Lord of Rot

Leech looked directly at Water Hyacinth. Sometimes, being overly polite to guests just made them feel distant and uncomfortable.

’Treating everyone the same would make the atmosphere more harmonious. Then again,’ Leech mused, ’I bet the atmosphere is always pleasant wherever Miss Water Hyacinth is.’

”This is my gift,” Miss Water Hyacinth said.

A book of poetry.

”Thank you. Did you write this?”

Miss Water Hyacinth nodded. ”They’re just some poems I thought were decent. Um, yes, I wrote them myself.”

Leech said, ”I’ll put it in the most prominent spot on my bookshelf. I’ll be sure to appreciate it whenever I have a moment.”

’He could handle reading travelogues and novels, but poetry... Ugh, spare me.’

’But at least he could put it on his bookshelf to make his collection look more impressive.’

Miss Water Hyacinth smiled and nodded. It was enough that her gift would be treasured, though she would have preferred it if Leech actually took it out to read from time to time.

His cousin Bode said, ”Father and Grandfather are very sorry they couldn’t make it, but they did send gifts.”

”I’m also disappointed they couldn’t come,” Leech said. ”Once things calm down here, I’ll visit Green Forest Castle again.”

They all knew how busy Leech was, so they understood why he could never seem to find the time.

Looking at the two new gifts, Leech sighed internally. ’No wonder nobles love any excuse for a party. You just keep getting presents!’

’Grandfather and Uncle are so stand-up. Even if they couldn’t come in person, the gifts still arrived.’

Compared to the gifts from his three guests, the one from his grandfather was far more luxurious.

A suit of lightweight chain armor—the work of a top-tier master blacksmith!

Lifting it to feel its weight, he found it was no more than two pounds!

A full suit of Metal Chain Armor that was as light as an ordinary outfit—even lighter than leather armor.

Naturally, this suit of chain armor was extremely thin, like a layer of fine gauze.

’Linta Bay must have a master blacksmith far superior to Chuina!’

In comparison, Chuina could hardly be called a master blacksmith. She merely possessed Extraordinary power, which improved the results of her work, but there was still a huge gap in actual craftsmanship.

His uncle’s gift was an exquisite Porcupine Badge.

The Porcupine’s eyes were inlaid with jewels that sparkled in the light.

Another master-class piece.

”I love it,” Leech said.

He immediately pinned the badge to his chest. Only when worn by the lord of the Porcupine Clan did this Porcupine Badge truly possess its inherent value.

Leech arranged for servants to show the three guests to their prepared rooms in the castle.

They had arrived a few days early; the birthday banquet was still a ways off, but it was a good opportunity for the cousins to catch up.

「That evening’s banquet.」

Leech had the kitchen staff show off a little, to demonstrate what real culinary skill looked like.

A banquet was the best way for a lord to gain face.

The first appetizer was chicken feet. In his mind, it was one of the aces of any dim sum spread, with chicken feet in black bean sauce being an absolute must.

The only problem was that Leech was completely clueless about fermenting black beans, so he could only assign the task to the apprentice chefs and have them research it themselves.

But even so, the chicken feet, so tender they fell off the bone, were an absolute delicacy.

When he had visited Green Forest Castle, he had noticed his grandfather’s family had a high tolerance for sweet and rich foods, likely due to the limitations of their own cooks. So this time, the dishes he served leaned toward the sweeter side.

Next came the egg tarts, their fragrance wafting from a great distance.

Bode and the others, who had been about to make conversation, were completely captivated the moment they smelled the aroma.

The egg tarts of Porcupine Territory were no ordinary thing. Not only were their crusts flaky and their centers soft and tender, but the eggs used today came from bloodline-evolved Demon Chickens, giving them a superb texture.

Next was honey-glazed BBQ pork, though its flavor was slightly different from what Leech remembered.

Leech had searched for a long time but couldn’t find any plums. However, he had found some sour berries with a similar taste. The sour plum sauce made from them was a perfect match for the BBQ pork.

But these weren’t even the main courses. More dishes were brought out one after another, including steamed pork ribs, salt-baked chicken, crispy roast pork belly, and more.

The table was already full, and every single dish was something the three guests had never seen before.

Bode speared a piece with his fork and put it in his mouth. The flavor was unlike anything he had ever experienced. All he could think was that it was delicious, incredibly delicious.

Porcupine Territory was by the sea, so of course, seafood couldn’t be missing from the table.

Also, when the *Iron Valley* and the *Porcupine* set sail, they would occasionally cast nets into the ocean and catch large seafood.

Seafood was the true main course for the evening.

A giant lobster was served, along with boiled shrimp, salt and pepper shrimp, oysters, crabs, scallops, and other seafood, completely covering the table.

The person who suffered the most at this feast was Miss Water Hyacinth. She was just an ordinary person; after a few bites of this and a taste of that, she was already full. All she could do was watch the others eat with a pitiful expression.

Especially Leech, who, as the biggest eater present, received more than his fair share of her gazes.

After seeing Leech say a few words to Bode, whose eyes then lit up as he started devouring raw oysters, Water Hyacinth was so tempted that she ate one too.

’Ah, so full!’

’But it’s so good.’

But in the next moment, she saw Leech move on to a different dish. A rich aroma wafted over, making her extremely curious, but she really couldn’t eat another bite.

”Leech, what does that dish taste like?”

”You mean the grilled scallops? Try one yourself.”

”I can’t eat anymore...”

’So unfair.’

”Mm, it’s delicious,” Leech offered his assessment.

”How delicious?”

”Even better than the last thing you ate.”

The grilled oyster she’d just had was already Miss Water Hyacinth’s limit... but if this was even better...

”Don’t force yourself if you’re full,” said Stacy, who had already stopped eating. ”It’s not good for you to overeat.”

”What are you eating?” Water Hyacinth asked, looking at Stacy with envy and curiosity as she put down her fork only to pick up a spoon.

”Ice cream, a Porcupine Territory specialty!” Leech interjected.

Water Hyacinth blinked her beautiful big eyes, looked at Stacy, and asked, ”Is it good?”

”Mhm, it’s good,” Stacy nodded, finishing one serving and immediately picking up another.

”How good?”

”Even better than the grilled scallops.”

”...” ’She’s definitely doing that on purpose!’

Water Hyacinth was devastated. ’Why is there so much delicious food, but my stomach is so small!’

Fortunately, no more dishes were served, which allowed her mood to settle down a bit.

”Father used to say that life in Porcupine Territory was harsh,” Bode remarked with a sigh. ”I never expected you to be living so well.”

He had truly never eaten such delicious things in his life, and he was sure his father hadn’t either.

”I don’t have many hobbies. I just enjoy exploring fine cuisine,” Leech said. ”But as a lord, I can’t just pursue food, can I?”

”You’re a lord, but I’m not,” Bode said, shaking his head and pointing out that he didn’t have a title yet.

Besides, enjoying life was a nobleman’s right.

He asked in a low voice, ”Do the oysters really have... that kind of effect?”

”If you want a powerful effect, I have pills that work better,” Leech said.

There were ladies at the table, so it was best not to discuss such topics too much.

Stacy also said, ”You have to tell me how to make the ice cream.”

”That’s easy,” Leech nodded. ”Of course, but we’d better talk while we eat, or the ice cream will melt.”

The three of them ate their ice cream, while only Fami Port, ”Water Hyacinth,” watched them with envy. She really couldn’t take another bite.

「After dinner.」

Weary from their long journey, the three guests returned to their respective rooms to rest.

The large amount of leftover food on the table would be given to the servants.