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

Chapter 169 I'm Not Harlen

Chapter 169 I'm Not Harlen
……

……

The rolling mill emitted a steady "click-clack" sound, like a tireless beast roaring incessantly.

Blacksmiths and apprentices took turns to experience the magic of the rolling mill firsthand.

The operation of the rolling mill is not complicated, but the machine is still somewhat unfamiliar to blacksmiths who are used to swinging hammers all year round.

Rod stood aside, patiently explaining the key points, not only to teach the old blacksmiths like Bard, but also to the apprentices.

Everyone understood that the rolling mill was even more important than the forging hammer; it would become the lifeblood of the blacksmith shop.

Plate armor and shields can be quickly crafted using it.

It's not enough to just teach them how to use the rolling mill; Bard also needs to teach these novices exactly how thick the iron plates need to be.

Of course, this is all for later.

Rhodes wouldn't waste his time here, and turned his attention to Bard and Hammer.

"You two, come here."

He walked calmly into the inner room of the blacksmith's shop where the finished products were kept.

Bud and Hamo exchanged a glance and quickly stepped forward.

Before Rhodes could speak, Bard suddenly took a step forward, lowered his head,
"My lord, I... I was overthinking things. My apologies!"

Bud quickly bowed and bowed, his face full of apology.
"It's all my fault. I misunderstood you. Please don't punish Hamo."

Hammer is now the manager of the blacksmith shop, and Rhodes consults him on everything, so he naturally holds Hammer accountable when something goes wrong.

Rhodes paused for a moment, then shook his head, a slight smile appearing on his lips.

What are you thinking about?

He said in a relaxed tone, with a hint of sarcasm, "It has nothing to do with these things, don't always scare yourself."

Bud breathed a sigh of relief, scratched his head, and a hint of embarrassment flashed across his face.

Hamo chuckled softly as he stood to the side and patted his companion on the shoulder in a gesture of comfort.

Rhodes ignored Bard's awkwardness and waved to Vivian beside him.

"Bring the things here."

Vivian casually handed over a wooden box, which contained a stack of blueprints.

"Look at this,"

He handed the blueprint to Hamo and asked, "Can you tell what this is?"

Hamo took the blueprints, squinted, and examined them carefully.

Bard cautiously leaned closer, frowning, and muttered unconsciously, "Gauntlets? They don't look like them..."

He paused, looked up, and tentatively asked, "This is... a prosthetic hand?"

"It seems to be... two different prosthetic hands."

Hamo looked at Rhodes with a puzzled expression, then immediately realized what was going on.

"Did you prepare this for Lord Durant?"

Rhodes nodded. "Yes, you should know his body measurements, right?"

Hammer nodded. "Yes, my lord, it was measured a long time ago."

"That's good,"

Rhodes looked intently at Hammer and Bard.
“You two are the blacksmiths I trust most, and the first people to follow me. I hope you two will quietly complete this thing.”

Rhodes asked, "Can it be made?"

Hamo didn't speak, but just stared at the blueprints with his brows furrowed like a rope.

Bud's expression wasn't much better; he was also examining the situation intently.

This is the nature of a craftsman: when faced with a task, they will first think about how to complete it, rather than rushing to deal with the lord.

After a while, Hamo carefully examined all the drawings, then looked at Bard.

The two exchanged a glance, and then Bard nodded first.

Hammer turned to look at Rhodes.
"No problem, my lord, we will take care of it for you!"

“Very good. I will reward you separately after this is done well.”

Rod nodded in satisfaction, then added instructions.
"But it must be kept secret, and no one else is allowed to tell anyone if they see it."

"Yes, my lord."

Hamo and Bader assured each other in unison.

"Very good, then you two can continue to familiarize yourselves with the rolling mill."

After giving his instructions, Rod left the blacksmith's shop.

……

The midday sun was just right.

On the open ground of the manor in Frostleaf Town.

“Great, you can now successfully summon spikes.”

Rod smiled and stroked Franny's head.

It's just that the distance is a bit close, at most thirty-six meters.

“Now you can try summoning two ground spikes at once,” Rhodes said.

"Uh-huh!"

Franny nodded vigorously and looked ahead.

"Then where should I put it?"

Frannie tilted her head, her round eyes staring at Rhodes with a puzzled look.

"To the left? To the right? In front? Or behind the first spike?"

Rhodes looked down at Franny's bewildered face, and his lips twitched involuntarily.

But thinking about it carefully, the little girl's question... isn't entirely outrageous.

You can't have two thorns stuck on the same rock, can you?
It was my own oversight.

Rhodes beckoned to the guards beside him, and they brought over two more stones and placed them in front of him.

"See these two rocks?"

Rod pointed to the rock twenty meters ahead and said.

Franny nodded quickly.

"Your task today is simple: summon two ground spikes and hit these two stones precisely."

"Ok!"

Franny readily agreed and began to concentrate on the stone.

Summoning two spikes at once to hit two targets at once at least doubles the difficulty.

The little girl tried for a long time, her face turning bright red, but she could only summon one ground spike.

"Don't be anxious, take your time."

Luo De's tone softened, becoming somewhat reassuring.

"It's normal to be a little clumsy at first, and it's no big deal to fail a few times."

Frani nodded and responded with a soft "Mmm".

She then took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and began to mobilize her body's energy.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, and her hands trembled slightly, as if she were struggling against some invisible force.

Rod stood to the side, arms crossed, observing quietly.

Rhodes carefully sensed the changes in energy within Franny's body.

"puff!"

A muffled thud was heard, and the ground trembled slightly.

Another sharp spike suddenly shot out from the soil, piercing straight towards a rock.

It's a pity there's only one.

This time, without Roddore saying anything, Franny took a breath and began to concentrate again.

Rhodes sensed that the powerful earth energy emanating from Franny's body was slightly weaker than before, but still abundant.

It contains far more energy than that extraordinary earth-element gem.

Franny is a treasure trove, but it hasn't been developed yet; she only possesses one of her awakened abilities.

Just like a witch.

The difference is that warlocks possess strong mental fortitude and can constantly adjust their spells.

But to what extent she can adjust it depends on Franny herself.

This is somewhat similar to Rod's current situation.

However, Rhodes relies on absorbing extraordinary gems to increase his body's energy limit.

Franny needs to enhance her bloodline to become stronger.

In comparison, Rhodes is a bit more perverted.

"Oh!"

The sound of breaking ground rang out, and two sharp spikes suddenly emerged from the ground.

"Success!"

Franny's eyes lit up, but as she lost focus, the two spikes instantly turned into a pile of yellow earth.

The two spikes were short and small, and they weren't even properly inserted.

Only one brushed against the rock.

Franny was a little discouraged when she saw this scene, and she pouted.

"Not bad, at least two came out."

Rhodes patiently comforted him, "Take a breath, it'll get better after a few more tries."

Rod kept encouraging Franny, urging her to practice repeatedly.

Rhodes was very patient, and Franny, despite her repeated failures, never gave up.

Even with her lips pursed, she kept struggling against the stone.

After practicing more than ten times, Franny's energy was finally almost depleted.

She was able to reliably summon two ground spikes, but when both appeared at the same time, she would lose accuracy.

At least this is a good start.

Rod told Franny to rest well and continue practicing tomorrow.

Franny also relies on her body to absorb free energy to restore her energy, but she does it much faster than Rhode.

Similarly, Franny would recover faster if she had an earth-type extraordinary gem, but not as quickly as Rhode.

It's worth noting that wizards manipulate magic through mental power, then transform that magic into various forms of energy, such as fire, lightning, and earth. Theoretically, any wizard can cast spells of any element.

However, energy that is highly compatible with the wizard is easier to control and has greater power.

For example, if Rhodes and Franny were wizards of the same level, then Rhodes' fire-related spells would be more powerful than Franny's.

Similarly, Frannie's earth-based spells are more powerful.

"Perhaps we should find some earth magic for Franny to learn."

Rod watched Franny's departing figure, lost in thought, then looked at Vivian, who was sitting under the eaves, basking in the sunlight and seemingly dozing.

"Tell your sister to translate the apprentice's basic spellbook."

"My sister is still translating the information on those sea-patterned magic irons."

Vivian stood up. "Should we change it to magic?"

"Let's use the Sea-Patterned Magic Iron first; spells take too much time."

Rhodes thought he should ask Dawn for something, even if it was just to pay a fee.

Vivian nodded and sat back down in her chair, pretending to doze off.

"Lord Lord."

A guard rushed over and reported, "The patrol reports that a caravan called Icehoof is heading our way, saying they are transporting supplies for Baron Harlan."

……

Rhodes stood in front of the Frostbreath tavern, his hands behind his back, watching the Icehoof caravan gradually approach in the distance.

Rhodes no longer receives these small caravans; the purchasing work is generally handled by Lawrence.

But this time was different; the slaves and warhorses that Harlan sent with this caravan were exactly what Rhodes had hoped for.

Soon, the wheels of the Icehoof caravan stopped in front of the inn, and a middle-aged man strode out from the caravan.

"Good day, Your Excellency Baron!"

The middle-aged man stopped in front of Rhodes and bowed respectfully.
“I am Engel Breeze, the manager of the Icehoof Caravan. It is my honor to serve you.”

Engel was all smiles, his voice carrying a touch of the shrewdness typical of businessmen.

He's a bit like the old Lawrence.

However, Rhodes rarely hears Lawrence's smooth talk these days; aside from "okay," he only hears a slightly sly smile.

When not in Rhodes's presence, Lawrence's tone was reduced to the aloofness he displayed in front of merchants and the loud commands he gave to slaves.

Lawrence had long since embraced the role of butler.

"Engels, I remember you."

Rhodes's gaze lingered on Engelé for a moment before he asked,

"You were the one who brought Chris's family last time, right?"

A hint of surprise flashed across Engel's face, as if he hadn't expected Rhodes to remember such a small matter.

"Yes, my lord!"

Engel nodded quickly, bowing even lower. "It's my honor that you still remember!"

Rhodes didn't say much, but simply raised his hand slightly, gesturing for Engel to stand up.

His gaze had already shifted to the figures at the rear of the caravan.

Engel realized something and quickly reported, "As you instructed, we have purchased six stonemasons, five bricklayers, and three carpenters."

As he spoke, he quickly produced a parchment list and a bag and handed them over.
"There are forty-seven gold coins left, all of them are here."

Rhodes didn't take it, but Lawrence stepped forward, took it, glanced at it quickly, and put it away.

Rhodes didn't ask any more questions and went straight to the back.

If this list is still inaccurate, then Engelé is openly challenging Rhodes's dignity.

Rod believed he wouldn't be so foolish as to commit suicide.

Rhodes walked directly to the back of the carriage and carefully observed the artisan slaves.

Fourteen slaves, all of them male.

Although he was a little thin, he was in good spirits.

There were three craftsmen in their mid-twenties, and two middle-aged craftsmen in their thirties.

Engel felt Rhodes's gaze and quickly moved closer.
"My lord, we have bought all the craftsmen we could, and there are no more slaves left in the border town."

Engel explained, "If the war in the west hadn't been so intense, we probably wouldn't have been able to gather even these fourteen men..."

"Oh?"

Rhodes looked at Engelé curiously, "How fierce is the fighting in the west?"

Engel looked around, then lowered his voice and whispered in Rhodes' ear.

"The Western Alliance has gone mad for some reason, sending an additional 50,000 allied troops to press on the southern border. The Imperial army has already suffered several defeats and is retreating back into the country."

"fifty thousand?"

Rhodes stared at Engelé, somewhat incredulous.

"Fifty thousand allied troops, do you know what that means?"

Rod asked with a smile.

It's not that Rhodes doesn't believe it, but with the capabilities of this era, even in a warm place like the South, it would take hundreds of thousands of people to support it.

If there were 50,000 regular troops, it would take several million people to support them!

After all, no one has the same stat boosts as Rhodes.

Engel said with a wry smile, "Your Excellency, how could I possibly deceive you? This is all accurate information..."

He lowered his voice and added again, "I believe the imperial army's decree will be issued soon..."

Upon hearing Engelé's words, Rhodes frowned and fell into deep thought.

After a moment, Rhodes looked at Engel and asked, "Does Baron Harun know about this?"

“I just found out,” Engelé replied.

"Since you told me this, go back and tell him to prepare to fight, representing the Falcon family."

Rod said slowly, "If he can actively respond to the imperial decree, the royal family is likely to side with him."

The imperial family generally does not concern themselves with the attribution of border earldoms, especially after Baron Harlan presented witnesses to question the legitimacy of the previous Earl of Falcon's title.

But if Baron Harlan fights for the Empire and performs well, he might win the Empire's favor.

The Empire might just side with Harun.

Even if they don't win the empire's favor, they can't let Baron Zane show his face in front of the royal family.

This was known as involution in Rhodes's previous life.

"You are indeed a wise lord,"

Engel offered a compliment, then explained, "Our Baron is already making preparations; he shares your thoughts."

Rhodes nodded slightly, without saying anything more.

The imperial edict probably has nothing to do with the lords of the Northern Wilderness.

These northern lords, including Rhodes, have just arrived here and have no foundation whatsoever. What kind of military force do they have to respond to the imperial edict?

After all, other lords don't have the same various affixes that allow them to develop faster, unlike Rhodes.

Are they going to abandon their home and have the baron personally lead ten soldiers to fight?

Then what are we fighting for?

For nobles, their land was the most important thing; without land, their noble titles were meaningless.

Therefore, even if the empire issues an edict, it will not drain the pond to catch all the fish.

The Empire couldn't possibly keep an eye on Rhodes, because if Rhodes specifically issued a decree for conquest, it would be somewhat targeted.

Therefore, Rhodes paid little attention to this information.

However, it's unclear how long the war will last, or whether food prices will rise.

"The slaves are not bad,"

Rhodes waved his hand, signaling Lawrence to step forward and make the arrangements.

New craftsmen are given a training session, given instructions on the rules, and then sent to their respective craftsmen.

Rhodes turned around, his gaze falling on the warhorse in the distance.

"Is that my Mosar Plateau warhorse?"

Rod looked at Engelé and asked, "A stallion or a mare?"

"Stallion".

Engelé quickly replied.

Rhodes nodded slightly.

Yeah, a stallion.

Rhodes walked slowly forward, admiring the warhorse before him.

Its entire body was covered in deep, smooth black fur, and Rod circled around it without finding a single stray hair.

Unlike those slender and elegant steeds, this warhorse had bulging muscles and a strong, robust frame, resembling a black behemoth.

Its size and shoulder height exceeded that of ordinary warhorses, its mane was thick, and its wide hooves would occasionally tread on the stones on the ground, making a low, muffled sound.

Noticing Rhodes's observation, the Mosar Highland warhorse raised its head, glanced at Rhodes with its slightly purple pupils, then quickly lowered its head and began to pull on the reins to back away.

"Your Excellency, please be careful. This warhorse is fierce and has already kicked over three horse trainers..."

After saying that, Engelé quickly lowered his head, swallowed hard, and dared not look Rhodes in the eye.

"I was wondering why Harlan was suddenly so generous, giving me such a fine warhorse."

Rhodes snorted and glanced at Engelé beside him.

Engelé was a little nervous at the sharp gaze.

This is the most difficult thing this time.

—Let Baron Rhodes accept this spirited warhorse.

"I apologize, my lord, I misspoke."

Engel quickly explained, "It is indeed a well-trained warhorse, but precisely because of this, it chooses its master..."

"So, Baron Harlan failed?"

Rod asked with a smile.

"Although I hate to admit it, yes, Knight Aurelia also failed..."