Lord of Rot

This Half-Beastman legion did indeed come from the Panbo Continent. Unlike the dwarf Half-Beastman Mengo, who threw his weight around thanks to his brother, Mennen had successfully entered the middle ranks and was privy to more important intelligence. He wasn’t like Mengo, who had to rely on his own guesswork for everything.

For example, the Half-Beastman expeditionary force sent to the Lu Leiyi Continent originally numbered over ten thousand, but more than half were mercilessly devoured by a disaster at sea, leaving few survivors.

The commander of the Half-Beastman Expeditionary Corps was named Kaqi. He was a Half-Beastman noble, the only one to survive the disaster at sea, and more importantly, a Palace Level Demon Beastman.

In terms of power, a Palace Level Demon Beastman was equivalent to a human who had surpassed the Transcendent rank.

Including Mennen, the legion currently consisted of 40 Demon Beastmen, 160 Mad Beastmen, 600 Warg Riders, 2,400 infantry, and 800 archers.

These were all rough estimates, not exact figures, but they were close to the actual numbers.

These were chilling figures for Leech.

If an enemy force of that size were to descend upon him, Leech’s only option would be to turn and flee, abandoning everything he had built.

The only saving grace was the Endless Deep Sea, which served as a massive barrier. The Half-Beastmen had to pay a heavy price to cross it, and Kaqi’s Expeditionary Corps was merely an advance party. As for their true purpose, Leech would only find out after capturing the Palace Level Demon Beastman, Kaqi.

Half-Beastmen were inherently stronger than humans. An average Transcendent would be utterly crushed by a Half-Beastman of the same rank.

Jonney, who was likely at the lowest rung of those above the Transcendent rank, would have a very low chance of victory if he clashed with the Palace Level Kaqi, who was naturally far stronger than any human.

They might win if the Water Nymph joined the fight... but it wasn’t a sure thing. The Water Nymph wasn’t a direct combatant; she primarily relied on Spiritual Power and deceptive abilities like confusion.

Against an enemy of the same rank, such abilities were likely to fail.

For this mission, the Demon Beastman Mennen was part of a reconnaissance team. His main task was to contact Prince George and wait for him to deliver weapons and equipment. The Half-Beastmen had poor industrial skills; in their society, items like weapons, pots and pans, and armor were all precious resources.

’If the Half-Beastmen really get their hands on equipment from Prince George... my only option will be to destroy the passage through Bonta Canyon and hole up in the East Canyon.’

An equipped Half-Beastman legion would be like a tiger with wings; fleeing would be the only sensible choice.

’Let the big boys handle it. The Lu Leiyi Continent surely has plenty of powerful lords hiding their true strength. When the Half-Beastmen swarm in like locusts and threaten their interests, those lords will be forced to reveal what they’re truly capable of.’

Still, the thought of running away with his tail between his legs was something Leech couldn’t stomach.

’That’s a Half-Beastman army with no chance of reinforcements! If I could just pounce on them and take a huge bite, the Extraordinary forces under my command would skyrocket!’

Leech opened his eyes and forced himself to calm down.

’Being greedy is dangerous, but I have the Horse-headed Eagle and Jonney. If we can’t win, we should at least be able to escape.’

’If I pull out now, there’s no risk, and I’ve already made a small profit.’

’It’s like a business deal where I walk away with a small profit of just one Jinri.’

’But if I’m greedy, I could potentially make 100,000 Jinri.’

The difference was so vast that it was hard not to be tempted.

’First, I’ll seize the equipment sent by Prince George. No, wait... why not just go and claim it openly?’

’I can control the dead, so there’s no need for a fight. I’ll just have the Demon Beastman Mennen go and retrieve it.’

He made up his mind. First, he would get the equipment.

After the battle, the corpses of the dwarf Half-Beastmen were dealt with—burned to ash and buried deep underground.

Mennen and the four Mad Beastmen under his command were also turned into mindless, consciousness-lacking Extraordinary undead. Leech found a temporary hiding place for them. It was best if the Half-Beastmen weren’t seen in public; even if they wore full-plate armor, their sheer height would give them away and lead to unnecessary speculation.

It was better to keep them hidden, to be used only as a surprise contingent.

’What is the Prince trying to do?’

Leech refused to believe that he could see the Half-Beastman Expeditionary Corps was a rootless force doomed to fail, but Prince George somehow couldn’t.

Other than stirring up some chaos on the Lu Leiyi Continent, they served no other purpose.

’Is he trying to start a war to create an opportunity to kill his brother and become King? It wouldn’t be his turn unless he killed both the Eldest Prince and the younger princes. But if he actually did that, the other nobles aren’t fools...’

Leech stopped speculating.

Speculation without sufficient information was no different from fortune-telling. It was a waste of time that yielded nothing—just a pointless mental exercise.

After the battle, the morale of the Bonta market Soldiers was soaring. The Half-Beastmen who had massacred all of Date Palm Village weren’t so tough after all, they thought.

Victory boosted morale, but it also inflated egos.

Leech didn’t pour cold water on their enthusiasm. He knew he was like a little white rabbit planning to devour a giant beast. To even attempt it, he needed his men to have unshakeable confidence.

He could escape if things went south, but his Soldiers, who were Desert People, had nowhere to run. They needed this victory to drive away their fear, even if it made them a little arrogant and complacent.

The next morning, the Bonta market opened for business as usual.

No one knew that these unassuming Soldiers had actually wiped out a squad of savage Half-Beastmen from another continent the day before, killing them to the last man.

The returning merchants looked on in confusion at the Bonta market Soldiers, who stood with their heads held high and chests puffed out. They couldn’t figure out why this group of scrawny, spindly-legged men looked so fired up.

’Did they manage to take down a Pigman together last night? That would be impressive indeed.’

...

The leader of the Iron Fist Gang was in an excellent mood.

After sending his younger brother, Black Sand, to the Lord, his position as leader of the Iron Fist Gang was finally secure. Those who had previously challenged him had all fallen in line.

His brother, Black Sand, had returned yesterday covered in blood. He hadn’t dared to ask too many questions, but he knew his brother’s performance hadn’t disappointed the Lord. He’d even received a reward.

The amount wasn’t large, but the fact that it was a reward—that was the key!

He had come to the market for a stroll early this morning. First, he wanted to tell the young pickpockets under his command to be more careful and steal less.

Second, he was thinking of buying a female slave to take home and have some fun with.

’I hear male slaves are quite an experience, too. The noble lords prefer men,’ his thoughts drifted. ’To adapt to my new, soaring station in life, maybe I should give it a try. I wouldn’t want to become a noble alongside my brother only to have nothing in common to talk about with the other lords.’

But after a lap around the market, he felt that something was very wrong.

’Why is there so much grain for sale?’

He asked around and found that not only was there an enormous quantity of grain, but the prices were also unusually low.

After a brief chat with a few merchants he knew, the leader of the Iron Fist Gang sensed that something was seriously amiss. He quickly left the market and headed for the courtyard where Leech was staying.