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

While Yunfeng and his group were worrying about purifying the source of the plague, Apophis Breo and his party were about to arrive at their destination, Old Pass.

Old Pass, also known as High Pass, is one of the few passes that allow crossing of the Misty Mountains, located east of the Valley. Its boundaries extend westward to the Valley, from where the Eastern Road winds its way up the mountains, passing through the Goblin Town. There are actually two passages across the mountain, but the lower passage is blocked by orcs and goblins, and most travelers only use the higher passage for short periods after the orcs are subdued.

……

“Damn it! I hate floating on water!” Apophis Breo said with a grim expression. Even after being out of the water for so long, he still hated the feeling.

"My lord, we've been off the ship for quite a while now!" Olaf scratched his head and reminded him, after all, the aftereffects had been lingering for quite some time.

"It's nothing, I just really hate that wobbly feeling! It's never as good as being on solid ground on a warhorse," Apophis Breo pouted and complained.

"..." Olaf's eye twitched. Good grief, do you want to hear what you're saying? What do you mean by "feet firmly on the ground while on horseback"? Doesn't riding a horse mean it's more like bouncing on water?

"Sigh! Let everyone find a place to shelter from the rain and set up camp! Tomorrow we'll head into the Misty Mountains!" Apophis Breo waved his fist at the distance. It was as if he had already grasped the reins of power, restored his family's glory and splendor, and become the all-powerful Grand Duke of the North!

"Oh!" Seeing Apophis Breo lost in thought, Olaf and the other officers shook their heads almost imperceptibly and went off to make arrangements, leaving Apophis Breo alone gazing at the towering Misty Mountains, seemingly lost in some melancholy.

……

"Hey! Boss, what's wrong? Look at that longing look on her face. The young wife in the next neighborhood looks like that every day, hoping her husband will come home!" A sergeant quietly nudged the person next to him.

“I don’t know! But I know that the boss has been very agitated these past few days!” another sergeant said.

"Hey! Is gossiping behind someone's back fun? Get back to work! The soldiers are busy setting up camp, and the officers are chatting idly on the side! Is this appropriate?" Olaf frowned and came over to pat a few officers who were chatting.

"Centurion!"

"Hello, sir!"

The officers immediately stood up, pounded their chests, and saluted. The group that had just been gossiping about their lord Apophis Breo were now as obedient as a flock of quails, listening respectfully to Olaf's reprimand.

"What's wrong with Olaf?" another centurion asked, looking over.

"It's alright!" Olaf waved his hand, providing cover for the others.

"Hurry up and go help!" Olaf kicked him twice angrily.

Several deputies immediately ran off laughing. Olaf shook his head helplessly at the sight. The harsh weather, constant harassment, meager rations, and drafty tents they had endured along the way had put immense pressure on everyone. Olaf could clearly feel the tension taut within them, but to achieve their objective, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and press on. Therefore, Apophis Breo and the other officers had been remarkably lenient with the soldiers throughout the journey. "Sigh!" Olaf sighed and decided to seek advice from the Grand Knight.

……

"The soldiers are too tense; they're about to break down," Olaf said, shaking his head. He was pessimistic about the current situation. Not only the soldiers, but even the officers had lost all morale, and a sense of anxiety permeated the entire expeditionary force.

“I understand, but we all have to hold on! Once we’ve won this battle and gained our footing, everything will be different!” Apophis Breo appeared behind Olaf at some point and patted Olaf on the shoulder, speaking heavily.

“We need a stable foothold now to support our business development! If we can’t take Old Pass…” The Grand Knight of King’s Landing shook his head.

“This expedition will end in failure!” Apophis Breo continued.

“Not only are the soldiers anxious, but I am anxious too! That place holds all the hopes for the revival of the King’s family! King Roland will not give me a second chance, and I will not have a second chance to try!” Apophis Breo’s gaze gradually hardened. He stared intently at the distant mountains. He knew that if he failed this time, King Roland would naturally not give him a second chance to recruit soldiers. King Roland was already very dissatisfied with his recruitment of private soldiers. After all, every soldier recruited meant one less able-bodied adult man in the kingdom.

"Don't worry, we will succeed! The brave warriors will repay the King's Landing for their protection!" Olaf pounded his chest.

"The Knights of King's Landing will forever serve the King's Landing family! And remain loyal to the name Breo!" the Grand Knight declared firmly.

"It is important that everyone works together, but we cannot be careless in our strategy! Our margin for error is too low!" Apophis Breo said thoughtfully, glancing at the busy soldiers outside, without continuing.

"..." Olaf, the other centurion, and the great knight exchanged glances and nodded.

Their scarcity meant they had no option for a direct assault; they had to either outsmart them or launch a sneak attack. But a sneak attack seemed more likely to succeed. As for outsmarting them… well, orcs aren’t exactly intelligent anyway!

"However, all of this is contingent on us reaching the Old Pass first without the orcs noticing!" Apophis Breo pointed to the location of the Old Pass on the map!

Don't forget, Apophis Breo has an Imperial outpost! That thing is practically a miniature fortress, a youthful castle. Once built in mountainous terrain where heavy siege equipment can't be deployed, it's practically impregnable! But the main problem now is how to take over the old pass without alerting the orcs. As for who will be subservient to whom after that, that's hard to say! Anyway, Apophis Breo doesn't believe that a small fortress standing atop a mountain can be breached by those filthy reptiles.

“It seems we don’t have much time left!” another centurion said gravely. Every second they stayed here increased the chances of being discovered by the orcs.

“Even so, we can only set off tomorrow morning! Otherwise, the soldiers won’t be able to take it!” Apophis Breo shook his head. Hunger and cold had already taken their toll on every soldier’s nerves, and even the most basic rest was impossible… Apophis Breo was even afraid that the soldiers might stab the officers in the back during the battle.

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