Lord of Rot

Deep in the night.

A soft knock sounded at the door.

”Your Highness!”

The one-eared Prince, who had been lying in bed with his eyes closed, snapped them open. A sharp glint flashed in their depths.

He sat up and straightened his clothes.

Even though there was a knock, the Prince didn’t rush to open the door. Instead, he turned his head toward the window.

His subordinates were all capable men. It seemed they had an unspoken rule: anyone who entered through the door after knocking was considered useless.

Prince George fished a small bead out from his clothes and placed it on the table.

The bead instantly expanded, enveloping the entire room.

Only then did the Prince turn and ask, ”How did it go?”

The shadowy figure nodded. ”They accepted your funding.”

”It’s not just about my funding,” Prince George said, turning around. ”I want them to kill people.”

”I mentioned that, but those oafs aren’t the sharpest knives in the drawer. They won’t lift a finger without seeing the reward,” the shadowy figure said. ”If you don’t send the armor and weapons, they won’t agree to make a move.”

George walked to the window, gazing out at the silent castle. ”Waterfall Land is very weak right now. I’m confident I can get Lady Jie Lin to do us a small favor. It’s just a shipment of ’grain’, after all.”

Gazing down at the patrolling Soldiers, he looked as if he was already reigning supreme.

...

On the surging river, a ferry set sail, cleaving through the waves.

Two flags flew from the boat. One, embroidered with the image of a small boat, signified it as a vessel of the local lords, the Wados. The other flag depicted a Porcupine with quills sprouting from its rear.

The two small flags fluttered in the wind.

The ferry’s cabin wasn’t exquisitely decorated, but having been prepared for a Lord’s passage, it was exceptionally spacious and comfortable—a stark contrast to the several other ferries following behind.

As the boat traveled downstream, the scenery on both banks rushed past.

A handsome young man in a long robe stood at the bow, seemingly admiring the scenery. When the occasional wave crashed against the boat and splashed the hem of his robes, he paid it no mind.

”My Lord, our private dock is just ahead,” his attendant, Carrot, said respectfully as he approached Leech’s side.

Leech turned around. ”I recall Trevor and Allen are still guarding the dock. When we moor, have them come aboard. Two others will take their place.”

The two he meant to switch out were, of course, two of the Corpse Ghosts at his side.

Taking all the Corpse Ghosts to the Bonta market would provide more security, especially since they were in unfamiliar territory.

But he couldn’t rest easy completely neglecting the supervision of his own territory.

The best solution, then, was to leave two Corpse Ghosts behind as humanoid signal towers.

He wasn’t worried about Porcupine Territory for the time being; with three or four Extraordinaries plus a Caster, major problems were unlikely. However, the nearby Iron Valley had been in close contact with Burning City lately, and that warranted some observation.

”Yes.”

Once the boat docked, two Corpse Ghosts disembarked of their own accord.

’Four-Hands’ Trevor and ’Scorpion’ Allen obediently boarded the boat. They became exceedingly docile upon seeing Leech.

Although they despised the stupid piglets, they had heard that Pig had simply vanished after meeting with Leech. A chill went down both their spines.

’His yesterday is our tomorrow!’

’Don’t let the Lord’s gentle voice fool you. He kills without blinking an eye!’

’They had to remember that while they seemed free, they were still captives. The fact that the Lord dared to let them move about so freely meant he must have a foolproof contingency plan.’

The more Leech ignored them, the more terrified they became.

The waters of the Shuijian River originated from the high slopes. Leech guessed they were fed by mountain springs and melting snow from the peaks.

After going ashore, Leech led the way on horseback. The contingent of Corpse Ghosts followed him, then the light cavalry with their muskets, and finally, the merchant caravan.

Logically, the road they traveled was within Monkey Territory. But after being stopped and questioned by Soldiers once upon entering, no one else paid any mind to Leech’s column. It was as if they didn’t exist.

Leech was happy for the peace. He knew wiping out the Bills entirely would be difficult, which was why he had eliminated their entire direct bloodline. But if some hothead, struck by a sudden impulse, wanted to cause trouble for him, he was more than happy to welcome them with a two-handed sword.

If they came, he would kill them. No mercy.

He had to kill a few arrogant fools to make the others understand the disparity in power. It was like having flies buzzing incessantly in front of your face—annoying.

Unfortunately, no one gave Leech the chance to draw his blade, making it seem he had been overthinking things.

It was clear Monkey Territory placed great importance on the Bonta trade route. While the road wasn’t paved with concrete like the ones in Porcupine Territory—after all, only Porcupine Territory and Iron Valley possessed that technology—it was still paved with river sand. Packed down by years of travel, the road, while not perfectly level, was definitely free of potholes and weeds.

After a full day’s travel, they finally reached Bonta Canyon.

It was a great mountain, thousands of feet high, its peak difficult to see even when craning one’s neck.

Standing before the great mountain, Leech felt like an ant at the bottom of a dry well. Looking up, there was only the sky, and it seemed as if the mountain peaks touched it.

Yet for some unknown reason, this majestic, colossal mountain had been split in two.

It was cleaved down the middle, creating a path that, at its widest, could accommodate ten horse-drawn carriages abreast. This was Bonta Canyon, the pass connecting Monkey Territory to the Desert Area.

”Whoa, it’s huge!”

The Soldiers behind Leech were another matter. They maintained strict discipline. As the first batch of musket-armed Cavalry, they were the most elite of his vanguard.

The merchants, however, were a different story. Few of them had ever witnessed such a marvel. Seeing it with their own eyes was a breathtaking experience, and they felt an urge to return to their own lands, order a drink at a tavern, and boast about this sight for a whole day and night.

”A mountain so high that even Horse-headed Eagles have difficulty flying over it. I’m afraid only those above the rank of Extraordinary could fly over.”

Leech averted his gaze and said, ”This canyon isn’t short. We need to pass through it as quickly as possible to avoid running into bandits.”

”Yes!”

’If there were bandits, he wouldn’t be able to avoid them anyway. Bonta Canyon is a single, narrow pass. Encountering robbers is a matter of luck. If someone wanted to block their path, there is no way around them, unless the enemy can fly or tunnel through the earth.’

The Soldiers following Leech tightened their grips on their muskets. Regardless of whether anyone would be bold enough to challenge their column, they had to be ready to perform their duties.

Little did they know that, unless faced with an army of thousands, the contingent of Extraordinaries behind Leech was more than enough to crush any opposition.

The two Mercenaries following behind Leech felt their hearts pounding.

’Extraordinary, Extraordinary, Extraordinary... another Extraordinary.’

’They’d heard that Leech had a powerful team. Rumor had it that when Porcupine Territory was defenseless against pirates, a hidden squad of soldiers had silently annihilated them.’

’But who could have guessed they were all Extraordinaries!’

’Since when were Extraordinaries so common?’