Lord of Rot

Autumn planting in Porcupine Territory was over. Although the Baron had ordered the soil to be enriched with manure, feces were still a common sight on the roads.

The feces needed to be composted; applying fresh waste directly to the fields would burn the seedlings. The old cesspool by the main road had been mostly emptied, but the waste along the roadsides was still being ignored. Using manure was the Lord’s command, and the people were merely following orders.

At present, no one understood the benefits of using manure as fertilizer.

That’s right—Porcupine Territory didn’t even have its own latrines. The villagers couldn’t be bothered to build them, so they often just relieved themselves wherever they happened to be.

Luckily, the weather was getting colder. If it were summer, the smell... Tsk.

After returning to the castle, Leech first arranged lodging for Gelan and Qiao. The only place in Porcupine Territory with decent accommodations was the Baron’s castle, and it had plenty of rooms. Of course, if more talented people were to join Porcupine Territory in the future, he would have to consider building houses—not the mud huts outside, but sturdier, more cold-resistant stone houses.

Building with fired bricks wasn’t an option Leech was considering, because he didn’t know how.

In Leech’s plans, large-scale construction wasn’t a priority right now. For the time being, they needed to repair some of the dilapidated houses and perhaps build a few small thatched huts. The main goal was to help people survive the winter.

「In the study.」

Leech sat with his eyes closed, concentrating on controlling two corpses. Because he had given prior instructions, the two "slaves" had split off from the caravan after leaving Iron Stone City and were now running nonstop, heedless of exhaustion.

’They should be able to make it back by tonight.’

KNOCK KNOCK. There was a light rap on the door.

Leech’s focus returned to the room. He left only a sliver of his consciousness to maintain control; the Earthling Corpse Ghost could act on a single command, but the Iron-Hoofed Bull corpse required his direct guidance. However, he was becoming more adept at multitasking and controlling the dead, so unless he was performing delicate maneuvers, he didn’t need to concentrate too hard.

"Come in."

The study door swung open, and "the Widow" Gelan walked in.

"My Lord." Gelan bowed slightly. "I’ve come to report on the situation in Porcupine Territory."

Leech nodded. Gelan had only just been appointed, but he was already actively investigating matters in Porcupine Territory, fully embracing his duties as an administrative officer—a term of Leech’s own invention, as no such official position existed on the Lu Leiyi Continent.

"Six houses are in need of repair; otherwise, their inhabitants will have a hard time surviving the winter. The autumn planting is finished, and while you have graciously provided the slaves with food, the fact that they can eat without working is causing a lot of resentment among the common folk of Porcupine Territory." Gelan glanced at the Lord, saw him nod gently, and continued, "The next batch of slaves is about to arrive. It gets very cold at Pigtail Bay in the winter. The slaves will need shelter; they can’t keep living in tents."

"Also, with winter approaching, beasts are emerging from the dense forest more frequently. You had me send men into the forest to investigate, and the farmers who returned reported seeing the tracks of a large beast."

"The security team is also a major problem. They’re extorting protection money, peeping on women while they bathe, and bullying lame bachelors. What’s more, they’ve threatened everyone into silence. Anyone who dares to speak out will surely face their retaliation."

Leech’s brow furrowed tightly.

’Cursing the mute, kicking in a widow’s door, breaking a cripple’s good leg, and digging up ancestral graves... The security team has actually become one of Porcupine Territory’s biggest headaches?’

"Do you have any suggestions?" he asked.

’Developing the territory should be left to my subordinates. A lord only needs to express his thoughts at critical moments and provide a direction for development.’

Gelan nodded. "We don’t need to worry about food; the grain you purchased in Iron Stone City is enough to last through the winter. We can use the slaves to repair the houses. We can’t let them sit idle, so it’s a perfect opportunity to have them build their own winter shelters. The problem with the security team is very serious. They should be rounded up and given a good beating."

"Useless," Leech said, shaking his head. In his previous life, he had seen plenty of "security teams" that wore an official badge while smashing, robbing, and plundering. If a simple beating worked, they wouldn’t have become such a cancer.

"Have the slaves start by cutting timber to build houses," Leech said. "Don’t build them too far from the residential area."

The housing construction in Porcupine Territory definitely needed proper planning. He couldn’t have everyone building right next to their own land in a chaotic mess. At the very least, starting with the slaves’ quarters, he could establish a somewhat orderly plan that would be easier to modify and expand upon later.

He already had a preliminary plan in mind, but there was no rush to implement it.

"Once the second batch of slaves arrives, Porcupine Territory should have nearly a hundred slaves," he said. "One group will build houses, and the other will need to go to the seaside to dig sand for paving roads."

He was thoroughly sick of the terrible roads in Porcupine Territory, where every other step sank you into the mud.

"Paving roads?"

"That’s right, digging sand to pave the roads," Leech confirmed with a nod. "It’ll also keep the slaves from causing trouble on full stomachs."

The lame Ark might not be able to manage so many slaves. Besides, the slaves he bought this time weren’t all women and children like before. They would require stricter supervision.

It was a pity Porcupine Territory had no masons or carpenters. Otherwise, with so many slaves, they could accomplish much more useful work during the agricultural off-season.

Leech possessed "Eagle Eye," allowing him to use birds to look down on all of Porcupine Territory from high above. This would enable him to draw up a rational blueprint for development.

"Also, about the security team..." Leech’s fingers tapped lightly on the desktop.

Gelan lowered his head. Listening to the hurried TAP TAP TAP, he knew the Lord was troubled by this matter.

THUMP!

His hand suddenly stopped.

Leech said, "Tell the captain of the security team that if this happens again, no matter who is responsible, I will personally give *him* ten lashes!"

"Yes, my Lord." Gelan nodded and withdrew.

「That afternoon.」

A dazed crowd of slaves and a caravan of carts finally arrived in Porcupine Territory.

They stared at the dilapidated houses along the road and at the people standing in doorways, watching them.

They were completely numb to the future.

A disheveled boy named Carrot, holding the hand of his six-year-old sister, followed in the line. His name came from the first time he’d ever eaten his fill. He had been so hungry he couldn’t stand it, so he snuck into a caravan and found a basket of carrots. He gnawed on them frantically. That was the first time he’d ever felt full. Carrots were so sweet.

From then on, that feeling of being full for the first time became his name. He called himself Carrot.

But Carrot was caught, and the boy became a slave.

From then on, he went hungry every day, but at least he didn’t starve to death. It was better than his old life as a stray.

Among the slaves, Carrot met his "sister." They weren’t related by blood, but the nameless girl would secretly give Carrot some of her food. From then on, he always protected her.

Their small figures were lost in the crowd, swallowed by the throng of slaves.

"Welcome, everyone, to Porcupine Territory!"

The speaker was a lame man. One of his legs was useless, and he needed someone to support him. But Carrot noticed that the slaves who were already here seemed to be very afraid of him.

"From now on, you will serve the Lord, even if it costs you your lives!" the lame man shouted. Every other word out of his mouth was "the Lord."

’It doesn’t matter,’ Carrot thought. ’It doesn’t matter who my master is. As long as I get to eat, and my sister gets to eat, that’s enough. We don’t need to be full, just as long as we don’t starve.’

Although he hated this world and often thought it wouldn’t be so bad if he died, he still wanted his sister to grow up. He hoped she could one day escape her status as a slave, marry well, and live a peaceful, happy life... Carrot suddenly felt the little hand he was holding squeeze his gently. He looked down and met his sister’s smiling face.

’I can’t die. I have to protect her.’

The lame man continued shouting, "The Lord has prepared a meal for you! Everyone line up to receive it. One per person! No snatching! Anyone who snatches will get no black bread for the next day!"

Men holding clubs and whips stood by, watching like hawks. The slaves had already traveled a long way; they had neither the strength nor the courage to snatch anything.

But Carrot caught a specific phrase in that announcement. ’No black bread for the next day... A day?!’

’By the Four Gods, does that mean we get to eat black bread every day?’

He excitedly held his sister’s hand and queued up under the watchful eyes of the men with whips and clubs. Step by step, they moved forward. He could see many people ahead of them clutching loaves of black bread.

’It’s huge!’

Carrot was thrilled. A loaf of black bread that big would definitely be enough to fill his stomach.

"We have food, little sister!" he told her excitedly, his eyes welling up.

"Quiet!" barked a man with a club standing by the side of the road.

Carrot immediately shut his mouth. He didn’t want to get hit.

But that didn’t stop his small movements. He kept craning his neck, looking ahead again and again. Closer, even closer now.

A basket of black bread, steaming hot, the aroma filling the air.

’The person handing out the bread is dressed so cleanly. Is she a noble lady?’

The person handed him a loaf of black bread, and Carrot took it numbly.

"Say thank you!" another man with a club barked. "Quick, thank Miss Wine Cup!"

"Thank you, Miss Wine Cup," Carrot said immediately. He had met kind people before when he was begging, but they had always looked at him with disgust when he thanked them.

Carrot took his sister’s hand and started to walk away.

"Wait!" Miss Wine Cup took another loaf of black bread and handed it to his sister. "Here, this is yours."

"Thank you~" his sister replied with a sweet smile.

"Wine Cup," the man with the club said, "you’re giving a whole loaf to a kid that small? You might as well give it to me."

"The Lord’s order was that *everyone* gets one," Wine Cup retorted, wrinkling her nose. She emphasized, "Everyone!"

The man waved his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright, you’re the boss. I just think it’s a waste of food to give it to a little thing that won’t be grown for years."

He had no desire to pick a fight with a castle maid.