Lord of Rot

The *Iron Valley* set sail from Pigtail Bay, riding the wind and waves into the deep sea.

Leech stood on the deck, gazing out at the azure sea.

April was drawing to a close, and his birthday banquet was about to begin.

He wanted to check on the development of the High Magic Land before the invited nobles arrived.

Especially Arkke’s progress in cultivating the Extraordinary Bees.

Extraordinary Honey was to be Leech’s designated beverage in the future; no carelessness would be tolerated.

In addition, there were the cultivation of Magic Potions, the growth of the trial crops, and the state of the livestock.

However, he planned to discontinue the livestock program. After being optimized by the bloodline herbs, the animals no longer required such a drain on resources.

"SCREECH!"

A loud cry suddenly came from overhead. Leech looked up.

Rocket, the Horse-headed Eagle, dove down and spread his wings, gliding over the surface of the sea. The water churned under the wind from his wings, carving a beautiful white line.

"The Lord’s Flying Horse is amazing!"

On deck, the Soldiers muttered amongst themselves.

"Yeah, it can understand what we say, and it flies even faster than a regular eagle."

Leech put his fingers to his mouth and let out a sharp whistle.

"SCREECH—!" Hearing the sound, the Horse-headed Eagle, who had been gliding along the sea’s surface, cried out in response. He beat his wings rapidly to gain altitude, circled the *Iron Valley* once, and then spread his wings to slow down, landing on the deck.

THUD.

A huge sea fish, weighing over seventy pounds by the look of it, was dropped onto the deck, its tail thrashing.

Leech reached out and stroked Rocket’s back. The creature narrowed his eyes and willingly lowered his head to nuzzle Leech’s palm.

’The bloodline herbs weren’t just effective, they were *very* effective!’

In just under half a month, Rocket had grown like he was on hormones, his body already far surpassing that of a normal warhorse. He was only about two sizes smaller than his Griffin father.

Only in the last couple of days had Rocket’s growth rate slowed.

His species couldn’t change; Rocket’s hindquarters were still those of a horse, not a lion.

Still, Rocket had to be the strongest of all the Horse-headed Eagles.

Leech had also brought Rocket out to let him stretch his wings. With the blood of a lion, eagle, and horse in his veins, a Horse-headed Eagle was destined to yearn for freedom. Cooping him up in a stable would be incredibly foolish.

Besides, he didn’t want a flightless pet.

Of course, he also had a small, selfish desire: he wanted to try riding Rocket.

’I couldn’t ride him before he was fully grown, but now that he is, it shouldn’t be a problem, right?’

"Have the chef stew that fish," Leech said to a Soldier.

"Yes, sir!" The Soldier bent down to pick up the large fish, which thrashed about, nearly knocking him over.

Someone nearby rushed over to help secure the fish before it could escape back into the sea.

"Coo, coo," Rocket called to Leech twice.

"Alright!"

Leech swung himself onto Rocket’s back.

The Horse-headed Eagle spread his wings, lifted his talons, and took two running steps to build momentum. A Soldier standing too close was startled by the massive wingspan and stumbled backward, nearly falling on his butt.

"Coo, coo!" Rocket raised his head proudly.

After teasing the Soldier, he began to beat his wings, kicking up a gale that made everyone instinctively narrow their eyes.

He leaped into the air.

Riding on Rocket’s back, Leech could feel them plummeting downward.

But almost immediately, the lift from the wings caught them, carrying Leech high into the air.

’I’m flying!’

Although Leech had used Magic countless times and had even personally controlled undead birds to fly through the sky, this was the first time he had ever experienced the sensation of his own body soaring into the heavens.

The most obvious difference was that his own body could feel touch and pain.

He opened his hand, and the wind slipped through his fingers, feeling like an invisible, soft, fluffy bun being pressed into his palm.

Below them, the *Iron Valley* grew smaller and smaller, shrinking from the size of a palm to the size of a finger.

Looking back toward Porcupine Territory, Leech could see the newly erected watchtowers and the tiny Porcupine Castle.

The most distinct feature was the thick smoke billowing from the brick kilns, like a cloud-making machine.

The wind whipped his hair into a frenzy and made his robes billow out, a gale that seemed determined to push him right off Rocket’s back.

Rocket wasn’t wearing a saddle, but with Leech’s superb riding skills and Rocket’s willing cooperation, there was no real danger of him being blown off.

’I’m perfectly steady!’

Gazing down at the vast ocean, watching as people and houses shrank to the size of ants, Leech felt his heart swell with an incredible sense of openness.

In that moment, he felt like he could go anywhere in the world!

"Hahaha! Rocket, let’s go!"

Rocket threw his head back and cried out, echoing Leech’s excitement.

"SCREECH—!"

On the deck of the *Iron Valley*, the Soldiers watched as their Lord suddenly rode the Horse-headed Eagle into the sky and quickly vanished over the horizon. The excitement in their hearts was beyond words.

’That’s the Lord we’ve sworn allegiance to, a Knight who can fly through the sky!’

’Our Lord is a Divine Favored!’

...

「The island of the High Magic Land.」

"SCREECH—!"

A sudden eagle’s cry from the sky caught the attention of the serfs tilling the fields. They looked up to see a giant Flying Horse descending from the heavens with a figure seated on its back.

"It’s the Lord!" someone with sharp eyes shouted, recognizing Leech.

"And that’s the castle’s Flying Horse!" added someone who recognized the Horse-headed Eagle.

They watched as the Horse-headed Eagle swept overhead, bringing a gust of wind that rustled their hair.

The leaves of the crops in the fields rustled loudly in the breeze.

The green plants bent low.

Leech said, "Stop up ahead!"

"Coo, coo!"

Rocket spread his wings and landed gently on a reef.

A shimmering golden figure emerged from the seawater, its upper body breaking the surface.

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