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

“If we head west, we’ll either reach the Eastern Road or the Anduin River!” Roland pulled out a map and began to study it. Since he didn’t know their current location, Roland could only determine their location by looking at obvious landmarks in the west. If they could see the Anduin River, they would be in the Dark Forest. If there were mountains behind them, they would be in the Misty Mountains. The Eastern Road, which runs through the western world, could also be used to determine their current location.

"Let's go!" Roland put away the map, drew his sword, and stood up.

"Hopefully I won't run into any trouble..." Roland shook his head, clearly knowing that fighting alone would be difficult if he encountered some formidable enemies.

"Hmph!" Dos responded, indicating to Roland that he didn't care and could just follow him. The most important thing was that Dos could go for a long time without eating or drinking, which meant that Roland was just a large accessory. Not having to worry about feeding the dragon obviously reduced his burden a lot.

"Sigh..." Roland shrugged helplessly. He should have obediently gone back with Omsk instead of letting Doss take him flying around. Now look what happened... those people are probably worried to death!

However, the reality was quite different from what he had imagined. The group had no idea that he was missing. Omske thought he had gone to Lion's Territory, Caslow and Ajax thought he was still with Omske and the others, and his wife, Nyx, thought her husband was safe and sound under the protection of the soldiers... Only Roland was forgotten, shivering in an unknown forest...

……

"Squeak!"

A faint sound came from behind, accompanied by the cracking sound of branches breaking. Roland, who dealt with these things every day, obviously knew what it was right away: disgusting orcs!

"Crack!" Roland dodged behind a tree trunk, gripping the Dragon Slayer Sword tightly in his hand. His eyes were sharp and resolute. After fighting the orcs for so long, he was familiar with their strengths and weaknesses!

"Roar!" The orc warrior who suddenly appeared sniffed the air hard, clearly alerted by the unfamiliar human scent.

"Crack!" Roland, emerging from behind the tree, delivered a heavy slash. The sharp flames of battle aura flashed across the blade, and then the head of the bare-chested orc rolled to the ground.

"Damn it! Orc berserkers!" Roland cursed his bad luck. Although he had instantly killed an orc of the same level with a sneak attack, Roland felt no joy whatsoever. Orc berserkers appeared in droves! There was probably an orc kingdom (tribe) nearby.
"Roar!" Instantly, roars of orcs echoed through the surrounding forest, clearly indicating that Roland's powerful attack had alerted them.

"Talent!" Roland held his sword to his chest with both hands, staring at his reflection on the blade. Roland gritted his teeth and cursed the orc's ancestors for eight generations!
"For humanity!" Roland cheered himself on and then suddenly turned around and slashed horizontally. The battle aura flames, like a bolt of lightning, instantly tore the two orcs apart at the waist. Their upper bodies, not quite dead yet, howled and struggled in the pool of blood.

"Boom!" A rusty battle axe grazed past Roland, and the terrifying shockwave made Roland's heart skip a beat. If it weren't for his keen senses and instinctive dodge, the blow would probably have hit his shoulder armor. Roland had no interest in betting on whether the Grand Duke's Dragon Armor could withstand such a powerful attack.

"A berserk orc berserker?" His eyes narrowed as he stared at the gigantic orc before him, its muscles bulging and its skin cracking from the bulging muscles. Compared to a normal orc, this thing was already nearly 2.5 meters tall! This wasn't berserk; it was practically a genetic mutation and drug use!
"Holy Sword Judgment!" Roland swung his longsword backhand, plunging it straight into the ground. A dazzling six-pointed star array appeared above the orc's head. The orc, whose intelligence had been reduced to zero due to his berserk state, hadn't even realized what was happening before being cleaved in two by the holy sword. The scorching holy power also gave him a barbecue treatment, making him smell like meat. "You're asking for it!" After parrying the attacks of a few weaklings and slashing them away, Roland switched between fighting and retreating. Several hours passed quickly. Now, a path of orc flesh and blood stretched before Roland, with an orc corpse lying on the ground every few dozen meters. Clearly, the orcs, one after another, didn't understand the concept of piecemeal tactics.

"It's getting dark!" Roland looked up at the sky and said with a grim expression. After all, given the current situation, it was impossible to start a fire. It was already a favor that the orcs were doing them a favor by climbing a tree to get through the night.

……

"Go back to your dark, damp underworld! You scum! You have no hope!" Ajax, engulfed in flames, stood valiantly atop the makeshift pass, wielding a dragon spear, calmly gazing at the Ringwraiths before her. Clearly, the Four Rings were no match for her.

“Leave! You sinner!” Caslo said in a deep voice.

"You will eventually be swallowed by darkness..." Amoraso whispered, then turned into a wisp of black smoke and disappeared. The other orcs, of course, were not so foolish as to stay and wait to die, and they all turned and ran away.

Clearly, both sides fought with great coordination. Ajax and Caslo, fearing a trap, dared not make any rash moves, while Amoraso, who had only intended to sneak in for a kill, could only slink away after the two dragon knights personally greeted him, aside from a few defiant words. Both sides were wary and did not risk their lives, and the battle ended peacefully after a tacit exchange of threats.

"Thank you both for your support!" Apophis Breo wiped the dust off his face and said with a formal expression of gratitude.

"Of course, the King's House is closely connected with the Kingdom and shares its glory and disgrace. The King and Queen will not stand by and watch you fall into a desperate situation!" Caslow skillfully garnered goodwill for Roland and Nyx. After all, the relationship between top nobles also needs daily maintenance. Otherwise, why would they listen to you bossing them around all day if they don't know you well?
"The loyalty of the King's Landing family is passed down through generations! We will always be loyal to the monarch on the throne!" Apophis Breo declared, acknowledging the favor, but also revealing the old tradition of the King's Landing family: not to participate in the internal struggles of the royal family, but to be loyal to the person in the position, and to accept whoever is in power!
Caslo and Ajax, who understood the subtext in Apophis Breo's words, didn't say anything. After all, this was the wisdom of their family's survival. Top families rarely take sides. There are many families like the King's Landing family that don't usually get involved in power struggles. After all, they have the ability to watch from the sidelines. There's no need to place bets before the final outcome. They are already one of the "shareholders" of the country, and even the emperor can't force them to take the field.

Fortunately, there is currently no dispute over the succession to Lagrange. Nyx, the only one qualified to challenge for that position, is married to Roland. Although the bloodline of the King's Landing family is also pure, the King's Landing family, which also has royal blood flowing through its veins, never participates in the competition for the Elector position, so Roland's position is exceptionally secure.

“We will stay for a while, since it’s hard to be sure if the Ringwraiths have really gone back. Thank you for your help these next few days!” Caslo said apologetically, patting his chest.

"It is my honor, Your Excellencies!" Apophis Breo quickly returned the greeting, his hand on his chest. Having two dragon riders overseeing the warm house was a rare treat indeed! How could he possibly refuse?

……

At this moment, Roland, who had fought his way out, sat listlessly on a branch of an ancient tree, gazing at the moon in silence.