Lord of Rot

Leech hadn’t gone far from the study when he ran into Sidor Sea Water at a crossroads.

He was waiting for Leech.

”Lord Leech, it looks like you’ve finished your discussion?”

Leech nodded and asked casually, ”I have. What are your thoughts on the Duke’s plan?”

Sidor smiled. ”I’m merely an illegitimate son. Of course I hope my father lives a long time—it makes my life a little easier.”

He had a point. As long as the Duke of Radiant Sun lived, Sidor Sea Water could continue to enjoy the life of a nobleman in his capacity as an illegitimate son.

If Pine were to become the Duke, things might not go so well for Sidor.

A son and a brother were two very different things.

”Do you know what Lord Ross and his men are doing in Iron Valley?” Leech asked. ”His Grace ordered me to attack Iron Valley, but Lord Ross is also attacking Iron Valley. Should I join Lord Ross’s legion?”

Sidor Sea Water shook his head. ”You’ll be facing different enemies.”

He lowered his voice. ”Lord Ross’s mission is to breach Iron Wall Castle and take the Black King’s head. He will then hand the captured castle over to you. Your opponents... aren’t among the living.”

Leech raised an eyebrow. ”Not alive? Ghosts?”

”They’re... reanimated corpses.”

Leech sucked in a breath, putting on a shocked expression.

’Corpses? I have a Necromancer’s heritage, and there’s another Necromancer right by my side. When it comes to controlling corpses, I’m the professional!’

”His Grace the Duke just said that if I need any help, I can come to you,” Leech said, looking at Sidor Sea Water. ”You will help me, won’t you?”

”Of course,” Sidor Sea Water nodded. ”I have some intelligence regarding the reanimated corpses in Iron Valley. I can give it all to you.”

Leech shook his head. ”Intelligence is important, of course, but I have no soldiers, no men. I was hoping to borrow some money.”

”Borrow money?”

Sidor Sea Water stared at Leech, almost blurting out his thoughts. ’Didn’t you just win the competition and make over five hundred Jinri? You earned more today than what some of those minor noble families have saved up over generations.’

”As you said, my opponents are the dead,” Leech said. ”If I don’t offer a hefty reward, how could my soldiers possibly dare to fight the undead? And I can’t very well send my men to fight monsters bare-chested and empty-handed, can I?”

’The great nobles and those from remote regions might not be aware, but Sidor Sea Water knew perfectly well that Porcupine Brand products were selling like crazy in East Port.’

’Besides, the Porcupine Soldiers all wore full-body lamellar armor. Him, poor? You’d be hard-pressed to find a wealthier baron!’

Sidor was getting a firsthand look at Leech’s shamelessness.

”How much are you looking to borrow?”

”Five hundred Jinri,” Leech said. ”I plan to hire another group of mercenaries. I must complete the Duke’s command, no matter the cost!”

The corner of Sidor Sea Water’s mouth twitched.

”My father did not authorize me to offer financial support,” he said. ”I can spare 100 Jinri at most.”

”One hundred Jinri it is, then!” Leech agreed instantly.

”...” Sidor Sea Water looked at Leech’s decisiveness and guessed the man’s real plan had been to squeeze blood from a stone. By even responding, Sidor had walked right into the trap.

”The interest...”

”Don’t worry,” Leech said, patting him on the shoulder. ”I will be sure to complete the Duke’s command, and I will report your contribution to him faithfully.”

’Interest? He wasn’t even getting the principal back!’

Baron Leech was simply intent on taking advantage of the situation.

’Leopold is so rich, he won’t miss 100 Jinri. And while this 100 Jinri was probably coming from Sidor Sea Water’s personal savings, Leech felt no guilt whatsoever about taking advantage.’

After securing the 100 Jinri contribution, Leech left Roaring Castle with his men.

Leech didn’t need to head to Iron Valley right away. He could wait for Ross and his men to launch their attack, then go over, conveniently take possession of the castle, and assume his new post.

As for the intelligence and documents, he’d probably have to wait a while for Sidor Sea Water to send them to Porcupine Territory.

Upon leaving Roaring Castle, Leech found Hawke Wood already waiting for him by the side of the road.

”It’s getting late,” Leech said. ”Lord Hawke Wood, why don’t we stay the night in East Port? We can set out tomorrow after a good rest. And don’t worry, I’ll be sure to help you solve that trouble at the mine.”

Hawke Wood looked up at the sun hanging high overhead.

’Late?’

’We haven’t even had lunch yet!’

But he still nodded. ”You’re right. Lord Leech, you had a trying day with the competition. You certainly deserve a good rest.”

Leech nodded. ”Since the day is still young, why don’t we take a stroll around East Port?”

Hawke Wood was speechless.

’First he says it’s late, now he says the day is young. I may be old, but don’t pull my leg!’

But since he was the one asking for a favor, and having witnessed Leech’s capabilities, Hawke Wood’s confidence in him had soared. A one-day delay was something he could accept.

”As you wish, then. Since the day is young, let’s have a look around.”

Everyone in East Port was bustling with activity.

Leech spotted Porcupine Brand soap at a few small vendors’ stalls. They were whole, uncut bars, each bearing the Porcupine family Emblem. He nodded in satisfaction.

’This is exactly the advertising effect I was going for.’

”Lord Leech!” A lanky figure called out a greeting from a distance.

For a moment, Leech thought he was seeing a giant stick insect from the islands of the High Magic Land.

”Ah, it’s you, Deni.” Leech heaved a sigh of relief. The man had actually given him a scare.

”Lord Leech, I never expected to see you in East Port!” Deni approached, glanced at Hawke Wood standing beside Leech, and nodded a greeting. ”Good day, Lord Hawke Wood.”

Hawke Wood nodded. ”Good day.”

He knew Deni wasn’t there to see him, so he simply kept quiet.

”I wanted to look around and see how East Port operates,” Leech explained. ”See if there’s anything I can learn from.”

Deni said, ”I happen to have some free time. How about I show you both around?”

”That would be wonderful.”

Having a local merchant as a guide was much better than wandering around aimlessly.

The pace of life in East Port was fast.

However, unlike the well-organized Porcupine Territory, it was mostly vendors shouting to hawk their wares. Some pushed wheelbarrows while others balanced earthenware pots on their heads, calling out a quick sales pitch to passersby.

”I think your market layout is excellent,” Deni said. ”Dividing it into sections makes it much easier for people to find what they’re looking for, far better than this chaotic wandering.”

The problem with this haphazard style of selling was the chaos.

Furthermore, carriages frequently ended up hitting people.

”Hold on.”

Leech had just walked past a stall when he stopped. He looked at a little girl sitting by the road and pointed to the produce she was selling. ”What is this?”

”I don’t know,” the little girl said, shaking her head. ”But you can eat it. Only 2 copper stars apiece.”

Deni scoffed. ”That stuff is tough and dry; it’s only fit for chicken and pig feed. Two copper stars apiece?”

Leech looked at Deni. ”You know what this is?”

”It’s a crop that came from across the sea,” Deni nodded. ”Like the potato. You’ve probably never had it, my lord. The taste isn’t good. Bread made from it is coarse and hard to swallow.”

The little girl wanted to argue, but seeing she was talking to nobles, she only dared to whisper, ”But... it fills you up...”

”Is it hard to get?” Leech asked Deni.

Deni shook his head. ”It’s not hard to buy, but very few people grow it. She probably grew these secretly on some barren hillside. The stuff is very easy to raise.”

What was grown in the fields was decided by the lord. Using farmland meant for grain to grow vegetables could get a person flogged.

Leech turned to the little girl. ”I’ll buy everything your family has. I can’t give you two copper stars apiece, but I can offer one copper star for every two pounds.”

”All of it?” The little girl’s eyes went wide. ”My family has a lot!”

”How much?”

”Lots and lots!”

Leech smiled. ”However much you have, I’ll take it all.”

The food they scorned was a treasure in Leech’s eyes.

Because on Earth, this food was the king of grains and the king of animal feed. Its name: corn!