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

Chapter 253 A Familiar Dome

"Your Highness, please get some rest... The soldiers have been exhausted all night," Caslo advised, emphasizing the importance of maintaining their energy.

"Okay, I'll have another cup of hot tea!" Roland agreed with a smile. The 100 jin of Tieguanyin tea given by the system for signing in was enough for Roland to drink for a long time.

"Excuse my bluntness, but how can you sleep after drinking that stuff?" Omske stared wide-eyed in shock.

“Of course, if you’re sleepy enough, even the strongest coffee won’t wake you up,” Roland explained.

"Uh..." Omsk was too lazy to comment on Roland's explanation.

"Crunch, crunch!" Roland chewed the jerky with his cheeks puffed out, and it was clear that the jerky was dried very well! Even for a foodie like Roland, chewing it was a bit of a struggle.

“Well… Your Highness, eating meat before bed can cause stomach upset…” Omske said, forcing himself to speak.

"It's okay, whatever it is, as long as it's delicious when you're hungry!" Roland waved his hand dismissively and continued to work hard on the jerky.

“I’m very worried about His Highness’s health…” Omske whispered to Caslo. His king not only ate irregularly but also often stayed up late. Overeating was a common occurrence, and he would often eat until he was stuffed and not hungry for the rest of the day!
"There's nothing I can do. I'll have to go back and try to persuade Grand Duke Nyx!" Caslo shook his head helplessly.

If Roland knew what the two were thinking, he would definitely say they were narrow-minded! Isn't Roland in the 21st century living happily like this every day? Staying up all night is commonplace, and eating three meals a day is the exclusive domain of homebodies. There are plenty of people who lie at home all day long.

Seeing the clear foolishness in Roland's eyes, Omske and Caslo exchanged a glance and shook their heads. After saying goodbye to Roland, they got up and went to set up the camp for the soldiers.

……

"I'll emphasize again: sleep in your armor! Don't sleep too soundly! The conditions aren't great, just make do with a blanket and lean against a pillar!" Caslo and Omske kept moving among the soldiers to ensure the order reached everyone's ears.

"Understood!" the soldiers nodded in agreement.

After leading the soldiers to divide the area, Omske and Caslo quickly laid out hay and covered Roland's bed with a blanket in the center. Although the conditions were simple, it did not prevent the king from staying more comfortably.

……

"Alright, not bad! You should be grateful to have a place to sleep!" Roland said with satisfaction, looking at his "nest". He didn't have any strict requirements for his residence, as long as he could rest.

"Right! Distribute the tents! Have the soldiers sit on the tent fabric. The ground is too cold. Although we can't lay out dry grass for everyone, at least let them get off the cold ground." Roland commanded, not wanting his soldiers to catch a cold while he was asleep.

“They will thank you for your mercy!” Omske said sincerely. “Good morning! I’m going to sleep! Please don’t wake me until the orcs attack!” Roland spread his head on the blanket. The bedding, made of hay and several layers of blankets, wasn’t uncomfortable at all; on the contrary, it was exceptionally soft. Of course, it would be even more comfortable if he could take off his armor! But Omske and Caslo desperately tried to stop him. Thinking of the troll’s attack, Roland shuddered and decisively abandoned this suicidal act.

"Go to sleep, Caslo! You should get some rest too!" Omske glanced at the dwarf who was slumped over and shook his head helplessly at Caslo.

"Hmm, I'll go warn the dwarves! They're being too dangerous!" Caslo frowned, watching the dwarves who had drunk too much in their excitement. A glance at the mountain of wine barrels revealed that the dwarves had already emptied their entire stock! It was a desperate gamble, but the effect was obvious. With their morale greatly boosted, the dwarves' vigilance had plummeted! Even the sentries were flushed!

"Hey! Balin! You can't drink anymore!" Caslo snatched the glass from Balin's hand and shouted angrily.

"Your Excellency Dragon Rider? Would you like a drink to celebrate?" Balin blushed and happily raised another wooden cup to fill Caslo's cup.

“We’re not here to celebrate yet! We’ve only just reclaimed some of our lost territory! There’s still darkness looming over us! Your Excellency Bahrain! Wake up! The war isn’t over yet!” Caslo grabbed Bahrain’s clothes and shook him.

Perhaps it was Caslo's loud voice, but Balin jolted awake and instantly sobered up. Roland, watching the bedtime comedy from afar, exclaimed that it was a medical miracle! Seeing that Balin was more sober, Caslo put him down and pointed at the staggering dwarves, saying to Balin, "You're really carefree! Do you think the orcs and goblins won't come back? If they attack, I'd like to know how your men will fight them off?"

The entrances and exits of the Tenth Hall were currently guarded by Lagrange's sentries. The soldiers had brought over stone blocks and used them as obstacles and breastworks at the entrances, which could not only prevent the enemy from rushing in quickly but also serve as cover.

"I'm sorry... I didn't think it through! I'll make them stop right away!" Bahrain, whose face was already red, blushed even more with shame.

But I must say, the dwarves are truly amazing! They've drunk themselves into a stupor, yet they're still able to rally? And they all seem to still have some sense left! Incredible! Their alcohol tolerance is truly honed through practice! If this were the Lagrange soldiers, they would all be completely insane from drinking... Forget about rallying the troops, just getting up would be impressive.

……

Bahrain quickly brought the dwarves' revelry to an end. The dwarves gathered together, leaning on each other, and drifted off to sleep. Full of food and drink and exhausted, the dwarves didn't care whether the floor was hard or not and started snoring loudly.

"Um... I think I have insomnia!" Roland said weakly to Caslow, who was leaning against a pillar with his eyes closed, resting.

"What's wrong, Your Highness?" Caslo asked, puzzled. Could it really be that he ate too much and his stomach was upset?

"How can I sleep with this thunderous snoring!" Roland mumbled, burying his head in the covers.

"Ah... please bear with it, Your Highness." Caslo's eyes widened. Insomnia because of this? The dwarves always snored loudly when they camped, didn't Roland? He slept soundly all the time, didn't he?
What Caslo didn't know was that Roland usually went to bed earlier than the ordinary soldiers. After all, he didn't set up the tents or the camp himself; he slept like a log before the soldiers went to sleep.

"Huh? Caslo, look at all those holes in the dome of this dwarf hall. What are they doing in the ceiling? Aren't they afraid the whole dome will collapse?" Roland, lying on the ground, looked up and suddenly noticed the many holes in the dome. This scene seemed familiar, like he'd seen it somewhere before, but he couldn't quite place it! It was like a memory from his time on Earth, wasn't it? Roland carefully examined the holes in the hall's dome and fell into deep thought.

(End of this chapter)