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

Chapter 130 Rhodes Conjecture
……

……

The total number of slaves that Manxiu brought this time was 431.

According to Manxiu, he brought 439 people with him before he came.

It seems that a few people have been completely stranded on the road.

This is normal. Given the long distance, it's already a very good result that fewer than ten people died.

This is because Manxiu only trains people who are between 15 and 30 years old.

Otherwise, even more will fall.

Manshu was a businessman, not a philanthropist, so naturally he would take in those of value to be his slaves.

As for the rest, he couldn't care less.

Of these slaves, there were 180 men and the rest were women.

This was not because women were more resilient than men, but because many men had become soldiers or were taken in on their way to Oak Town.

After all, every man is a source of labor.

What Rhodes found somewhat regrettable was that there weren't many craftsmen among so many people.

There were only five men who had worked with stones and one carpenter's apprentice; there were no blacksmiths.

Women, on the other hand, have many skills; they all know how to weave cloth.

In addition, Manxiu also brought Rhodes over 400 pounds of rags.

McCree didn't collect these rags to make money; he just picked them up casually after selling goods along the way.

Manshu's main profits still come from everyday items such as honey, spices, and fabrics.

The remaining 1,300 jin of grain on the truck were also bought by Rod.

This is also one of the main reasons why Manshu was willing to come to the Rhodes territory.

Whatever goods he brought, Rhodes could basically devour them, then exchange them for salt and paper, which he could then transport back and turn into shiny gold coins.

This time, Manxiu only stayed in Twinleaf Town for two days because if it got any colder, he might not be able to leave.

Rhodes provided Menshu with 20,000 sheets of new paper.

This is the last remaining stock. Efficiency is low in winter, and production will decrease significantly.

In addition, there were 6,000 catties of salt, but this time there were no furs or hides.

All the items that could be sold were taken away by the Dawn Merchant Guild led by Linda, while Rhodes had to keep the rest to store up for the winter.

After all, the extra slaves can't keep working in just a single layer of clothing.

This time, because Manshu brought a large number of slaves, he didn't have to spend extra gold coins, and he even took twenty gold coins from Rhodes' pocket.

The key issue was the high price of slaves. Even at half price, Rhodes still had to pay 100 gold coins. With the addition of spices and other goods, Manshu was able to avoid paying any gold coins.

Of course, these fire gems are not included.

As materials for enhancing Rhodes' own strength, the Flame Gem should be calculated separately from the territory's goods.

As soon as Mansh left, Rhode eagerly absorbed the energy of the Flame Gem.

This feeling fascinated Rod.

Although the system notification still indicated "a small amount of fire energy," Rhode's starting point was low, and this fire gem directly doubled the scorching energy within his body.

It's worth mentioning that Rhodes' body can indeed automatically absorb the fire energy floating in the air, but it's extremely slow.

It took Rhode a full week to replenish the energy he lost when he last unleashed a fire arrow.

It sounds like it happened around the same time Avril summoned her clone.

This also made Rhodes curious about how long it would take for Linda to recover after casting one of her spells.

After absorbing the energy of the second Flame Gem, Rhode's body's scorching energy became noticeably more active.

The more fire energy in his body, the more Rhode could feel his absorption rate increasing slightly.

More importantly, Rhodes can now withstand having his fingers stuck in the flames for four or five seconds, which is a significant improvement.

Rhodes felt that there were many more ways to use this scorching energy, but natural absorption was too slow, so he couldn't experiment with it casually at the moment.

Rhodes was waiting for news from the Dawn Society, hoping to get more answers about witches and wizards.

With the iron ore mine's tracks laid, the carpenters and workers returned to Frostleaf Town under Jess's escort.

Rod and his craftsmen began building the second windmill.

This was a huge project, and Rod and the carpenters spent all their daytime working on it.

Just two days later, a patrol team in the southeast discovered traces of wild men near the Blade's Edge Mountains.

Based on the previous report from the White Frost Prophet, it was determined to be the Wolf Hoof tribe.

Rhode didn't want to go into the Blade's Edge Mountains to search for any savage tribes, but since he was already out there, he decided to take them in.

Rhodes entrusted the matter to the White Frost Prophet and Us, while also having his guards lead fifty soldiers and thirty wildling spearmen to assist him.

A small tribe of a hundred people is no longer worth Rhode's personal visit.

The key is that Rhodes can't worry about everything, otherwise he'll work himself to death sooner or later.

……

……

"Come on, Ivan."

The man carrying the firewood looked at his companion and asked with some concern, "What's wrong?"

The slaves in Frostleaf Town are well-fed, and as long as they work honestly, no one will cause them trouble.

But unlike other places, all the slaves who came to Frostleaf Town together were separated.

Whether they come from the same tribe, the same village, or even the same family, they will not work together.

Only after a three-month "probationary period" will the same family live together once a week, and they will be separated for the rest of the time.

Another rule for slaves in Frostleaf Town is that "old" slaves mentor new ones.

This allows new slaves to quickly adapt to the environment and work in Frostleaf Town.

The man carrying the firewood was the old slave, and Ivan, whom he was in charge of, was a refugee who had just arrived.

"I, I, I..."

Ivan looked pained, curled up, and clutched his stomach.

"My stomach hurts so much, I think I ate something bad. The food here is so oily!"

Ivan glanced at the corner beside him, grabbed his waistband, and started to walk inside, about to take off his pants.

"No, no, you can't poop here! Otherwise, the overseer's whip will make you wish you were dead!"

The old slave immediately shouted to stop him.
"There's a toilet over there, a place specifically for pooping, hurry up!"

"Good good!"

Ivan loudly agreed, the pain in his stomach preventing him from thinking, and he quickly ran to the toilet.

After entering the restroom, Ivan looked around and, finding no one there, his pained expression vanished instantly.

He glanced outside twice, and after confirming that no one was around, he quietly took out a strip of cloth and began to draw something on it with charcoal.

"This is the slave area, this is the commoners' area, the northeast direction is off-limits, it's probably a military camp, and the northwest... now the northwest is the only place we haven't been."

Ivan secretly hid the fabric, got up, and left the bathroom.

After carefully observing his surroundings and confirming that no one was around, he quietly made his way towards the northwest.

He hadn't taken two steps when he saw a wooden sign with a big X drawn on it.

Ahead was a fence made of spikes, obscuring what was inside.

Ivan could only vaguely hear deafening shouts from inside.

"Is this the barracks?"

Ivan thought about it for a moment and then became interested.

He cautiously surveyed his surroundings, and once he found no one, he nimbly vaulted over the edge of the fence.

Ivan's steps were light as he landed on the ground and quickly sought a place to hide.

What came into view was an empty training ground with wooden targets, stone blocks, and some strange wooden frames.

Ivan knew that the stone blocks were used by soldiers to train their strength, but what were the wooden stakes and frames used for?

Ivan was full of questions, but this was not his mission.

As long as we confirm that this is a military camp, that's fine.

Next, he needs to determine the number of troops, which can be roughly estimated based on the number of houses and items inside.

Ivan quietly walked to a corner, then lay down behind a stone block and took out the strip of cloth he had been using to write something down.

Just as he was concentrating on taking notes, a shadow appeared above his head...

"Did you have a lot of fun drawing?"

"Of course, no, I,"

As soon as Ivan looked up, a burly man's figure appeared before him.

"I accidentally wandered in here..."

Before he could finish speaking, the man slammed a fist into the back of his head.

Ivan's vision went black, and he immediately fainted.

When Ivan opened his eyes again, he had been led into a warm and spacious hall.

Before him stood a handsome blond boy.

"I'm sorry, my lord, I got lost and wandered in by accident. Please let me go!"

Ivan immediately realized the boy's identity and knelt on the ground begging for mercy.

"get lost?"

The boy was none other than Rhodes, who squinted at Ivan.

"Does getting lost allow you to cross the fence?"

This Ivan was one of the seven who had joined the refugee village chief mentioned, and the guards had been watching him for a long time.

The slaves who were watching Ivan were also carefully selected.

Rod looked at the man who was a few years older than him, didn't waste words with him, and said directly to Gunle, "Torture him first, and then question him after he becomes obedient."

Rhodes didn't like wasting time, and he had a lot of things to deal with, so he needed to know the answer as soon as possible.

It would be much easier to conduct the interrogation first and then ask questions.

"No problem, sir!"

Gunther grinned and drew his dagger.

"No, sir, lord, I'll tell you anything!"

Ivan shouted loudly.

Rod sneered.

This guy doesn't seem to be any elite; he's already behaving himself before the game even begins. Rhodes really has to admit, so far, Chris is the only one with backbone.

Despite his arrogance, Chris still possesses some of the qualities of a knight compared to the average person.

"Whose man are you, and what is your mission?" Rhodes asked without hesitation.

"My lord, it wasn't me! I didn't want to come, but my family has been arrested!"

Ivan's face was contorted with pain: "My whole family has been arrested. I was forced to do what they told me to do to gather information about your territory..."

"I'm asking you who sent you."

Rhodes frowned. "I don't want to hear any more nonsense."

"I...I don't know them, and I don't know who they are..."

Ivan stammered as he explained, "After they captured me, they kept me masked and ordered me to infiltrate this place and learn everything about Frostleaf Town."

All I know is that he's very curious about the situation in your territory; I really don't know anything else.

"Don't want to say it?"

Rhodes beckoned, and Gunther quickly stepped forward, pinning Ivan down and placing his hands on the chair.

"Sir, no, no! I really don't know who sent me, I don't recognize them!"

"I'm just a rat in the border town, I got caught right after stealing a wallet!"

"They blindfolded me and led me into a dark room! They also kidnapped my father and sister!"

"What I said is real!"

"They were very generous; after I agreed, they gave my father five gold coins!"

"By the way, my lord, I smell roses and a woman's voice!"

Ivan emphasized loudly, "When I was masked, I heard a woman's voice, and that woman seemed to be the leader!"

Ivan blurted out all the information he could think of.

Rod waved his hand, signaling Gunther to stop.

Nobles or merchants, women, concealing their identities.

Merchants wouldn't be that skilled, unless they were slave owners.

Rod frowned as he pondered.

Why are the people of the border town so curious about me?

"What about the seven people who came with you?"

Rod asked, "Are they all your accomplices?"

“I don’t know them, I don’t know who they are, I just took the opportunity to blend in with them.”

Ivan was very frank: "That woman was my companion, and the other family must really be refugees who couldn't make ends meet."

Rhodes looked at Gunle and gestured for him to bring the woman, Ivan's wife, over.

Then, Ivan honestly recounted the whole story, explaining that the person who received his information was a merchant from the border town.

This is a long-term mission, so Ivan doesn't know who to give the message to yet, only that there is a code.

Ivan's "wife" was soon brought over.

Her knees were weaker than Ivan's; after being intimidated by the guards, she confessed everything.

Her identity was that of a slave; after being captured by the slave-catching team, she was sold to Ivan as his wife.

Ivan's "wife," however, had no mission.

I don't know anything else.

Rod frowned as he thought.

When Rhodes wanted to send spies into his territory, the first person he thought of was Earl Falcon.

Therefore, Rhodes was wary of the group of refugees who had come.

But it's unlikely now because the process is too complicated.

When it comes to arranging spies, the simpler the process and the fewer people who know about it, the better.

The Earl of Falcon arranged for people in the border town, and then let these people infiltrate the refugee ranks in his own territory, which is somewhat contradictory.

The wealthy women of the border town, coupled with the scent of roses, immediately reminded Rod of the Rose Manor in the border town.

It's quite normal for Marquis Hanren to plant spies.

Rod was helpless.

I never expected that my low-key approach would attract attention.

But there's no way around it; development and keeping a low profile are inherently conflicting.

There are no secrets in this world; things will get out. Rhodes probably guessed that the war with the Earl had become known.

Rhodes has been very restrained.

If he were truly so arrogant, he would have already invaded the Earl's territory.

"Your Excellency, what should we do with these people?"

Gunther asked in a low voice, "How about we just hang him?"

Rod didn't speak, he just waved his hand.

If it really is Marquis Hanren, then even if these people are executed, the other side will still send another wave.

To be fair, Marquis Coldblade is not the same as Earl Falcon.

Marquis Hanren controls most of the main roads in the Northern Territory, making him a truly powerful noble family.

In the Western Alliance, Marquis Coldblade's status and power are already equivalent to that of the king of some small countries.

Rhodes knew his own limitations; he was not yet able to challenge the Marquis.

Besides, Ivan hadn't caused any damage yet, and Rhodes hanging him would have alerted the enemy.

Gunle scratched his head and quietly retreated.

Rod frowned, deep in thought, unsure of what to do.

However, Rhodes quickly came to terms with it.

Marquis Hanren wanted to know the news, didn't he?

Then just give them the message.

Rhodes beckoned Ivan to his side: "You have two choices. First, I will reveal your identity and send you back to the border town."

Then you yourself become completely worthless, and the life or death of your family is entirely determined by fate.

"I choose the second one! I choose the second one!"

Before Rhodes could finish speaking, Ivan hurriedly answered loudly.

"It seems you are very smart."

Rhodes explained,
"Secondly, I will make sure you are safe and sound here as a slave, and your messages can be passed on to the person you are in contact with."

But everything you say must be what I told you.

You will see nothing else and know nothing else.

We lived together peacefully like this.

"Yes, yes, no problem, no problem, Your Excellency. I'll do whatever you say."

Ivan breathed a sigh of relief.

Ivan wasn't stupid; this way, he could get the message out and appease the person who gave him the orders.

That way, I can survive, and my family can stay safe.

"So, you need to report the information the other party gives you to me as soon as possible."

"Rod commanded."

Ivan nodded.
"no problem."

"very good."

Rod waved and ordered Gunle, "Take him away first, don't attract attention, Lawrence will arrange new jobs for them."

A spy like Ivan would naturally be assigned some unimportant tasks, such as farming, and then someone would be sent to keep an eye on him.

"Okay sir."

Gunther stepped forward and carried Ivan and his wife away like chickens, one in each hand.

Rhodes sat alone in the manor hall, gazing at the fireplace and beginning to ponder.

If he really is Marquis Hanren, why would Marquis Hanren target me?

In Rhodes's view, no matter how much he developed, he posed no threat to Marquis Coldblade.
Moreover, Black Pine Ridge is located in the northern wilderness, a territory that even nobles do not want. Why would Marquis Hanren invest his efforts and resources in it?
Rod posed the question to Durant, who frowned and pondered.

Could it be that the new paper has attracted attention?

But surely the news wouldn't arrive that quickly?
I've been careful enough.

Rhodes pondered,

But if that were the case, he should have directly discussed cooperation with me, or extorted the formula from me, instead of simply sending two slaves to gather information about me.

If this is exposed, we will only be in a more passive position.

"Perhaps he simply wants to have control over his surroundings?"

Rhodes was thinking.

This is probably the most reasonable possibility.

As a lord, one must always pay attention to the surrounding situation and use scouts to find out everything happening around you.

But to be fair, if that's the case, then it must be that Rhodes wants to do something and is afraid that the other party will affect him.

If he were just a lazy marquis or lord who lay low and didn't care about anything, then he certainly wouldn't take Baron Rhodes seriously.

Rhodes suddenly had a bad feeling.

It seems this marquis intends to extend his reach into the northern wilderness.

Rhodes felt a bit unlucky. Why did everyone start causing trouble for him as soon as he became a lord?
To the north, foreign tribes are eyeing us covetously, and to the south, marquises are starting to have their own schemes.

Rod couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

Perhaps Marquis Hanren's idea wasn't new.

After all, there were no dukes in the northern provinces, only Marquis Hanren himself.

Marquis Coldblade will likely want to become a duke.

Suddenly, an idea flashed through Rhodes' mind.

Could it be that His Majesty divided and distributed the entire Northern Wilderness to prevent Marquis Hanren from becoming too powerful?

If that's the case, then His Majesty is quite thoughtful.

What about His Majesty's brother?
Rhodes was still somewhat puzzled.

Were they really killed by a foreign race?
(End of this chapter)