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

Chapter 294 Spending other people's money to do your own thing

……

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Inside the manor hall.

Beoka followed the guards into the hall. As soon as she finished bowing, her gaze was drawn to a familiar, burly figure in the corner.

His eyes widened, his mouth slightly agape, as if he had seen a ghost emerging from a pile of corpses.

Beoka unconsciously rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things.
"Lord Salen, what are you doing here?!"

Beoka's voice was shrill with excitement. She was about to step forward but stopped abruptly, standing still and saying joyfully,
"It's so great to see you again!"

"I was wounded and captured by Madrei."

As Salen spoke, he subconsciously touched the injured area on his chest.
"Later, when Madrei retreated to White Rock Canyon, he encountered Lord Rhodes' army."

"Then Lord Rhodes' army defeated Madre, and we were rescued."

Salen glanced at Rhodes cautiously and continued, "I must thank Lord Rhodes for his kindness this time. He not only saved me but also healed my wounds."

"That's wonderful! Thank you, Lord Rhodes!"

Beoka's face was full of excitement, and she bowed deeply to Rhodes.
"My family will be very happy!"

"Thank you for your kindness! Thank you so much!"

Beoka's voice trembled, her emotions running high and she was unable to control herself.

The fact that Baron Luris's most cherished knight has been recovered is absolutely fantastic news.

Beoka did not ask why he hadn't been told the good news immediately, nor did he question any of the details.

As a smart person, Beauka knew when to ask questions and when to keep quiet.

Now, praise and gratitude are the right choices.

Beoka raised her head, her gaze shifting back and forth between Salen and Rhodes.
"Please rest assured, Your Excellency Lord Rhodes, we will certainly give you sufficient compensation!"

Beoka spoke loudly, as if afraid that Rhodes wouldn't hear his sincerity.

After making his promise, Beoka looked at the knight Salon beside him and said, "Lord Salon, please rest assured, I will go back immediately to report everything that happened here to Baron Luris, and then I will take you back."

“Okay, Beoka, I’m not in a hurry.”

Salon nodded repeatedly, forcing a smile. "The food here is quite good, Lord Rhodes, and I can even exchange sword techniques with Knight Durant."

At this moment, everyone tacitly understood—without compensation, no one could leave.

So Beoka didn't say a word of nonsense, nor did he ask Rhodes to take Salen away directly.

Beoka knew that, given the relationship between the two families, successfully delivering the letter would be considered a successful mission, and gaining Rhodes's favor would be a perfect mission.

Now that we have seen the Knight of Salon, we have exceeded expectations and will surely receive a reward from Baron Luris.

Beoka would never let his stupidity ruin this great situation.

Taking a deep breath, Beoka composed herself and turned to look at Rhodes, who was sitting in the main seat.

"Your Excellency Rhodes, I wish to depart now,"

Beoka's voice regained its composure, but it still trembled slightly.
"Please allow me to send this good news back to Eagle Ridge as quickly as possible."

"Yes, please give my regards to Baron Ruris."

Rhodes calmly agreed.

"No problem, Lord Rhodes, thank you again for your kindness."

Beoka bowed deeply once again.

His movements were precise and respectful, without the slightest hint of perfunctoriness.

Beoka then turned and nodded to Salun, and without lingering, quickly left the hall.

After he left, there were no outsiders in the room. Rod looked at Salon beside him with a smile.

"how do you feel?"

“Very good, Your Excellency,”

Salen's body involuntarily tensed, and he immediately bowed respectfully.
"Thank you for your grace that has given me hope again!"

Rhodes looked at Salon and said calmly, "Then you must remember the contract between us."

His tone was understated, yet it was full of threat.

Salen trembled slightly, as if he had thought of something terrible.

But he quickly regained his composure and said in a low voice, "Don't worry, I know what to do."

"That's good."

Rhodes waved his hand slightly, "Go and rest. Lawrence has prepared a new room and women for you."

"Thanks you!"

Salun's face lit up with joy. "You've thought of everything! I'll definitely serve you well!"

After saying this, Salon bowed and followed Lawrence away.

Everyone left, and the hall fell silent once more.

Vivian turned to look at Rhodes.
"Use other people's gold coins to do your own thing,"

"Moreover, it can also avoid the problem of being easily exposed if one stays at Black Pine Ridge after persuading Salun to surrender."

Vivian's eyes gleamed with slyness as she exclaimed, "Really, you've gotten all the benefits!"

You've misspoke.

Rhodes waved his hand, denying Vivian's words, "He will only work for me when it matters, otherwise he will serve the Falcon family."

“If I leave him in Black Pine Ridge, then Salon will have to serve me at all times.”

Rhodes countered Vivian's question: "So you're telling me, shouldn't Baron Ruris give me gold coins?"

"...That sounds reasonable."

Vivian hesitated for a moment, then looked at Rhodes and said slowly, "But something feels off... Never mind, I can't think straight, I don't want to think about it anymore."

"Hahaha!"

Rhodes patted Vivian's head and didn't explain further.

Vivian shrugged indifferently, then frowned slightly.
"My only worry is, will Salen really be loyal to us?"

“It doesn’t matter. Even if they are disloyal to us, we have still received the ransom we were owed.”

Rod said casually, "Besides, if he's not loyal to us, he'll betray us in the future even if he stays in Blackpine Ridge."

"makes sense."

Vivian nodded thoughtfully after listening.

Rhodes did not mention that another ability of the Seed of Nature is to draw life force.

Those who obtained the Seed of Nature in the territory are all loyal to Rhodes, so there is no need to use the ability to absorb life force to intimidate them.

But Salon was different.

So when Rhodes implanted the Seed of Nature into Salon alone, he used a completely different name than he had given it—the Curse of Life.

If he betrays you, then life will wither like a flower.

And Salen also personally experienced the fear of being powerless to stop life from slipping away.

If you work honestly, you'll have everything you had before, and you'll even get the chance to become a top-tier knight.

Rhodes believed that Salon knew what choice he should make.

"Alright, it's time to meditate."

Rhodes stood up and said to Vivian, "Cultivate more in your spare time, otherwise you'll waste it when you're busy."

Vivian nodded.

Just as the two were about to turn and go into the inner room, the fox woman suddenly strode in.

"My lord, Gala has just sent word that a giant octopus has been discovered on the eastern coast."

……

……

Dusk on the eastern coast.

The orange-red light dyed the entire sea surface into a beautiful satin.

The waves crashed against the rocks incessantly, making a rhythmic splashing sound.

Rhodes stood on the shore, watching the undulating sea, and spoke slowly.
"Haier, do you think it will come back?"

"It should be, my lord."

The seal-man standing next to him, Hale, nodded and explained, "Sea beasts all have their own territories. They won't leave unless there's no food left in their territory or they're attacked by other sea beasts."

"Although we haven't found it in the sea, I believe it will definitely come back."

"Then why didn't you notice it before?" Rod asked with a smile.

"Perhaps we didn't explore it thoroughly enough, or..."

“Or it may have come from somewhere else,” Rod continued, picking up where Hale left off.

"Yes, you're right, it could also have been driven here by other sea monsters."

As soon as Haier finished speaking, another sealman quickly walked over.

"My lord, this is Sanfen, the tribeswoman who discovered the giant octopus."

Haier proactively introduced, "She was also saved by you."

Rhodes nodded slightly. "I remember."

In reality, all the sealmen looked pretty much the same to Rhodes, and he couldn't remember any of them. Rhodes only recognized Hale; he couldn't really remember the others.

“Tell me what that thing looks like,” Rhodes asked.

"I was collecting seafood on the seabed when I saw a giant octopus slowly crawling up from behind the rocks,"

Sanfen recalled, her voice trembling slightly, "He was huge, bigger than the giant crab from before... and he didn't just have eight tentacles!"

"It was terrifying; I didn't dare look closely at the rest..."

Sanfen glanced at the sea with lingering fear. "Sir, please help us drive it away! It's terrifying!"

"It's impossible to drive them away."

Rod said seriously, "I have to kill it so you can go beachcombing in peace."

“You’re right, sir,” Sanfen nodded repeatedly.

"Does your tribe have any legends about this giant octopus?"

Rhodes turned to Hale and asked, "I mean, is there anything noteworthy about it, like its attack methods?"

"The giant octopus attacks with its tentacles, my lord."

Haier thought for a moment and said, "What about the others that might spew black water?"

Rhodes nodded.

According to Haier's description, it should be called a giant squid.

However, Rhodes couldn't tell whether there was any difference between them.

“In that case, let’s follow the same method we used when hunting giant crayfish. We’ll choose the coast as the battlefield, and you’ll be responsible for luring this guy out.”

Rhodes instructed, "I will ambush you with my dragon, just like last time."

"No problem, sir."

Haier said hesitantly, "If we're just looking to attract octopuses, we need something else."

"Besides blood, it would be best if there were some sparkling things."

“Something that sparkles… okay, I’ll arrange it.” Rhodes said calmly.

"It might take a lot, sir."

"No problem, you don't need to worry about that."

Rod smiled and ordered, "Have your men prepare."

"Okay, my lord!"

Haier's face lit up with joy, and he bowed in the manner of the other hunters.

Lords who can have whatever they want are just so lovable!

After Hale left, Rod turned to look at Vivian.
"Have your sister notify the glass workshop to make some glass panels for me."

What might be difficult for others is effortless for Rhodes.
"I also need the discarded glass shards; I'll go back and get them later."

In fact, there is something wrong with Rod's statement, because there was no such thing as discarded glass shards in this era.

Even a poorly made, shattered glass bottle can be polished into a popular decorative item.

Hunters would collect seashells from the shore, drill holes in them, and make them into ornaments to give to their wives, not to mention the reflective glass pieces.

So none of the broken items from the glass workshop were thrown away; they were all kept in the cave.

"Yes, Your Excellency."

Vivian immediately lowered her head, memorizing Rhodes's order and relaying it to the other side.

After arranging these matters, Rod gave a brief inspection of the ridgeline construction project.

The cliff between the two beaches has completely collapsed, meaning that the first phase of the rock ridge project is largely complete.

However, the shore is covered with rocks of all shapes and sizes, some of which are even larger than the rock ridge, and all of them need to be dealt with by the rock ridge.

The sea has already submerged part of the coastline. Once the rocky ridge is cleared to create footholds and roads, this will be an area where people can go beachcombing.

Of course, the seafood will need to be washed by the sea for a few days before it can settle down.

A few thousand meters of coastline is enough for now. Rhodes praised the rock ridge a few times, and if it took care of the rest, he would reward it.

After inspecting the coastal works, Rhodes found the shipbuilders on the south side of the coast.

The ship is basically finished. The pale yellow hull is somewhat rough and has not yet been coated with anti-corrosion grease.

Rod examined it carefully. The ship was eight meters long and about two and a half meters wide. The hull was slightly crescent-shaped, with low and flat sides and high-raised bow and stern.

The mast stands upright in the center of the ship, without sails yet, but it still has a certain charm.

It looks a bit like a Viking warship from a movie or TV series from my past life.

Rhodes had some knowledge about shipbuilding, but it all came from glossary entries; he had no other knowledge of it.

With three professional craftsmen on board, Rhodes didn't get involved much; his job was simply to catch seafood and transport supplies.

We'll talk about the rest later.

After briefly inspecting the progress of the ship's construction, Rhodes did not linger and returned to Frostleaf Town to bring back all the necessary supplies.

The wild boars and deer hunted by the hunting party were piled up on the shore, their blood splattered everywhere, filling the coast with the stench of blood.

The pile of shards of glass was dumped nearby, forming a small hill that reflected the brilliant sunlight and could be seen from a great distance.

Especially at noon, it sparkles from every angle.

It's worth mentioning that the first to lose their temper were Thunder, Frost, and Rockridge.

He didn't inherit much of the true dragon's strength, but his love for flashing lights was deeply ingrained in his bones.

Upon seeing the gleaming glass, their vertical pupils widened, and they desperately lunged upwards.

Even with Rhodes trying to stop him, Rock Ridge took advantage of Rhodes' inattention, opened its mouth and took a big bite, swallowing the glass shards.

Finally, after Rod promised to fill their cave with shards of glass, the three men stopped and obediently carried out the ambush plan.

The glass shards weren't worth much, but Rod thought the three guys would definitely be disappointed.

After all, the cave was pitch black, so where would the light come from?

After everything was arranged, all that was left was to wait.

Rhodes stood on the cliff by the shore, his eyes fixed on the shimmering sea in the distance.

Haier led his people to wander in the surrounding seas, occasionally throwing blood from his leather bag into the water in an attempt to lure out the giant octopus.

The stench of blood grew stronger and stronger, spreading outwards with the help of the ocean currents.

Unfortunately it backfired.

Half a day passed, and there was still no trace of the giant octopus.

On the contrary, other marine predators began to stir.

Crabs the size of wild dogs, eels as thick as an arm, and so on were all attracted by the smell of blood.

An octopus about half the size of a person swam over, but it wasn't the one Rhodes was looking for at all.

Haier showed no mercy, leading his people to kill all the creatures and then throwing them back to shore as bait, using the remaining blood to continue luring the giant octopus.

After trying for most of the day, I still got nothing.

Somewhat discouraged, Hail led his people back to the shore, and Rhodes, seeing this, also came down from the cliff.

"My lord, we've run out of blood..."

Haier looked apologetic. "Perhaps I misjudged, or maybe that giant octopus has already left?"

"Perhaps the time wasn't long enough?"

Rhodes sighed softly and said, "I'll have someone prepare some more blood and try again."

Haier nodded slightly, then looked up at Rod and said cautiously, "Perhaps we could try using a more precious bait?"

“What is it? Tell me,” Rod asked.

Haier hesitated for a moment before saying, "It's the one you got from the giant crayfish, the Tear of the Deep Sea."

Rhodes frowned slightly. "Do you think it will be effective?"

"It will definitely work; the Tears of the Deep Sea are extremely alluring to sea monsters,"

Haier said with great certainty, "As long as it's still here, it will definitely appear."

"Okay, let's try it then."

Rhodes nodded in agreement, then pressed further, "So, you can just leave it on the shore?"

“Well, it would be best if you could infuse it with some magic to activate it, so that the sea monster can find it more easily,” Hale suggested.

Upon hearing this, Rhodes smiled.

"Now I've become the bait."

Haier looked somewhat embarrassed and explained, "I'm sorry, sir, we don't have a shaman..."

"Alright, I'll be the bait this time."

As Hale had instructed, Rhodes took out the Tear of the Deep.

Feeling the smoothness of the Deep Sea Tears, Rhodes walked straight to the shore and slowly infused the Deep Sea Tears with magic.

In an instant, an invisible wave of air flew out from the Tear of the Deep Sea, rippling outwards like a gentle breeze.

All the sealmen stared intently at the sea, and the coast fell silent for a moment.

"Look! There are ripples on the sea to the southeast!"

After a long while, a sealman shouted.

(End of this chapter)