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

Chapter 1070 Successful Deception
"Your Majesty...you..." Aragorn looked at Roland, hesitant to speak, after all, he couldn't have come up with this idea to cause trouble! Since the Kingdom of Arnor was destroyed and then split into three kingdoms, this place has long been a wasteland. The various lords have either fled or died. The South Hill and North Hill are deserted, and the former capital of the Kingdom of Asedan, located on the highest peak of the North Hill, has become a dead city...

“What? Don’t you want the vagrants of the North to have a home? No one is born to wander in foreign lands without a fixed abode… No! You’re not exactly wandering in foreign lands, Arno is yours!” Roland said calmly, then quickly changed his words as if he remembered something.

"?" Aragorn was taken aback. Roland's words instantly touched the deepest part of his heart. The Northern nomads had long been homeless. After the fall of the Kingdom of Asedan, they were scattered to the north. Some crossed the Misty Mountains to the east, while others held their ground in the north of the former kingdom, resisting the invasion of the orc army. However, the desolation within the kingdom was something no one could change. The former heartland of the kingdom had become a desolate wasteland, where large numbers of orcs multiplied like flies...

"What? Not interested?" Roland waved the hand in front of Aragorn, who was looking dazed.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, I was lost in thought..." Aragorn quickly snapped back to reality and whispered apologetically to Roland.

“I know your concerns. The Northern nomads are few in number, and each one of them is a precious member of your people. But don’t forget your identity, and if I may be frank, you are not a qualified king, or even a qualified lord!” Roland said calmly.

"..." Aragorn pursed his lips and remained silent, but the pain in his eyes seemed genuine.

"Has Elrond ruined you after teaching you for so many years?" Roland stared at him.

"..." Aragorn opened his mouth. He was far less mature than he would be in the future, and therefore easier to fool.

“The Rivendell army will also be involved this time; they will be responsible for the security of the Troll Forest area!” Roland pointed to the map.

"So what do you want from me? I don't seem to have anything to help you with..." Aragorn finally snapped out of his daze and quickly asked the question. After all, he was just a rather incompetent lord, basically clueless about managing territory and leading people. After all, the nomads of the North mostly acted in scattered ways, so where would he find a place to exercise the rights of a lord...

"Gather the vagrants of the North! Exercise your rights and obligations as a lord. You don't think you've fulfilled your responsibility by abandoning those people in the North, do you?" Roland said, shaking his head. Sure enough, young people are unreliable. Roland is almost thirty this year and has been ruling the kingdom for nearly ten years. His political skills have begun to mature. Looking back at Aragorn, this novice, he can only feel speechless.

“But we have no towns to live in now…” Aragorn said bitterly.

"..." Thranduil's eyelids twitched.

"Hiss..." Bard gasped.

"By the bearded man of Turin..." Thorin had already begun to make the sign of the cross, praying that Roland had found someone reliable this time.

"..." Bai Yi could only be thankful that this was not a prince of the Kingdom of Akvia.

"Did you lose your hand? You're the lord, if you don't rally them to rebuild their homeland, they won't be able to rebuild the Kingdom of Asedan even if they fight alone for a hundred years!" Roland rubbed his temples, leaving a trap in his words. The promise he made to Aragorn was limited to the Kingdom of Asedan; after all, he had no interest in raising a High King for himself, and even if he did, it could only be himself! Roland's words weren't just for Aragorn, but also for the other kingdoms in the North. Aragorn himself only recognized the legitimacy of the Kingdom of Asedan. As for Arnor, he would have to consider Roland's approval in the future. As for Gondor, forget about it. A vast empire spanning the western world—wasn't that insidious? If the West is unified, what will happen to the East? A fragmented state is more in Lagrange's interest.

“You like Elrond’s daughter, Alwyn, don’t you?” Roland whispered, hooking his arm around Aragorn’s shoulder.

"Boom!" In an instant, Aragorn's face flushed red, as if his blood vessels had burst.

"No...no..." Aragorn stammered, but dared not look Roland in the eye.

"That's it!" Roland patted his shoulder affirmatively. Knowing the plot, how could he not handle this twenty-year-old? Roland was extremely experienced in dealing with this kind of dashing young man; after all, he hadn't watched so many strategist videos for nothing!

“What did Elrond say again? Let me think… Aragorn, son of Arason, chieftain of the Dúnedan, hear me! The fate that awaits you is immense: you must either surpass the glory of all your ancestors since the reign of Elendil, or fall into darkness with the last remaining of your people. Years of trials lie ahead; you cannot marry, nor pledge your life to any woman, until you have achieved your due and deserved it! Is that so?” Roland whispered, like the murmur of a devil.

"How...how did you know? Did you use a prophecy on me?" Aragorn was so scared he wet his diaper. What was the difference between this and someone opening a box for him? His conversation with Elrond had been overheard by a third party!
"Heh heh!" Roland gave Aragorn a mysterious smile. Did he think I'd told him I'd seen the Lord of the Rings movies and played the games? But Roland's smile appeared as a devil's smile to Aragorn.

"What do you want?" Aragorn was deflated. Even his most secret was known. Aragorn didn't know how to face him anymore, so he simply resigned himself to his fate.

“What do I want? No, no, no! What do you want?” Roland waved his hand.

"Do you want to marry a princess of the elven kingdom as a vagrant, or as a true king? You should understand the world of difference!" Roland tempted.

"Hmm?" The mention of Alvin Aragorn instantly lit up his eyes, clearly a sign of true love... Of course, it couldn't be ruled out that it was just youthful lust and the younger side controlling the older...

"What should I do?" Aragorn was instantly motivated. No matter what Roland's purpose was, once he succeeded, the identity of the king could not be faked. Only by becoming the king could he make a promise to Alvin!

"Hey! Right! Go gather the people! We need to get to work! You at least need to act like a lord, right?" Roland patted Aragorn's shoulder and straightened his clothes with a serious expression, his eyes full of satisfaction. Although Roland wanted to suppress Aragorn's sphere of influence, he didn't have any other ill intentions towards him. After all, there were only a few people in Middle-earth who could truly lead... If this kid was ruined, who would fill the gaps? Roland couldn't even fill the gaps in the North!
“Where are you waiting for us? My people are scattered far away, and it will probably take you a long time to wait here! Let’s agree on a place to meet!” Aragorn suggested, his intelligence returning.

“Let’s meet at Windcloud Peak! You all gather there!” Roland nodded in agreement. After all, they couldn’t just wait indefinitely at the elves’ home. Not only would Elrond be uneasy, but their own surplus provisions wouldn’t last long either.

"Alright! Let's meet at Windfall Peak!" Aragorn nodded.

"Oh, right, the emergency plan! If you encounter an unavoidable enemy situation, retreat to Brie immediately!" Roland instructed.