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

Chapter 298 Durant's Excitement

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"The combat skills are truly powerful..."

After watching Rod finish his demonstration, Durant stood there dumbfounded.

In this test, the guards had planted seven or eight two-meter-high wooden stakes along Rhodes's charge route, and all of them were knocked away.

The side of the wooden stake facing Rhodes was also charred black by the flames.

"Such strength is terrifying. If this were on the battlefield, this single strike could destroy the enemy's battle formation."

Durant remarked, "The rumors about the legendary Cavaliers are still a bit too low."

"I think so."

Rhodes nodded in agreement.

Seeing Durant's envious expression, he comforted him, "You don't need to be too envious. Just focus on your training, and I'll leave both of these combat skills to you."

"I would be satisfied if I could become a top-tier knight in the future; becoming a legendary knight is too far away."

Durant glanced subconsciously at his empty wrist, then looked at Rod with admiration and envy in his eyes.
"You have great potential. As long as you continue to hone your physical skills, you will surely become a legendary knight."

"Don't underestimate yourself, I'll help you." Rod patted Durant on the shoulder.

Durant smiled and shook his head. "Sir, you don't need to comfort me..."

I'm not trying to comfort you.

Rod looked at Durant seriously. "This is my promise to you."

Rod glanced at Durant's left wrist, wanting to say something but holding back.

In short, you have to work hard.

Rod's seriousness startled Durant, but his gaze hardened, and he nodded emphatically.

"it is good."

"That's right."

Rod's smile returned as he slowly walked towards the bench beside the training field, asking as he went:
"How's the recruitment of new soldiers going?"

"It's over, sir."

Durant's smile widened, as if he had thought of something happy.

"Perhaps it's because you provide enough food, but the people in our territory are generally very strong, stronger than the soldiers in the territories of ordinary lords."

"Screening soldiers is effortless; it's no exaggeration to say that you can pick anyone you want."

Durant recalled the scene he had witnessed during the previous recruitment drive and couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, "There were even many people among those slaves who were exceptionally talented in archery. I never expected that."

Durant was busy with the military every day and rarely actually went to see the slaves in the quarries and logging camps.

In this era, there was no such thing as "being too weak to do heavy work." Even slaves with poor health had to go to quarry and cut wood.

Coupled with insufficient food and rest, Durant remembered that the slaves were all physically weak.

But in Black Pine Ridge, the slaves who did heavy labor grew stronger and stronger, showing no signs of weakness.

When Durant went to select players, he felt that every single one of them was qualified to join the army.

"On the contrary, verifying identities is the most time-consuming part," Durant remarked.

"The issue of their identities cannot be taken lightly; these thousand regular soldiers will be the backbone of our territory in the future."

Rhodes instructed, "Those with exceptional archery talent must be given special attention and training."

"If they have any talent, they should be promoted to captain first."

Judging from the effects of the Hunting Lord stat, those with excellent archery skills should be more loyal to Rhodes.

"Yes, sir, I will keep an eye on them."

Durant sat down next to Rhodes and leaned in carefully, saying, "Actually, we can recruit more troops."

“As I said, your people are all strong, even the women.”

"They can take up arms and fight with minimal training."

……

Durant spoke with great enthusiasm, his eyes sparkling.

Rod looked Durant up and down again.
"I never realized you were such a military enthusiast."

"I didn't have the opportunity or the qualifications before."

Durant calmed down, stood up, and said solemnly, "Now I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity."

"There will be many more opportunities like this in the future, so don't rush."

Rod waved for Durant to sit down, and sighed with some helplessness, "We have more than 1,500 regular troops, reserves, and militia in our territory."

"After things stabilize for a while, we will need to recruit reservists and militiamen, so we'll have to wait for now."

"Let Lawrence catch his breath."

Rod said with a smile, "It's no wonder he always complains. Since last autumn harvest, the grain in our granary has not increased."

"Are we facing a food crisis?" Durant suddenly stood up, his eyes filled with worry.

"No, if there were a food crisis, Lawrence would have halved the slaves' meals long ago."

Rod explained, “Now we have plenty of land, and the wild vegetables, mushrooms, wild fruits, and nuts like hazelnuts and chestnuts that the women gather in the mountains are enough to feed many people.”

"After this year's autumn harvest, we will have more grain, more slaves, and more regular troops."

Durant nodded emphatically: "No problem!"

……

……

After the east coast was thoroughly cleaned up, Rod delivered on his promise to Rock Ridge.

After receiving Rhodes's blessing, Rock Ridge, like Frost Thunder, transformed into a giant egg covered in rock scales and fell into a deep slumber.

Meanwhile, Black Pine Ridge also entered a period of peace.

Rhodes was busy cultivating every day, bestowing the Seed of Nature, and handling all the affairs, big and small, in his territory.

During my free time, I would take the opportunity to inspect places like the medicine shop and the blacksmith's shop, which was a way to relax amidst my busy schedule.

With the autumn harvest approaching, everyone else in the territory is also unusually busy.

Sherry not only had to urge the progress of the manor's construction, but also had to build above-ground granaries and dig underground granaries.

The threshing grounds also need to be expanded to make full use of the population advantage and ensure that all the grain is stored before winter arrives.

The blacksmith shop crafted farm implements according to the quantities reported by the Ministry of Agriculture, while the carpentry workshop was responsible for making horse-drawn carriages.

Otto and the serfs from the Ministry of Agriculture were also busy, clearing roads and collecting firewood and tree roots for winter firewood before the wheat ripened.

The livestock department also needs to store a large amount of hay as food for the livestock during the winter.

Meanwhile, Gangle led his army to roam the western part of the border town, occasionally raiding nearby villages.

With the assistance of the Eagle Feather Clan's savages and Shadow Guards, Gangle truly mastered guerrilla warfare, moving like a ghost, and the Cold Blade Clan's repeated attempts to encircle and annihilate him ended in failure.

In reality, aside from the initial robberies that plundered over three hundred people and two caravans, Gunle's subsequent gains were very meager.

It would be more profitable to send those soldiers hunting in Razor Plains.

But Rhodes wanted to annoy the Coldblade family and keep the border town from having peace.

Even if it doesn't quite qualify as a sword of Damocles, it's like a fishbone stuck in the throat of the border town.

The autumn wind in October carries the sweet scent of harvest, sweeping across the boundless wheat fields.

The golden wheat fields undulated in the wind, like waves surging in the ocean.

The abundant ears of wheat bent the originally straight stalks, teaching them to bow their heads and become more mature.

Sunlight shone on the wheat fields, turning the entire wasteland golden.

The cement road at the edge of the wheat field was filled with serfs.

Their faces flushed with excitement, their eyes fixed intently on the golden wheat field before them.

These full and abundant ears of wheat are a miraculous sight that many people have never seen in their lives.

Their hands, gripping the sickles, trembled slightly, and some of the fleeing serfs even had tears welling up in their eyes.

At this moment, they recalled the days of fleeing from disaster, the nightmares of hunger.

The children, responsible for picking up the wheat ears, stood on tiptoe behind the women, trying to see clearly what the harvest they were hearing about from the adults was like.

Just like last year, after giving an inspiring speech, Rod stood at the edge of the field and accepted the sickle handed to him by Otto.

This sickle is completely different from the ordinary iron sickle from last year.

The blade is made of silver and gleams in the sunlight.

The silver handle is engraved with exquisite wheat ear patterns, symbolizing harvest and abundance.

Rod gripped his sickle, selected the fullest ear of wheat at the edge of the field, and swung the sickle.

With a soft "snap," the wheat stalk broke.

Rhodes held the ear of wheat, symbolizing the harvest, high above his head so that everyone could see it.

The golden wheat grains shimmered in the sunlight, like countless tiny pieces of gold.

"Begin the harvest!"

Rod's loud voice echoed through the fields, instantly igniting everyone's passion.

"Oh ho ho!"

The serfs excitedly rushed into the wheat field, raising their sickles at the plump ears of wheat swaying in the wind.

"Swipe brush-"

The sounds of wheat being harvested rose and fell, heralding a bountiful harvest.

The young and strong serfs wielded their sickles with incredible speed, and their linen clothes were soon soaked with sweat.

The middle-aged serfs were experienced, and every cut they made was precise, no less so than the younger serfs.

The women were responsible for bundling the cut wheat ears into bundles, their movements skillful and orderly.

Other women carried baskets and had children with them, following behind to pick up the leftover wheat.

In the blink of an eye, the wheat field has been transformed into a giant factory, with everyone busy preparing for the autumn harvest.

"Lawrence, how much grain do you think we can harvest this year?"

Rod watched the harvest scene, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

“I dare not think about it, sir.”

Lawrence took a deep breath.

"All I know is that over the next month, those empty granaries will be filled with thick wooden barrels of wheat."

“Don’t get too excited, Lawrence,” Rhodes said with a smile. “You’d better be prepared to support even more people.”

"I know, sir."

“I know your territory will not stop expanding.”

Lawrence grinned. "But next year, we can develop even more farmland."

"One day, the granary will be filled with more and more rough wooden barrels."

“Not bad, Lawrence, you’re starting to have a broader perspective.”

Rhodes nodded in satisfaction and instructed, "Tell Otto not to forget to harvest the crops in Ice Peak Valley, Longwinter Town, Frozen Bone Wasteland, and the farmland."

"Yes, sir."

Lawrence smiled broadly. "Don't worry, I won't let Otto waste a single grain of wheat from the field."

Rhodes nodded, then turned and left without lingering any longer.

During the autumn harvest, Rhodes, worried that frightening the serfs would affect the harvest, did not ride Frostbolt but instead rode Night Fury across the wasteland.

Night Fury's main job now is to mate with mares, and these exhilarating moments are rare, making them all the more exciting.

Vivian's horse couldn't keep up with the Night Fury's pace, and the two maintained a distance of several tens of meters.

Vivian didn't reach Rhodes' side until they reached the outskirts of Frostleaf Town.
"Your Excellency, my sister says the bone hand is finished."

"So fast?"

Rod's eyes lit up. "Let's go take a look!"

……

……

In Avril Lavigne's personal studio, a skeleton hand made of bones lies quietly on the workbench.

The skull hand has five long and delicate fingers, each finger bone polished smooth as jade, and the joints are connected with fine metal wires.

The metacarpals are broad and thick, with intricate patterns carved on the surface, clearly runes.

Runes were also carved on the wrist bone, and the edges were wrapped in animal hide and bound with straps.

"Is this your masterpiece?"

Rod took it and examined it carefully. "You made it in less than two months?"

"It's not just me."

Avril explained softly, "This bone hand was made by the carving craftsmen in the territory, and the runes on it were drawn with the help of the Sendar and the Yak people."

"It took four attempts to succeed."

"what?"

Rod looked at Avril in surprise, a smile on his face. "So what did you do?"

"The refining array I set up!"

Avril picked up a piece of animal hide from the side, puffed out her chest, and presented it to Rhodes.

"Look, this is also a rune I drew, which will be transplanted onto Durant's left arm."

"If successful, Durant will be able to connect with and control the skeletal hand through this rune!"

"what do you mean……"

After listening, Rhodes frowned and asked as if to confirm, "Can it be as dexterous as our own hands?"

"That depends on Durant himself, right?"

Avril hesitated before speaking, her tone tinged with uncertainty, "This is controlled through the coordination of mental power and qi. Durant, as a high-ranking knight, should have no problem with it?"

"My darling, this is not human modification!"

Rhodes exclaimed in shock, "Isn't this just a skeleton prosthetic limb?"

"No, it's not just about prosthetics..."

Rhodes suddenly felt a flash of inspiration in his mind, but he couldn't figure out what it was for a moment.

Rhodes frowned and pondered in silence for a long time.

Avril couldn't help but cast a worried glance at her. "What's wrong, darling?"

"I feel like I've thought of something, but I can't quite remember it."

Rhodes shook his head slightly. "It's alright, let's continue this conversation."

Picking up the skull hand again, Rhode examined it and said, "If what you say can come true, this is really a good thing."

"It just looks a bit scary and not very elegant."

"um, yes."

Avril nodded, opened the box beside her, took out a leather glove, and handed it to Rhodes.

"So I prepared this."

Rhodes took the leather gloves and carefully slipped them onto the skeleton's hands, nodding slightly.
"Well, that's pretty much it."

Rod nodded thoughtfully, then suddenly realized something.
"If we can wear leather gloves, does that mean we can wear iron gloves?"

Rhodes turned to Vivian, "I remember Durant had a pair of finger guards, right?"

"Huh? I don't know..." Vivian looked bewildered.

"some."

Avril nodded. "I remember him wearing it once when he led his army into battle."

"Then tell me, wouldn't it be better if this skull glove had finger guards and gauntlets?"

Rod squinted and spoke in a drawn-out voice,

"What if this finger guard was forged from sea-patterned magic steel, engraved with enchanted runes, and combined with a skull prosthetic limb?"

……

……

Inside the manor hall.

Durant sat quietly at the side of the long table, his body ramrod straight.

He appeared calm on the surface, but his clenched fists betrayed his inner tension.

Durant was instructing the new recruits on the training field when he suddenly received a message from his guards that the lord urgently summoned him.

Durant immediately dropped what he was doing and rushed over.

Upon arriving at the hall, before Durant could even ask any questions, his lord had him sit down.

Then they fell silent, a silence that made the air feel heavy.

More importantly, Mrs. Avril Lavigne was also there.

After waiting for a long time, Durant couldn't help but cautiously ask.
"Sir, has something bad happened?"

Upon hearing this question, Rod slowly raised his head and looked at Durant with a complicated expression.

"I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing."

Rod looked at Durant and sighed softly.

"I did something for you,"

Rhodes paused for a moment, "But I don't know if you can accept that."

Durant paused, thought for a moment, and asked in a low voice, "Are you going to arrange a lover for me?"

The moment the question was asked, the atmosphere in the hall instantly lightened considerably.

A faint smile appeared on Rod's lips.
"So, do you want it?" The voice carried a hint of teasing.

“I don’t want it if it’s not absolutely necessary.”

Durant paused, then said seriously, "But if it benefits the territory, I'm willing."

Hearing this answer, and looking into Durant's resolute yet innocent eyes...

Rhodes couldn't help but feel speechless, but also somewhat relieved.

"You think too much."

Rod chuckled and shook his head, then said to Avril beside him, "Never mind, just give it to him."

Avril nodded, picked up a wooden box from the chair next to her, and placed it in front of Durant, opening it.

Durant's expression changed slightly as he looked at the skull hand lying quietly in the box.

He stood there, stunned and somewhat at a loss.

For a moment, no one knew what Rhodes's purpose was.

“Avril has a way to attach this skeletal hand to your wrist.”

Rhodes stopped teasing him and slowly said, "Moreover, it can move."

"what?!"

Durant abruptly stood up, staring at Rhodes in shock.

"My lord... what do you mean?"

"How can it move?"

"How does it move?"

Durant stammered and his voice trembled when he spoke for the first time.

"If it succeeds, I mean if."

Rod said seriously, "It can swing freely like your right hand, even the finger joints can move."

Durant was completely stunned, his mouth opening and closing as if he wanted to say something.

But it couldn't make a sound.

"Of course, that's on the premise that you're willing to accept this kind of bone hand."

"I am willing!"

"I do, sir!"

Durant shouted, his body trembling!

His mind went blank at that moment. Ignoring everything else, he knelt on one knee before Rhodes.

"Your Excellency, Lady Avril!"

"Durant begs for your mercy!"

"Help me reattach this severed hand!"

Even if it's just a bone!

(End of this chapter)