Bear School Astartes

”You better just intimidate.”

Lann had just woken up as well, and he scratched his head in frustration, complaining to Thranduil.

”Is it really possible to start a war?”

Bard shook his head beside them but then nervously glanced between Lann and Thranduil.

”Right? We can’t actually fight, can we? Just for a piece of jewelry?”

Lann felt it shouldn’t come to that, since the treasure inside Lonely Mountain, even from just hearing a few descriptions, seemed as exaggerated as a Golden Silver Sea.

A piece of jewelry, according to elven aesthetics, should be of the kind characterized by exquisite elegance, which could certainly be considered ’unobtrusive.’

Sorlin must be out of his mind to cling to it so stubbornly.

Starting a war for a piece of jewelry... Honestly, Lann always felt that most Magic Middle Ages monarchs were mostly inept and impulsive, short-sighted, and paid no attention to integrity.

He really didn’t think much of them.

But even such monarchs, few would start a war for a piece of jewelry.

Yet Thranduil showed a noncommittal attitude to the mindset of the two men.

”The stubbornness of dwarves is beyond words, better safe than sorry.”

Thranduil said as he waved to the rear of his army.

Suddenly, a chorus of braying and neighing erupted as the Elf Army uniformly sidestepped to reveal a convoy of pack animals.

On them were crates of vegetables, grain, and even alcohol.

Bard’s eyes lit up, and he hurriedly called Long Lake Town’s refugees to come forward and take the supplies.

These were the supplies the elves had promised to deliver.

Although a batch had been transported here during the troop movements when people hadn’t yet left Long Lake Town, given the current weather and the barren terrain of Smaug’s Wasteland.

Food was purely consumed with no income at all. Naturally, the more, the better.

”Thank you for your help, Your Majesty!”

Bard was the leader, while the townspeople were jubilantly moving the goods, he had to first thank Thranduil.

The always stern-faced Elf King waved: ”No need to thank me, it was just convenient. I’m here just to collect a debt.”

Having said that, he pulled on the reins of his stag and turned back.

Lann shrugged at Bard behind him: ”Don’t understand how convenient can stretch into two times.”

Bard smiled, though, his impression of the Elf King was pretty good — a mouth tough but a heart soft.

Lann called out to the Qilin and mounted it. Bard was also assigned a white horse from the elf army.

The two caught up with Thranduil, who had turned to head towards Lonely Mountain.

”Hold off on moving the army, Thranduil.”

Lann said next to the Elf King.

”You act like you’re ready to start a war right away. You say you know the stubborn temper of dwarves? Pushing like this, what could’ve been negotiable becomes non-negotiable.”

”Right!” Bard supported from the side. ”We don’t need to actually shed blood and fight. Your presence is so imposing, Lonely Mountain must’ve seen it. There are only a dozen of them there; surely they can negotiate.”

Bard, although he had sourced arms from River Valley City’s depot to arm the townspeople.

But that was to guard against Beastmen, not to cross swords with dwarves.

”The treasure in the mountain contains a share for the people of Long Lake Town, we are aligned on this matter. I believe we have a say, don’t we?”

Bard patted his chest and then pointed to the townspeople moving supplies.

”You want to reason with dwarves?” Thranduil looked at Bard and Lann in surprise, as if seeing something unbelievable.

”If it can ease the tension, reasoning isn’t bad.”

Lann nodded in agreement.

Thranduil was silent for a moment but still shook his head.

”Then you may go, but I won’t join you... just seeing those dwarves’ stubbornness gives me a headache.”

Thranduil stopped his stag’s steps, as did the golden shimmer of his Elf Army behind him.

Lann and Bard had no objections, they just needed to rely on the imposing look of the Elf Warriors displayed in River Valley City.

The distance from River Valley City to Lonely Mountain could be walked in less than an hour.

At this moment, they rode horses, their hooves clattering on the ground, approaching the Lonely Mountain Kingdom along the horizon from the hill.

Rounding the bend, the stone road in front of the gate of the Lonely Mountain Kingdom, preserved despite years of abandonment, finally came into sight.

Next up was the gate of the Lonely Mountain Kingdom.

After a night of construction, the dwarves’ progress was nothing short of rapid.

The gate, initially broken internally by Smaug, had been urgently repaired by them.

Large stones were shaped into suitable interlocking angles and stacked at the gate location.

Forming a wall made of large stone bricks.

”Dwarves are indeed born as master builders.”

Bard and Lann seemed relaxed, the Demon Hunter even critiqued the temporary wall built by the dwarves.

He felt this was Sorlin heeding his warning, preparing defenses against Beastmen and Dark Forces.

But then...

”Whoosh!”

A sharp arrow sound shattered the relaxed atmosphere between Bard and Lann in an instant!

An arrow landed on the ground beside the bard’s horse, breaking in two on the hard stone surface.

This was clearly an attempt not to harm, but at the same time... it was by no means a gesture of goodwill!

Bard and Lann were both shocked; neither of them feared the arrow, but they were surprised by the dwarves’ attitude.

Clearly, they had parted only two days ago, and their relationship was quite good.

But after arriving at Lonely Mountain... What on earth happened to the dwarves inside this mountain?

Actually, not only were the two people outside the gate shocked, but even the dwarves on the city gate were also stunned.

Except for Sorlin, who had lowered his bow, almost all the dwarves were staring at him, wide-eyed.

Even after being stunned for a while, Bilbo opened his mouth and closed it again, stuttering.

”You...he...”

The Hobbit pointed at Sorlin, then outside.

Finally, a voice full of anger came from among the dwarves.

”What are you doing, meow!!!”

Rong Buqiu pushed aside the dwarves between himself and Sorlin; the dwarves were too shocked or guilty to use their sturdy bodies to block him properly.

The Three-Floral Kitten perked its ears forcefully: ”You shot an arrow outside!!!”

”I didn’t shoot Lann!” Sorlin said sternly, his sunken eyes shadowed by gloom, ”I was just giving a warning!”

”Who are you warning?” Below the gate, Lann dismounted ahead of Bard, squinting as he looked up to ask. ”What are you warning about?”

”Sorry!” Balin, resembling a short Santa Claus, grabbed Sorlin from the side, calling to them with a guilty expression.

”Sorry, Lann, and Bard! Sorlin is a bit out of sorts right now!”

”I am not out of sorts!” Sorlin broke free from Balin, shouting.

”There is a nearly full Elf Army in the ruins of River Valley City, almost reaching King Under the Mountain’s gate! Of course, we should be on high alert!”

”Then who is this gate defending against?” Bard retorted fiercely behind Lann, ”The rightful King Under the Mountain, now seems like a bandit hiding in his hole?”

Sorlin spoke, expressionless.

”Perhaps I fear someone might act greedy and lead an army for plunder!”

”Of course, this isn’t about you, Lann. The treasures inside this mountain include your share, which I promised you personally. Your help is deeply ingrained in my heart, and I am constantly thinking about repaying it.”

”What about us then?”

At this point, Bard angrily questioned loudly.

”You once promised the residents of Long Lake Town wealth with your own mouth, does this not count?”

”Help? Doesn’t count?”

Sorlin questioned Bard.

”What kind of help was that? That was forced buying and selling when we had no choice! If I hadn’t complied with what you said, I wouldn’t have reached Lonely Mountain! How does that promise count? Huh? Tell me how it counts!”

”You call that forced buying and selling?”

Bard’s face showed an incredulous expression mixed with rage.

”The town residents cheered for your expedition; you convinced them with your own words, letting them forget the risks involved.”

”Now, because of the beastman and dragon, we’ve been displaced, nearly freezing to death in the wasteland of ruins. And our request is merely what we agreed upon — that share of gold! Isn’t that fair?”

”The promises from your mouth, are they not as valuable as gold? King Under the Mountain Sorlin! Thror’s grandson! Serafine’s son!”

The dwarves on the city gate murmured, hesitant in their steps, their figures shaky.

Even these dwarves were rendered speechless by Bard’s words, yet Sorlin only maintained a blank face, retreated a few steps, letting himself disappear from the city wall.

He no longer let himself appear in Bard’s line of sight.

Sacrificing one’s own and family’s honor to preserve gold... This, even among dwarves who are obsessed with gold, would be considered a shocking matter.

What’s more, Sorlin’s family is illustrious, far beyond the names of ordinary dwarves.

Philipp and Qi Li, Sorlin’s two nephews on the wall, were furious, breathing heavily and red-faced from Sorlin’s behavior.

However, because of Sorlin’s usual authority as a leader and uncle, they restrained themselves from shouting at Sorlin.

Yet, despite this, the shame filled Philipp, Qi Li, and the dwarves’ eyes as they looked down at Bard and Lann from the gate.

They had just invited Lann, suggesting that once the dragon’s stench inside Lonely Mountain was cleaned, he would be invited to the King’s Hall as a guest.

But after one night, they raised high walls, drew bows and arrows, defending against...

Philipp, Qi Li, and the other dwarves, all to varying degrees, dared not meet Bard and Lann’s eyes.

Bard’s forehead veins bulged; he never expected the segment he thought would require the least effort to turn into the biggest problem now.

He growled in frustration, hammering his saddle.

”Without the gold, we cannot rebuild our home or find a place to settle; the people below Lonely Mountain will become history... Damn it! Damn it!”

But on the contrary, it was Lann, who had spoken only at the beginning and then fell silent, looking seriously at the city gate of Lonely Mountain.

”You go back first.”

”What?”

Bard frowned at Lann who hadn’t turned back.

”Things are not progressing properly. Sorlin is not normal. I will go up and speak with him myself; you go back and wait for news.”

Just as he was speaking, a sudden loud crash of stone breaking sounded.

With a ’snap,’ the heads of the dwarf statues originally standing on either side of the gate were knocked off, crashing onto the stone bridge before the moat.

The stone bridge broke instantly.

The dwarves seemed to have used their actions to show their decision and stance.

Bard shook his head with a grim expression.

”I hope your words can make a difference.”