Lord of Rot

”An uninhabited island?”

Piri’s expression changed slightly; he seemed conflicted.

”What’s wrong? Is there a problem?” Leech asked.

’The island isn’t too far. At the Water Nymph’s speed, it would only be a few days’ journey. A two-masted sailboat might not be able to match an Extraordinary Freshwater Elf, but it shouldn’t be a major issue, as long as we lock in a direction and keep going.’

”My Lord, I’m afraid we’ll get lost at sea,” Piri said. ”I’ve never tried sailing into the deep ocean. Legend has it that Mist Demons dwell in the deep, and those who venture too close will lose their sense of direction and ultimately die at sea. Very few captains who have sailed into the deep have ever returned.”

’Could it be a special environment created by a unique magical region? Something that affects the magnetic field and makes you completely lose your bearings?’ he wondered.

Leech only had some understanding of the lands he stood on; he didn’t know much about the world beyond the Lu Leiyi Continent. To be precise, he was only familiar with his own little corner of the world in the Eastern Gorge. Anything to the north, south, or west was a blur.

Suddenly, Leech felt that something wasn’t quite right. He looked Piri up and down.

”Wh-what is it, my Lord?” Piri asked nervously.

”Captain Piri, what do you usually bring with you when you sail?” Leech felt he was being a bit vague, so he clarified, ”I mean, tools for determining your direction at sea.”

Piri had made ample preparations when he weighed anchor again after so long.

He was carrying many things—large and small bags, a ship’s log, ink, and so on.

But there was one thing Leech didn’t see.

’Where’s the compass?’

”Determine my direction?” Piri said. ”My Lord, I use the stars at night to navigate.”

”What if it’s overcast?” Leech asked.

Piri guessed that the Lord knew nothing about sailing. He gathered his thoughts for a moment and explained in simple terms his Lord could understand, ”Of course, we also bring land birds with us, like crows and pigeons. These birds prefer to land on solid ground. When we can’t determine our direction, we release them. If there’s land nearby, the birds will lead us to it. If there isn’t, they’ll fly back to the ship.”

Observing birds. Leech nodded. He had read about this method, one used in the very early days of seafaring.

”Besides that, we also observe seabirds, since they build their nests on rocks on land,” Piri said with a hint of pride. ”Only experienced captains know how to observe flocks of birds during the day, and I have mastered that skill.”

”What about for shipping?” Leech asked. ”If you were to set out from Porcupine Territory for the Northern Territory, how would you ensure you didn’t get lost in the deep sea?”

The weather isn’t always good. Observing the stars and birds requires clear skies.

”We would sail along the coast.”

’Hugging the coastline, huh? I have to admit, that’s a ”clever” method. As long as you can see land in the distance, you’ll never get lost.’

’The only problem is that the shipping lanes must be very crowded.’

’Being a pirate in this world must be a lucrative business, since merchant fleets practically deliver themselves to your doorstep.’

”Alright, I think I understand. For the next few days, just try sailing in circles nearby,” Leech said. He didn’t force Piri to take the Porcupine on a long voyage. If they really got lost at sea and couldn’t return, it would be a devastating loss.

’Next, I need to make a compass.’

’Porcupine Territory has natural lodestones.’

’I can forge an iron needle and rub it with a lodestone to magnetize it.’

’Of course, turning it into a proper, easy-to-use compass will require some skill. I’ll have to assign a blacksmith specifically to the task.’

From the moment Leech had the idea to the moment the compass was made, it took less than half a day.

’I wonder if I’ll end up discovering a new continent.’

’There are probably better ways to discover a new continent. For instance, the Brass Dragon said that Giant Dragons can easily spread their wings and roam the world. I just need to get my hands on a dragon. That thing would probably be faster than a fighter jet, and with no need to refuel, it could circle the globe with ease.’

’But then I think about the power of a Giant Dragon... I can’t even handle a Sub-Dragon. Getting my hands on a Giant Dragon, even just its corpse, is not going to be easy.’

’Right.’

’Guess I’ll stick with the ship. It’s more reliable.’

...

「Monkey Territory, Shanzhang Castle.」

The Baron of Shanzhang Castle, Wells Bill, leaned back against his bed with great effort, supported by his wife.

His days were numbered, yet he wanted to accomplish one great feat before he died.

A feat that the people of Monkey Territory had failed to achieve for decades. And this time, he felt he was very close to success.

The door was pushed open.

La Bill walked in and greeted them dutifully, ”Good day, Father, Mother.”

”Guy has sent another letter,” Wells said, raising a trembling hand. His wife at his side immediately handed the letter to their son.

La took the letter and quickly read through it.

The contents were not complicated. It described the recent developments and recovery in Waterfall Land, emphasizing that the ”monkey soldiers” had gained absolute and complete control over Longship Castle.

It also listed, in great detail, several pressing problems that could only be solved with money.

To sum it up, the letter had only one message: Send money!

”What... do you think?” Wells asked.

Putting the letter down, La said, ”Considering the previous incident with the illegitimate son, coupled with Guy’s unusually special charm, we must have Longship Castle firmly in our grasp. That Lady Wado surely can’t leave Guy’s side. Plus, with Sir Nils leading soldiers there, I think we should provide the funds.”

’Provide funds to repair Waterfall Land’s docks?’

’No, we’re repairing the Bills’ docks!’

’The entire river will be ours.’

”Everything is going too smoothly.” Wells habitually considered the worst-case scenario.

’A wise man is subtle and should account for all possibilities.’

’According to my plan, the Baroness of Longship Castle has no chance of turning the tables. Even if she planned to endure the humiliation and bide her time, she would need the power to back it up. The moment the soldiers from Monkey Territory entered Longship Castle, she lost any chance of a comeback.’

’The only one who had any contact with the Baroness was the Baron Porcupine. Oh, that reckless brute. He only knows how to fight; his own people can’t even afford to eat. Even if Monkey Territory made a move on Waterfall Land, what could Baron Porcupine possibly do?’

La Bill had seen this with his own eyes more than a year ago.

’There have been rumors about Porcupine Territory getting rich. Heh. Well, we in Monkey Territory don’t believe them.’

’It’s normal for nobles to boast. For example, when La Bill was captured by pirates, we could have publicly claimed that he was bravely fighting them.’

’If making money were so easy, Porcupine Territory would have gotten rich long ago. Why would they have to wait until now?’

’Beyond that, I have to consider the possibility of Guy and Nils turning against me together. But that’s simply impossible.’

’Guy is my illegitimate son.’

’Nils is a Knight I personally promoted. I had originally intended to shape him into a brute like Baron Porcupine, but my methods were a bit lacking compared to Leopold’s, and Nils is no Lieder, after all.’

’Even if those two really did rebel, what about the 200 Soldiers? Surely at least one of them would send word back.’

’In reality, there have been no problems so far.’

’Which means there really are no problems.’

”Does this mean you’re not going to give the money?” La couldn’t figure out his father’s intentions.

”Of course we’ll give it! COUGH! COUGH!” Wells coughed violently, and his wife quickly patted his back to soothe him. After spitting out a thick glob of phlegm, Wells continued, ”The docks at Waterfall Land were damaged in the previous battle and do indeed need repairs. We’ll get all this money back in just a few months.”