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

Chapter 216: Preparation for War (2)

"Inform Renault to recall the Dovenian heavy swordsmen to Swiftstream City. I need them!" Roland said to the guard beside him, and casually wrote down a transfer order for him to take away.

Yes, this poor heavy infantry unit was abandoned by Roland in Swiftstream City because it had no use for its skills. After all, compared to Swiftstream City, the solid Lulong Fortress was more suitable for this unit to perform.

"As you command, Your Highness!"

"How many troops do you intend to send, my dear King?" Nyx asked, somewhat uneasy, as he hugged Roland. His eyes were filled with worry, both for Roland's departure and for the weakened defenses of Swiftstream City.

"I'll probably lead around 500 people!" Roland silently calculated as he opened the system's territory interface.

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.

Nobleman: Apophis Breo (Duke of the Lion in False King's Landing)

Generals: Caslo (Tier 5), Renault (Tier 4), Radil (Tier 4), Yunfeng (Tier 6), Omske (Tier 6), and Lavian (Tier 4).

Special personnel: Ivy (Tier 3), Grand Duke Nyx: Nyx ​​(Tier 2), Nina Bonn (Tier 1)
City Defense Officer: Marcus (Tier 4)
Political Officer: Lance (Second Rank)
Troop strength: 3495 people

Holy Knights Order: 100 Tier 2 Lagrange Knights.

Lagrange City Guards: 150 Tier 2 Warriors.

Battanian Shooters: 800 Tier 2 Shooters.

Dovenian Heavy Swordsmen: 100 Tier 2 Swordsmen.

El Niño Ranger: 100 Tier 2 Rangers.

Lagrange Royal Guards: 200 men.

Swift Legion: 1200 Swift Infantry.

Recruit 200 light infantrymen.

Lagrange Heavy Cavalry: 100 heavy cavalrymen.

Lordaeron Rangers: 50 Tier 2 Rangers

Priests: 8 second-tier priests.

Mage: One second-tier fire mage.

Crusader Lancers: 100.

Crusader archers: 300.

Crusader Heavy Shield Infantry: 20.

Cross Bauhinia Knights: 20.

Duchy Light Cavalry: 30 men.

Knights of King's Landing: 16. Population: 11360 (4196 trainable civilians)
Assessment: The lonely king led his surviving people back to their homeland and built this city with high walls. The city now has some inhabitants, giving it a more vibrant and lively atmosphere. Everything is developing in a positive direction. The city's military strength is formidable, with a sufficient number of eligible soldiers! The city can fully defend itself even in the face of a large-scale attack. Note: The sole heir of House Lions, the King's Landing, has arrived here. Although the family's former glory is gone, he remains worthy of trust and support; their honor still flows in their blood.

Abilities: 1. As the only territory of the Lagrange Kingdom 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.

3. The Northern Capital! Lagrange soldiers will receive a morale and stamina boost when defending this location. (Unlocked when the population reaches 10,000.)
"The Dovenian heavy swordsmen must be brought along, as well as the Royal Guards, and the Lordaeron rangers must also accompany me!" Roland pointed out each word on the system's screen.

"Only infantry? What about the knights? How can you guarantee your safety without their protection?" A hint of panic flashed in Nyx's beautiful eyes.

“Don’t worry, don’t underestimate our Royal Guard! Their Guardian Skill is a powerful invincible skill, capable of withstanding even forbidden spells to some extent. Don’t worry about my safety; I’m more concerned about yours than my own. The Knights can’t be deployed in the Moria Mines, but in this area, this force is the strongest fist. Even if something unexpected happens… they can protect you.” Roland smiled as he described the worst-case scenario.

"No! We'll all be safe!" Nyx quickly covered Roland's mouth to stop him from continuing.

"Yes, we'll all be safe!" Roland nodded and patted Nyx's head to comfort him.

“I want to go with you… I’m a mage too, I can help!” Nyx muttered softly, pouting, her voice barely audible.

"Darling, you know I can't possibly agree!" Roland said helplessly. This girl is more likely to be a distraction than help.

“Alright then, but you have to take Yunfeng and Omske with you!” Nyx said, pouting as he bargained.

“I’ll bring Omske, as for Yunfeng… forget about him! I’ll feel more at ease with him guarding Swiftstream City.” Roland remembered that Yunfeng was a mage after all, and he was definitely much better at defending the city than a knight.

“But wouldn’t it be dangerous to only have a sixth-tier combatant?” Nyx looked at Roland with concern.

“No, Caslo will come with me. I’ll bring the Smurfs with me. I don’t think a Balrog can fight two true dragons! Unless those two dragons are idiots!” Roland cursed, swearing.

“Okay, I hope you’re right.” Nyx turned her head and pressed her head against Roland’s chest, then stopped talking.

"Don't worry, I'll be back soon. After this battle, we'll have a long period of peace, and then we can enjoy some quality time together." Roland kissed Nyx's red lips.

……

"Your Highness, are you really not taking me on this expedition?" Apophis Breo asked somewhat nervously, rubbing his hands together.

“I’ve streamlined most of the personnel for this expedition; only a small number will accompany me. And you have an even more important task! Don’t forget, replenishing the ranks with fresh blood is more important than killing enemies and achieving merit!” Roland patted Apophis Breo on the shoulder to encourage him, clearly showing that the young man was still somewhat unwilling to give up.

……

“Cave warfare? By the Dragon God! That’s not my area of ​​expertise. Your request has already entered into my area of ​​ignorance…” Omsk wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said somewhat speechlessly, after all, the knight’s battlefield is on the plains, not in the caves.

“It’s alright, just treat it like infantry fighting. Knights shouldn’t be any worse than warriors in foot combat, right? Are you going to admit that you’re inferior to those warriors when you’re off your horse?” Roland asked with a smile.

"Nonsense! Let alone dismounting, even if they kneel on the ground and fight warriors, they can't beat us knights!" Omske pounded his chest loudly.

"..." Roland's head creased with exasperation. This was outrageous! Kneeling while fighting? Why don't you lie down?

"Alright, let's get back to the main topic. Over the next few days, lead the Royal Guards and the Dovenian Heavy Swordsmen in some drills and prepare various contingency plans. As for the Lordaeron Rangers... they're as familiar with fighting in confined spaces as if they were at home. You can ask them for advice," Roland instructed.

“Yes! Those half-elves are terrifyingly talented in melee combat! The jungle is like their home!” Omsk nodded in agreement. Those slippery Lordaeron rangers, as slippery as eels, were definitely ruthless characters that no one wanted to encounter.

(End of this chapter)