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

Chapter 984 Argonus!

“The Anduin River…” Archduke Oakrian Yaso said to Oakrian Ryukin beside him, gazing at the ever-flowing Anduin River.

“Finally…” Oakrian Ryukin complained with a disgusted look. The stench of orcs that lingered around his nose had finally disappeared. The two of them had swept through several orc tribes in the eastern open space. Orc huts of all sizes were scattered all over the plains near the Dark Forest!

"Those maggots have disappeared?" Grand Duke Oakrian Yasuo stroked his Windblade and said with a gloomy expression.

“No… I’m afraid not…” Oakrian Ryukin looked desperately upstream, where several shifty-eyed orcs were cautiously watching two heavily armed cavalrymen with crooked spears.

"...Hahaha!" Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso laughed in fury, drew his longsword, and spurred his horse forward like a madman.

“Your Highness…” Oakrian Ryukin reached out to stop him, but grabbed nothing. He knew that these frequent appearances of orcs were disgusting Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso to the point that he was somewhat delirious!

“Alas…” As a retainer of Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso, Oakrian Ryukin could only sigh and chase after him.

"Creak!" Suddenly a rope was raised from the grass.

"Tripping rope!" Archduke Oakrian Yaso exclaimed. He couldn't pull on the reins in time and could only watch helplessly as his warhorse roared past.

"Tear!" The trained magical beast Wind Chaser instinctively activated its skill using its battle aura, and its speed suddenly soared! The ropes wrapped around the vines could not withstand the weight and were torn in two, the broken ropes making a crackling sound!

"Thump!" Before Grand Duke Oakrian Yasuo could even catch his breath, Oakrian Ryukin's horrified voice came from behind him. Before Grand Duke Oakrian Yasuo could react, he felt dizzy, and only after he lay down on the grass could he vaguely hear the sound behind him...

"Your Highness, be careful! There are still ropes..." Survival experience had taught these orcs, who hunted along the river for years, to be cautious and safe. After the first tripwire was snapped by Archduke Oakrian Yaso's warhorse, the next two tripwires successfully overturned the warhorse again!

"Damn it!" Seeing the orcs charging towards him with a roar, Okrian Ryukin drew his longsword, dismounted, and unleashed a slash of battle aura! Sharp battle aura flames suddenly erupted, and orcs within a radius of dozens of meters instantly collapsed, howling in agony. The cutting power of the wind blade was terrifying. Those orcs who miraculously survived dragged their intestines, attempting to reassemble their bodies, which had been severed in two…

"Damn it! These persistent ghosts!" Archduke Oakrian Yasor, his face contorted with rage, slashed down an orc who was trying to take advantage of the chaos, his eyes wide with fury.

"I'll kill them all! These beasts! My horse!" Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso cried out in anguish. It's said that a warhorse is a knight's second life. Although Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso wasn't a knight, he still needed a horse for transportation! Without his horse, would Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso be able to travel south on foot?
"Alright, alright, Your Highness, please stop chasing..." Oakrian Ryukin quickly advised.

“These orcs who live by hunting are born with the ability to ambush and set traps. Although we are not afraid of them when we go deep behind enemy lines, we will have to go through a lot of trouble!” Oakrian Ryukin sighed. These are like chicken bones that are tasteless to eat but a pity to throw away. Killing them would not give us any sense of accomplishment!
“My horse…” Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso said through gritted teeth, heartbroken. He had armored his warhorse! That weight of at least a ton could be tripped up, and in serious cases, its leg could be broken!

“It should be alright…” Oakrian Ryukin helped Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso lift his warhorse. After checking the horse’s hooves, he found that the horse had not suffered any irreparable damage. Although it was covered in dust from the fall, fortunately, its legs were not broken!
"Thank goodness! By the Dragon God! These beasts didn't dig a trap, or I would have been in deep trouble!" Grand Duke Okrian Yaso breathed a sigh of relief. If his horse had broken its leg, he would have been reduced to foot soldier! This wasn't the kingdom; there were no facilities to treat magical beasts here, nor the manpower or resources to transport him back home! Although he and Okrian Liujin could ride together, neither of them wanted to be the other way around unless absolutely necessary!
“We need to find a way to cross the river!” Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso glanced at the swift current of the Anduin River.

“We’re heading down the river, and the map shows that the border of the Kingdom of Gondor is right here!” Ocrean Ryukin said, pointing to the map Roland had given them.

……

"We've arrived! Lake Heathel!" Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso clapped his hands, gazing at the vast lake before him in awe of its beauty. "I'd say it's not as good as Starfall Lake outside Swiftstream!" Oakrian Ryukin retorted.

“You haven’t seen Starfall Lake, but Lake Hissair is right here! It’s so beautiful!” Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso exclaimed.

"..." Oakrian Ryujin opened his mouth to speak, but then heard what Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso said.

“This land should belong to the Empire…” Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso’s face was full of regret and disappointment.

"???" Oakrian Ryukin blinked and realized he was still too conservative.
"This must be Argonus, right?" Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso pointed to the two giant stone statues standing on the north bank and nodded in satisfaction.

“Yes, Your Highness!” Oakrian Ryukin affirmed.

"What a cheap trick!" Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso shook his head, disgusted by the behavior.

“Yes, it is indeed a waste of manpower…” Oakrian Ryukin replied.

“When I get back, I’ll remember to remind you to build one that’s even bigger than theirs! What kind of class is this, using the same size statue as the great Grand Duke of the East?” Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso complained.

"..."

Argonus consists of "two enormous stone pillars," their "massive grey forms" imposing in their presence. They are "two great stone kings," sculpted to represent Gondor's first rulers, Isildur and Anarion. "Through years of sun and rain," they "still retain their original appearance and spirit."

“Their eyes are blurred, their eyebrows chapped, yet they still frown and gaze northward. Both statues raise their left hands, palms facing outward, in a warning gesture; in their right hands they grasp axes, and on their heads they wear weathered helmets and crowns. They are the silent guardians of a long-lost kingdom, still possessing great power and majesty,” Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso murmured.

"What does Your Majesty mean by this intelligence?" Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso handed the intelligence to Oakrian Ryukin.

“I feel that His Majesty probably wants to tell you that this thing is most likely some kind of wonder building, possessing special abilities and characteristics!” Oakrian Ryukin said uncertainly.

“…Let’s go! Let’s go take a look!” Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso gritted his teeth and rode off with Ryukin toward the statue on the east bank.

……

“Your Highness, it seems impossible to go up? This stone statue is in disrepair and too dangerous!” Okrian Ryukin analyzed.

“Hmm, it could really be a miracle! It’s already quite unusual that there aren’t any orcs roaming around!” Grand Duke Oakrian Yaso sneered.