Thorin, as a guest, sat at the head of the table without a word, then surveyed the entire room with a king-like gaze.
The Dwarves, one by one, became quiet under his gaze.
And Bilbo, who should have been greeting everyone as the host, seemed to be intimidated by Thorin's kingly aura at this moment, sitting next to Mike with his head down, playing the role of a quail.
In the awkward atmosphere, Gandalf, who initiated this adventure, had to break the silence: "Let us raise our glasses for this gathering and for the adventure ahead!"
"Cheers!!!" x N
Putting everything else aside, the uninhibited and straightforward Dwarves were excellent at livening up the atmosphere. After the old wizard finished his opening remarks, the mood quickly became festive.
In the lively scene, even Thorin, who had been maintaining his composure, raised the wine glass in front of him.
After two glasses of wine, the Dwarves' spirits grew even higher, and they began to recall the glorious days of the Lonely Mountain.
Then, they started to complain about their miserable lives over the years.
Yes, the incredibly prosperous Dwarves, sixty years ago, were driven out of the Lonely Mountain by Smaug, the gold-loving dragon, and then successively driven out of the Moria Mines, their means of survival, by the Orcs.
Several wars during this period caused them heavy casualties, and in the end, only a dozen or so of their kin remained, going to human towns to make a living.
Even Thorin, a descendant of the royal family of the Dwarves, could only make a living as a blacksmith for humans in Grey Alley all these years.
Their plight could be described as "what goes up must come down," "guests leaving their homeland," and "wandering aimlessly."
Under the influence of alcohol, these Dwarves would recall their glorious past one moment, and then complain about their current lives the next, with highly fluctuating emotions.
…
"Gandalf, I don't think they are the companions I need. So, I apologize." After meeting the Dwarves, Mike ultimately decided to go his own way.
"Why? Don't you want the treasure in the Lonely Mountain?" Gandalf seemed to have misunderstood something and tried to persuade him: "You know, the wealth accumulated by the Dwarves for generations is all there, and its quantity far exceeds your imagination."
At the banquet, the shared experiences and bloodline of the Dwarves naturally formed a circle.
Mike and Bilbo, and even Gandalf, were excluded from this circle.
The old wizard had been sitting silently aside, smoking his pipe, while Mike and Bilbo sat on either side of him.
Hearing Mike's words, the old wizard even stopped smoking.
"I didn't say I wasn't going to the Lonely Mountain; I just don't want to go with the Dwarves…" Mike explained.
The Dwarves might have some combat power, but compared to their terrible personalities, that little bit of combat power was not worth Mike's attention.
"This…" Gandalf was stunned; he had never thought Mike would have such an idea.
However, thinking about it, it was quite reasonable. The Lonely Mountain treasure was there, and one didn't necessarily need to cooperate with the Dwarves to get it.
Just as the old wizard was about to find a reason to persuade Mike again, a loud crash suddenly came from the dining table.
Thorin slammed his wine glass on the table, looking at Mike with ill intent, and said, "The treasure on the Lonely Mountain belongs only to the Dwarves, and anyone who tries to take it will become our enemy!"
Apparently, what Mike had just said to the old wizard was accidentally overheard by the Dwarves.
At the same time, the other Dwarves also glared at Mike with shared animosity.
So much so that Gandalf and Bilbo, who were next to Mike, were also somewhat implicated.
"If I remember correctly, the current Lonely Mountain and its treasures belong to the evil dragon Smaug." Mike was not afraid of Thorin like Bilbo; he calmly said, "Moreover, you, who were driven out of the Lonely Mountain, never thought of recapturing it in the past sixty years."
"Even this time, if Gandalf hadn't taken the lead, I dare say you would still lack the courage to face Smaug in the Lonely Mountain."
This was truly hitting where it hurt.
You could say the Dwarves were crude, but you absolutely couldn't say they were cowardly.
Thorin, whose sore spot was touched, suddenly stood up and roared, "Nonsense! You're insulting the Dwarves!"
Seeing Thorin enraged, many Dwarves began to look for weapons, preparing for battle.
Only Balin, the white-bearded one, remained somewhat rational. He stopped the other Dwarves and then said to Thorin, "Calm down, Thorin. He is someone Gandalf brought; we shouldn't fight among ourselves. And without a map and clues, no one can take our treasure."
After Smaug occupied the Lonely Mountain, he sealed all entrances and exits; even if ordinary people reached the Lonely Mountain, they couldn't get in.
"Is that so?" Mike, seeing that the Dwarves no longer intended to fight, continued, "I can see that you're hostile towards me, and coincidentally, I don't think much of you either. Instead of forcing ourselves together, why don't we go our separate ways and rely on our own abilities… Or are you afraid?"
"Dwarves fear no challenge!!" With the conversation having reached this point, Thorin clearly wouldn't back down.
"Then I'll see you in the Lonely Mountain. I hope you won't make me wait too long." Mike finished speaking, then got up and walked out.
Things changed too quickly; by the time Bilbo, the host, reacted, Mike had already left the house.
So, Bilbo quickly chased after him.
"It's already dark, where are you going? Also, do you really plan to take the Lonely Mountain?" The kind-hearted Bilbo wanted Mike to stay, at least not to leave alone at night, and he also deeply sympathized with the plight of the Dwarves.
"Don't worry, my power is beyond your imagination." Mike smiled, then condensed a protective light sphere and threw it onto Bilbo, saying, "This is my thanks for your hospitality. This protective light sphere will help you block a fatal injury when necessary."
"And, good luck."
Given Bilbo's kind nature, it was inevitable that he would help the Dwarves.
Mike simply couldn't dislike someone with such a noble character, so he offered a small bit of help.
"I knew it, you're a wizard too…" Watching the light sphere merge into his body, Bilbo showed a surprised expression.
How could someone who walked with Gandalf be an ordinary person?
Mike, who was already preparing to leave, smiled and shook his head without further explanation.
"Alright, Bilbo. Let me have a few words with Mr. Mike." Gandalf, who followed out, patted Bilbo's shoulder, then looked at Mike with a complex expression and said, "Perhaps your strength is good, but Smaug, as the last great dragon in Middle-earth, possesses power that is by no means something an ordinary person can withstand."
"Therefore, to reclaim the Lonely Mountain, we should unite everyone's strength."
"If you change your mind, I can go back and explain to Thorin and the others…"
Even at this point, the old wizard was still making efforts for the adventure party.
It was clear that he truly admired Mike's strength. But on the other hand, he didn't quite understand Mike.
"Thank you for your kindness, but as I said before, I am not on the same path as the Dwarves." Mike waved his hand gracefully, flew high into the sky, and said, "Then I'll see you next time, Gandalf. We can go find Tom for a drink sometime."
As his voice faded, Mike's figure flew further and further away against the moonlight.
"I really underestimated him after all." Watching Mike disappear into the moonlight, Gandalf truly felt a bit of regret this time.
In his opinion, he had had the chance to keep Mike and have him join the adventure party, if only he had "tried" a little harder.
However, it was too late to say anything now.
On the other side, the Dwarves were badmouthing Mike behind his back.
Mike was not wrong earlier; the Dwarves indeed disliked him. Or rather, because of the Elves, the Dwarves disliked anyone who was handsome.
Moreover, Mike was even "prettier" than the Elves, so it was inevitable that the Dwarves would dislike him.
"That guy's face is so smooth, not a single hair, he's clearly not someone to be trusted…"
"Where we come from, no woman would like him…"
Dwarves valued ruggedness as beauty; in their eyes, the more body hair and beard, the better. In this situation, even female Dwarves often grew thick beards for beauty.
In the eyes of the Dwarves, a "pretty boy" like Mike was even inferior to a woman.
"And that Hobbit named Bilbo, he looks so timid, how could he be the 'burglar' we're looking for…"
"I don't know what Gandalf is thinking, always finding us unreliable people…"
After criticizing Mike, the Dwarves then turned their attention to Bilbo and Gandalf.
Listening to his kinsmen's increasingly excessive discussions, Thorin, sitting aside, showed no intention of stopping them, and even felt a little "secretly pleased" in his heart.