"Therefore, our troop strength has reached five or six thousand! This is a proper legion! The western lands are not like the Northern Territory. Deploying a force like this there could cause unnecessary panic!" Thorin scratched his head. Having spent some time in the western lands, Thorin undoubtedly had the right to speak on the matter.
Since the fall of the Kingdom of Arnor, the northwestern region had become a lawless land, with no stable and powerful regime. The three kingdoms of Arnor, Rhudaur, and Cardolan had fallen one after another. From Great East Road to Bree, then from Bree to The Shire, aside from the Hobbits' self-governing towns, no other region had any strong political power. Without a government, there were few proper full-time soldiers besides militia. Perhaps local nobles and landowners kept some private troops, but getting support from them would be incredibly difficult!
"Such as? Scaring Elrond to death?" Roland shrugged and joked.
"Come on. This army will definitely alarm Rivendell. Hidden Valley lies right along our route! We might actually have to fight the elves of Hidden Valley!" Thorin stretched his arms. There was no fear of war in his eyes, only a thirst for blood!
"Enough! King Elrond is a wise and benevolent man! He would never start a war without distinguishing right from wrong!" Thranduil retorted, pressing a hand to his forehead.
"But moving such a large force is indeed troublesome!" Yun Feng nodded thoughtfully. Middle-earth had no highways. The rough roads alone would discourage most people, not to mention the difficulty of supplying them... Feeding and watering so many men and horses would already cost an astronomical amount!
"What worries me more is organization!" Roland voiced his concern. Several powers joining together certainly looked intimidating, but their coordination and mutual understanding remained a