Lord of Rot

A White Raven soared over a vast distance, dipping low to enter Green Forest Castle.

The Green Forest Castle training grounds.

"Hah!" An aura erupted from Stacy. With a single strike of her sword, she sent the burly man towering over her, along with his shield, flying backward.

A huge dent had been smashed into the massive, finger-thick shield by a mere practice sword!

CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!

Hearing the applause, Stacy turned her head.

Fami Port, dressed in a lavender gown, was watching her with excitement.

"You’re so amazing, Stacy!"

Stacy proudly raised her chin. Ever since this strange power had flooded her body, she had felt herself growing stronger by the moment. Through constant training, she was gradually figuring out how to control and release this power.

’What man could possibly be worthy of me now?’

’A woman can build a legacy just as well as any man!’

She casually stuck her sword in the ground and walked over to "Water Hyacinth" Fami Port. A female squire came forward to help her remove her armor.

"I thought you weren’t interested in all this rough-and-tumble training?" Stacy asked.

"I wanted to see you today, but I heard you were training, so I came to watch."

"Is that so?" Stacy’s eyes narrowed, scrutinizing the ’Water Hyacinth,’ whose own eyes were darting away uncontrollably. Her friend’s expression and tone were tinged with guilt.

Just then, her personal maid walked over. "My lady, a letter from Porcupine Territory."

"Ooh~!" Stacy’s face lit up with understanding, but she didn’t call her out on it.

’Fami Port must have seen the White Raven when it flew overhead.’

Her armor now completely removed, she reached out and looped her arm through Fami Port’s, whispering, "You came at the perfect time. I was just about to ask for your help writing a letter."

"Really?" Fami Port was delighted.

...

Porcupine Castle training grounds.

Leech opened his eyes.

A manservant promptly offered him a cup of water.

"Thank you." He took a sip, holding the warm water in his mouth before slowly swallowing it. He then handed the cup back to his personal manservant.

He could now control 23 units, and his Spiritual Power was at roughly 23 units as well.

He had essentially cleared the outer areas of the dungeons on the cape; it was time to start probing the castle interior.

However, stretching his muscles was also important right now. It had been a while since he had really trained.

Carrot and Little Joel, clad in armor, nervously watched their Lord, who wasn’t much older than them but possessed an incredibly powerful aura.

Leech picked up a wooden sword and beckoned to the two of them. "Come on."

Taking the signal, the two didn’t dare hesitate. They charged at Leech from the left and right. Little Joel was the sturdily built one. He had been eating well in the castle recently, quickly gaining muscle and height until he was nearly as tall as Leech. His sword whistled through the air with a WHOOSH.

But Leech, holding his sword in one hand, keenly spotted an opening in the attack. When it came to physical strength, he had grown up eating meat. He’d also had instructors and systematic training. Even if his predecessor hadn’t been some kind of genius, he was still far superior to the average person.

Dodging to the side, Leech deftly jabbed his wooden sword into Little Joel’s wrist. Little Joel cried out in pain, but he couldn’t stop the momentum of his downward swing.

Leech took a step to the right to dodge the incoming slash, then brought his own sword around in a vicious arc, striking Little Joel on the chest.

Then he smacked him on the knee.

SMACK! SMACK!

"Oof!" Little Joel tumbled to the ground.

Carrot, who had planned to pincer Leech with Little Joel, took the opportunity of his partner’s fall to launch a sneak attack. He had just leaped into the air when Leech kicked him square in the chest.

Carrot was thin and frail, much lighter than Little Joel, let alone Leech.

’Without any Extraordinary abilities, fighting someone in a different weight class is just being a bully.’

"Agh!" Carrot cried out in pain as he landed on his butt and rolled a good distance away.

Leech, holding his wooden sword, tapped it lightly on the ground. "Get up. Again!"

"Yes, sir!" "Yes, sir!"

The two boys endured the pain and got back on their feet.

But the result was no different; they were still knocked back and thrown to the ground.

They had no idea just how strong the Lord training them truly was.

Above-average Swordsmanship, below-average dual-wielding skills, above-average horsemanship, master-level throwing. Even in the army, few could last more than a couple of exchanges with him.

The combination of skills made each ability more refined, complementing one another.

The battle continued for quite some time.

The two boys were bent over, panting heavily. Their faces were swollen, the corners of their mouths were bleeding, and sweat poured down in streams.

In contrast, Leech had only broken a light sweat.

"Go back and get some rest," Leech said. "I’ll test you again in a couple of days."

"Yes, sir!" "Yes, sir!"

Watching the Lord’s departing figure, Little Joel let out a breath. "The Lord is incredible. We didn’t even land a single hit. I bet we could try our whole lives and never even touch him."

He turned his head and saw Carrot still holding his wooden sword, with no intention of resting.

"I want to keep practicing!" Carrot said. "If we can’t do it, someone else might."

Hearing this, Little Joel’s expression instantly turned serious.

A Knight’s squires aren’t for life. If they performed this pathetically, they could be replaced at any moment.

Leech went back and washed his face.

Pitchfork said, "Lord, Little Joel and Carrot are still training."

"Let them be."

Leech dried his hands, looking rather unconcerned.

’In this world, hard work and training aren’t enough. Magic and Extraordinary power are what truly matter.’ He recalled the golden glow of the Extraordinary Knight at the banquet. ’In the face of absolute power, skill means little.’

’Unfortunately, getting my hands on the corpse of an Extraordinary Knight isn’t so easy.’

He tugged at his clothes, fanning himself to create a cool breeze.

’Noble attire is so troublesome. Layer after layer, all just to maintain basic etiquette and appearance.’

In the blink of an eye, it was April. If it hadn’t rained heavily a couple of days ago, this year would have been a disaster.

But looking at the weather, it wouldn’t be surprising if there was a heatwave this year.

The sun overhead was scorching, but the crops, now supplied by waterwheels and canals, were growing with great vigor.

Scarecrows were placed in the fields, and birds circled overhead.

Old farmers carrying hoes sat chatting in the shade of a tree, while a dog panted under the same tree, its tongue hanging out.

There were few young people to be seen, because today was a special day.

Livestock Village and Beekeeping Village were complete, and it was time to move in and assign houses!

The Lord had said before that he would assign a group of people to Livestock Village, but not many were willing. Maitian Village, being closer to the castle, was the core of Porcupine Territory. But once Livestock Village and Beekeeping Village were finished, the villagers were envious.

The houses in Livestock Village were not only beautiful, but also spacious.

Although Livestock Village was responsible for raising animals and would inevitably be a bit smelly, the roads here had been planned by the Lord himself. The paths were straight, with houses arranged neatly on both sides, giving no sense of clutter. The ground was paved with large stones and sand, then repeatedly rolled over by packhorses pulling wooden wheels, making the surface perfectly smooth.

Walking through Livestock Village felt like entering a city.

Each house was even built with a proper stove, so there was no thick smoke when cooking indoors.

In contrast, the houses in Maitian Village were all built by the commoners themselves. Some used stone, some used wood, and others used a mix of mud and straw. Besides being unsightly, on cloudy days the air was heavy with moisture, the ground was always damp, and the old folks’ bones couldn’t stand it.

The villagers assigned to Livestock Village would certainly be moving in; they were extremely satisfied with the arrangement.

The rest of the people, though they were farmers, were willing to walk a little farther to live in such beautiful houses. Because of this, the apprentices working at the town hall received many requests, hoping that the unoccupied houses could be assigned to those who wanted them.

The matter was eventually brought before the Baron. The Baron nodded indifferently. If they wanted to live there, they could, but their old houses in Maitian Village would become the Lord’s property.

Getting such a great deal, the villagers were naturally overjoyed.

Leech understood their thinking perfectly. ’Even on Earth, countless people work in the countryside but buy houses in the city.’

’However, in my plans, Maitian Village is the center of the second phase of construction. With me keeping things in check, there’s absolutely no chance of real estate speculation. Maitian Village is destined to become the most prosperous area in the future.’

’Livestock Village, due to the smell, can never become the central district. Rather than having to drive the villagers out later, it’s better to have them lining up to move away now.’

But he also had to prevent malicious or fraudulent housing assignments. This was something he and Gelan had established rules for long ago.