Lord of Rot

After leaving Porcupine Territory, the slave ship changed course and headed straight for East Port.

The slave trader planned to purchase rare goods found only in the East Gorge region to bring back to Gaoxue City as an offering to the esteemed Avalado.

A little over a hundred Jinri was hardly a massive profit, but the fine wines and delicacies from East Gorge were rare treasures indeed.

That night, the ship was moored in the harbor.

A dark silhouette streaked across the night sky, flying in from far out at sea.

”Don’t make a sound,” Leech whispered, lying low near Rocket’s ear. ”Fly close to the surface. Be careful not to get spotted!”

This was Leech’s first time playing thief, and he was being extremely cautious. This was East Port, after all. Getting caught would undoubtedly lead to unnecessary trouble, so every move had to be made with care.

”COO COO.” Rocket nodded. It stopped flapping and, with a gentle shudder of its wings, lowered its altitude to glide just above the water’s surface.

SPLASH!

A golden figure shot out of the seawater. The Water Nymph, like a flying fish, skipped across the waves, keeping pace with Rocket.

In a matter of breaths, the East Port harbor—which had been the size of a fingernail just moments before—rapidly expanded to fill their field of view.

”Are you ready?” Leech looked at the Water Nymph.

She calmly replied, ”I’m ready, Leech.”

”Alright, here I come!” Leech leaped from the Horse-headed Eagle’s back. The instant his feet hit the water, a jet of water shot up from beneath him, propelling him forward at high speed.

While the Water Nymph didn’t use any water-based Magic, she had an instinct for manipulating it.

After gliding across the water for a short distance, Leech took a deep breath and plunged beneath the surface.

At first, his rapid swimming left a trail on the surface, but after a moment, the sea only swayed gently.

The moonlight couldn’t penetrate the depths, completely unaware of a figure being propelled swiftly forward by the currents below.

Deep beneath the sea, a pair of metal arms pressed against Leech’s back, guiding him swiftly through the water.

The current even formed a horizontal vortex around him.

At the docks, beside the slave ship, Leech’s head broke the surface.

”PTOO!” He spat out a mouthful of seawater. ’Being forced to dive that deep doesn’t feel great.’

’Still, I have to marvel at the Water Nymph’s speed. She’s almost as fast as Rocket!’

He glanced at the Water Nymph’s golden mask and gave her a nod. Then, Leech placed the [Pot of Obscurity] on his head, minimizing his presence, and clambered aboard the ship.

He landed on the deck. It was deserted.

He paused to tug at his wet, sticky clothes, making himself more comfortable before heading further in.

He walked calmly into the ship’s interior.

A group of heavily armed men stood guard outside the Captain’s cabin, but a few were already succumbing to drowsiness and starting to nod off.

Leech approached them calmly, seemingly unconcerned about being discovered.

”Hm?”

A dozing guard groggily opened his eyes. He looked at Leech, then subconsciously stepped aside.

”What is it?” a man beside him asked, startled awake by the movement.

”Nothing.”

The man who had woken up also glanced a few times at the figure with the pot on his head, but after looking, he paid no mind to who it was.

It was as if Leech were just someone completely unimportant.

And just like that, Leech walked into the Captain’s cabin unopposed.

He pushed open the door to the Captain’s cabin.

A stench of sweat mixed with the smell of post-coital secretions assaulted him, making Leech frown slightly.

’They didn’t even crack a window to air the place out!’

The room was cramped. On the single bed lay three figures.

The slave trader who had negotiated with Leech was fast asleep, with a naked woman draped on either side of him.

’He sure knows how to live,’ Leech thought with a smirk. ’I haven’t even had the luck to have a woman on each arm yet.’

On the bedside table sat a locked wooden chest.

Leech went over and tugged on it a few times. The lock was sturdy, but the chest was made of wood. Breaking it wouldn’t be difficult, but it would make noise.

’Better to just take the whole thing.’

As he was examining the chest, the slave trader’s eyes snapped open. ”Who’s there?”

He looked at Leech, staring for a long moment before closing his eyes again.

’He saw someone.’

’But it wasn’t important, so he just went back to sleep.’

Once he was sure no one was paying him any mind, Leech picked up the chest and left. The guards outside watched him go, their gazes as vacant as if they were idly watching a dandelion seed float by. But when a gust of wind blew it away, they forgot what they were even looking at.

The rest of the way was uneventful. Once on deck, Leech tossed the chest into the water and jumped in after it.

SPLASH!

The moment he hit the water, a metal hand grabbed him and pulled him deep.

With the Water Nymph’s help, Leech was clear of the East Port harbor in a matter of minutes.

He surfaced, wiping the water from his face and slicking his hair back.

”PTOO!”

He gasped for air.

”SCREECH—!” Rocket descended, allowing Leech to climb on.

The Water Nymph handed Leech the chest she had caught.

”Let’s go, Rocket!”

「Dawn.」

The slave trader, nestled between two soft bodies, opened his eyes.

A night of rest had restored his body to peak condition.

He rolled over, taking the upper hand amidst the surprised gasps of his companions.

”AH—!!”

”The chest! Where’s the big chest?”

With a BANG, the door was thrown open.

The men who burst in stared at the slave trader, though some couldn’t resist sneaking a few extra glances at the two women on the bed, who calmly showed themselves off.

But... the money was gone!

...

”BAM!”

Leech picked up a rock and smashed it down on the chest.

Even the tough, specially treated wood couldn’t withstand the powerful blow, revealing the glittering gold within.

’An unexpected bonus!’

He rummaged through the chest in delight. Inside was not only his 185 Jinri, but also exquisite jewelry that he estimated to be worth at least 50 Jinri—as much as Porcupine Territory’s entire surplus from the previous year.

Baron Leech was very satisfied. He had essentially gotten over four thousand people for free. But this was not a method he could use often.

Shipping slaves was too crude a business. Even though he had specifically insisted they treat the slaves well, they hadn’t listened. So, Leech decided he wouldn’t be buying any more slaves from Gaoxue City for the foreseeable future.

’As for the future of the now-penniless slave traders, I couldn’t care less. They lost the money in East Port. What does that have to do with Porcupine Territory?’

Gaoxue City’s half-a-million slaves sounded impressive, but it all depended on who their opponent was. A minor lord like Leech couldn’t afford to provoke them, but Duke East Gorge was a different story.

Those slave traders wouldn’t want to start a conflict with a Duke over a hundred or two hundred Jinri, so they would just feign ignorance.

When Leech flew back to Iron Wall Castle on Rocket, the mountain tunnel had already been excavated.

A craftsman had built a temporary wooden awning at the entrance to prevent rainwater from flooding the tunnel.

Pitz was still directing two pig-sized armadillos to widen the entrance. Only after the tunnel was fully expanded would he send people in to reinforce and maintain it.

Leech rode the Horse-headed Eagle into Iron Wall Castle.

When he arrived at the council hall, he found it crowded with people deep in discussion.

Leech had assigned tasks to the young nobles earlier. After entering Iron Valley through the new tunnel, they had immediately set to work and were now in the middle of a heated discussion.

Watching the bustling group, Leech felt quite satisfied. Their skills might be mediocre, but in terms of enthusiasm, they left Kro Camel miles behind in the dust.

One scene in particular surprised Leech. Lily, his ’Cinderella’, was chatting with the young nobles, helping them review their plans with a confidence that was neither servile nor overbearing.

”Lily!”

”My lord.” Hearing Leech’s voice, Lily immediately looked up.

She trotted over to Leech. She was about to smile happily, but then she remembered her face and lowered her head.

Leech paid no mind to her small gesture. Instead, he said, ”I’m giving you a sum of money to fund the development of Iron Valley. From now on, whenever they need to spend money on construction and development, they’ll have to apply to you.”

His words were meant not only for Lily, but for everyone else present as well.

The fact that Lily, a mere maid, had managed to earn a voice among a group of young nobles with high ambitions but little skill, spoke volumes about her management abilities.

By contrast, the other maid, Alice, who was pouring tea for the young nobles, was trembling with fear. The words ’I’m scared’ might as well have been written on her face.

Leech waved a hand, dismissing Alice.

Hearing his voice, the young nobles looked up and rose to their feet. The way they looked at Lily had changed.

They said in unison, ”Good day, my lord!”

”Good day, gentlemen. You should have a basic understanding of the situation in Iron Valley by now,” Leech said. ”Our first step is to get Iron Valley back on its feet quickly. Focus on your respective duties and do them well. Honor and rewards await. Now, get to it.”

”Yes, my lord!” they replied in unison, their voices booming with anticipation.