The Rat is a Pretty Lady

The previously sleepy soul of Artie Shen was wildly awoken. Not only did she discover that there was a maiden in the dungeons, but she also realized that probably only Miel and the rest would put someone in there. The cells of the citizens were different from the ones hidden deep underneath the castle. Right now, Larkin was keeping a maiden in it? What could she have done to deserve the incarceration?

Artie sighed as she got up from sitting on her bed. She turned back into being a rat and snuck around the castle through the open window. It was the first time that she would be freely going around on her own, without Larkin making her presence tolerated even if it had become suspicious.

'I can't be caught by anyone. Else, I might be thrown away and be back on square one… or further. Erm, should I approach Larkin about this? I mean, he probably knew who it was, but would he let me go to the dungeons? I have no reason why I have to be there. Moreover, I'm not supposed to tell anyone about the System, right?

'Then again, if he caught me sneaking around, wouldn't his trust in me suffer? Gaaaah!' Artie flared her nose in frustration. In the end, she decided to not risk her task. 'I don't even know who that woman is so I don't want to lose out on both. I'm just going to seduce Larkin to take me to the dungeon! Even if I have to promise a part of me, I don't want to repair something as irreplaceable as trust!

'Heaven's Creation, will you help me locate Larkin?'

Artie squealed in glee as a pointer showed as if directing her towards Larkin. She then ran into that direction, keeping herself hidden from the maids she would run into… and from the knights guarding some doors and corners of the castle. Unlike maids, they probably wouldn't be so afraid to grab a rat.

Unlike what she imagined in her head, the castle was quite vacated. The maids were barely seen, and yet their presence was greatly felt. Everything in the castle was in order and squeaky clean. Even when she was a rat and had been running through the lowest and hardest-to-reach places, Artie didn't feel like she had wiped her fur body against a dusty surface or found a spot where she was blocked by trash.

Moreover, she had not met any other rat or even roach or ant. Was cleanliness holy to the ducal castle?

'The pointer had always been at a distance. No matter how much I grow closer, I can't seem to bring the distance down. Is there a chance that Larkin was also walking around? Oh, boy… that's going to be very inconvenient.' Artie sighed as she sniffed around. When she stopped, the counter actually continued to get larger. 'Oh, gosh, he really is walking around! I should move faster!'

The rat ran along the hallways casually, only paying attention to what she could see. The location seemed to be getting closer, further, and then closer again. Artie was starting to get infuriated. 'Maybe I shouldn't have turned into a rat in the first place! I mean, I am going to find my husband anyway!'

Just as she was thinking about it, she suddenly felt like someone grabbed her from behind. She was almost returning to her original form, but her instincts had kicked in and stopped her from transforming. Who would have thought that her slight hesitation had given her more headache?

A big hand actually slowly descended behind her before swooping in to make sure she wouldn't be escaping his hold. Squeak! Artie's scream came out as a squeak, the rat flailing its limbs around to loosen herself from the knight's iron grip. However, the thick cloth glove had a wooly surface, not letting her slip off easily.

"Callum, what do you have there?" A male voice came behind, and Artie realized who just caught her.

"I found a brown rat outside the door." Callum then rotated his hand to bring the rat to face him. His dark eyes stared into the rat's face as if he could recognize its gaze. However, he was clearly staring back into a rat—a sewer rat at that. "I heard that rats are heavily exterminated inside the castle grounds..."

'Wait, what?!' Artie gasped and started moving around again. However, someone who could hold a sword that kept on vibrating at every blow was immune to her feeble strength. She could only stop and rest, crying.

When she was turned around, she managed to get a look at the room and the two knights inside. It seemed to be Callum's bedroom in the castle, but it was rather different from the rest of the living quarters—even for the knights of the castle. Moreover, he and his friend had their heavy armors off and were left clad in black shirts and gray trousers which were probably underneath their protection.

They seemed to be resting, but the ducal knights had to attend to shifts. Were the two slacking off? That didn't seem to be becoming of Larkin's ducal knights...

The other ducal knight who was hanging out with Callum then brought his face closer to the rat when Callum turned it towards him. Artie could recognize this knight as the other one who was with them when she was attacked. He then reached out a finger and tried to pet the rat with it. Once, twice, thrice… and then he nodded.

"Callum, the rat isn't a pest. It refused to bite you or me even if we had handled it quite crudely. I feel like this could be the archduke's pet rat. It must have escaped its cage." The other ducal knight laughed out as he sat back down on the bed. "Go on and find the archduke. He might reward you if—no! I am going to look for him!"

"I was wondering when you're going to seize the opportunity, Dragen." Callum laughed out, earning a proud puff from Dragen. The friend responded: "I will earn myself some good credits from the archduke! So… let me have—"

Callum lifted Artie up and evaded Dragen's hand. He then looked around and picked up his helmet which was resting on the tea table at the side. He placed the rat gently inside so he wouldn't have to hold onto it crudely as Dragen put it. "I'm coming with you. My instincts tell me that I cannot entrust you with such a little missy."

"Missy? The rat is a pretty lady?" Dragen laughed out. He then got to his feet and bowed in front of the rat as if responding to a curtsy. "Let me, Sir Dragen of House Stonefable, guide you back to your master."

Artie only squeaked and dropped her head to the side. 'What exactly are they up to?'