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

Chapter 204 Western War Situation
……

……

The fangs' whimpers grew louder and louder.

Its limbs began to kick uncontrollably.

The claws left deep claw marks on the dirt inside the house.

Immediately afterwards, the fanged creature's body expanded at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The muscles on his body bulged and throbbed, his hair grew rapidly, and his head kept getting bigger.

Its lower jaw elongated, revealing even sharper teeth, and its eyes turned blood red.

The whimpering from the fangs turned into a deafening wail.

Wolfhoof wanted to step forward but was brought back to reason, and could only look at Fang with a pained expression.

The entire mutation process lasted nearly ten minutes.

Fang finally lay limply on the ground, as if it had lost all signs of life.

But Wolf Hoof could sense the life force in Sharp Fang and stepped forward to stroke him tenderly.

"Prepare some water and food for him."

Rhodes gave the order to Gomoka beside him.

"Yes, Holy Lord."

Gomoka immediately went down to make the arrangements.

After waiting for a long time, Fang slowly stood up and shook its huge head.

It looked down at its owner, a hint of confusion flashing in its blood-red eyes.

Wolf Hoof stood up and stretched out his hand, trembling.

"Fang...is that you?"

The giant wolf sniffed its master's palm and then gently licked it.

The warm, rough tongue brought a smile to Wolf Hoof's face.
It's you again!

Wolf Hoof excitedly hugged the giant wolf's neck.

"Let him eat first."

Rod, who had been observing silently from the side, offered a reminder.

"Ah, yes, Holy Lord!"

Wolf Hoof quickly came to his senses and handed a bowl of meat and water that he had prepared to Sharp Fang.

Sharp-toothed creature sniffed the food, then began to wolf it down from the large bowl.

"Looks good,"

Rhodes examined Fang. "There aren't any other side effects, though."

Now, fangs seem to have been filled with air, reaching a length of 2.5 meters, while its shoulder height has increased from 1 meter to 1.6 meters, making it about the size of a horse.

Its fanged limbs now resembled thick tree trunks, and its mouth was filled with sharp, porcupine-like tusks.

It looks very thin now, with a shriveled belly, a thin neck, and a very disproportionate body.

But if fed properly, they will inevitably be more robust than horses.

The others also realized this, their eyes fixed intently on Fang, who was eating, while occasionally stealing glances at Rhodes.

Rhodes knew that these savages were envious.

"It seems to have been successful, but it will take some time to get used to the body."

Rod instructed Wolfhoof, "It will likely consume more food. Remember, never feed it the way you used to."

As body size increases, appetite naturally increases.

Just like the white wolf, ten pounds of meat would only fill him up halfway.

If we were to actually form a wolf rider unit in the future, the food consumption would be considerable.

However, only thirty-seven members of the Wolfhooves tribe have awakened so far, and Rhode can't have more if he wants more.

"Don't worry, I will take good care of him!"

Wolfhoof excitedly made a loud promise, then squatted down and hugged Fang, who was still eating, looking very happy.

After giving his instructions, Rhodes turned to look at the white wolf beside him.

White Wolf understood.

"I understand, we need to continue drawing blood, right?"

The white wolf lay down immediately, looking completely helpless.

"Haha, no rush, we still have enough from the last draw to make one batch."

Rod couldn't help but laugh at the white wolf's appearance and waved for him to get up.

"I'll prepare the other materials first, and then I'll come back to you for a blood test."

"it is good."

White Wolf stood up and calmly replied.

"Keep an eye on this newly mutated giant wolf for me. Once it has recovered a bit, test its stamina and speed."

Rhodes had many things he wanted to know, but judging from Fang's appearance, he couldn't test it now.

"Well, I will."

White Wolf examined Fang's features. "I'm also very curious about what the effects of this mutation will be."

Rhodes nodded and returned to Frostleaf Town without lingering.

……

……

The Night Fury had barely stepped onto the main road at the entrance to Frostleaf when a guard came to report that a caravan was approaching.

Turning his horse around, Rod saw four carriages slowly approaching on the road to the south.

A young man, thin and upright, was riding beside the bicycle, wearing a thick fur coat.

It was Mencho.

With the help of his servants, Manshu dismounted and immediately straightened his clothes before walking quickly to Rhodes.

"It's been a long time, Your Excellency Baron."

With a familiar smile on his face, Manxiu bowed and said, "May the light of the Lord of Dawn shine upon you."

"Long time no see, Silver Dove of Oakwood City. Welcome back to Frostleaf Town."

Rod stepped forward, grabbed Mencho, and gave him a hug.
"Although I really want the food you sent, you shouldn't be here at this time."

Rod released Manxiu and said solemnly, "If we encounter a cold blizzard, I will still go to the wilderness to rescue you."

"It's not cheap to have nobles personally rescue people."

Rod said, half-jokingly.

"Thank you for your concern."

Manshu nodded and bowed again. "You said you could sell a large quantity of dried meat, so I came."

“The war supplies in the south are scarce, and dried meat is exactly what our chamber of commerce needs.”

"Oh?"

Rhodes looked at Mansh with slight surprise, "The war over there is still no result?"

Manshu shook his head. "Baron, let's go inside and talk... I miss your heated kang bed."

"OK."

Rod remembered that Manshu was afraid of the cold, so he quickly took Manshu back to the manor.

The caravan's drivers were also quite familiar with the area, so they went directly to the Frostbreath Tavern to stay.

"This time I brought you daily necessities such as grain, cloth, seeds and spices, and of course your favorite honey."

Manshu waved his hand, and his servant brought over the wooden box, which he presented to Rhodes with both hands.

"This is a gift for you."

"Oh?"

Looking at Manxiu's mysterious expression, Rod took the wooden box with some curiosity and opened it.

But when he saw what was inside, Rod was somewhat disappointed.

In the center of the pile of hay is a simple glass with a slightly mottled color.

But Rhodes couldn't show it, so he could only pretend and ask, "Is this glass from the church in the Land of the Gods?"

The art of glassmaking was firmly controlled by the church.

They said it was a skill given to them by the gods.

Rhodes disagreed.

Not to mention the past life, even the ruins of the Sea Abyss Wizard Tower mention the craft of glassmaking.

The bottles that were made were merely containers for wizards to hold their potions.

"Yes, it took me some effort to get it."

Manxiu nodded emphatically.
"Isn't it beautiful?"

"Ah."

Rhodes nodded as calmly as possible.

But inwardly, I couldn't help but complain that I could have bought several of these glasses on Pinduoduo for a single meal in my past life.

Having seen the world, I naturally don't care for this kind of thing.

Moreover, he will definitely be able to refine glass in the future, and the quality will certainly be better than what Manshu obtained.

However, judging from Manxiu's expression, Rhodes is even less likely to get the glass out now.

"These cups were originally a pair, but unfortunately my sister took one of them."

Manxiu sighed.

"It's okay, it's good enough to have it."

Rod casually put the cup back into the box full of hay, then changed the subject and said to Manshu,
"Let's talk about the war situation over there."

"It was chaotic. After winning a few battles, the noble alliance immediately began to scatter and distrust each other, and then everything became very bad."

Manshu shook his head and said helplessly, "I think my guards would have done a better job than them."

“Those coalition forces have started to do nothing now, often drinking and sleeping during the day.”

"Have they completely given up?"

Rod asked in surprise, "Why?"

Rhodes had received these war reports before, but he felt they were too exaggerated to believe. Now, Mansh's words forced Rhodes to believe them.

"It is said that some spellcasters with extraordinary abilities have appeared on the front lines, making the battle extremely difficult."

Manshu explained, "There are swarms of biting insects and invincible, crazed soldiers that have terrified the Allied forces."

"The noble alliance is negotiating with the royal family to find a solution."

Rod seemed to be thinking for a moment, then instinctively asked, "Wouldn't it cost more?"

Manshu nodded, his eyes lighting up. "Baron, I feel that you always manage to summarize things in concise words."

"First they were 'slacking off,' now they're asking for more money,"

Manshu pondered for a moment, "Although it sounds very direct, it's full of precise wisdom!" Rhodes chuckled twice but didn't reply.

I'm just picking up some proverbs from my past life; I wouldn't dare apply them all to myself.

"And what about the Western Conference? Did they fight back?"

"certainly,"

Manxiu gave a wry smile, shrugged, and his tone was filled with helplessness.

"Their soldiers were like mad dogs, tearing at our troops with madness, and in the end the allied forces could only cower in the city."

“If it weren’t so cold in the north right now, I would have to send you a large number of refugees.”

"That's fine."

Rod nodded seriously, "Anything that can work can be sent over."

There are large tracts of uncultivated land in Blackpine Ridge and Razor Plain, and Rhodes desperately needs more people.

"Therefore, I would like to buy more iron ore and iron ingots from you on this trip... As you know, war is fierce, and swords and shields are also consumables."

Manxiu gave a wry smile and quickly added, "The price is negotiable."

Rhodes's gaze darkened, and he shook his head.
"Iron ore won't do, Manshu, we're still short of it."

Rod pointed through the window to the blacksmith's shop in the distance.
"Leaving aside weapons and armor, spring plowing is just around the corner, and the hoes alone require a lot of iron, which cannot be sold to outsiders."

Rod didn't tell a single lie.

Currently, the weekly output of iron ore is about one to one and a half tons of pig iron, which sounds like a lot, but when broken down into various iron products such as warhammers, iron shields, spearheads, stirrups, and hoes, it is just enough.

They'll need them for weapon and armor repairs in the future, so Rhodes can't live a frugal life, can he?
After spring planting, Rod also plans to put the development of the iron mine in the northeast corner of Black Pine Ridge on the agenda.

"I can give you a little more of the dried meat."

Rod smiled and said, "As long as you bring enough goods and gold coins."

"Thanks you."

Manxiu nodded and bowed in thanks.

"By the way, when I came in just now I saw the deep trenches you dug outside your town. It seems... you're planning to build a city?"

"Yes, that's right. Frostleaf Town is short of space, so we might as well expand it."

Rod answered casually.

Manshu's eyes showed surprise. "This is a huge project... Your boldness is truly unmatched by ordinary nobles."

"Others have long since used the gold coins from building the city to create a luxurious and hedonistic life for themselves."

"well enough."

Rhodes said calmly, "I'm a bit timid and need the protection of city walls to feel safe."

In fact, Rhodes also wanted to enjoy himself, but he knew he didn't have enough strength and defense.

Rod always felt that he would be bullied, and he always had a sense of unease in his heart.

In the peaceful era of the past, we were still bullied openly and covertly by all the hegemonic countries.

They'll either bomb you today or curb your trade tomorrow.

In this world, the relationships between lords are not as harmonious as those between nations in the previous life.

Moreover, if Rhodes indulges in pleasure, he'll definitely come up with some interesting things.

It will definitely attract unwanted attention, so it's best to make arrangements in advance.

Manxiu nodded, understanding Rod's concerns.

After all, this is the northern wilderness, a borderland overrun by bandits and alien races, where danger lurks everywhere.

Manxiu took a sip of hot tea.

The warmth of the heated kang bed kept his body warm.

He took off his thick cotton-padded coat and said to Rod:

“By the way, Your Excellency, I saw some strange figures in your territory.”

"They are the legendary alien race, right?"

Rhodes nodded. "Yes, that's right."

Are they your subjects?

"Manxiu asked curiously, his eyes sparkling with anticipation,"

"Please don't misunderstand me, I have no intention of harming your people."

“I’m just saying that if they are your slaves, you can certainly use them to exchange for money.”

"To be honest, exotic animals are very valuable in aristocratic circles; they like to keep such pets."

"One of them can do the work of ten or more laborers."

Manxiu rubbed his hands together, a smile typical of a businessman appearing on his face.
"Of course, these pet slaves are relatively scarce, so you only need to sell four or five at a time."

"No, I can't sell them, even if they're very expensive."

Rhodes shook his head, rejecting Manshu's offer.

“They are my people. I promised to protect them, and that’s why they are willing to live here and work for me.”

"Yeah, I understand."

Manxiu nodded.

Rod's straightforward refusal stopped him from asking any further questions.

He understood the baron; yes meant yes, and no meant no.

"However, I did capture some unruly alien races."

Rhodes' words immediately caught Manxiu's attention, and he stared intently at Rhodes.

“They can sell it to you if you offer the right price,” Rod continued.

"That would be great!"

Manxiu's eyes were full of anticipation. "Shall we go take a look now?"

"of course."

Rod was the first to stand up and instructed, "Put on your fur coat, don't get cold."

……

……

The two soon arrived at the prison.

"That's them."

Rhodes pointed to the lizardmen imprisoned inside.

The once fierce-looking lizardmen were now listless and thin as skin and bones.

Because Rod only gave them one meal a day.

Rhodes was generous to his subordinates, but conversely, he was frugal with his enemies.

These lizardmen eat scraps and leftovers, just enough to keep them from starving.

When Manshu saw these lizardmen, his eyes lit up immediately.

He doesn't care about being thin or not; as long as the novelty can make money, that's all that matters.

"Your Excellency, may I sell all these foreign races to you?"

Manxiu asked excitedly, unable to resist leaning closer to take a closer look.

No sooner had he finished speaking than the lizardman lunged at Mansh.

The sharp claws slashed through the air, instantly terrifying Manxiu, who turned pale and her legs went weak.

Just as the claws were about to reach him, in his panic, Manxiu felt a force behind him.

He was forcibly pulled away from the fence, narrowly escaping the claws.

The lizardman missed his target and crashed into the fence.

"Be careful, these lizardmen are fierce."

Rod released his hand and put Manxiu down.

The one who was able to pull Manxiu back was naturally Rhodes, who was behind him.

The lizardmen are so ferocious that they naturally have to pay the price.

"Teach him a lesson."

Rhodes gave instructions to the guards beside him.

"Yes, Lord Lord."

The soldier responded respectfully, immediately opened the cell, dragged out the lizardman who had attacked earlier, and tied it to a rack.

Spiked clubs whistled through the air, and the lizardmen's screams echoed through the prison.

Rhodes hated the noise and ordered his soldiers to gag the lizardmen.

Then, Rhodes turned to Manshu and said:
"There are thirteen lizardmen here, and you can sell any of them."

“There were more, but due to inadequate care, they committed suicide.”

"But I also have some mixed-race individuals with very unique appearances; I can sell them to you if you want."

"Good good!"

Manxiu nodded repeatedly, rubbing his hands together excitedly.

"Let's talk about the price then... How much are you planning to sell it for?"

"Manxiu asked."

Rhodes didn't answer, but instead asked, "Give me a price first."

Manxiu thought for a moment.

"Twenty-five gold coins each, how about that?"

Rhodes was slightly surprised.

Baron Bronn had not lied to himself after all.

These exotic animals are really not cheap.

However, Rhodes did not agree and shook his head instead.

"These twenty-five gold coins are the price for a lizardman's corpse, not the price for a living lizardman."

"If you're going to offer that price, I might as well have killed them all and frozen them, so they wouldn't waste my food."

"Do you have more lizardman corpses?"

Manxiu was filled with excitement and couldn't help but reach for the money pouch at his waist.

It seems I didn't bring enough gold coins this time.

"That……"

Before Manxiu could finish speaking, a guard hurried over.

"My lord, Gala reports that another large caravan has arrived."

"Oh?"

Rod was immediately curious.

The large caravans that come to Frostleaf Town are usually the same few groups, so it seems like this time it's the same old acquaintances again.

(End of this chapter)