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

Chapter 216 The Lizardmen Attack

……

……

"interesting."

After reading the letter, Rhodes smiled and nodded slightly.

But the smile wasn't friendly.

"It seems that the killing of this group was justified, and the investigation into your family can be seen as a precautionary measure."

"what happened?"

Vivian stood on tiptoe and turned her head to look at the letter in Rod's hand.

Rhodes casually tossed the letter aside.
“Your stepmother has already regarded me as an enemy and wants to join forces with the Falcon family to kill me in the Northern Wasteland.”

"why?"

Vivian was taken aback for a moment, then realized, "Because my sister and I became your people?"

“Your stepmother is worried that I will use Avril’s name to fight for the family’s inheritance.”

At this point, Rhodes couldn't help but frown slightly.

"Wait, why would she suddenly have such a worry?"

"Could it be... that your father did not explicitly pass the title to your younger brother?"

According to the traditional rules of noble families in the Shattered Rock Empire, titles are generally passed down to the eldest son.

If the first child is a daughter, the nobleman will generally bestow his title upon his son.

However, daughters also have the right to inherit the title.

Especially in the absence of an official designation, the eldest daughter is entitled to compete for the title.

The Shattered Rock Empire has also had queens in its history.

The main factor determining whether the eldest daughter can rise to power is her strength.

But why?

Count Red Griffin clearly has a son!
"But we can't compete with them, can we?" Vivian asked doubtfully.

“Your stepmother doesn’t see it that way,”

Rhodes couldn't help but laugh, "She can only feel at ease when she has completely defeated you all."

"He has already designated Avril as his successor."

Vivian nodded thoughtfully.
"What should we do then? Won't we cause you a lot of trouble?"

"Should I go and kill her?"

"Killing herself wasn't enough,"

Rhodes put his arm around Vivian's slender waist. "We need to clip all her wings, but we also need to ensure that nothing happens to the Red Griffin family."

Rod believed that Avril's stepmother had probably taken control of most of the family, and that Avril's uncle was behind her.

"Let's wait for the Night Talk Club to find out what happened that made your stepmother take such action."

Rod felt there was more to the story.

"OK then."

Vivian shrugged helplessly. "Anyway, they don't have the resources to send troops to Black Pine Ridge right now."

"I actually hope they send troops, then we'll have a reason to counterattack."

Rhodes' eyes held a hint of anticipation.

Rhodes wasn't confident about attacking the castle, but he showed no fear in open-field battles.

The basic saddlery for the wolf riders has been provided, and the thirty-seven wolf riders are now training day and night.

Rhodes was eager to see the results of his training and how well he could take on several opponents at once.

It's a pity that the nobility in the empire are now forbidden from fighting, otherwise Wolfhooves would have already set foot in Earl Falcon's territory.

"Oh, right, there's another important thing in this letter."

Rod raised an eyebrow and picked up the letter again.

"I'd like to know what attribute your family's breathing technique leans towards?"

"this.""

Vivian lowered her head in thought, as if searching her memories.

After a moment, he shook his head. "I don't know."

Rhodes was somewhat surprised, his brow furrowing slightly: "You weren't taught it?"

"I didn't pass it on to my older sister."

Vivian said with a hint of helplessness, "So I don't know either."

Rhodes nodded slightly, indicating his understanding.

Practicing breathing techniques is a rather arduous process.

Many nobles do not force their daughters to practice the Knight's Breathing Technique; instead, they have their daughters learn some auxiliary knowledge.

Examples include herbs, painting, weaving, and so on.

Unless you actively request it, or are exceptionally gifted.

"This letter mentions a breathing technique used in your family called 'Ember Breathing.'"

Excitement gleamed in his eyes.

"The name sounds like it's fire-related, which is exactly what I want."

Vivian's eyes lit up.
"Then... I'll go steal it back for you?"

"Yes, it seems okay for now."

Rhodes thought for a moment, "First, list out all the members of your family, and draw a map of the Red Griffin family's castle as well."

"In short, once all the information is ready, we can then plan what to do next."

"it is good!"

Vivian readily agreed and immediately took out paper and pen to present the family information to Rhodes, stroke by stroke.

……

……

Vivian's information was sent to the Night Whisperers to help them infiltrate the Red Griffin family.

Rhodes wasn't in a hurry regarding the Red Griffin family's breathing technique; he waited for news from the Night Whisperers.

Once everything is cleared up, we'll have Vivian steal the breathing technique and do some other things along the way.

During this time, Rhodes also made four more potions of Knight's Roar.

Rod gave half of it to Gunther.

—Based on Durant's reaction, giving Gunle a shot directly would likely kill Rod.

As it turned out, Rhodes was right.

After drinking only half a bottle, Gunle was writhing on the ground in pain, like a large wild boar that had been doused with boiling water.

Gunle nearly fainted from the pain; blood seeped from his skin all over his body, and he lay on the ground unable to move for a long time.

The soldiers carried him into the barracks to rest, and it took him a whole afternoon to recover.

Of course, the improvement is also significant.

That very night, Gunle felt the energy flowing through his limbs, and the next day, in actual testing, his reaction speed, strength, and endurance had all improved significantly compared to before.

Nevertheless, Rhodes abandoned his plan to give the potion to the guard.

It turns out that certain qualifications are required to take Knight's Roar Potion.

Just like practicing the Knight's Breathing Technique, if you don't have enough aptitude, you can easily die suddenly.

The guards were not as qualified as Gonler.

If we were to give them some, we would need to do more preparation.

Otherwise, they might end up losing both their wife and their army.

Moreover, Rhodes also has the Knights squad.

The right thing to do is to invest resources in training them first.

The six members of the Knights squad were all quite talented, but apart from Sao, Rhode only gave them half a team.

Sao's cultivation speed was rapid; he had already sensed the existence of Qi, and his talent was comparable to Durant's.

Of course, they also suffered greatly after drinking the potion, but none of them experienced the same level of pain as Gunther.

After the pain subsided, the Knights were able to train as usual.

Just as Rhodes was testing the effects of the Knights' upgrade, Durant came to report that the group of refugees had been brought over.

……

……

Rhodes stood on the high sentry post in Frostleaf, surveying the long line below.

Hundreds of refugees gathered in the snow, their figures forming a dark mass.

They were dressed in thin clothes, carrying tattered bundles on their backs, and looked emaciated.

The man carried a tattered bundle on his back, while the woman held or led a child.

Each family has two or three children.

Of course, this refers to the refugees who appear to be in better condition.

Even worse, they were wrapped in tattered rags, so thin they looked like skeletons, huddled together in a pathetic state.

Anyone with eyes can see that these refugees do not belong to the same group.

However, these refugees were very quiet, without any noise or crowding, simply gazing at Frostleaf Town from afar.

Rhodes guessed that it was the cold armor and sharp swords of the Winter Iron Guards at the town gate that prevented them from making any rash moves.

"Have you checked their identities?"

Rod asked Durant, who was standing next to him.

"Ah."

Durant nodded emphatically, "Twenty-three spies have been identified."

"so much?"

Rhodes frowned slightly. "How many refugees are there in total?"

"Seven hundred and twenty-one."

Durant replied, "The refugee caravan originally came from River Creek, a town where none of the residents had spies."

"The spies all infiltrated through the streets." "Some are targeting us, while others are just intelligence-gathering organizations."

"alright."

Rhodes nodded slightly.

He wasn't the only one in the Shattered Rock Empire cultivating an intelligence organization.

"We'll have to screen them again later."

"As for those spies we caught, interrogate them thoroughly, then send them to shovel manure and mine for minerals."

“Yes, I’ve already made the arrangements,” Durant replied.

"Eh?"

Rod suddenly realized, "Why would that town of Xiliu head straight for us?"

"It has something to do with Miss Linda."

Durant hesitated for a moment, "They have a representative, should I have him come over and explain to you?"

"it is good."

Rhodes agreed.

Durant bowed and stepped back, soon returning with a tall, middle-aged man.

"Good day, Your Excellency Baron Blackpine Ridge."

The tall, middle-aged man bowed deeply, his voice humble and sincere.

He carefully straightened his clothes, looking nervous.

“My name is Makuru Wheel, a merchant from the town of Slender Stream.”

After speaking, Makuru's hands trembled slightly, and he glanced at Rhodes before quickly lowering his head.

“My knight told me about your general situation and mentioned Linda.”

Rod asked calmly, "What happened?"

"Yes, Your Excellency."

Makuru nodded respectfully.

“It was indeed Miss Linda who guided us here, and she even gave us ninety-seven silver coins and thirty-seven copper coins.”

“She said that only a benevolent lord like you can shelter us poor people.”

Makuru's eyes were filled with anticipation, yet also tinged with unease.

Rod smiled, ignoring Makuru's flattery.
"I can accept you, but you can't cause me trouble."

Rhodes looked at Makuru. "You were aware that there were twenty-three spies among this group you led."

“I, I know, Your Excellency.”

Makuru lowered his head, then pulled a piece of burlap from his pocket.
“I also took a look, and there are some suspicious people among them.”

With that, Makuru spread out the linen cloth and presented it to Rod with both hands.

Rod squinted and quickly scanned the list; it was filled with names.

Rod glanced at Durant and gave him a meaningful look.

The latter immediately understood, took the burlap from Makuru's hand, and examined it carefully.

“There are a few we missed here.”

Durant's sharp eyes glanced at Makuru with some surprise.

"Go, find them all."

"Yes, Your Excellency."

Durant gripped the sword at his waist, waved his hand, and led a group of soldiers quickly toward the refugee column.

Rhodes looked at Makuru and nodded slightly.

"You did very well."

“Thank you for your recognition.”

Makuru nodded in greeting, then took out a piece of linen.
"This is a statistic of artisans and farmers among the refugees, Your Excellency."

Makuru presented the linen to Rhodes, adding with some regret, "It's a pity that the blacksmith and the leatherworker were both left behind by the army..."

Rod didn't speak.

I took the burlap sack and glanced at it. It showed how the refugees were categorized according to the way goods were classified.

That does have a bit of Lawrence's style of doing things.

"You have some abilities."

Rod looked at Makuru and asked, "But why did Linda appoint you as the leader of the refugees, and why can you trust her?"

"I have some history with Miss Linda..."

Makuru lowered his voice and gave Rhodes a brief explanation.

When Linda was being hunted down by nobles and scorned by the villagers, it was Makuru who helped the wandering Linda.

Makuru found Linda a hiding place, brought her food from time to time, and took her to the town where the Dawn Society was located.

After hearing the story, Rod looked at him with some surprise.

"Weren't you afraid of Linda, that witch, back then?"

Makuru sighed, "Alas, Baron, if Linda is the devil, no one in that territory will survive."

I like your intelligence and thoughtfulness.

Rhodes smiled and tossed the burlap sack to Makuru.
"Okay, I can accept them."

“But you must stay and work for me.”

"This……"

Makuru hesitated for a moment, then immediately knelt down on one knee.

"Thank you for your recognition. Makuru Wheel is happy to serve you."

Makuru did not swear allegiance, which is normal for a businessman.

It's enough to be able to do something for myself.

Lawrence was initially persuaded to stay through both threats and inducements.

Rhodes values ​​Makuru's abilities, but his identity still needs to be investigated.

"Take this piece of cloth and go find that fat man at the town gate."

Rod pointed to Lawrence and introduced him, "He's the fat man with a worried look on his face. Hand the cloth to him."

He will arrange your life and work from now on.

"Yes, Your Excellency Baron."

Makuru bowed again, saying, "Don't worry, we will cooperate fully and will not cause you any trouble."

Rhodes nodded, called over the guards, and led Makuru to find Lawrence.

After Makuru left, Rod smiled with satisfaction.

"There are at least twenty of these people, including carpenters, stonemasons, and bricklayers."

Rhodes said to Vivian beside him, "If Markuru isn't lying to me, there are at least a third of the farmers among them."

"Their knowledge of farming far surpasses that of our slaves in the Northern Wilderness."

Traveling such a long distance from south to north, those with weaker constitutions have already collapsed on the road.

"You are really good at keeping your composure."

Vivian glanced at Rhodes, her eyes filled with reverence.
"They looked so reluctant just now. If it were me, I would have accepted them already."

"Hahaha."

Rod smiled but didn't offer any further explanation.

These people all went to the northern wilderness and were forbidden from entering the border town.

Apart from Rhodes, there was hardly anyone who could accept them.

Therefore, Rhodes was not in a hurry.

……

……

The north wind howled across the razor plain.

A group of well-equipped soldiers, dressed in fur coats, slowly appeared on the horizon.

"Boss, the troops at Black Pine Ridge have all withdrawn, so why are we still patrolling here?"

The burly soldier shrank back. "Does our lord need to fawn over Baron Rhodes like this?"

The captain glanced sideways at his deputy who had asked him the question, and said sarcastically and impatiently.

"Clear all the disgusting things out of your head before you open your mouth to ask me this question."

The second-in-command ignored the captain's sarcasm and spat.
"Sigh, it's been so long since I've been back to town. I wonder what Susan's big... "

"Shut up!"

The captain frowned, suddenly regretting having wasted his breath talking to him.

He turned his head and said seriously, "Is Black Pine Ridge closer to Razor Plains, or is our Ice Peak Valley closer to Razor Plains?"

"If those lizardmen invade, where will they go first?"

"You still can't figure this out?"

The captain frowned, turned around impatiently, and left.
"Don't ask stupid questions anymore. Learn to think for yourself. As Baron Bronn once said..."

The captain suddenly stopped talking and stared at the distant mountains.

"Boss, why did you stop? What did Baron Bronn say?"

The second-in-command stopped when he saw the captain's actions and followed his gaze towards the mountains.

"This……"

A black line surged from the mountains, relentlessly attacking like a shadow!

"Enemy attack!"

The captain shouted,
"Quickly, pass on the message! The lizardmen are here!"

　I'm speechless. I used ink to redeem a month's worth of risk warnings, and then everything will be fine after I finish making the changes.

　　I honestly don't know where the risks are in this chapter.

　　They only deleted two words: "breasts".

　　
　
(End of this chapter)