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

Chapter 22 Armor-Piercing Arrow

Raine led the hunters out to set traps in the surrounding mountains and forests to deal with the wild animals that threatened the crops.

Durant, accompanied by a guard, headed towards the border town to search for texts about wyverns.

Rod stayed in town to do farm work.

Some of the fermented fertilizer has already been transported to the plowed fields.

Spreading manure is a skill; it can't be done aimlessly and recklessly.

Especially now that fertilizer may be insufficient, Rhodes needs to control the amount of fertilizer used.

The original plan was to produce one ton per acre, but in practice, Rod decided to start with half a ton.

If there is any remaining amount later, it can be added.

After the farmers carried piles of fertilizer to the fields, Rod personally demonstrated how to do it.

"Dig half a shovelful of fertilizer and quickly send it out along the furrow. You don't need to use too much force; the fertilizer will spread evenly in the furrow."

"If the materials used in some areas are not well controlled, just manually adjust them to be even."

"Use a shovel, not your hands."

Rod was afraid he hadn't explained it clearly, so he emphasized it several times.

The fermented manure smelled much less strong, but it wasn't very fragrant either.

After spending half a day teaching the farmers how to spread manure, Rhodes personally went to the blacksmith's shop and ordered the two blacksmiths to start building a furnace to smelt iron.
—Before Rod returned, he specifically instructed Durant not to touch the iron ore mine.

If the enchantment fails to take effect because you didn't explain your absence in person and therefore didn't "participate," then you'll be at a huge loss.

The refining process of these several thousand kilograms of ore is quite labor-intensive, and the farmers are too busy tilling the land to come and help.

Iron smelting and forging is a skilled trade, and older people no longer have the energy to learn it. Even if they are asked to help, they can only do small things like mixing mud.

The forging industry in Frostleaf Town is bound to expand in the future, so Rhodes simply had Otto gather the children aged twelve to seventeen in the town and let Hamo recruit apprentices.

Blacksmiths select their apprentices before their bones stop growing, so that the apprentices' bodies are more adaptable to repetitive labor.

Through long hours of daily training, muscle memory can be formed, and the body's skeletal system, such as metacarpals, joints, and lumbar vertebrae, can be strengthened in a targeted manner.

The process of blacksmithing may seem simple, but apprentices must undergo rigorous testing.

Apprentice selection is open to both men and women, but applicants must have large enough hands to grip a hammer firmly.

In terms of strength, one must be able to swing a hammer and, while standing, hold a forty-pound iron roller horizontally for two minutes.

Most importantly, one cannot be colorblind; one must be able to accurately distinguish the color changes of the metal during the forging process in order to determine the appropriate time for metal forging.

In addition, other cities have various other rules, such as no criminal record, alcohol tolerance test (one liter of ale without getting drunk), and priority admission for relatives of blacksmiths within three generations.

However, all of this was for the purpose of monopolizing blacksmithing techniques, and Rhodes can't care about those things now because he's focused on development.

Upon hearing that there was an opportunity to become a blacksmith's apprentice for free, the townspeople rushed to send their children there.

Some who were underage or overage even sent food to Otto hoping he could speak well of them to the lord.

But Otto didn't dare to accept it.

Otto used to think that the lord was terrifying when he was angry, but after returning from slaying the wyvern, Otto found that the lord was frightening as long as he didn't smile.

The townspeople sent forty-five children, but only seven were ultimately selected as blacksmith apprentices. Three of them failed the strength test because they were too young.

The people of Frostleaf Town are now just above the poverty line, many children are malnourished, and color weakness and color blindness are common phenomena.

Rod demanded that Hammer teach the children without reservation, and at the same time set assessment rules:

Anyone who can forge a longsword independently will be considered a successful apprentice, and their family's farmland tax will be reduced by 20%, plus an annual salary of 300 catties of rye.

All the apprentices were thrilled and couldn't wait to become real blacksmiths the next day.

In order to become blacksmiths as soon as possible, the apprentices all respected their teacher, Hamo, and would often fawn over him, leaving Hamo at a loss for words.

Rod couldn't help but sigh inwardly, realizing that human relationships and social niceties were everywhere.

These apprentices also made things much easier for Hamo.

The work of refining iron ore is relatively simple. Starting with making charcoal, the apprentices can basically learn it in two or three days.

Hamor, on the other hand, had time to forge the armor that Rhodes needed, and occasionally repair farm tools.

Rhodes was also busy, selecting a suitable piece of iron to forge a short sword for Renn, specifically for dealing with the carcasses of wyverns.

Rhodes would be at ease if the leather armor was made soon.

"Try it."

In the blacksmith's shop, Rhodes handed a short sword without a hilt to Renn.

"Yes, my lord."

Renn accepted it respectfully with both hands.

Having witnessed the power of a finely forged greatsword, Renn dared not be careless. He took a piece of raw iron, placed it on the stone, and forcefully chopped down on it.

Hiss.

The pig iron was cut in half, and even the stone beneath it bore a knife mark. "It really was forged by you!"

Renn stared at the dagger in disbelief, then realized his slip of the tongue.
"I'm sorry, my lord, but what I mean is, this is just too hard to believe!"

Rod smiled and didn't take it to heart.

Enchanting entries like this is an unbelievable thing if you don't understand its nature.

"Does it have a name?" Renn asked.

"No."

Rhodes will forge many more blades like these in the future; they're not particularly rare, so he has no interest in naming them.

But Raine didn't know that. After a moment of thought, he asked, "Then can I call it Jielong?"

"Whatever you like, you decide."

Rod didn't pay any attention, took a wooden box from beside him and handed it to Renn.

"Here are four armor-piercing arrowheads for you to use, but you'll have to make the shafts and fletchings yourself."

Raine took the wooden box and opened it. The arrows inside were similar in shape to ordinary arrows, flat and prismatic, not the slender, triangular pyramidal armor-piercing arrows.

Armor-piercing arrowheads?

Ryan was puzzled for a moment, then suddenly realized, and his eyes widened.

"You mean, these arrowheads are as sharp as this dagger?"

"Ah."

Rhodes nodded calmly.

Raine quickly closed the wooden box and carefully placed it in his arms.

How valuable is this box of arrows?

With it, Raine can kill a wyvern with a single arrow.

At most two arrows.

"Thanks for your trust!"

Renn bowed deeply in ecstasy.

He never expected that submitting to a lord would bring such benefits!

If I had known about this treasure, I wouldn't have resisted!

My meager possessions are utterly insignificant compared to such precious arrows!
"Don't worry, I will definitely use the best materials to make it well!"

As a self-sufficient hunter, Raine can make arrows without anyone's help.

"Remember to try it out once it's done. If it works well, I'll give you more," Rhodes reminded him.

"Okay, okay!"

The middle-aged hunter, in his forties, was so excited that his hands trembled as he tightly hugged the wooden box and bowed once more.

besides?

"Thank you for your generosity!"

Raine bowed a third time in thanks, then turned and ran off to find suitable materials to make arrow shafts.

We need to make this kind of life-saving arrow as soon as possible!
Rhodes continued forging the next piece, Durant's one-handed sword.

At this time, Ou Tuo and his men brought over a large batch of broken farm tools, about twenty or thirty in total.

It broke down really fast.

Rod looked at Otto and asked, "How many acres have been plowed so far?"

"It's about seven hundred acres, my lord."

"too slow."

Rod shook his head. "At this rate, it will only be possible to till two thousand acres a month. That won't work."

"Sir, we haven't been slacking off..."

Rod waved his hand, indicating that Otto didn't need to explain, because he knew this was the limit of human capability.

After thinking for a moment, Rod took a piece of charcoal and began to draw on the wooden board.

Seeing Rod's serious expression, Otto couldn't help but come closer to watch.

But she couldn't understand it at all, and asked in a low voice, "My lord, what is this...?"

"Structure diagram of a curved plow".

After Rhodes finished drawing, he stood up.
"Go, quickly call the carpenter here."

It's time for you primitive folks to experience the ancient wisdom of a great agricultural nation.

(End of this chapter)