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

Chapter 251 The Potions Workshop (7K)
……

……

At night, the military camp was brightly lit.

The long table was laden with a sumptuous feast, and the aroma of roasted meat and seafood filled the air.

The beer gleamed with a golden sheen in the wooden glass.

The soldiers stood in neat rows, waiting beside long tables.

Soon, Rhodes, dressed in a black tuxedo, slowly walked into the military camp, his gold badge pinned to his chest.

"Greetings to the Lord!"

All the soldiers immediately stood at attention, one hand on their swords, and bowed their heads in unison.

Rhodes walked slowly between the two columns of soldiers, his expression dignified, his steady steps even and powerful, leaving a clanging sound on the stone pavement.

The formal victory celebration was far more formal than the home-cooked dinner that Rod and Durant ate.

Rhodes walked to the main seat on the high platform and looked around at everyone present.

"Raise your heads, brave warriors!"

Rod's voice was loud and powerful.
"This banquet is not only to celebrate the victory, but also to honor your courage and loyalty!"

"Today, you are the main characters."

The applause erupted as the words fell, and the soldiers' eyes gleamed with excitement.

Rhodes continued:

"The safety of Frostleaf Town depends on your protection."

"The prosperity of the territory is inseparable from your contributions."

“Each and every one of you is a hero of Frostleaf Town!”

……

Rhodes prepared a lengthy speech for the banquet, which even included praise for some specific soldiers.
This ceremony demonstrates Rhodes's high regard for his soldiers.

This is why it needs to be postponed.

The effect was very obvious; after each of Rod's sentences, a burst of enthusiastic applause rang out from the crowd.

Some of the ordinary soldiers whose names were called even had tears in their eyes.

Rod finished speaking when his throat was dry, and then came the soldiers' commendation ceremony.

As Rod stepped down from the platform, Durant immediately followed, unfurling a parchment scroll and loudly announcing the list of those to be awarded.

The soldiers receiving their medals stepped forward one by one, chests out, eyes burning with fervor.

Rhodes took the iron badge from the guard, which was engraved with a dragon's claw.

These are the dragon-patterned medals that Rhodes prepared for the soldiers, made of iron, bronze, silver, gold, and dragon scales.

Most soldiers received the iron dragon medal, while three wolf riders received the bronze dragon medal.

Rod personally pinned the badges to their chests and patted each of them on the shoulder in greeting.

"Your courage has defended your homeland and your dignity."

As Rhodes’ voice rang out, the soldiers bowed in salute, and applause echoed throughout the hall.

In the firelight, the armor of the recipients gleamed faintly, their faces a mixture of pride and nervousness.

After the ceremony, Rhodes returned to the platform, and, adjusting his ceremonial robes, slowly sat down.
"Take your seats."

The soldiers moved in unison and stepped over to the long table.

"sit!"

At the command, the soldiers sat down with a thud.

A slight smile appeared on Durant's lips.

Even the empire's regular army might not have such discipline.

Durant felt immense pride that such an army was built by his own hands.

Of course, the abundant meals also played a part.

Seeing that everyone was seated, Rod raised his glass.
"For Black Pine Ridge! For victory!"

"For Black Pine Ridge! For victory!"

Everyone responded in unison, the sound of glasses clinking rang out, followed by a series of gulping sounds.

"Let's begin to enjoy the feast of victory."

Rhodes's voice signaled the end of the tedious formalities and the official start of the banquet.

The soldiers began to eat and drink, and gradually became noisy.

Rhodes also breathed a sigh of relief.

Being a noble lord is really not easy.

Before Rod could even catch his breath, Durant, Gunle, and others started offering toasts.

However, Durant was sensible and had instructed Gunle and the others in advance, so everyone only took a few sips before putting down their glasses.

But soon, some mid-level officers, such as battalion commanders (centurions), began to line up to offer toasts.

They rarely had the opportunity to get close to Rhodes, and today, finally being able to drink with the lord, everyone seemed to cherish it all the more.

Rhodes valued these people highly, drank with them earnestly, and tried his best to match their names with their appearances.

These people will be the future of Frostleaf Town.

Today's captain may very well become a knight or general in the legion tomorrow.

Rhodes must establish his authority in their hearts.

Some squad leaders also mustered up their courage to offer a toast, and Rod did not ignore them either.

One after another, Rod accepted every drink offered, finishing each one completely.

If it were his old physique, Rod would have been drunk long ago.

But now he feels no different. The unexpected benefits of his improved physique mean that alcohol has almost no effect on him.

The banquet grew increasingly lively, and the soldiers began toasting each other.

The hall was filled with laughter and cheers; some people sang war songs, while others recounted stories of battle.

Rod felt it was about time, so he walked over to Durant.

"You lead them to continue drinking. Don't worry about anything else. The Winter Iron Guard has already taken care of the town's security."

"Your Excellency, are you going back to rest?"

Durant tried to stand up, but Rod raised his hand to stop him.
"Don't let my departure affect everyone's mood. You can tell the dancers Lawrence arranged to come in."

Durant was slightly taken aback, not expecting such an unexpected twist.

"What brings people happiness is nothing more than wine, meat, and women."

Rhodes patted Durant's shoulder armor.
"Go and inform them."

After saying this, Rhodes did not linger and got up to return to the manor to rest.

……

……

The next morning.

Rhodes, who was holding the two women, had just woken up. Vivian turned to look at Rhodes.

As Rhodes's personal bodyguard, Vivian wouldn't sleep even after such an ordeal as last night.

Stay dressed, stay alert, and protect Rhodes' safety.

"What are the plans for today, my lord?"

Vivian asked in a low voice.

Rhodes yawned and then instructed, "Notify the guards to have Vika come over after breakfast."

"Yes, Your Excellency."

Vivian jumped out of bed nimbly and relayed the order.

Then Lia came in to help Rhodes get up and wash, and the servants brought out the prepared breakfast.

Rhodes had long since escaped the life of a poor lord, and his meals had gradually become more elaborate.

The earthenware bowl was filled with cooked shrimp, their shells glowing a pale pink in the steam, and sprinkled with fine salt and chopped scallions.

Thin slices of salted ham are arranged on a thick wooden platter, their fat glistening.

The toasted bread, crispy and golden brown, was sliced ​​thinly and neatly arranged to the side.

On the table was a wild boar soup made with wild mushrooms, with chunks of carrot floating in the soup and a thin layer of oil on top.

On the corner of the table sat a small jar of honey and jam, next to which were slices of hard cheese.

Lia picked up a slice of bread, spread jam on it, sandwiched ham and shrimp between the slices, placed them on Rod's plate with both hands, and then ladled out half a bowl of broth.

Lia had to serve Rhode, Avril, and Vivian as they ate. Rhode ate very quickly, so Lia's hands couldn't stop moving for a moment.

But Leah didn't feel tired at all; her face was full of joy at being able to serve the lord.

This is also what allows Leah to command most of the servants in the manor.

After Rhodes regained his vitality, he reduced his appetite, eating only six sandwiches and three bowls of meat soup before getting up and returning to the hall.

Vika was already waiting outside the hall, and immediately bowed to Rhodes upon seeing him.

"Good morning, my lord. What are your orders?"

"I have no instructions, but you, your wife Nessa, and your people have all done a good job, so I'd like to reward you with something."

Without hiding anything, Rhodes placed the bone polyhedron directly in front of Vika.

"Thank you for your gift."

Before Vika could even see what it was, he bowed deeply in greeting.

During her time in Frostleaf Town, Vika has learned etiquette.

After bowing, it raised its paws to receive the item Rod offered, examining it carefully.
"My lord, what is this thing...?"

"This is what you wanted most,"

Rod smiled as he looked at Vika.

"Ancestral spirit box".

……

……

Vika walked out of the manor in a daze, her steps unsteady.

Countless thoughts surged through my mind.

Nessa, who was delivering herbs to Luna, happened to see Vika with a blank stare and quickly came over to help him.

"what happened to you?"

Nessa looked at Vika nervously, "What did the lord say? Why are you wandering around here?"

"Nessa, the lord has given me three days off so that I can properly learn the skills of my ancestors."

Vika stared blankly at Nessa.

"The skills of our ancestors? But where can we find the skills of our ancestors..."

Nessa's questioning tone stopped abruptly, as she suddenly realized, "It can't be..."

The morning breeze brushed against Vika's fur. He looked at Nessa and nodded solemnly.

Nessa's eyes widened, and she couldn't help but cover her mouth.

"Oh my god! Is this real?"

Vika pointed to his head. "The ancestral legacy is now in my mind."

"Great!"

Nessa jumped up excitedly and hugged Vika tightly!
"We don't even know how many years we've waited!"

"The legacy of our ancestors has finally returned!"

Nessa's voice trembled with excitement.

"No wonder your aura has changed; you look even more mysterious!"

Nessa was not exaggerating.

The Lynx people's access to their ancestral caskets is naturally different from that of humans like Rhodes.

Rhodes only saw images and memories, but the Lynx Man was able to awaken the talent in his bloodline; the rest was the method of cultivation.

"Where is the ancestral shrine? Let me see it!"

Nessa reached out and eagerly groped Vika's body, even putting her hand inside the lynx-man's chest.

Vika quickly stopped Nessa's actions and pulled her aside, feeling embarrassed.
"The ancestral shrine is still with the lord; I didn't take it."

Vika explained in a low voice, "The ancestor's soul is very fragile and could shatter and dissipate at any time. Lord, you are trying to stabilize it."

"The lord instructed me to first familiarize myself with the heritage, awaken my talents, and then guide the other members of the clan."

Vika gazed at the high wall being built in the distance, lost in thought.

"Once our talents have been awakened and stabilized, we will work with Lady Avril to record our inheritance based on our actual cultivation experience and inherited information."

"In this way, our Lynx people's heritage will never be lost again!"

"That's great!"

Nessa became even more excited and couldn't help but exclaim, "Lord, you are truly a very kind human being!"

"Yes, this time the lord made no demands or conditions, handing over the ancestral shrine to me without hesitation, and..."

Vika held Nessa's shoulders, looking at her with a solemn tone.
"We Lynx people must never betray this trust!"

"Yes, yes! We must do every single thing the lord assigns us very carefully!"

Nessa nodded vigorously.
"Then I'll go deliver the herbs. You should go back and comprehend the inheritance!"

"it is good."

Vika nodded heavily, raised its paw to say goodbye to Nessa, and returned to its cabin.

The Lynx people still live in dormitories, with only the Lynx couple having their own apartment.

As the leader, Vika's apartment was twice the size of the other Lynx people's, essentially a detached wooden cabin.

Back in the house, Vika lay prone on the floor like a lynx.

Vika closed her eyes, took a deep breath, tried to calm her wildly beating heart, and began to feel the ground beneath her.

Smelling the earth, Vika's consciousness slowly sank, passing through her skin and touching the ground beneath her.

The noise outside gradually faded away, and Vika's breathing slowed down until it became completely silent.

Vika kept imagining, telling herself with her mind that her body was no longer flesh and blood, but a part of the soil.

Soon, a faint energy rose from the ground and wrapped around Vika's body.

Vika felt a tingling sensation on her skin, but she gritted her teeth and tried to persevere.

Soon, Vika's fur began to change color.

The dark brown turned into the deep brown of the soil.

Vika's coat also changed, and his entire body gradually merged with the earth.

Vika felt waves of sharp pain throughout his body, and beads of clear sweat slid down his forehead.

"You must hold on!"

Only by constantly familiarizing oneself with the state of invisibility and adapting to the pain can one freely become invisible!

This is just the beginning!
Vika gritted her teeth to comfort herself, pressing her forehead to the ground, trying to resist the physical pain.

At that moment, Vika felt a gentle, warm energy emerge and slowly flow throughout her body.

Where these energies passed, the pain instantly lessened by more than half, allowing Vika to breathe a sigh of relief. "Is it the Seed of Nature bestowed by the Lord?!"

Vika stared incredulously at his chest. "No wonder Lord Durant and the others were so excited. It turns out this Seed of Nature is so useful!"

Vika couldn't help but touch his chest; his body color gradually returned to normal as he was distracted.

Vika, however, didn't care at all, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

With the Seed of Nature, I'm sure I can persevere for much longer!

……

……

On the open ground outside Shuangye Town, Xue Rui looked up at the enormous creature before her.

"This is the legendary earth dragon!"

Hiding behind Rod, Sherry's face was full of curiosity and excitement, with a hint of fear.

"Tall and imposing indeed!"

Sherry looked up at Rod, her voice trembling slightly.

"My lord, are you really going to hand it over to our engineering department?"

Sherry swallowed hard, thinking, "How am I supposed to control it... I feel like it could swallow me whole."

Sherry nervously rubbed the long fur on her legs with her paws, unable to imagine what the huge creature looking down at her would look like when it opened its mouth.

Rod smiled and patted Sherry's head.

"Don't worry, it won't hurt you, it's very obedient."

Rhodes glanced calmly at the earth dragon, his voice carrying an undeniable authority.
"If it dares to eat you, I'll eat it."

The earth dragon seemed to understand these words, its eyes filled with fear as it shrank its neck and let out a low growl.

It was as if he was protesting his innocence.

Sherry exclaimed in amazement, "He can understand us!"

"can."

Rhodes nodded. "This guy is smart."

"Then there's no problem." Xue Rui breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yes, with this, you won't have to go through the hard work of digging the foundation anymore."

Rod explained, "All the tunnel excavation work is handled by it."

"Earth dragons can dig and devour soil at the same time, and can even digest the soil."

Rhodes wasn't exaggerating; most dragons have powerful stomachs and can digest all sorts of unpalatable foods.

Earth dragons are better able to draw energy from the soil—mostly minerals.

"Of course, when it has food, it still has the habit of spitting the dirt to the other side."

"Your main responsibility is to reinforce the tunnels dug by the earth dragon and, incidentally, move the soil."

Rod paused, seemingly lost in thought.
"But it's not needed for the foundations of those sentry posts and houses. This thing is too big to do delicate work."

"Okay, okay, these are exactly the things we're good at."

Xue Rui nodded repeatedly, her joy evident on her face.

Then she cautiously looked at the earth dragon.

"My lord, what is its name?"

Rhodes opened his mouth, "Big..."

He almost blurted out the name "Dahuang," but he stopped himself in time.

Such a majestic beast shouldn't be given such a casual name.

Rhodes pondered for a moment.

"Rock Ridge."

Rhodes said, "It's a newly chosen name, Rock Ridge."

"Ah, what a lovely name!"

Sherri mustered her courage, took two steps forward, bowed, and then spoke.
"Rock Ridge, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Xue Rui, the project manager. I'll be relying on you a lot in the future."

Sherry's voice trembled slightly, but she still tried her best to remain polite.

"What do you like to eat? Tell me, and I'll bring you delicious food often!"

The earth dragon lowered its massive head, its golden vertical pupils scrutinizing the tiny snow rabbit-man, then glancing at Rhodes.

It then gave a soft hum, seemingly in agreement.

Rod observed this scene quietly, then offered a reminder.
"You'd better get used to it quickly. I can only give you a week. After a week, it will have new tasks."

The eastern coastline is too narrow; with the earth dragon, a beach can be dug out directly.

In the future, it may even be possible to dig a rock tunnel through the mountain, making it more convenient and faster to reach the coast.

“No problem, my lord,” Sherry replied cheerfully.

"Let's go then."

Rhodes waved his hand, "Let's go do a practice run first."

Rod brought the earth dragon into the manor.

The appearance of the behemoth caused an immediate sensation. The guards were so nervous that they drew their swords, but they breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that it was their lord in front of them.

Although the residents of Futaba Town had seen wyverns, the earth dragon's enormous and majestic size was even more awe-inspiring.

They initially scattered in fear, but couldn't resist following behind, peering out of curiosity.

Many of the workers couldn't help but gather around, bowing to Rhodes from afar before staring intently at the rock ridge.

The rock ridge seemed to enjoy this feeling, proudly raising its head.

Rhodes was completely unconcerned about these reactions.

He signaled to the soldiers to maintain order and prevent anyone from approaching, then led the rock ridge directly to the construction site.

The construction area outside the manor was bustling with activity, as slaves were constantly removing the soil dug out by the Snow Rabbit people.

But when the dragon appeared, all movement and sound abruptly stopped.

The snow rabbits and slaves stared blankly at the enormous creature, not daring to make a move.

"Don't be afraid, this big guy is here to help us."

Sherry waved her hand, signaling everyone to step back.

Even without her saying it, everyone instinctively stepped back when faced with the awe-inspiring form of the rock ridge, as long as it moved forward.

"It's up to you."

Rhodes commanded the ridge: "Dig along this drawn line, making sure the depth and width are about the same as before."

The giant beast nodded and leaped into the already dug foundation.

The two horns on the top of the earth dragon's head began to glow faintly. Then it opened its huge mouth and twisted its massive body forward.

Click, click——

The earth dragon devoured the land in front of it as if it were eating cake.

The hard soil was as fragile as tofu in the face of those fangs.

It's like a giant earth-eating beast, devouring the soil wherever it goes.

Behind it, a neat ditch gradually took shape.

The sides of the ditch were smooth and flat, as if they had been carefully sculpted.

However, the soil here is not very firm, and the tail of the rock ridge sweeps up patches of mud.

It is worth mentioning that earth dragons can breathe underground and are not afraid of being buried by landslides.

Rhodes silently counted the time.

Excluding the time it took to expel the soil, the earthworm dug a distance of nearly five or six meters in less than ten minutes.

It should be noted that this foundation pit is four meters deep and three meters wide.

At the normal pace, it would take a large group of slaves half a day to complete the same amount of work.

"so amazing!"

Sherry's eyes widened, her face filled with shock.

The surrounding workers were equally dumbfounded, their mouths agape, unable to believe what they were seeing.

"This will greatly improve our project progress."

Sherry said excitedly, "We won't even need three days to finish digging the entire foundation!"

Rhodes nodded.

"Then you should hurry up and prepare. First, build the wall."

He pointed to the open space in the distance.

"The freed-up manpower should be used to excavate the foundations of those buildings."

Rhodes plans to build the new manor in the direction of a castle.

The main building and two side buildings were constructed with bricks and stones, so that when it was expanded into a real castle in the future, only additions would be needed, instead of tearing everything down and starting over as is the case now.

In addition, there should be watchtowers and observation posts specifically for the manor.

"Yes, my lord, I will make the arrangements in a moment."

Sheryl answered respectfully, and then immediately got to work with her men.

"Okay, then you guys get back to work."

Rod didn't linger. He glanced at the earth dragon twice and then headed straight for the blacksmith's shop.

The Forging Edge ability can now be taught to other blacksmiths.

Rodham selected several skilled and promising blacksmiths to pass on the art of forging to them.

Of course, Rod's first priority was to implant nature into their bodies.

Rhodes can only fully trust them if they do not reject the Seeds of Nature.

Even if they betray him in the future, Rhodes doesn't need to worry that this power of the abbreviation will harm him.

It wasn't that Rhodes was overly suspicious, but rather that the ability of Forging Edge was simply too important.

That's how it seems, at least for now.

Due to the limitations of his physical energy, Rhodes condensed three small seeds of nature.

Anyway, blacksmiths don't need to cultivate, so too much energy would be a waste.

Rhodes selected one yak and two humans, and successfully implanted the implants into their bodies.

The method of inheriting the Forging Edge technique is similar to the Flame Tempering Forging method, but it is far less painful.

Once the forging technique was fully taught, the three blacksmiths specialized in forging weapons—armor-piercing arrowheads and knight's longswords.

Once these weapons and equipment are available, those infantry knights will be invincible.

Rhodes still had a lot of work to do. After arranging things at the blacksmith shop, he went directly to the medicine preparation room under the herb warehouse.

The manor needs to be rebuilt, and many things need to be moved out first.

Rhodes is temporarily not preparing potions in his workshop, which makes it convenient for him to obtain the materials.

Rhodes's vitality has been restored, so there's no need to waste any more dragon blood. Instead, we should prepare Knight's Roar Potion in batches.

Many soldiers are physically strong, but many are past the age to practice breathing techniques. They must use the Knight's Roar Potion to break through the barriers so that they can practice like normal knights.

Fortunately, we had hunted down a lot of lizardmen before, and the mutated magic rabbits in our territory had not been depleted. We now have more than forty of them, which is more than enough for materials.

In fact, dragon blood and white wolf blood can also be used to make Knight's Roar Potion, but ordinary soldiers can't withstand it.

Rhodes could get himself one.

To improve efficiency, Rhodes' assistants include not only Luna, but also another wizard apprentice, Yurai.

Yurai was the first girl to be identified as having the talent of an apprentice, and her affinity leans towards the wind element.

Yu Lai is very hardworking, but since she is illiterate, she can't help much and is always studying.

I'm currently working as Rhodes' assistant, and I'm being trained to become a potion master.

"Good day, my lord."

Yu Lai clutched the hem of her clothes, lowered her head, and dared not look at Luo De. She murmured softly, "This is the first time I've served you. Please scold me if I did anything wrong."

"You can study here for now."

Seeing Yurai's timid appearance, Rod deliberately adjusted his tone.

In order to cultivate his own team, Rhodes was willing to give more patience to novice wizard apprentices like Yulai.

"Okay, let's get started."

Rhodes looked at Luna, "Give me the beast blood first."

……

……

Rhodes spent a full week in the pharmacy, and the shelves were already overflowing with Knight's Roar potions.

There are thirty bottles in total, which means that Rhodes will suddenly have thirty trainee knights.

Of course, Rhodes didn't stay in the medicine room all week. He didn't neglect his cultivation and meditation, and he also absorbed a transcendent gem every day.

"That's all for now, Yurai. Go back and meditate to rest."

Rod stretched and waved casually.

"Yes, Lord Lord."

Yulai bowed respectfully.

After a week of getting to know each other, Yurai has started helping Rod with some simple tasks.

The most crucial aspect is the ability to pre-treat certain materials using magic, something Luna is unable to do.

After Yurai left, Rod looked at the new formula in his hand and beckoned to Luna.

"Prepare one pound each of valerian root, wild chamomile, and lavender flower spikes, and half a pound of crab entrails juice."

"Give me some more Anxinye (a traditional Chinese medicine), take more, but success isn't guaranteed."

"Yes, sir."

Luna didn't know what Rhode needed so much for, but she quickly went to the warehouse and ice cellar to retrieve the materials Rhode required.

Rod looked at the recipe in his hand, then at the ingredients on the table.
"Let's begin the betting!"

……

……

[A new potion has been successfully developed; the progress for the potion-making beginner has reached 40/40.]

[Forty different potions with varying effects have been created based on the properties of herbs, unlocking the entry: Potions Beginner (Blue)]

"Finally finished!"

Rod looked at the empty materials on the table and the purple-glowing liquid in the wooden jar, and let out a long sigh of relief.

After spending a whole day and trying eleven times, Rhodes finally succeeded in concocting a basic mental soothing potion by changing the formula of one of the medicinal herbs.

This medicine is mainly used to relieve mental fatigue after various mental activities, and it is also suitable for mental fatigue after meditation.

Rhodes is unsure of the specific effects.

Rhodes had no interest in testing the potion's effects; he immediately checked the effects of the [Potion for Beginners] potion.

[Potion Beginner (Blue): You have a thorough understanding of the properties of various potion ingredients, reducing the error rate in potion preparation by 50%.]

[Next entry: Personally mentor three potion-making apprentices (successfully crafting three potions), design and create three auxiliary potion-making vessels, and produce 500 potions within your territory to unlock the entry: Potion Workshop]

(End of this chapter)