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

Chapter 1049 A Warning of a Human Head
"Tsk!" Roland sighed. He had originally planned to have Marquis Al-Tegran Franz switch from politics to military, since the move he made against Pion was incredibly underhanded. Anyone who saw a mage in a robe would subconsciously assume that he was weak and helpless, and then switch to his weapon to strike his weak point... A set of underhanded combos sounded wonderful, but unfortunately, switching classes would require "standing still to exchange blows," which would be a bit of a loss.

"What level should your true combat strength be?" Roland asked, looking up.

"..." Marquis Al-Tegran Franz was unusually hesitant, his face slightly flushed as he stammered, finding it difficult to speak.

“That subject is a civil official, in charge of logistics… not skilled in combat, and is inferior to other generals. However, my loyalty is beyond doubt, and I am willing to fight to the last moment for Your Majesty! The Franz family’s loyalty to Your Majesty is as clear as day!” Marquis Al-Tegran Franz said, downplaying the seriousness of the matter while also offering his loyalty.

“Speak like a human being…” Roland said speechlessly, covering his forehead.

"My mage is invincible against third-tier enemies, and my assassin is invincible against fourth-tier enemies!" Marquis Al-Tegran Franz laughed heartily.

"..." Roland's eyelid twitched. Fine! They're the ceiling of their level, and you're just a floor tile? Does that mean you're the gatekeeper of the level hierarchy?
"It's alright, get some rest..." Roland waved his hand dejectedly and said helplessly.

“Yes, Your Majesty. Please rest early! If you need anything, please feel free to give me your orders! My tent is right next to me…” Marquis Al-Tegran Franz gave an elegant bow and withdrew.

"Ha!" Roland chuckled to himself as he thought about it; he was truly at a loss...

……

"What's wrong? What's wrong?" Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso pulled aside a crowd of onlookers and squeezed inside.

"Make way! Make way!" Oakrian Ryukin used his sword to block the desperately pushing crowd.

"Ah!" The people in the core cried out in surprise, and then scattered and squeezed outwards.

"What happened? Summon the soldiers! Quickly!" Count Lemon panicked at the sight of the surging crowd. He thought a civil uprising had broken out and hurriedly summoned soldiers to protect himself. After all, he knew how much resentment and fear these residents, forced to leave their homes, felt under the blades of the orc wolf riders. Descriptions of the horrific massacres by the wolf riders had already spread throughout the camp, and by the time Grand Duke Okrian Yaso tried to stop it, the rumors had distorted it into all sorts of bizarre tales!

……

"By the Dragon God! What is this? Who gave you permission to bring out this thing? This is blasphemy!" Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso finally squeezed in, but his face darkened after just one glance. On the ground was a head with wide-open, angry eyes, its face pale and ashen due to the cold weather.

"Where did this head come from? Why isn't it buried? What is this?!" Oakrian Ryukin picked up the colorful cloth wrapped around the head from the ground. When he unfolded it, he found it was a flag he didn't recognize, but he could understand the universal language written in blood on it.

"Is this the fate of the rebels? Those who sheltered you will eventually howl under Oak's blade?" Oakrian Ryukin looked at the head on the ground and then at the purplish-black writing on the banner. His eyes compared the two and he realized that it was clearly written with the blood from the severed neck of this person.

"Damn orcs! They're trying to intimidate me?" Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso reacted instantly. He had only come to help the Southern Twins strengthen themselves, at least to prevent them from falling into complete ruin, as ordered by King Roland. With the intention of simply fulfilling his duty, Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso hadn't taken it very seriously. However, this challenge from the orcs had enraged him!
"This is no longer their war! This is our war!" Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso glared angrily at Oakrian Ryukin. Although the nobles of Lagrang were more human than those of other kingdoms, for meritorious nobles who valued honor above all else, this declaration of war was undoubtedly a slap in the face to Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso.

“Calm down…” Okrian Ryukin shook his head helplessly. Sure enough, the meritorious nobles of Lagrange were all warmongers; those who seemed normal were often the most deeply ill. “Your Majesty still has a mission. Don’t recklessly venture into the snowfield to fight them one-on-one… Don’t forget this isn’t your fiefdom…” Okrian Ryukin pulled Grand Duke Okrian Yaso back, trying to calm him down and rouse his reason.

“Oh right…this isn’t Oakrian territory!” A cold breeze blew through Archduke Oakrian Yaso, and his intelligence once again took over the high ground of his brain.

"That's right! So why are you in such a hurry!" Oakrian Ryukin breathed a sigh of relief, finally managing to stop his lord.

"But they provoked me!" The next second, Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso was furious again.

“You…” Okrian Ryukin stood there, stunned. Had all that talk about the code been for nothing? The Lagrange family’s bloodline was definitely messed up! Every family head associated with them would become a warmonger!

"What is it, Your Excellency Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso?" Count Lemon finally entered, cleared by soldiers.

"The orcs are provoking us!" Archduke Oakrian Yaso said, pointing to the heads on the ground at Count Lemon with a dark expression.

"Ah! This is... Iris Stark Knight!" Count Lemon's pupils contracted, and then he fell backward. Fortunately, the people around him caught him in time, preventing him from embracing the ground.

"Excellent acting!" Ocrean Ryukin secretly gave a thumbs up. The death of a knight was certainly painful for Count Lemon, but it was definitely not to the point of fainting. Clearly, the count had political acumen. His feigned pain made this performance of buying a life at great expense even smoother. Obviously, his performance was very successful. In Ocrean Ryukin's eyes, the morale of his soldiers suddenly rose a level, and everyone's eyes became more resolute.

"Tsk! Iris Stark Knight is dead... and the northern baronies are finished too!" Grand Duke Oakrian Yasso analyzed rationally. With the head of the strongest warrior cut off, the fate of the area he guarded was already predictable.

“There should still be survivors. I’ve already sent the rangers to search. If they find anything, they’ll take a detour and bring the civilians back!” Count Lemon shook his head. After all, Iris Stark Knight had held off those orc wolf riders for a while before he died, so there must have been villagers further away who could have escaped!
"We can't delay any longer! We need to dig out the moat as soon as possible! That soil can be used as a low wall!" Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso pointed to the mounds of soil that had been dug out and piled up on the inner side.

"By the way! Who delivered the head?" Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso's gaze suddenly sharpened.

"It was picked up by civilians!" After a while, the crowd finally came up with an answer: the logging team had found it on the road while logging.

“Looks like those bastards have crept over!” Oakrian Ryukin said.

“Yes! It’s not safe here anymore!” Archduke Oakrian Yaso closed his eyes and sighed.

"Count Lemon! Stop the soldiers from working! Let them rest and prepare for battle!" A glint of light flashed in Archduke Oakrian Yaso's eyes when he opened them again.

Please give me a reward or monthly ticket.