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

Chapter 30 Extraordinary Gems
I never expected Avril Lavigne to possess a rare gem.

Rod instinctively reached out to take it, but stopped halfway.

"Baron Avril, you brought this out because you don't just want to stay in Blackpine Ridge, do you?"

"If possible, could you help me reclaim my territory?"

Avril looked at Rhodes with a pitiful expression, her brows furrowed with helplessness and vulnerability.

Rhodes shook his head. "One gem isn't enough for this."

joke.

Extraordinary gems are indeed precious, but not enough to make Rhodes risk his life.

Moreover, the people of Razor Plains must be extraordinary to have overthrown Avril; they also have ferocious beastmen and even other alien races.

How many people does Rhodes have?

Ten guards were all the family's assets, plus at most the nine mercenaries under Gunle's command.

Although Gunle has joined the territory, it's uncertain whether his nine mercenaries will be willing to go with him.

It's important to understand that defending territory and attacking territory are two completely different things.

The enemy hid behind the fence, having food and drink, and occasionally firing arrows.

Then they abandoned their homes, packed food and water, and launched a long-distance raid?

Taking such a huge risk for such a gemstone?
"You have to pay more."

"But I have no other assets..."

"no way."

Rhodes was helpless.

Avril sat limply on the bed, looking deflated.

There was silence for a long time.

Avril spoke again, "Then I'll stay in your territory, and you'll protect me. Is this gem enough?"

"That's more than enough!"

Rhodes nodded vigorously and advised softly, "But to avoid unnecessary trouble, you'd better wear a veil or something similar."

"Mmm! This is good!"

Avril breathed a sigh of relief; she finally had a stable place to stay.

He is a handsome and kind baron, and should keep his promise.

Although the Life Gem is valuable, it's not very useful for Avril who doesn't practice breathing techniques. It's worthwhile to exchange it for a stable and wealthy life.

Avril handed the gem to Rhodes again.

Rod solemnly accepted it with both hands, and a warm, smooth feeling immediately followed.

Collect the first extraordinary gem, which is the Life Gem, to unlock the attribute: Life Force.

[Life Force (Blue): Increases life force by 20% (estimates a 10-year increase in natural lifespan), and increases the effects of all equipped extraordinary gems by 20%]

[Next entry: Collect five different types of extraordinary gems to unlock: Gem Collector]

Sure enough, there is an entry for it.

Moreover, it's a blue-colored entry that can directly add ten years to one's life.

Rhodes was overjoyed.

No one wants to die young, especially since Rhodes is a noble lord.

Only by living long enough can one build a greater dynasty.

Rod chose to load it without hesitation.

A refreshing and gentle energy suddenly emerged from every part of Rhodes' body, nourishing him like rain and dew.

In an instant, Rhodes felt as if he were in a hot spring, surrounded by the sounds of birds and the fragrance of flowers. His body and mind were fully relaxed, and he felt incredibly comfortable and refreshed.

This made Rod narrow his eyes.

The room fell silent.

Avril stared at Rod in front of her and suddenly felt a little inferior.

Wise, decisive, cautious, and handsome, he has secured his position as lord through his own abilities.

Looking back, he not only felt betrayed, but also nearly lost his life, and even indirectly harmed another family.

Now, the only way to survive is to sell the treasured Life Gems.

"So, Baron Rhodes?"

After a long while, Avril cautiously inquired.

"I'll try to experience the effects you described."

Rhodes opened his eyes and said with some helplessness, "But I didn't feel any obvious improvement."

This is not a lie by Rhodes; the gentle energy comes from the entry.

The effect of the affix lasted only a few seconds, and the Life Gem in his hand didn't give him any special feeling.

Upon hearing this, Avril became somewhat nervous and quickly explained, "I'm not lying to you, Baron Rhodes, wearing this for a long time will have an effect!"
Carry it with you when you're injured, and your wounds will heal even faster!

"Of course, I don't distrust you; I'm just expressing my opinion."

Rod quickly explained and reassured Avril.

Rhode placed the Life Gem in his leather pouch and tucked it into his coat pocket. After a moment of contemplation, Rhode looked at Avril lying on the bed and suddenly spoke.

"Actually, helping you reclaim Razor Plains isn't out of the question."

Avril immediately perked up and sat up again.

"But definitely not now; I can only promise you that I will do it in the future."

Rhodes said seriously, "And I have some conditions."

“Please tell me,” Avril said, her eyes full of anticipation.

Rhodes looked at Avril and said solemnly, "Three conditions."

"First, Razor Plains is still yours, but I will set the tax rate. For example, if it's 60%, you keep 20% and I'll take 40%."

"Secondly, I will be responsible for and manage all resource extraction, and you will receive 30% of the profits while I will receive 70%."

"Third, I can recruit an army in your territory, and I will also manage the defense of Razorfen Downs. Simply put, you just need to stay in Frostleaf Town and leave the rest to me."

"That sounds even worse than being a lower-ranking lord..."

Avril murmured softly.

“You are too kind to govern the northern territories. I only want the title of lord. You don’t need to pay anything else. I will also take care of the poll tax paid to the empire.”

Rod crossed his arms and smiled, "It's alright, you can make any requests you have."

Negotiations are not something that can be accomplished overnight, so Rod set very demanding conditions, waiting for Avril to counter.

Ivy will naturally raise his price a bit, and Rod will then try to lower it, so that they can eventually get a deal that is acceptable to both parties.

"No problem, that's fine."

"Hmm, just tell me your conditions... huh?"

Now it was Rhodes' turn to be surprised.

Avril sighed softly, a hint of helplessness in her eyes. "You're right, I'm not suited to managing a territory, and I don't want to. I feel so tired every day..."

This made Rhodes feel a little embarrassed.

After a moment of silence, Rod spoke again: "If there's anything else you want, feel free to ask."

"I want honey every day, and preferably cheese as well. My favorite foods are foie gras, duck tongue, and roast venison. For fruit, I want red cherries and coconuts."

Rod reached out to interrupt Avril, saying, "I didn't ask you to talk about food."

What Rod wanted to ask was whether Avril wanted to take revenge on some mob or even her stepmother.

"I'm not picky about what I wear, as long as it looks good."

"..."

Rhodes didn't waste any more words and said directly, "Then let's make a verbal agreement for now. I will draft a formal contract when we return to Frostleaf Town."

“No problem!” Avril readily agreed, a sweet smile on her face.

"So now there's only one last question."

Now that the conversation has progressed to this point, Rhodes really doesn't want to leave any doubts unresolved.

"How exactly did you escape from those mobs?"

“I can tell you, but please don’t be afraid and please don’t tell anyone.”

"it is good."

Avril nodded slightly, closed her eyes, and her rosy lips parted slightly, emitting an indescribable sound.

"what--"

……

……

A slightly pained female voice suddenly came from inside the house, causing the people outside to shiver involuntarily.

"It's gotten this far already?"

Gunle stood up and looked curiously into the room.

Durant pulled him back.

"Don't look around or think too much. We can't fathom what the Baron does."

Durant's gaze swept over the crowd.

He then changed the subject, looking at the guard, "Let's start grilling the meat. We can have dinner after the master finishes his business."

"Sir Durant, but we left our salt bags inside the house."

The guard said helplessly.

"fine."

Durant looked at the little girl next to him, "Susan, do you have any salt at home? Could we have some?"

The little girl nodded and ran to the wooden house next door. She took out a white crystal, bigger than her palm, from the corner and presented it to Durant.

"There's more inside," the little girl said.

"this is……"

Durant slowly took the white crystal. "Rock salt ore?"

(End of this chapter)