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

Chapter 273 The Knights' Regret
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"You don't need to comfort me, child."

“I have also tried many methods and various medications.”

"To be honest, I also looked for witches with healing abilities, but it didn't work."

Count Red Griffin smiled and shook his head slightly.

"I've gotten used to it over the years, and I've given up."

Rhodes didn't speak, he just looked at Count Red Griffin.

I'm now also wondering if what I'm thinking is really effective.

At this moment, Vivian suddenly realized what Rhodes was talking about and spoke first: "Father, Rhodes might really have a way."

"Really?"

The old count looked at Vivian, then at Rhodes, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "What herbs or magical items do you need? I'll send someone to collect them."

"No materials are needed, but you can't resist the process."

As Rod spoke, a seed emitting a faint green light materialized in his hand.

"You are indeed a spellcaster."

The old count, a man of great experience, showed no surprise at seeing the speck of light in Rhodes' hand. "Is this a healing spell?"

"No, this is a cultivation technique that can help you cultivate."

Rod's words made the old count's cloudy eyes light up instantly.

The old count asked impatiently, "Then what should I do?"

“As I just said, don’t resist, accept it completely,” Rhodes reminded him again.

"it is good."

The old count coughed lightly and immediately sat up straight.

Rhodes then controlled the Seed of Nature to fly toward the old count.

Although Rhodes had said that nothing needed to be done, the old count was still somewhat uneasy, shifting his body nervously and adjusting his posture.

In his awkwardness, the Seed of Nature drifted into the old count's body.

However, the anticipated integration did not occur.
—The Seed of Nature passed directly through the old count's body.

Rhodes was somewhat surprised and asked, "Are you the one resisting?"

"I do not have it!"

The old count looked somewhat bewildered and innocent. "I also hope my health will improve. Why would I resist?"

"What's going on?"

Vivian looked at Rhodes curiously, "We both succeeded."

"You all succeeded?" The old count asked, somewhat surprised.

Vivian shrugged. "Father, who wouldn't want a spell that can help with cultivation?"

The old count nodded slightly in agreement.

At this moment, Rhodes, who had been thinking, spoke up: "My lord, you may have to transfer Red Griffin Castle to me."

"Ok?"

The old count was somewhat surprised. "What do you mean?"

"You want Red Griffin Castle as payment? But it doesn't seem to be of much value to you, does it?"

The old count looked at Rhodes with a puzzled expression.

“No… In the future, the Red Griffin family’s territory will belong to Avril and you. You can come here anytime you want to live here. You don’t need to treat it as payment for treating me.”

Why do this?

"That's rather complicated."

Rhodes thought for a moment and said, "You believe in witches, so you should know that witches' spells often require specific conditions or come at a price."

"And the price of this spell of mine is that you must give up the place where you usually live."

Seeds of Nature can only be bestowed upon creatures within the territory of Rhodes.

To make it easier for the old count to accept, Rhodes deliberately changed the way he put it.

"So, Red Griffin Castle will disappear or become ruins?"

The old count looked at Rhodes in surprise, "So, are we going to move away?"

"No, don't worry."

Rod explained with a smile, "Nothing will happen, it just has to be mine as payment, and you'll be living here for the rest of your life."

"It sounds a bit strange, something just doesn't feel right."

The old count frowned in thought, then a smile returned to his face.

"But you wouldn't lie to me, after all, my daughter, and the future Griffin City will all be yours."

Witches and wizards are inherently mysterious and enigmatic, and given Susanna's strange turn of events last night, Rhodes's request isn't entirely odd.

Without further hesitation, the old count was eager to know whether the green light seed in Rhodes's hand had any effect, so he immediately ordered his servant to bring paper and pen.

Frank, the old butler, is now in the dungeon, and Red Griffin Fortress has been completely reshuffled.

The person currently serving the old count personally is none other than Katina from the Night Whisperers.

After the transfer agreement was signed, Rhodes once again gathered the Seed of Nature.

This time, there were no surprises.

When the Seed of Nature touched the old count's body, the shimmering green light gradually merged into it.

After the light disappeared, Rhodes also felt a faint connection with the old count.

At this moment, the old count's eyes widened like saucers, his face filled with disbelief and shock.

"How is this possible?!"

"The raging currents in my body are being slowly devoured by the seeds you sent into me!"

"Moreover, it seems to be releasing some gentle energy, trying to heal my limbs and organs!"

The old count looked at Rhodes with excitement, "Child, how did you do that?!"

Rhodes was also somewhat surprised.

Logically speaking, the Seed of Nature should only have an effect during cultivation.

But Rhodes knew the old count wasn't talking nonsense, because at that moment he could clearly feel more energy entering his body.

If you think about it carefully, it's possible that the old count's body had been in a state of failed cultivation all along, with his uncontrolled energy constantly surging around, so it's normal for it to be absorbed by the Seed of Nature.

"Actually, this is just a cultivation aid spell,"

Rod smiled and said, "I can only say that you and I are destined to meet."

"fate?"

The old count repeated the unfamiliar word in bewilderment.

You can think of it as your good fortune, and mine, that we met.

Rod explained casually.

"Great, what a coincidence, hahaha!"

The old count laughed heartily, "I like this lucky word."

Seeing the happy old count, Rhodes stood up on his own initiative.
“Your Excellency, your most important task now is to try to circulate and regulate that energy, so that the Seed of Nature can absorb it all.”

"Once the turmoil has subsided, you can try practicing the Ember Breathing Technique."

"I'm sure you must be very anxious right now."

Rod took Vivian's small hand. "So we'll have lunch another time, to give you more time to recover."

"Good child, you are such a good child!"

The old count's smile brought his wrinkles together completely.
"Then I'll go back to my room first and won't have dinner with you two."

"Recovering your health is the priority."

Rhodes nodded and then walked out of the reception room.

The guards immediately bowed in salute upon seeing Rhodes.

"Lord Rhodes."

Overnight, Rhodes's fame had spread throughout the entire Red Griffin Castle.

Even if you haven't seen it with your own eyes, you've heard about it from other people.

The guards, in particular, treated Rhodes with the utmost respect.

Rhodes nodded in response and instructed, "The Earl needs to rest. Please escort him back to his room."

"Yes, Lord Rhodes."

The guards saluted again, then entered the reception room and carried the old count back to his room upstairs.

Led by Vivian, Rod went directly to the restaurant.

Although it was all an act, Vivian had no hesitation in ordering the servants to serve the food.

It must be said that although Rhodes has become wealthy, the dishes served at the banquet still cannot compare with those of the well-established Red Griffin family.

All the tableware was silver, and in addition to the usual roasted meat and vegetables, Rod saw a whole roasted peacock with feathers and a golden crown.

The other roasted meats and white bread were all glittering with gold, clearly sprinkled with a layer of gold powder.

The desserts were also plentiful, including candied rose petals, honey nut balls, almond milk pudding, and a castle made of hard candy...

The long wooden table was filled with many of the things Rhodes had never seen before.

"It's such a waste for just the two of us to eat like this..."

Rhodes sighed softly beside Vivian.

“Waste is also a way for nobles to show their nobility.”

Vivian tilted her head and replied softly, "You've given so much, so naturally Father wants to express his gratitude with the best food. Wasting food is also a way of showing respect."

Rod nodded slightly in understanding. In his childhood, when guests came to his family, even if it was just one person, they would cook a huge feast.

Then, for the next week, Rod had to eat leftovers.

Of course, in this world, noble lords don't eat leftovers; what's left naturally becomes the food for some lucky servants.

Rod didn't stand on ceremony. He took a plate and began to stroll around the long table, having the servants cut off a piece of each dish to taste.

Fortunately, Rod's appetite was big enough.

Perhaps because he had exhausted himself the night before and hadn't eaten breakfast, Rod's meal took a long time to finish.

To avoid waste, Rhodes also invited knights such as Garrick and Sao, and they ate most of the food.

Especially desserts like sugar and honey, not a single one was left.

After the meal, Garrick showed Rhodes around Red Griffin Castle.

From the main castle building to the forge, from the front courtyard walls to the back courtyard towers, I saw everything except the maids' quarters and even the stables.

There were a total of three hundred soldiers, servants, and craftsmen, not counting those who were killed last night.

If Garrick hadn't been involved last night, the battle probably wouldn't have gone so smoothly with just the Lynx people alone.

Besides Garrick, Red Griffin Castle also has two intermediate knights and fourteen junior knights.

Two senior knights and three intermediate knights are stationed in other towns and checkpoints.

In addition, two mid-level knights and seven novice knights who were loyal to Susanna were imprisoned in the dungeon.

It must be said that this place is indeed much wealthier than the northern provinces, and there are more capable people here.

Even the Falcon family, which is also a hereditary earldom, is no match for the Red Griffin family.

This is the true residence of the nobility.

After visiting the castle, Rhodes couldn't help but sigh, thinking that he must also have such a magnificent castle.

Of course, his ideals did not prevent Rhodes from getting down to business.

After the tour, Rod gave Garrick a new list.

The list also includes three other knights and a baron, all of whom are connected to Susanna.

Susanna is dead; these people need to be dealt with properly.

Avril's uncle, Viscount Tyne, is fighting on the southern front and is temporarily unable to deal with the situation.

Meanwhile, Red Griffin Castle was short of guards due to the events of the previous night, and Rhodes reminded Garrick to quickly select some excellent soldiers to replenish the ranks.

Garrick showed no surprise or resistance to Rhodes' management of Red Griffin Castle's affairs, simply obeying orders.

This stems not only from respect for strength, but also from Garrick's knowledge of inside information that others do not.

Lord Rhodes is likely to control everything in the future, and Garrick feels he must seize the opportunity.

After making these arrangements, Rod returned to the new room prepared for him—Avril's bedroom.

For Rhodes, his fiancée's boudoir was a mysterious secret realm, and everything inside was very attractive to him.

However, before Rod could explore, there was a soft knock on the door.

"My lord, it is I, Vika."

Vika’s respectful voice came from outside the door.

"Come in."

Rod responded briefly.

Vika pushed open the door and entered, followed by a young man who looked to be in his early twenties.

The young man was rather thin and wore a simple brown leather armor.

Vika bowed and introduced:

“Sir, this is Kent Greyblade, and his father is Cortalon Greyblade.”

“He joined Night Talk a long time ago, and he helped a lot when he finished interrogating Cortalon.”

Kent immediately bowed deeply to Rhodes.
“Your Excellency Baron Rhodes,”

Kent's voice carried a hint of nervousness, "Your servant Kent pays you the highest respect."

Rod glanced at him indifferently and nodded.

Vika continued, "Kent's physical condition is somewhat poor, but his swordsmanship is superb. Even when surrounded by three guards, he can easily kill them."

With that, Vika knelt down on one knee. "He has great potential, and I would like to ask you to help him become a knight."

Kent quickly knelt down and pleaded, "Your Excellency, please help me! This is my only wish!"

"In return, I will serve you with my whole life."

“With Vika as your guarantor, this is not a difficult matter.”

Rhodes nodded slightly.

Rhodes didn't have much of a foothold in Red Griffin Castle, so he just happened to need a young man like Kent to serve him, and it wasn't too late for him to start practicing breathing techniques.

"But you must remember the promise you made today, or you will pay with your life."

Rod warned.

Kent nodded repeatedly, "Please rest assured, I will always be loyal to you, your will is the meaning of my life!"

"Close your eyes, don't resist, accept it wholeheartedly."

"Yes, Your Excellency!" Kent immediately obeyed and closed his eyes.

Without further ado, Rod conjured up the Natural Seed and implanted it into Kent's body.

Then Rhodes took out a wooden jar containing the Knight's Roar Potion.
"Go back and adjust your condition, drink this potion, and bear the pain it brings."

Rhodes reminded him, "Hold on, and you will become a knight."

"Thank you for your kindness, sir!"

Kent's hands trembled as he accepted the medicine, his face filled with excitement.
"I swear, I will serve you with my life and honor!"

"Okay, let's go."

Rhodes waved his hand casually, "After becoming a knight, there are still many things I need you to help me with."

"Yes, Lord Baron!"

Kent bowed respectfully again, stood up, and left.

Vika didn't leave, but repeatedly thanked Rhodes, and then reported back.

"My lord, Cortalon in the dungeon suddenly realized something after Susanna's death."

He said that everything he did before was the result of being bewitched by Susanna, which caused him to lose his rationality and judgment.

"He remains loyal to the Red Griffin family."

"Oh?"

Rhodes chuckled and stroked his chin. "That's a good excuse."

"Not only Cortalon, but all the other knights who once followed Susanna are also repenting."

Vika continued, "They all claim they were under the influence of charm magic and are now fully awake."

"Everyone is begging for forgiveness, hoping to regain the opportunity to serve the Red Griffin family."

"Hmm, given Susanna's abilities, it's possible that it's true."

Rhodes seemed to be deep in thought, and slowly said,

"However, we cannot determine the truth or falsehood of these words, so let's leave it to Earl Red Griffin to handle."

"After all, betrayal is betrayal, no matter what the reason is."

Rhodes didn't understand these people and didn't know whether these knights were truly bewitched or simply lacked resolve.

After all, there are still so many knights who haven't been charmed by Susanna.

"Keep the status quo, we don't need to do anything."

Rhodes instructed, "Now the main focus should be on expanding our personnel. We need to develop our people in the various noble territories of the Red Griffin family as quickly as possible."

Rhodes couldn't stay at Red Griffin Castle any longer, nor could he leave anyone to guard it.

To facilitate future business dealings, Rod needs to have his own informants in various places.

"Yes, my lord."

Vika respectfully responded and then withdrew to relay the order.

Over the next few days, Rhodes had Vivian show him around Griffin City.

Rhodes' main task was to find goods and reliable merchants in preparation for establishing trade routes in the future.

In the future, Griffin City will need to be connected to the Northern Wastes, and caravans will be an important link.

After making some initial impressions, the Night Whisperers will conduct a covert investigation, and if the person is suitable, they will then make contact and win them over.

After three busy days, it was the morning of the fourth day.

As Rhodes was enjoying honey-smoked toast at the table, Count Red Griffin strode in, looking quite spirited.

At this moment, his face was rosy and his steps were steady and powerful.

He went from looking like a frail old man to a normal middle-aged man, with some wrinkles on his face, but he didn't look old.

"Rod!"

Count Red Griffin shouted excitedly.

"Look at me, I can walk now!"

"Eleven years! A full eleven years, and I haven't felt this relaxed and carefree!"

The Red Griffin Earl had lost his previous composure; he was so agitated that tears welled in his eyes and his voice trembled.
"Before, the chaotic energy every night felt like tiny knives constantly cutting into my body, making it impossible for me to fall asleep. Now I'm finally free from that nightmare!"

He strode up to Rhodes and gripped his shoulders tightly.
"My child, my good child! Please tell me what you want!"

Count Red Griffin raised his head, his eyes burning with sincerity.

Gold coins? Land? Or weapons and equipment?

"Anything I own, I'll give you anything!"

(End of this chapter)