Lord of Rot

After the steward left, Leech once again turned his consciousness to the raven he had ”let loose.” The raven was circling high above Porcupine Territory. From this altitude, he could see a miniaturized view of his domain, the dense forest, and Pig Spine Valley in the distance.

He could see the little ants toiling below. Some were still digging and loosening the soil by hand, while others were already using light plows.

Under Leech’s guidance, the farmers weren’t just pulling up weeds and tossing them aside. Instead, they burned them on the spot, letting the ash get tilled into the ground to act as nutrients.

The fertilizer wouldn’t make the land fertile in an instant, but it was a vast improvement over the barren soil that previously grew no crops.

The large pit that had been accumulating feces for years had long since fermented into manure. It could serve as the first wave of nutrients after the autumn harvest. Of course, the Baron himself had no intention of going to the site to personally supervise.

In the distance, a white shape flew rapidly, brushing past the raven’s wing. It was a messenger, a white raven, and its destination was the castle.

Leech’s eyes snapped open.

Sure enough, a knock came at the door a moment later.

”Come in.”

The steward pushed the door open. ”My lord, a letter from Linta Bay.”

”My grandfather’s family?” Leech was a little surprised. He had thought the letter would be from Leopold, or perhaps his own younger brother, Leo.

Leech only had memories from his childhood. His grandfather, his uncle, and his older cousins had visited him before. He recalled that his grandfather and father didn’t get along, though as a child, Leech didn’t understand why. He only remembered riding on his uncle’s broad back, reaching up to try and catch the birds in the sky.

His male cousin was gloomy. He liked to use a small knife to pierce a frog’s belly, pull out its intestines, and stare quietly at the creature as it died. Leech had been afraid of him since childhood.

His female cousin, on the other hand, was lively and cheerful, and could make Leech cry for a long time with a single slap.

His grandfather, meanwhile, looked down on his father’s recklessness, yet readily acknowledged his valor—a strange man in whom prejudice and reason coexisted.

His father, Lieder, had a straightforward personality and was lacking in cunning, so he was always put on the back foot by the old man’s cryptic, passive-aggressive remarks.

And after his mother passed away, his father remarried, and the two families cut off contact completely.

Leech took the letter. The wax seal was intact, meaning no one had opened it.

He opened the letter, smoothing out the curled paper with his fingers. ”My dear nephew, it is I, your uncle, Lewis Wisdom. Do you remember riding on my shoulders when you were a boy? You were the first one to ever do so! I was deeply sorry to hear of your father’s passing. Although your grandfather did not care for your father’s personality—impulsive and reckless—do you remember our Wisdom family crest? Heh, part of it is a crocodile. In truth, your grandfather always admired his courage; otherwise, he never would have married my sister to him. When he heard the news of your father’s death, he drank a great deal of wine. His health has been poor, and he hadn’t touched a drop for a very long time. We should try to understand the strange friendship between them.”

”I apologize for only writing to you now. We’ve had some small troubles in Linta Bay recently. Your cousin Bode has resolved them, but his personality is too gloomy, and his methods are a bit extreme... Well, this isn’t the time to discuss such things. You are the Baron of Porcupine Castle now, so congratulations are in order! However, Porcupine Territory is no easy place to live. If you run into any difficulties, please let me know. By the way, regarding the letter you sent asking about always seeing a red dot in your vision, I asked a scholar in Linta Bay about it. He said it’s a condition called Demon Mosquito Syndrome, apparently some sort of lesion in a part of the eyeball. If you wish to cure it, you had best make a trip to Linta Bay. Oh, and do you remember your cousin Stacy? She has grown into a graceful young woman, and you have reached a marriageable age. I truly hope we can make our families even closer.”

The not-so-large sheet of paper was covered in tiny, densely packed script.

Leech let out a long breath.

’I thought I had no connection to my grandfather’s family anymore, but the moment I become a Baron, they immediately send a letter.’

’Familial affection? There’s probably some, but there are definitely interests involved too—because I am the Baron of Porcupine Territory.’

On the Lu Leiyi Continent, titles and ranks represented the extent of one’s wealth. This was even reflected when nobles met and recited their titles. You could be a Duke of one place and a Baron of another. It was like the King from the Golden Bear Clan, who seemed to have more than twenty titles.

Leech, related by blood, becoming the new Baron was clearly an opportunity for his grandfather’s family in Linta Bay to increase their assets and titles—especially if he were to marry his cousin Stacy and they had a child to truly bind their families together.

’Of course, there is certainly some affection, but nobles never deal only in affection.’

’Linta Bay... wetlands... rich. Very rich!’ Leech contemplated the feasibility of marrying his cousin. From a purely profit-driven perspective, it was a deal he couldn’t lose. ’Genetically speaking, part of my bloodline came from the Wisdoms. If I’m this handsome, my grandfather’s family must be full of handsome men and beautiful women.’

’The development of my territory needs money, and it needs help.’

’Marrying a cousin is a sure-win deal!’

There was something else that concerned Leech even more. The red dot had existed before his transmigration. This meant the golden finger didn’t belong to him, the Transmigrator, but to the previous Leech. It was a native golden finger!

’So what’s special about me, the Transmigrator? A super-strong talent for Magic? It seems that way for now.’

After much consideration, Leech picked up his pen and wrote a reply.

”My dearest uncle, this is Leech Clarence. I was overjoyed to receive your letter. It has been a long time since I’ve felt the warmth of a relative’s care in this lonely castle.” He paused his pen, then continued writing, ”Thank you for your concern, but my ailment has already been cured by the blessing of the Four Gods. I have always had fond feelings for my cousin Stacy, but there is still much for me to handle in Porcupine Territory. Perhaps I will not have a chance to visit Green Forest Castle until next year. Also, please tell Grandfather that before Father breathed his last, he still remembered Grandfather’s... uh... not-so-favorite face. We should respect their friendship.”

’No matter what, it’s best to stake my claim on this marriage to my cousin first. If things really go south in Porcupine Territory, at least I can fall back on being a kept man.’

After finishing the letter and sealing it with wax, Leech walked over to the white raven.

He cast ”Eagle Eye” on the white raven. Once it took flight, he would find out the maximum range of the Eagle Eye magic.

After being fed and rested, the white raven took the letter and flew toward Linta Bay. Even at a bird’s pace, the journey from the eastern coast back to the wetlands would take several days.

Following the white raven, Leech’s vision left Porcupine Castle and traveled toward the dense forest. But as it was crossing over Pig Spine Valley, the raven seemed to sense some danger and swerved abruptly. Leech couldn’t control the raven, nor could he be sure what was chasing it. ’An eagle, maybe?’

The white raven flapped its wings desperately and finally managed to escape.

His vision then flew over Iron Stone City. He saw the huge, bustling city below. It was truly a metropolis.

After passing Iron Stone City, the white raven continued on its way.

Throughout this time, Leech’s vision was unaffected, even though the distance was now far beyond the Baron’s own territory.

Just as the white raven grew tired and prepared to land for a rest, Leech suddenly noticed a golden carriage pulled by a Golden Mule passing by below.

’The Leopolds?’ he watched with curiosity. But a Knight on horseback suddenly looked up. A steel helmet obscured the man’s face and gaze, but Leech’s mind was struck by a powerful force. His eyes flew open.

The connection to the white raven had been severed!

”Who was that?” Leech was shocked. ”Was that Magic?”

On a small road far, far away, the golden carriage came to a stop.

”What is it?” asked the person inside the carriage.

”A white raven was watching us, my lord,” the Knight replied.

”It’s just an animal. Don’t be so tense,” the person in the carriage said impatiently. ”Hurry up and get moving. I’ve had enough of roughing it on the road.”

”Yes, my lord!”

The golden carriage continued on its way.