Do ratmen dream of the sacred tree of spirits?

Chapter 4 Let Nature Take Its Course

Despite having lived two lives and considering himself to be relatively calm and composed, Fafnir was still quite annoyed by the butler's words.

—Don't take it personally with him. Don't get angry. There's no need to argue with him; it will only cause trouble for your parents.

Fafnir was in a bad mood all afternoon, burying himself in cleaning. In addition to cleaning the floors of the four floors, Fafnir was also called to the kitchen to help with the cleaning.

……

In the evening, the chimes of nine o'clock faintly echoed from the distant clock tower. Fafnir was already seated at the dining table at home.

His dinner today was still pea and carrot soup and wheat bread mixed with other wheat flours, but this time it lacked the delicious beef cheek from yesterday.

"Dad, Mom, I've actually been wanting to ask you why the butler dislikes me so much. Today, after I met with Lord Andrei, the butler stopped me..."

I knew he had always disliked me and hated my rat-man bloodline, but I never expected him to pinch my shoulder so hard this time and call me "dirty, smelly, and like a rat" to my face.

Fafnir put down his spoon and looked at his parents beside him.

Clint and Elisa exchanged a glance and remained silent for a few seconds.

"My little Fafnir, is your shoulder alright? I'm so sorry."

Clint spoke first in a soft voice:

"I'm sorry, it's all our fault. Your mother was pregnant with you before you were even born."

Our homeland, the Nunns Empire, was defeated. I was chosen by lottery, and your mother and I were brought here as well. We became "employees," nominally with contracts and wages, humans equal to the elves.

Elisa shook her head and continued Clint's words:

"How could they possibly see us as equals? Elves are inherently proud and look down on humans, especially those from defeated nations."

The ratmen were once slaves of the elven holy kingdom, and their bloodline was rejected by the elves.

"I'm sorry, my poor little Fafnir, we don't know why your bloodline is rat-man. We've consulted the priests at the church; perhaps your latent rat-man bloodline has mutated in your body..."

Elisa's tone was full of guilt, and Clint, seemingly wanting to avoid making the conversation too heavy, tried to sound lighthearted:

"It's alright, it's alright, my little Fafnir. That old man must be furious that you're finally free from the torment of mopping the floor until so late every day, haha."

We have a total of two 16-year contracts, and almost half of them have already passed. Keep in mind that the contracts for non-technical staff are for a full 30 years in total, spanning two 30-year periods.

In a few years, we can go back to China. Your mother and I have saved up some money over the years, and our lives will be much better.

"Besides, having rat-man blood doesn't mean it's bad, my little Fafnir, your talent is wonderful, isn't it?"

"You're so young, yet your learning and comprehension abilities far surpass those of your peers. I think this must be related to your rat-man bloodline. I think I've read about this kind of legend somewhere." Elisa said with a smile.

The air seemed to freeze for a moment before Fafner began packing up his lunchbox:

"My shoulder is fine, and I don't care what the butler said, but, Father, Mother, the butler said you spent three gold pounds..."

"Haha, my little Fafnir, are you worried about the money? It's alright, my sensible little Fafnir."

Clint laughed, "We did offer three gold pounds, but so what?"

Moreover, this money is not a bribe from the butler; it has already been deposited into the account. It is a "buyout fee" for Master Lorraine—because you will no longer be able to serve Master Lorraine for the time being.

This is only two years' worth of our salary, but you can get rid of this menial job for the next few years, even if the future is uncertain.

Things in life cannot be forced; let nature take its course.

"...Thank you, Mom and Dad. I won't let you down..."

"Haha, my dear little Fafnir, let nature take its course."

After tidying up his lunchbox, Fafnir began his study time as usual.

He did not continue learning Common Elvish, because his "ledger" had given him the language.

A thin, worn copy of "The Commandments of the Church of the God of Death" lay open on the table—this most basic introductory book to the Church of the God of Death was something almost everyone had.

This little booklet took Fafnir quite a while to find—the Fafnir family didn't believe in such things at all, so it was hidden in a pile of junk and never looked at.

However, Fafnir was about to volunteer at the grammar school affiliated with the Church of the God of Death, so he had to read it carefully.

The First Commandment: Respect for Death

Every morning and evening, pray to the god of death.

The Second Commandment: Do not fear death

Death is not punishment, but grace.

……

The Fifth Commandment: Record Honestly

Death is the final record.

Those who commit perjury, falsify documents, or conceal the truth are tantamount to blaspheming the god of death.

When Fafnir saw the fifth commandment, he couldn't help but find the booklet quite interesting:

Are those who falsify documents tantamount to blasphemers?

What are you tampering with...?

Is it blasphemy to falsify some accounts when doing bookkeeping? Haha.

Fafnir hasn't read any books other than bookkeeping and Elvish in the past two years. This is partly because books are hard to come by and he doesn't have enough time, and partly because he's not interested in this type of booklet at all.

However, in retrospect, these booklets are quite interesting, and we should explore more of them.

Although the lighting wasn't great, my eyes felt a bit sore.

Fafnir persisted in reading through the commandments and memorized most of them, even reciting them several times in Common Elvish.

As usual, I turned off the candles, washed up quickly, and changed into my pajamas...

"Goodnight, my dear little Fafnir." Clint smiled and patted Fafnir's hair.

"Goodnight, my dear Fafnir, don't overthink it, just let things take their course," Elisa said softly.

Goodnight, Mom and Dad.

However, Fafnir's heart was not at peace:

Although my parents told me to let things take their course, I absolutely cannot let them down.

This is the second to last night; I have to go to grammar school the day after tomorrow morning.

Can I go home on Sunday? If not, when can I come back...?

I wonder if working there will be tiring, and what I can learn... Is Lord Andrei a good person...?

I don't know when I'll have the chance to experience the extraordinary world...

Fafnir's thoughts gradually came to a halt, and the ledger in his mind resurfaced slightly. The ledger itself remained unchanged.

Name: Fafner Beckett

Bloodline: Ratman (Basic Night Vision)

Total: 1. Bookkeeping (full) (100/100)

2. Common Elvish (Max) (100/100)

Then, Fafnir fell asleep.