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

Chapter 882 The Reason for the Empire's Favor!
After discussing with Joelsteria and Yunfeng for a while, Roland summoned Knight Commander Nogai.

"Your Majesty!" Nogai knelt on one knee before Roland, offering his loyalty with utmost restraint.

"Rise!" Roland gestured for Nogai to rise. His imposing presence was so overwhelming that it was impossible for ordinary people to ignore him. Apart from the earliest followers of Roland, everyone else would be intimidated by his pressure! Keep in mind that from the start of his rebellion in 2941 of the Third Age to the end of 2952, Roland had been here for 11 years! He was now a 27-year-old adult! (Compared to the longevity of the Lagranges, Roland had only lived about one-tenth of his life so far.)

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Nogai stood up stiffly.

Roland didn't say anything special about this. As the kingdom grew larger, Roland, as king and even future emperor, needed to project more and more authority. Maintaining a proper distance from his subordinates became crucial. Naturally, the treatment of veterans who had helped him rise to power and newcomers couldn't be the same. The McDougal family was fortunate enough to catch the last train of the founding of the kingdom; otherwise, even the McDougal family, as the Dragon Commander's family, would have had an invisible generation gap with Roland.

“There’s a problem. Come and take a look at these!” Roland gently tapped the railing, gesturing for Nogay to look at the things in the yard.

Nogai obediently peeked out and immediately showed a surprised expression. A group of griffins were huddled together listlessly, their eyes full of wariness and fear of the unfamiliar environment.

"Your Majesty..." Nogai hesitated, unable to finish his sentence.

"These are griffins from the Gray Mountains, which I just captured!" Roland said proudly, shamelessly taking all the credit for himself. This move left the usually composed Caslo speechless. The credit for the team of eight dragons and six people all going to you? By all accounts, Caslo, who used the Azure Sky Corridor, should have taken the lion's share, while Chasing Light, who activated the Void Seal: Time Stop, should have taken the lion's share!

"Your Majesty is mighty!" Nogai said respectfully, patting his chest.

"Hmm, you're easy to listen to. I called you here today to see if you can train a batch of qualified air knight reserves?" Roland said calmly.

“Duke Joelsteria said that the Sky Knights are of the same lineage. Since you are the instructor of the Wyvern Knights, you naturally have the ability to train Griffin Knights!” Roland continued.

"..." Nogai was silent for a few seconds before speaking.

"Your Majesty, although the Sky Knights are of the same lineage, I cannot deceive you. There are subtle differences between Griffin Knights and Dragon Knights. Aerial combat is not like land combat; a slight error can lead to a huge difference! If you only require qualified reserve Griffin Knights who can take off and land, I can reluctantly do so, but truly qualified Griffin Knights... I'm afraid I am incapable!" Nogai said respectfully. It wasn't that he was being modest, but rather that the entire Lagrange Kingdom currently didn't have a single proper Griffin Knight! The Griffin Knights trained by Caslo were at best ordinary knights who could ride griffins! "Is there a difference? Aren't all Sky Knights the same? Aside from the difference between Dragon Knights and ordinary Sky Knights?" Roland frowned, and even the others showed expressions of listening intently. Only Caslo belatedly seemed to understand.

"Ha! Your Majesty is joking..." Nogai gave a wry smile and then began to break down Roland's details.

"Aside from the Dragon Knights, the roles of the remaining three main Sky Knights are actually different..."

"Although the weakest Pegasus Knights have the lowest combat strength among the Sky Knights, they are large in number, have a high training rate, are quick to form an army, and are easy to replenish! Apart from a few rare Pegasus races, most Pegasus Sky Knights are high-level cannon fodder!" Nogai shook his head. Pegasus's reproduction rate is faster than other flying magical beasts. If the environment is suitable, Pegasus can even achieve a terrifying reproduction rate of 1 to 2 litters every two years! Moreover, compared to the long growth period of other magical beasts, Pegasus can be enlisted after three or four years of age.

“Hmm!” Roland looked at the others, and they all nodded in agreement. After all, the Pegasus was once the preferred choice for commoner air knights in the empire, and many minor nobles had their own Pegasus Knights! (Empire's powerful viscounts and border barons could easily afford a Pegasus Knights if they gritted their teeth; compared to ordinary knights, the cost of a Pegasus Knights was only slightly higher.)
"The strongest dragon knight, His Majesty Caslo, was once a member of the dragon knights. Everyone should know the advantages of dragon knights. Dragons possess combat power second only to true dragons. Armored dragons in battle will not fear any enemy except dragon knights! It's just that they are the most expensive!"

“Next up are the Griffin Knights! Griffin Knights are somewhere in between. Although their breeding costs are higher than those of Pegasus, they pale in comparison to Wyverns. Their combat power is neither too high nor too low, which is just right. They are perfectly positioned as an elite knight order!” Nogai said confidently.

“But this involves the different ways the three air knights are used! Compared to the Pegasus Knights’ quick training and the Wyvern Knights’ emphasis on close combat strategies, the Griffin Knights value coordinated group attacks! They need to undergo strict discipline training to achieve synchronized attacks, which is something the other two air knights do not possess, and this is something I cannot help with!” Nogai shrugged.

Although all air knights ultimately reach the same goal, their different combat styles lead to vastly different training methods, which is fatal! In other words, the Griffin Knights maximize damage through their high-energy combo attacks. Their strict discipline and synchronized movements are what make the Griffin Knights so terrifying. The Griffin Knights' Glory Skills are fragile; they cannot perfectly guarantee that everyone is within the skill's range like the land knights, especially in chaotic battles. In such situations, air knights can only rely on their individual bravery to fight!

The Pegasus Knights could overcome their numerical superiority, and the Dragon Knights could similarly crush their opponents with their superior quality. Only the Griffin Knights, caught in the middle, chose to fight magic with magic! The disciplined, synchronized attacks of the Griffin Knights allowed them to maintain their Glory skill status during their dive attacks! This meant the enemy was facing a true knightly order that flew through the skies!

So… guess why a mediocre air knight unit sandwiched in the middle could be favored by the Lagrange Empire? The truth is, you may not believe the Emperor's aesthetic sense or judgment, but you must acknowledge the rigorous selection process of the Empire's noble clans! Because the Griffin Knights truly can breach strategic points that even dragon knights cannot! A war fortress might be able to instantly kill a half-naked dragon knight who shows his face, but facing a Griffin Knight unit with square banners, that war fortress should at least be prepared for one wall to be cleared!
You think the Dragon Slayer Crossbow in the Dragon Tower can kill a Dragon Knight with a single shot? Actually, a well-organized Griffin Knights formation can maintain their Glory Ability while dodging heavy crossbow bolts during a high-speed charge and then charge onto your walls!

Imperial Noble: Don't underestimate the bond between me and my nine clans! Are you keeping useless troops to live like parasites because you think I've lived too long in this treacherous world?
(End of this chapter)