Lord of Rot

The leader of the Iron Fist Gang said to the soldier standing guard at the entrance, his hand shielding his eyes from the sun, ”I have important business with the Lord!”

The soldier glanced at him, nodding in recognition. ”Wait here. I’ll go report it.”

The sun beating down was intense enough to make one flustered, but the leader of the Iron Fist Gang stood obediently beneath it, not daring to move an inch as he waited.

After some time, the soldier finally pushed the door open and said, ”The Lord will see you now.”

The leader of the Iron Fist Gang offered his thanks before quickly pushing open the door and entering the small courtyard.

As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, a wave of cool air washed over him.

Water from a pool was being propelled into the sky by some unseen force, where it dispersed into a fine mist.

The Lord was sitting under a pavilion, eating grapes as he read a book.

His intimidating Knights stood guard behind him, clad in full iron armor despite the heat, resembling a pack of ferocious magical beasts.

The leader of the Iron Fist Gang gave the Knights a fawning smile, then bowed with his right hand over his heart. ”My Lord, your loyal servant greets you.”

Leech placed his book facedown on the table.

To outsiders, Leech always appeared relaxed and carefree, delegating every task to others.

In reality, unseen by mortal eyes, Leech was multitasking. He had just been communicating with the Water Nymph of Waterfall Land, asking her to keep an eye out for Prince George Kaine’s cargo ships.

He looked at the leader of the Iron Fist Gang and said, ”Good day. I presume you’ve come to see me about something important?”

”Yes, my Lord!” The leader of the Iron Fist Gang nodded vigorously. ”I have very important information to report!”

He glanced up at the Knights standing beside Leech.

”Rest assured,” Leech said. ”They are my most loyal men.”

”Yes.” The Iron Fist Gang leader nodded, finally feeling at ease enough to speak. ”There’s a group of merchants selling off large quantities of grain. They’re from Mama City, and they seem desperate to get rid of it.”

”Mama City? What’s happening there?” Leech asked.

He was currently preoccupied with the Half-Beastman Expeditionary Corps, so matters concerning Mama City and the Water Buffalo Count had been put on the back burner.

Grain was important; people would revolt without food.

At the same time, however, grain was also unimportant. Its value paled in comparison to gold and jewels. Since it wasn’t harvest season, merchants rarely transported and sold grain on a large scale, let alone at a steep discount.

The leader of the Iron Fist Gang shook his head. It seemed neither he nor the petty merchants knew the underlying reason, or perhaps the merchants were simply unwilling to tell him.

”You’ve done well,” Leech said, nodding. ”Keep paying attention to this sort of news. It would be best to send some of your Iron Fist Gang members out to places like Mama City, Leon City, and Oasis City. You might uncover some very good news.”

”Yes, sir!” He understood Leech’s explicit command; he knew the Iron Fist Gang was meant to evolve from a band of petty thieves into a higher-level organization. It was dangerous, but it was also an opportunity.

Leech added, ”Black Sand is doing well. Lin Nuo has nothing but praise for him.”

The face of the Iron Fist Gang’s leader lit up, and he chuckled like a fool. His younger brother’s success felt as good as his own.

Seeing the man’s reaction, Leech was suddenly reminded of his own brother, Leo. Their relationship hadn’t been bad when they were young. But he quickly pushed the feeling aside.

’No need for sentimentality. Life rarely goes as planned.’

After the leader of the Iron Fist Gang left, Leech immediately had Kuer Oasis summoned.

”Have our people buy up all that grain at the lowest possible price.”

It would be foolish not to take the grain that had been delivered right to his doorstep.

This place was a long way from Leon City and Oasis City. If the merchants didn’t sell their grain here, they would have to waste more time and money traveling. Naturally, Leech wasn’t about to pass up such a windfall.

”And send men to Mama City. I want to know exactly what’s going on there.”

...

「Inside Mama City.」

’Desert Pearl’ Lisu Muma pushed open the door and entered the City Lord’s hall.

The flabby, out-of-shape man sitting on the chair was the master of the city, Lion·Ma Ma.

Ever since the accidental death of his biological son, Junma Muma, his condition had been steadily deteriorating. Though he had many sons, Junma Muma was the only one he had ever truly thought highly of.

”Father!”

At the sound of her voice, Lion·Ma Ma looked up, a smile forced onto his aged face. ”My Pearl, you’re here.”

Although Lisu was not his biological daughter, her mother had been one of his most beloved women. Moreover, this daughter, known as the ”Desert Pearl,” was in no way inferior to his late son, Junma Muma, when it came to leadership, combat prowess, or even ruthlessness.

If he were to choose an heir, she would be the optimal choice. But because... *sigh*, she could not be the one.

”What is troubling you?” she asked, moving closer to gently massage Lion·Ma Ma’s shoulders.

”*Sigh*,” Lion·Ma Ma lamented. ”All the merchants in Mama City are leaving. I’ve ordered the city sealed to stop them from taking the grain with them, but it’s proven difficult to control their departure.”

It would be useless to forcibly confiscate some of the grain if the merchants simply chose never to return.

”Is it the Count?” Lisu asked, her delicate brows furrowing.

The Mama family suspected the Water Buffalo Count was behind Junma Muma’s death, but they had no proof.

Junma Muma’s body had vanished as if into thin air. They had even sent people to Linta Bay to question Old Crocodile, but he claimed the Fishmen had done it.

Had the Water Buffalo Count and the Crocodile Baron conspired to kill Junma? They had entertained the suspicion before, but it ultimately led nowhere.

The Crocodile Clan and Mama City had a long-standing and friendly business relationship trading horses.

More importantly, after Junma Muma’s death, the Water Buffalo Count and Old Crocodile had no contact at all; they remained complete strangers.

With no motive, neither for profit nor out of hatred, there was no reason for them to commit murder.

They never would have guessed that a desperate young woman had willingly offered her body to a man in exchange for his help in getting her revenge.

There was no proof, but that didn’t stop the Mama family from suspecting the Water Buffalo Count.

The two families already had a long-standing feud; this new grudge just added fuel to the fire.

”Not the Count, a Viscount,” Lion·Ma Ma said with contempt. ”The leader of the Wild Boar Mercenary Corps has been secretly ennobled as a Viscount by the Water Buffalo Count. He was promised that if he conquers the territory around Mama City, it will become his viscounty!”

The information was supposed to be secret, but after so many years in his position, Lion·Ma Ma still had his sources.

As a nobleman, he despised mercenaries, but he despised the Water Buffalo Count even more for daring to make one a noble.

”I’ve heard the Wild Boar Mercenary Corps has dozens of Transcendents.” Lisu Muma’s heart sank. In the Desert Area, no one could afford to ignore the reputation of the Wild Boar Mercenary Corps.

’How many Transcendents does Mama City even have? Even fewer are loyal to our family. And if we try to hire Extraordinary Level mercenaries, how many would be willing to offend the Wild Boar Mercenary Corps in the desert?’

On the bright side, perhaps her family could fend off the Wild Boar Mercenary Corps’ assault thanks to their high city walls.

But without a supply of grain, they could only wait to die.

The Wild Boar Mercenary Corps was probably planning to just starve them into surrender.

The father and daughter looked at each other in silence, a sense of powerlessness washing over them.

They could hold the city, but their grain supply had been severed. Still, they were not prepared to admit defeat; they would hold out, even unto death.

「Meanwhile.」

News from the investigation in Mama City had already reached Leech.

’I wiped out nearly all the Wild Boar Mercenary Corps’ Transcendents, but instead of coming to settle scores with me, they’re besieging Mama City?’

’This makes no sense.’

’Whatever!’

”That grain we just bought on the cheap... arrange for a caravan to take it to Mama City to sell!” Leech immediately summoned Lin Nuo and the manager of his trade caravan. ”They must be escorted by Transcendents, and a large contingent at that! And remember, once the grain reaches Mama City, I want you to jack the price up as high as it will go!”

Leech dared to do the business others wouldn’t.

In fact, he hoped the stalemate would drag on for as long as possible. He could make a profit while antagonizing both sides—what was not to love?

Besides, he had time to kill before Prince George’s shipment of weapons and equipment arrived.