Lord of Rot

Meanwhile, at City Hall.

The compiled data was handed to Gelan. That evening, during a meeting, Gelan brought the organized charts to Lacy Sith.

Lacy glanced at the report and said, ”I’ve heard his name. A cursed dwarf.”

A man who inspired both admiration and disgust—admiration for his wisdom, and disgust for his dwarfish stature.

For a noble bloodline to produce a dwarf would lead people to believe the family was cursed by demons.

Lair’s moniker, ’the Dwarf,’ was far more famous than his brilliant mind.

”He gave our people two Silver Moons and asked a lot of questions. It doesn’t look like he’s here for business,” Gelan said, handing a report to Lacy Sith.

Guiding foreign visitors was the job of these youths, and it was also part of their assessment.

During their duties, they had to demonstrate perfect professionalism. Any tips they received could be kept for themselves, but no one ever chose to do so. A recorded merit was far more valuable than a few Silver Moons.

These merits were indispensable for competing to become an Honorary Knight, or for securing a better post for their people in the future.

They were also required to write a report after their duties, an old tradition in Porcupine Territory.

”But it’s all just ordinary small talk.” Lacy glanced over the report. ”Nothing major can happen to Porcupine Territory. With our current Soldiers, we’ll be fine—as long as Roaring Castle doesn’t send an army to attack us.”

He found the idea somewhat amusing himself. A liege attacking his vassal for no reason would be an object of ridicule.

Gelan voiced his concern. ”From what I understand, Monkey Island has close ties with a group of East Gorge sea raiders.”

In fact, they might be the sea raiders themselves.

There was just no direct evidence.

But you could hear whispers from the merchants in East Port. For instance, a merchant’s cargo ship would be hijacked, and a short while later, the same goods would be sold at a low price by merchants from Monkey Island.

Having just dealt with one batch of monkeys, only to be targeted by another, was definitely a huge headache.

Lacy continued, ”...However, we still need to keep an eye on that island. The Magic Potions there are almost mature. Based on estimates, their value might be higher than that of Porcupine Territory itself, to say nothing of the island’s intrinsic worth. To be safe, I’ll send Luca over. I hear the crabs on the island are becoming a plague, so at least he’ll be able to eat his fill.”

”Good point,” Gelan agreed, nodding.

The Dragonborn youth, now able to skillfully control his bloodline abilities, had reached the point where he should be put to use.

The two of them suddenly sighed in unison. ’I wonder how the Lord is doing.’

They knew Leech’s itinerary and guessed he must have reached the Desert Area by now.

It wasn’t easy for an outsider to open a new trade route, much less establish a foothold and ensure sustainable profits.

Thinking that they were now separated by half a continent, the two couldn’t help but worry again. Baron Porcupine was the core of the territory. If something happened to him, all of Porcupine Territory and Iron Valley would collapse in an instant.

Both men were well aware of the crucial role their seemingly hands-off Baron played in the development of the territory.

Not every lord was so bold.

”To keep the Lord from worrying, we can’t let him down! At the very least, we mustn’t be outshone by Iron Valley.”

”Exactly!” Gelan nodded, a fire igniting in his heart.

Though both were the Lord’s domains, they weren’t entirely at peace; a friendly rivalry existed between them.

...

A raven crossed the desert, flying at high speed through Bonta Canyon.

The long, narrow passage kept the raven from losing its way, but the barren canyon offered few places to land.

FLAP FLAP!

After a great deal of effort.

The raven finally exited the canyon and entered the lands of Monkey Territory.

The situation in Monkey Territory wasn’t as dire as one might expect after the great battle.

The wars of noble lords never truly affected the farmers, neither in victory nor in defeat.

The farmers’ greatest enemies were drought and barren land that yielded no grain. Even they themselves were little more than part of the lord’s property.

Shanzhang Castle, which had been destroyed in the attack, was not yet fully repaired, but the new ruling family had already moved in.

Inside the study, Annel Little Bill looked at the three sisters before her—Suzi, Aya, and Lulu. ”The three of you may carry the blood of the Bill family, but it is difficult for a woman to rule! I will host a ball this year. You must quickly choose suitable partners and bear a son for the Bill family.”

The Little Bills were Bills, and yet they were not.

But they were at least luckier than Lady Jie Lin; no one would deny their bloodline.

The three sisters nodded in resignation.

Seeing the sisters’ reaction, Annel Little Bill’s brow furrowed. She asked, ”Why did Monkey Territory’s army lose to Waterfall Land?”

She realized her three granddaughters had not grasped the heart of the matter.

”Because Baron Porcupine intervened,” said Lulu.

”And why would he help? Even if the bastard had clashed with him in the past, there was no need for him to fight Monkey Territory to the death over Longship Castle.”

”Because...”

”Because that child is *his*!” Annel Little Bill declared, looking at the three girls. ”That Jie Lin woman played her hand beautifully.”

Perhaps at the time, it was just a desperate gamble, but she never expected Baron Porcupine to rise so meteorically. He became a savior from the heavens, helping Longship Castle turn the tide in its moment of crisis.

”If you count the months... from when he stayed the night at Longship Castle to when the child was born, the timing fits...”

Annel Little Bill saw things with perfect clarity. Or perhaps, only the defeated can see so clearly, forced to ponder the reasons for their loss.

But she was both a loser and a beneficiary in this affair, which made her feelings toward Leech incredibly complex.

A knock came at the door, and a servant brought in a letter.

The Wax Seal on the message tube made its origin clear at a glance.

The three sisters quietly waited for Annel Little Bill to finish reading the letter.

The slip of paper was only the size of her little finger, and the elderly Annel struggled to read it. She had to hold the paper far away, tilting her head back and squinting. When that didn’t work, she brought it closer again.

After constantly adjusting the angle, she finally managed to read the single line on the paper.

She set down the slip of paper, her expression having changed considerably.

The young Suzi asked cautiously, ”Grandmother, is it a letter from Bonta?”

”Kunq Green Oasis.”

Annel nodded. ”He’s run into some trouble. He wants our help.”

”Help?”

They only ever discussed business, nothing more. That was the unspoken agreement between partners.

Annel’s eyes narrowed, her voice calm. ”Baron Porcupine is backing Kuer Oasis to become the new lord of Bonta. If he succeeds, our business with the desert will be cut off.”

’Who would have thought Baron Porcupine would dare to reach so far? Isn’t he afraid of having his hand chopped off?’

’Oh, that’s right. Monkey Territory’s blade is already broken. Perhaps Baron Porcupine was just waiting for us to make a move so he’d have an excuse to come and finish us off.’

After hearing the legend of Baron Porcupine assassinating a lord while riding a Flying Horse, no one dared to underestimate him.

The young Aya asked, ”Grandmother, what should we do?”

The three sisters appeared to have a good relationship, but in truth, each wanted to be the sole heir. They had been a loving family when their older brother, Beck, was alive, but now, with such a great prize before them, their affection was merely a performance.

”The ball must go on!” Annel Little Bill declared. ”I will invite Baron Porcupine to attend. Judging by that Jie Lin woman, he’s a very sentimental man. If one of you can bear his child, we can reverse our current situation.”

The best way forward was to have a child with Baron Porcupine.

And unlike Lady Jie Lin, her three granddaughters were unmarried. If one of them could marry Baron Porcupine, it would be a true alliance of powers.

Even if marriage wasn’t possible, they could still build a relationship and bury the hatchet.

Annel Little Bill’s expression softened into a gentle smile, like a kindly old grandmother. She looked at her three granddaughters and said, ”I know you three sisters enjoy competing with one another. Just remember: a woman’s battlefield is the delivery room.”

It was as if she were saying that whoever could capture Leech’s heart and bear his child would become the next ”Lady Jie Lin” of Shanzhang Castle.