"Hello, Lindir, we meet again!" Roland smiled kindly at the fourth-tier ranger before him.
"Greetings, King Roland. By King Elrond's command, I have brought my cavalry to join your forces." Lindir said with a dark expression.
"Welcome to the Expedition family! But you can rest for a while longer. The Dúnedain haven't arrived yet." Roland smiled. Until negotiations with the Dúnedain were complete, the allied army could not simply charge out. Without guards along such a long trade route, the Orcs would infiltrate it like a sieve.
"..." What could Lindir say? Surrounded by Sixth Tier Professionals, he, a mere fourth-tier ranger, looked weak and helpless. In the end, he could only nod stiffly, then take his leave with a forced smile.
"Has Hidden Valley fallen so low? They can actually send out a fourth-tier elf?" Thorin was somewhat displeased, believing the elves were looking down on them. The Expedition army was filled with either Kings or Sixth Tier Professionals, every one of them a solid pillar to lean on. Sending a fourth-tier elf from Rivendell was no different from an insult.
"You can't put it that way. He is King Elrond's adjutant, so his status carries different significance. His combat strength doesn't matter much. We aren't lacking High-Tier Professionals, but his symbolic meaning is important... his arrival represents the will of Elrond, lord of Hidden Valley!" Roland explained.
"Mm, then that's acceptable. Better than Thranduil..." Thorin understood Roland's explanation, sat back down, hugged his wine cup, and grumbled.
"..." Thranduil clenched his fists. If not for wanting a share of the Northern Territory's communal pot, he would have punched Thorin long ago... After all, his son would still have to mingle with these people in the future. For Legolas's sake, Thranduil chose to swallow Thorin's sarcastic jabs.
"Is