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

Chapter 138 You killed him?

Xue Rui was secretly delighted.

Since the leader was willing to meet with him instead of locking him up directly, it meant that the situation wasn't too bad.

As the elders had warned them, if those vicious humans really wanted to capture them, they would use even more brutal methods to seize them directly and lock them in sturdy cages.

They then tortured him using various cruel methods and methods until they learned the whereabouts of the other members of their tribe.

When the leader asked her to wear a cloak to conceal her identity, Sherry became even more determined in her mind.

This human being may be different from others.

This also proves that my judgment was correct.

She and her companions followed the guards all the way to Frostleaf Town, carefully observing the place.

This was the first time in her rabbit life that she had ever set foot in a human settlement.

Despite Sherry's constant reminders to stay alert, her deep blue eyes couldn't help but peer curiously through the gaps in her cloak.

This unfamiliar human town was full of new and exciting things for her.

Led by Jess, Sherry and her companions made their way through without any obstacles.

Soon, they arrived at the manor gate.

Jess briefly explained his purpose to the guard.

After the guard went in to report, Jess turned around.
"Go inside, the lord is waiting for you there."

Jess looked the two aliens up and down, and couldn't help but add, "Be respectful, and the lord should grant your request."

"Thanks you."

Xue Rui respectfully nodded in greeting.

After saying that, he stepped into the manor.

……

……

Sherry carefully stepped into the manor hall, her eyes scanning the surroundings. She spotted a human boy sitting in the chair at the very front of the hall.

As Jess had reminded her, Sherry quickly lifted her cloak and bowed in greeting.

The movements were a bit clumsy, but you could tell that he was very sincere.

"Greetings, Your Excellency Lord of Blackpine Ridge."

After standing still, Sherry introduced herself: "I am Sherry Dier, the Great Elder of the Dier Tribe. Thank you for taking the time to meet us."

He pulled a delicate leather bag from his pocket.

"This is a gift for you."

Sheryl explained, "This is bear bile moss, which can purify the blood and strengthen muscles and bones after consumption."

"Regular use can enhance the body's recovery and anti-toxic abilities."

Rod was still sizing up Sherry.

She was wearing a fur coat, and her slightly protruding chest appeared to be a human feature.

Its face is also a beautiful human face, with exceptionally bright azure eyes, but it has a rabbit's nose and a pair of long, upright rabbit ears on its head.

The exposed hands were also furry paws, and the lower body's feet were also like rabbit paws.

It was completely different from what Rod had imagined.

She does resemble the rabbit police officer from the animated movies I watched in my previous life somewhat.

"sounds good."

Rod withdrew his gaze, nodded slightly, and then the image of bear bile moss came to mind.

Bear bile moss is a variant of northern moss, said to grow only on the tundra near the dens of northern snow bears, and must coexist with snow bear excrement.

Rhodes waved for Durant to take the bear bile moss and casually said, "Your Imperial language sounds pretty good. Where did you learn it?"

“There was once a learned human living in our tribe who taught our empire the written language.”

Sheryl sighed softly, "He said he would come back after he left not long ago, but there has been no trace of him since."

"That's a bit of a pity."

Rhodes never imagined that anyone would come to the Northern Wastes and live among other races...

and many more.

Rhodes suddenly realized what was happening and asked, "How old was that human? Was he male or female?"

He is a middle-aged man.

Sherry explained, "I still remember his name, it's Aura, and I think he was a nobleman from the Shattered Rock Empire."

Count Aura.

His Majesty's younger brother.

The source of the bloody edict.

Rod silently scrutinized Sherry, his gaze turning somber.
"So it was your tribe that killed Count Aura?"

"what?"

Sherry immediately waved her hand, "Of course not! He taught us a lot of knowledge, and he even taught us how to plant!"

"We Snow Rabbits are not a ferocious and brutal race like the Bloodscale Tribe!"

"The Bloodscale Tribe?"

Rod asked in confusion, "What kind of tribe is that?"

"Lizardmen are bloodthirsty and cruel; some of them even eat humans!"

Sherry's eyes were filled with anger, "They forced us to end up here!"

“Very good, it’s the Bloodscale Tribe.”

Rod said something that left Sherry somewhat puzzled.

What she didn't know was.

Rhodes had a thought for a split second.

Should we hand them over to the Empire and present them as the murderers of Count Aura to earn imperial rewards?

But then Rhodes thought again that the bloody edict might not be as simple as he imagined, and these snow rabbit people didn't really seem that fierce.

Just then, Sherry mentioned this Bloodscale tribe.
—It's highly likely that they were the lizardmen who raided Razorfen Downs.

With Avril as a witness, and the corroborating opinions of the Snow Rabbit people like Sherry, it is enough to prove that the Blood Phosphorus Tribe is a vicious and ruthless alien race.

Their plot to murder Count Aura is even more convincing.

"Okay, I see."

Rhodes' voice was calm and authoritative, then he changed the subject...
“My men spotted traces of your tribe a few days ago; you should be on the outskirts of the Black Pine Ridge Mountains.”

“But my men didn’t investigate further. What do you want here today?”

Sheryl took a deep breath and mustered her courage to say, "We hope to have a place to live in your territory."

"You want to buy the status of a free citizen, right?"

Rhodes frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and then said...

"Sure, as long as you give me enough supplies, I can set aside a piece of land for you to live on, but you will still have to pay taxes."

The reason he agreed to the Snow Rabbit's request was that the edge of the Blackrock Mountains was not within his effective control.

If the Snow Rabbits were to retreat deeper into the Blackrock Mountains, it would be difficult for Rhodes to send people to capture them.

Sending soldiers to suppress them was a time-consuming, laborious, and thankless task.

Instead of doing that, we should cooperate with them and make them pay taxes.

As long as the Snow Rabbit tribe is willing to cooperate, Rhodes will naturally not refuse.

Rod tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of the chair: "Sixty percent of the profits from farmland will go to taxes, and if you hunt, sixty percent of the game will also be handed over."

“I will allow you to cut down my trees to build houses.”

Suddenly, Rhodes thought of something and looked at the long-eared snow rabbit in front of him: "Or, do you know how to build houses?"

"Honorable Lord of Blackpine Ridge,"

Sherry replied softly, "We live underground; we like to dig burrows and live in them."

"Oh."

Rhodes nodded slightly; the situation was somewhat similar to what he had imagined.

No wonder Durant and his team couldn't find any trace of these snow hares.

They're hiding underground, how are we supposed to find them?
“You can also move to Frostleaf Town to live, and my guards will protect your safety. But remember, if you want to survive in Blackpine Ridge, you must abide by the laws here.”

"You, you agreed?"

Xue Rui was slightly taken aback, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes.

“As long as you pay me enough supplies,” Rhodes said calmly. “I accept all kinds of supplies: herbs, ores, meat, furs, and slaves, anything.”

"Do you have any other requests? Such as having us perform for you or serve you?"

“We don’t have a theater troupe here, so the performance is probably unnecessary.”

Rod paused, looking Sherry up and down. "If you want to be a maid at the manor, I can consider it, but I don't think you're up to the job."

"Oh, sorry, that's not what I meant."

Xue Rui's face lit up with joy, and she nodded her thanks quickly: "Thank you for your kindness! I'll have my people prepare supplies as soon as I get back!"

She knew that not all humans were bad!

Just like the human lords before us, all they have to do is pay their own taxes!
They did not intend to arrest any members of their clan!
Each tribe had its own territory, and the prey and resources within it were considered the tribe's property.

Therefore, Sherry is very accepting of the idea of ​​collecting taxes.

Not paying taxes?
That's an act of invasion, and the tribe will wage war to defend its rights!
"Yes, I will send a tax official to your place after you bring the supplies."

Rhodes said calmly.

"Yes, Your Excellency Lord of Blackpine Ridge."

Sheryl hesitated for a moment, then asked cautiously, "Could you give us some food?"

"food?"

Rhodes frowned slightly, his voice turning colder.
"The food supply is insufficient."

The Snow Rabbit people have just arrived and haven't started paying taxes yet, so they can't provide any food.

Food production requires hard work.

"I can give you herbs, and we can exchange them for more herbs."

Sherry made the suggestion eagerly.

Rhodes shook his head, unmoved: "Herbs cannot be exchanged for food with me."

Rhodes traded herbs with caravans for food, so how could he trade food for herbs?
"Then we also know the location of the iron ore mine inside the Blackrock Mountains."

Sherry added, "I can tell you anything."

Rhodes shook his head again, refusing without hesitation.

"Then I don't need it."

Rhodes wasn't deliberately making things difficult; he already had an iron mine that he couldn't manage, and there was a silver mine waiting to be developed.

He doesn't plan to open a second iron mine until he has enough manpower.

Moreover, if he really wanted to know the location of the iron ore, he could simply lead his men to the foot of the Blackrock Mountains to search for it himself.

It's not worth exchanging grain for.

Rhodes's most important asset right now is food, which he cannot simply distribute to outsiders.

Food was a matter of life and death, and Rhodes could only use his food to feed his main army.

Rhodes was unwilling to easily offer food in exchange for the Snow Rabbit people, given the high degree of uncertainty surrounding them, especially since he had never sold food to outsiders before.

Rod's decisive refusal left Sherry speechless for a moment.

She didn't know what to do for a moment.

"Then... how can you sell us grain?"

Xue Rui asked cautiously, her azure eyes filled with nervousness.

"I will only provide food to those who serve me and obey my orders completely for at least five years."

Rod looked at Sherry and said directly:
“If you want food, you should tell me now what you can do for me so that I will willingly give you food.”

At this moment, Rhodes resembled an interviewer.

The snow rabbit people must adopt a submissive attitude and demonstrate their worth.

Sherry looked at her companion beside her, thought for a moment, and replied, "We can do things for you! We know herbs!"

Xue Rui quickly added, "We've always lived in the mountains and know a lot about herbs!"

Rhodes shook his head slightly: "This doesn't count as a special ability."

"We are very cold-resistant, we can go out and about in winter, and we can also hunt for you!"

Sherry quickly added.

"That's some ability, but not very valuable."

Rhodes frowned slightly and pressed further, "Are you skilled in combat? Do you have powerful warriors or fighters?"

If the Snow Rabbits can fight in winter, they will become a formidable force.

Sheryl pondered for a moment: "We have several powerful warriors, but we love peace, and our tribe does not often participate in battles."

Rhodes couldn't help but chuckle: "You should say something more valuable."

Those who don't participate in battles often aren't good at fighting.

Given that the Snow Rabbit people like to live in burrows, they are probably better at hiding.

Sherry pondered deeply for a long time, then finally shook her head slightly, a hint of frustration in her eyes:
"It seems like all we can do is dig holes..."

"Yes, you should be good at digging tunnels."

Rod's eyes lit up, and his thoughts began to wander.

"Are you good at digging cellars? Are you skilled in mining? Or do you have experience in digging foundations, trenches, or ore extraction?"

"Yes, of course! That's often how our homes are built."

Sherry sensed the expectation in Rod's words, and she immediately breathed a sigh of relief, her voice now brimming with confidence.

Rod immediately perked up and asked with great interest, "Then tell me, will the tunnels you dig ever collapse? How do you solve these problems?"

"It has never collapsed."

Sherry answered with a hint of pride, her eyes shining.
"This is our talent; we can find the hardest parts of the earth and also the weakest points in the soil to dig. This way, we can avoid cave-in."

"Our saliva and urine can mix with the soil to make the walls stronger."

"Hmm, that's quite interesting."

A satisfied smile finally appeared on Rod's face.

If what Xue Rui said is true, then the Snow Rabbit people do indeed have some value.

For example, if the mining of ore and the excavation of cellars are entrusted to these snow rabbit people, the results will be much more efficient.

They are not afraid of the cold in winter, and they do not have to delay the progress.

From a long-term perspective, Rhodes could even build an underground palace beneath Frostleaf Town specifically for storing various supplies and carrying out various tasks.

At the same time, they can also be asked to build underground drainage pipes and even help dig the foundation of the city wall.

With some proper training in construction masonry, they could become part of Rhodes' infrastructure team.

Rhodes stroked his chin, his thoughts continuing to wander.

—If the Snow Rabbits are truly skilled at digging, they might even be able to find a way to break through those seemingly impregnable fortified castles.

"I'm quite interested in your ability to dig tunnels."

Rhodes said,

"However, I want to try it first. Can you work in winter?"

"Of course, Your Excellency Lord of Black Pine Ridge."

Sherry replied respectfully, “The permafrost will cause us some trouble, but we can still dig shallow caves for now. We will only rest in the depths of winter.”

We might be a little slow, but once we break through the shallow permafrost, going deeper won't be a problem.

"it is good,"

Rhodes nodded and got straight to the point.

"In that case, bring your people over and pick a few capable ones to work for me. I need to dig a large cellar and ice cellar, and you will be in charge of this project."

"I will provide food for you and your tribesmen while they are working."

Rod smiled and said, "If you can do these jobs well for me, I can consider supporting you and providing you with a stable food supply."

"As for the rest, we'll talk about it later."

"no problem!"

Sherry answered loudly and decisively.

Her people were also very happy.

Digging burrows is the easiest job for the snow rabbit people, and also their favorite job!
"Please rest assured, we will definitely work hard for you and dig a beautiful and spacious cellar!"

Sherry made a loud promise, her eyes filled with hope.

She finally found a way out for her people.

(End of this chapter)