Polymath Redux

Chapter 48: Secret War (1): The Ratman's Requiem

It was half a century ago, that the Granate family rose to prominence through the aid of a certain underground organization, the Wayfarer Council. As they were uplifted to the status of Dukedom from their humble roots as modest farmers, many of their members were elevated to a position of power throughout the country, as agents of the Council. Initially the council's goals were simply to increase their affluence but as of late their goals had deviated to a more politically acute inclination.

As the Granate family was being uplifted, a single member from the house sought to take advantage of this golden opportunity to exact a certain type of revenge, Alexander Granate. A boy born with an unnaturally lanky frame due to his odd bone orientation, he had suffered greatly by the hands of his peers. Bearing witness to his uncanny posture and habit of placing his hands forward, continuously taunting him, 'ratman, ratman' they would call out in mockery, traumatizing his entire childhood.

Though to many unconcerned outsiders this scene would merely be that of children being children; they didn't mean any real malice, they were just playing around. However to the victimized child himself it was a world of pain and torture. Every day he would endure beatings and insults, furthermore without real muscles of his own he was unable to even put up the chance to fight back. Thus his only recourse was to exact revenge in the future, and in the future he did.

When his 25th birthday came around he was given the greatest gift he could imagine; he was granted the veritable position of vice director of the Xagontetian Adventurer Guild branch. Personally Alexander was not interested in power, what he was really interested in was to exact his revenge. Thus this position was perfect for him, as the guild itself did not particularly possess much diplomatic power with the core government of Xagontetia but he was in a position to manipulate information.

He knew from a long time ago that his bully peers had dreamt of becoming adventurers. They would constantly discuss it amongst themselves that they had bought into the dream of becoming gallant adventurers and finding grand treasures. Thus Alexander Granate had decided to play to the tune of their hubris and exact revenge by using their own dreams against them.

After becoming the vice director he had 'met up' with his old peers who were unexpectedly happy to see him after such a long time. Though they may have had a skewered memory of how their childhood had played out they still considered Alexander as 'their friend', or so they believed. Unbeknownst to them Alexander still continued to hold an unquenchable grudge against them, 'it would not be right if they were never punished', he justified himself.

Opportunities were plenty and he used their dream of 'finding grand treasure' to lure them with false information. With the guise of an old friend giving them 'privileged information' he sent them into a violent death trap. They had placed their trust in him only to be violently mauled to death by monsters in a far off land that no one would ever find anytime soon. Their names, their families, friends and stories, no one would ever find out about them. Ever.

Perhaps to anyone else it was a petty reason to kill his fellow man, but for the tortured 'ratman' it was everything he ever wanted in his life. Meager revenge and some wealth, with that he were content to live on as a puppet of the council. A simple man but also a content man; in a world filled with dangers perhaps he was one of the few who could claim to have achieved 'happiness'... of sorts. Even to this day he did not regret his decisions and firmly believes that he was justified.

'To live and die fast' to the man who had many disabilities this was the motto he lived by. He did not even think he would get to the age of 70 but his time was already due. With the dawn of 'Phantom' chasing after him, his growing mortality was eating away at him. Slowly, but surely.

...

The doors to his cell opened up with a rusted creak; though unpleasant to many, for Tau this was the sound of freedom. A silver haired figure waltzed in with grace and majesty, offering a hand to properly meet with Tau face to face. Such actions signified the end of his prison life; prisoner no more, but no unconditionally. For his freedom guaranteed there was one catch, he had to be taken under the first prince's wing with a careful leash. However that was still preferable to staying down here.