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

Chapter 320 Because he has a dragon

……

……

The Shattered Rock Empire.

In the corridor of the palace.

Marquis Hanren's figure passed through the stone pillars and headed straight for the Empress's study.

His face was gloomy, his steps heavy, each one seemingly filled with anger, clanging loudly on the marble floor.

"Please stop! Her Majesty the Queen is meeting with Lord Leon!"

Two guards in silver armor at the entrance quickly crossed their spears, blocking Marquis Hanren's path.

"Step aside!"

Marquis Hanren showed no sign of stopping.

Without hesitation, he raised his arm and casually slapped the two crossed spears away.

Before the two guards could react, Marquis Hanren had already pushed open the heavy door and barged into the study.

The study was filled with the faint scent of ink, and the afternoon sun shone through the window onto the long table covered with documents.

Princess Atreia, now the Queen of Shattered Rocks, was reviewing documents at a wooden table, with the Imperial Commander Leon sitting opposite her.

Atelier looked up when she heard the noise.

When she saw that the intruder was Marquis Hanren, her brows furrowed instantly, but quickly relaxed again.

Atreus put down her quill and waved to the guards who rushed in through the door, signaling them to step back.

The guards bowed, left the study, and closed the door behind them.

"Overe, what happened?"

Artrie's voice was gentle and steady.

She straightened up, leaned back in her chair, and wore a warm smile.

"Your Majesty, I need your help!"

Marquis Hanren bowed in greeting.

His face was deathly pale, his eyes were sunken, and he looked extremely haggard.

"My territory has been invaded by Baron Rhodes of the Tulip Family! The border town has fallen!"

Marquis Hanren's voice was filled with barely suppressed rage.

"Other large tracts of land also fell into the hands of Baron Rhodes!"

"Even my son has fallen into his hands!"

"Baron Rhodes...?"

Atelier's expression turned puzzled.

She tilted her head slightly, as if trying to search her memory for any information about the name.

But clearly, nothing was gained.

The Queen turned her head and looked at Leon, who was sitting in the chair next to her.

"Commander Leon, do you know this Baron Rhodes?"

A hint of confusion flashed in Leon's eyes.

He frowned and tried hard to recall.

The name does sound familiar, as if I've heard it somewhere before.

Upon closer examination, however, I gained no insights.

In the end, Leon shook his head.

"I've never heard of this name, Your Majesty."

"Rhodes is the illegitimate son of the Earl of Tulips!"

Marquis Hanren hurriedly began to explain, speaking very quickly.

"He responded to His Majesty Agnar's bloody decree and went to the northern wastelands to become a pioneer lord."

"His development has been very rapid in the past two years. He has acquired a large number of slave laborers by utilizing the resources of the wasteland he has developed."

"He trained soldiers and built an army, and now he has an extremely powerful armed force!"

Marquis Hanren's words plunged the study into a brief silence.

The confusion on Atreus and Leon's faces did not lessen; on the contrary, it deepened.

The two looked at each other, their eyes filled with disbelief.

Atreus raised an eyebrow, looking back at Marquis Coldblade, her voice filled with obvious doubt.
"You mean, this Baron Rhodes only relied on two years..."

The Empress paused for a moment. "An army was formed in the cold, food-scarce wasteland?"

"And then this army invaded your territory?"

"They took your city?"

As Atelier said this, a slight smile involuntarily appeared on her lips, but her eyes held obvious suspicion.

"Overe, are you sure the information you received is accurate?"

Leon also turned to look at Marquis Coldblade.

He nodded, agreeing with Atreus's questioning.

The wastelands are sparsely populated and ignorant than the North, and though the land is vast, it is teeming with wild beasts.

Moreover, the climate there is extremely harsh, and crops can only be planted in the spring each year, with only one wheat harvest.

How does Baron Rhodes support his army?

Moreover, it is an army capable of conquering border cities—it certainly isn't a farmer with a hoe and pitchfork, is it?
Such an army would require a lot of money, food, iron ore, and so on, as well as blacksmiths, craftsmen, and training officers.

Thinking of this, Leon couldn't help but shake his head with a smile.

"There's no mistake, Your Majesty!"

Marquis Hanren's voice became even more urgent.

He took a step forward, his whole body trembling slightly.

"I have received six urgent military reports in total!"

Marquis Hanren took a deep breath and continued his explanation.
“The territory of that Baron Rhodes was already a bit strange.”

"However, because of the Imperial War, I focused my main energy on the Allied Forces and didn't pay much attention to things on the wasteland."

"Now I think he must have discovered something in the wasteland and gained extraordinary power!"

"Oh? Why do you say that?" Atreus's expression became somewhat serious.

"Baron Rhodes can ride dragons!"

As Marquis Hanren's voice fell, the air seemed to freeze for a moment.

"dragon?!"

Atreus abruptly stood up, her eyes fixed on Marquis Coldblade.

"You mean the dragons from those wizarding novels?!"

"I don't know what dragons look like in novels, Your Majesty."

Marquis Hanren strode forward: "But one of those dragons can breathe fire, and the other can spew ice and snow!"

"what?"

Atreus's face was filled with shock; her eyes widened as she asked in a choked voice.

"A two-headed dragon?!"

"Your Majesty, please mind your manners," Leon whispered a reminder.

Artrie swallowed hard, suppressing her shock.
"Someone is coming,"

Atreus's voice regained its authority, "Go and invite Mr. Luxem over. We may not be able to handle this kind of thing on our own now."

"Your Majesty, Luxem has returned to the Dawn Society, and I was just about to report to you."

Leon explained, "Dawn had some things he needed to take care of, so he left in a hurry."

"In this case……"

Artrie bit her lip and fell into a brief moment of contemplation.

A moment later, she turned to look at Marquis Hanren.

"Overe, go back and wait for news."

"This matter is too important; I need to discuss it carefully with someone."

"In addition, I need more information. Please send someone to deliver all the letters you received in a while."

"Including reports from your scouts, descriptions from frontline commanders, and all the details about those two dragons."

"Your Majesty, my territory cannot wait; it urgently needs your support!"

Marquis Hanren urged anxiously, "Every day we delay, Rhodes' army will advance one step deeper into my territory!"

"Please calm down, Overeavre."

Atley's expression turned serious, and her eyes sharpened.

She stood tall with her back straight, exuding an undeniable air of authority.

"I cannot rashly send out the Empire's army just because I have heard a piece of news."

"You should understand that mobilizing troops requires food, military pay, and logistical supplies."

"More importantly, what if the other side really does possess two dragons..."

Artrie paused for a moment.

"Then the troops I send out are likely just going to their deaths."

"I need time to develop a strategy, and I need to consult with spellcasters who understand supernatural powers."

“I need your patience, Overeavre.”

Marquis Hanren's expression stiffened, and he opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something.

But in the end, he kept quiet.

The marquis's shoulders slumped, and he slowly nodded.
"Very well, Your Majesty."

"I will obey your orders."

Marquis Hanren's voice was low and weary.

After speaking, he took a step back, bowed deeply in respect, and left the study.

After Marquis Coldblade had completely left, Atreus looked at Leon and lowered her voice.
“If it’s true, we must bring that Rod to our side.” Atreia paused, then added, “If necessary, we can sacrifice some worthless things.”

"I see."

Leon nodded vigorously and replied in a low voice, "I will make the arrangements."

……

……

The Western Province of the Shattered Rock Empire.

In a spacious basement in the archipelago.

The dim candlelight flickered, and the magical light on the thick stone walls shimmered faintly, isolating the area from all outside sounds.

In the center of the basement stood a stone table nearly five meters long, around which sat thirteen figures of varying ages, dressed in robes.

The youngest was Luxembourg, while the oldest was a middle-aged woman with a full head of silver hair, sitting at the head of the long table.

Anyone capable can sit at the Dawn Society's long table council; there are no age or seniority restrictions.

Their faces, illuminated by the candlelight, appeared mysterious and solemn.

In the center of the table was a stack of parchment, densely covered with intelligence records.

The silver-haired middle-aged woman spoke slowly.
"Everyone."

Her voice was hoarse and low.

"The reason I've gathered everyone here today is to discuss the situation in the Empire."

The silver-haired middle-aged woman's gaze swept across everyone's faces. "Should we choose the royal family or the Duke of Flowers?"

“There is no place for the Dawn Society in the royal family. They have never taken us spellcasters seriously and even regard us as frauds.”

The old man in the red robe spoke with dissatisfaction.

"They even colluded with the Holy Council to suppress us before. Should we choose a royal family like that?"

The old man in the red robe clearly meant that he wanted to choose the Duke of Flowers.

The Dawn Society lives in the Western Isles and has always had a good relationship with the Duke of Flowers, even engaging in some cooperation.

“That was when Agnar was alive; the situation is different now.”

Luxen slowly began, “Your Excellency Fafnir, the current Empress values ​​us highly. She is not only fulfilling her previous promises but also opening the Imperial Treasury to us.”

"That's because her foolish father died at the hands of supernatural forces, and she was terrified."

The old man in the red robe couldn't help but sneer, "She knows that if she doesn't take us seriously, she will die like her father."

“I disagree with your view, but in any case, we already have an alliance with the royal family.”

Luxen said calmly, "Now that we have what we wanted, we should continue to honor the agreement."

“Agnar is dead, the covenant no longer exists.”

The old man in the red robe firmly denied Lusen's words, saying, "The agreement with Atre was only her own wish."

"The Duke of Flowers, no, I should say His Highness the Regent, can also give us a lot."

A witch in a gray robe spoke up, saying, "His Highness the Regent has traded resources with us before and often cooperates with us; he is our friend."

When the word 'friends' was mentioned, everyone nodded in agreement.

The spellcasters of the Dawn Order are rather averse to politics and prefer to align themselves with those who are friendly to them.

The crowd's reactions brought a touch of smugness to the red-robed elder's face as he looked at the silver-haired middle-aged woman.
“Your Excellency, I believe this matter is quite simple; all it takes is a vote.”

"can."

The wise woman nodded expressionlessly, as if choosing whom was unimportant to her.

Just as she was about to ask everyone to raise their hands to vote, there was a knock on the basement door.

“Wise one, urgent news has arrived from the north,” a young, respectful voice rang out.

"come in."

As the wise man's voice faded, the stone door opened automatically.

The handsome young man, holding the parchment scroll in both hands, strode up to the wise man, respectfully placed it down, and then turned and left.

The wise man opened the scroll, bowed his head, and read it carefully. The basement fell silent.

After a moment, the wise man raised his head and slowly said,
"In the Northern Wastes, Lord Rhodes, Lord of Blackpine Ridge, has conquered the Falcon Family's Eagle Ridge in the past month or so."

"The latest news is that the border town of the Hanren family has also fallen into his hands."

"At this moment, when we received the news, the Frostfire Clan should only have Frostfire Fortress left that has not fallen."

The wise man's words echoed in the basement, instantly causing a commotion.

"border town?"

The grey-robed witch exclaimed in surprise:
"How did he take down this fortress that the Hanren family had built up over four generations?"

"The specific details are unclear, but it is said that he possesses a dragon."

The wise man slowly said, "Two young dragons, one white dragon, and one... a strange dragon that can control fire."

"A dragon? Are you sure?"

The gray-robed witch cried out in surprise, and the others stared at the wise man with disbelief.

As spellcasters, everyone knows the value of dragons.

But they also knew how difficult it was to tame a dragon.

Even Luxem stood there dumbfounded, looking at the wise man with a puzzled expression.

Isn't it a wyvern?
How did it turn into a dragon?

“This Rhodes.”

The old man in the red robe frowned and asked:

"I've never heard of him before. Which family does he belong to?"

"The bastard son of the Tulip family, responding to the bloody decree to explore the northern wastelands."

Lu Sen took the initiative to speak and explained Rod's identity.

"Lord Rhodes has also cooperated with our Dawn Society on several occasions."

“He is different from other nobles. He is very willing to accept and respect spellcasters, and has even begun to train spellcasters.”

"Lord Rhodes even said that if the church dared to deal with his spellcasters, he would cut off the church's hands."

Lusen's words resonated with several spellcasters, who nodded in agreement.

Even the old man in the red robe couldn't help but show surprise, and his eyes became more benevolent.

"Oh, right."

Lusen explained, "The lizardmen and the new paper we used before were all traded to us by Lord Rhodes."

"Then who does this Lord Rhodes support?" the red-robed elder couldn't help but ask.

"This one……"

Luxen looked at the wise man hesitantly.

"It's not clear yet. I'll send someone to inquire with Lord Rhodes."

The wise man said calmly, "But no matter who he supports, I think his views will be very insightful."

"So until we know his stance, Dawn will temporarily refrain from helping anyone."

"why?"

The red-robed elder instinctively asked, "Why should we consider that Lord Rhodes?"

The other spellcasters also turned their gazes to the wise man, clearly sharing the same questions as the red-robed elder.

"Because he has a dragon."

The wise man's gaze was profound, and a faint smile appeared on his calm face.

"A dragon's promise is more valuable than anyone else's."

The old man in the red robe was speechless for a moment, then nodded thoughtfully.
I agree with your point of view.

"I agree."

"Agree."

……

The spellcasters had no further questions.

Everyone is well aware of the rarity of dragons in this era.

The wise man nodded slightly, stood up, and announced the end of the meeting. The spellcasters then left one after another.

Soon only Luxembourg and the Wise Man remained in the room.

“Wise one, have you seen more information about Lord Rhodes?” Lucian asked in a low voice.

“My teacher once told me not to pry too much into the future, otherwise I would turn the fragments I saw into established facts.”

The wise man shook his head slightly, "I haven't looked into the future for a long time."

"But my intuition tells me that I cannot ignore Rod."

"Like a grain of sand in flour, a piece of meat in clear soup, or a drop of ink on white paper."

The wise man sighed softly.
"So I tried to spy, but I couldn't see anything."

"Can't see clearly..."

Lucien murmured, his pupils dilating involuntarily—a man even a wise man could not fathom!

The wise man said nothing more, and softly instructed, "You are familiar with Linda and Rhodes, so I'll leave the rest to you."

……

……

The spellcasters who left the basement dispersed one after another, and returned to their residences after returning to the ground.

The ground floor is a very large courtyard, where all sorts of scholars are moving about.

The old man in the red robe walked to a secluded corner, leaned against the wall, and looked at the sun in the sky. The glaring sunlight made him involuntarily cover his forehead.

Soon, a young scholar carrying a book walked up to him.

"Your Excellency Fafneck, what are your orders?" the young scholar asked respectfully in a low voice.

The old man in red robes withdrew his gaze, looked around to make sure no one was paying attention, and then whispered his instructions.

"Inform His Highness the Regent to secure the support of Lord Rhodes Tulip of the North as soon as possible."

(End of this chapter)