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

Chapter 190 New Spells
……

……

Gunle and Renn returned with their army.

A mixed-race man with a rope around his neck was pulling a cart piled high with various corpses, ores, and other supplies.

Rhodes also saw the tall, strong yak-men, who were unrestrained and walked in the middle of the group with bundles of weapons and furs on their backs.

"Just as Shirley said."

Rhodes gazed at the yak-men who were walking obediently with their heads down and sighed.

These yak people looked very docile, unlike the foreign tribes pulling the carts in front of them.

"My lord, our mission has been successfully completed!"

After bowing, Gunther grinned and reported, "We killed fifty-three hybrids and captured nineteen!"

"It's a pity that three of them escaped, and there was even a minor leader among them. What bad luck!"

Gunle spat, and Ryan quickly nudged him to watch his image.

Gangle immediately realized what was happening, scratched his head, and continued to report: "We rescued fifty-seven yak people, and they all volunteered to come with us."

"As you instructed, we ambushed the fleeing lizardmen near the camp, capturing eleven and killing nineteen."

"Before we left, we emptied the lizardmen's camp, got a truckload of ore and a lot of furs, as well as some herbs, dried meat and wheat."

Gangle stared wide-eyed and exclaimed, "Thanks to those yak people, otherwise we really wouldn't have been able to move those things back."

"well-done."

Rod nodded slightly, then smiled and asked, "You brought back dried meat too?"

"Yes, those jerky pieces look really big, it's a shame to throw them away..."

"Lizardmen eat everything, including people, and we don't even know what their jerky is made of."

As soon as Rod finished speaking, Gunle's eyes widened.

Then, his face turned bright red, and he clutched his chest as he ran to the other side.

"vomit--"

"He...ate it?"

Rod asked, pointing to the vomiting Gunle.

Ryan nodded, his expression helpless: "On the way back, he insisted on tasting it to see if it was salty enough..."

Rod chuckled twice, then looked at Gunther's retreating figure without saying a word.

"What should we do with that dried meat? It weighs about seven or eight hundred pounds," Renn asked.

Rhodes wouldn't eat those dubious jerky, and Frostleaf Town isn't that short of jerky.

Rhodes thought for a moment, then looked at the hybrids and said, "Let's leave some food for those hybrids."

The nineteen hybrids were different from ordinary slaves; they would be used as consumables, and as long as they were fed enough to keep them alive, they would be fine.

"My lord, we have inadvertently overheard some other information."

Raine didn't hide anything and honestly reported the matter of Vardagar to Rhodes.

"It's a pity he got away."

"It's ok."

Rhodes smiled and comforted him, "It would be great if we caught them, but it doesn't matter if we don't. Such hybrids are not very meaningful to us now."

The events at Razorfen Downs have long since changed, and capturing Vardaja is merely a way to hand him over to Avril for revenge.

The important task now is to fight the lizardmen, who are stronger than the hybrids, and to gradually develop the Razor Plains.

Renn nodded his thanks to Rhodes for his comfort, then turned to the yak-men behind him.
"The lord's yak people are really good."

Renn sighed softly and said, "I used to think that all alien races were very fierce and terrifying, but the Snow Rabbit and Yak people have completely changed my mind."

"These yak people have such strong physiques, yet they have exceptionally good temperaments."

"It looks like it."

Rhodes turned his gaze back to the yak people. "Let their leader come to see me."

"Ok."

Raine turned and ran quickly over, leading a short yak-man to Rhodes.

The so-called short stature is only compared to other yak people, but in reality he is still 1.9 meters tall.

The yak-man stepped forward and mumbled a long string of words before kneeling down before Rhodes.
—It's not ordinary kneeling and worship, but a prostrate kneeling and worship similar to full-body prostration.

"Honorable human lord, may your life be as long as the snow on the Icefield Mountains."

The snow rabbit translated, "I am Bain Gianthoof, the leader of the Gianthoof tribe. We will do as you command."

"Get up."

Rhodes waved his hand, looking at the honest and simple-minded yak man, feeling both happy and frustrated.

What makes me happy is that these yak herders have fallen into my hands and can work for me.

I feel frustrated because I feel frustrated for these yak people.

Despite possessing such a strong physique, he was timid and submissive, appearing as if he could be slaughtered at will.

Upon hearing Kyle's translation, the yak-man Bein got up.

"I heard you're very skilled at forging?" Rhodes asked.

The yak herder stroked his horns and mumbled something in his speech.

"Yes, lord, we all know a little bit, but none of us are as good as humans."

"Alright, from now on you'll work diligently as blacksmiths for me."

After listening to Kyle's translation, Rhodes looked at Bane and said, "I will arrange your food, clothing and lodging. You don't need to worry about it anymore."

Although the blacksmith shop continues to add machines, those are all machines that help forge finished products.

These yak people may not have any advanced skills, but their strong bodies must have made them adept at forging iron.

This can significantly increase the output efficiency of the blacksmith shop.

Moreover, another thought surfaced in Rhodes' mind.

These tall, strong guys must be quite good at pulling a plow.

"As you command, Your Excellency."

Bain nodded again, exhaling puffs of white breath from his nostrils.

Clearly, Rod's words relieved the yak man.

"Bane, are these the only fifty-odd people you have?"

Rhodes pressed on with the question.

Bain slowly shook his head. "Some of them escaped and scattered, hiding in the mountains or the icy plains."

"Alright, mark the places your people might go in a bit."

Rhodes instructed, "Rain will help find your people and bring them to my territory to settle down."

In winter, the icy mountains are inaccessible, and the extreme cold is unbearable for ordinary people.

However, the surrounding mountains are worth exploring.

"As you command, Your Excellency."

Bain bowed respectfully once again.

Rhodes nodded. "Alright, go and rest. You'll have to continue your journey tomorrow."

"Yes."

Bain obediently agreed and respectfully withdrew.

"Go and rest, Renn."

Rod pointed to Gunle, who was squatting on the ground, "Take him with you."

"Yes, sir."

Ryan nodded, then asked, "Where is Sir Chris? We lied to him before, I'll go apologize to him."

Previously, due to Rhodes's plan, Ryan and Gunle followed orders and fabricated lies for Chris.

Although it was to deceive the lizardmen who were monitoring Chris, Ryan thought it would be better to give a simple explanation.

Rod didn't dwell on it, pointing instead to the cave behind them.
"His eyes were blindfolded in the cave behind."

"Ok."

Raine helped Gunle, who was vomiting and feeling somewhat exhausted, and they headed towards the cave in the ravine.

……

……

The next morning.

As the sun rose, Rhodes led his troops on their journey home.

Because of Chris's presence, Rhodes did not conceal his whereabouts and led his team to swagger through Razor Plains.

Soon Tucson reported that some reptilian people had been spotted following the team in a ravine five kilometers to the east.

Rod ignored him.

Because Gunther and Ryan would teach them how to handle corpses.

Rhodes only took thirty soldiers back with him this time; the rest were all left in Razor Plains.

In addition, Rhodes left all the tortoise shields he found in the fifty Abyss Wizard Towers to Gungle and his men for temporary use.

These shields could even stop Rhodes's finely forged blades, and the lizardmen's ordinary spears couldn't penetrate them at all.

The lizardmen are now all gold to Rhodes, and he wants Gunle and Raine to establish an advance outpost in Razor Plains as soon as possible. Once a defensive outpost is established, troops can be stationed there and food can be stockpiled.

Hunting, cultivating farmland, and developing mineral resources became much easier, instead of having to go on expeditions every time.

Rhodes had not traveled across the northern wastelands for a long time.

He didn't feel tired at all; on the contrary, he felt relaxed, as if he were on vacation.

Aside from disliking the cold a bit, there were no other unpleasant things.

This time, in addition to the things Gunle brought back and the yak people, Rhodes obtained a total of thirty-three lizardman corpses, nineteen lizardman prisoners, and thirty-six hybrid prisoners.

If what Baron Bronn said is true, these fifty-one lizardman corpses are worth more than a thousand gold coins.

Rhodes made a fortune on this trip.

The reason there were fifty-one bodies was because Rhodes, the lizardman prisoner, did not intend to keep them.

The lizardmen are wild and untamed; to have them work would require sending out even more overseers to watch over them, which would be a waste of resources.

It's better to just kill them and sell them for money.

Of course, Rhodes won't be killed immediately.

On the one hand, they can travel on their own while alive, without needing to be carried by people.

On the other hand, Rhodes didn't know if anyone would like to keep live lizardmen as slaves.

Let's keep some alive and wait for the caravans of Manshu and the Dawn Society to arrive; maybe we can sell them for a high price then?

Rhodes felt that some nobles inevitably had some peculiar hobbies.

If you were to keep a rare lizardman as a pet, that would be something to brag about, right?

Of course, this was just Rhodes's speculation about the preferences of the nobility.

Anyway, there's a lot of jerky we've seized, and since people can't eat it, it doesn't matter if we use it to raise a few more lizards.

Rhodes led his troops on a two-day journey and successfully left the territory of Razorfen Downs.

The lizardmen who followed Rhodes's group caused no trouble. After being ambushed several times by Gunle and Rein, they fled, leaving behind more than a dozen corpses.

This was within Rod's expectations.

The interrogated lizardmen revealed that although the Bloodscale Tribe had unified all the Icefield Lizardmen, they were now at war with the Sea Seals of the Ice Sea.

The Icefield Lizardmen live in the mountains, and there doesn't seem to be any conflict between them and the Sealmen who live by the sea.

The lizardman being interrogated did not say why.

Rhodes speculated that the Bloodscale tribe might want to control the seal people tribe so that they could obtain food and salt from the ocean.

If it were a human lord, Rhode would assume that the other party wanted to develop sea routes, but he was unaware of the specifics regarding the lizardmen.

But even with just these two things, it's enough to make people work themselves to the bone.

In addition, there are other alien races living in the Icefield Mountains, so the Lizardmen cannot deploy all their forces to fight against Rhodes.

In this respect, Rod has to thank the Western Conference for its restlessness, which means that the area south of Blackpine Ridge doesn't need to be a concern for the time being.

After crossing the Ice Peak Valley, Rhodes's troops rested at the border outpost.

Kress didn't stay; she went straight to the place Rhodes had arranged.
—The underground caves of the Dier tribe.

It was secluded enough that anyone other than an underground race would never find him.

However, Rhodes's idea of ​​spending the night at the outpost also fell through.

When he rode the Night Fury to the foot of the hill where the sentry post was located, the patrolling soldiers inside hurriedly ran out.

"My lord, news came from Frostleaf Town three days ago that the wheat you requested has appeared!"

"Oh?"

Rod knew perfectly well that the "wheat he wanted" was the snow wheat he had been longing for.

Before leaving, he instructed Otto to notify him immediately if there was any news.

Upon hearing this news, Rhodes lost all interest in resting at the outpost. He took Vivian and Frostlight and headed straight for Frostleaf Town.

It was already dark when Rhodes arrived in Frostleaf.

Patiently, Rod waited until the next day before heading to the fields to plow.

Before he even got close, Rod saw the sparse blue fields standing out starkly against the thin layer of snow covering the farmland.

Although the probability is only one percent, ordinary wheat will not sprout in winter; only the mutated snow wheat will emerge from the snow.

This strange sight added a touch of life to the desolate winter and made Rhodes' heart beat faster.

Knowing how much Rod valued these snow wheat products, Otto specifically requested protection from Durant.

Rhodes saw four patrol teams around the farmland, which seemed a bit like trying to hide something.

Of course, Rod would appreciate such thoughtfulness from Otto.

I just advised him that the patrol team could be more discreet next time.

After praising Otto a few times, Rod got down to business.

"Did you count how many snow wheat plants there are in total?"

Rod asked.

"I've counted them, I've counted the number of people!"

Otto said excitedly, "We haven't finished counting yet, but we've already counted fifty acres, a total of forty thousand nine hundred and twelve trees!"

"Oh?"

Rod pressed further, "Is there any record of the specific quantity per acre?"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

Otto happily pulled a list from his pocket and handed it to Rod.

"Please take a look."

Rod took it with both hands and glanced at it briefly.

The number of mutant snow wheat per acre is roughly the same, fluctuating around 800, with little difference.

The only significant difference was in the first acre of land where wyvern excrement was applied, which yielded 1,234 snow wheat plants.

The mutation rate increased by fifty percent.

It has to be said that the droppings of this two-legged wyvern are really useful.

However, the number of wyverns is still too small; even if Frost Thunder pulls out more, it still doesn't count as a large-scale operation.

Rhodes is now looking forward to the droppings of his mutated magic rabbit.

The rabbits kept giving birth, and the number of mutated demon rabbit cubs continued to grow.

In the future, the most commonly bred magical beasts in the territory will likely be mutated magical rabbits.

"Oto, what you did this time has really surprised me."

Rhodes put the list away. "I was surprised that every plot of farmland was numbered and that the quantity of mutated snow wheat was recorded."

"Hehe, actually it was Lord Lawrence who gave me the good advice."

Otto, with a broad smile, didn't hide anything and honestly replied,

"When I went back to report and apply for military protection, Lord Lawrence reminded me to keep a record, as you will surely want to know when you return."

"Yes, each one of these plants is important, and we can't treat them carelessly."

Rhodes nodded. "I've already arranged places for these snow wheat plants in the territory; they're all going to be transplanted there."

"When the time comes, you need to match everything to this list you made, one by one, without making any mistakes."

"Don't worry, I will take care of these wheat seedlings as I would my wife!"

Otto loudly assured him.

Rod patted Otto on the shoulder, "Work hard, and once these snow wheat are ripe, I'll let you taste them first."

"Thank you for your generosity, sir!"

Otto's face instantly glowed with health.

It would be a great honor if the master would give me the snow wheat that he values ​​so much!

"I'm leaving this place to you. I'll come and check on it from time to time."

Rod gave Otto a few more instructions before returning to town.

As soon as they arrived at the town gate, they saw Franny clapping and jumping excitedly by the ditch in the city wall.
"I did it! I did it!"

Rhodes, somewhat curious, slightly shook the reins to urge the Night Fury forward.

He dismounted as he approached and asked Franny, "What succeeded?"

"My lord!"

Franny bowed and then excitedly explained, "It's magic! Sister Avril made me learn a zero-level spell!"

"You learned it so quickly?"

Rod looked at the little rabbit in front of him with some surprise.

"Can you still perform it? Let me witness it."

"Mmmmmmm!"

Franny nodded heavily, then raised her paw and aimed it at the soil in the ditch.

Her lips touched, uttering awkward syllables.

Immediately afterwards, a pile of soil in the pit vanished into thin air.

The next instant, it landed at Franny's feet.

(End of this chapter)