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

Chapter 57 News
The front yard of the inn is a tavern, Moonshadow Tavern.

In this era, taverns in any country are hubs for information dissemination.

You don't even need to deliberately seek them out; just order a drink, sit quietly in a corner, and the drunken patrons will loudly shove messages into your ears.

Of course, you need to learn how to distinguish them.

At least the boasting of the drunkard should be removed.

Rod ordered a cheap beer; the amber liquid swirled in the wooden glass, releasing the rich aroma of malt.

He lay sprawled in the corner of the wooden bar counter, soaked with alcohol for years, listening intently to the scattered conversations and Gunter's snoring.

The topic these people talked about most was the war between the Earl of Falcon and the Viscount of White Hood.

Earl Falcon was at a disadvantage.

It is worth mentioning that the rank of a noble title is not entirely equivalent to one's actual strength.

Family wealth, territory size, territory military capabilities, and family history all determine a noble's strength.

The titles of Duke and Marquis are relatively more powerful than those of other nobles, but the specific difference in power between Earl, Viscount, and Baron is difficult to determine from the title alone.

It's not uncommon, but not unusual, for a viscount with a long history to overwhelm a newly established earl family.

More importantly, Rhodes heard the names of other families from the drunkards.

Viscount White Deer appears to have gained the support of allies.

It remains to be seen how Earl Falcon will respond in the future.

Rhodes hoped that the count would also have allies, so that the war would last a little longer.

However, wars during the planting season are truly laughable.

An old man in the corner let out a burp and then began to talk loudly about the rumors about the southern capital.

It mostly contains scandalous stories about aristocratic mistresses and legendary tales of illegitimate children rising to power.

Rhodes didn't care about any of that.

The only noteworthy event is that Prince Golden Hammer, who possesses royal blood, was shot down into the sea by pirates, and his fate remains unknown.

Within a year, two nobles of royal blood died, both of whom had the right to inherit the throne.

Rod tapped the rim of his glass with his fingers, pondering the meaning behind it with interest.

Of course, this kind of thing has little to do with Rhodes in reality.

Regardless of who inherits the throne, it will not affect Rhodes' status as the lord of Blackpine Ridge in the Northern Wastes.

No southern lord would want to come to such a desolate place as the North.

"Any news from the Red Griffin Earl family?"

After listening for a while without finding any valuable information, Rhodes casually said to the bartender at the counter, "After all, the little griffin of the Red Griffin family died in Razorfen Downs."

The bartender wiped his glass, shook his head, and said helplessly, "If I had any news, I wouldn't mind making some extra money with you, but unfortunately I don't."

It seems the situation within the Red Griffin family is just as Avril described, only a bit outrageous.

Rhodes pondered to himself.

"I do have some information about the Tulip family, it only costs twenty silver coins," the bartender said with a smile.

Rhodes stayed at this Moonshadow Tavern last time, and everyone in the tavern knows him. The bartender is also an old acquaintance of Rhodes.

"Not interested in."

Rod leaned against the bar, looking down and fiddling with the glass in his hand.

Tulip—just a few months ago, this surname was very distant from me.

If it weren't for the bloody edict that legitimized him, he might never have been given this surname.

Based on his previous life in the castle, he might not even have the chance to become a pioneering knight, spending his days circling the stables. As for his father, Earl Tulip had only met Rhodes a handful of times, so there was no deep affection between them.

—This is not because of Rhodes's identity as a transmigrator, but because of the feelings he got from the original owner's memories.

On the contrary, Rhodes now has a somewhat good impression of Count Tulip, after all, the Count has given Rhodes some resources.

However, if the news is indeed related to Rhodes, the family will send him a letter.

Other news can be taken as gossip, but I'm not going to spend money on it.

The bartender seemed surprised by Rod's straightforward refusal and said with a wry smile, "If you'd like to buy me a drink as a friend, I'd be happy to share."

Rod took out six copper coins and placed them on the table, then pushed his own cup over as well.

Amidst the clamor of the tavern, a bard began to play melodious music on his zither.

The bartender refilled Rod's glass, his voice breaking through the noise, "Your brother, Vincent, the eldest son of the Earl of Tulips, is about to marry Miss Euler, the youngest daughter of the Duke of Flowers. Fine Wine Town is her dowry."

The Duke of Flowers family is a collateral branch of the royal family. The current duke is the emperor's distant cousin and brother-in-law, a pure-blooded imperial noble family that rules over most of the western provinces.

Successive Dukes of the Flower Kingdom were all fond of pleasure and frequently held banquets, resulting in a rich entertainment industry in the territory, with highly developed aspects such as singing and dancing, music, winemaking, female entertainers, and theatrical culture.

These entertainments boosted the duchy's economy, making his territory exceptionally wealthy.

Of course, the Tulip family is directly under the royal family, and their territory is in the southern province of the empire. Their status is not as high as that of the Flower Dukes, but it is not much worse.

The eldest son, who was to inherit the title of Earl, married the youngest daughter of the Duke of Flowers, which could be considered a well-matched marriage and sounded like a good thing.

"Yes, best wishes to him."

Rod responded somewhat coldly, then picked up his glass and downed the drink in one gulp.

With a blank expression, Rod got up and woke up Gunle next to him, then returned to his hotel room.

The eldest son can rely on the family, but an illegitimate child can only rely on himself.

"Don't eat me! Don't eat me!"

As soon as Rod pushed open the door, in the dim candlelight, he heard Millie muttering in her sleep on the bed.

She closed her eyes and thrashed about in the air, her little face contorted with fear.

Rod quickly stepped forward and shook Millie awake. The little girl immediately threw herself into his arms, gripping his clothes tightly, her nails almost digging into his flesh, causing him pain on both sides of his body.

"Alright, it was just a nightmare, it's all over now."

Rod gently stroked Millie's back, his voice soft.

Rod only let go of Millie when he felt the little hand gripping his flesh gradually loosen.

The candlelight outlined the little girl's silhouette, her eyes glistening with tears in the darkness.

"Having a nightmare?"

Rod asked, gently wiping away the tears on her face with his palm.

Millie shrank her neck and nodded, her eyes filled with fear, her voice barely audible: "A very, very big wolf."

Rod couldn't help but laugh.

Sure enough, no matter the era or the world, wolves are always the protagonist of little girls' nightmares.

"It's alright now, you won't encounter wolves again."

Rod reassured Millie, "Go back to sleep. I'll stay here and protect you. They can't get close to you and will never hurt you again."

Millie nodded and closed her eyes, but kept holding onto Rod's hand like a drowning person clinging to the last piece of driftwood.

Rod sat helplessly on the edge of the bed, quietly keeping her company, and yawned.

(End of this chapter)