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

Chapter 407 Night Falls, Winter Approaches
"The situation is not bad." Roland nodded slightly. The three hundred swift infantrymen and two knights were negligible; the civilians were the main concern for Roland. Population is the most solid foundation of a country...

As you can see, the kings of the North are a family of loyal martyrs. While the strength of their enemies is certainly a factor, the North's massive population is also a fatal flaw that led to its decline!

How miserable was the entire Northland after a large number of Northland cavalry and knights left the Northland to establish a kingdom in the South?

King Gillian of Vale was gloriously killed in Smaug's attack...

Thor, the King of the Mountain, was killed by Azog...

King Theraine II was also imprisoned in the Black Forest and tortured to death...

Thorin... I won't say anything more, this poor child.

Dain the Ironfoot died during the War of the Ring.

Bard's grandson, King Brand, also died alongside Dain in battle before the city of Irubor.

Therefore, being the King of the North is truly a high-risk profession! Among them, the Dwarf King is the most loyal and brave... Isn't the reason that there are too few of them? (Of course, the Dwarf King's penchant for recklessness also plays a part.)
Roland does enjoy charging into battle, but only under the protection of the Knights. Try charging ahead and fighting orcs head-on; you'd think he'd be the first to do so. At most, he'd spit in the orc's face and then carefully disappear back into the Knights…

After all, King Roland valued his life the most. As a transmigrator with a magical system, how could Roland possibly put himself in a dangerous place?

……

"Send the soldiers to Lulong Fortress, they are not needed here! Temporarily assign the knights to the Cross Bauhinia Knights. The Holy Glory Knights are all vanguard knights, and they should not be mixed together unless there is a battle!" Roland said to Yunfeng.

"Hmm, what about the remaining residents?" Yun Feng blinked, after all, more than three thousand people would cause a lot of trouble if they got into trouble.

"Scatter them and mix them with the other civilians so they can integrate into the kingdom as quickly as possible!" Roland ordered.

“I think you should find some work for the able-bodied men in the city as soon as possible! After all, there have been frequent security incidents in the city lately…” Yun Feng’s lips twitched slightly.

These days, the young and strong people in the city, who have nothing better to do than gather together every day to chat and boast, often get into arguments... and then these hot-blooded young men will inevitably clash, and it's normal for them to start fighting.

"They're really bored out of their minds! They have nothing better to do than eat their fill..." Roland sighed and rubbed his forehead in exasperation.

“I estimate that old man Radil will need some more time. In the meantime, arrange for the able-bodied men to turn over the farmland outside the city and dig out all the soil and stones!” Roland said to Yunfeng.

"Mm!" Yun Feng nodded.

"...Your Highness, you summoned me?" Lord Lafitte Anthony looked respectfully at King Roland, who was seated in a chair.

"Um, could you tell me about your situation?" Roland asked.

“It is my honor!” Lord Lafitte Antony bowed slightly to Roland.

……

"You came from the Hercan Inland Sea?" Roland asked in shock. Behind the Hercan Inland Sea was the Holy Lamp of Vara!
In the original story, for illumination, the Valar channeled the light that illuminated the world into two giant lamps known as Iluin and Ormaw. Ori created the lampposts, one in Herka in the north and the other in the Lingir in the south. At this time, Arda's form was a symmetrical continent illuminated by the two lamps at its northern and southern ends. The light from the two lamps converged at the center of the world, where the Valar's home, Almarin Island, was located.

However, this Middle-earth does not have gods like the Valar, so it's hard to say whether the Flame of Valar exists. But what is certain is that the Two Trees did exist in the past.

Seeing Roland fall silent, Lord Lafitte Antony panicked slightly. He looked at Roland, unsure of what to do. Even Lord Lafitte Antony, a member of the Antony family, felt a bit lost in the face of a completely unfamiliar monarch. He was naturally at a loss as to how to deal with someone whose emotions were unclear. Roland fell into deep thought, while Lafitte Antony awkwardly tapped the fortress with his foot.

"Oh! Sorry! I was just lost in thought!" Roland then remembered that someone was still standing there in front of him, bowing and looking silly.

"Don't be shy, sit down!" Roland didn't say much. Even if he grabbed Lafit Anthony's neck and told him that he was approachable, he probably wouldn't believe him easily. So let time tell. After all, Roland was still very tolerant. Even Yunfeng, the wise man who "hunted" him down, hadn't criticized him.

"Thank you, Your Highness!" Lafit Anthony quickly sat down on the chair, sitting upright.

"I called you here to discuss something. Given your situation, you should have been granted a fiefdom. However, you should already have a basic understanding of the kingdom's current state. It's not that we can't afford to give you a fiefdom, but even if we did, we wouldn't have the manpower to develop it. So, we'll put this matter on hold for now. I'm telling you this in advance so you won't have any reservations!" Roland explained.

"Your Highness, I will obey your orders! I have no objections!" Lord Lafitte Anthony had no particular thoughts on this. After learning about the general situation of the kingdom, he understood that the people he brought would definitely be prioritized for enriching the country. After all, the kingdom was the soil and foundation for protecting nobles. Moreover, Lafitte Anthony had no envy of becoming a fiefdom noble, given the poor productivity. If he had a choice, Lafitte Anthony would rather sleep in Swiftstream City, where it was not only safe and warm, but most importantly, it provided food and lodging!
"Hmm, it's good that you think that way! The kingdom won't treat you unfairly!" Roland nodded in satisfaction. This kid is teachable! As long as everyone doesn't cause trouble, there won't be any problems. As for the inviolability of nobles' rights... those who can't see the situation clearly in extraordinary circumstances wouldn't have survived this long!
"Alright then, the position of political officer in Swiftstream City has become vacant! You should go and take up your post tomorrow! Give yourself some experience!" Roland arranged.

"Thank you, Your Highness!" Lafit Anthony bowed respectfully. Although he hadn't received a noble fiefdom or anything like that, he had a secure job as a safety net, and it was foreseeable that Lafit Anthony's future would be quite comfortable.

……

"It's getting dark..." Roland frowned. The days were getting shorter and shorter!
"Woo~" Nyx obediently hugged Roland and let out a whimper.

"Sorry, the armor is too cold!" Roland quickly stepped aside, the icy Grand Duke Dragon Armor almost making Nyx scream in the evening breeze.

“It’s the winter solstice…” Roland said softly as he gently pushed Nyx back.

"This winter is much better than last year!" Roland said with a smile.

(End of this chapter)