all. No matter what you do, the water is under heavy surveillance. Not a chance you can reach it.)

Damn, they are too efficient. I expected them to watch those wells. But to guard it day and night. I mean we are in the very beginning of the day, the moment where the watchers are the most relaxed and they didn't let their guard down. And now, my first potential way to spread a huge plague is impossible. Next, it would be the food. But with the butcher incident, I am certain that if anything is out of the ordinary, like grain turning green or something like that, no one will eat it. They will even report it to the local guards. What should I do?

(So water is out, food is highly unlikely. Maybe you are strong enough to just use the wind to spread a plague. A plague, not your acid spell, it would be useless in this condition. But for that, you would need a higher ground, like being on top of one of the cathedral. But by doing that, everyone will see you. The track will be launched; you need to do the maximum of damage. After that, you will really be hunted, because they will find your traces.)

Great, and except that suicidal idea, anything else?

(No, except try to kill the assassin before the elites of the Church arrive. But if you kill half of the city, you will be able to slay that ratman.)

That's if I manage to plague half of the city and they don't have the help of both the priests, the magicians and the alchemists. The moment I spread my plague, a cure will begin to be researched. Even if I improve his level, only his potency will be increased. I don't think they will need to do a lot of improvements to counter its stronger version. But like you said, that is my only chance.

Now tell me, where is the highest density of population near one of the cathedrals?

(Ok, the West is, North, South, East. So there is that, but the merchants, only soldiers, too many priests. Alchemists, not good. Ok, my choice, the North. There are a little fewer people than the other three places, but the number of patrols is extremely reduced in that area. Maybe because they think that the adventurers are enough. I see a lot of them, but not a lot of potential threat for your plague. Mostly swordsmen and warriors.)

So North, but that would mean walk back, and face the assassin. If I do that quickly enough, he will not catch up. Really the entire world against me. Except you, I know. Don't complain, I know, I know. I rush toward the location of my memory. I remember exactly the different sewer grids around the building. One is very close, but when I get near, I can see without the help of Oslo a troop of guards standing right on top of it. The news of the missing team is definitely acknowledged. They know that the sewers are a dangerous place, so instead of searching inside it, they block the exit around the locations where I have been.

But now that I will do a really stupid idea, it is not that mere troop that will stop me. I blast them with only one orb, and quickly rush toward the cathedral. I can hear the screams of fear and terror of the populace. Is it my appearance or my passive [Cause Fear], I will never know? I am certain that anyone around me is seeing a ratman quickly climbing the faade of the church. And when I arrive at the top, I can see the masses flee in panic. That is not good for me.

I cast a total of ten [Create Plague], hoping that this amount will be enough. The assassin can probably hear the screams that I caused. I need to keep a part of my MP pool. But while I am here, visible by everyone, why not cause their anger against the ratmen to be even stronger. I will just waste a few minutes for a potential counter-attack.

"Fe-Fear the power of the RATMEN, sleek sleek. The Clan Mastersss will fi-finally bring this kingdom into ruinsss. The Clan Decar will pl-plague you all. An assassssin is al-already here. For the Po-POISONOUS ONE!"

Now, everything that I will do is entirely the fault of the ratmen. Even if the treants interrogate me for a second time, I will plead innocent and say that I wasn't even around. I was never at Ronta in the first place. I am not part of their ploy I do not serve Salazar. No one will ever believe me, but if there is just a single spark of chance that this is working, I will try it. And I even told them that an assassin was here with me. So they will not focus me thinking that I am alone. They will try to catch us both. But as I watch every sewer grids around me heavily guarded, maybe that speech was a mistake.