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

Chapter 942 Roland's Desire

"Phew~ That was a bit scary..." Roland looked in the direction where Marquis Al-Tegran Franz had been dragged away, still feeling lingering fear, and began to recall the past of the Franz family in his mind.

As Roland recalled the Franz family's life story, he twitched his lips and sighed helplessly, "What an eccentric family, but they seem to be a little too loyal..."

Thinking back to when Marquis Al-Tegran Franz called him "the sun," Roland trembled all over, goosebumps rising on his skin. What an outrageous title! He wasn't a general; there was no need for him to cry and jump around like that…

……

"Crackling!" The flames of the campfire flickered, and a few sparks danced and swirled before disappearing into the air, leaving only a lingering warmth that slowly dissipated.

"Is everything arranged?" Roland sat down by the warm campfire and handed over the roasted meat in his hand.

"It was made by Your Majesty yourself! Then it would be disrespectful for me to refuse!" Duke Giorstedia said very respectfully.

"Be serious!" Roland rolled his eyes.

"Where is His Majesty Nyx?" Joelster asked curiously, looking at the empty space next to Roland.

“She went back! That girl isn’t like us rough men, she can’t withstand wind and rain!” Roland said with a hint of heartache.

"...So we're just going to stand here in the wind and rain?" Joelster grinned.

"Even food can't shut you up?" Roland complained, arms crossed.

"Alright, alright, the sun is right!" Joelsteria's eyes were full of teasing and mockery.

"...I knew Darian Nightblade was unreliable!" Roland's forehead veins throbbed, and he clenched his fists. He knew perfectly well who was behind this! Who else but Darian Nightblade would dare to make fun of His Majesty the King?

"It's alright, it's alright, Marquis Al-Tegran Franz is also loyal to you! Although his words may be a bit extreme, his loyalty is guaranteed!" Joelsteria solemnly told Roland. Clearly, as a member of the Vladivostok family of the Swift Hand, he knew all too well the value of the Franz family as royal lackeys! The Empire held virtually no secrets for its two powerful allies, and Joelsteria probably knew more than Roland about how the Franz family rose to power! "Is that extreme? He's practically a CX leader!" Roland thought to himself. With that kind of attitude, being thrown into North Korea would be his true destiny! After all, the real sun is there!

“I have no doubt about the Franz family’s loyalty, but Marquis Al-Tegran Franz still needs to prove himself!” Roland did not object to Giorsteda’s words. Although the people brought by the system would certainly be loyal to him, Giorsteda did not know this. Roland naturally needed to show the suspicion of a normal monarch; otherwise, his indifferent attitude would make Giorsteda doubt the legitimacy of Roland as king. For a subject, an unpredictable emperor’s heart is not a bad thing. A king with a heart as deep as the sea can certainly lead the country further than a king whose true nature can be seen through at a glance!

"Yes, Your Majesty, all these people have been settled. Do you have any further instructions?" Duke Joelster didn't dwell on the Franz family with Roland. After all, this family had little to do with the Swift Hand. They didn't rely on noble marriages for survival; instead, they depended on the monarchy for their existence. They were the non-bloodline high-ranking nobles with the strongest affinity for the royal family! As long as this Marquis Franz wasn't completely out of his mind, he would definitely learn how to deal with Roland!

"Pay close attention to disease prevention! Have the priests keep a close watch, lest a plague break out in the capital!" Roland's face darkened at the mention of the plague, after all, someone had shamelessly used the Ancient Tomb Corpse Demon to spread the plague and frame the North! As for other difficulties? Don't worry! They won't kill the Lagranges!

"With these people, I don't think we need to bring in civilians from Swiftstream City to fill the population gap here! These people are a real lifesaver!" Duke Joelster wiped his mouth, put down the roasted meat in his hand, and said seriously.

"Indeed, relocating people is a waste of resources and manpower! Before, we had no choice, but now we have other options and we don't have to torment the people anymore!" Roland sighed, after all, he had truly suffered! Whose capital city is the most sparsely populated area in the country? Stop looking! It's you! King Roland!

"Hurry up and gather the population! Build a city belt along the Swift River as soon as possible! Utilize the Swift River for navigation!" King Roland delivered an important speech and gave crucial instructions in the tent! Duke Joelster, the only listener, nodded and clapped, sometimes listening intently and sometimes burying his head in notes, almost as if he were about to jump up and shout "Sun!" like Marquis Al-Tegran Franz!

"Get me ten cities right now! I want the Mage Tower!" Roland roared inwardly. He didn't really care about the mage legacy, since the birth of mages required a huge population base, and that was about winning in the future, not now! He couldn't very well bring out his mage legacy when fighting Sauron later, could he?

“The construction of a city takes time! Your Majesty, you need to be patient. We are working hard…” Although Joelster did not understand why Roland was in such a hurry to urbanize, it did not stop him from acting in accordance with the king’s will!

"Alright..." Roland knew this couldn't be rushed, but he was still a little frustrated. After all, the reward was hanging there, and Roland wasn't a saint. With the Mage Tower, Roland could synthesize Lulong Fortress into a complete Imperial War Fortress!

Mage Tower! Imperial High-Level Mage Tower! War Fortress! Lulong Fortress! Lend me your Imperial Iron Fist! Magic Fusion—Ultimate War Fortress!

I am the ultimate war fortress! I will protect the people and repel the darkness! War fortress in invincible form!

Good heavens! Little Wei is up here in a flash! He gives off a vibe of a new generation of debt kingpins, but with the Mage Tower, the War Fortress isn't just a lifeless structure anymore! Spatial jumps that distort space and lock onto spatial anchor points through the Magic Hub—are you scared yet?! You won't come looking for me? I'll come looking for you in my War Fortress! Desperate? Honey! Do you understand the oppressive feeling of a War Fortress coming your way?

The key issue is that the location of Lulong Fortress is quite awkward. It used to be the southern gate of the kingdom (city-state)... Now it has become the heartland of the empire. Who would build a fortress in their own territory? It's not like the Donghuang and Jiliu Fortresses, which at least served to protect Lagrange City. The Lulong Fortress is now useless except for guarding the Jiliu River!

“Your Majesty… Grand Duke Oakrian Yasso requests an audience!” Darion Nightblade’s voice rang out from outside the tent.

"I don't want to see it!" Roland said instinctively.

“Okay… how about it?” Darian Nightblade outside the door made a sudden change in his tone, clearly feeling insecure about Roland’s answer.

"No, wait! Let him in!" Roland slapped his forehead, his temper flaring up with Darian Nightblade, almost ruining the important business. Darian Nightblade has ruined my plans! He should be dragged out and beheaded!

"Your Majesty..." After entering, Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso glanced at Duke Joelsteria, who was enjoying his meal, and winked at him. When he realized that Duke Joelsteria had not received his signal, he could only bow respectfully to Roland.