I reforged the glory of the magic ring in Middle-earth

Chapter 109 Red Lion Legion

"Before answering your questions, I need to tell you some information about this world, especially the dwarves and elves." Tanes said, rubbing his temple.

Later, with the explanations of Tanes and Neferi Lu, and the occasional supplements from Kenneth Hyde, Latan had a general understanding of this world.

Neferi Lu picked up the tea served by the maid on the chairman's table, drank it in one gulp, and said with a long sigh, "When you have time, you can go to the city yourself. Tanes's territory has attracted many dwarves and elves, so many that they have formed their own settlements. Of course, the same is true for the humans of this world. If you want a more detailed understanding, I suggest you visit the castle's library. Many books related to this world have been added recently."

Tanes asked in surprise: "Huh? Where did you get these books from?"

Neferi Lu put down her teacup and replied, "Some were brought by the dwarves and human merchants who came to the Golden Tree Territory to trade. Some were given to us from books compiled by the elves themselves. The rest were brought back from outside by your friends Roger and D."

Tanes suddenly realized: "Why don't I see Roger and D? What are they doing now?"

Neferi Lu shrugged. "Who knows? I didn't ask them what they did specifically. I just know that they often left the Golden Tree's territory, and from time to time some humans would come over."

Kenneth Hyde spoke up at this time: "I know more about this. Mr. D told me that he was out there promoting the greatness of the Golden Tree to Lord Tanes."

Neferi Lu sighed. "That's why every once in a while, humans in groups of villages come here to seek refuge... Okay, let's put that aside for now and answer General Latan's previous question."

Latan said he didn't care, but he would talk about it after discussing important matters.

Tanes looked at Latarn and said, "Tell me what you asked me before one by one."

Latan nodded and asked his previous questions. Tanes answered them one by one and gave a brief explanation of the whole process of his journey to Lonely Mountain.

Only after all the questions were answered did Latan fall into deep thought.

He shook his head and said, "So, originally, the dwarves just wanted to take back the jewel symbolizing the king's power from the dragon, and you only agreed to help them slay the dragon... but I never expected things to escalate to the point of war. Well, I can't complain about gaining a large new territory."

Latarn's gaze returned to the map of Middle-earth on the Speaker's table, stopping at the Lonely Mountain.

He said in a deep voice, "The Lonely Mountain's geographical location is extremely crucial. Once it is completely occupied by the Orcs, the situation in the North will become precarious. The surrounding Men, Elves, and Dwarves will lose the initiative and be forced to passively defend. The Orcs can use the Lonely Mountain's advantages to launch an attack at any time."

Latan paused and continued, "So, it is far from enough to simply support our dwarven allies and eliminate the enemies outside the Lonely Mountain. We must attack the Lonely Mountain and recapture it to truly achieve our strategic goal. Otherwise, the Orcs will only need to hold on to the Lonely Mountain and wait for subsequent reinforcements, and this war will become a protracted quagmire. This is not a situation I want to see."

Tanes nodded, keenly catching the two layers of meaning in Latan's words.

First, Latarn believed that in the initial stages of the war, retaking the Lonely Mountain should be the core goal. They should take advantage of the Orcs' intentions before they realize them, catch them off guard, and take the Lonely Mountain in one fell swoop, just like seizing a key position at the beginning of a chess game to lay the foundation for victory in subsequent battles.

Secondly, Latan also expressed his attitude that if the war unfortunately turns into a protracted war of attrition, they will never let themselves get involved in it.

After all, Lonely Mountain is the home and territory of the dwarves. They come to support as a helping arm, not as the main force of war consumption. They will not let their compatriots bleed and sacrifice endlessly in this war of attrition that does not belong to them.

"I understand what you mean, Latan." Tanes nodded slightly.

Latan also nodded slightly, then asked, "So, how many brave and fearless warriors of the Red Lion Legion do you plan to summon? I hope you can also summon my deputy, Oga. With him by my side, I can confidently entrust many matters to him, just like entrusting a heavy burden to a sturdy packhorse. And, yes, there's also my Royal Guard Knight [Red Lion] Freya, and my old friend Jerion. They are both my most capable arms."

He mentioned the names of his former subordinates one by one, his golden pupils burning with burning expectation as he looked straight at Tanes, hoping that he would agree to his request.

Tanes silently calculated the remaining Golden Blessing in his mind. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "Twenty Red Lion Knights, plus seven hundred King's Army soldiers and two thousand one hundred auxiliary troops. Is this lineup sufficient?"

Latan seemed to have the answer already in mind, and he replied without hesitation, "If there were still war machines at my disposal, like mobile arrow towers and catapults, that would be even better. However, 2,100 auxiliary soldiers is quite excessive. In my experience, one King's soldier paired with two auxiliary soldiers is sufficient to handle all matters. Whether it's assisting with donning armor or operating equipment, 1,400 auxiliary soldiers are more than enough. So, could you exchange the extra 700 auxiliary soldiers for Lion Guards and Goblins? How many would you be willing to exchange?"

Tanes quickly recalculated in his mind and immediately replied, "Then we'll change to three Lion Guards and five Goblin Knights."

Latarn weighed the pros and cons carefully in his mind, then nodded with satisfaction. "Yes, that's enough. As long as they are used properly, the impact these three Lion Guards and five Goblin Knights can exert will definitely far exceed that of the seven hundred auxiliary soldiers."

Kenneth Hyde interrupted the conversation between the two men at this time: "Forgive me for joining your conversation, Lord Tanes, General Latan. I heard you mention war equipment, but please note that there is no such equipment in Stonewell City at present."

Latarn's thick brows furrowed slightly, but Tanes smiled to reassure Kenneth Hyde.

Tanes said, "I understand your concerns, Kenneth Hyde. But don't worry, all the things General Latarn mentioned are already prepared, but they are not in Stonewell."

Kenneth Hyde looked puzzled, but Nepheli Lu said thoughtfully, "Hmm... Does that mean you've also summoned General Latarn's city, Red Lion City?"

Tanes nodded. "Of course, but the area of ​​protection provided by the Golden Tree is very large right now, so I didn't summon it near the Golden Tree."

He looked up at Latan, whose face was slightly moved after hearing the name "Red Lion City." He pointed to the place name on the map and said, "Your Red Lion City is right here, above the Longdale Harbor, with the broad Greywater River to the east."

Latan immediately memorized the location and nodded.

Tanes continued, "As for Freya and Jeremiah you mentioned, I can also summon them to help us. However, Oga... I am not sure if he can respond to the call."

Freya could definitely be summoned. Tanes remembered that he met this warrior from the Red Lion Legion in the Shadow Land. Summoning her naturally required the blessing of the Shadow.

Tanes hadn't used Shadow Blessing to summon anything in nearly a year, so he was sure the Shadow Blessing's reserves were plentiful. He suspected Shadow Blessing could even summon Messermo, his city, and his army.

But as before, considering that the residents of the border area are not aware of the situation in the Shadow Land, in order to avoid unrest among the people, Tanes must at least summon the forces in the Shadow Land after the end of this Lonely Mountain expedition.

Summoning Jie Lian was no problem at all, but he had to prevent Jie Lian from meeting his teacher Se Lian.

I just wonder what Jie Lian would think when his memory is restored and he sees the scene where he, the apprentice of Master Se Lian, helps his master kill Jie Lian several times.

In Tanes's memory, whenever he stood beside Teacher Serlian, Jelian would always accuse him of becoming Kalia's enemy in the future in a tone full of regret and pain, his words full of regret and helplessness.

I just don't know what kind of wonderful expression will be on Jeremiah's face when he sees the wedding ring on his finger that belongs to the "Princess of the Moon", Princess Rani of Kalia.

Suddenly, Tanes remembered that Latan was Lani's brother.

It’s better not to reveal this matter in front of Jie Lian.

Tanes thought with a somewhat inexplicable sense of guilt.

Latan's expression seemed frozen in time. After a brief pause, he spoke softly with a hint of regret and sorrow, "So that's how it is... During those long years when I was consumed by the Crimson Corruption and struggled in the abyss of madness, Oga had already fallen?"

Tanes comforted him, "Although we don't know exactly how Oga sacrificed himself, his powerful soul didn't return to the tree, but stayed to continue fighting. Oga's soul is resting here with me now. I believe he must still hope to see you again, waiting for his soul to shine once again."

Latan's expression finally softened slightly. He sighed, "So he's become a spirit-like being for you to command? That's better than completely vanishing from the world without a trace."

At this time, Tanes turned his gaze to Kenneth Hyde and asked in a deep voice, "The number of soldiers for our expedition has been determined. How is the supply of food and grass on your side?"

Kenneth Hyde bowed slightly, his expression confident and respectful, as if he were an opera singer. "Rest assured, my lords! From the moment you set out on your expedition, the issue of food and fodder will never be a problem for you. Hyde Fortress will be the solid backing for this expedition! The endless supply will be like a gurgling stream, never running dry, ensuring that every soldier can go to the battlefield well-fed!"

Tanes nodded slightly, then turned his gaze to Latarn and asked in a deep voice, "Do you have any questions? If not, then follow me to the courtyard where the golden tree is. I will summon the soldiers of the Red Lion Legion to the world."

Kenneth Hyde maintained his respectful demeanor and said, "Then I will take my leave. Once Lord Tanes summons General Latarn's army, I will immediately lead the soldiers of Hyde Fortress and deliver all the prepared food and fodder. I will not dare to delay even a moment."

Neferilulu's face was filled with boredom, and she said helplessly, "Well, you all have things to do. I'll just bear with it for a while and sit on the city lord's throne for a few days. I'll continue to serve as acting city lord, enjoying the breeze from the high towers of Stonewell and the company of the war eagle. It'll just be a pastime."

Tanes coughed lightly and said, "When this war is over, I will take you to Lonely Mountain, Neferilulu. Then you will be able to escape from the trivialities of this city lord."

"I hope so, as long as you don't disappear for so long again."

The courtyard of Stonewell City could not accommodate so many people, not to mention that the golden tree occupied most of the space in the courtyard. Therefore, the Red Lion Legion could only temporarily borrow the parade ground where the Storm Legion of Stonewell City was located to assemble.

Some of the hot-tempered Red Lion Knights originally had complaints about this, but when they saw that General Latan was no longer crazy and looked rational, they simply shut their mouths and swallowed their complaints.

As long as General Latan is well, they have no complaints.

Loyal! Sincerity!
The red armor worn by the soldiers of the Red Lion Legion burned like a blazing flame in the parade ground.

Whether they were the Red Lion Knights, the soldiers of Latarn's King's Army, or the auxiliary soldiers, their postures were all as straight as pine trees, their eyes were firm and sharp, like cheetahs staring at their prey.

Especially when General Latan stood in front of them, their eyes looking at Latan were burning with an almost fanatical look, as bright as a torch in the dark night.

Under the glow of the golden tree, their crimson armor shone dazzlingly, like flowing magma. Every pattern on their armor was a medal of battle, silently telling untold stories of courage and loyalty.

The flag of the Red Lion Legion fluttered in the wind, the lion pattern on the flag was baring its fangs and claws, and the bright red color was like a burning flame that would never go out.

The broad blade of the giant sword trembled slightly in the wind, and the tip of the broad-headed spear pointed straight at the sky.

But without exception, these weapons were held tightly in the hands of the soldiers, and they were eager for General Latan's orders.

"Roar--"

A roar filled with murderous intent shook the parade ground, like a bolt of thunder exploding out of nowhere.

The three lion guards were brought to the parade ground by Tanes. They exuded a wild aura, and their jet-black hair stood up.

Behind Tanes, five goblin knights were silent, like five silent stone statues, carrying a huge golden sword on their backs, following closely.

As soon as the Lion Guard's wild gaze met Latarn's, it was as if a silent spell was cast on them and they instantly became quiet.

They had bared their fangs and claws just now, and now they were as docile as well-behaved cats, crawling on the ground. Their sharp claws were quietly retracted, and only a pair of obedient eyes remained, staring at Latarn, waiting for the command of this demigod of the borderland.

(End of this chapter)