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

Chapter 1084 Understanding People's Hearts - Franz
“The conditions here are quite good; it’s very suitable as a fortress!” Marquis Al-Tegran Franz said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.

"From a military perspective, the terrain here is like shit! Building a fortress here is practically a crime! I can hardly imagine it being besieged..." Omske interrupted, the thought of such a thing appearing on an open, unprotected plain, putting himself in the defenders' shoes, was incredibly despairing... What? You say it connects two major roads? That's great! Enemy siege engines can directly advance along the roads to the city walls!
“But from a political and economic point of view, this place is very important! The intersection of the North-South Avenue and the East-West Avenue needs a castle to control it!” Al-Tegran Franz tapped the table, his eyes full of meaning. Some political attributes cannot be replaced by cost.

"Alright, alright! From now on, this is the territory of the Dunedan people and has nothing to do with us. Don't worry about it. Even the Empire's reach can't extend that far!" Roland waved his hand, interrupting the argument between the two.

Roland realized from the beginning that these two were never on the same page. Omske only saw the military value, while Marquis Al-Tegran Franz considered the overall value of the region. Roland said that neither of them was wrong; if they were besieged, the defending troops inside would be in utter despair...

What? You're saying Lulong Fortress is also on a plain? Then why don't you take a look at what's to the south and north of Lulong Fortress? Neighboring cities can quickly provide support, and Lulong Fortress's defensive target has always been the old forest road on the opposite bank! Functionally, it doesn't have the responsibility of suppressing forces in the north and south!
“That makes sense, Your Majesty is right! I was worrying for nothing!” Marquis Al-Tegran Franz quickly straightened his posture, standing up straight as if listening attentively to Roland’s teachings.

"..." Omsk was a military general who was not good with words (compared to Al-Tegran Franz), and he only twitched his eye before taking his leave of Roland.

“Those words came from your mouth and entered our ears! Don’t tell anyone else!” Roland tapped the table and said to Marquis Al-Tegran Franz.

“Yes, Your Majesty! Your will is the direction of my sword!” Marquis Al-Tegran Franz did not ask why, but simply nodded respectfully in obedience.

"Don't you want to ask why?" Roland's curiosity was piqued, and he was also inwardly marveling at how well the Lagrange Empire ate! These nobles were all incredibly loyal to the royal family! In the game's setting, the royal family didn't have a system that enforced loyalty, but the nobles basically stood by the nation in times of crisis!

“I guess you don’t want Aragon to know about this conversation…” Marquis Al-Tegran Franz raised his eyelids and glanced at Roland. Seeing that Roland did not react and tacitly agreed, he spoke again.

“I suppose you don’t want His Excellency Aragon to waste his energy and resources on this bottomless pit… I suppose you want…” Marquis Al-Tegran Franz paused and did not continue.

"What do I want?" Roland hated riddle-solving people the most, so he had no choice but to ask helplessly.

“You want Lord Aragon to shift his attention to the south, or even you want him to leave the north…” Marquis Al-Tegran Franz probed.

"..." Roland involuntarily stood up, a look of surprise and uncertainty flashing in his eyes, his right hand unconsciously tapping on the table. "It seems I guessed right, Your Majesty!" Marquis Al-Tegran-Franz gave an apologetic smile.

"The Franz family's ability to read people, be meticulous and bold, and make accurate deductions are essential skills for every family head!" Marquis Al-Tegran Franz said humbly before Roland could speak.

"Indeed, they have extraordinary qualities!" Roland couldn't help but exclaim. In his mind, the Franz family was different from the Empire's Twin Fists and Dragon Rider families; they were court nobles who relied on loyalty and shrewdness to establish themselves within the Empire's system. But now it seemed he was completely wrong. This family also possessed a unique charm! If Roland hadn't known the script, he would have suspected that Marquis Al-Tegran Franz was also a time traveler!

"How did you figure that out?" Roland didn't know how he had given himself away, allowing Marquis Al-Tegran Franz to deduce his plans in just a few words.

“His background!” Marquis Al-Tegran Franz smiled, a smile tinged with calculation and cunning, but Roland sensed a hint of bloodshed in it.

“You said that he has an absolute claim to the whole of Gondor and Arno in law, but you are strongly supporting the current successor of Gondor... which proves that you do not want that once vast country to be united again…” Marquis Al-Tegran Franz said in detail.

"So I proposed this bottomless pit to absorb the energy and resources of the Dúnedan, but you refused so decisively... This proves that you don't want Aragorn or even the Dúnedan to be sucked in here, so you must have plans to send Aragorn south. Although I don't know what you're planning to do, this will definitely exacerbate the rift between him and Gondor! Or are you planning to cut off his path back to Gondor to reclaim what he claims?" Marquis Al-Tegran Franz muttered to himself.

"Clap clap clap!" Roland lightly raised his hands, full of admiration for Marquis Al-Tegran-Franz. This was no lackey; he could clearly be used as a strategist! It seemed he had truly wasted his talents before! Letting this guy make money was a waste of his abilities!

“That’s absolutely right! Aragorn is too young right now; he can’t be of much help. So, after this matter is settled, I’ll advise him to head south! Go to Rohan and gain some experience! That way, he can hold off one side of the Orcs in the north, preventing things from getting to this point… The Dúnedan aren’t weak! It’s a pity that none of their previous lords were human…” Roland nodded. Logically, the Dúnedan shouldn’t be in such a state of combat. Their leaders are constantly being killed by Orcs; it just goes to show that none of their previous chieftains were human! They couldn’t even manage micro-management!
“Ah! That’s how it is!” Marquis Al-Tegran Franz nodded with deep feeling. When he saw the group of professionals from Dunedan and learned that these people actually lived a nomadic life, he was completely astonished. What kind of lord could turn a group of professionals into savages?

“Aren’t you curious why I didn’t let Aragorn go to Gondor?” Roland asked, examining the students.

“…You are insulting the intelligence of every imperial noble! Even that brute Omske knows the answer…” Marquis Al-Tegran Franz said, clutching his head in pain.

"If he dares to reveal his real name like this, he probably won't even make it to White City... He'll be assassinated by the Gondorian Regent's family halfway there! Fine! Even if the Gondorian Regent's family still remembers the original agreement, some nobles will do it for him in order to gain favor! Who Aragorn is is unimportant, but in the current political game of Gondor, no one is more important than him!" Marquis Al-Tegran Franz pursed his lips. What's the difference between this and the main line dying out and the family fortune falling into the hands of in-laws and retainers, and suddenly a very distant branch of the family jumping out to claim the inheritance?
I'm back to work! Happy May Day everyone! Thanks to A·Wang Qiang for the donation.