Chapter 3: Trouble on the Road

"Are you full?" Roland asked, clapping his hands to get Carlos's attention.

"Yes, my lord," Carlos replied.

"Alright, let's head out. Hopefully, we'll find a village or town today to get our bearings," Roland sighed.

"Yes, sir."

...

"My lord! We may be in trouble!" Carlos suddenly halted Roland's horse.

"What is it?" Roland asked, alarmed.

"This is Gundaba Warg dung," Carlos explained, his face serious.

Roland's expression darkened. "So, that means...?"

"That's right, there are half-orc wolf cavalry nearby."

"Damn it! Stay alert!" Roland ordered, raising his tower shield just in time to deflect an incoming arrow. "Carlos, summon your dragon! We need to get up and out of here, quick!"

Shadows flickered among the trees as half-orcs on wargs emerged, followed by a horde of orc infantry.

"My lord, we've wandered into orc territory!" Carlos said, his voice tense, as he hastily took out his dragon flute.

"For the glory of the knights! Charge!" Roland bellowed, urging his horse forward, slashing at the orcs.

Roland's sword cleaved through an orc's head, and his shield blocked a machete. His Dragon Slaying Sword pierced another orc's chest with ease.

A dragon's roar echoed above. Carlos, mounted on his dragon, took to the sky. The orc army hesitated, giving Roland the chance to cut down several more.

A wind blade, several meters wide, shot from the dragon's mouth, shredding orc cavalry and their wargs. Roland felt a surge of nausea at the sight.

Hearing the dragon's obscure language, Roland turned his horse and bolted as Carlos's dragon created a tornado, lifting orcs high into the air and then dropping them like rain.

"Roar!" Carlos's dragon continued its assault, slicing through orcs with wind blades. Roland could only watch as the dragon decimated the ground forces.

The last half-orc fell, and Carlos descended.

"Sir, it's all settled!" Carlos reported, landing beside Roland.

"Good. Put the dragon away and ride this," Roland said, pointing to a Shire horse nearby. "It's a reward from the system."

"An inch of grass does not grow: Completed. All orcs exterminated. Reward: 10 fully-armed apprentice knights."

Roland summoned the knights, each in three-layer armored Sharma, with steel armor, cross shields, long swords, lances, ironwood bows, and mithril hammers. They looked formidable, with dragon emblems on their cloaks.

...

Five days later...

"Is this the village?" Roland muttered, squinting at the closed wooden gate.

"Yes, my lord. But it doesn't seem very welcoming," Carlos noted, spotting armed militiamen on the wall, their bows drawn.

"Put away your weapons, everyone. Take it easy," Roland ordered. The group complied, stowing their arms.

Roland rode up to the gate. "Excuse me, we're just travelers looking for a place to stay for the night. We can pay."

"Really? Where are you from?" an older villager called down.

"Uh, I'm from the Eastern Empire. These are my squires from Gondor," Roland said, removing his helmet to reveal his black hair and eyes.

After a brief discussion among the villagers, the gate creaked open. "You can come in, but no fighting or disturbing the villagers."

"We agree," Roland said quickly.

Inside, Roland was surprised to see what appeared to be a row of dwarves, though they were actually hobbits.

"Hello, where are we exactly? We got lost in the wasteland," Roland asked one of the hobbits.

After some questioning, Roland confirmed they were in the northern part of the Shire, within the world of "The Lord of the Rings."

"Perfect, I know this map well!" Roland mused. "Carlos, find out what year it is."

"Yes, sir."

...

"What! The year 2940 of the Third Age!" Roland exclaimed.

"Is that significant, my lord?" Carlos asked.

"It means something very interesting is about to happen. I'm considering whether we should get involved," Roland said, thinking of the upcoming dwarf expedition in "The Hobbit."

"Thorin Oakenshield could be a valuable ally. Uniting with him might help us establish ourselves here," Roland reasoned. "Let's head to Hobbiton."

With that, their course was set. They were about to embark on an adventure in Middle-earth, aligning with key figures to secure their place in this new world.