Lord of Rot

The male and female servants sat in a circle, enjoying the kind of exquisite dinner usually reserved for nobles. They knew that their lord usually had at most four or five dishes per meal. Breakfast was sometimes as simple as fried eggs, bread, and milk, or a bowl of congee and a few steamed buns.

The amount of leftovers was large enough to leave the twenty-odd servants in the castle about half-full.

The female servants claimed the egg tarts right from the start.

The men didn’t mind. They preferred meat, which was much better than the cloyingly sweet egg tarts.

”Which of the two young ladies do you think will be our future mistress?” a young maid whispered.

WHOOSH!!

All eyes snapped to her.

”W-What is it?” the young maid asked nervously.

”Miss Stacy,” said a manservant nicknamed Pitchfork. ”She’s the master’s cousin, and her status is a match for his.”

As the master’s personal valet, he felt more qualified to discuss the matter, since he knew more of the inside scoop.

”But I really like Miss Fami,” another maid whispered. ”Haven’t you seen her eyes? They’re as beautiful as the ocean. And the way she looks at our master is so tender.”

Someone immediately nodded in agreement.

”Besides, Miss Stacy looks so fierce.”

In this era, the ideal for women was still a delicate, almost sickly beauty. Frailty was considered beautiful.

Any young lady who carried a small vial of medicine with her was certain to attract more attention from the nobility.

An abrupt voice cut in, ”I don’t think the master would appreciate hearing you gossip about the ladies behind their backs.”

”Mr. Simon!”

”Mr. Simon!”

The servants immediately stood up.

The atmosphere grew awkward.

”The three guests require baths,” Simon said. ”Boil hot water and send it upstairs. Two manservants to Lord Bode’s room to assist him, and four maids to attend to the two young ladies in their respective rooms.”

Watching the servants disperse, Simon whispered to himself, ’Actually, I think Miss Stacy is quite a good match.’

COUGH, COUGH! Simon puffed out his chest, pretended nothing had happened, and walked away with his hands clasped behind his back.

...

YAWN...

Fami Port’s eyes fluttered open. She sat up and stretched, completely oblivious to the seductive curves her body formed.

’Oh no, I overslept.’

Exhausted from the journey, she had fallen fast asleep right after a full meal and a bath last night. She hadn’t expected to wake up to broad daylight.

As she sat up, a maid outside heard the movement and immediately knocked on the door.

”Miss Fami, it’s Little Eyes. I’m here to help you dress.”

”Please come in.”

The maid was carrying a tray with hot milk, bread, and a fried egg on it.

’It seems Leech had anticipated this and had someone wait outside for me.’

Fami’s cheeks grew warm. ’It’s my first time as a guest in another’s territory, and I slept in. I must have left a terrible impression.’

The maid set the breakfast on a table and began to comb Fami’s hair.

Fami asked, ”What are Leech and Stacy doing?”

”His Lordship is at the training grounds.”

”The training grounds? Don’t tell me they’re going to fight again?” Fami asked in surprise.

The story of Stacy sending Leech flying during their bout at Green Forest Castle had already spread in several versions. But no one said Leech was weak—after all, this was Stacy, the ”Female General.” Beating her was considered a fluke; getting beaten up by her was the norm.

Just ask any of the young noblemen who had once pursued Stacy—which one of them hadn’t been thrashed by her? They would only see Leech as a brother-in-arms, a fellow sufferer.

’I hope nothing goes wrong.’

’If he was beaten so badly he ended up spitting blood and bedridden right before his own birthday banquet, Baron Leech would absolutely become the laughingstock of the nobility.’

After quickly tidying her hair and changing her clothes, Fami Port hurried to the training grounds.

Even before she got close, she could see two figures clashing wildly.

Thunderous crashes echoed one after another.

Leech and Stacy were indeed fighting, but it wasn’t what she had imagined. It looked like Leech actually had the upper hand.

The sword blade shattered.

Stacy threw down the broken blade and took off her helmet.

She shook her head lightly, her golden hair cascading down. ”I lost!”

She could win with grace and lose with dignity, a quality that made her better than many male Knights who were sore losers.

The two-handed sword in Leech’s hand had also reached its limit.

A battle between Transcendent beings was like a small-scale demolition. Leech rarely found an opponent who could match him in both skill and strength, and this fight was utterly exhilarating.

Gazing at Stacy, who at this moment looked just like Saber, Leech was momentarily entranced. Then he said, ”If it were a contest of explosive power, I might not be your match.”

Stacy didn’t fall for that. ”Your technique is superior to mine. I really don’t know what happened to you this past year.”

Stacy was intensely curious about what had happened to Leech over the past year. Since he left Green Forest Castle last July or August, she had heard bits and pieces: his participation in the war in Waterfall Land, the Battle of Pebble Castle, winning the tournament at Roaring Castle in East Port, and the breaching of Iron Wall Castle.

So many momentous events had happened to him.

If Stacy knew the full details of Leech’s experiences, she would be truly astonished.

He’d assassinated Mama of the Steeds, killed Guy Marvin, and even Dreden of the Monkey Clan had died by his hand. His experiences were so rich they could fill a seven-hundred-thousand-word novel.

...

「Time flew by in a flash.」

Leech donned a carefully prepared, understated formal suit. Although his cousin Bode kept complaining that Leech didn’t look at all like a Baron celebrating his birthday, the only adornment Leech would accept was the Porcupine Badge on his chest.

He arrived at the Pigtail Bay docks.

Lacy, who had yet to return, had already sent a message by raven. He warned that many guests would be coming to Porcupine Territory, so Leech should prepare in advance.

Watching the young noblemen and ladies disembark from the ship, Leech felt as if he were welcoming a tour group.

”Good day, Sir Leech!”

Pine Leopold, the ”Golden Stallion,” stepped off the ship and immediately greeted Leech.

On the Lu Leiyi Continent, lords held absolute power over their lands. Even a liege lord had to observe the proper etiquette when visiting as a guest. Naturally, Leech, as the host, also had to act the part.

”Good day, Lord Pine.” Leech nodded in greeting.

Disembarking after him was ”Red Rose” Evangelina Leopold.

There were a few other familiar faces—young nobles Leech vaguely recognized, the sort who had yet to be knighted. ’They must have been roped into this by Lacy.’

’No, that’s not right. They’ve successfully boarded the express train to success.’

Additionally, there were several young ladies whom Leech also recognized. They were the ”Red Rose’s” close friends, true socialites from the inner circle of the Eastern Gorge.

Seeing these people arrive, Leech was overjoyed.

’The silk business is about to take off!’

Leech had already prepared horses. The young noblemen and ladies couldn’t be expected to cover this distance on foot.

There were only two carriages in all of Porcupine Territory, so deciding who got to ride would have been a problem. It was better for everyone to ride. On his own turf, no one would get special treatment, lest some indignant young noble start spouting clichés about getting revenge one day.

The noblemen would certainly know how to ride, but the noble ladies were the challenge.

Leech had a solution for this as well.

He had specially selected a group of handsome Soldiers, dressed in armor, to stand by and lead the horses for the noble ladies.

And they were not allowed to wear helmets.

”Oh, this is my first time riding!” one of the noble ladies exclaimed. She said to the Soldier leading her horse, ”Your horse is so well-behaved.”

The Soldier replied, ”It is his honor to carry you, my lady.”

The noble lady’s cheeks flushed slightly. Perhaps it was from fear, as it was her first time riding, but it was clear she didn’t mind having a handsome Soldier lead her horse.

Leech had scripted all their lines.

He had specifically emphasized the importance of good service. The Soldiers presented to the noble ladies had to be handsome, but they were forbidden from saying a single unnecessary word, let alone thinking about starting something with any of them.

The consequences would be more than the Soldiers could handle, and more than Leech could handle as well.

The male nobles were a different story. Leech needed talented people to work for him. Seductive perks? Not a chance!