I was a lord farming, how did I become an emperor?

Chapter 114 Losing Money Businesses Should Not Be Done

"So you're a member of the Dawn Society?"

Rod stared at Harlan and questioned her.

"Not really."

Harlan shook his head slightly and explained, "My daughter was previously found to have wizarding talent and was taken away by Lord Lucian."

"Then I had some collaborations with them."

Harlan explained casually, “There are many magical things in this world. I think we underestimate wizards and witches, so I’m willing to spend more time with them.”

"Aren't you the same?"

Rod remained silent in response to Harlan's question.

This can be seen as an acceptance of Harlen's point of view.

"Sigh, if I had known you had already captured Chris, we could have cooperated."

Harlan, who was rather talkative, spoke again: "Most of the dead were my men, it's such a pity."

"I will save those with minor injuries, but I have to give up on the others."

Rod said expressionlessly.

Harlen's unusual identity confused Rhodes, temporarily disrupting his plans.

According to Harlan, he killed Simon, so the previous news must be related to Harlan.

Rod said to Harlan, "But I can't let you go now, otherwise you'll be in a dangerous situation."

"Of course, you can collect the ransom from Earl Falcon."

Harlan immediately responded.

“If he is willing to ransom me, then you have made a profit; if he is not willing to ransom me, I will write a letter myself and have my family send some ransom money.”

What Harlan was talking about was Rhodes' original plan.

Harlan continued, “You may leave the count’s prisoners, but please let me take my soldiers with me.”

Rhodes shook his head.

“Because of your previous goodwill, I will let you go regardless of whether Earl Falcon pays you a ransom or not.”

"But your soldiers can't."

Rhodes refused without hesitation.

The greatest act of kindness Rhodes could show was letting Baron Harlan go.

Excluding the seriously wounded, there were at least a hundred prisoners this time, more than half of whom were Baron Harlan's men.

It is worth mentioning that the hemostatic agent formulated by Rhodes was remarkably effective.

In addition, the temperature is low during this season, so basically none of the injured people have had their wounds infected.

With proper care, they can all recover.

Not to mention Rhodes' soldiers, who have a physical bonus from the stat bonus, their wounds heal much faster than those of ordinary soldiers.

Even though they were Baron Harlan's assets, Rhodes couldn't let himself go through all that trouble and end up empty-handed!
You can't do business at a loss.

Even if these hundred or so people were sold as slaves, they could fetch over two hundred gold coins, not to mention the armor and weapons they would have...

Rhodes cannot afford such a loss.

Baron Harlan hesitated for a moment, his eyes blinking rapidly.

“I can offer fifty gold coins, plus a supernatural gem.”

He finally answered.

Extraordinary gems?

Rod frowned slightly but remained silent.

He pondered for a moment before staring at Harlan and asking, "The price of the extraordinary gem exceeds the value of these prisoners, and even exceeds your own worth."

"Is there something wrong with your so-called extraordinary gem?"

"You are truly wise. The effect of that extraordinary gem is a bit..."

Harlan smiled awkwardly, shrugged slightly, and said hesitantly, "Touching it will allow you to see the darkness."

Rhodes wanted to laugh but was speechless.
"What use is seeing a dark, extraordinary gem?"

"It's really not very useful."

Harlan couldn't help but lower her head, unable to look Rhodes in the eye.

"But the Dawn Society said there's an energy inside it, which might be useful... After all, it's a transcendent gem, worth at least a dozen gold coins..."

"You're just trying to fool me with this?" Rod interrupted him.

"Do you know that useful extraordinary gems cost hundreds of gold coins... That extraordinary gem must be useful, but its function may not have been discovered yet."

Harlan is still making excuses.

"If it's so good, why don't you keep it?" Rhodes countered.

Harlan didn't speak this time because he couldn't find a suitable reason.

Rhodes was also in silent contemplation.

Touching it reveals a dark gemstone, a supernatural gemstone I've never heard of or seen before. I wonder if it's of any value to my entry.

After thinking for a moment, Rod said, "You can have your people send the gems first, and we'll see their exact value later."

"As for those soldiers, pick them out and exchange them for ordinary slaves under the age of thirty-five."

"Your militiamen traded for two for one, your ordinary soldiers for three for one, and your veterans for seven for one."

The price offered by Rhodes is very reasonable.

A typical adult male slave costs 60 silver coins, a simple militiaman can earn one gold coin, a regular soldier earns two gold coins, and a veteran earns at least five gold coins.

This price doesn't even include their equipment.

Rod didn't ask for any more.

If it weren't for the fact that these soldiers' families were all in Eagle Ridge, leaving Rhodes only to be used as ordinary laborers, Rhodes would definitely have asked for more.

"Well, what can I do? I got caught by you."

Harun reluctantly raised his hand and shook the rope.

Rhodes was already very generous by saving himself the ransom.

……

……

With Baron Harlan captured, Rhodes's game of deception with Earl Falcon was essentially over.

Having been deceived twice in a row, Earl Falcon, no matter how foolish, would not be fooled again, and Rhodes was ready to close the net. Back in Frostleaf Town, Rhodes finally wrote a strong letter of condemnation to Earl Falcon in his own name.

The letter would certainly begin by strongly condemning Earl Falcon's banditry, denouncing the Falcon family's shamelessness, and Chris's plundering.

Then, feigning smugness, he belittled Chris and Baron Harlan's incompetence.

Rhodes naturally wanted to demand a ransom from Earl Falcon, but only for Baron Harlan.

However, higher-ranking lords rarely pay ransoms for lower-ranking lords, even though the lower-ranking lords are fighting for their superiors.

However, obeying the decree was the responsibility of the lower-ranking lords, and being captured was simply a matter of being outmatched; only the more benevolent higher-ranking lords would pay for it.

Rhodes dropped another bombshell: the letters he "seized" between Chris and Earl Falcon.

It naturally contains content about Earl Falcon making Chris a bandit, and it even bears Earl Falcon's insignia.

If these items were in the hands of Viscount Bear, or in the circles of nobility, then Earl Falcon's reputation would be utterly ruined.

Therefore, Earl Falcon must pay the price for this and temporarily shut Rhodes up.

As for what Baron Falcon does, that's none of Rhodes' business.

"Your Excellency, what should we do next?"

After sending the letter, Durant went to the blacksmith shop to ask Rhodes.

After leaving all the questions to Earl Falcon, Rhodes returned to the blacksmith's shop to finish his longsword.

Rhodes intended to leave this longsword as a reward for the Knights Squad; whoever is the most outstanding in the Knights Squad in the future will receive this sword.

"Have the hunters set up some traps around the White Rock Canyon. Don't worry about the rest, it's up to you."

Rod waved his hand dismissively.

"Aren't we going to face Earl Falcon's counterattack?"

"He should realize now that if he attacks our territory, he will need at least five hundred soldiers."

Rhodes put down the whetstone and said leisurely, "He'll need some time to prepare for this scale. By the time he arrives in our territory, it will be almost winter."

In the northern wilderness, temperatures drop below zero by late autumn.

"If that count is willing to attack the Northern Wastes in winter..."

"Winter is certainly not a good time to start a war."

Durant nodded slightly.

In the winter of the northern wastelands, armor can freeze solid with just a little water.

Rhodes asked with a smile, "Besides, if I give you five hundred soldiers now, can you take Frostleaf Town?"

Rod pointed to the spearheads displayed next to the blacksmith's shop, "Once these spears are finished, we'll have five hundred spears."

Durant thought for a moment, then shook his head.

He wasn't even confident about 800, let alone 500.

If attacking a town with only spiked fences, the ratio of attacking to defending soldiers should be five to one.

Based on Durant's personal experience, the ratio against Rhodes would be even higher.

When Durant ambushed the robbers last time, he discovered something.

—As long as they fight alongside Rhodes, this group of people transforms into a pack of wolves, howling and howling.

"Unless we can find an opportunity to use fire."

Durant said in a low voice, but then shook his head.

Fire isn't so easy to start; it's not like soldiers can just throw a torch and set it on fire.

A rocket needs to be made by soaking arrowheads in enough resin and grease, and then it needs to be launched at flammable material to actually burn.

"Fire attack?"

Rhodes smiled and said, "When winter comes, our wooden fence will turn into an ice fence, and fire attacks won't work."

As for next year, Rhodes will have enough manpower to begin building the wall.

It will at least be a brick wall.

“I understand, Your Excellency.”

Durant bowed respectfully.

By this point, he understood why his lord was so fearless.

It turns out they had already planned everything out.

“However, the new recruits still need training. This fall and winter is a good opportunity for us to catch up in strength,” Rhodes instructed.

"Yes, Lord Lord."

Durant stepped down in response.

Rhodes' sword has been forged; have Hammer bring a wooden box, pack it up, and take it with him.

Back in the manor hall, Rhodes gave more instructions.

The workload has decreased significantly after the autumn harvest, and the main tasks for the townspeople now are brick making, firewood chopping, and hay gathering.

In previous years, many people would have already started their rest by this time.

But now Rhodes won't let them rest.

Rhodes arranged for Lawrence to organize a construction team of twenty people to build sheds for everyone while inspecting each person's house.

Winters in the wilderness often bring heavy snow, usually several tens of centimeters thick, which can often collapse the roofs of dilapidated wooden houses.

As a lord, Rhodes needed to avoid the calamities caused by these natural disasters.

In order to develop the livestock industry, the livestock sheds also need to be expanded and renovated, so Rod asked Lawrence to send fifty men to Tina.

Animals are also afraid of the cold. Wild rabbits may be a little better off, as they are used to moving around in the snow, but ordinary cattle, horses, sheep, chickens, ducks and geese are all afraid of the cold.

Although they cannot speak, they will tell you through illness that they are afraid of the cold.

Furthermore, livestock consume less feed if they live in a warmer environment.

Trees have lower water content in autumn and winter, making them more suitable for felling than trees in spring and summer.

Rhodes can take advantage of everyone's free time to cut down more trees and prepare timber for construction next year.

At the same time, Rhodes also instructed carpenters, leatherworkers, and weavers to select suitable candidates from among the thirteen- or fourteen-year-old children to teach them new skills.

These children have already learned basic literacy and arithmetic under the tutelage of Avril and Lawrence, but what they will become in the future is up to the artisans to decide.

This winter, Rhodes needs to train more apprentice craftsmen so that he can further develop his territory.

With everything arranged, Rhodes finally had time to hunt with the hunting party.

(End of this chapter)