Lord of Rot

Most of the sailors were left on the ship for security. Since Porcupine Territory only had one dock, the vessel couldn’t remain moored after they disembarked. Instead, it had to move away and anchor within Pigtail Bay.

The ship would only be called back to the dock when they were ready to depart.

With only two sailors in tow, the dwarf completed the simple disembarkation procedures. A young boy then approached them with a smile.

”Sir, I am your guide.”

”Oh, a guide, right! I definitely need a guide!” The dwarf, Lair, fumbled for a Silver Moon and offered it to the boy, but the youth shook his head hesitantly. ”Sir, this is against the rules.”

The dwarf smiled. After glancing around to make sure no one was paying them any mind, he said with another smile, ”It’s just a little something for your trouble. You shouldn’t have to work for free. I’ve always believed that money is what gets you truly dedicated service. Don’t you agree?”

The boy discreetly accepted the Silver Moon and returned a smile. ”Anything I can do for you, sir, I’ll make sure you’re satisfied.”

”Then let’s first discuss our accommodations,” the dwarf said. ”After that, I’d like to sample some local cuisine, find some women, and then we can talk business.”

He didn’t have high hopes for entertainment. Porcupine Territory was a poor, rural fiefdom. Most people who came here did so to make money; for pleasure, one would go to Iron Stone City.

”The Lord doesn’t permit brothels,” the boy said, looking troubled.

”No matter. Let’s just find a place to stay first. I’m completely worn out.”

Porcupine Territory had inns specially prepared for guests. Since Leech’s departure, the territory had once again undergone heaven-and-earth-shattering changes. Factories of all kinds were constantly expanding, and people moved about like ants in a line, all busy with their work.

After arranging their accommodations, the next step was getting something to eat.

After a simple meal, the young guide began to lead the three of them around the territory. Since the dwarf claimed he was unsure what sort of business he wanted to conduct, he had the boy take him on a comprehensive tour of Porcupine Territory.

The dwarf, Lair, trotted along on his short legs, chatting with the boy every now and then.

They came to a soap shop where samples of every scented soap were on display. A female apprentice was in charge of the store.

The fact that she had achieved good results in the night school and been assigned to work here was proof enough of her talent.

Furthermore, in accordance with Lord Leech’s orders, all salesclerks had to be beautiful.

The moment the dwarf stepped inside, his nostrils were flooded with a multitude of fragrances. He spun in place, gazing at the dazzling array of soaps hanging on the shelved walls. ”The noble ladies of East Port all adore this stuff,” he said. ”One of my lovers was even willing to turn down my Jinri for a bar of noble soap. If only I’d had a bar of soap back then...”

A sailor beside him chuckled. ”What a shame.”

Lair laughed. ”But if she knew there’s one part of me that’s definitely not dwarfish, she’d be full of regret!”

He asked, ”What flavors does your soap come in?”

”Flavors?”

”That’s right.” He wiggled his eyebrows, a lecherous look on his face. ”I want to make myself taste... more delicious.”

”HAHAHAHA!”

「That night.」

「In the guesthouse for visitors.」

”Sir, this place is so dull,” complained one of the sailors trailing the dwarf. ”There’s nothing to do.”

The other sailor nodded in agreement.

They had visited the brewery, tasted the beer and the Porcupine Wine, then gone to Beekeeping Village to see the bees, as well as Livestock Village, the textile mill, and so on.

They weren’t allowed to see any of the key technologies, but Porcupine Territory didn’t hide the goods it intended to sell.

”Porcupine Territory is a treasure trove,” the dwarf countered, offering a completely different assessment.

’Perhaps it’s because I’m standing so low to the ground that I can see more.’

The dwarf, Lair, had seen pens packed with livestock, silk produced with strange weaving and dyeing techniques, and one massive factory after another, their purposes unknown.

When the two sailors turned to look at him, he said, ”But it has nothing to do with us.”

”Whether it’s soap or Porcupine Wine, we can’t get a better price than the merchants from East Port. Besides, they already have established trade routes and have no trouble selling their stock. We can’t even find a market. So, do business with Porcupine Territory? It’s not even worth considering.”

A realization dawned on one sailor. ”You mean... we’re going to raid them?”

The other sailor said worriedly, ”Lord Lair, I saw that all their men carry muskets.”

”Oh!” The dwarf slapped his large head. ”Have you two not considered the bigger picture? If you think you’re stronger than the Monkey Clan’s soldiers, then by all means, let’s use force. If you can each take on a hundred men, we might as well go and conquer the royal capital itself!”

With only a few dozen men on their ship, they would likely be cut down by a volley of musket fire on the rocky beach just minutes into an attempted landing.

Although the men of Monkey Island prided themselves on their valor, they weren’t so arrogant as to underestimate everyone. The battle where the Porcupine Musketeers annihilated the Charging Cavalry, in particular, had been sensationalized to almost mythical status. Even if they were inwardly skeptical, they wouldn’t abandon due caution.

Throughout history, cavalry held absolute dominance on the battlefield. It was common for a few dozen cavalrymen to easily rout an infantry force several times their size.

Yet the Porcupine Soldiers, with a force of equal size, had nearly annihilated the Monkey Clan’s elite cavalry. They had also routed over two thousand infantry, sending them fleeing in disarray. A direct assault would be suicide.

Provoking a porcupine covered in spines would have unimaginable consequences.

’Not that I would dare provoke them,’ he thought. ’If the potential gains were great enough, it might be worth a shot.’

”Of course, we’ll do as you say, sir,” the two sailors said with an embarrassed laugh.

This was no longer a rural village of just over 200 people, but a heavily guarded Baron Territory boasting a large number of well-equipped soldiers.

The dwarf said, ”Do as I say? Then my orders are to return to the ship tomorrow and stop wasting time here... Oh, and before we leave, buy some more of that Porcupine Wine. I like to mix it with grape wine.”

The two sailors glanced at each other before finally replying, ”Yes, sir.”

The next day, as they were leaving, the dwarf gave another Silver Moon to his thoughtful young guide. ”This is to thank you for answering all my questions along the way, and for your respect.”

The young guide was overjoyed and hurriedly said, ”Thank you for your generosity, sir! May the Four Gods bless you!”

’Even if it was just for the money, at least he showed me respect,’ Lair reflected. ’There was no disgust, nor the pity that’s even more nauseating than disgust. Only greed.’

The ship weighed anchor, raised its sails, and departed from the Porcupine Territory’s dock.

”Sir, are we heading back to Monkey Island?” a sailor asked.

The dwarf, however, casually tossed a bottle of Porcupine Wine to the sailor, who caught it with both hands in a panic. A single bottle cost several Silver Moons; smashing it would be a painful loss.

”No, we’re going to spend some time cruising the nearby waters.”

”What’s our destination?” the sailor asked.

”East, north, south, it doesn’t matter,” the dwarf said nonchalantly. ”Just as long as we don’t stray too far from Pigtail Bay.”

He sat on the deck, gazing out at the boundless sea. ”My money was well spent, after all.”

Though the sailor didn’t understand in the slightest, he nodded and complied.

”Saying nothing can also be a way of leaking secrets, you know,” the dwarf said, lying back on the deck and struggling to cross his short legs. ”Sometimes, silence reveals more than words ever could.”