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

Chapter 276 Mithril
……

……

night.

The banquet hall on the second floor of Red Griffin Castle was brightly lit.

The long table was covered with a snow-white linen cloth, and the silver cutlery gleamed in the candlelight.

The air was filled with the aroma of roasted meat and the rich fragrance of red wine.

Vivian sat next to the main seat, wearing a light blue long dress, with a warm smile on her face like the spring sunshine, making her look exceptionally beautiful.

Rod also changed into a fitted black suit with gold trim on the cuffs and collar, embroidered with exquisite vine patterns.

The hem of the long robe reached down to the ankles, swaying slightly as one walked, giving it a dignified and elegant appearance.

He wore a black leather belt with gold buckles around his waist, and a decorative short sword hung from it.

"Welcome everyone to the first birthday party of my eldest daughter, Avril."

The equally elegantly dressed Count Red Griffin slowly rose to his feet, a faint smile playing on his dignified face.
"Today, we are not only celebrating Avril's birthday, but also announcing something important to everyone."

The Red Griffin Earl smiled, bent down, and reached out his hand to Vivian, helping her up.
"From this moment forward, Avril will be the sole heir of the Red Griffin family and will begin to take over the family's affairs."

As soon as he finished speaking, a round of applause erupted in the hall.

The nobles in the hall were not surprised by the news.

Susanna was murdered, her two children mysteriously disappeared, and so many people are on trial.

The nobles could all guess that the power of the Red Griffin family would fall into Avril's hands.

After a moment, Count Red Griffin waved his hand to signal everyone to be quiet.

"In addition, I would like to introduce to you a young lord of exceptional talent."

The Red Griffin Earl's gaze swept over every nobleman present, then he pointed to the side.
"He not only thwarted Susanna's plot, but also healed my old wounds."

The nobles and knights looked on with curiosity and anticipation in the direction the Red Griffin Earl had pointed.

"This is Lord Roderick Tulip, the fourth son of Earl Hollanger Tulip."

The Red Griffin Earl's voice was tinged with obvious pride.

"At the same time, he is also Avril's fiancé."

A murmur rippled through the hall.

Several middle-aged nobles exchanged glances, their eyes flashing with shrewdness.

They were well-informed and had already heard about the marriage, but formally introducing it to everyone at this moment had a very different meaning.

Before these people could speculate further, Earl Red Griffin spoke again.
“And from today onwards, Baron Rhodes will also be handling the affairs of the Red Griffin family with Avril. His words are no different from my orders.”

The words caused an uproar in the banquet hall.

Like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, it stirred up huge ripples.

Many nobles frowned, whispered among themselves, and their faces mostly showed disbelief.

Meanwhile, Knight Garrick was beaming, clenched his fists, and stared intently at Rhodes.

Garrick had a very good impression of Rhodes during his battle with Susanna, and he has been very obedient to Rhodes these days, which means he has stood on Rhodes' side early on.

Count Red Griffin continued, "Baron Rhodes is young and promising. Without him, I would still be living in Susanna's shadow."

"His wisdom and courage are worthy of our trust."

"I believe that with his assistance, the Red Griffin family will prosper even more."

As soon as he finished speaking, the middle-aged man sitting in the second row immediately stood up.

The middle-aged man bowed deeply, staring at Rhodes with a smile, and said softly, "Handsome Baron Rhodes, Olivier Zishan pays his respects to you."

"Your courage and wisdom have already spread throughout the entire Griffin City."

"If you need any help, the Yew family will do their best to assist you."

"The ancestors of the Yew family were the first knights to follow the Red Griffin family,"

Count Red Griffin smiled and introduced, "Baron Aulive is also very capable; the yew trees abundant in his territory are excellent materials for making longbows."

Rod smiled and nodded politely in return.

Rhodes didn't want to reveal himself so early, but Count Red Griffin was determined to be a hands-off manager.

Now that Susanna has just been wiped out by Rhodes, it is the perfect opportunity for Rhodes to make his mark.

The main reason is that Count Red Griffin gave too much.

With a budget of five thousand gold coins, Rhodes can freely purchase various slaves and warhorses, form caravans, and continue to develop and expand the Night Whisper Society.

So Rhodes eventually stepped into the spotlight.

Olivier's move was like opening a floodgate, instantly awakening the other nobles.

“Baron Rhodes, Brando Ironhammer is at your service. My blacksmith shop can forge the best weapons and armor for you.”

"Baron Rhodes, Eagle Ridge has the largest slave market. We look forward to your visit."

……

……

The nobles rushed to express their opinions, and the knights also began to show their respect to Rhodes.

Rhodes always wore a smile, returning each greeting and memorizing everyone's faces.

Rod didn't know how much of these people's statements were sincere and how much were for their own benefit.

But anyway, it's a good start.

"I am deeply moved by everyone's support."

Rhodes smiled, secretly releasing the aura of a dragon slayer.

"I will certainly live up to everyone's expectations and work together with you all for the prosperity of the Red Griffin family."

The powerful voice echoed in the hall, each word striking the hearts of everyone like a heavy hammer blow.

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines.

Rhodes immediately withdrew his dragon-slaying aura.

Count Red Griffin nodded in satisfaction.

He raised his glass and said loudly, "Let's drink to Avril and Baron Rhodes!"

"Cheers to the future of the Red Griffin family!"

"cheers!"

The loud sound echoed in the hall.

The red wine gleamed enticingly in the candlelight, and the banquet officially began amidst the clinking of glasses.

……

……

A gentle night breeze caressed the balcony of Red Griffin Castle.

The banquet inside continued, but the frequent social engagements left Rod and Vivian physically and mentally exhausted.

The two quietly went to the balcony, stood side by side in front of the stone railing, and gazed at Griffin City in the night.

The moonlight shone on Vivian's long dress, making her look like a night elf.

A few strands of golden hair swayed gently in the wind, adding to her gentle beauty.

"You did an excellent job tonight."

Rhodes admired the night view and said softly,
"If I hadn't known the truth beforehand, I probably would have mistaken you for Avril Lavigne."

Vivian reached out and tidied her hair, which had been ruffled by the wind.

Her movements were elegant and natural, showing no trace of deliberate imitation.

"His smile, gestures, and even the tone of his voice are exactly the same as Avril Lavigne's."

Rhodes turned to look at Vivian, "How does it feel to be the center of everyone's attention?"

Vivian sighed softly.

"Not good, I'm very tired."

Vivian's shoulders slumped slightly, and she couldn't help but purse her lips.
“I really feel sorry for my sister now. Not only does she have to deal with these people, but she also gets targeted sometimes. It’s such a waste of her time.”

Vivian turned around and leaned against the railing, looking at the diverse crowd of people moving around in the banquet hall.

"With this time, I'd rather sleep a little longer."

Her words carried a hint of childish complaint.

I thought you would like this feeling.

Rod raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"After all, everyone revolves around you and treats you with utmost respect."

"do not like."

Vivian shook her head, a look of annoyance on her face.

"I feel uncomfortable at all, doing so many things I don't like."

"What's the point of all that insincere flattery and deliberate fawning?"

A hint of disdain flashed in Vivian's eyes.

"They are nice to my sister only because of her status and position."

"They're nice to me because they think I'm their older sister."

"There's nothing to be happy about in this kind of respect built on misunderstanding?"

Rod listened quietly to Vivian's words.

He suddenly realized that this Avril clone was more complex than he had imagined, and her perspective on issues was more straightforward and direct than Avril's.

"Besides, I hate talking to people I don't like. If I weren't playing the role of the older sister, I wouldn't have wasted so much time talking to that Ollie."

Vivian wrinkled her nose, her face showing undisguised disgust.

"His fawning attitude is disgusting. If he were a woman, I think he would have climbed into your bed tonight."

Rhodes laughed and waved his hands repeatedly to interrupt Vivian, "Don't say that, the image is unimaginable." Vivian couldn't help but laugh too, and took Rhodes' arm.
"Brando, on the other hand, is very honest. He directly offered to give us forty sets of chainmail."

"Although it's not exactly something precious."

Vivian took a deep breath.

"In comparison, I would rather stay in the wilderness and not have to think about anything."

"No need to hide anything, no need to say things against your conscience, and you can even go to the wasteland to chase rabbits when you're bored."

Her eyes revealed longing, "That's real life."

Rhodes nodded in understanding.

"But it is precisely in order to protect the life we ​​want that we have to do these things we don't like."

"For example, this slave lord is very valuable to us; he also knows a merchant who sells warhorses."

Rhodes smiled and asked, "There's no point in ignoring this. How's your Shadow Blade training going?"

"I can't yet appear just like my aunt, grabbing something at will, but,"

Vivian pulled Rod to a corner of the balcony and then reached out her hand into the darkness.

Rhodes felt a surge of energy in front of him, and a barely perceptible black mist gathered in front of Vivian.

The light on the balcony was dim, but upon closer inspection, one could see the black mist slowly condensing into a short blade.

Immediately afterwards, Vivian swung her arm forward slightly, and the short blade flew out instantly, hitting the artificial hill in the courtyard with precision.

Rhodes couldn't see the specific wounds on the artificial hill, and asked, "Ordinary armor wouldn't be able to stop them, would it?"

"of course."

Vivian said with some pride, "It's formed entirely by energy; even two plates of armor stacked together couldn't stop it."

"But I don't know if our plate armor can withstand it."

"That's enough."

Rhodes shook his head slightly.

The enchantment effect of this item is only sword and blade protection, not magic resistance.

Rhodes thought that only gold-level attributes could possibly grant magic resistance to ordinary materials.

"Its power is not bad, but it's a pity that the condensation speed is too slow."

Rod patted Vivian's lower back, "You still need to practice more with your aunt."

Vivian nodded and said, "By the way, I feel like Aunt Jenny is acting a little strange."

"What's weird?"

"She calls my mother 'elder sister' one minute and 'younger sister' the next, it's all so confusing to me."

Vivian pouted. "If she didn't look exactly like my mother, I would think she was an imposter."

"Maybe she remembered it wrong?"

Rod smiled and said, "I'll ask your father when I have time."

Perhaps your aunt was originally the younger sister, but always wanted to be the older sister, since twins are exactly alike and born at very close times..."

Before Rod could finish speaking, he was interrupted by hurried footsteps.

A burly figure hurriedly ran onto the balcony.

The newcomer was none other than Brando of the Iron Hammer family, who had been very enthusiastic at the banquet.

But at this moment, his face was filled with anxiety and panic.

"Baron Rhodes, please, save me!"

Brando immediately knelt on the ground upon arriving.

His voice trembled as he said:

"My son has been kidnapped by a strange old man, and my Silvermoon Mine has been seized!"

Brando's eyes were glistening with tears, and his whole body was trembling uncontrollably.

Rhodes frowned slightly, not responding immediately, but carefully observing Brando's expression.

After exchanging a glance with Vivian, Rhodes helped Brando up and asked,
"What exactly happened?"

Rhodes' voice was steady. "Explain the whole process in detail."

“Just a week ago, my son was inspecting the mine when a strange old man suddenly barged into my Silvermoon Mine.”

Brando choked up as he said, "The soldiers fought back desperately but were powerless to resist; they were all knocked unconscious by that old man."

"Upon receiving the news, I immediately dispatched my most elite knights to the rescue."

His voice grew increasingly urgent.

"As a result, those people couldn't get into the mine at all. There was some kind of mysterious force guarding it, and my men would lose their way as soon as they got close."

"Some people were even unconscious and only regained consciousness several hours after being carried back."

"We sent three more groups of people after that, but it was the same every time. There was just no way to fix it!"

Brando wiped the sweat from his brow, his voice filled with despair.

A magical barrier? An illusionary magic circle?
Rod couldn't help but think to himself.

But Rhodes didn't say anything and continued to press, "Why didn't you seek help from Earl Red Griffin, but instead came to me?"

"I... I didn't mean to offend Your Excellency, it's just..."

Brando glanced timidly at Vivian, then whispered:
"This is no ordinary robbery; that old man must be some kind of mysterious spellcaster."

"Baron Rhodes, if you can handle a woman as strange and mysterious as Susanna, you can definitely solve this kind of threat!"

Brando's tone was full of sincerity.

Rhodes remained silent, tapping his fingers lightly on the railing as he analyzed the various possibilities of this sudden event.

An elderly spellcaster suddenly kidnapped Brando's son and then hid in the mine.
Rod felt his mind was in complete chaos.

How old is your son?

Rod asked, "Was that old man a man or a woman? Has anything happened at the mine recently?"

"At nineteen, just turned eighteen, the sword he forged is truly beautiful!"

Brando said, "The soldiers didn't see the old man clearly, they couldn't even tell if he was a man or a woman, in the mine..."

Brando hesitated for a moment, then looked around to make sure no one was watching before gritting his teeth and whispering,
"A miner unearthed a piece of silvery-white ore, brighter than refined silver, extremely hard but lighter than wood!"

"I suspect it's the legendary mithril..."

Brando's words made Rod's eyes light up.

Mithril is a magical metal, far more valuable than gold.

It is corrosion resistant, will not rust, is many times harder than ordinary steel, yet is extremely ductile.

It can be forged into chainmail that is softer than silk, yet offers better protection than heavy plate armor; it is an unimaginable metal.

More importantly, it has excellent magical affinity and can be used as a wand, magical ornament, rune inscription base, and so on.

If it's mithril, then it makes a lot more sense that a spellcaster would be attracted to it.

Rhodes calmed his surprise and nodded slightly.

Did that spellcaster ask you for mithril?

"No, he didn't give me any information."

Brando's face was full of despair. "I don't even know if my son is still alive!"

"This is a bit strange..."

After listening, Rhodes fell into deep thought.

The elderly spellcaster's purpose is even more elusive.

"Perhaps you should wait a little longer; this spellcaster will allow you to redeem your son with mithril?"

"I can't wait any longer, Your Excellency!"

Brando's face was contorted with pain as he said urgently, "I only have this one son, and his talent in forging surpasses that of everyone else in the family!"

"I need to think about it."

Rhodes comforted him, "Don't worry, Baron Brando. If your son is still alive now, he should still be alive in two more days."

"Baron Rhodes, I have no other choice but to ask you for help..."

Brando knelt down again, pleading, "Please save my son! I'm willing to pay any price, even if it's that piece of mithril and half of the Iron Hammer family's fortune!"

"I still need to think about it."

Brando's offer was indeed tempting, but Rod still did not immediately agree.

"Tomorrow morning, send me a detailed map of the mine and all relevant information."

I will study it carefully and then give you an answer.

Rhodes's answer reassured Brando somewhat.

"Thank you! Thank you!"

Brand bowed repeatedly.

"I'll go back and prepare the materials right away, and I'll send them over at daybreak tomorrow."

After Brando left, the balcony returned to its tranquility.

"Could this be a trap?"

Vivian turned her head and analyzed, "Brando was so calm at the banquet, and now he suddenly comes here saying he's encountered this kind of thing."

"Isn't this a bit too abrupt?"

"You're becoming more and more thoughtful."

Rhodes pinched Vivian's nose and said with a smile, "This kind of thing is likely to cause a big stir. As for whether it's a trap, the Night Whisper Society will find out after they investigate."

"What I'm more curious about now is..."

"If it's true, what exactly does this spellcaster want?"

(End of this chapter)