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

Chapter 17 Bard the Dragon Slayer

At dawn, after the previous night's revelry, King Thorin Oakenshield of the Dwarves set off with his expedition amidst cheers from the crowds of Lake-town. Kili was left behind due to his injuries, while Felix and the other stayed to care for the wounded Kili. As for Bofer... the poor boy missed the ship because he was drunk... The dwarves' expedition to Lonely Mountain was about to reach its final destination.

……

"Longhu Town is just ahead, sir. What should we do?" Renault was undecided.

"Let's play it by ear!" Roland wasn't sure either.

“If they resist… then annihilate the resisting forces!” Roland said with difficulty after some thought.

“…As you wish, Your Majesty…” Renault paused for a moment, then spoke with relief. At this moment, they finally acknowledged Roland as their king, their emperor, because Roland had finally become decisive and ruthless, and he had won the support of his people.

The morning mist saw off the dwarves and welcomed Roland. Under the cover of the mist, the group quietly rowed their boat to the outskirts of the town.

"Go!" A cold glint flashed in Caslo's eyes.

As the planks fell, the agile Battanian archers leaped down, abandoning their longbows in favor of drawing longswords and resting them on their arm shields. They quickly occupied the nearby wooden buildings. The nearby residents were still confused, and some were even bewildered when longswords were held to their necks.

“You…you…who…are…what…people?” an old man asked, trembling.

“Us? We are warriors from hell!” Renault, who was leading his warhorse down, replied with a smile.

“We will fight for the King!” Renault murmured to himself.

"Hurry up! Get off the ship quickly!" Renault directed everyone to disembark quickly.

……

Finally disembarking before the town guards could react, Roland waved and put the boat away, figuring it would be useful later and it would be a waste to throw it to Smaug as firewood.

"Find someone to lead the way, we're going to the town hall!" Roland was clear-headed. Knowing the plot well, he knew that the mayor and his lackey Alfred were no good people. If he wanted to get Longlake Town, he had to get rid of the mayor and his group of people who were in his way.

"Ha!" Several Swift Infantrymen formed a shield formation, surrounding the guards who had rushed over upon hearing the news. Behind them, several more Swift Infantrymen placed their chevaux-de-frise on the shields of those in front, the spearheads pointing at the bewildered guards.

Are they "moved"? They dare not move. These guards, holding their long guns, didn't know where to put them. They could only frantically wave their guns around, but were constantly forced back by the barricades.

"Whoosh!" Roland drew the Dragon Slayer Sword, golden light flowing along the blade. Roland gently flicked the blade, producing a pleasant, crisp sound.

"So, gentlemen? Where is your mayor?" Roland revealed a devilish smile.

……

"Boom!" The shield wall slammed heavily onto the square in front of the town hall, and the wooden planks underneath snapped under the weight.

Upon hearing the news, the guards who dared to come crowded in front of the mayor's gate. Unaccustomed to battle, they frantically pointed their weapons at Roland and his group, their trembling hands and shaking legs revealing their panic.

After all, no one can remain calm under the aim of 200 arrows. Although the knights' targets are not very accurate, they can at least draw strong bows. If they can't hit anyone when they're pointing at them, then Roland can go back and break all their bows.

"So, do you want war or peace?" Roland asked casually, raising his sword.

"What are you trying to do?" The mayor led Alfred out the door, then stood with his hands on his hips and demanded an answer.

"Don't you have any idea how good your rule is?" Roland asked curiously, speechless at someone with such a thick skin.

"I am the legitimate ruler of Changhu Town, I am the town mayor, and you outsiders have no right to interfere!" the mayor said, forcing himself to remain calm.

"Huh? Could it be that these soldiers and trainees in front of you gave you confidence?" Roland looked at the people who were tightly protecting the town mayor.

"So are you willing to die with him?" Roland stepped over the wall of people and pointed his sword at the panicked guards. These were just ordinary people wearing armor, and it would be a disgrace to the nobility to make things difficult for them.

"I'll give you a chance. Lay down your weapons now and you can go home safely, otherwise..." Roland smiled, and the knights and archers behind him unleashed dazzling battle auras. Roland and Caslo's battle aura flames reached three feet high, while Renault's was even more terrifying, soaring to more than four feet...

"Clang~" The sound of weapons hitting the ground rang out.

“Knight…sergeant…” someone was so frightened that their hands and feet went cold.

With a "boom," the crowd scattered like birds and beasts, wishing they had more legs, and ran as fast as they could.

"Alright, now that there are no troublesome civilians, my esteemed mayor, I've heard that the people are suffering under your rule and want to make some changes. Are you planning to suppress them?" Roland asked, feigning surprise.

"No...no..." the mayor said helplessly.

"Hey! Isn't this Alfred? What's wrong with you? Stop shaking your legs." Roland said with a smile in his eyes.

"Forget it, let's just kill them all, it's boring..." Roland waved his hand dismissively at the trembling mayor and his gang, showing no backbone whatsoever. He had thought they were going to put up a fight.

"Boom!" A signature skill of the Paladin, Holy Sword Judgment, descended from the sky, creating several piles of charred remains before smashing through the wooden planks. The mangled corpses of the group fell into the water and disappeared...

"Good heavens, they even scattered his ashes?" Roland stared at Renault in astonishment; this was truly a masterstroke. ...

"You must be Bard?" Roland looked at the rugged-looking man in front of him.

"Yes, may I ask what brings you here from afar, sir?" Bard asked warily, glancing at Renault behind him.

"My name is Roland," Roland introduced himself.

“Bard the Sharpshooter! A descendant of Girion, the last king of Dale? I’m curious how you ended up as a fisherman and hunter?” Roland teased with a smile as he looked at the two little girls, Tilda and Sigrid, who were cowering behind a pillar in fear.

“The legacy of our ancestors is just a passing cloud; we are living a very happy life now.” Bard turned to look at his family behind him.

“I just killed the town mayor and his henchmen. Do you have any suggestions?” Roland asked tentatively.

"What about the ordinary guards?" Bard was clearly more concerned about the common people.

"You truly are a worthy lord, befitting your noble lineage," Roland exclaimed.

"No, no, no, I'm just an ordinary citizen now..." Bard waved his hand to stop him.

“But you will eventually be crowned king.” Roland said this meaningfully as he looked at him.

As for why Roland said this, it was because he had just observed the situation here, and frankly, it was far different from what he had imagined. The people looked pale and the population was sparse, not even counting Smaug's winter fire and the orcish persecution during the War of the Five Armies… Therefore, Roland decided to decisively shift the blame to Bard, letting him become the King of Dale like in history wouldn't be bad. Bard was a loyal and righteous man, and having him as a neighbor meant mutual support. As for Roland himself, he thought that with the system, he could build a city and become a lord anywhere. What was the point of focusing on Lake-town? Smaug was coming to raid the town that night, and Roland didn't think he could stop him outside Lake-town. Even with Caslo and his dragons, it wouldn't be enough. After all, the northern winds were fierce—Smaug, although a dragon that only breathed, was no different from a giant dragon in size and physical resistance. How crazy would he be to go after it? He'd leave it to Bard, the dragon slayer. He wouldn't participate.

……

"Orc!" cried the vigilant Battanian archer, then fired an arrow that sent the spotted orc flying into the air.

"Alert!" the town's police officer shouted.

"An elf?" Caslo exclaimed in surprise as he saw Legolas fighting the orc.

……

"Oh! Phil! Kiri!" Upon hearing the commotion, Roland immediately remembered the orc night raid and rushed to Bard's house. However, since Bard hadn't been locked up... sigh, it was too tragic. Just imagine the orc warriors facing King Bard and Tollier... their miserable state would make even capitalists feel sorry for them.

"Hey, you guys are all right? Hey, it's great to see you guys again, dwarfs!" Roland greeted the group with a smile.

"Oh right, Bard, you need to tidy up. We can't stay here any longer..." Roland, who had just finished looting, suddenly remembered that Smaug was coming over to clean the floor and offer some comfort that evening.

“The dwarves have entered Lonely Mountain! You know the consequences!” Roland said after a moment’s thought as he led Badr out of the house.

“I need you to lead the people to evacuate Laketown and head to Vale at the foot of Lonely Mountain… Otherwise, Smaug will burn them to ashes! You know perfectly well that the dragon is about to awaken!” Roland said solemnly.

"And what about you?" Bard asked Roland, squinting his eyes.

“I’m going to settle my troops; my archers will stay behind to hold off Smaug!” Roland paused.

“Remember to come back… I believe in the story of your ancestor shooting Smaug! Your feud still needs you to settle it!” Roland suddenly turned around and smiled as he spoke these words to Dobard.

……

"Reno, lead the knights and infantry away! Archers, stay behind and snipe. Caslo, you come with me!" Roland summoned his men and gave them instructions.

"My lord, I'll stay!" Renault said anxiously.

"Don't worry, I trust you to lead the team. Besides, Caslo and I have adamantite armor. The adamantite and the runes on it will help us block the dragon's breath. The Battanian archers are incredibly skilled; Smaug can't hurt us. Don't worry!" Roland patted Reno on the shoulder.

"The war has begun..." Roland sighed as he looked at the residents who were persuaded to leave by Bard or driven away by soldiers. Was Laketown destined to be destroyed by the war?
……

"Hey! Roland, I'm back!" Bard finished arranging for his family and the dwarves to leave and then turned back to the town.

"Oh, right, we can take out the Black Arrow now. It might be one of the few weapons we have that can slay dragons." Roland was quite curious about what the Black Arrow looked like.

In fact, the Star Silver Steel Piercing Arrows that Battanian archers carry can also pierce dragon hide, but their length is too short, and the remaining force after entering the dragon's body is simply not enough to penetrate to a vital point.

"Wow! That's long? I've learned something new! I'd believe you if you told me it was a spear!" Roland exclaimed as he took the black arrow from Bard.

"Look at Lonely Mountain!" Bard, who was chatting with Roland, suddenly pointed into the distance.

In the darkness, a spectacular sight appeared on Lonely Mountain: fiery clouds. Unfortunately, it wasn't the glow of dawn, but rather the breath of Smaug...

"The evil dragon is coming." Roland narrowed his eyes.

The battle to slay the dragon is about to begin. Anyone who'd like to be a guest reader can leave a comment below. Still begging for recommendation votes! (*^ω^*)
(End of this chapter)