The Lord of the Rings: Lords of Middle-earth.

Chapter 110 The Urban Class
"Your Highness, please forgive me. I brought these wines with me when I moved here... If I have offended Your Highness, I am willing to offer up these wines and the tavern, just to ask that you spare my life and that of my men..." the tavern owner said in a low voice, trembling with fear, not daring to look Roland in the eye.

"Oh? You brought it with you?" Roland was taken aback. A refugee actually had wealth? And so much alcohol at that!

"System! What's going on? The refugees actually have property on them?" Roland was dumbfounded. He knew that when he first met the refugees, he was shocked by their poverty. Apart from the clothes they wore and a small amount of food, they didn't have any gold or silver, not even a few copper coins.

"Please check the territory information page yourself, host!" came the system's arrogant voice.

"What kind of crappy system is this?" Roland complained. Other systems would pluck the moon from the sky for their hosts, but his system was like a manual transmission? Was he just going to ignore him and not tell him anything?
“Check the territory information…” Roland said.

After carefully examining the territory's information panel, Roland couldn't help but complain, "System, so what's the difference?" Roland really couldn't find any difference between the current territory information and the previous territory information... It seemed that apart from the addition of 50 Lordaeron Rangers, there were no other changes.

"Ding-dong..." The system screen began to spin rapidly, and soon a message appeared in Roland's eyes.

"Ability: 1. As the only territory of the Kingdom of Lagrang in Middle-earth, it will attract the remnants of Lagrang. The system will guide a wave of wandering Lagrang civilians to it every day, hoping that the lord can properly settle them. Note: There is a certain probability that it will attract citizens! They will come to you with various assets!"
2. Allow the recruitment of local civilians to train swift infantry.

"I suggest the host consult a wise person to examine their eyes. If the eyes are no longer needed, please donate them to someone who can use them. Thank you for watching," the system's cold voice rang out.

"I... I was looked down upon by a program?" Roland said in disbelief.

"System, explain yourself clearly! What do you mean by 'eyes can be donated if you don't need them anymore'?" Roland said angrily.

"Please don't get angry, host. Getting angry is bad for your eyes! We have detected that your vision is close to blindness. We suggest you switch to the profession of diviner!"

"Heh! Bah!" Roland tore off the system light screen that was swaying wildly in front of him with a dark face, so angry that his nostrils were practically steaming.

"So all these drinks are your assets?" After a while, Roland, having calmed down, remembered the tavern owner beside him. The owner was now kneeling on the floor again, clearly frightened by Roland's outburst of anger.

"Rise, I will not punish you. After all, it is your property and you have the right to decide how to use it. Moreover, since you have paid taxes, you will be under Lagrange's protection!" Roland helped the woman in front of him up.

"Thank you for your mercy, Your Highness!" The woman bowed repeatedly, her low-cut dress unable to conceal her ample cleavage... Roland felt a rush of heat to his nose...

"Oh no!" Roland panicked and quickly turned away. If he kept staring at those big white rabbits, his nose would really start bleeding.

"By the way, what's your name?" Roland then realized that this young and beautiful tavern owner already possessed second-tier battle aura, but he didn't know what her profession was.

"Your Highness, my name is Luo Cuisi, and I am a second-tier thief..." Luo Cuisi said, blushing. Thieves are a profession that cannot be openly acknowledged, no matter where they are. They are destined to live in the shadows; exposure to the light is fatal for them. "A thief?" Luo Lanyan's eyes were playful. She hadn't expected to encounter a professional thief. She was currently lacking such talent, but clearly Luo Cuisi was not up to the task; she needed someone more specialized.

"What are you looking at? Is being a thief so strange? It's just a rare profession!" Roland immediately spoke up after noticing the strange looks directed at Rodriguez. In his eyes, everyone was equal as long as they didn't violate his rules and laws, and every inherited profession deserved respect! Besides, being a thief was actually a very powerful profession!
The thief profession is quite interesting. From the first-tier apprentice thief, second-tier thief, and third-tier master thief, it specializes into two main branches at the fourth tier! One branch is the fourth-tier master thief, fifth-tier legendary thief, and sixth-tier chivalrous thief, known for their close combat skills. The other branch is the fourth-tier assassin, fifth-tier assault assassin, and sixth-tier creed assassin, focused on ambushes and sneak attacks. Both chivalrous thieves and creed assassins are nightmares for any lightly armored class! A naked creed assassin can easily ambush and kill a naked sage! A naked chivalrous thief can easily fight a naked hunter for half a day (what? Hero and overlord? I suggest you prepare your urn...). Therefore, top-tier assassins and thieves are enough to make an entire faction wary.

“It’s a pity you’re a woman… War should be a man’s affair, women shouldn’t be involved…” Roland gave Rodriguez a complicated look before turning away.

"Huff~ Huff~" After Roland left, Rodriguez immediately collapsed to the ground. Roland gave her the feeling of a lurking dragon, and every move he made exuded terrifying power...

……

"What a pity! If only we had some thieves!" Roland said regretfully. In the Middle-earth, countless dangerous places could be explored by professional thieves. Compared to other professions, thieves have a much higher survival rate, after all, their initial skill, Eye of the Void, allows them to detect countless traps and mechanisms.

"Oh... how could I forget to have a glass of ale!" Roland said regretfully. You see, the ale produced in the Middle-earth had such a pitiful alcohol content that it was no different from beer to Roland. Roland had been here for so long, and he really wanted to have a drink to relieve his frustration.

"Forget it, I'm not going back!" Roland, who was about to turn around, decisively stopped himself. If he really went in, the atmosphere inside would definitely be wrong—who would dare to drink there!

"But it wasn't without its gains. At least I learned that citizens can actually be found among the refugees!" A smile appeared on Roland's lips. Citizens are a good thing! They bring their own wealth to seek refuge! Many of them are things that Roland himself doesn't have, and their presence greatly enriches life in Swiftstream City.

"That girl, Rodriguez, is rich!" Roland, who had just left the tavern, noticed the rune horses tied to the tavern flag and the large wagon behind them.

“Yes! Miss Rodriguez is considered to be quite well-off in Swiftstream City!” the knight beside him said, clearly having been here for drinks before.

"I just checked, and she only has one large wooden barrel of liquor left. That should last about a week, after which she'll probably run out!" Roland recalled what he'd just seen. Rodriguez's liquor stock was running low; it would be sold out in a few days…

Roland shook his head to dispel the thoughts in his mind. What did the tavern's closure have to do with him? Roland only needed to ensure that Swiftstream City would not perish.

"Guards! Investigate discreetly! How many citizens are there in Swiftstream City right now? It would be best to have their detailed information!" Roland beckoned to the guards beside him and whispered.

"As ordered!"

(End of this chapter)