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

Chapter 366 The New Empire Doesn't Support Lazybones

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Diana shook her head in confusion, clearly unaware of these matters.

Rhodes was somewhat helpless.

Although Lady Rose's rats have begun to infiltrate the Western Alliance, the Principality of Stone Ridge is located in a remote area, and it is unknown whether any spies have infiltrated it.

The Night Whisper Society is currently integrating the intelligence organizations of the imperial nobility, and it's unclear whether any of these forces are paying attention to the news from the Stone Ridge Duchy.

Rhodes turned to Vivian and said, "Have someone investigate."

Vivian nodded in response, then lowered her head.

Without Rod explicitly stating it, Vivian knew to inform Avril on the other side to send someone to investigate.

"I understand. Thank you for sending the information."

Rhodes looked at Deanna, Doss, and the others and said, "I will give you some money and arrange accommodations, but the destruction of the Stone Ridge Duchy is a fact."

"I can't help you with this," Rhodes said, shaking his head helplessly.

"We are extremely grateful that you were able to rescue us from the mouth of the flying serpent dragon."

Diana shrugged indifferently. "The rest doesn't matter."

Doss wanted to say something more, but Deanna stopped him.

Deanna said to Rhodes, "Doss and these soldiers are very loyal warriors. They can serve you if you don't mind."

"Doss is also a high-ranking knight, and you should have a knight like him serving you."

Diana presented Doss as if he were a precious treasure.

"Ah."

Rhodes nodded slightly, without showing any excessive excitement.

Rhodes wouldn't mind having too many high-ranking knights, but he wouldn't be too demanding either.

The Empire currently has over 150 high-ranking knights, and with the Knight's Roar Potion available, the number of high-ranking knights will only increase in the future.

Top-tier knights are quite rare; there are currently only eight, four of whom are elderly nobles.

Rhodes looked at Deanna and asked, "And what about you? What are you planning to do?"

"I'm fine with anything, as long as there's a forest or riverbank with a herb hut."

Diana said nonchalantly, "I grow flowers and herbs, and go fishing when I have nothing else to do."

"The money you gave me should be enough to support my lifestyle, right?"

Deanna looked at Rhodes and asked.

Rhodes didn't answer, but waved his hand at Doss, "Go catch some more crabs. Take the soldiers with you, it's easy to catch crabs at night."

Doss paused for a moment, then turned to look at Deanna.

Diana understood the meaning behind Rhodes' words and nodded.

"Yes, Lord Rhodes."

Doss responded and stood up, leading his soldiers toward the shore.

“They are indeed very loyal, even if you are about to drive them away.”

Rhodes looked at Deanna and casually said, "Let's talk about that emerald arrow you shot."

Deanna paused, then exclaimed in surprise, "You saw it?"

"My eyesight is very good."

Rod said calmly.

Legendary knights can enhance every part of their body, making their sight, hearing, and smell exceptionally sharp.

His abilities in other areas also far surpass those of ordinary people.

"Alright, since you've seen it, I won't hide it anymore."

Deanna confessed, "I must be a witch."

"What ability?" Rhodes asked.

"Healing? Or communicating with plants?"

Deanna pondered, "I can sense the emotions of plants and use them to find the herbs I want nearby."

"I can also draw energy from them and inject it into the potion, or even directly heal my wounds."

Diana smiled somewhat awkwardly, "This is my first time condensing arrows, and I don't think I'm very good at it."

"But I have a feeling that with some practice, I should be able to do it."

Rhodes was somewhat surprised.

I originally thought Diana was just an ordinary witch.

Unexpectedly, she was able to communicate with plants.

Rhodes couldn't help but take another look at Deanna.

According to Deanna, this ability might not be of much value in combat.

However, it is exceptionally strong in planting.

If she could truly communicate with plants, then she would know their preferences inside and out.

This allows for adjustments to planting strategies, enabling timely changes in supply based on plant needs.

This effect is not obvious in ordinary land cultivation.

However, this ability becomes exceptionally powerful when cultivating certain magical plants that are demanding in their environment and will die at the slightest provocation.

Diana's abilities make her a natural-born gardener of magical plants.

Moreover, Diana herself possesses healing abilities.

However, Rod couldn't just listen to her side of the story.

The actual results will determine the outcome.

"When witches first discovered their abilities, they were all confused."

Rhodes reassured him, "You'll become more proficient at it as you get used to it."

"Since you like herbs, I will have someone arrange a herb garden for you in the suburbs."

Rhodes handed the fragrant shrimp to Deanna and said, "You can continue to take care of those flowers and plants."

"As for Knight Doss and those soldiers."

Rhodes looked at the group of people on the shore. "I'll arrange for them to work if they're willing, and I won't stop them if they want to follow you."

"Thank you for your generosity."

Diana stood up and bowed. "If you need anything, please let me know, and I will do my best to help you."

……

……

Rhodes reaped a very rich harvest this time.

Two adult flying serpent dragons and three juvenile flying serpent dragons.

In the future, they will all grow into beings similar to true dragons, like Frost and Thunder, possessing the ability to breathe fire.

One can imagine how terrifying it would be if this group of dragons descended upon the enemy camp.

But for Rhodes, these few dragons were still far too few.

The nine-headed dragons are merely a drop in the ocean when it comes to potential future enemies.

Therefore, the demon-hunting team's search for the dragon beast cannot stop.

Rhodes placed all five flying serpent dragons on the mountain behind the Imperial Palace in Riftrock City, thus activating the dragon bloodline within their bodies.

Just like before Frost Thunder, these five flying serpent dragons have fallen into a deep sleep.

Leaving his army behind, Rhodes immediately returned to Rock City and convened the Empire's first military conference.

Inside the council hall of the Imperial Palace.

Durant, Chris, Salon, and other legion commanders sat around a long table, along with Lawrence and Makuru.

Most of them are former legion commanders who surrendered earlier.

Rhodes originally had no family fortune; many of his knights and legion commanders were "captured" through war to support their own survival.

As long as one is willing to pledge allegiance to Rhodes and serve him, Rhodes will not pursue the past.

Rhodes was also quite generous, giving away not only land, but also gold coins, equipment, and beautiful women.

Of course, this is on the premise that the Seed of Nature has already been implanted in their bodies.

The former commander-in-chief of León is now sitting at the table of the military conference.

He now commands five legions, primarily responsible for bandit suppression missions within the western provinces of the empire.

Because of the previous internal strife in the empire, many bandits emerged.

Some were deserters who had gathered together, while others were minor noble lords who were rebelling against Rhodes.

They dared not confront them directly, so they could only abscond with the money and occasionally rob others.

At this moment, each of the legion commanders held a report in their hand.

The report contained the events that Deanna had recounted.

Rhodes sat at the head of the long table, estimated that the time was about right, and looked up, his gaze sweeping over the people.

"The scout team has crossed the border and is heading towards the Principality of Stone Ridge. We will soon be able to confirm whether this information is true."

Rhodes's voice echoed in the council hall.

In fact, other intelligence organizations are also investigating these matters, but there's no need to say it outright.

“Although the news has not yet been confirmed, I, Diana, have no reason to lie to us.”

“The Church of the Necromancers will definitely not behave themselves. Their previous withdrawal was more out of necessity,” Rhodes said solemnly, looking at everyone. “Now it seems they are accumulating strength in the Western Alliance. We must do something to stop this.”

As soon as Rhodes finished speaking, the council hall fell silent.

Although these people were all legion commanders, none of them dared to speak in front of "One Dragon".

"My lord, you are right, but..."

Sitting to Rhodes' right, Durant spoke first: "The reorganization of the legions is still ongoing, and many old legions still owe soldiers their salaries."

The unpaid wages have nothing to do with Rhodes; they were owed by the noble lords in the past.

The Empire and the Western Alliance have been fighting for so long, and the internal strife has plunged many things into chaos.

"The empire's grain and gold coins are still being tallied."

Lawrence volunteered, "This is a huge task, but I will complete it as soon as possible and prepare the army's food and salaries."

Rhodes nodded slightly and asked, "How long will it take?"

"Two months?"

Lawrence said tentatively.

Seeing Rhodes' expression, he immediately changed his mind, "One month!"

“I expect you can prepare the food in fifteen days,” Rhodes said calmly.

Lawrence was about to say something when Rhodes stopped him.

Rhodes's gaze swept over all the legion commanders.
"I know you've all worked very hard."

Rhodes's voice softened: "Everyone is exhausted from reorganizing the army and suppressing bandits, robbers and deserters throughout the territory."

"The entire empire is exhausted, and I don't want to step into the next war so soon."

"But we have to prepare quickly, the Church of the Dead is more difficult to deal with than we thought."

Rhodes's gaze deepened.

"Moreover, I have a bad feeling that some countries in the Western Alliance may have already fallen victim to their evil deeds."

It's not that Rhodes is arrogant.
If it weren't for Rhodes's presence, who swiftly thwarted the plot of the Holy Council and the Church of the Dead, half of the empire would probably have fallen by now.

The spells of the Necromancer school are all terrifying and exceptionally powerful.

All bodies and souls are their materials; as long as they are not suppressed, they will form a powerful legion in a short time.

Avril and Zoya, who studied necromancy, had already proven this point.

Rhodes doesn't understand why the Holy Council would cooperate with the Church of the Dead.

Because Holy Light can easily suppress the undead?
In fact, nothing is inherently dominant over another.

When the fire is big enough, water has no effect.

Since Rhodes has already said so.

Everyone understood that this war was bound to be on the agenda.

Durant opened the documents in his hand and reported, "The army that has now completed reorganization numbers 140,000."

"The roar of the giant bear, the silver thorns, and the golden banner retain the legion designation, while the crimson dragon scales, the imperial shield, and the Dawnguard are added."

The original legions mainly retained their unit designations, while the officers and soldiers were reassigned.

This demonstrates Rhodes's benevolence and stabilizes people's hearts, while also preventing those with ulterior motives from instigating the old forces.

"These legions are currently undergoing intensive training and need some time to integrate."

Durant turned the report and continued, "There are also 50,000 troops that have not yet been fully reorganized, mainly noble troops from various parts of the western provinces."

"We are now reorganizing them and selecting suitable officers and leaders."

Durant earnestly assured him, "I will make the most of the time and get this done within the two weeks that Lawrence has prepared the food."

"The current number of troops is still too small."

Rod couldn't help but sigh.

With fewer than 200,000 people, it was far from reaching the limit of the empire's population.

Let alone a possible future invasion of the Abyss, it might not even be enough to deal with the Church of the Dead.

The land is vast, and these 190,000 troops would be essentially wiped out if they were to separate.

Moreover, the Rhodes entry will affect the entire empire.

Conservative estimates suggest that food supplies will no longer be a problem after just two years.

"We will do our utmost to recruit soldiers, with the first phase goal being 300,000 troops."

Rhodes' voice turned stern. "All mines must operate at full capacity, and all blacksmith shops in the empire must forge weapons and armor at an accelerated pace."

Rhodes turned to Lawrence and Makuru, "We'll talk to Hamo about this later, the three of you can discuss it together."

"After the recruitment of 110,000 soldiers is completed, I hope to see those weapons and armor."

Hamor has already established a new forging factory on the outskirts of Riftrock, following the forging methods of Frostleaf Town.

With over a hundred blacksmiths gathered, this task wasn't too demanding.

Even without recruiting new troops, Rhodes intends to replace all the legion's equipment.

After all, neither the armor worn by the soldiers of the old empire nor the armor and weapons in the warehouse have the same attribute bonuses as Rhodes.

"If there isn't enough manpower, mobilize everyone."

Rhodes looked at Lawrence and instructed, "Post a notice to the people in the slums."

"As long as you work, you'll have food to eat."

"Now is not the time to be stingy."

Rhodes continued, “Bring out all the grain that was seized from the nobles.”

"As long as you work hard, don't be afraid of consuming food."

"After this year's planting, there will only be more grain in the future."

Rhodes solemnly said to Lawrence, "Believe me, you'll have trouble having too much food in the future."

Lawrence's eyes lit up upon hearing this. "I understand, sir!"

The southern provinces have a pleasant climate in all four seasons, making them suitable for farming year-round, and wheat can be sown at least twice a year.

"Also, open up hunting, allowing all hunters near the mountains and forests to participate."

Rhodes spoke again, giving the order: "We need to increase all food supplies."

"Not only should the blacksmiths have meat to eat, but the miners should also have meat to eat."

"Let all the women work, and let the surplus meat be made into jerky as military rations."

Luo De said sternly, "In short, the new empire does not tolerate lazy people!"

"understand!"

Everyone answered in unison.

At this moment, former Imperial Marshal Leon asked, "Your Grace, where is our legion's first target?"

Rhodes understood what Leon meant: the mobilization of the legion required sufficient supplies and provisions, as well as advance preparation for setting up camp.

First, determine your goal; this way, you can prepare in advance.

"The southwestern border of the empire is suitable for large-scale military operations."

Rhodes pointed to the large map on the table and said, "Once the war starts, our legions will advance rapidly, quickly occupy the cities outside the border, and establish fortresses."

"We must keep the battlefield within the Western Union and prevent the war from affecting our home country."

The empire must remain stable internally to ensure its continued operation and a stable supply of resources.

Everyone nodded in unison, agreeing with Rhodes' strategy.

"However, our most important enemy right now is the Church of the Dead."

Rhodes hesitated for a moment before saying, "If possible, I still want to unite certain countries in the Western Alliance, preserve more manpower, and focus all our efforts on dealing with the Church of the Dead."

Rhodes had to consider not only the present, but also the future.

Every human being is an important resource to Rhodes.

Rhodes looked at Leon, "So the specific legion's offensive plan is still undecided for now, pending reports on the situation at the front."

"Your most important task now is to prepare the legion and recruit new soldiers."

"If you have the leisure, you can lead your legion to hunt in the mountains and forests."

A smile appeared on Rod's face.

“Record your harvest carefully, and 10 percent of the harvest will be given as a benefit to each legion.”

Rhodes intended to use all the hunted meat as military rations.

But in reality, without some special benefits, people's enthusiasm won't be high.

Therefore, Rhodes set aside 10 percent of it as an incentive reward.

Sure enough, everyone's faces lit up with joy upon hearing the order.

"Yes, Your Grace," the crowd replied in unison.

"My lord, there is one more thing."

Durant pulled a parchment from under his files.

The empire's new paper mills have also been established, and the city hall is using the new paper for most of its buildings.

However, some old nobles still preferred to use parchment to maintain their noble and elegant status.

"The Marquis of Grayrock reports that your coronation ceremony is ready."

Durant presented the parchment to Rhodes, saying, "He has prepared three days; please make your decision."

"Choose the nearest day."

Rhodes took the parchment and placed it directly on the table.
"Remember to have the soldiers polish their armor; I want to inspect the army."

(End of this chapter)