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

Chapter 1045 Marquis Franz! Cheer up! Don't embarrass yourself!
"Greetings, Lord Pion!" Ravian gave a polite yet elegant knightly salute, his eyes filled with curiosity. After all, he had never seen this so-called Beon lord before, and his limited impressions were limited to Roland's sarcastic remarks. But this behemoth before him still greatly shocked him. If you told Ravian that this was a half-giant who had grown up to be unattractive, he would have to nod in agreement. Although he already knew that this man was a druid who could transform into a giant bear, Ravian truly felt that in his current state, he was no different from a bear…

"Hello, guest from afar! Have a cup of hot tea! Here are some snacks!" Pion smiled, picked up a wooden cup and poured a cup of honey tea for Lavian, then pushed the cup and the snack plate over together.

"You're too kind!" Ravian respectfully accepted the teacup and placed it in front of him.

"Alright, to make a long story short, it's not safe here right now either. What brings you here with those soldiers?" Pion asked curiously. Could it be that the Kingdom of Lagrange has finally taken pity on this outlying territory and replenished its troops?

"Of course, it's to eliminate the enemy!" Lavian looked at Pion with a sudden pang of pity. Still looking? Well, here we come! Roland's arrival means... no! Roland's arrival means your good days are over! But Lavian couldn't be so blunt, so he just laughed it off. After all, while the Beorn's practice of charging exorbitant tolls was wrong, it wasn't entirely unreasonable. So, after experiencing the Wilderness Survival speedrun, the Old Pass entry tax, and the Karl Rock ferry fee, any merchant wanting to come here would be squeezed dry. Only the persistent dwarves, yearning for a taste of old wine, had the time, energy, and money to be the suckers! (Otherwise, where do you think the Beorn got their weapons?)
"You're going to take action against the Gombard Orcs?" Pion was overjoyed. The Gombard Orcs were disgusting, and with the presence of the Ringwraiths, the environment in Karok Town had always been dangerous. Hordes of Orcs posed a serious threat and hidden danger to the local production, but Pion was powerless to deal with it. He even had to rely on the Lion's Territory for relief to withstand the Orc invasions!

The Ringwraiths had attempted to march south and destroy this place before, but Leo Breo's presence successfully calmed them down. Although it seemed like there was only one hero here, the Ringwraiths, having experienced the Battle of King's Landing, were truly suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. They were always afraid that a bunch of burly men would suddenly appear from some corner, shouting the glory of the Empire, carrying spears, greatswords, and staffs, and riding dragons as they charged over... Therefore, the banner of the Kingdom of Lagrange was very effective among the Gombad orcs, especially the high-ranking orcs who would turn around and run away at the sight of it, because last time, those who were slow to run were buried by the Great Forbidden Spell!
"Hmm..." Ravian mumbled indistinctly. He wasn't sure if Gangbada would get away with it, but King Roland would definitely get back at him! He had shattered King Roland's trade dream... King Roland was probably already on his way with his sword.

"By the way, we have troops behind us, so we might need your help then!" Lavian said in advance, giving a heads-up.

"Huh? A lot of people?" Pi Weng's honest face was full of questions.

“Of course, a little over a billion!” Ravian nodded honestly. He wasn’t lying to Pion; it really was a little over a billion! How could the allied forces number only a few thousand? An ordinary kingdom is already making a huge effort to muster a few thousand elite troops. Roland’s current posture is no different from leading the entire mobile force of a small kingdom in a rampage. He’s practically a dumping ground in the North. Even if the Gangbad orcs came out for a field battle, Roland would slap them twice first.

"There might not be enough room in the city. I'll try to find some space!" Pi Weng rubbed his hands together, a thoughtful look in his eyes. He was still thinking about where to find space for these hundreds of people.

"Uh, it's alright, it's alright, you don't need to vacate the house! We'll camp outside!" Lavian quickly stopped him. Given the current size of Karok Town, if they really had to make room, all these people would have to sleep on the streets! Several thousand men could fill the town!

“That would be so impolite!” Pi Weng firmly refused.

……

"Lord Lavian... is this all you mean by 'a little bit'?" Pion's voice was distorted.

“Yes… a tiny bit…” Ravian said, gesturing with his hand.

"..." Pi Weng was speechless as he looked at the vast army with its banners waving and stretching across the mountains and plains in the distance.

……

“Ahem! Marquis Al-Tegran Franz!” Roland coughed lightly and called out to Marquis Al-Tegran Franz in a low voice.

"Your Majesty! Your loyal Marquis is here!" Marquis Al-Tegran Franz, beaming with delight, spurred his horse to catch up with Roland, who had deliberately lagged behind by a horse's length. "..." Omske, standing nearby, instantly transformed into a grumpy old man's face upon hearing this. For the first time, he had heard such extreme flattery in simple words. The Franz family was truly formidable! Omske thought to himself...

“What are your orders, Your Majesty!” Marquis Al-Tegran Franz bowed and whispered.

"Ahem! Aren't you good at business?" Roland said.

“It’s not just that! My Majesty! Your loyal Marquis is a financial expert! Making money from money is not a dream! As long as you give me the right platform, I will definitely create a healthy economy for you! However, the current platform of the kingdom…” Marquis Al-Tegran Franz blinked, then hesitated.

After all, while Marquis Altegrand Franz was resourceful, he lacked the ability to extract wealth from a stone—a talent reserved for ruthless capitalists. Marquis Altegrand Franz stated that although the Franz family dabbled in futures trading and lending, they only profited from nobles and wealthy merchants, not stooping to the level of exploiting the common people—that would be utterly devoid of aristocratic spirit! The Franz family, having risen from humble beginnings, understood all too well the power of the common people! A misstep could lead to upheaval! Therefore, the Franz family only observed and avoided direct involvement!
“Yes, that’s right. The kingdom needs commercial circulation to promote economic circulation and healthy development, but now there is a group of people who happen to be blocking the way on the trade route. They charge high tolls, which makes many merchants hesitate to go, so…” Roland blinked and gestured to the city ahead.

“Hoo~ I understand, Your Majesty!” Marquis Al-Tegran Franz said solemnly.

"Don't use force! Try to reason with him and appeal to his emotions to persuade him! Under no circumstances should you resort to violence!" Roland instructed again. Although Beon was a bit ruthless, he had still put in the effort and didn't deserve to die. Let Marquis Al-Tegran Franz do some verbal sparring, and then Roland would show off his knife to intimidate him. That would be a two-pronged approach!

“Understood! Just you wait and see!” Marquis Al-Tegran Franz nodded quickly.

"Hmm! As expected of an imperial nobleman! Well done! Keep your spirits up, don't embarrass yourself!" Roland reached out and patted his arm in praise.

……

A force of thousands was already overwhelming in the wilderness, and with the massive size of the allied cavalry, the entire army's movement gave the soldiers in Carlock the illusion of an earthquake.

"They've arrived! Let's greet them together!" Pion nodded to everyone, after all, they were kings, and etiquette could not be neglected.

As the city gates were pushed open, Pion led Leo and the others out in single file to meet the allied forces. Suddenly, a rider leaped out from the allied ranks and blocked their path to everyone's surprise.

"What does Your Excellency Franz mean by this?" Bai Yi asked, completely bewildered.

"..." Thranduil silently took a step back, shielding Roland in front of him, because he had a feeling that something bad was about to happen.

"Huh? Marquis Franz! You're blocking my way!" Sorin muttered as he rode his argali sheep, clearly having Al-Tegran Franz completely blocked his path.

"Pion! Dynasty Steed!" Marquis Al-Tegran Franz roared in his opening battle cry.