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

Chapter 963 Leaving
"Oh right! Where are Grand Duke Oakrian and his swordsman?" Roland suddenly remembered the two most important people. After all, Caslo and the others' actions were due to these two. Otherwise, the dragon knights of the kingdom who were protecting them would never have crossed the Swift River!
"I didn't see them! They must have run away!" Maple Forest Orchid said uncertainly after a moment of surprise.

"Should?" Roland's eyelids twitched. This tone was unsettling! If these two had fallen into the hands of the Ringwraiths, Roland's reputation would have been ruined for life... Without a doubt, future "historians" would have smeared Roland with all sorts of accusations when they looked back on this history, calling him intolerant and petty, and finally concluding that he would have earned the rare title of "tyrant"!
"We didn't find any trace of them when we went there, and the fighting was so intense... Surely these two aren't idiots?" Maple Forest Orchid's face was full of surprise, after all, these two were guards stationed at the Great Wall! They had a good eye for situations; after all, while imperial nobles treated imperial citizens like human beings, they were far from being considered human to foreign races and adversaries...

The Imperial settlers were notorious for their ruthlessness and unscrupulousness! The fiefdom nobles, inheriting their legacy, took this tradition to the next level! They were adept at guerrilla warfare when things were tough, and plundering when things were going well! Good people can't be nobles; in terms of strategic thinking, the Imperial nobles were incredibly skilled. If they had a Mount & Blade attribute chart, you'd see a row of Politics +5 and +3. To paraphrase a Chinese proverb—"Those who exploit opportunities are the heroes!"

"I don't think they need to fight the Ringwraiths to the death!" Maple Forest Orchid asserted, simply because he was also a nobleman and understood the mindset of the nobility! The reasons why nobles would fight to the death were nothing more than: irresistible benefits, matters concerning the survival of their family, military orders from the Emperor, and blood feuds ingrained in their bones! Clearly, Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso didn't fit any of these categories. While a young, hot-blooded ranger might draw his sword against the Ringwraiths out of a sense of justice, for Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso, at his age and level, to fight a peak sixth-tier Ringwraith to the death without any benefit would be incredibly foolish!
“That makes sense, then let’s not pay attention to them for now…” Roland nodded. The reason he relaxed was not only because of Maple Forest Orchid’s persuasion, but also because of the good status of his subjects in the system panel. Caslo’s status was already red, but there was no movement at all for the two Okrian family members.

In fact, Maple Forest Orchid's guess was correct. The moment he sensed the Ringwraith, Grand Duke Ocrean Yasor fled with Ocrean Ryukin. Grand Duke Ocrean Yasor, who also had his family to revive, would never be so foolish as to go and fight the Ringwraith.

……

"By the Dragon God! The kingdom has gone to war with those bastards?" Oakrian Ryukin exclaimed in horror, watching the aftershocks behind him.

“Oh no, this might be our doing…” Unlike Oakrian Ryukin’s exclamation, Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso immediately gave a wry smile. As an Imperial Grand Duke and a former monarch on horseback, he possessed the same war experience as other feudal nobles and the strategic vision of a high-ranking officer. Based on his experience, he could easily deduce that the Kingdom’s reinforcements and the Ringwraiths had run into each other and were fighting fiercely…

"We caused this?" Okrian Ryukin shrank back, somewhat alarmed. That level of commotion couldn't be explained without a powerful forbidden spell. Had he and the Grand Duke really gotten themselves into trouble? Wouldn't this escalate into a full-scale war...?

"It's alright, don't worry about it! King Roland should have known this would happen when he sent me out!" Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso calmly shook his head, an indescribable noble aura emanating from him. Looking at the calm Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso, Oakrian Ryukin couldn't help but straighten his chest, tears welling up in his eyes. This is our Oakrian family patriarch! This is our Elector of Lagrange!
Grand Duke Ocrean Yaso spoke calmly, as if in a superior position. He felt neither guilty nor indebted. As a Grand Duke of the Empire, he was loyal to the masters of Lagrang, but as the master of the country, he also had to provide shelter for his subjects. There was no reason for serving the king to have to take risks himself! That was unfair!

"So we're just going to leave it like this?" Okrian Ryukin frowned, feeling that it wasn't right for the two of them to just run away like this...

"His Majesty's orders were to plant spies in the two southern kingdoms, not to have me fight the Ringwraiths head-on!" Archduke Oakrian Yaso chuckled.

"As for the remaining concerns, they are a reflection of his ability as king. After all, a king needs to play a role, right?" This would be considered disrespectful to other nobles, but Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso said it with a smile. This was because he was also from an electoral family and had the right to criticize the emperor's mistakes. It was not uncommon for the head of an electoral family in the Imperial Council during the imperial era to fight with the Emperor of Lagrange. After all, in the council, everyone addressed each other as uncles and cousins!

“Alright.” Oakrian Ryukin didn’t understand politics, but he understood his patriarch. He would naturally follow the patriarch’s lead if the patriarch approved of something.

"I don't know who won or lost. The kingdom's current strength doesn't allow for recklessness. I hope His Majesty won't launch a distant expedition..." Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso suddenly sighed softly. From his interactions with Roland, he knew that this seemingly mediocre and untalented king possessed the purest pride of the Lagrange royal family! This was the key to Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso's quick acceptance of the king and his obedience to his commands. That spirit of "all land under heaven belongs to the king, and all people within the realm are his subjects" was not something every ruler possessed! In him, Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso saw the shadow of the "reckless" emperors of Lagrange throughout history!

“No way? His Majesty seems quite kind and gentle to me…” Okrian Ryukin frowned. In his mind, the kind and simple king, who was like a saint, would “revert to his ancestral ways”? The bloodline of the Lagrange royal family is indeed strong!

"What kind of docile sheep can the ruler of a nation that turns swords into plowshares be? The Lagrange Empire was founded on horseback! The Lagrange Kingdom was restored on horseback! Emperors who rise from the ashes on horseback are all utter madmen!" Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso shook his head with a wry smile. The thrill of life and death brought by extreme force can be addictive! A kingdom that wields the dragon knight's club is equally terrifyingly strong!
"..." A flicker of fear flashed in Oakrian Ryukin's eyes. The Sword Saint could only kill ten thousand men in a single battle, but a single imperial edict from the emperor could cause millions of corpses to lie in the Northern Territory and rivers of blood to flow for thousands of miles!
"I hope Your Majesty can restrain your desires..." Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso sincerely wished. A nation caught in the wheels of war may grow stronger, but a ruler caught in the wheels of war will surely lead the nation into the abyss!

……

At this moment, Roland was unaware that the two people he cared about were gossiping about him behind his back. Even if he did know, Roland would probably just smile wryly. He wasn't some chosen one of Khorne, so there was no reason for him to shout "kill, kill, kill!" all the time! On the other hand, a certain bald charlatan who served the dragon god had the potential to evolve into a follower of Khorne... Come on, guys, give him a report!
My family members are back to life! Please vote with your monthly tickets and give me a reward!