Lord of Rot

A glass of Extraordinary Honey water instantly recharged Leech’s slightly fatigued body.

’There must be different levels among Transcendents. Is there some kind of power ranking, like First-level Warrior, Second-level Warrior, Ninth-level Warrior, or Holy Sanctuary Warrior?’

Scholars and Mages had no levels, making it difficult to define their strength.

At the end of the day, they were all human—a blow to the head would kill them.

His energy restored, Leech once again let his imagination run wild.

’I know Magic, and I have Extraordinary power. Doesn’t that make me a master of both magic and martial arts? That’s the perfect protagonist template! Too bad there’s no Magic School, or I’d definitely go get my aptitude tested.’

This flight of fancy suddenly gave Leech an idea.

’Why don’t I cultivate Casters myself?’

A scholar might be a Mage, but a Mage wasn’t necessarily a scholar.

Scholars were explorers of truth. Some loved to study Magic, while others excelled in medicine. For example, the legacy Leech had acquired in the first catacomb came from a scholar who researched the art of resurrection—completely different from simply awakening zombies.

Anyone who could use Magic could be called a Mage. The Long-bearded Fishman in the Fishman catacomb, for instance, could use Magic, but it was definitely not a scholar.

He had some Magic himself. Cultivating qualified Casters would be quite useful in both production and war.

’I can give it a try after I’m done with what’s on my plate.’

The matter of Magic was one thing; from the looks of it, it wasn’t particularly useful in combat for now.

But the four remaining stalks of Griffin Grass were another matter entirely.

If he used them to cultivate Transcendent Knights, he would have four more available. Including Leech himself, five of them charging with lances on horseback would be invincible on the battlefield.

But choosing the right people was a problem. There was also the matter of ”loyalty.” He didn’t have enough resources to hand out to his subordinates casually.

Creating Transcendent Corpse Ghosts served his interests best. There was no risk of betrayal, they could handle dirty and tiring work, and they wouldn’t die easily.

’Where can I find corpses?’

Leech had a big appetite; he hoped to obtain the corpses of Transcendents to cultivate undying Transcendent Corpse Ghosts.

He wanted Corpse Ghosts like Aina, not the low-intelligence Red-haired Earthlings.

But he could count the Transcendents he knew on one hand. Finding four Transcendent corpses was a bit of a pipe dream.

For now, the magical herbs showed no signs of withering, so Leech wasn’t in a rush. He could think of a plan while searching for corpses. If worst came to worst, he’d just create a few Transcendent Warriors. He definitely couldn’t let the herbs go to waste in his hands.

GRUMBLE GRUMBLE.

His stomach growled.

Nothing, not even the sky falling, was more important than eating.

But some people always thought they were more important than a meal. Leech was encountering such people right now. Just as he was telling the kitchen to prepare food, Gelan and Kro Rote rushed up to him.

”My lord!”

”My lord!”

”You both have urgent matters to report?”

”Yes.”

The two of them exchanged a look.

Kro said, ”My matter is extremely important.”

Gelan didn’t compete with Kro, instead taking a polite half-step back to let him speak first.

”Two people have arrived in the territory,” Kro said. ”They were drinking in the tavern. I tried to follow them, but they vanished.”

Leech looked at Gelan.

”What I have to say is the same as Lord Kro,” Gelan said. ”Two white-haired men in black robes, one tall and one short, both carrying swords.”

”You said white hair?”

This wasn’t the first time the image of white-haired individuals had come to Leech’s attention.

Betty and her band of Mercenaries had mentioned them.

The brewer’s memories also contained white-haired people.

White hair... It left a strong impression.

And now they had come to Porcupine Territory!

’Their target definitely isn’t me.’ Leech was very confident about this. No one would travel thousands of miles to a barren backwater to assassinate a minor Baron.

From what he understood, the white-haired ones usually killed monsters.

Then the answer was simple: the Griffin!

Leech thought again of the Silver Steel Sword he found in the Griffin’s nest. Silver Steel Swords were said to be for slaying monsters.

’The only thing I’m unsure of is their strength.’

He wasn’t worried about being unable to defeat them. He had over a hundred elite Soldiers, two Transcendent Corpse Ghosts, and was himself a Transcendent and a half-baked Caster. He wasn’t scared.

”Yes, my lord. White hair, very strange white hair,” Gelan replied seriously.

”That’s right, white hair,” Kro nodded hurriedly. ”And when their eyes are on you, it gives you a sinister, terrifying feeling, like you’re being watched by a snake.”

”It’s fine,” Leech said. ”Don’t pay them too much mind. If they were looking for trouble, they wouldn’t be drinking peacefully in a tavern. If you find them again, try to communicate with them first. Ask who they are.”

”Yes, sir.”

Gelan nodded.

Transcendents weren’t necessarily enemies; there was no need to be so tense. Since he was confident he couldn’t lose, he should display the composure befitting a lord.

”My lord, there is one more thing.”

Gelan said hesitantly, ”A vicious assault occurred this afternoon. A group of drunks beat a man until he was coughing up blood.”

Since the patrol team’s management had been strengthened and various rules and regulations implemented, malicious brawls had become rare.

It wasn’t that Leech’s regulations were exceptionally brilliant, but that Porcupine Territory had so few people.

There were only two thousand people in total. Residences were managed by village and group, work was managed by department. Anyone thinking of causing trouble first had to consider if their own family would beat them up first.

”What were the specifics?” Leech asked.

Gelan replied, ”The patrol team investigated. Someone was spreading rumors that the castle’s mare had laid a monster’s egg that would bring disaster to Porcupine Territory. That’s why he was beaten up by some other drunk men.”

Everyone living in the castle knew the mare had laid an egg.

Gelan knew even better that the egg hadn’t hatched a monster, but a winged Flying Horse.

’A monster? That’s a Divine Beast! It proves the lord is a Divine Favored!’

”After a thorough interrogation...” Gelan glanced at Leech, saw his expression hadn’t changed, and continued, ”He was originally a minor foreman at the quarry, but he lost his job when the brick kiln replaced the quarry. He then came to the town hall to wait for a work assignment, but he has no skills. So, he was assigned to the bricklayer construction team to haul bricks. He was resentful, which is why he fabricated negative rumors about the castle to vent his frustration. Some people got angry, and that’s why they beat him.”

Leech was furious.

He had made it so the Porcupine People could eat their fill and have clothes on their backs. He wouldn’t say they lived in peace and prosperity, but he was definitely better to his domain than the vast majority of lords.

Yet someone had become an ungrateful bastard just because he was feeling disgruntled.

’He has no ability, yet instead of thinking about becoming an apprentice and learning a skill, he just focuses on venting his dissatisfaction?’

Leech had no age restrictions for apprenticeships. As long as someone was strong enough to keep up with the work, they could learn at the carpenter’s workshop, the blacksmith’s factory, or the bricklayer construction team.

’A brick hauler? If I really needed brick haulers, I’d just have slaves do it. They don’t need wages, just food.’

The key was to learn while hauling bricks.

He maintained his composure and said, ”The assault is a serious matter. It must be handled fairly, or the patrol team’s credibility will be questioned.”

”My lord,” Kro dared to interrupt Leech. ”My lord! If the people who were defending you are punished, it will dishearten them.”

”I want people who abide by the law, not people who beat others up at will under the banner of defending me,” Leech said. ”As for the attackers, don’t let them go home tonight. Give them a severe reprimand and put them all through ideological education. Make them understand what they did wrong.”

”Yes, sir!”

’Just ideological education isn’t so bad.’

”As for the one who got beaten,” Leech said, ”for deliberately spreading rumors and slandering the lord, give him ten lashes. Seeing as he was beaten and didn’t fight back, he won’t need ideological education.”

Gelan: ”...Yes, sir.”

Kro’s mouth twitched. ’That’s a little too fair, isn’t it?’