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

Chapter 178 The Distant Horn

With a creak, the heavy iron gates of Jiliu City burst open in the morning light, and a large crowd surged out of Jiliu City like fish entering the sea.

On the dirt roads of the countryside, people greeted each other with simple smiles, and were not afraid of the soldiers patrolling around them. Everything seemed peaceful and serene.

The crisp sound of horses' hooves broke the tranquility, and on the horizon, a red flag with a golden dragon appeared in everyone's sight.

“Our army!” a young man exclaimed, pointing to the flag.

"Has our lost troops returned? Or has His Majesty the King returned?" A patrol of Swift Infantry asked curiously, looking at the majestic banner.

"The king has returned! That banner has golden tassels! It's the king's banner!" A moment later, people recognized Roland's distinctive royal banner.

……

"You're back! It's so much more comfortable to stay in your own territory." Roland rode on horseback, watching the bustling city of Swiftstream. Compared to the somewhat desolate city before, Swiftstream now had a touch of life to it. Farmers traveling along country lanes and through fields, vendors hawking their wares on the streets, and the only tavern that was exceptionally popular... all these things were making the city move in a positive direction.

"Welcome home, Your Majesty!" Grand Duke Nyx, who had been waiting at the city gate with his entourage, gently lifted his skirt and gave Roland a slight bow.

"Thank you for coming out to greet me, Your Highness." Roland smiled, dismounted, and helped Nyx up.

"How was it? Did the trip go smoothly?" Nyx curiously peeked at the group following Roland.

"It's a draw, I'd say, but the allied forces didn't suffer many losses. However, the orcs held Dolgodo. By the way, how's the city? Has anything major happened?" Roland asked.

"As you can see, a mundane life, just as I hoped." Nyx nodded calmly toward the outside of the city.

"Hehe~" Roland was amused by Nyx's cute actions.

"Come in. After so much fighting, the city has changed quite a bit. Come in and get familiar with it." Nyx stepped aside to invite everyone into the city.

"System, check the territory interface!" Roland quietly instructed the system, and the system interface popped up quickly.

Swiftstream City:
Area: One kilometer in radius.

Building units: 1 ruined lord's castle, 240 ordinary wooden houses, intermediate magic-inlaid walls, stone well, blacksmith shop, barracks, archer's temple.

Generals: Caslo (Tier 3), Renault (Tier 4), Radil (Tier 4), Yunfeng (Tier 6), Omske (Tier 6).

Special personnel: Ivy (Tier 3) Grand Duke Nyx: Nyx ​​(Tier 2)
City Defense Officer: Marcus (Tier 4)
Political Officer: Lance (Second Rank)
Troop strength: 2292
Holy Knights Order: 100 Tier 2 Knights.

Lagrange City Guards: 100 Tier 2 Warriors

Battanian Shooters: 700 Tier 2 Shooters.

Dovenian Heavy Swordsmen: 100 Tier 2 Swordsmen.

El Niño Ranger: 100 Tier 2 Rangers.

Lagrange Royal Guards: 200

Rapid Flow Legion: 683 Rapid Flow Infantry; Recruitment of Light Infantry: 200 Light Infantry.

Lagrange Heavy Cavalry: 100 heavy cavalrymen

Priests: 8 Tier 2 Priests

Mage: One second-tier fire mage

Population: 3024 (1647 civilians who can be trained)
Evaluation: The lonely king led his surviving people back to their homeland and built this city with high walls. The city now has some residents, giving it a more vibrant and lively atmosphere. Everything is developing in a positive direction. The city has a strong military and a sufficient number of eligible soldiers! The city can easily defend itself even against small-scale attacks. Note: The Grand Duke of the Principality of Nyx fled here; the country is currently without a mistress or heir.

Abilities: 1. As the only territory of the Kingdom of Lagrange in Middle-earth, she will attract the remnants of Lagrange. The system will guide a group of wandering Lagrange civilians to her territory every day, hoping that the lord can properly settle them.

2. Allow the recruitment of local civilians to train swift infantry.

"Not bad, there are actually 1647 eligible soldiers!" Roland thought to himself in surprise. It seems that if he continues to wage war, he can quickly rebuild the Swiftflow Legion!
"Not bad, not bad! At least we can protect ourselves now, and even if the orc army attacks, we can barely put up a fight!" Roland was very satisfied. Being able to recruit more than 1600 militiamen gave Roland a lot of confidence. The militiamen could be transformed into qualified Swift Infantry after simple training. That's how the terrifyingly large Swift Infantry in his previous life were formed. The lords could summon the militiamen for training at any time, and in just one week, they could send out one distinctive Swift Legion after another to the battlefield.

"It seems the city is developing well!" Roland led his horse through the streets and looked around. Dried goods such as dried fish hung on the doorframes of the houses, and every resident's face was filled with a happy smile. People's clothing had also become more diverse. What surprised Roland even more was that there were actually street vendors in the city!

"This is... a caravan from the River Valley?" Roland exclaimed in disbelief. This counts as international trade... Indeed, merchants are always at the forefront of the times. Even in a remote border city like Swiftstream City, caravans from other regions can be seen.

“Yes, not long after you left, caravans from the Valley State came here. They bought our furs and game and brought us their handicrafts. For the first time, we had commercial taxes…” Nyx said eloquently.

“Well done. Attracting merchants to trade with us is an important way to enhance our national strength,” Roland affirmed. He had to admit that Nyx was far superior to Roland, a half-baked expert, in handling domestic affairs. This made Roland realize just how extensive the knowledge of a true high-ranking nobleman really was.

Roland's experiences along the way fully demonstrated Nyx's excellent governing experience. He was indeed worthy of being the lord who once ruled a duchy. Even the grand duke of the weakest duchy was still a worthy ruler. His governing ability was definitely no less than that of a certain Roland man.

"Beep~ Beep~ Beep beep beep!"

"What's that sound!" Roland suddenly heard the faint sound of horns coming from afar.

"Enemy attack!" Roland suddenly realized and urged the people around him. The sound of the horn was different from any force he knew. Roland naturally assumed that the enemy was attacking, since only the orcs' inferior and chaotic horns could produce different tones.

"Get to the city wall! Sound the horns! Gather the soldiers and prepare to defend the city! Send out all cavalry to protect the people and help them return to the city!" Roland said quickly, then turned and ran towards the city wall, leaving behind a group of bewildered subordinates.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry!" Omsk lightly touched the ground with his toes and climbed onto the roof next to him. In a few leaps, he caught up with Roland.

"Your Highness, I'll go and direct the defenses first!" Omske's voice lingered in the air as he dashed off.

……

"Why aren't you sounding the war horn?" Roland grabbed Omske in front of him and questioned him as soon as he climbed the city wall.

“Your Highness… take a look for yourself…” Omske said with some emotion.

On the distant horizon, a tattered red flag flutters in the wind, and a slightly withered bauhinia flower blooms proudly amidst the cross-shaped patterns...

(End of this chapter)