Lord of Rot

By December, the leaves had almost all fallen.

Most of the fallen leaves were gathered up. Leech used Decay Magic to accelerate their initial decomposition before they were buried to improve the soil.

Meanwhile, Porcupine Territory’s development continued at a rapid pace.

First, the relocation into new homes was complete.

The demolition of the old Maitian Village was also finished.

With sufficient investment of money, the people’s enthusiasm for work was at an all-time high. The more they earned, the better their lives became.

Those who had suffered were the ones who most cherished this hard-won happiness. Wasn’t it wonderful to have savory broth glistening with fat and fragrant bread at every meal?

Earning a little more money meant they could afford treatment if they fell ill, instead of just waiting to die.

So, even the sudden drop in temperature couldn’t dampen their zeal for work.

It was also time to harvest the winter oats.

Cart after cart of grain was weighed in batches and sent to the castle.

With this new harvest of winter oats, the winter in Porcupine Territory would likely be a bit more comfortable.

However, this grain alone wasn’t enough to provide three meals a day for over two thousand people. More work meant people needed to expend a great deal of energy and replenish it with plenty of food.

They had to eat their fill to work well.

Thus, one could still see caravans from other regions delivering grain to the castle.

With Leech’s involvement, a massive structure shot up like a weed in the new district of Maitian Village.

Whenever people got off work, they would come over to look, curious but unable to understand the building’s purpose. It was built so tall and was incredibly spacious inside, with no extra rooms partitioned off. It didn’t look like it was meant for people to live in.

It was like a miniature corner of the castle.

’Is the Baron planning to turn Maitian Village into a second castle?’

But more than this, people were concerned about something else.

It was already December, which meant the new selection for the Honorary Knight was about to begin.

The first Honorary Knight, Little Antelope, was not only a former slave who had become a free citizen, but she was also a woman.

Although the Lord had issued a proclamation that Honorary Knight was merely a title and not a noble rank, everyone in Porcupine Territory—serfs, slaves, free citizens, and merchants alike—wanted to become one.

Just having the title of ”Knight” was glorious enough; they were perfectly willing to have it even without a fief.

Just look at Little Antelope. That old woman and young girl from Maitian Village who cut in line had bullied her, but because of her excellent character, Little Antelope became an Honorary Knight and now enjoys the reverent gazes of others. In contrast, the pair who opposed an Honorary Knight were labeled as lacking in virtue.

It was said that the young girl had originally wanted to work at the town hall, but now she could only knead clay pots at the brick kiln.

The old woman’s life wasn’t much better. She did odd jobs, as no one was willing to hire her long-term.

No one punished them officially, but people were simply unwilling to employ them anymore.

They said that after Little Antelope became an Honorary Knight, her business at the vegetable market suddenly improved several times over. The intangible benefits were immense.

Many people preferred to buy vegetables from her stall because she was an Honorary Knight, a status recognized by the Lord.

The December Honorary Knight award ceremony had finally arrived.

A large crowd had already gathered in front of that huge, mysterious building.

The noise was deafening, but after the Lord appeared and the Soldiers began to beat their shields, the area quickly fell silent.

Leech stood before the massive structure. The people who had come included free citizens, serfs, Soldiers, merchants from other lands, and more.

He held a paper cone megaphone.

While this world hadn’t produced proper megaphones, this sort of cone-shaped paper tube could still amplify one’s voice to a certain degree.

Leech used his Extraordinary power to amplify his voice, which then projected out through the cone.

This ensured his voice could reach everyone’s ears.

”Good day,” Leech began.

Seeing he had everyone’s attention, he continued.

”Among the troops who followed me into battle this time, two brave Warriors died on the field!”

Leech’s voice was high and emotional. ”One was named Scythe, the other Jeff! They lost their lives at a young age, with no parents or family. Perhaps you don’t know either of them, and they might be forgotten soon after their deaths. But they fought for Porcupine Territory! They fought for me! I cannot forget them, and Porcupine Territory cannot forget them!”

”This place behind me is called the Heroic Spirit Hall! Every person who dies fighting for Porcupine Territory, and every person who makes a great contribution, can have their name entered into the Heroic Spirit Hall after their death. From this day forward, whether it’s ten years, a hundred years, or a thousand years, the names and deeds of the Warriors in the Heroic Spirit Hall will be remembered! They may be gone from this life, but their stories, like those of the epic heroes, will remain forever in the Heroic Spirit Hall!”

After speaking, Leech looked toward the Porcupine Warriors responsible for maintaining order.

Having been on the battlefield, they were the most moved by this. To be remembered after dying in battle, to have one’s own saga written like a hero from the tales—that would be a Warrior’s greatest honor.

No one wants to die in obscurity.

If sacrifice is inevitable, they would rather that sacrifice be remembered.

”From now on, for countless years to come, everyone who comes to the Heroic Spirit Hall will know of them. In life, they took pride in protecting Porcupine Territory. Even in death, they will continue to enjoy that honor.”

”I hope that after I pass away, I too can enter the Heroic Spirit Hall.”

This final sentence—the Lord expressing his own wish to enter the Heroic Spirit Hall after his death—made the people realize just how special this place was.

Some understood the meaning of his words, while others may not have grasped it at all. ’What’s the point of being remembered for a thousand years?’ they thought. ’All we want is a full belly and warm clothes.’

After all, for them, the furthest back they could remember in their family tree was their grandfather’s generation.

’Why bother commemorating the dead?’

The construction of the Heroic Spirit Hall was a change Leech had made after much deliberation, modifying the original plans for the square.

In this world, the faith of the church was very domineering, so Leech did not give the Heroic Spirit Hall any further functions, such as claiming that a person’s soul would enter it after death.

If he had made such a claim, more than half of the people present would have likely objected. After death, people wanted to go to the Divine Kingdom, to return to the embrace of the four gods, not be trapped in the Heroic Spirit Hall.

The greatest comfort for the people was the belief that after a life of suffering, they could finally go to the Divine Kingdom and find eternal peace.

But even death could have different meanings—to be remembered for ages, or to fade into obscurity.

Leech also hoped to use the Heroic Spirit Hall to increase the people’s sense of unity.

In the future, even if many more people joined Porcupine Territory, this would prevent the place from falling into chaos.

To enhance the influence of the Heroic Spirit Hall, the selection and awarding of the Honorary Knight badge would take place here.

After he finished speaking, Leech stepped down, as the rest of the proceedings had nothing to do with him.

Gelan took the stage.

He would be the one to present the second Honorary Knight badge.