Lord of Rot

Joe, the ’Lucky dog,’ received a new assignment and left the castle with men and money.

He and the Lord had agreed on a plan to purchase bandits and ruffians. Once preparations were complete, he set off without delay. The feeling of being entrusted with such an important responsibility was exhilarating, and the militiamen and farmers following Joe felt it too. This trip meant they could earn a good number of copper stars, and if they were away long enough, they might even be paid in Silver Moon.

The sound of horseshoes on the flat ground set a light, brisk rhythm.

Night was just falling. People finishing up their work and heading home saw the procession and quickly moved to the sides of the road.

”Joe!”

”On another mission, Joe?”

”Joe, next time, I want to join you on a caravan run!”

”Haha, you’ll have to wait until you’re a bit taller!” Joe laughed, responding to each of them in turn. He was on good terms with the people of Porcupine Territory. Ordinarily, whenever he went out, as long as he flew the Porcupine Clan’s flag on his wagon, common bandits and ruffians kept their distance. Other nobles would also give him passage—it was an unspoken understanding among the aristocracy.

Nobles might despise one another and not bother to hide it, but when the interests of their class were threatened, they would unite against a common foe.

Among the leaders of Porcupine Territory, Joe was the approachable one, a trait possibly stemming from his background as a merchant’s son. Mr. Gelan, on the other hand, was so stern he inspired both fear and awe.

As they neared an intersection, a clamor broke out in the distance.

”What’s going on?” Joe asked with a frown.

The new slaves had rioted before, nearly killing the lame-legged Ark. He had thought they would be more subdued after their punishment, but it seemed they were stirring up trouble again.

”Probably stealing manure,” said Big Beard, a pitchfork resting on his shoulder. ”Lately, people have been sneaking into the slaves’ latrine to steal their waste. Someone must’ve gotten caught again.”

Another militiaman added, unsurprised, ”Most people save it for their own fields. The slaves’ latrine is the only place left to steal from.”

Having seen the miraculous effects of manure as fertilizer, some people would inevitably covet the slaves’ excrement, especially with the constant clearing of new land creating immense demand.

When everyone was having a bountiful harvest, doing even better than everyone else was what constituted a *true* bounty.

Joe’s brow furrowed slightly. ”Let’s go. We’ll leave it for Mr. Gelan to handle. We have our own work to do.”

’A few rioting slaves won’t cause much trouble, but my own work is crucial. As the Lord says, the plan for the next two years is set: once we’ve bought the slaves, we focus on building our infrastructure.’

’Manpower is still lacking, and too many new people at once could lead to instability. We’ll discuss other matters only after this batch of slaves is fully integrated and under our control.’

”Let’s go,” Joe said.

A raven swooped low through the darkness. Joe recognized it as one of Porcupine Castle’s free-roaming ravens. It was an odd bird; it never carried messages, yet it never strayed far from the castle, merely circling overhead.

The raven flew over the restless slaves, its jet-black eyes observing every person below.

It blinked.

At that exact moment, in his study, Leech blinked as well. The hand he was using to turn a page froze in mid-air.

’An unexpected windfall!’

’My original plan was to have the slaves riot and kill Kolan’s personal attendant tomorrow, when I took them to inspect the slave work zone. I never expected the attendant to slip out of the castle tonight, delivering himself right into the slaves’ hands.’

’As for why Kolan Fosak was here, Leech didn’t even need to investigate. It had to be for his family’s Little Pill. What else could it be?’

’The biggest source of income for Porcupine Territory was the Little Pill. If I were Becky Simon, forking over nine Jinri every month would hurt me too.’

’To someone like her, if you can’t have all the profits, you’re running at a loss.’

’But even though I know why Kolan came to Porcupine Territory, I can’t kill him.’

’If Kolan Fosak dies in my own castle, my reputation in aristocratic circles will be ruined. I might even earn the title ”Guest-Slayer,” and then no noble or Knight would ever be willing to serve me.’

’I can’t kill a noble. His personal attendant, however, has no such protection. He’s fair game.’

’As long as Kolan Fosak is alone, even if I let him stay in Porcupine Castle indefinitely, he won’t be able to stand it for long.’

Leech wanted to quietly develop Porcupine Territory. He didn’t want to make any big moves, and he certainly didn’t want to ruin his relationship with Iron Stone City. Without a proper dock built yet, a major conflict could leave them trapped and isolated in their corner of the world.

Building the dock would require immense manpower, materials, and funds—far more than Porcupine Territory could currently muster.

His top priority was to maintain a peaceful facade while focusing on internal development.

Soon, Gelan arrived in a hurry, forcing Leech to head to the great hall.

Kolan Fosak, who had already heard the commotion, was also seated there. His expression was placid; he hadn’t yet guessed that the incident involved him.

”Lord, the slaves are rioting again!” Gelan said, his brow furrowed. ”It’s only been a few days! Ark can’t handle that many slaves. We should cultivate a new slave overseer.”

The hall fell quiet. Kolan, for his part, maintained an air of detached indifference; he had no interest in the affairs of this backwater territory.

”What did they do?” Leech asked, glancing at Kolan before shifting his gaze back to Gelan.

”They went berserk and killed Lord Fosak’s personal attendant!”

Kolan, who had been the picture of indifference just a moment before, saw his expression change instantly.

”What!” Leech raised his hand and slammed it on the table. ”Explain yourself!”

The sharp crack of Leech’s palm on the table snapped Kolan out of it. He had been about to demand answers, but now he immediately closed his mouth.

Seeing his lord’s anger, Gelan hastily reported, ”There have been a lot of commoners stealing manure lately. The slaves must have reached their breaking point. It just so happened that when Lord Fosak’s attendant was passing by, they finally snapped tonight.”

”Passing by?” Leech was puzzled. ”Passing by where? The slaves’ latrine? How is that possible!”

The slave quarters were in a remote area, and their latrine was even more secluded. It was pitch-black and reeked to high heaven. Forget a noble’s personal attendant; not even the castle’s comfortable young maids would want to take a stroll over there late at night.

”According to the slaves, they saw a suspicious figure,” Gelan answered quickly, glancing at Kolan Fosak’s grim face. ”Besides, the slaves aren’t permitted to leave their designated area.”

The slaves couldn’t leave their zone, yet Kolan’s attendant died near the latrine. The only possibility was that he had gone there himself.

”Give the slaves who laid hands on him twenty lashes each. Whether they survive is up to the Four Gods.”

Leech looked at Kolan Fosak. ”I will arrange a new personal attendant for you.”

”Thank you for your kindness, My Lord, but I must decline. I have attendants from my own house who have looked after me since childhood, and besides...”

”Then let one of the other male servants in the castle attend to you for now,” Leech said in a tone that brooked no argument. ”Simon, arrange for Duckfoot to serve as Kolan’s personal attendant.”

The butler nodded at once. ”Yes!”

Leech said to Kolan Fosak, ”Unfortunately, Joe has already left for the night. The next time he sets out, I will have him travel to Iron Stone City to consult with Sir Forsak and bring back a suitable attendant for you.”

’Kolan wanted to say, ’You could just use a raven.’ But he thought better of it and kept his mouth shut. ’Ask a Baron to use a raven to fetch me a personal attendant? That’s no different from insulting him.’’

Leech never asked why the attendant had gone to the slaves’ latrine. Kolan, preoccupied with his own worries, didn’t notice the omission at first. It was only after he returned to his room that the realization hit him, and he broke out in a cold sweat.

’Why didn’t he ask? Could it be that he already knows my true purpose for coming here?’

’So, should I run? But if I leave without a word, I’ll be branded an ’Oathbreaker.’ I’ve failed my mission, and Becky would never take me back.’ He knew what a handful that woman was—seemingly clever but utterly shortsighted.

Kolan drove his fingers into his hair, anxiously tugging at the strands.

’The attendant’s death isn’t the real problem. I haven’t even gathered much information in Porcupine Territory, so the Baron has no evidence against me. But now I’m under suspicion, and that’s going to make things very difficult.’

Kolan didn’t understand why his ”personal attendant” would sneak away late at night to go to the slaves’ latrine.

He had met this ”personal attendant” for the first time right here in Porcupine Territory. Kolan had no idea if the man had other missions of his own.

All he knew was that he was in deep trouble.