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

Chapter 928 Royal Hounds

"Get the hell out of here! I've outlived you!" A look of displeasure flashed in Marquis Al-Tegran Franz's eyes. He's long dead! Now he remembers me?

"I apologize, it was too chaotic at the time. Everyone was trying to break through, and I couldn't find any nobles in the chaos..." A trace of sorrow flashed in Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso's eyes. Those imperial nobles who had shared drinks with him were scattered in the massive, steel torrent of orcs. Countless nobles were missing, their fate unknown. Because of the setbacks in the Northern Frontier, the Empire had been diverting troops from the safer Eastern Frontier garrison. As a result, the Northern Wall of the Eastern Frontier was suddenly breached by the orc army! Most fatally, the enemy came from behind!

"..." Marquis Al-Tegran Franz closed his eyes, tilting his head back to try to hold back his tears. His family and the royal guards bestowed by the emperor had all sacrificed themselves while covering his breakout, ultimately sending him into the crowd of people fleeing north.

"Where is Your Highness headed this time?" Marquis Al-Tegran Franz stroked his golden beard, his shrewd eyes revealing scrutiny.

“Go home!” Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso shook his head without saying anything more.

"Go home? Do we even have a home anymore?" Al-Tegran Franz sneered. They hadn't seen any trace of the Kingdom of Avalon since they came out of the eastern mountains, which undoubtedly meant that the Empire was truly finished! As a vassal state of the Lagran Empire, which was only able to stay in one corner of the country, the Avalon elves had already perished, let alone the Empire on the main battlefield. Moreover, along their journey, the northern lands, which should have been the empire's pastureland, were now full of orc burrows!

“Just going back to take a look. Everyone should have something to look forward to. Go back to Lagrange City for one last look… just one last look…” Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso’s voice lowered. No one could face the grief of a broken homeland.

"If the empire really is gone... what do you plan to do?" Marquis Al-Tegran Franz glanced at Grand Duke Okrian Yaso, looking ready to unleash a torrent of abuse at the slightest provocation.

"What kind of look is that? Let me tell you, I have no interest in that position!" Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso was provoked by the scrutinizing gaze of Marquis Al-Tegran Franz, and quickly stood up, waving his arms to prove his innocence.

"...I haven't even said anything yet, and isn't your Gale family an electoral family? It's hard to believe what you're saying!" Al-Tegran Franz looked at me with a disbelieving expression.

"Hiss... Don't you know why the Gale family went to the Eastern Territory?!" Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso's face twitched. The Gale family went to the Eastern Territory to become grand dukes in order to escape the political vortex. After all, the family's bloodline was very convincing in the empire!

"To accumulate strength to reclaim the throne?" Marquis Al-Tegran Franz retorted.

"You... if the Swiftflow family wanted this, you would have been calling my ancestors 'Your Majesty' by now!" Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso roared. Had the Franz family become stupid from serving the emperor? Did they think everyone was going to rebel? The emperor might be reduced to ashes by now, and you'd still be wagging your tail like that.

"His Majesty has treated you well! You mustn't do anything foolish!" Marquis Al-Tegran Franz warned, though he was alone at the moment, his aura was as if he had a thousand troops standing behind him!

"Didn't you have a serious illness?" Archduke Oakrian Yaso asked, his eyelids twitching. He had only thought the Franz family was a bit abstract before, but now he realized that this serious illness was not something trivial!

"The empire is not yet extinct, so even if you are an elector, it is not your turn to inherit that position!" Marquis Al-Tegran Franz warned. Clearly, the electors would not be eligible to inherit the position until the royal family was extinct.

"Nonsense!" Archduke Oakrian Yaso's face twitched as he looked at the serious-looking Al Tegrand Franz, a sense of powerlessness rising from the bottom of his heart.

“Don’t say I have no interest in that position! I’ll just ask you one question! What year is it today?” Archduke Oakrian Yaso’s eyes were filled with sarcasm as he spoke, then he spread his arms to indicate the wasteland behind him that had once been the imperial pastures!

Grand Duke Ocrean Yaso could clearly see Marquis Al-Tegran Franz's pupils suddenly contract. Although he concealed it quickly, Grand Duke Ocrean Yaso still noticed the fleeting panic in his expression. However, Grand Duke Ocrean Yaso did not point it out. It was like waking up to find the world back in prehistoric times; anyone would be completely bewildered!

"Remember, as long as the royal family exists, you will always be just a prince!" Marquis Al-Tegran Franz still chose to give Archduke Oakrian Yaso a verbal warning. After saying that, he walked towards the campfire in the distance without waiting for Archduke Oakrian Yaso to speak. There, a group of soldiers were preparing to cook a pot of porridge for everyone to eat.

"...Is this the patriarch of the Franz family? So eccentric?" Oakrian Ryukin whispered to Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso.

“Ahem… That’s normal. Guess what this family managed to rise from peddler to marquis?” Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso chuckled and shook his head.

"What?" Oakrian Ryukin asked curiously. Since he wasn't the one in charge of the family, he naturally didn't need to remember the history of each noble's rise to power and their characteristics. Anyway, if anything happened, it would be Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso who would take the blame. Hearing this for the first time immediately ignited a raging fire of gossip.

"Ability alone is not enough; loyalty is also necessary... Loyalty alone is not enough; ability is also required! Humble origins are not a disgrace; the ability to bend and stretch is what makes a true man! The Franz family has climbed into the royal family's favor step by step through their loyalty to the emperor and their excellent system for selecting heirs!"

“But the Twin Fists of the Empire isn’t positioned like that…” Oakrian Ryukin hesitated, thinking that the positions of these families seemed to overlap! After all, the Twin Fists had never lost in terms of loyalty and ability!

"Do you really think two fists are loyal?" Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso asked with a slight smile.

“No! Their loyalty is to this country! To this race! They… are not kneeling before the emperor, but before the myriad people of this world!” Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso said calmly.

“The two fists need not prove their loyalty to the royal family, nor do they need to! This empire already belongs to them! They... are the pillars of the empire who voluntarily gave up the Electorate!” Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso exclaimed.

"Wait, Yasuo, I'm a bit confused. What you're saying is too convoluted! I don't understand..." Oakrian Ryujin tapped his head.

“It’s good that you don’t understand. If people could be as pure as swords, how wonderful that would be!” Grand Duke Okrian Yaso shook his head with a wry smile.

"The rise of the Franz family is precisely because of their loyalty to the Emperor! In other words, they are not loyal to the country, but to the royal family of the country! Every generation of the Franz family patriarch is frighteningly clear-headed. Their goals are firm, their minds are pure, and they are willing to sacrifice their own honor and reputation for the Emperor. Who wouldn't like such gloves?" Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso said helplessly.

"This...this is just being a dog? This..." Oakrian Ryukin was stunned. He thought he had some extraordinary abilities, but this is all?

“Every family has its own way of surviving. Just focus on doing your own thing, and we don’t need to pay attention to others…” Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso waved his hand and said.