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

Chapter 690 The Summoning of King Roland
After Roland convinced Nyx with his actions, Nyx indeed only rolled his eyes at him a few times the next day and didn't hold a grudge against Roland. Roland also knew when to stop and disappeared from Nyx's sight at the speed of light.

……

“Your Highness…” Roland turned around at the corner of the stairs and ran into Darian Nightblade, who was sitting on the steps. Upon seeing Roland, Darian Nightblade rubbed his hands together awkwardly.

"Heh!" Roland gave him a few disdainful looks; this time, Jane was in the Emperor's favor in a different way.

Roland strode ahead, with Darian Nightblade following closely behind, though Darian Nightblade was extremely uneasy...

After briefly recounting the incident to a few others last night, they immediately distanced themselves from him, leaving only the still-injured Adolf Heinrich standing beside him, dumbfounded and watching the drama unfold. Only Yunfeng and a few other elders knew just how petty Roland, the seemingly magnanimous and broad-minded "pie-in-the-sky" king of Middle-earth, truly was. The charioteers killed a squad of kingdom scouts, and as a result, the daughter of their commander was stabbed by the enraged Roland and given a massive "cancel" gift pack! The Ringwraiths killed Roland's only heavy cavalry unit, and the tyrannical Roland almost led his army to attack the Black Gate. Now, where is the bounty for the Nine Rings' heads?!

Even towards his minister Roland, he sometimes harbors a mischievous streak, which, though harmless, can absolutely make you miserable. "Bull and Horse King" Yun Feng knows this all too well. So when Yun Feng heard Darian Nightblade's story, he was the first to run away, covering his ears as if he couldn't hear it.

Everyone looked at Darian Nightblade as if he were doomed, which startled him. In the end, it was Omske who rescued this "fooled fool," giving him a brief account of Roland's glorious past, accompanied by looks of reverence for a hero. According to them, Roland was always the one shifting blame, and this was the first time they'd seen anyone make Roland take the fall! "And you, Darian Nightblade! My friend! You are the true hero!"
Darion Nightblade was so frightened that his legs went weak. He tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. He finally made it to morning and was already squatting on the stairs waiting for Roland.

"Your Highness, what would you like to eat? I'll have the kitchen prepare it," Darian Nightblade said with an awkward smile.

"Get out!" Roland stopped and gritted his teeth.

"Alright!" Darian Nightblade quickly disappeared.

……

"What happened last night? Renault recruited a horde of goblins?" Roland shouted as soon as he entered the government hall.

“Yes…” Yun Feng nodded.

"What's the use of goblins? Does he think I need to raise a bunch of cannon fodder to block my way?" Roland was dumbfounded. He had seen goblins before, not to mention the Battle of the Five Armies and the Battle of Moria. Their fighting power was only good for blocking the way.

"Perhaps you've misunderstood. Those are barbarian goblins! Not ordinary goblins!" Yun Feng shook his head and corrected him.

"Wild... goblins?" For a moment, Roland's brain seemed to shrink, but he quickly recovered and found the information about wild goblins in his mind.

"How many people?" Roland squinted, clearly now interested.

“There are probably over a thousand goblin knights, and some women and children as well, but they’ve also tamed quite a few boars.” Yun Feng tapped the table. “What are they thinking? What are their demands?” Roland pressed.

"What do you want? Our protection, a reasonable price for hiring them, and a safe territory to lend them for a base." Yun Feng thought for a moment.

“It’s reasonable, isn’t it?” Roland nodded knowingly. The conditions weren’t harsh; in fact, they were quite generous, leaving Roland with virtually no room for negotiation. After all, these things were already the bottom line for the Savage Goblins.

“It makes perfect sense. With these mercenaries, our forces are much freed up, and some tactics that were previously impossible can now be implemented!” Omske nodded. He saw the strategic value of these goblin knights. Although the barbaric goblins also produce goblin warriors, goblin prophets, and goblin spear throwers, it must be admitted that goblin knights are still the pinnacle among them!

“I remember… Goblin Knights are also called Pig Knights? Then… these guys can learn human knight skills!” Roland suddenly had a flash of inspiration, as if he had thought of something incredible!
“Yes! Although the duration of skills like Glory is reduced for them, the effect is still the same as for humans!” Omsk nodded. After all, the barbarian goblins’ pitiful battle qi reserves really don’t support them playing those fancy skills. Being able to learn the nine knight skills is already considered a great achievement!

"Notify their leader to come see me. I'll be waiting for him in Swiftstream City!" Roland waved his hand, deciding to meet the chieftain of this barbaric goblin tribe in person. As the prestige of the Kingdom of Lagrange grew, so did the prestige of Roland, the king. He no longer needed to personally visit anyone as he used to, and could simply wait for others to come to him.

"Okay!" Yun Feng nodded.

……

"Lord Arista, my king has agreed to summon you. A griffin knight will escort you to Swiftstream City shortly. You can think about what to say to His Highness beforehand!" Renault instructed. If it weren't for the griffin knight escorting him, with those short legs of the tuk-tuk boar... well, the scene would be quite comical.

"Very well, thank you very much, General Renault!" Alistar quickly nodded and patted his chest in thanks, after all, this was a major event concerning the future of the tribe.

“Come on, there’ll be a griffin waiting for you on the platform!” Renault pointed to the platform ahead, where a griffin rider was waiting for him.

……

"Your Majesty, may you enjoy good health! May your rule be as firm as a mountain! May your majesty be as majestic as a mountain peak..." Upon first meeting Roland, Arista bowed and sang like a bard.

"This..." Roland was instantly dumbfounded. When did goblins start having bards? Was he really that out of touch with the times?
"Stop! Chief Alistar, state your demands!" Five minutes later, Roland quickly called a halt. This goblin had really done his homework! The flattery was relentless, but while repeated flattery was fine, you couldn't just repeat the same thing over and over again! What? Was this some kind of goblin nesting doll? If Roland didn't interrupt, this goblin could probably go on and on until tomorrow…

"Cough..." Yun Feng, who was standing to the side, had a strange expression on his face. It was clear that he was holding back his tears. Darian Nightblade, who was behind Roland, was also clenching his teeth. Obviously, the goblin's clumsy flattery had almost made them lose their composure.

“Well, your general Reno said you’re interested in hiring us… so we’d like to find a country that can protect us and give us jobs,” Alistar said honestly. As for jobs, of course, they’d be mercenaries! Besides being mercenaries, the barbarian goblins can’t do anything else… the fact that they’re not extinct just means they’re quite prolific and easy to raise.

“These are not problems, but I would like to know how the reward will be calculated?” Roland tapped the table and said softly. However, this simple action put great psychological pressure on Alistair, after all, Roland’s royal authority was becoming more and more imposing.