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

Chapter 718 Tragedy
"Kill!" Squads of well-equipped mercenaries charged out of the darkness, catching the orcs off guard and leaving them disoriented. Soon, the Second Son Mercenary Group's mercenaries swiftly tore through the orcs' defenses and penetrated deep into their territory.

A short while later, an angry roar echoed from the depths of the dark forest, then silence returned...

……

"Teacher, shall we go?" Weiss asked Caslow.

"What? Not leaving? I'm a general of the Kingdom of Lagrange, and this is Gondor! You're a Lagrange now, so why are you going back to see your homeland?" Caslo rolled his eyes, thinking to himself that the dazzling world was truly captivating, and the prosperous White Royal City had directly won over this boy from the wasteland.

"Isn't that... a very prosperous city?" Weiss nodded first, then asked in a low voice.

“If Your Excellency is willing to accept this position, Gondor would welcome you! I believe His Highness the Regent would not begrudge the position of Marshal!” Hulin, who was standing beside him, smiled and said. Although he knew the chances were slim, it would be good to plant a seed. If one day Caslo was unhappy in Lagrange and the first person he thought of turning to was Gondor, then it would not be a loss.

"Forget it, King Roland can't possibly catch up and break my legs!" Caslo shook his head with a look of disgust. This "breaking legs" was a real physical break. Roland's Dos alone could directly remove Caslo's advantage as a dragon knight. Without Kaldo's help, having his legs broken was a foregone conclusion.

"Hehe, you're too kind!" Hu Lin smiled and didn't feel discouraged. After all, it was an unintentional act, and he didn't intend to achieve anything.

“Alright, now that everything is over, it’s time for us to head home! Thank you so much for the hospitality these past few days, Your Majesty and all the people of Gondor! Caslo is truly honored!” Caslo said, patting his chest.

"Let me see you out!" Hu Lin gestured for him to proceed.

“No need for formalities, I’ll just ride my dragon away… Your Highness the Regent can rest assured, Gondor and Lagrange are both human kingdoms, it’s our duty to help each other, and Lagrange is willing to face future crises together with Gondor!” Caslo patted Hurin on the shoulder before leaving.

"Thank you!" Hulin nodded sincerely. Kaslow's words meant that the alliance between Gondor and Lagrange was a done deal! The fact that Gondor would not stand idly by if the Dark Lord's army invaded the Kingdom of Lagrange in the future gave everyone a sense of reassurance.

"Wait!" Caslo said to Hulin as he leaped onto the dragon saddle.

"Take care, and have a safe journey!" Hu Lin watched as Caslo rode his dragon from the hot spring square in the royal city, soaring into the sky and finally disappearing into the clouds.

"Your Highness the Regent, he's gone!" Hu Lin bowed to the shadows and whispered.

"Yes, I see it! The road ahead is getting harder and harder. I hope Gondor can get through this safely!" Turgon said somberly, looking up at the sky.

"Don't worry, Grandpa! I will definitely govern this country well in the future! And bring Gondor back to its former glory!" A figure darted out from the side and said to Turgon in a childish voice.

"Oh! Denesor! My dear grandson! My hope for the future!" Turgon embraced Denesor with unreserved praise, looking at him with affection. He neither confirmed nor denied what his grandson said, but his love for him was genuine.

"It's good that you're safe! It's good that you're safe!" Turgun whispered as he held the fourteen-year-old Denesor. At this young age, Denesor already showed signs of becoming a wise minister. He was tall, brave, wise, and farsighted!

“If what that dragon knight said is true, then we need to strengthen our border defenses right now!” Denesor advised his grandfather.

"Let's take another look, let's take another look!" Turgon chuckled, patting his grandson's head with affection. He didn't reject his grandson's suggestion, only saying to wait a little longer. After all, reinforcing the border defenses required a large investment, and this money would ultimately be passed on to the people. Turgon didn't want the people to bear a heavy burden because of some unfounded rumors. If the Demon King really showed signs of rising power, then it wouldn't be too late to prepare for war! This was the courage that the strongest human kingdom in Middle-earth gave Turgon! The massive Gondor could afford to drag it out!
“Alright, but border patrols should be tightened!” Denesor shook his head, not dwelling on it, and continued. “Yes! Those wandering orcs used to be a minor problem, but we can’t let them continue! Have the border troops seal off the wandering orcs!” This time, Turgon didn’t object, after all, if the wandering orcs weren’t dealt with, they would destroy Gondor!

"Pay close attention to that kingdom in the north! It will be your lifesaver in the future!" Turgon sighed, looking meaningfully at his grandson.

Turgon knew of Denethor's talent and vision, but Gondor had been in decline for too long! The only high-level combat force that Minas Tirith could muster was the single Key Keeper, Hullin! Comparing this to the high-level combat force of the Kingdom of Lagrange in the intelligence reports, it was undeniable that Gondor had fallen far behind in this aspect! (The Golden Generation from the War of the Ring was still training and hadn't yet matured.) Gondor was in an extremely awkward position; although it possessed a large basic military force, its high-level combat force was facing a severe shortage of capable successors.

“I understand, Grandpa… If that day ever comes, I will ask the Kingdom of Lagrange for help!” Denesor lowered his noble head. He had rarely bowed his head in his life, and even fewer times had he been forced to. Yet, reality was a frequent occurrence in his life…

"Alas... these are turbulent times!" Turgun gazed at the dark shadows in the distance, where Mount Mordor was located, and the Eye of the Demon King stood there!
……

"Teacher, am I a knight now?" Weiss asked idly, counting the stripes on Caslo's armor as he nestled in Caslo's arms.

"A half-finished product! No mount!" Before Caslo could tell the truth, Kaldo poured a bucket of cold water on Viss's head.

"It's not that exaggerated! There are plenty of Lagrange horses! You can pick whichever you like!" Caslo shook his head and smiled helplessly, indicating that Weiss didn't need to be discouraged.

"Huh? A horse!" Weiss said, somewhat uninterested.

"What? You think I'd catch you a dragon?" Caslo asked with a strange look.

"Mmm-hmm!" Weiss nodded.

"Good heavens, forget pure-blooded dragons! I might not even be able to find a whelp!" Caslo laughed and cried at the same time. Dragons are so rare! Especially young dragons, which are even rarer. Finding a young dragon that can be tamed is naturally extremely difficult, and you also have to get past its parents...

“Okay, I was greedy…” Weiss looked at Caslo with a wronged expression.

"Alright, alright, I'll catch you a Dragonblood Demon Beast when I have the chance!" Caslo, feeling uneasy under Weiss's gaze, reluctantly signed the "Dragon Selling" agreement.

……

"Get ready, we're going home! This is a chance to see your grandfather. Unless you become a Sky Knight too, you'll hardly see him again!" Caslo patted Weiss's head and said earnestly.

Weiss didn't speak, but stared blankly at the clouds below, lost in thought. Caslo glanced at him but didn't pay any more attention. After all, it was normal for the child to be emo during his first time away from home.

“Something’s not right! Caslo! That village…” Kaldo suddenly spoke up.

Having already arrived above the village, Kaldo exclaimed in disbelief to Caslo...

"What happened here? The entire village has been destroyed?" Caslo stood on the dragon's back, staring in horror at the nameless village that was now a river of blood.