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

Chapter 199 They've Been Here
"Do you think only the Lions of King's Landing shed their last drop of blood for this land?"

"Go and take a look at the Grand Duchy of Nyx!"

"Go and see the Kingdom of Lovanian!"

“Look around you! Look across the entire Middle Kingdom! Where are those nobles who haven’t even left behind any legacy?” Roland’s barrage of questions left the young man bewildered.

“If you still consider yourself a nobleman of the Lagrange lineage, then you should lead the people behind you back to this country! Instead of letting them continue to wander and live in constant fear!” Roland said loudly.

"You..." The young man was speechless. The word "Lagrange" weighed on him like a ton of bricks, making it hard for him to breathe.

"Think it over carefully... If you don't accept this nation, I will, as the King of Lagrange, expel you from the kingdom! After that, if you want war... then let's fight! I await your answer!" Roland glanced at the troops below the city and turned to leave. Among the crowd below, some tall knights on warhorses stood out, a breath of fresh air among the refugees!
"I never imagined that the King's Landing family, which was on the verge of extinction, could still afford to support a small squad of King's Landing Knights..." Roland remarked.

“It’s normal. Even if the Grand Duchy of Nyx were destroyed, I would still have dozens of Cross Bauhinia Knights. Although the Grand Duchy of King’s Landing did not establish a kingdom, its accumulated resources are no less than those of Nyx. It’s normal that it has been able to gather some knights over the years.” Nyx rolled his eyes at Roland and sighed. After all, even the most down-on-his-luck grand duke can maintain a large number of followers and subjects. Even without a professional training camp, there are still lucky ones who can stand out from the huge population.

"The Knights of King's Landing are indeed impressive; their inherited combat techniques are quite interesting!" Omsk didn't hold back his praise.

“Indeed! The Knights of the King’s Landing are very strong!” Caslo chimed in.

“However, Your Highness, if you are trying to recreate the glory of the Knights of King’s Landing through these knights… it is almost impossible…” Yun Feng suddenly blurted out, clearly understanding Roland’s thoughts immediately.

"What?" Roland was completely stunned. Did that mean the Knights of King's Landing were really wiped out?

“That’s normal. They no longer have any high-level inheritances… The remaining mid-level and low-level ones are enough, but not enough to recreate that majestic lion that once reigned supreme…” Omske said with deep understanding.

"..." Roland stared at the two of them, somewhat bewildered.

"To put it simply, their current combat skills are basically passed down from old knights through oral instruction. Most of their inherited items have probably been lost. Moreover, some secret techniques can only be taught by high-ranking knights, but I haven't sensed any aura from knights of the fourth rank or higher..." Omske's merciless cold water poured down on them.

"Ouch..." Roland was heartbroken. Good heavens! What a waste! The Knights of the Kingdom are only one tier below the Royal Knights. Last time I saw the price of a Knight of the Kingdom in the shop... 1 wealth points each! That's highway robbery!
"Your Highness, accept your fate. It's good enough that you have it," Yun Feng comforted him with a nonchalant air.

Looking at Yun Feng's calm and composed face, Roland's heart ached even more.

"You humans are all about fancy tricks..." Verway was bewildered by the group's confusing array of knightly orders. As an elf, he knew very little about human knights and the history of Lagrange, and had hardly ever had any dealings with humans before.

"His Highness and his men have arrived," a soldier on alert suddenly reported as he ran over.

……

"Have you figured it out?" Roland asked calmly, looking at the young man standing not far from the city walls.

“Are you capable of taking us in…? We have been wandering for too long, and we don’t want to wander anymore! I would rather the glory of King’s Landing fall than let these people who follow me suffer any longer. I don’t want to live every day hiding from orcs and monsters, and I don’t want us to be running around every day for our next meal…” the young man said in a low voice. “How many of you are there…” Roland paused for a moment before speaking.

“More than 6000 people… many elderly people died during the migration.” The young man recalled for a moment and spoke slowly.

“Although we may be a little strapped for cash, our supplies should last until the autumn harvest… There’s still time, we can plant some beans!” Roland replied after a moment’s thought.

“You may join, but you must abide by the laws of the kingdom. If you have thought it through, then come in!” Roland gestured to the city gate below, where a narrow opening allowed only one person to pass through. Behind the gate stood groups of royal guards forming a shield wall.

“We are willing to return to the kingdom, but we need to enjoy the same treatment as the kingdom’s citizens!” the young man said somewhat awkwardly, trying his best to secure the best treatment for the people who followed him.

“Of course, everyone in Lagrange is equal! Our souls are all noble and free! I swear to the Dragon God in the name of the King!” Roland said firmly.

“Alright! I’ll organize everyone to enter the city right away! I hope you can prepare some food for the elderly and children.” The young man stood somewhat uneasily below the city walls, looking at Roland.

"No problem." Looking at the emaciated refugee Roland, his nose tingled with emotion.

……

"That's it?" Verway asked in surprise. The two groups, who had been so aggressive, had actually lowered their guard and started to mingle together after just a few words, which shocked Verway.

"Because they are also descendants of Lagrang! Just as the dwarves worship Turin and the elves worship their goddess, the name Lagrang is the spiritual home of the Lagrang people." Yunfeng said with emotion, standing on the city wall and watching the orderly procession entering the city below with satisfaction.

"That's great! That really scared me to death!" Nyx stamped her foot while hugging the elven dragon.

……

"Welcome! Lion of King's Landing! I'm glad you made the right choice; you haven't disgraced that emblem." Roland, accompanied by Caslow and Omske, greeted them at the city gates.

“It wasn’t my choice, but I didn’t want the people our ancestors risked their lives to protect to lose this hard-won hope. Besides, I wanted to see what this country, which once caused our ancestors to shed their blood, had that was worth sacrificing their families for.” The young man stared defiantly at Roland.

“Because…they came! They fought for this land, they sang for this land! They protected this land, and they also…sacrificed for this land!” Roland stared into his eyes and said, word by word.

“It is a pleasure to see the coat of arms of House King’s Landing again. I hope that one day you will also be able to carry the banner of the Lion King’s Landing like your ancestors! The lost glory! We must find it ourselves! This is not my kingdom alone! It belongs to all the people of Lagrange!” Roland turned around and pointed to the fluttering red banner with a golden dragon, speaking passionately.

“I will! I will use my sword to plow the land! The lion… has never fallen! The reign… has never disappeared!” The young man lowered his head but quickly raised it again, his eyes radiating a light as awe-inspiring as that of a lion.

Soliciting names for the Duke of Lion
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(End of this chapter)