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

Chapter 1041 Sword Pointing to the Journey

"Little guy, come with me!" Roland's face revealed a lewd smile. Although the effects of the winged elemental spirits were not as expected, they were still a great help to the kingdom. When the coverage area was large enough, even a small amplification would snowball into a huge snowball!
"Oh?" Roland exclaimed in surprise, because there was no resistance to his contract at all, as if the creature in front of him was a dazed child, only instinct controlling its actions.

"It's just as you think. The two-winged elemental spirit has no intelligence, only the most ignorant instincts. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to catch it so easily. You know, elemental spirits are aggregates of elements. Their small bodies contain enormous elemental energy. Otherwise, do you think this thing could trap it?" Doss said calmly.

“Two-winged elemental spirit…” Roland didn’t speak, but simply opened the system and quickly found the two-winged wood elemental spirit located below Doss in the personal contract section.

Two-Winged Elemental Spirit (Wood): A darling of nature, a natural being formed by the unexpected convergence of elements from heaven and earth. It possesses only basic survival instincts and no offensive capabilities. It has the power to transform decaying plants into something magical, amplifying crops within its domain by slightly increasing their growth rate and fruit production! (There is a low probability that it can create magical potions by imbuing plants with natural energy!) When natural elements are abundant, there is a chance it will evolve into a four-winged elemental spirit! It can provide advanced amplification for wood-attribute elements! It can be used as a magical material for alchemy!
"6!" Roland's vision blurred. The first part was alright, but the last sentence almost made him dumbfounded. This kind of natural life form, a treasure that can be sustainably exploited, is being used as a disposable consumable? What kind of nonsense is this, so extravagant! And isn't using this thing as an experience card going too far?

"This thing can be used for alchemy?" Roland communicated with Doss in his mind using his mental powers.

"Of course! My knight, why do you ask that? Are you planning to use it for alchemy to make magical equipment? Forgive my bluntness, but using a wood elemental spirit like that is a bit of a waste!" Doss advised. Although he was young, the memories inherited in his bloodline clearly told him that elemental spirits were not used in this way.

"Waste? Does that mean there's something that isn't wasteful?" Roland's eyelids twitched.

"The Empire's elven weapons are crafted using these elemental spirits as their core!" Doss said, seeing Roland's bewildered expression.

"???"

“Wood elemental spirits have production value, but there are always some elemental spirits with certain attributes that do not. When a family obtains an elemental spirit but does not have a corresponding potion or any exchange value, its only use is alchemy. Of course, it can also be used to break through levels, but such a luxury is generally not something anyone would do! Exchanging an elemental spirit that has no value for a starting epic-level equipment is a very worthwhile thing for a small family!” Doss explained.

"Isn't it good to keep it? It'll be useful someday, won't it?" Roland asked, puzzled.

“The cost of raising such a small creature is not something everyone can afford! The minor nobles don’t have the resources to keep such a thing around for free. The best way to ensure the continuation of the family is to convert it into existing resources!” Doss said helplessly. Not every family can afford to keep such a hot potato around for free.

"Cost? This thing needs to be raised? I remember it's just free-range, isn't it?" Roland was taken aback at first, then exclaimed in surprise. "You should have said it would cost money to raise it!"
"You're not short of resources! Exchanging a tiny bit of magic crystals for thousands of acres of fertile land is a huge profit for you! Aren't those magic crystals all free money for you?" Dos rolled his eyes. In terms of value, the increased grain production was probably less valuable than the magic crystals consumed by the elemental spirits, but from a national perspective, Roland could be laughing all the way to the bank for ensuring national food security. After all, those magic crystals were "borrowed" from fellow monsters in the wasteland. Dos, who had spent years nestled in Roland's arms, knew all too well the value of this dilapidated house in the Kingdom of Lagrang.

“Well said!” Roland nodded. “I’ll remember this!” Roland put away the elemental spirit and tucked it into his pocket. Then, he reached out and patted Caslo on the shoulder. Once the kingdom was stable, Caslo was destined to become one of the most prominent nobles in the court. The fact that many people didn’t have titles now wasn’t because Roland was mean-spirited, but because the base of power was too small. Granting a bunch of noble titles would be no different from making monkeys wear crowns. Roland didn’t want to create that abstract medieval scenario where a village chief was king.
……

"Are we just leaving like this? Why not stay a couple more days?" Thorin muttered to Roland, his face flushed, as the army slowly set off.

"Are you planning to stay a couple more days? I'm almost embarrassed to call you out on it..." Roland shook the water pouch at Thorin's waist, and a gurgling sound came from inside.

"You're practically spitting out the smell of alcohol! If you like Beorn's drinks, just buy some and take them with you! You're not short of money!" Roland shrugged helplessly. Thorin's mead scent was so strong, it was no wonder he reacted this way. The Beorn were quite skilled at brewing and making pastries. It wasn't surprising that a race like the dwarves, easily swayed by alcohol, had fallen for it. After all, back when everyone was starving, the dwarves actually used their spatial equipment to traverse mountains and valleys to import beer...

"Hehe!" Thorin chuckled awkwardly, not annoyed at all. He simply shouldered his longsword (Beastbite Sword) and followed the main group.

"Thank you for your trouble. We need to get going. Thank you for the hospitality of the Beorn family!" Roland and Thranduil caught up on their mounts after thanking the city guards and saying goodbye.

"Shall we go to Karok now?" Thranduil asked.

“Yes, the territory of the Beorn is a vital link in this lifeline. We cannot put our lifeline in danger. This is not just about helping them! We need to deal with the orc forces in the Gangbada Mountains. It seems we didn’t fight them hard enough in the past few years!” Roland shook his head.

Orcs are known for their resilience; since the War of the Six Armies, they've suffered heavy casualties in every battle, especially the orcs of Gombard, whose losses were second only to those of the orcs in the Misty Forest. However, the fall of Dolgodor Fortress due to the betrayal of the Three Rings' Sernar has significantly weakened its high-end combat capabilities, and they've become much more subdued. Conversely, the orc forces in the Gombard Mountains seem to be launching a full-scale attack, currently dominating the Misty Mountains, kicking the isolated forest hills, and incidentally slapping the narrow valley controlled by the Beorn! Roland thinks he really needs to control this!
“Then let’s fight!” Thranduil agreed decisively.

"..." Roland glanced sideways at Thranduil, as if to say, "So you finally feel the pain of being whipped, huh? You should know that the dark forces of Gombad played a significant role in the Woodland Kingdom's success in closing itself off from the world! The Woodland Elves' territory was once confined to the banks of the Magic Stream. It would be a miracle if Thranduil disagreed. Wouldn't it be better to use the Alliance's money to do their own thing?"
"Ahem!" Perhaps Roland's teasing gaze was too obvious, Thranduil, riding his moon stag, coughed twice to cover up his embarrassment.

“Let’s go! Let’s go meet those orcs and see what trouble they’re up to this time.” Roland shook his head.

"Hopefully we'll encounter a lone Ringwraith, so we can take one down!" Thranduil stroked his scimitar.

(End of this chapter)