Lord: Starting with Biological Modification

Laine sat on the porch of a "Ten-Household Building," opening a hardcover notebook.

He had used half a month’s saved-up allowance to get this "luxury item" from the town’s Points Exchange.

The paper was coarse, and the mouth of the ink bottle was a little chipped.

He unscrewed the ink bottle, carefully dipped into the ink, and wrote today’s date in his journal.

The writing was crooked, the ink varying from dark to light, but he pressed down hard.

Eternal Radiance Calendar, Year 1374, October 3rd. Sunny.

Day off. Don’t have to go to the Lord Pig’s Mansion to haul planks. I saw Barton go to the Newly Cultivated Land this morning. He’s the deputy captain, a bastard built like a bear.

He read it over, then scribbled out the word "Pig" and drew a heavy circle beside it.

The atmosphere in town is off. Lord Barrett called back everyone who had the day off. They carried logs and food into the swamp. At the watchtower outside of town, there are more guards on duty, day and night.

Laine stopped writing and rubbed his sore wrist.

He looked up at an open space not far away.

A group of young children were with their literacy teacher, shouting the alphabet at the top of their lungs.

The loud, childish voices dispersed some of the tense atmosphere in the town.

He grinned, and his pen tip fell back to the paper.

I graduated from the first literacy class. I was considered a good student. Tumo, that capable bastard, was pushed up to give a speech on graduation day.

His face turned beet-red and he kept scratching his head. He struggled for a long moment before finally roaring, "We get food, we get housing, and we get to learn how to read, all thanks to the Lord! Anyone who wouldn’t sign up for this is an idiot!"

The people below laughed, the students laughed, the teacher laughed, and I laughed too.

I remember when I first came here. Both Village Chief Walker and I thought the Lord was a fraud.

Now, I see new houses, I see irrigation canals, I see grain, I see the kids learning to read.

We were the real fools...

As he was writing, he just couldn’t remember how to spell the last word. He chewed on his pen in frustration.

Just as he was pondering this, the sound of footsteps interrupted him.

Laine looked up and saw three people approaching from the intersection.

They wore roughspun clothes, similar to the ordinary "laborers" in town, but one glance was all it took for Laine to feel that something was wrong.

It wasn’t that their faces were unfamiliar—new people arrived in town every day, so it was normal for him not to recognize a few faces.

It was the way they walked.

The residents of Newly Town, be they the original townsfolk or the refugees who joined later, all walked with a certain weight to their step, a vigor in their bearing.

Their steps might be weary, but they were always steady, and there was a light in their eyes.

But these three were different. Their steps were light, almost silent.

Their eyes didn’t look at the road or the shops on either side; they kept glancing toward the rooftops and deep into the alleyways.

The three walked together, yet each kept a step’s distance from the others, their hands always hovering near their waists.

’These don’t look like villagers trying to make a living. They’re more like... wolves searching for prey.’

Laine’s heart skipped a beat.

He remembered what Commissioner Walker had said in a meeting a few days ago: "Anything that seems off, no matter how small, must be reported."

He lowered his eyelids, keeping the three of them locked in his peripheral vision.

Only after they had walked further away and turned the corner did Laine slowly pack up his notebook and ink bottle, stand up, and stretch lazily.

He pretended to be heading to the public well to fetch water and followed in the direction they had gone.

The three didn’t head toward the Lord’s Mansion or the artisan district. Instead, they began to circle the newly built residential area.

Laine’s heart began to beat faster.

He used his knowledge of the streets, ducking into one narrow back alley after another, using hanging laundry and stacked lumber for cover.

Once, the leader of the group stopped and turned around without any warning, his sharp gaze sweeping behind him.

Laine’s body froze in fright. He pressed himself into the shadows of a corner, even holding his breath.

He didn’t let out a slow breath until the man turned back and continued onward. His back was already cold with sweat.

’These guys are extremely alert.’

Eventually, the three men walked into the town’s only small tavern.

After confirming they had entered, Laine didn’t linger for a moment. He crouched down, turned, and sprinted toward the Lord’s Mansion via a familiar shortcut.

「Lord’s Mansion, Study.」

Velin was pinching the bridge of his nose. Spread out before him was a report titled "Plan for Draining the Swamp’s Stagnant Water into the Sea."

This report was written by Ryo. It was covered in complex Magic Runes and alchemical formulas that he couldn’t quite understand.

Beside him, old Walker stood ramrod straight with his arms crossed, his eyes fixed on Velin, looking just like a foreman.

"My Lord, you’ve been sitting on these documents for half a month. The seed distribution plan for the spring planting, and the wage standards for the laborers at the northern quarry... If you don’t approve them soon, the people below won’t be able to get their work done."

"I know, I know."

Velin waved his hand wearily, a headache coming on. He pushed aside the indecipherable report and picked up the seed distribution document.

He truly lacked the passion for these trivial administrative tasks that he had for his research projects.

KNOCK, KNOCK.

There was a knock on the study door.

Barrett pushed the door open and entered.

He first saluted Velin before giving his report.

"Sir, we have a situation."

"Report."

"Seven townspeople, three garrison members, and one agricultural technician have all filed reports through various channels about two suspicious groups, six people in total."

A glint shone in Barrett’s single eye, and the corner of his mouth curled into a grin, like a hunter who had cornered a lone wolf.

"They’re in two groups of three. Entered town about half an hour ago. They’re not Mercenaries; their technique is too clean. They’ve stayed away from the Lord’s Mansion and the research institute, sticking to the residential area and the tavern. Seems like they’re gathering intel."

Velin put down the document in his hand, a slight smile appearing on his face.

’To be rooted out so quickly... and not just by my officials, but mostly by ordinary townspeople.’

It didn’t surprise him that the enemy was acting exactly according to the script he had laid out.

What was unexpected was the people of Newly Town; this time, they had delivered a result that pleasantly surprised him.

Catching a few spies was a small matter, but the meaning behind it was significant.

It proved the cohesiveness of Newly Town. It proved that the social system he had built with his own hands was functioning properly.

Every single citizen, acting in their own self-interest, had begun to proactively defend this system.

"Well done." Velin nodded. "Have someone record the names of everyone who made a report. Credit them for their service and award them merit points. But be careful, the standards must be consistent."

"Yes, sir," Barrett replied. "So, should we pull in the net on these six fish now?"

Velin leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest in a slow, steady rhythm.

The hint of irritation in his eyes had long since vanished, replaced by a deep sense of interest.

"No."

He shook his head.

"Our guests have come from afar. We should at least let them see everything clearly and enjoy themselves to the fullest."

Velin looked at Barrett and issued an order that surprised him.

"Relay this order: have our surveillance teams pull back. Don’t startle them."

"Whatever they want to see, let them see it."

"Whatever they want to hear, let them hear it."

The corners of Velin’s mouth curled up.

"Let them... put on a show."