Chapter 37: A New Alliance

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"What's wrong?" Roland asked, startled. It wasn't the threat of the half-orc army that alarmed him.

"Your Highness! There are a lot of people on the other side of the river! It looks like there are thousands of them," the soldier reported, his voice tinged with urgency.

Roland's eyes widened. "Thousands of people? Could it be that River Valley City was attacked?" He sprang to his feet, anxiety coursing through him. Apart from River Valley City, he couldn't think of any other place from which so many humans might flee.

---

At the outpost, the stationed knights had already taken up positions on the city wall, bows drawn, watching the approaching crowd with tense anticipation.

"May I meet the lord of this place?" a young man with blond hair called out from below.

The knights remained silent, following their orders to say nothing until their lord arrived.

"Huh!" The sound of powerful wings filled the air as Carlos rode his dragon Kaldor, carrying Roland to the outpost. The dragon landed gracefully atop the sentry tower, and Roland dismounted swiftly.

"Your Highness, they wish to speak with you," a knight reported.

"Let them through," Roland replied with a nod.

---

The iron-clad wooden door creaked open just enough for the young man to slip through before it quickly shut again behind him.

"Hello, respected lord. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am James, the lord of the Cardan tribe in the northern wasteland," the young man introduced himself, bowing respectfully. He couldn't help but notice the aura of power surrounding Roland, from his finely crafted magical armor to the imposing dragon knight who had just landed.

"Hello, I'm Roland, King of the Lagrand Kingdom," Roland replied, returning the bow.

James's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't expected the young man before him to be the king, though it made sense. A dragon knight was a formidable asset that only a powerful kingdom could afford. He wondered how the king would react when he saw the desperate state of James's people.

"What brings you here?" Roland asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Well, we were hoping to rent this outpost as a temporary refuge," James said hesitantly, his request catching Roland off guard.

"What do you mean?" Roland asked, confused.

"Our tribe was destroyed in the northern war. We had no choice but to flee south, crossing the Gray Mountains to escape the orcs," James explained, his voice filled with sorrow.

"Have you been to Long Lake City or Elub?" Roland asked, his tone suddenly sharp.

"Yes, we did visit Lord Bard of Long Lake City. He offered us refuge, but I declined. My people still need my leadership, and we hope to remain independent," James replied.

Roland nodded, understanding James's desire to maintain autonomy. Lords rarely wanted to merge their territories, especially when resources were scarce.

Roland couldn't help but feel sympathy for James. The young lord had led his people out of one danger only to stumble into another. He admired James's determination but knew the situation was far more dire than the young lord realized.

"I'm afraid you haven't escaped the orcs just yet," Roland said, his voice heavy with regret. He pulled out a sheepskin map and pointed to a location. "Here is the Orc Kingdom, ruled by King Azog, the Pale Orc. Their forces are strong, between the 5th and 6th ranks. Gundabad Mountain... Gambada! These are the orc fortresses to the north. You've walked right into the middle of their territory."

James's face paled. He hadn't realized the full extent of the danger they were in.

"To be honest, there was a recent battle at the foot of the Lonely Mountain. The dwarves, humans, and elves formed an alliance and won, but the orcs are regrouping, planning their next move," Roland added, delivering another blow.

James stood there, stunned, his mind racing to comprehend the gravity of the situation.

"However," Roland continued, "if you truly wish to stay here, I can offer you this outpost. You can build a city here, and we won't interfere with the land west of the Swift River, provided you can defend it from other lords."

James nodded, his mind made up. "Thank you, King Roland. We will stay and build our home here."

Roland sighed, feeling a mix of admiration and pity for James. "Just know, the orcs will not be your only challenge. The northern lands are harsh, and the orcs could attack at any moment. But if they do, we will stand by you. We cannot afford to let them cross the Swift River into our kingdom."

James nodded again, his resolve strengthening. "We understand. We will fight to protect our new home."

---

"My lord, are we really leaving this place to them?" Carlos asked Roland quietly, watching as James's people began crossing the river in small groups.

Roland glared at him. "What, do you want to leave our people here to face the orcs alone? Their numbers give them an advantage."

Roland couldn't help but admire the industrious northern tribesmen. There were nearly 3,000 of them, including about 500 soldiers, and Roland was astonished to see nearly 40 knights among them, survivors of a brutal war.

"The more people, the faster the work gets done!" Carlos remarked enviously as he watched the northern tribesmen begin construction on the log city wall.

"Don't worry, our people will return soon enough," Roland assured him with a smile.

Carlos frowned. "Your Excellency, the soldiers who return to Rapid City are few and far between. The dwarves are quicker, constantly crossing the Misty Mountains back to Eruber."

Roland chuckled awkwardly. "Well, our people are a bit scattered, after all."

What Roland didn't realize was that his decision to allow James and his people to stay would eventually lead to the founding of the Kingdom of Akvia, known as the Twin Stars of the North, rivaling the River Valley Kingdom. It would start as a humble town, but soon, it would be bustling with life.

"All right, let's not worry too much about the west bank for now. We need to focus on improving our city defenses. A two-meter-high city wall doesn't exactly make me feel safe," Roland said, his tone growing serious.

The soldiers didn't even bother to patrol the city wall at night. It was more of a formality than a real defense. The real danger lay within the city, where wild beasts and wandering orcs often slipped through the cracks in the neglected fortifications.

"Then we'll have to wait… Mage Ladir is still recovering from his overuse of magic," Carlos reminded him.

Roland sighed. "Ah… I'm exhausted. Let's destroy it and start anew."