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

Chapter 362 Reunion with the Little Stone Dragon
……

……

The black flames circled once above the Frostwolf Forest.

Its massive body gradually descended, its wings folded, and it finally landed steadily in a clearing in the woods.

Rhode jumped off Blackflame's back, and the soldiers guarding the area quickly ran over.

"Lord Lord."

The soldiers saluted respectfully.

This is the cave where the rock ridge was once discovered, and the rock dragon sleeps in the cave.

Rhodes nodded slightly in response and ordered, "Go, bring a torch."

"Yes, Lord Lord."

The soldier immediately ran to the fire and brought over a lit torch.

Vivian took the torch and followed Rhodes into the cave.

The torches illuminated the cave, and Rhodes followed his memory forward, soon finding the underground hall that had connected to the cave.

Apart from the extraordinary gems and dragon bones being moved, there are basically no changes here.

"It's time to wake up."

Rod walked to the stone tablet and shouted into the empty cave.

The sound was exceptionally loud, followed by complete silence.

"Is he dead?" Vivian asked softly.

"what……"

The sudden sound startled Vivian, sending a chill down her spine.

Then a low, languid yawn sounded, and a phantom gradually materialized in mid-air.

The surrounding stones began to tremble, then quickly gathered in the air, eventually wrapping around the phantom.

"Who disturbed my rest?!"

His deep voice carried displeasure, but upon seeing Rhodes, his tone suddenly softened.

"So it's you, lord."

The Stone Dragon stretched and yawned. "You're back so quickly. Did you find a way to strengthen my body?"

One or two years is a long time for humans, but for dragons, especially those that like to sleep, it's just the time it takes to take a nap.

"Not yet."

Rhodes looked at the little dragon in the rubble and took out the small skull. "But I found this. Maybe it can help you get away from here."

"what is this?"

The little stone dragon swayed forward, carefully observed the area, and then asked with a hint of doubt in its voice,

"The Soul-Binding Pearl?"

“It looks a little different.”

The little dragon with broken stones leaned closer and sniffed it. "The smell of life energy. An interesting little thing."

Rhodes looked at the little stone dragon and said, "I didn't expect you to recognize this thing?"

"I know a lot of things, but I have a bad memory."

The little dragon with broken stones said without any modesty, "I'll remember it every time I see it."

"hope so."

Rhodes raised the Soul-Binding Orb and aimed it at the Stone Dragon. "Get ready, and see if you can get in."

"Great, finally we're leaving this awful place!"

The little dragon, whose voice was filled with excitement, took two steps back and stopped in mid-air.

Rhodes focused his spiritual power on the Soul-Binding Orb and slowly channeled his magic into it.

The Soul-Binding Orb gradually detached from Rhodes's palm, slowly floating in mid-air, emitting a faint purple light with a hint of green in the middle.

The next instant, a beam of purple light shot out, completely enveloping the little stone dragon.

The stones on the Stone Dragon's body began to vibrate, and its phantom image turned into a cloud of smoke, flowing swiftly along the purple light into the Soul-Binding Pearl.

In the blink of an eye, the body of the Stone Dragon completely dissipated, and the stones on its body fell to the ground uncontrollably.

The light on the Soul-Binding Orb vanished instantly, and it also lost control and fell back into Rhode's hand.

Just then, the stone tablet beneath their feet began to shake violently, and cracks appeared one after another.

The cave began to shake, and countless grains of sand fell from above.

"Go out first and then talk."

Without lingering, Rhodes grabbed Vivian and ran out.

Before he could run a few steps, a loud rumbling sound came from behind him, and the spot where the little stone dragon had been standing collapsed.

However, the area was not large, and the caves previously dug out from the rock ridge were not affected.

Nevertheless, Rhodes did not linger and quickly left with Vivian.

As they neared the cave entrance, Rhodes, clutching the Soul-Binding Pearl, asked, "How are you?"

As the sound faded, the phantom of the Stone Dragon suddenly shot out, causing Rhodes to instinctively lean back.

"I...I'm fine!"

The little stone dragon said excitedly, "Don't forget to inject magic power regularly!"

"It's alright. Even if you forget, you won't die. This Soul-Binding Pearl will preserve your last remaining consciousness."

Rod said calmly, "Also, next time you come out, don't rush towards my face, otherwise I'll have a hard time resisting attacking you."

"Okay, okay, no problem!"

Little Dragon of Broken Stones urged, "Let's go, let's go out and see the sunshine!"

"Sunlight?"

Vivian, standing nearby, looked at the little stone dragon and asked, "Isn't sunlight the thing you undead hate the most?"

"I've said it before, I'm not that kind of filthy, lowly thing, I am the great Dragon Soul Consciousness!"

The Stone Dragon retorted irritably, "Don't compare me to those lowly ants like the undead!"

"Oh, is that so?"

Vivian responded softly, but her face still showed disbelief.

The Stone Dragon was about to say something when Rhodes interrupted it.
"Alright, we'll know whether it's a ghost or not when we get back."

Rhodes gripped the Soul-Binding Orb and walked straight outside.

Even if there is necromantic energy, Rhode can purify it.

"I'm absolutely not!"

The sound of the little dragon breaking stones echoed in the cave.

……

……

"The atmosphere outside truly brings joy to the dragon!"

Sunlight poured down, illuminating the illusory body of the stone dragon.

It floated on the snow, tilted its head back, and made a gesture as if it were taking a deep breath, as if it wanted to swallow all the air in the forest.

His blissful expression perfectly captured the feelings of a prisoner who had been imprisoned for millions of years and had finally regained his freedom.

Even though it couldn't breathe air at all, Rod didn't interrupt it.

Vivian took out her whistle and blew it. The figures of Black Flame and Frost appeared one after another, circling in the air as they descended.

"You actually have a dragon as a mount?"

The little stone dragon stared at the black flames in front of it, slightly taken aback. "Wait, although it looks a lot like our dragon race, it's not!"

The little stone dragon looked at Rhodes in astonishment, "How did you do that?"

Because the Black Flame was not a true dragon, the Stone Shattering Dragon was even more confused.

It had no information about the races of these dragons in its mind.

"Alright, we'll talk about these things later."

Rhodes mounted Blackflame. "We have more important things to deal with now."

With a sudden burst of power from his legs, Black Flame flapped its wings and soared into the sky, flying towards Frostleaf Town.

The Stone Dragon is ultimately an undead, and its necromantic energy still needs to be purified.

Otherwise, if it encounters Holy Light, the Stonebreaker Dragon is likely to turn into the Howling Dragon.

This will take a while.

Meanwhile, Avril has already given Rhode the coordinates of the Abyss Wizard Tower, so Rhode doesn't need to go back.

After settling things in Frostleaf Town, Rhodes was about to return to Riftrock City.

Black Flame quickly flew back to the lord's manor.

Back in the Lord's Hall, after a short rest, Rhodes began to study the Soul-Binding Orb.

"It might hurt a little now, just bear with it."

Rhodes, holding the Soul-Binding Pearl, spoke solemnly to the Stone Dragon.

"Dragons are not afraid of pain."

The little stone dragon quickly darted back into the Soul-Binding Orb. Once its figure disappeared, Rhode channeled his magic power and slowly poured it into the Soul-Binding Orb.

The Soul-Binding Pearl lit up, and this time the purple light was like silk threads, constantly winding and rotating around it.

Rhodes was very careful, injecting only a tiny amount before stopping.

Immediately, the phantom of the Stone Dragon reappeared.

"How are you feeling? Any unusual sensations?" Rhodes asked the Stone Dragon.

"Yes, my energy is draining away."

The Stone Dragon spoke hesitantly, "But there was no pain, and your seed just started moving and released some energy to repair my body."

"Um……"

Rhodes thought for a moment and asked, "Do you dragons have any unique cultivation methods?"

"Of course not, our great dragon race can become stronger simply by sleeping."

The little dragon's voice was full of pride, its head held high.

"You're at most a dragon soul right now. I need to purify the necromantic energy in your body."

Rhodes explained, "The Seed of Nature is most effective when you are cultivating, and it can continuously provide you with energy."

"In that case... our dragon race can cultivate anything."

Without hesitation, the little dragon broke the stone and said, "As long as you humans can cultivate, we dragons can cultivate too."

Rhodes nodded slightly, without saying anything more.

After a moment's thought, Rhodes turned to Vivian beside him and said, "Have Avril take some people to look for a meditation method suitable for spiritual cultivation."

Since the Stone Dragon has no physical body, it cannot cultivate breathing techniques to strengthen its body; it can only cultivate meditation techniques.

“Ideally, it should be related to nature; if that’s not possible, we can only cultivate the tulip family’s techniques,” Rhodes added.

"Yes, my lord."

Vivian then lowered her head and relayed Rhodes's orders to Avril.

Rhodes turned back and continued to slowly infuse the Soul-Binding Orb with magic.

The more it is purified, the faster it will become a clean and pure spirit.

Rhodes was busy for a short while when Lawrence came to report that Makuru was on his way back to Frostleaf Town.

……

……

Inside the Lord's Hall.

"Good day, Your Excellency."

Makuru, beaming with joy, bowed respectfully and said, "Congratulations on successfully defeating Princess Rockbreaker and Duke Flower."

As the caravan passed through the entire western province, Makuru was better informed than anyone else.

Makuru had also heard the legendary story of Rhodes transforming into a dragon, so he was extremely excited to see Rhodes again.

The thought of serving a legendary dragon is incredibly exciting.

"Sit down, Makuru."

Rhodes smiled and raised his hand in greeting. Lia quickly stepped forward and poured Makuru a cup of hot tea.

“Makuru, you did a good job.”

Rhodes looked at the middle-aged man in front of him and said, "The review committee from the western provinces reported that you have helped them solve many of their troublesome problems."

Makuru was slightly taken aback, then quickly stood up and bowed. "There are indeed some matters concerning the allocation of supplies that I was just about to report to you."

“Maple Ridge in the western province has a lot of minerals, and Rose Hill has a lot of grain reserves, so I acted as a guarantor to facilitate trade between them.”

Makuru assured him confidently, "Please rest assured, I have absolutely not harmed any of your interests."

Makuru hadn't expected the news to reach Rhodes' ears so quickly.

He didn't know if what he was doing was right or wrong, since both of them were important strategic resources.

“You don’t need to be nervous, Makuru. My territory is no longer just the North.”

Rod smiled and gestured for Makuru to sit down.

Now that there are no noble lords, there are many things that no one cares about.

Many of the deliberation teams were not familiar with each other, and they were unlikely to provide spontaneous, unpaid support for their own benefit.

Makuru's role as a matchmaker facilitates the better flow of resources.

So even though he didn't report it, Rod wouldn't blame Makuru.

“Aside from the lack of a record, you have done nothing wrong in this matter.”

Rhodes' gaze softened as he said, "I'm not bringing this up to punish you, but because I think you did a great job."

"You were previously in charge of the territory's caravans, and I think you should continue doing something similar in the future."

Rhodes's expression turned serious, and he said earnestly, "I hope that you, as the president of the Imperial Chamber of Commerce, will be responsible for the allocation of resources throughout the empire."

"grown ups……"

Makuru stood up instantly, stunned.

The title "President of the Imperial Merchant Guild" made Makuru tremble.

Now that the three words were combined and presented to him as a title, Makuru was immediately flustered.

"Thank you for your recognition!"

Makuru hurriedly bowed and said instinctively, "But I... I... my abilities are humble and I'm afraid I don't meet your requirements..."

"Your initiative in helping those two towns allocate resources without accepting any extra compensation demonstrates your strong sense of responsibility."

With a smile on his face, Rod said slowly, "And your business acumen goes without saying; you have plenty of practical experience."

"As for other aspects, they can be honed gradually."

"Now all you need to do is tell me whether you are willing to accept this position."

After saying that, Rod added casually,
“I will prepare a manor for you in the Imperial Shattered Rock City, and your children will naturally be able to study at the Imperial Academy.”

Although the Imperial Academy is currently entirely fictional, it will inevitably be established in order to continuously provide talent for the Empire.

"It is my honor to serve you!"

Makuru knelt down on one knee, his face filled with emotion. "Since you trust me, I'm willing to give everything for you!"

"In that case, it's settled then."

Rhodes got up and personally helped Makuru up.

"Sir, what is my next task...?"

Overwhelmed with excitement, Makuru tried his best to calm himself down.

His voice trembled slightly as he asked, "Is it the same as before?"

"No, the Imperial Caravan is only a part of it."

Rhodes thought for a moment and then explained in detail: "In addition, the most basic job of the Imperial Chamber of Commerce is to be responsible for the management of trade across regions and provinces."

"Managing and inspecting caravan permits and planning trade routes."

Rod said solemnly, "From now on, not just anyone can become a businessman; a license is required."

“I will get the review committees in various places to cooperate with you on this matter, but some big businessmen want you to take the lead.”

"In addition, we need to formulate rules for the exchange of goods in various regions and control and set the prices of goods."

"We must also prevent some merchants from monopolizing goods and hoarding supplies, etc."

"correct."

Rhodes reminded him, "There's also the procurement for the military supplies department, which requires the assistance of the Imperial Chamber of Commerce."

After hearing this, Makuru was completely stunned, his mind in a state of chaos.

"It's okay, I'll make a list for you."

Rod patted Makuru on the shoulder. "Besides that, you have a lot more to take care of."

Rhodes was not exaggerating.

In the future, Rhodes also plans to establish a transportation fleet for extraordinary resources, and once Makuru's Chamber of Commerce is established, it will inevitably have to serve this purpose.

"Don't worry, I will give you the maximum authority."

Seeing the confusion in Makuru's eyes, Rod suggested, "You can bring anyone you think you can use, and you can also invite friends you think are talented."

“Even if they are former nobles, you can recruit them.”

Just as Rod said, abilities can be cultivated.

What Rhodes wants most right now is to place responsible and trustworthy people in these key positions.

"Thank you for your understanding and trust."

Makuru breathed a sigh of relief and bowed in greeting.

Although I'm still confused, at least I have some direction now.

"My lord, actually... I think Lord Lawrence is more suitable."

Makuru offered, "If he were the president of the Imperial Chamber of Commerce, I would be willing to assist him."

"No."

Rhodes refused without hesitation, saying calmly, "I have other uses for Lawrence's stingy mind."

(End of this chapter)