Lord of Rot

Leech bathed.

A manservant helped him change into his formal wear. It was a long robe, cinched at the collar and cuffs, and printed with intricate patterns.

On his lower body, he wore tight-fitting breeches and tall boots.

Bright colors were a basic requirement for noble attire. Commoners could only wear materials like linen in drab, monochrome shades, so vibrant colors and intricate patterns were a clear sign of nobility.

In addition, a family crest, bracelets, and a leather belt with a gold buckle were all essential accessories.

Leech chose a more subdued outfit: dark green with lace trim, adorned with patterns of flowers and jewels in similarly cool tones.

He wore a white shirt underneath. The weather was hot, and he had no desire to dress too warmly.

Sitting in front of the mirror, the manservant styled his hair.

Leech was a practical man. ’In a world without air conditioning, keeping a full head of long hair during the summer would just be asking for a nasty case of prickly heat to teach me a lesson.’

He had the sides of his head shaved short for coolness, leaving the top a bit longer. He tousled it casually. His hair was coarse and held its shape well, needing only a little oil.

Admiring his handsome reflection in the mirror, Leech nodded with satisfaction.

’Not bad at all!’

For the Wisdom family dinner, a manservant led Leech to the dining hall.

His grandfather, uncle, and cousin were already seated at a long table.

Leech greeted each of them in turn, then at Lewis’s direction, sat down beside him. Bode was seated across from Lewis.

His grandfather sat in the seat of honor at the head of the long table, from which he could see everyone’s profile.

To his left and right sat Lewis and Bode.

Further down were Leech and the empty seat for Stacy, who had yet to arrive.

Aromatic dishes began to be served.

Lewis said, "One of these dishes was your mother’s favorite. Guess which one."

Leech disliked this kind of test. He glanced at the dish nearest to him and, based on a vague memory of his mother, ventured, "The lemon cake?"

’What girl could say no to lemon cake? Besides, the hint was a little obvious.’

"That’s right," Lewis nodded. "Stacy has the same taste. I’m always telling her she’s just like your mother, but she’s not as pretty, and she has the personality of a boy."

"Lewis!" his grandfather cut in, unable to take any more. It looked as if he might break his son’s legs if he continued.

’Is he trying to arrange a marriage or sabotage one?’

Meanwhile, Bode, the future heir of Green Forest Castle, nodded in emphatic agreement.

"Haha," Lewis laughed awkwardly, shrinking back under his father’s gaze.

’So she’s a competitive female knight. What’s the big deal?’ Although this era demanded women be little more than child-bearers and pretty decorations, Leech, being from Earth, saw nothing wrong with a strong woman.

Most of the dishes had been served. To Leech’s relief, the place settings at least included spoons and Little Knives as utensils.

Still, most of the dishes had to be eaten by hand.

The sound of light footsteps approached, and a maidservant opened the doors to the dining hall.

Stacy walked in, looking slightly uncomfortable in her long white dress.

Her long, golden hair cascaded over her shoulders. In the flickering candlelight, her face had a soft, hazy beauty, which was only enhanced by her well-defined features.

She sat down next to Bode, across from Leech.

"You’re finally here," Lewis exclaimed. With his daughter present, he seemed to have found his courage again.

"You’re wearing a dress?" Bode exclaimed, turning to his sister in surprise. "And! Stacy, you’re wearing makeup!"

"Is that so strange?" Stacy shot Bode a glare.

Upon hearing his son’s words, Lewis leaned forward, his eyes fixed on his daughter’s face as if looking for flaws. "You really are wearing makeup!"

"Ahem."

His grandfather, Knight Wisdom, cleared his throat. Though he too had snuck a couple of shocked glances, the expression vanished in an instant. He feigned composure and asked, "What’s wrong with a girl liking makeup?"

"No problem at all, of course!" Lewis flinched, though his face was still a mask of astonishment.

Leech found it all very amusing. He looked toward Stacy, and their eyes met.

Stacy felt a little uncomfortable, but then she remembered losing their staring contest earlier that day. ’I can’t lose again at the banquet tonight,’ she thought, and forced herself to stare back.

’What’s this all about?’

Unsure why he was being glared at, Leech looked away.

"A toast to Leech’s arrival," his grandfather said, raising his glass and breaking the staring-contest stalemate.

Everyone raised their glasses.

It was a sweet, smooth wine with a pleasant finish.

Serious business was rarely discussed at dinner. They asked about the scenery in Porcupine Territory and what Leech had seen on his journey.

Mostly, they talked about the dazzling array of food on the table.

There were gravy onions—onions coated in gravy that went CRUNCH and burst with juice when you bit into them. ’Don’t expect it to taste great,’ he thought. ’It’s basically meat-sauce soup.’ Luckily, there were spoons; Leech had no desire to grab the things with his hands.

The roasted blue heron was quite good. Leech had seen its friends and relatives on his journey here. It had beautiful blue feathers, long legs, and a long beak, somewhat resembling a great blue heron from Earth.

Roasted meat rarely tastes bad as long as it’s salted, and this was no exception. The skin was crisp and glistening with fat, the flavor unforgettable.

There was baked sea bass, its skin fragrant and crisp, made even better with a squeeze of lemon juice.

He only had a small taste of the lemon cake, but his cousin Stacy ate a large slice. She didn’t look the least bit overweight, though.

Leech preferred the local berries. Unlike the bland wild apples of Porcupine Territory, the variety here was extensive. Some, which weren’t good for eating raw, had been made into jam and used in another dish, while the rest were washed and served as fresh fruit.

There were black and red lingonberries, which tasted sweet and sour.

He also ate several rowanberries and mulberries.

There was also a large, grape-like fruit. Bode said, "That’s a grape, too. Snakes love to lick them. It’s said they taste like blood to them."

Leech didn’t care in the slightest, nor was he disgusted.

’Snakes don’t even have a sense of taste. They just swallow their food whole.’

’Besides, when it comes to the creepy, disgusting, and twisted, my cousin Bode is a rank amateur compared to me. I’m the one who controls corpses, works with preservatives, and fills body cavities. My tastes are far more macabre than his.’

He popped one of the berries into his mouth. The skin was a bit tough, but the flesh inside was sweet, bursting with juice, and seedless.

"We use them to make wine," Lewis said, raising his glass. "That’s what we’re drinking tonight. Your grandfather, however, prefers wine made from gooseberries."

"I like this wine very much," Leech said with a smile, raising his own glass. "You must send me home with a barrel when I leave."

"Haha, I was planning on it even if you didn’t ask! Stacy is quite fond of your honey, you know."

Leech looked at Stacy, who had deliberately put on makeup and a carefully chosen dress, and smiled. "That’s the highest praise the honey of Porcupine Territory could receive."

Stacy just gave her father a soft "Hmph," but said nothing more.