The rats were the first thing I noticed because I was so sensitive to them.

But the more I looked around, the more I felt that something was not right.

Not only rats, but other animals were starting to leave as well, and panicked voices reached me.

"-need to leave-"

"-no longer safe-"

"-the curse will come-"

Half-fragmented words reached me as I pushed past the incoming crowd to reach the alley and talk to some animals.

A few sensitive humans had noticed what was happening as well, and I saw them biting their lips as they tried to figure out what they were feeling.

The crowd pushed me, and I pushed against the crowd until I reached where I needed to be, and I picked up a rat before he could run.

"Don't bite me. I just want to ask you something."

I said the same second I pulled the rat into my hands, and the shock of a human speaking to him caused the rat to pause.

A few other rats paused as well to look at me.

"W-What-! How is that possible? I-is your faith so large-! No, wait-! That's not important! Since you can hear me, let me warn you—you need to get out of this town, or you will be cursed as well."

The rat told me as it finally started to struggle to get out of my arms.

I tightened my hold and immediately asked,

"Is there anything going on? What do you mean, curse? Is that why all the animals are running away?"

The rat looked uncomfortable, and because it was in a hurry, it decided to tell me everything.

"You recall that rat-who-turned-human, right? He was insane and wanted to sacrifice this town. He might be dead, but the curse he laid down still exists and has started to activate. It's down in the sewage tunnel—right at the heart of the city. Now that you know, you need to let me go."

The rat told me, and I let the rat go.

I wanted to get more information, but the situation at hand felt dire.

It was often said that when there were signs of disaster, the animals were the first ones to flee. Now that was something I could say I had verified myself.

"Tsk, I have no time to waste. I should go and tell the police about it. They are the only ones who can help me… that might take me too long. The station master. I should go to him."

I recalled that the station master had somehow contacted the police within minutes, so he was my best option.

But I decided to go there as myself.

I changed into my mask and the cloak before I slipped into the employee corridor and headed toward the station master's door.

A single knock at the door told me to enter the room, and I quickly did that.

The station master was working on his stuff when he looked up and tensed as soon as he saw me. His narrowed eyes told me that he was suspicious of me.

"Who are you, and what do you want?"

The station master asked me, and I wasted no time in telling him what was important.

"There might be an emergency that I need you to convey to the police. I was sent by the shopkeeper who owns the claw machine, but that's not important. Anyway, I came across information that the rat emergency is still not over. According to my… sources, a curse has been activated in this town, and it lies at the center of the sewage tunnel. We don't have much time left."

The station master looked beyond shocked to hear me speak. Disbelief filled his eyes as he looked at me before his eyes narrowed and he considered whether I was a fraud or not.

In the end, he must have decided that it was too much of a risk not to take my words seriously, and he nodded.

"I see. That does sound like a grave issue, and I will make sure to look into it. Thank you for warning me about this danger."

The station master's attitude told me that it was time for me to leave, and I quickly exited the station.

From here on, I knew that the police could handle everything on their own. But I still felt nervous, and my two instincts were to either head toward the tunnel to check up on the curse or to flee the town.

Out of the two, fleeing was the safer option. I had some money that I could hopefully use to start over. And I also had enough time to get the claw machine and relocate.

But I felt worried about the bookstore.

Not only was that my only connection to home, but the whole reason I was able to stay afloat. I had no connections to start anew.

"Life is precious… but I am sure I still have some time. I can head out to check the curse myself just once."

Despite knowing that it was foolish, my curiosity won me over, and I headed toward the underground once more.

__________

As soon as the cloaked man left, the station master rubbed his forehead as he wrote General Henry and the Duchess a message on the special paper.

The only reason he was willing to act this fast was because the man told him he worked for the shopkeeper and the owner of the claw machine.

And the station master was sure that the shopkeeper was some kind of higher being. This warning could likely not be ignored by them either.

"We'll need to take care of this quickly. It also explains why there was this weird feeling in the air that I could not explain."

The station master was highly sensitive to external energies, and he noticed the animals fleeing as well.

While he worried about all this, General Henry let out a loud sigh as he looked at the note.

His secretary flinched as she noticed the note as well, and she turned to look at her boss.

"Boss, are you sure this note is reliable? Didn't our people look around already—"

"They might have missed something, or it might be a time-related curse. Anyway, since the news came from the shopkeeper, I don't want to doubt it. The Duchess will be here to help us with the curse as well."

While the werewolves had good magic control, it was nothing compared to a high fae like the Duchess. And to break a strong curse, they would need all the help they could get.

"The Duchess? If the curse is as strong as you think, do you think the Duchess would be enough help?"

Lina asked with a worried look on her face, and General Henry gave her a look.

"You should not underestimate Duchess Isabella Lilly. Her power and status are not the only things that make her terrifying but her connections and personal collection of powerful tools. She's one of the most formidable people who still interacts with humans."

Most powerful and faithful people usually lived in their own communities and wanted nothing to do with the human side.

But General Henry was thankful he stuck around here, and that was all because he got to meet the shopkeeper.

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