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

Chapter 628 Ancient Tree of War
"It's still so dilapidated here!" Roland looked at the desolate Long Lake Town with a hint of helplessness and nostalgia.

"Being ravaged by dragon fire and still having a framework left is something to be grateful for..." Omsk pursed his lips. The destructive power of a pseudo-dragon was no different from that of a dragon to the common people here.

"So... this is why you had me row this boat here?" Omske was speechless. He, a hero, was actually working as a laborer under Roland.

"Hahaha! We're almost there!" Roland patted Omske on the shoulder and laughed, naturally changing the subject.

"..." Omske rolled his eyes. Yun Feng is a victim of injustice, not me, okay? Only Yun Feng would fall for such a clumsy attempt to change the subject.

"Huh? There are still residents?" Roland only realized that quite a few people still lived on the site of the old Longlake Town after jumping onto the charred dock!
“My lord, you don’t know this, do you? In these chaotic times of war, it’s good enough to have a place to stay! Although this place is a bit dilapidated, it can still be lived in after some repairs!” A woman who was washing clothes glared at Roland with dissatisfaction, clearly blaming Roland for talking without understanding the situation.

"Hehe, that's true!" Roland nodded in deep agreement. The fish in Changhu Lake were plentiful, so these refugees who had come from afar could at least make a living here. Moreover, since they had no land, they could only fish to fill their stomachs. The tender white fish of Changhu Lake nourished their thin bodies, making the originally pale-faced refugees' complexions rosy.

"Madam, could you tell me how many people live here?" Roland asked curiously, gazing at the charred town of Long Lake. He could still smell the burnt charcoal from the dragon flames. However, amidst the ruins, a few small, brand-new wooden houses stood out from the surroundings, clearly built by later generations.

"There are probably more than 300 people..." The woman looked at Roland with some worry. Roland's outfit looked nothing special except for being dashing and handsome. The main problem was that he was followed by a fully armed Omsk. Every time Omsk stepped on the wooden plank, the woman's eyelids would twitch, as if she was afraid that the plank would not be able to support him.

“There are quite a few of you. You are under the rule of King Bard, aren’t you?” Roland said, handing over a gold dragon coin as a reward.

"Yes, yes, yes! Thank you for your generosity, sir! Is there anything I can do for you?" The woman immediately put on a smiling face and bowed deeply. She knew her stuff; one gold dragon coin could make her family of three live comfortably for several months.

As fellow kingdoms of the North, the various kingdoms have a considerable amount of private trade. Long Lake Town has a geographical advantage, attracting people from Akvia, Vale, and Lagrange to trade. The entire Long Lake has been revitalized by fishing and trade! Although the population is not currently large, it is clear that Long Lake Town will remain a trade center for the surrounding area in the future.

"No need!" Roland waved his hand and left with Omske, heading towards a more central area.

“Laketown is built on an island!” Omske looked at the foundations exposed under the collapsed houses. He had initially thought Laketown was floating on the water!
“Yes, Laketown has always been part of the River Valley, albeit with a high degree of autonomy. That’s why Bard’s ancestors came here as commoners after losing the River Valley…” Roland sighed. Laketown’s prosperity gave the mayor the confidence to say no to the defeated descendants of the Girians. Laketown refused the Girians’ rule… Without the deterrent of force, the Girians could only assimilate into Laketown as commoners. It was truly ironic that a mayor would refuse the legitimate rule of a lord…

It can only be said that the North was chaotic enough back then, and there were no powerful lords. Otherwise, just for challenging the rules of the nobility like that, he would have faced a coalition of nobles to punish him. Roland is certain of this. Those nobles are good for nothing, but they are number one when it comes to suppressing heretics. Challenging the noble order is simply courting death. If it were now, Roland would send troops to punish them. After all, one's position determines one's perspective.

"Ding! Historical site check-in successful! Changhu Town! Honor Points *1!"

When Roland arrived at the original town hall, the system's voice finally rang out. Roland breathed a sigh of relief; he had almost thought there were no honor points to farm here!

"Six honor points!" Roland squinted his eyes excitedly. He had his eye on something good, and now he could exchange for it.

Ancient Tree of War: A companion creature of the Elven race, a tall, intelligent tree with astonishing defensive and offensive capabilities! It is one of the Elven race's most valuable assets! Quantity: 3! Price: 6 Honor Points!
That's right, Roland has his eye on the Elven Ancient Tree of War. It's not that a squad of warriors can't afford it, but rather that the Ancient Tree of War offers better value for money! Compared to having a hundred more mouths to feed, Roland prefers the Ancient Tree of War, which can survive simply by taking root in the earth. Besides, this thing has another advantage!
As everyone knows, the grassland elves are homeless elves, and the Elven King Vale is also a wild king. Without the support of the Magic Well, the grassland elves are far weaker than the woodland elves and star elves, not to mention those ancient elven races. If it weren't for the power of the elven holy sword Manikati, Vale probably wouldn't have been able to defeat that good-for-nothing Thranduil.

The three treasures of the elves are: the Magic Well, the Ancient Tree of War, and the Ancient Tree of Life. Unfortunately, the Grassland Elves have none. Why? Because they don't even have a stable territory; where would they get these three precious artifacts? It's only because Roland kindly wanted to help the Grassland Elves (it wasn't that Roland was after their fighting strength; they were just too pitiful) and planned to bring them under his command. As for his promise to help Valery become the Elven King… isn't that simple? When Roland became the King of Lagrange, bestowing upon him a kingship would be a piece of cake. This shows how kind and selfless Roland is! He even abandoned other military professions and chose the Ancient Tree of War to help the Grassland Elves!
What? You're saying Roland annexed the steppe elf tribes? Nonsense! Since ancient times, the Lordaeron Rangers have been an integral part of the Lagrang army. The Lordaeron Rangers have elven blood, so the elves are a sacred and inseparable part of the Lagrang Empire, right? As the Emperor of Lagrang, Roland is far more than that. Seeking happiness and development for the intelligent races of Middle-earth is his duty and obligation as the Emperor of Lagrang! As for the current decline of the Lagrang Empire, that's just part of the process.

"Your Highness? Your Highness!" Omsk felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at the grinning Roland. Damn it, this king is probably crippled after dying once, right? Why does he keep coming back grinning like an idiot? Omsk secretly made a mental note of this. It seems he needs to find someone to take a look at King Roland. Although this king is unreliable, at least he's a decent person. Omsk doesn't want Roland to die prematurely because of an accident.

"Ahem! Alright, we've seen it all, let's go back!" Roland's eyes cleared up again. He coughed a few times and waved his hand, signaling Omske to go back with him.

“Good!” Omsk nodded. As long as Roland didn’t cause any trouble, that was good. Ever since losing Roland once, Omsk had been very wary of him, secretly thinking that if this BYD ran around recklessly again, he would just use a Judgment to take him down…

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