Chapter 523: The Young Girl Has Grown Up (2)

A majestic statue of Leech had been erected, showing him riding a Horse-headed Eagle with its wings spread wide.

Leech sighed. ‘Who would’ve thought I’d end up like a stone lion one day.’

Having overcome the worst of its manpower shortages, the work pace in Porcupine Territory was finally beginning to slow. People could occasionally be seen strolling down the streets. A year ago, the roads would have been completely empty once the workday began.

Regardless of day or night, blistering heat or freezing cold, everyone had worked nonstop.

A considerable number of people had never actually met their Lord. Some might have caught a glimpse of him from a distance, but with time, they had long since forgotten his face. These were the slaves purchased back then from Gaoxue City.

So when Leech and Lacy arrived side by side on horseback, some people mistook them for visiting dignitaries.

“What? That’s our Lord? He’s so young!”

Murmurs like this rippled through the crowd, while some people raised their chins proudly. “Our Lord is only twenty years old! But he’s already the most powerful and renowned noble in the Eastern Gorge!”

Leech passed through the path the crowd had parted for him, a smile on his face. He was used to grand occasions now, not like in the early days.

The Tangkx Scholar’s carriage entered the castle along with Leech.

Simon the butler had already assembled the servants in formation.

There was a row of menservants, a row of maids, plus cooks, kitchen hands, and others—more than twenty in total!

Leech observed that a fair number of them were apprentice cooks.

‘I can’t believe it. I’ve laid out all these training strategies, and what do I get? Not many Extraordinary, not many craftsmen, but a whole army of chefs. Am I running some kind of Otherworld culinary academy?’

He shook his head, trying to banish the absurd jingle that popped into his mind—’Hey ladies, find a chef and marry him!’—and decided to double down on the training. He would export culinary talent to the entire continent.

‘Even better, I’ll open a restaurant. Show them how people in this Otherworld are supposed to eat.’

“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s wonderful to see you all.” Leech dismounted, and an attendant immediately stepped forward to take his horse. “Simon, have someone prepare chambers for the Tangkx Scholar. She may be attending the night school training this evening.”

‘Got to put the workhorse to use right away, while she’s still short on cash.’

“Yes, I’ll see to it at once,” Simon nodded immediately.

“I think I’ll have something to eat,” Leech said. “Find Arkke and send her to me.”

“Yes.”

…

Leech held a bowl, eating knife-pared noodles.

His mood improved with every slurp of the noodles.

“Ahhh.” He set down the bowl, completely satisfied.

“That was excellent.” Leech looked toward Oak Barrel, who was waiting nearby. She had completely replaced Wine Barrel as the castle’s head cook.

Wine Barrel had used her savings to buy a house. Thanks to a few connections provided by the castle, she’d set up a small retail shop in the commercial district and no longer had to slave over a stove all day.

Oak Barrel breathed a sigh of relief. She had taken care to memorize the Lord’s preferences, as well as the strange recipes he would mention offhandedly. She had studied them relentlessly, and now, seeing this satisfying result, she knew it had all been worth it.

“My Lord, Arkke is here.”

Hearing that Arkke had arrived, Oak Barrel quickly cleared the dishes and excused herself. What was to follow was not for her to hear.

Life in the castle had taught them that power created its own hierarchy. People like Arkke, or the dragon-blooded youth Luca, existed in a class below the nobility but above commoners. Even people like Gelan and Qiao wouldn’t dare give them direct orders.

A hierarchy of status inevitably created a sense of distance.

You may not look down on me, but I can’t help but look up to you.

After the last attack from Monkey Territory, the other nobles had witnessed how terrifying Porcupine Territory’s cannons were. Naturally, no one dared to covet the High Magic Land island anymore. The cultivation of Magic Potions and the beekeeping could continue, but now that Arkke had successfully bred a queen bee, she no longer needed to spend much time on the island.

With that massive swarm of Extraordinary bees that flew as fast as bullets, anyone who tried to steal from the island would just be courting death.

It had been a while since he’d last seen her. The little maid was still dressed in a long skirt and a white, ruffled apron. She was growing up fast, though. The tiny thing he remembered was now tall enough to reach his chin. Some of the older maids, like Oak Barrel and Wine Goblet, weren’t even as tall as her.

She was all long legs. It hadn’t been that long, but she already seemed like a completely different person.

Kids grow up so fast at that age.

Leech beckoned to her. Arkke, her cheeks still flushed, instantly shed her shyness and hurried over to him.

“You’re all grown up,” Leech remarked with a sigh.

‘Haven’t I watched this child grow up? Her whole family were slaves back then, and now she’s blossomed into a graceful young woman. It feels like watching your own daughter grow up.’

‘He even found himself slipping into the overprotective father role, vowing not to let some pig get his hands on her. He trusted that fellow Ark had the right idea about that.’

Arkke was always quiet and reserved, but that didn’t stop Leech from being very fond of her.

“How have you been?”

“Very well,” she said softly. “I’ve learned a lot of new words.”

“It’s always good to learn,” Leech nodded. He wasn’t worried about Arkke’s aptitude; her talent for controlling insects, at least, was irreplaceable.

“I called you here because I have a task that only you can handle.”

“Only I…” The blush that had just faded from her face crept back up to her cheeks and ears.

He ignored her reaction and took out a small, latched iron box that was under several layers of wards. He opened it and placed it on the table. “Can you try to control them?”

A viscous liquid churned inside the box, filled with translucent bodies piled on top of one another. They were disgusting to look at up close.

Arkke closed her eyes. After a moment, she nodded. “I can! But their minds are closed off. They haven’t woken up yet.”

“I might have a way to wake them up,” Leech said excitedly. “But first, let’s see what these things are.”

‘A mysterious creature with a powerful jump and tenacious Life Force. If Arkke, the “Insect Queen,” could control it, who knows what kind of strange reaction might occur.’

‘This is an ability similar to my own control over Corpse Ghosts. It’s well worth developing.’

The two of them went out into the courtyard and had someone bring them a chicken.

Leech used Mage’s Hand to pick up one of the teardrop-shaped maggots. “One of these almost burrowed into my eye. I can reasonably guess they’re interested in brains or eyes.”

‘If the chicken doesn’t work, I’ll try a dog, or a cow. Humans are not on the list of test subjects.’

‘Besides, this thing is stealthy and dangerous. If I don’t investigate it now, what happens if I’m the one who gets hit by it later?’

As the droplet neared the chicken’s eye, it suddenly shot inside.

“BWAK BWAK BWAK!!” The chicken began to flap its wings frantically, convulsing. The entire process was very brief.

When it stopped, the convulsions ceased. It looked no different from an ordinary chicken.

It went back to pecking at the stones and insects on the ground as if nothing had happened.

“Can you still feel its presence?” Leech asked.

“Mhm,” Arkke nodded. “But it’s not doing anything. It’s dormant, just like before.”

“I think it has done something,” Leech said, watching the chicken. “A normal chicken wouldn’t be eavesdropping on us, would it? Make it come out!”

Arkke nodded. A teardrop-shaped worm emerged from the chicken’s eye, only for the chicken to snatch it up with a swift peck and swallow it whole.