Bear School Astartes

Long Lake Town, with most houses built using wooden planks, suffers from poor sound insulation; the noise from two streets away can easily reach one’s ears.

The townsfolk are bustling about, and the sounds of chatter fill the majority of the day.

Originally, because of this problem, Lann had little confidence in finding the Dwarves based on hearing alone in such a noisy environment.

If he had already implanted the enhanced organ [Leman’s Ear], it might have been possible.

But this location was different.

A number of people surrounded this two-story wooden house, watching diligently, unlike the ordinary bustling households.

They quietly went about their tasks.

This considerably reduced the surrounding noise level, allowing Lann to perceive some information using his Demon Hunter’s extraordinary senses at a reasonably close distance.

The sounds that caught his attention were gruff and lively, and even the irritated complaints sounded surprisingly entertaining.

...It’s the Dwarves!

”Found them.”

Lann’s expression wasn’t one of surprise; after all, he and Rong Buqiu had searched about a quarter of Long Lake Town, so encountering them wasn’t unexpected.

Immediately, Lann flipped over and jumped down from the wooden building’s second-floor corridor, heading towards the two-story wooden house.

There were three people positioned at the front of the wooden house, who promptly noticed this abnormal figure walking directly towards their surveillance target.

Yet, the three dared not move.

They were merely observers, not fighters. With a figure larger and seemingly capable of crushing them drawing closer, they had no intention of standing to block his path.

”But don’t you find it strange that you have no reaction upon seeing me?”

The man originally posing as a fisherman on a boat in the middle of the waterway uncontrollably shivered.

His boat lay across the waterway, also serving as a bridge.

When Lann came over, his large hand merely pressed against the man’s neck, causing his eyes to roll back as he collapsed weakly into the boat.

The other two, who were watching the wooden house’s front door, were already nervously swallowing as they saw Lann approaching.

Once he made a move, they dropped the pottery and tapestry they were pretending to admire and bargain for, intending to flee.

But before they could take more than a few steps, Rong Buqiu descended from the sky, helmet in one hand and an inexplicable white radish in the other.

With two ’clunk’ sounds, Rong Buqiu was standing between the two.

Next came the sound of bodies hitting the ground.

The little cat discarded the white radish, put its helmet back on, and extended its paw to make a ’victory’ sign.

”Cool cat!”

Lann, ever able to provide emotional support, nodded in agreement with Rong Buqiu’s self-satisfaction, and then ascended the stairs to the two-story wooden house.

Now that he was inside, the previously muffled conversations of the Dwarves became unmistakably clear.

”What is this? I’ve never seen such a weapon.”

”This is a barbed spear, modified from a harpoon. That one’s a square hammer, modified from a blacksmith’s hammer.”

”We paid good Silver Coins for this! You dare give us this heaps of scrap metal?”

During their time in Rivendell, the Dwarves got along well with Lann, Rong Buqiu, and Qilin, enjoying each other’s company.

Thus, the Demon Hunter could distinguish the voices of these thirteen Dwarves and one Hobbit, though among them was an unfamiliar accent.

And this unfamiliar voice seemed to be explaining helplessly to the Dwarf clientele.

”We’re heading into a perilous wilderness, facing dangers requiring fine blades and true weapons! Steel, premium steel! Not iron! That’s been exposed to water!”

”Are you trying to get us killed?”

Judging from the voice, this was Bofur, usually a good-natured fellow, but his tone was anything but cheerful now.

Lann wasted no time, standing outside the door on the second floor and knocked on it.

The ’knock knock knock’ of the door interrupted the argument inside, followed by the clattering of collisions.

Presumably, the weapons just sneered at by the Dwarves were now in their hands.

Meanwhile, the unfamiliar voice hurriedly tried to calm the Dwarves.

”Don’t attack! Do you want to start a murder in my home? Stop, I’ll handle this!”

Amidst the chaos, the thin wooden door cautiously opened a crack in front of Lann.

”What is...” From the crack appeared the face of a human man with signs of old elegance yet undeniably weathered. ”going on?!”

Starting the sentence with fluency, albeit feeling guarded.

Yet, upon realizing that he was aligning his gaze with someone’s chest, he hesitated, recognizing the mismatch.

His height barely met Lann’s bearfur cloak.

Processed by Belengar and magically enhanced, the bearfur cloak glistened, conveying luxury and ferocity.

The man opening the door stiffened and lifted his head, beads of sweat visible on his forehead.

Until he met Lann’s downward gaze.

”You may call me Lann, sir. Awaiting your orders.”

”Oh, I... My name is Bard, also at your service.”

Lann’s eyes narrowed slightly at the gentleman before him, polite yet somewhat unfamiliar.

And the windbreaker he wore seemed patched up, worn for many years.

...Fallen on hard times?

Mentos quickly combined the information and gave an inference. However, Lann mentally downgraded the level of archival for this information, as he wasn’t here to play detective.

”I’m here to find a group of Dwarf friends, is that convenient?”

Lann said this while reaching out his hand towards the house in a questioning gesture.

”Friends?” Bard was somewhat surprised. These Dwarves know Elves?

Weren’t they supposed to be at odds?

But before he could think it through, the Dwarves behind him shouted happily.

”Hey! It’s Lann, mates!”

Hearing the cheers of the Dwarves, Bard, though still deeply suspicious and frowning, nonetheless stepped aside to open the door.

The Demon Hunter ducked his head as he walked in, Rong Buqiu followed behind and waved his little paw to greet the bewildered Bard.

”Hello, gentlemen.”

Lann ducked his head as he entered, carefully avoiding any collision with drying racks hanging in the house.

”Great to see you, Lann!”

Sorlin’s nephew, Philipp, jumped over to pat the Hunter’s hanging hand.

The other Dwarves were also cheerful, except Sorlin who stood by the window, looking deeply out at something, with Balin standing beside him accompanying him like Santa Claus.

Seeing Lann come in, they only managed to give him a strained smile.

What Lann didn’t hear was that Bard’s house had three children.

A big boy, a big girl, and a little girl.

Seeing the room full of strange Dwarves, they were not too alarmed, just quietly sitting in the corner of the crowded room.

The boy was fine, but when the two girls saw Lann’s face as he entered, they began covering their mouths, laughing softly, occasionally bouncing excitedly.

It felt as if a character from a fairy tale had come to life. The girls were very polite, despite their excitement, they did not interrupt.

This sort of situation the Demon Hunter was quite familiar with, he simply nodded politely towards them, considering that as a greeting.

”What’s going on with you guys?”

Lann turned to look at these Dwarves, they were all dripping wet, and given the temperature of this lake, this was a bad state.

”Even weapons lost, looking like you were being hunted down with no way out. Gandalf didn’t mention this bit.”

”Was it Gandalf who invited you here? What is he doing?”

Bilbo, wrapped in a blanket, sniffed as he asked.

He was very concerned about Gandalf.

”He has his own very important things to do, so he asked me to come and tell you some new updates.”

Lann swept his gaze over the Dwarves and Hobbits, then subtly glanced in the direction of the Bard family, suggesting this ought best be spoken in private.

Thus, the Dwarves wisely chose not to mention it.

”Things were good initially.”

Balin’s iconic white beard was sticking together from being wet, he sighed as he spoke.

”Gandalf guided us through the magic-filled Dark Forest, but he received a bird’s urgent message and hurriedly turned back into the Dark Forest.”

”We didn’t pay much heed, since we had already come through Dark Forest. But not long after Gandalf left, we were attacked by a large group of Beastmen, desperately trying to kill us.”

”We had no choice but to jump into the river, hoping the current could carry us to safety. And you know, with weapons and armor in the water, you’d only sink to the bottom, so we had to abandon most of our gear.”

Saying this, Balin habitually stroked his beard, but as his beard was wet and knotted, it hurt when he tugged it, and he smiled bitterly.

”Fortunately, we made it out of Dark Forest; the remaining river wasn’t long, otherwise, we might have drowned in it.”

They lost all leather armor, chain mail, and all heavy weapons including war hammers, battle axes, and long spears.

Everyone was left with just their undershirts, small daggers, or a short knife, only Sorlin and Bilbo, thanks to the Elves’ weapons being light and powerful, didn’t lose them in the river.

Lann nodded silently, indicating he understood the situation now. He tilted his head again, seeing Sorlin’s other nephew.

”Qi Li.” Lann called him with a frown, ”What’s wrong with your leg?”

Originally one of the two youngest and most lively troublemakers in the team, now sat pale-faced and quietly on the bed.

”Nothing, I’m fine.”

Qi Li barely managed a smile at Lann.

Next to him, Ouin, who served as the team’s doctor, though hard of hearing, often using a metal horn in his ear as a hearing aid, spoke up.

”He got shot in the leg with an arrow, a Beastman’s arrow. I’ve tended to it quickly, now we just need to see how the treatment works.”

Lann nodded and didn’t say more.

But Bard from beside, suddenly interjected in surprise.

”Wait!” The man who was likely quite handsome in his youth, now graying at the temples, frowned, looking serious. ”Did you say Beastmen? Were Beastmen near the river forcing you to jump in?”

”Those ugly and cruel murderers.”

Sorlin said with hatred.

”No, this must be a mistake. How could Beastmen appear near here? They’ve been gone from this region even longer than Dwarves have!”

”Perhaps history is such, but now face reality, Bard.” Lann said, looking down at him. ”Beastmen have indeed arrived.”