Bear School Astartes

In Long Lake Town, although Lann and Bard were heroes who fought against Smaug, after welcoming them and confirming the death of the evil dragon once again, people still had to busy themselves with the difficult living conditions at hand.

Last night, it indeed snowed, but the fire in Long Lake Town was so intense that the heat melted the snow above the town, leaving only falling ash-gray wood ashes, which is why Lann and Bard did not notice.

However, the snow at night had already covered part of River Valley City in white, and the snow line on the upper half of the Lonely Mountain seemed to have extended downwards quite a bit.

Now, after the snow, the temperature was cold, mixed with humidity. This group of townsfolk had just gone through repeated scares and were mostly malnourished before.

If nothing was done, it seemed that some people wouldn’t be able to hold on.

”I wonder, why don’t we go inside the Lonely Mountain?”

A male townsman complained while struggling to push away a large fragment of rock blocking a house, speaking to the person next to him who was also working.

”There are a lot of rooms chiseled out by the dwarves there; it’s warm and dry inside the mountain. And it’s very safe, after all, the evil dragon is dead, isn’t it? And when the dragon was alive, surely nothing dared to sneak in.”

”Although there might be a dragon’s stench, the women can clean it up.”

”Plus, there are old and dusty, but thick enough blankets and clothes. They can keep us warmer, not to mention... there’s some gold.”

The townsman speaking stopped to catch his breath.

His clothes were tattered, full of the rancid smell of fish oil, and a soft leather cap covered his matted, greasy hair like a headscarf.

Gasping for air, the warm breath from his mouth turned into a cloud of white mist due to the cold temperature, sticking to his face, wet and cold.

This was on a street in the ruins of River Valley City.

Over a dozen hardworking townsfolk were clearing rubble in front of a tall building destroyed by the dragon’s flames, hoping to open a path for people to enter.

The dragon’s flames were not only of high temperature but also had physical impact force; this building’s door was entirely made of stone.

Every stone in the doorframe was immovable by ordinary people, only rollable on the ground.

Even so, a single blast of dragon flames from Smaug flying by instantly shattered the doorway, which had been interlocked and pieced together with stones, into a chaotic pile of rubble.

The people working with the speaking townsman also stopped, leaning on shovels and sticks to catch their breath.

Seeing their exhausted state, it was hard to say whether they agreed with this idea.

Just then, the sound of wooden wheels turning on the stone-paved road echoed from the other end of the street, along with Bard’s voice.

”That is the dwarves’ kingdom, and there are still dwarves inside; therefore, we shouldn’t enter without permission under any circumstances.”

Bald was pulling a rickety wooden cart over, responsible for carrying away the cleared rubble.

At this moment, he seemed determined to dispel these townsfolk’s thoughts, speaking sternly and resolutely.

”Moreover, regarding the gold... those gold pieces are cursed. We should only take what Sorlin Oak Shield initially promised us, just enough to rebuild our homes, not a single gold coin more!”

”How many people have been killed by greed for gold? The dwarves kept digging deeper into the Lonely Mountain, ultimately attracting the dragon with news of treasures and greed. We are now standing in the destroyed River Valley City!”

No one present was more qualified than Bard to say these words.

Because he was originally the City Lord’s descendant of this ruined city, now reduced to making a living alongside a group of fishermen.

Bard’s three children were all well-behaved and sensible, but this was not because he provided ample material goods, only because he taught them well.

In fact, Tilsa and Sigrid had no new clothes, and Bain, who always looked up to Bard, didn’t even have his own bow.

With Bard standing up and stating his attitude about the gold in the Lonely Mountain, there was no one more suitable for the task.

Thanks to Lann’s assistance, Bard had gained the respect of the townsfolk, even the initial complainer nodded in understanding.

Smaug was dead, but the terrifying impression still lingered in the hearts of the people here.

It had only been a night since Long Lake Town was initially raided and slaughtered by Beastmen at night, then later entirely burned by the dragon... Gold seemed indeed insignificant.

During the day, when the townsfolk saw the familiar corpses floating on the lake with whitened wounds from soaking, they experienced perhaps the clearest moment of their lives.

In River Valley City, the surviving townsfolk of Long Lake Town had Bard to keep them clear-headed, to look rationally at the Lonely Mountain and the gold within it.

But... what about inside the Lonely Mountain now?

Four lagging behind dwarves on their way to the Lonely Mountain Kingdom had yet to enter the door Smaug had rammed open from the inside when they saw the Hobbits and the Elu Cat standing outside.

Seeing the four dwarves, the pair seemed very happy.

”You’re alive! That’s great!”

But strangely, this happiness only lasted a moment.

The Hobbit’s smile turned into pursing lips, and the Elu Cat’s erect little triangular ears drooped back down.

”No... I truly don’t know if you’ve come at the right time.”

”What nonsense are you talking about?”

Qi Li, just recovered from arrow wounds, didn’t think much; he went right up and forcefully pulled Bilbo and Rong Buqiu into his arms, laughing heartily as he gave them a hearty hug.

”We’re alive, and you’re alive too! What could be better than this? Haha!”

The young, lively dwarf even hopped like a little girl.

But Bill and Rong Buqiu’s expressions showed no sign of improvement.

”It’s true, Qi Li, Philipp, Bofur, Ouin...you’d better not go in, in fact, no one should go in!”

Bill’s words caused Philipp’s doubts.

”What’s going on? You look scared to death, and you’re a hobbit who can talk nonsense with three-headed ogres face to face!”

”Listen to me.”

Bill pressed his hand down, signaling himself to speak slowly while organizing his thoughts.

”Sorlin is acting strange. Since last night, after we were all exhausted and drove Smaug out, he hasn’t eaten or drunk, and won’t let others eat or drink, staying below all the time.”

”If you ask me, this place is definitely not right! There’s a sinister aura inside!”

”Sinister aura?”

Philipp initially expressed disbelief.

He and Qi Li were young dwarves born outside the Lonely Mountain, yearning for this former home and homeland through stories from elders. The beautification in filters naturally made them unwilling to believe their homeland harbored any ’sinister aura’.

However, tilting his head to look past Bill, Philipp suddenly seemed to see something, his eyes became fixed and dazed.

Ditching the hobbit who was still speaking to him, he walked toward the broken door.

The people behind hurriedly followed, while Bill and Rong Buqiu exchanged glances and sighed as they followed suit.

”...”

Philipp, who first ventured into the Lonely Mountain, stopped with unsteady steps, following the enchanting golden glow ahead.

The three dwarves behind him weren’t much different.

Because beyond the Lonely Mountain’s gate, a short distance inside is the King’s Hall where Sorlin and the others melted down Thror’s golden statue, almost crushing Smaug.

Though the dwarves were few in number, they still lit braziers in places that needed illumination, the firelight flickering over the expansive golden surface covering the hall.

Then it was reflected as mesmerizing golden light.

Seeing this scene, the four dwarves unconsciously lightened their breathing.

However, after watching them for a while, Bill breathed a sigh of relief; fortunately, it was only the initial brief moment when they were captivated and confused by the overwhelming scene.

Later, they became alert, still glancing at the vast golden surface, but at least their gaze returned to normal.

”You said Sorlin and the others are still below?”

Bofur turned to ask Bill, who pursed his lips and nodded.

The group, led by Bofur and Ouin, who knew the way, headed deep into the Lonely Mountain.

They traversed layer upon layer of excavation, stairs, and weight-bearing pillars as thick as houses.

Finally, the breathtaking Golden Silver Sea in the treasure chamber appeared in front of the four dwarves.

Fortunately, having seen the entire hall’s golden surface first, giving them a period to adapt, the four dwarves didn’t remain dazed before the shimmering Golden Silver Sea for long.

The Golden Silver Sea that initially only slightly reflected light was now also adorned with several lit braziers, reflecting the alluring gleam of gold and silver.

The other dwarves, meanwhile, were lethargically bending over, searching continuously within the Golden Silver Sea.

Just below the stairs they occupied, a sound of gold coins being stamped upon echoed.

Philipp and Qi Li leaned over to look down, just in time to see Sorlin walking out from a small room in the treasure chamber.

But he was completely different from a day before.

The dwarf warrior, who once endured harsh trials without a word of complaint, was now clad in a lavish and grand fur cloak.

Philipp and Qi Li recognized this figure, it was their grandfather’s cloak when he was King Under the Mountain, Sorlin’s grandfather.

The expensive and exquisite fur was now dust-laden, yet its exceptional quality meant it showed no damage nor declined in appearance.

And Sorlin, within just a day and night after entering the Lonely Mountain, eagerly put it on.

While walking, Sorlin was muttering to himself.

”Gold...infinite gold...”

His voice sounded lost, and while quietly murmuring, he seemed to want to fit all the treasure chamber’s gold into his field of vision, turning his head to admire the magnificent sight.

”Enough to compensate for all sadness...and pain.”

As he turned to greedily admire the treasure chamber, Sorlin saw the four newly entered dwarves.

He naturally opened his arms to them, the fur cloak threw wide a narrative black shadow.

The flickering flame, while projecting the luxurious splendor of the Golden Silver Sea, simultaneously cast deeper shadows...much like the dark circles growing heavy under Sorlin’s eyes at some unknown time.