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

……

……

The day after the Vanguard cleared the Undead Bison Valley.

On the edge of the Corrupted Lands, at the military camp of the Flame Dragon Empire.

The morning sun pierced through the thin mist and shone on the rows of tents.

Smoke curled up from the chimneys, filling the air with the aroma of porridge and rice.

The soldiers lined up to receive their breakfast; some chatted quietly, while others ate silently, creating a peaceful and orderly atmosphere throughout the camp.

This tranquility is especially precious during times of war.

But those who truly know the inside story understand that this is merely the calm before the storm.

Inside the commander's tent.

Rhodes stood in front of the command platform, hands behind his back, listening quietly to Kyle's report.

"That's a mixed mineral vein, with magic stones, shadow gems, and some ores that contain necromantic energy."

"The wizards are still taking stock of the specifics, but the total scale is at least three thousand tons."

Kyle flipped through the report in his hand. "In addition, preliminary calculations suggest that the surrounding stone is also a good magical material that can be used to build the city wall."

"There are many undead creatures outside the valley, but they are scattered wandering souls and skeletons, not a large group. The vanguard team should be able to handle them."

Rhodes nodded.

Although the undead on the edge of the Corrupted Lands are numerous, most of them are defective products abandoned by the undead legion.

It's not difficult to clean, it just takes time and patience.

The soldiers need rest and recuperation.

"How is Gunle doing?"

"Rod asked."

"It has stabilized."

Kyle closed the report, a slight smile appearing on his face.

"Gangle gained a lot this time. He learned new combat skills, and his whole demeanor is different now."

"However, the fighting style remains unchanged."

“He used to fight by brute force, charging forward headlong. Now, he charges even more fiercely.”

Kyle reported, and couldn't help but laugh:

"That guy ate the rations for five people by himself last night."

"He was still hungry after finishing his meal, so we asked the logistics department to give him three more portions."

"Haha, this is a good thing."

Rod smiled and nodded.

This is a normal phenomenon after a soldier awakens.

The body is being reforged, which requires a lot of energy to sustain it.

Gunle's current appetite indicates that his body is rapidly absorbing energy.

Just like a child's development.

This is precisely the effect of the "Path to Royal Power" entry.

"Where are the rest of the vanguard?"

"Rod asked."

"There have been changes, but they are not very obvious."

Kyle thought for a moment, then continued his report:
"After this battle, another twenty-three members of the vanguard regiment showed clear signs of awakening."

"Like Gunle, they have increased their appetite, strength, and fighting spirit."

Kyle turned to another page of the report and glanced at the data:

"And it's not just the vanguard regiment. According to statistics from various legions, 630 men in the entire Imperial army have shown similar signs."

"Some are obvious, some are not so obvious, but they are all changing in the same direction."

Six hundred and thirty people.

This number is less than Rod had expected.

With an army of tens of thousands, only six hundred men, it seems their foundation is still somewhat weak.

However, there's no rush.

This awakening will be a trend in the future.

As the empire grows stronger, more and more people will awaken.

These warriors will become the backbone of the empire, and their growth rate will far exceed that of ordinary soldiers.

"Your Majesty, this is a sign of the empire's rise!"

Kyle's voice was filled with awe.

"As the empire grew stronger, I noticed that everyone was changing."

Chris nodded in agreement.

Rhodes didn't explain further.

After a moment's thought, Rhodes gave the order:
"Make these people write diaries."

“Record your own status changes, organize exchange meetings, and let them share their experiences with each other.”

“Especially Gunther, as a pioneer, had to pass on his experience.”

"His combat technique... Bison Charge?"

Upon hearing the name, Rhodes smiled and sighed:

"The name is really awful. Tell him to change it to Savage Rampage."

Gangle is good in every way, except he's uncultured and relies entirely on his brute force.

But that's also part of his character.

"Let Gunther teach the Savage Charge to the other awakened soldiers, let them learn as much as they can."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Kyle's eyes lit up:
"I propose establishing warrior training camps to provide a unified education for awakened individuals!"

"Let's do it this way."

Rhodes nodded:
“The witches are already doing this. Linda and the others have figured out some patterns and are passing them on to each other.”

"The soldiers' training camp should also learn from their experience."

"No problem, Your Majesty!"

Kyle happily agreed, then suddenly remembered something:
"However, some soldiers are uneducated and may need some support."

"I understand what you mean, let's find some recorders."

Without hesitation, Rhodes instructed, "The Empire's education system is now well-established; finding a few recorders shouldn't be difficult."

"Let Durant in the back help you coordinate."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Kyle bowed respectfully, then turned and left.

……

Meanwhile, changes were taking place throughout the Yanlong Empire.

In Frostleaf, in the North, a new academy is under construction.

This is a branch of the Southern Crimson Academy, which specializes in training young wizard apprentices.

To facilitate better communication between the two colleges, different branch colleges were established in the north and south respectively.

The workers worked day and night, with stones and timber constantly being transported in, and scaffolding being erected layer upon layer.

Next to the college is a newly built library.

It contains thousands of books, covering various aspects such as magic theory, historical records, and agricultural technology.

Most of these books were purchased from the south, while some were written by scholars of the empire themselves.

The librarian was an old wizard from the Dawn Society who would sit at the entrance every day, watching the young people come and go.

Among these young people, some were from commoner backgrounds and others were from aristocratic families.

But here, they are all just seekers of knowledge.

This scenario would have been unimaginable in the North just a few years ago.

At that time, the North was harsh and cold, and its culture was backward. Few people could read, let alone learn magic.

But now, with the rise of the empire, everything has changed.

Caravans traveled back and forth on the roads of the empire.

Most of the empire's villages were reorganized, merged into towns, and farmland was concentrated.

All the roads in villages, towns, and farmlands have been rebuilt with cement, making horse-drawn carriages travel faster and more steadily.

It used to take several weeks to travel from Frostleaf Town to Border Town, but now it only takes seven days.

This means huge profits for businesses.

Merchants brought silk, tea, and spices from the south, and took away furs, ores, and magical materials from the north.

The vast lands of the North were continuously developed, and dozens of mines were established one after another.

Iron ore, copper ore, tin ore, and various other metals were transported to the central part of the empire.

On the plains of central England, farmers are harvesting the last of the year's wheat.

This year's harvest is much better than in previous years.

New farming techniques, better seeds, and the wizard's magical assistance combined to more than double the yield.

Of course, behind the scenes that no one knows about, there is also the role of the terms.

The farmers had smiles on their faces.

They knew that even if they handed over more than 60 percent of their grain, the rest would not only be enough for them to eat, but they could also sell some of it for silver coins to improve their lives.

This change filled the farmers with gratitude towards the empire.

They didn't know what the path to royalty was, nor what an entry was.

But they knew that it was His Majesty Rhodes who had given them a good life.

In the Empire's workshop district, the furnaces burned day and night, and the sound of hammers striking echoed everywhere.

Yak blacksmiths are forging new weapons and armor.

Hundreds of new sets of equipment will be transported to the front lines to equip the Empire's soldiers.

In the magic workshop of Flame Dragon City, several wizard apprentices are creating new rune gold sheets.

Their expressions were serious, and the magic carving knives in their hands gleamed faintly.

They've done the same job more than a dozen times, so there's no way they'd make a mistake.

This is a combination of magic and craftsmanship, a unique advantage of the Flame Dragon Empire.

Meanwhile, in the agricultural experimental zone near Yanlong City.

In a vast experimental field, wheat is growing vigorously.

This experimental field is the empire's largest agricultural research base, covering thousands of acres.

It grows a variety of crops, some of which are local varieties, some are introduced from afar, and some are newly cultivated hybrid varieties.

In the center of the experimental field, there is a simple wooden house.

The cabin was filled with various tools and notebooks, and several plant illustrations hung on the wall.

Avril was standing by the experimental field, looking at the wheat in front of her.

Her boots were covered in mud, her skirt had several stains, and her hair was casually tied back.

But her eyes were bright and sparkling, full of excitement.

"Your Highness Avril!"

Luna quickly went to greet her, "I've prepared everything, you don't need to come in person."

As the manager of the herb garden, Luna is now in charge of cultivating all the seeds of herbs, magical plants, and crops.

Of course, Luna doesn't need to do many things herself, because many wizards will do them for her.

"No need, I just wanted to get some fresh air."

Avril shook her head, her gaze falling on the wheat in the experimental field.

"This batch of hybrid wheat is growing well."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Luna walked over to her and looked at the wheat in front of her:
"As you instructed, we used the wizard's growth-inducing spell to make the wheat grow quickly, from sowing to maturity in just a few days."

"This way we can test many varieties in a short period of time and find the best ones."

"Currently, we have cultivated several wheat varieties with strong resistance to diseases and pests and high yields. We expect to be able to promote them on a large scale next year."

Avril nodded, a satisfied look on her face.

Hybrid breeding is an important means of increasing agricultural output.

However, this process is usually very long, taking several years or even more than a decade to cultivate a stable variety.

However, with the wizard's magical assistance, the process was greatly accelerated.

"Also, Your Highness."

Luna's voice became excited:
"During our exploration, we discovered a new crop."

"New crops?"

Avril became interested.

"Yes."

Luna took out two cloth bags from her backpack, each containing seeds of two different plants.

"The first one is very similar to the potato that His Majesty mentioned. It is a tuberous crop that can grow by being buried in the soil and has an extremely high yield."

"We tested a batch in the experimental field, and the yield of one acre was equivalent to that of three acres of wheat!"

"Moreover, this crop is not demanding in terms of soil and can grow even in barren land."

"They are very easy to raise and don't need much care."

potato.

Avril was startled.

His Majesty Rhodes said that this is a prime example of a high-yield crop!
Avril took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

How many seeds are left?

"About two hundred jin."

Luna replied, "They were all freshly harvested and are very well preserved." "Very good."

Avril nodded:
"You continue your research here, preserve these seeds carefully, and cultivate and propagate them."

"I will report all of this to His Majesty, and I'm sure he will reward you handsomely!"

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

Luna bowed respectfully, "It is our honor to contribute to the Empire!"

Avril nodded, then turned and left with light steps.

This is a major discovery!

His Majesty will be very pleased!
……

"A high-yield crop."

Rhodes placed the report on the table with a smile on his face.

"Potatoes have a very high yield and the crop is not demanding in terms of soil, so it can be grown in most of the land in the North."

"The key is that it's very convenient to eat. After picking, you can steam or roast it directly."

"It can be used as military rations."

Chris's eyes lit up:
"Great, this will make things much easier when we're on a forced march."

"Well, besides that."

Rhodes continued:

"Potatoes are easy to store, and once they are planted on a large scale, the increased yield can be used as livestock feed."

"what?"

Chris was puzzled and said slowly, "Isn't it a waste to feed such good food to livestock?"

"Haha, it's okay, Chris."

Rod said with a smile, "Grain can only solve the problem of food and clothing; only meat and eggs can provide everyone with enough nutrition."

"And in the future, you will only complain about having too much food and too little population."

"Could this be...?"

Chris smiled ingratiatingly, a hint of anticipation rising in his heart.

Coming to his senses, Chris presented another report to Rod.

"There is one more thing, Your Majesty."

Chris hesitated for a moment, then continued:

"News has come from the Night Whisper Society that some nobles have been secretly conspiring to rebel."

"They sought the power of otherworldly lords and ancient gods in an attempt to assassinate His Majesty."

Rhodes remained expressionless.

"Oh?"

"These people are the remnants of various noble families. They used their family fortunes to bribe some evil wizards."

Chris reported:

"They believe that the empire will collapse as soon as His Majesty dies."

"However, Your Majesty, please rest assured."

Chris continued:
"Someone reported them, and the Night Whisper Society has already arrested quite a few people and is currently interrogating them."

"The arrest went smoothly and didn't attract too much attention."

Chris laughed and said, "The masterminds were still asleep when the Shadow Guards cornered them in their beds."

"Yes, we can't be careless."

Rhodes nodded.

He wasn't surprised.

The rapid expansion of the empire will inevitably affect the interests of some people.

These nobles, unwilling to relinquish power, will undoubtedly resort to underhanded tactics.

Rhodes wasn't worried at first, but after learning that there were many different dimensions outside of this world, he became cautious.

Rhodes cannot repeat the mistakes of the Rockbreaker Emperor; he must keep a firm grasp on the dynamics of the entire empire.

"Have the Night Whisper Society handle this carefully, and make sure it doesn't affect the Empire's development."

Rod said seriously.

Actually, Rhodes wasn't worried about assassination.

What I fear most is that those fools from the old era will hinder the progress of various industries in the empire.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Chris replied respectfully:

"I will tell Vika to keep an eye on everyone."

Chris bowed and was about to leave when the tent curtain was lifted.

Luxem strode in.

His face was solemn, and his brows were furrowed.

"Your Majesty, there is an emergency at the front!"

Luxen walked up to Rodríguez, bowed, and then said in a deep voice:

"Anomalies have been detected in the City of the Dead."

"change?"

Rhodes's expression also turned serious.

“Within the Cape Royal City, energy is constantly growing.”

Luxem's voice was deep:
“The night before last, a dark cloud suddenly formed over the Cape Royal City.”

"From then on, the undead creatures around the royal city actually became weaker."

"Those silver skeletons used to be much slower now, and their strength has also decreased significantly."

"I suspect that the goddess Kali is absorbing the power of these undead to make herself stronger."

Rod frowned.

I never expected that this goddess Kali would still be struggling.

"Moreover, this energy increases very quickly."

"If we don't act quickly, the consequences will be dire," Luxem continued.

"It seems that time is even tighter than we anticipated."

Rod said in a deep voice.

He turned around and looked at Chris:

"Chris, pass the order to speed up the army's preparations. We may have to set off earlier than planned."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Chris nodded emphatically and immediately turned to relay the order.

Rhodes gazed at the distant sky, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.

……

……

The imperial legion stretched for miles, like a giant dragon winding its way across the land.

The cavalry led the way, followed closely by the infantry, with the logistics convoy bringing up the rear.

In the sky, the giant eagles of the Skyfire Legion circled, responsible for reconnaissance and vigilance.

The vanguard and the undead groups worked together seamlessly, quickly clearing out the undead creatures along the way.

Nabila demonstrated her abilities as a necromancer.

She only needs to stand in front of the undead, and those lower-level undead will instinctively submit and make way for her.

Some undead even followed her and joined the ranks of the undead.

The growing undead group immediately attracted everyone's attention.

The soldiers instinctively wanted to clear the area, but then they discovered that their leader was Nabila, who had helped the Empire, so they had no choice but to report the situation.

After receiving the news, Gunle and Kyle came to Nabila's side in person to inquire about the situation.

"These skeletons and corpses were ordinary civilians in life."

Nabila explained to Gunle and Kyle:

"After death, they were controlled by necromantic energy and turned into mindless zombies."

"If we can purify them, they can regain some intelligence."

"Although it is impossible to fully recover the memories of life before death, at least the friend or foe can be distinguished."

Gonle listened with great interest.

"How did your undead guild manage to do that?" Gunle pressed.

"Use the power of the undead to suppress them, then absorb some of their necromantic energy to gradually restore some of their sanity."

Nabila's voice was calm:

There is a strict hierarchy among the undead.

"My aura is far stronger than these low-level undead."

“These unclaimed souls must obey my commands.”

"However, I cannot control those high-level undead that were forcibly transformed by Carly, such as the undead knights."

Gunther nodded.

Kyle, who was standing nearby, seemed to be deep in thought as he pressed on, "You mean, Carly no longer controls the undead around her?"

"Yes, it's been like this for a long time."

Nabila confirmed.

"No, this is not the same."

Kyle pondered, "It's only thirty miles from here to the capital of Cape City."

"You may continue, I will go and report this situation to His Majesty."

After saying that, Kyle didn't linger and quickly turned and left.

Gunle ignored him, still somewhat curious about the undead.

Previously, he was the one who hunted the monsters, but now that the situation has suddenly changed, Gunther is finding it a bit difficult to adapt.

"What use are they to you? Can these undead fight for us?"

"can."

Nabila nodded:

"Although they are not strong in combat, they can be used to scout and harass the enemy."

"More importantly, they don't need rest and can work day and night."

Nabila said expressionlessly, "If you think a place is dangerous, I can have them charge in for you."

"Depend on!"

Gunle quickly waved his hand, "Our vanguard regiment doesn't need them. Our soldiers will never back down!"

"but……"

"They can do hard labor, though. The empire is currently undergoing massive construction, building roads and tunnels. Anyway, they don't need to breathe."

Gunle muttered, "You should recruit more people and form an engineering team like Sherry, so the laborers won't have to take risks."

Nabila smiled slightly and said nothing.

Surprisingly, the commander of this vanguard regiment, who seemed rough around the edges, was actually quite meticulous.

They also feel sorry for the workers.

Perhaps, by cooperating with these people, I can really find a place to settle down.

……

……

Inside the commander's tent.

Rhodes sat at the command post, several reports laid out in front of him.

Kyle strode in and reported what Nabila had discovered.

"Kali abandoned the surrounding undead?"

Rod frowned slightly.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Kyle nodded. "Nabila said that these undead have been out of Kali's control for a long time."

Rhodes pondered for a moment.

This isn't right.

Carly couldn't abandon these undead for no reason.

Unless... she's focusing her efforts on something more important.

Rhodes immediately took out the Soul-Binding Orb and awakened Lomisa inside.

"Lomisa, what is Kali doing in the royal city?"

The black mist flowed slowly, and Lomisa's voice came out, weary yet submissive.

"I have no idea……"

“I lost contact with Carly after I was captured.”

"But I can sense that the necromantic energy in the direction of the royal city is shrinking rapidly."

"She must be performing some kind of ritual."

Rhodes put away the jewel, his expression solemn.

Even Lomisa didn't know the specifics.

It seems they have no choice but to go to the capital city themselves to find out.

"Pass down the order: the entire army must accelerate its advance."

Rhodes stood up.

"I want to see the walls of Cape Royal City before sunset."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Kyle nodded emphatically and turned to relay the order. (End of Chapter)