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

Chapter 838 First meeting
"Where are they?" After a few seconds of stunned silence, Denessol II shuddered. He suddenly felt as if he had been sold out, and his group of people had been abandoned in the middle of nowhere.

"boom!"

Holfa ran over and opened his mouth to say something, but suddenly a figure fell from the sky and landed heavily on the ground.

"Greetings, Your Highness Denesor, we meet again!" Caslo bowed slightly to Denesor II, then nodded to Holfa. His aura was completely unreserved, and the terrifying pressure of a sixth-tier dragon knight commander emanated from him.

"Lord Caslo... Your Majesty, we meet again!" Holfa opened his mouth and said with a bitter tone. Holfa, who had just been promoted to Knight Commander a few years ago, thought he could show off in front of Caslo, but he did not expect that Caslo had already transformed into a sixth-level powerhouse. Holfa, who originally planned to show off, could only bite the bullet and respectfully address Caslo as Your Majesty...

"What? Aren't you going to challenge me this time?" Caslo teased with a playful expression.

"...You're joking!" Holfa said helplessly, his face dark. This guy had no shame at all! A challenge is for opponents of the same level to spar with each other. Holfa wasn't stupid enough to go looking for trouble with someone of a higher level, especially since his opponent was a dragon knight! How crazy would he be to challenge a sixth-tier dragon knight?
“Anthony has left first, and I will escort you on the rest of the journey!” Caslo nodded to the two of them, then summoned his dragon, Kaldor. The massive body of the storm dragon descended from the sky, and Caslo slung himself onto its back in one step! The entire movement was so graceful that Denetor II stared in disbelief.

“Very well!” Denesor II murmured, gazing enviously at Caslo riding on the dragon’s back, feeling a surge of longing and envy.

"Your Excellency Horfa, do you think it's possible for us to get a dragon..." King Denesor II stared blankly at Caslow with envy.

“I feel I also have the qualities of a dragon knight…” Denethor II’s eyes turned into those of a dragon knight.

"Your Highness! Absolutely not!" Horfa declared firmly. How could a mage become a dragon knight? In Horfa's eyes, Denethor II at this moment was like a Middle-earth version of Guo Baokun boasting to himself that he possessed the qualities of a great general...

"Heh~" With the blessing of the Dragon Rider, Caslo had heard the conversation between the two even though he hadn't flown very high. He couldn't help but chuckle. If Denethor II knew that there were not only dragon knights but also dragon warriors and dragon mages, he would probably go back and pester his old and middle Denethor for dragons.

……

A few days later, the group finally saw signs of human habitation. They arrived at the first inhabited settlement in the eastern part of the kingdom—Dragon Cliff Castle! While resting at Dragon Cliff Castle, Denethor II was attracted by the cliffs on the north bank of the swift current. These were naturally dotted caves that, if repaired and excavated, could be used as a habitat for dragons!
After fobbing off Denetor II, Caslo couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Luckily, the kingdom hadn't moved those dragons here yet; they were still living in the wastelands of the Lagrange Plain! Otherwise, Caslo figured Denetor II would be begging him for a dragon.

"...Your Highness, we're almost there!" Horfa said excitedly to Denethor II, looking at the distant city walls.

"Hmm... I saw it!" Denesor II's lips twitched. You saw it, how could I not see it? Am I blind?
"Whoosh~" A gust of wind swept across the sky, and when everyone looked up, they saw that Caslo, who had been escorting them all the way, had already ridden a dragon and flapped its wings to enter the capital of Lagrange.

"Someone's coming!" Holfa warned.

“Let’s go, let’s go!” Denesor II nodded, he too had seen the approaching knightly order.

"Boom!" Although the Royal Knights of Romenean were not as bloodthirsty as the Holy Glory Knights who had fought all the way, as a qualified knightly order of the empire, they were still disciplined and imposing! Before even arriving, Denesor II and his party felt an aura of clashing swords and galloping horses rushing towards them!

"Whoa!" The lead knight reined in his heavily armored warhorse, removed his helmet, and nodded to Denesol II and his entourage. The other knights also stopped their horses in unison and bowed with a thud.
"Greetings, Your Highness Denesor! I am Maple Forest Orchid, Grand Master of the Royal Knights of the Kingdom! On behalf of His Majesty Roland, I welcome you all!" Indeed, the visitor was none other than Maple Forest Orchid, who had been indulging in the pleasures of the land for quite some time. After all, the future "King of Gondor" was coming to visit, and it was only right and proper for the Kingdom of Lagrange to have someone presentable to greet him. As a kingdom founded on knighthood, showcasing its chivalrous prowess was an old tradition. Maple Forest Orchid was the only hero left in Lagrange City, so who else would go if not him?

"Greetings, Your Majesty! Thank you for your welcome. I am deeply honored and grateful!" Holfa stepped forward with his warhorse and spoke first. He noticed that the knight in front of him was also a sixth-tier knight.

Just as Denethor II, standing behind Horfa, was about to speak, Horfa stepped forward. Upon hearing Horfa's words, Denethor II's pupils constricted slightly. Another Tier 6? Has the Northern Territory become so treacherous? Tier 6 beings, rarely seen in the South, are commonplace in the North? No? Is the Northern Territory updating its meta this fast?
"Greetings, Your Majesty! Thank you for your trouble!" Denesor II regained his composure and maintained his noble demeanor, but he was genuinely shocked by the North; they truly possessed the strength to easily defeat the orcs!
Sauron was actually quite wronged at this point. What he didn't know was that Gondor and Rohan's power had both plummeted to rock bottom. However, fearing pressure from the righteous faction, Sauron didn't act rashly and instead decided to continue accumulating strength. This gave the Alliance a final chance to turn the tide. To be honest, by this time, the righteous faction was already harboring their own agendas. Or rather, Saruman's goal from the beginning was the One Ring. As for how much power the righteous faction could currently exert... Roland said it was a matter of opinion!
It's important to understand that the gods of this plane have perished! And Middle-earth has more than just five wizards! Unlike the original story, where the five wizards were demigods under the Maiar, the five wizards here are chosen wizards wielding artifacts! They can manipulate some of the gods' rules, and although their rank may not be high, their abilities are enough to make even Sauron wary. However, of the current five wizards, only Gandalf and Radagast are loyal to the Alliance, while Saruman harbors ulterior motives… The other two blue wizards, Alartar and Palendor, have already ventured deep into eastern Middle-earth; whether they have fallen is still uncertain!

Thus, Denetor II, with the air of a country bumpkin seeing the world, entered the royal city of Lagrange and met King Roland, who was waiting for him in the hall.

"Your Majesty Roland, at your service!" Denethor II performed an elegant and standard noble salute.

"No need for formalities, welcome, Your Highness Denessol!" Roland nodded to him.

At this moment, Denesor II was extremely excited. He had found what he was looking for! The most elite troops of the Lagrange Kingdom were here! Upon entering the city, he carefully observed every army he saw. Their iron-blooded and resolute spirit captivated Denesor II! This was the army he had dreamed of!