"We haven't been to the far-off places either; we only know that many dark creatures have recently appeared in Mirkwood and the Northern Mountains…"
"Among them, cannibals, Orcs, and Giant Spiders are the most dangerous. Rangers of average strength who encounter them can only flee for their lives."
"Of course, these dark creatures also have their weaknesses. For example, cannibals and Orcs are very afraid of sunlight. So, in the sunny daytime, the outer edges of the forest are still relatively safe…"
David was indeed a veteran ranger, rich in information and experience.
At this moment, he was honestly sitting opposite Mike, meticulously divulging everything he knew.
Beside him, the young Ranger Sam was obediently squatting, occasionally stealing a glance at the handsome young man in the dominant position with an "adoring" gaze.
The morning sun, streaming through the window, illuminated the side of Mike's face, imbuing him with an indescribable sense of mystery.
As for the half-elf Sophia, she had already gone to the back room to rinse her mouth several times. Now, she was rubbing her knees while glaring "resentfully" at Mike, who seemed as if nothing had happened.
"What, are you unconvinced?" After listening to the Old Ranger's experiences, Mike finally had time to turn and look at Sophia.
As a normal man, he wouldn't be polite to a bad woman.
"Hmph—" As if greatly wronged, Sophia snorted coldly and averted her gaze, her eyes a bit evasive.
She had suffered greatly at the hands of this man, who had disguised himself as a fat sheep, last night.
"Very good." Seeing that the half-elf woman had no objections, Mike scanned the three people before him and said, "As I said before, we are now even. From now on, we go our separate ways and have nothing to do with each other."
Although these three had ill intentions, their crime wasn't punishable by death. Mike had already punished Sophia last night, and now he had learned more about Middle-earth from David and Sam.
The two sides had reached a reconciliation.
"Then, goodbye," Mike stood up and bid farewell, "I hope you all turn over a new leaf and become good people."
Watching him truly leave so freely, Sophia showed a look of forlornness.
"Big Sis, are you alright?" The transparent Sam asked with concern; he had never seen Sophia with such a complex expression before.
"I'm fine," Sophia said through gritted teeth, her eyes flickering, "I've decided, I'm going to the Lonely Mountain too."
"Ah? The three of us combined are no match for that man. Chasing him to the Lonely Mountain would be useless, right?" Sam analyzed foolishly.
At this moment, the older David shook his head, looking at Sam's silly appearance.
His half-elf boss was clearly "charmed" by Mike; chasing him to the Lonely Mountain wasn't necessarily for revenge.
A woman's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea—
"Going to the Lonely Mountain requires crossing the entire Middle-earth. We will certainly encounter many unknown dangers along the way, and it will be difficult for our small team to arrive there safely…" David, having collected himself, stated the difficulty of going to the Lonely Mountain.
"We can go to the Northern Mountains first and gather some powerful Rangers. I believe some of them will be interested in the Dwarf treasure in the Lonely Mountain." The calm Sophia quickly thought of a feasible plan.
Humans die for wealth, and birds die for food.
The fact that Dwarf treasure is hidden in the Lonely Mountain is no secret, and there are always desperate people who will be tempted by the countless riches.
Moreover, Mike had just inquired a lot about the Northern Mountains from David, and Sophia had a premonition that she would see him there again.
So, without Sam's full understanding, Sophia and David discussed a plan to first go to the Northern Mountains to recruit people and then detour to the Lonely Mountain.
Meanwhile, back in Hobbiton, Thorin, not wanting to be outmaneuvered by Mike, set off for the Lonely Mountain with the Dwarves at dawn.
When the sleepy Bilbo woke up, the Dwarves and the Wizard were no longer in the house.
Only the wealth-sharing contract left by Thorin remained on the dining table.
"Perhaps I should go and help the Dwarves reclaim their homeland. Maybe I can also see Mr. Mike again at the Lonely Mountain…" Last night's experience was like a dream, and it truly ignited the adventurous blood in Bilbo's bones.
Besides, his first human friend, the gentle Mike, had also said he would go to the Lonely Mountain.
Bilbo thought for a long time in the empty room. Finally, in a rush of excitement, he grabbed the contract from the table and dashed out of the house, not bothering to enjoy his breakfast.
"Do you think Bilbo will catch up?" Balin, who hadn't even left Hobbiton yet, looked uncertainly at the old wizard riding a tall horse beside him.
After Gandalf's explanation last night, the Dwarves had a clear understanding: they needed an excellent thief to help them retrieve the Arkenstone from the dragon Smaug.
And the Halfling Bilbo Baggins, with his broad feet, was the best candidate for the thief.
"Who knows?" Hearing the question, Gandalf couldn't help but glance back, as if checking if Bilbo had caught up.
Seeing the old wizard's low spirits, Balin could only turn to discuss ideas with the other Dwarves around him.
"This is a dangerous journey. I don't think that Hobbit has the courage…"
"Indeed, he has a good life; there's no need for him to go on an adventure with us…"
"Perhaps he's now in that cozy little house, enjoying his breakfast…"
Most of the Dwarves were not optimistic about Bilbo having the courage to participate in the adventure.
Only the gentlemanly Kili said to Bilbo, "I can tell that Hobbit is very kind, so I think he is very likely to come and help us."
Seeing Kili speak for an outsider, the Dwarves all started to jeer.
"Oh, want to make a bet, Kili? Bet all the money on me… ten gold coins. The Hobbit won't catch up…"
"Count me in, I also bet the Hobbit won't catch up… three gold coins…"
"I only have two gold coins…"
The naturally optimistic and thick-skinned Dwarves quickly livened up the atmosphere again.
Kili, who was "vouching" for Bilbo, accepted all the bets from the Dwarves except for Thorin.
At this moment, Thorin, riding a small brown horse at the very front, naturally heard the Dwarves' conversation and also knew the importance of the thief to the adventure party.
Therefore, although he didn't say it aloud, he actually tried to slow down the team's pace as much as possible to allow the Hobbit to catch up.
"Gandalf, do you want to join in?" Suddenly, a Dwarf cued the old wizard.
"Then I'll play a round, ten gold coins… betting that Bilbo will appear…" Gandalf thought for a moment, then placed his trust in the Hobbit.
It was at this moment that Bilbo, with his large feet, having traversed half of Hobbiton, appeared over a small hill behind them.
"Hi, wait for me… I've decided to be a 'Thief' and help you get back your Arkenstone…"
Upon seeing the Dwarves, Bilbo ran and shouted excitedly.
At his shouts, the old wizard and the Dwarves all turned back, then successively broke into smiles.
"Looks like I won. A bet's a bet, pay up, pay up!" Among them, Kili's smile was especially bright.
It was the satisfaction of receiving positive feedback after placing trust.
And the Dwarves who lost the bet were not angry; they all opened their purses and threw their money bags to Kili and the old wizard.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Bilbo caught up with the adventure party and saw this strange scene.
"Welcome to the team, Bilbo. We've prepared a pony for you…"
The Dwarves naturally didn't want the fact that they had bet on Bilbo to be discovered by him. So, the Dwarves who lost money greeted Bilbo, and then enthusiastically helped him climb onto an empty pony.
"Alright, everyone's here. Let's continue!!" Thorin, who was already eager to go to the Lonely Mountain, nodded to the newly joined Bilbo and then accelerated the entire team's pace.
At the same time, in a place no one could see, a relaxed smile also appeared on Thorin's lips.