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

Chapter 263 An unexpected gain
……

……

night.

In Frosttown, the main hall of the lord's manor was brightly lit.

Several iron chandeliers hung from the wooden beam ceiling, illuminating the long table with its exquisite carvings.

On the long table, silver candlesticks held burning beeswax candles, their light casting dazzling shadows on the crystal goblets.

The table was covered with a clean linen cloth, adorned with beautifully trimmed flowers and various kinds of appetizers.

Looking at these exquisite decorations belonging to nobles that didn't belong to the Northern Wastes, Rhodes couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Several lords' manors, each truly only possessing their own, are the simplest and most unpretentious.

Rhodes felt he needed to speed things up at his estate.

"Baron Rhodes, thank you so much."

Baron Edmund sat in the main seat, his cheeks flushed and a barely suppressed smile playing on his lips.
"If it weren't for you and your dragon, our Frost Town would be finished."

"Those Earth Spirit Rabbits, oh my god, they are absolutely terrifying."

"It can dig tunnels, summon earth spikes, and even cause earthquakes..."

……

Edmund's rambling brought Rhodes's attention back.

Rhodes sat opposite Edmund, his expression indifferent.
"These monsters threaten the stability of the wasteland; eliminating them would benefit us all."

Rhodes laughed and said, "Besides, I will be in charge of Longwinter Town for the foreseeable future, so dealing with the monsters will benefit us all."

After Longwinter Town was captured and Slor was killed by Rhodes, Longwinter Town came under Rhodes's control.

Next, Rhodes surveyed the territory, and what originally belonged to Slor's Longwinter Ridge now all belonged to Rhodes.

“You are so humble and kind, Baron Rhodes.”

Edmund stood up excitedly.

"You know what? I almost fainted when I heard those rabbits howling!"

"Their eyes gleamed with ferocity, making you tremble just looking at them."

"And those horns, gleaming and shiny, looked like they were going to pierce you into a sieve."

He spoke while making exaggerated gestures.

The servants took the opportunity to serve the food.

The first dish was roasted wild deer leg.

Its outer skin is caramel-colored and it emits an enticing aroma.

The plating was exquisite and sophisticated, with the chef sprinkling herbs and pepper on the side.

It's completely different from what Martha did.

"This is the best wild deer in our Frosttown."

Edmund proudly explained, "The hunters caught it in the cedar forest."

"The meat is very tender, you must eat more to replenish your energy."

"Fighting monsters must be very energy-consuming, right?"

The maid with freckles on her cheeks carefully cut a piece of venison into three slices and placed it on Rhodes' silver platter.

Rhodes took a bite and nodded in approval.

"Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, it's really good."

However, if Rod were eating by himself, he would simply cut off a large piece and eat until he was full.

Then the servants brought out the second dish, slow-roasted glacial trout.

Glacier trout live in river valleys near glaciers. Their flesh is firm, low in fat, and tastes better than that of ordinary fish.

The third dish was deep-fried giant cap mushrooms.

The fourth dish was stewed bear meat...

……

"The sixth course is quite impressive, Baron Rhodes. Don't be intimidated by these strange long strips."

Edmund chuckled and explained, "This isn't some kind of monster, it's..."

"An octopus?" Rhodes was somewhat surprised.

"You actually know him?!"

Edmund looked at Rhodes in surprise, "Is the Tulip family so close to the coast?"

"Not close."

Rhodes smiled and shook his head, not saying much. "We've only met a few times."

"Then you should try it, it tastes very good."

Edmund sighed, "It's a pity that these are dried octopus; if it were winter, we could have eaten fresher ones."

Rod didn't act immediately. Looking at the octopus filling the watermelon-sized ceramic bowl, he asked, "Octopus are marine creatures. Are these from Coldhowl Town?"

"um, yes."

Edmund smiled and explained, "There's not much arable land in Coldhowl Town, so they often trade us pickled seafood for grain."

Edmund lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "And sea salt!"

After speaking, Edmund stared intently at Rhodes' expression, seemingly waiting for Rhodes' surprise.

Rod simply nodded slightly and said calmly, "The profit margins for sea salt and dried seafood must be quite high, right? No wonder you're so wealthy."

"Haha, you're so wise. These goods are very popular in the towns of the Northwest and Southwest."

Edmund said generously, "Don't worry, Baron Rhodes, we'll do this kind of business together from now on!"

"With your protection, our caravan will be much safer traveling across the wilderness."

"Well, that's a good idea."

Rhodes nodded.

Although Black Pine Ridge now has its own caravans, they trade in the east, and since the trade routes are different, there is little conflict.

Now that he can make an extra profit, Rod is naturally very happy.

"By the way, how much sea salt can Cold Howl Town produce in a month?"

Rod asked casually.

“It weighs about a thousand pounds,” Edmund replied.

"A thousand catties? That's so little?"

Rhodes looked at Edmund in disbelief.

Unlike the refined salt that Rhodes encountered in his previous life, the salt in this era is coarse salt, with more impurities and a heavier weight.

Even if Hanxiao Town only has three or four hundred people, it should still produce at least four to six thousand catties of salt per month!
A thousand catties is less than the weekly output of the Luode Salt Mine; it's far too little!

Can you make money this way?

Edmund sighed. "The Baron of Coldhowl Town also wants to produce more, but there are always some annoying fish-men and sea monsters on the coast."

“We tried to unite and wipe them out, but these cunning guys always jumped into the sea and escaped, and no one could do anything about it.”

"That does sound like a lot of trouble."

Rhodes nodded in agreement, his expression calm, but he was somewhat surprised.

Rhodes had seen fish-men in marine life guidebooks, but he never expected to see them on this coast.

The fishmen are not strong, but they reproduce rapidly. They are cunning and treacherous, and enjoy harassing and plundering coastal residents.

They are extremely ugly and like to eat humans, just like reptilians.

But as Edmund said, they can escape into the sea, making them difficult to eradicate completely.

Baron Rhodes,

While Rhodes was pondering, Edmund cautiously spoke up: "Legend has it that dragons can swim, Baron Rhodes. If you were to intervene, perhaps you could completely eliminate these mermen?"

"Yes, dragons can swim."

According to all the information Rhodes had read, dragons could swim.

Furthermore, apart from the red dragon, which controls fire and is not good at fighting in deep water, the other dragons can basically swim freely in the water.

Rhodes wasn't entirely clear on his combat capabilities.

“Baron Edmund, if any problems arise in your territory, I am willing to lend a hand.”

Rhodes said slowly, "But I've never met the lord of Coldhowl Town, so this shouldn't be something I need to consider."

Rhodes helped Edmund deal with the Earth Spirit Rabbit because he had his eye on these magical beasts.

More importantly, Rhodes preferred Baron Edmund's temperament.

Although he talks a lot, he still thinks of his guards in crucial moments. This kind of person would be a great friend.

Rod didn't mind giving more goodwill.

But for the lord of Coldhowl Town, whom he knew nothing about, this was a completely unexpected matter.

"Yes, you're right. Ultimately, that's a matter for Cold Howl Town itself, and we have no right to decide."

As he spoke, Edmund put down his cutlery, his expression turning serious.
“Actually, Baron Rhodes, I have a small suggestion.”

"Well, please tell me."

Rod put down his cutlery and wiped his mouth.

This is why Rod doesn't like to talk business over meals; he always stops eating to show respect to the other party.

"You should know that the Northern Wasteland is not peaceful."

Edmund explained, "The Frozen Bone Wasteland has been destroyed, and Ice Peak Valley is said to have been severely damaged as well. I believe you also know about what happened to Razorfen Downs."

"And the Ice Breath Hills, it's said, were also attacked by alien races. It was only with the help of a lord that Baron Camille was able to resolve the problem..."

"and many more,"

Edmund, recalling the layout of the Northern Wastes, stared wide-eyed at Rhodes in disbelief.

"That lord, could it be you?"

Rhodes nodded calmly. "It was indeed me."

"That's right, I should have realized it sooner. No one but you would have the strength to completely drive away the alien race!"

Edmund's face lit up with excitement, and his voice rose several decibels.
"that is really good!"

"What I really wanted to suggest was that the Northern Wasteland is too chaotic, with alien races and magical beasts, and I'm not good at warfare, sigh!"

"I think we can form an alliance in the Northern Wastes and cooperate with each other so that we can better exploit the resources of our territory!"

"Of course, I know that my territory is weak and not worthy of an alliance with a powerful lord like you."

Edmund continued speaking, his pace quickening.
"But if you are willing to form an alliance, you will lead our alliance, and I can provide you with supplies regularly."

Edmund replied earnestly, "Food, iron ore, furs, and any other resources you need, we can provide them!"

"If your caravan wishes to travel east for trade, the Youlin family can also provide assistance," Edmund said in one breath, then stared nervously at Rhodes.

Rhodes did not answer directly, but frowned slightly and fell into thought.

The hall fell silent.

Everyone at the table stopped what they were doing, and their breathing became lighter.

Only the faint crackling of the candlelight remained.

Edmund's captain of the guard, Karuzer, kept his head down, but was actually stealing glances at Rhodes, his palms starting to sweat.

"If you'd like,"

After a moment, Rhodes finally spoke, picking up the crystal wine glass in front of him.

"I can."

"I do! Of course I do!"

Edmund quickly picked up his wine glass.
"Baron Rhodes, cheers to our alliance!"

……

……

The banquet lasted until very late.

The two discussed some specific details of the alliance and decided that Edmund would contact the lord of Coldhowl to discuss the alliance.

As for Camille, she's already considered an ally of Rhodes.

A preliminary agreement was reached, and a delighted Edmund drank until his face was flushed.

When he was quite drunk, Edmund summoned his two personal maids to drink with him and even offered them to Rhodes.

Rhodes naturally refused.

It wasn't that Rhodes was arrogant; he genuinely looked down on the freckled maid and wasn't used to sharing her with others.

Rhodes has Vivian by his side, and even when he's drunk and reckless, he still has Sejuani. He's not someone else's personal maid.

Of course, to match Edmund's mood, Rhodes also pretended to be a little drunk and, with Vivian's help, left the main hall and went to a guest room in the manor.

Edmund, supported by two maids, returned to his bedroom.

Karuze followed into the bedroom and waved for the two maids to leave.

Edmund's eyelids drooped as he rubbed his forehead.

"See, I told you so! Baron Rhodes won't invade Frosttown!"

"Kaluze, you've misspoke this time!"

"Yes, my lord, I was overthinking things and was too narrow-minded!"

Kaluze bowed his head and apologized to Edmund.

The alliance was proposed by Karuzer to Edmund.

Seeing Rhodes's formidable strength, Karuzer was terrified that Rhodes would send troops to conquer Frost Town.

What will Frosttown use to stop those two dragons?
So Karuzer came up with the idea of ​​taking the initiative to form an alliance and show goodwill to Rhodes.

If Rhodes refuses to form an alliance, then Frosttown should be careful, and Edmund should find a chance to escape as soon as possible.

But now that Rhodes has agreed to the alliance, it means that Karuzer has misjudged everything.

After Kaluze apologized, he poured a cup of tea for his lord and helped him drink it.

Edmund downed half a glass of water in one gulp, then lay down on the bed, his voice muffled.

"But your idea of ​​forming an alliance is really good. From now on, we don't have to worry about anything and can just focus on making gold coins."

“Take another fifty coins from my personal property and give them to Lord Rhodes, no, a hundred!”

"Yes, my lord, I will inform the steward to make preparations immediately."

Karuzer quickly replied, "You should rest well. I'll have Kelly and Morrie come in to serve you."

Kaluze bowed and then left the room.

……

……

The guest room bedroom was dimly lit by candlelight.

A fierce battle has just ended.

Why does it always take so long after drinking?

Rhodes chuckled softly, his fingers gently kneading Vivian's slender waist, feeling the soft warmth of her skin, without saying a word.

"Do you have any more dried meat? I'm a little hungry."

Rod stretched and muttered, "These kinds of banquets never seem to leave you feeling full."

"some."

Vivian finished dressing, took two strips of dried meat from her purse and fed them to Rhodes, then took out a small piece of maltose and put it in her own mouth.

Savoring the sweetness on her tongue, Vivian suddenly asked, "Baron Edmund seemed very nervous when we were discussing the alliance today."

She chewed on the candy, lost in thought.
"Moreover, the conditions proposed seem to be ingratiating to you."

"Yes, it was indeed an initiative to show goodwill, and it could also be considered a test."

Rhodes lay on Vivian's lap, his eyes closed, and guessed, "We just took Longwinter Town. For whatever reason, it's normal for the lord next door to be worried."

Vivian gently stroked Rhodes's hair and guessed, "So, Baron Edmund offered some benefits in exchange for cooperation to avoid invasion?"

"Actually, even if he hadn't done that, I wouldn't have attacked Frost Town."

Rhodes explained slowly, "For us, occupying too much land now would yield too little benefit and would instead lead to a dispersion of power, and would also offend other families."

“Like Edmund, he’s not an illegitimate child. He’s the fourth son of Earl of the Forest, and he has a good relationship with his siblings.”

"The key is that I have a good impression of Edmund, so there's no need to turn against him."

"You're right."

Vivian nodded in agreement. "In that case, cooperation would indeed be more beneficial for us."

"No, I can't get enough of the meat strips!"

Rhodes sat up. "Damn it, I'm starving. I need to eat more before these kinds of banquets in the future."

"Please wait."

Vivian blinked, a mysterious smile playing on her lips.
"I'll go to the kitchen to find you something to eat, I'll be right back."

Vivian slipped silently into the corridor, took a deep breath, and then disappeared completely into the dimly lit corridor.

Vivian made her way forward, sheltered by the shadows.

Vivian quickly found the kitchen on the first floor, relying on her memory.

A faint light shone from the kitchen doorway, and the soft clattering of pots and pans could be heard from inside.

Vivian pressed herself against the darkness and peered inside, where three servants were clearing away the leftovers.

They moved slowly, clearly exhausted.

Vivian wasn't in a hurry; she leaned against the corner and watched the three of them work.

After the three servants left the kitchen, exhausted, Vivian began searching the kitchen.

"The Baron likes to eat meat."

Vivian glanced at the ham hanging from the beam, quickly took it down, and then grabbed a few pieces of cheese.

Just as I was about to leave, I suddenly heard footsteps coming from the back door of the kitchen.

Vivian immediately held her breath and hid in the shadows.

Just then, two figures slipped into the kitchen one after the other without making a sound.

One male and one female.

Judging from their attire, they are all servants from the manor.

The two cautiously observed the kitchen, and after confirming that no one was around, they suddenly hugged each other.

Then came moans and groans, and the two collided like dry tinder and a raging fire, burning fiercely together.

Vivian curled her lip, showing no interest in appreciating the two's performance.

Unfortunately, with the two of them standing by the door, Vivian had no way to leave without disturbing them.

Vivian turned her face away with some disdain, waiting for the two of them to finish.

Fortunately, the two knew that the kitchen was not suitable, or perhaps the male servant was simply not up to the task, so they only fussed around for a short while before getting their clothes ready.

Vivian secretly breathed a sigh of relief, hoping they would leave quickly so she could take the ham back to Rod.

Just when Vivian thought they were done, the woman who was tidying her clothes suddenly spoke up.
"Don't forget to spread the word quickly, so we can get another big sum of money."

The man nodded and asked, "Are you sure it's the Baron of Black Pine Ridge?"

"I've seen his portrait, it's him!"

The woman said, "Everyone in the manor is saying tonight that Baron Rhodes is incredibly powerful and killed the magical beasts that attacked Edmund!"

"And it's said that his army is also very powerful, winning many battles. Remember to send these rumors back to him!"

"no problem!"

The man exclaimed excitedly, "They've been struggling to get any news about Black Pine Ridge, this is going to be a fortune for us!"

The man held the woman and showered her with kisses.
"Once we get our payment this time, I'll take you away from here and find a small village to rent a piece of land to live on!"

"Pah, you've said that so many times already!"

The woman reached out and pinched the man's tender waist hard, saying, "You always spend your money on those sluts at the tavern!"

"Ouch, it hurts, it hurts..."

The man had barely finished speaking when he suffered a severe blow to the back of his neck and fell straight down!

The woman looked bewildered and hurriedly reached out to support the man. At the same time, she saw a veiled girl appear in front of her!

"you!"

Just as the woman was about to speak, a black dagger was pressed against her throat.

"Shut up if you want to live."

Vivian's voice was icy cold. The woman swallowed hard and made no further move.

"Put him down slowly."

Vivian used a dagger to give orders, and the woman dared not resist, so she could only obediently put the man's body down.

The moment the man landed, Vivian's left hand transformed into a palm strike, slamming it down on the back of the woman's neck.

The woman collapsed and fainted without any resistance.

"I never expected such an unexpected bonus."

Vivian pouted and glanced at the ham that had been tossed in the corner.

"Unfortunately, my dear Baron, you're going to go hungry."

(End of this chapter)