Chapter 200 The Axe of Dulin

After the dragon occupied the Lonely Mountain, the Dwarves began a life of exile, eventually settling in the Blue Mountains.

Located in the northwest of Middle-earth, it was also known as Ered Luin.

After Thráin went missing, his son, Thorin Oakenshield, led the kin. They named their settlement Thorin's Halls, which showed the status this King held in the hearts of his people.

The Dwarves living in the Blue Mountains made a living as blacksmiths, and thanks to this craft, they gradually prospered.

However, due to the scarcity of female Dwarves, the population had never been able to recover from the previous disaster.

Although life was getting better, the Dwarves' longing for the Lonely Mountain had never ceased.

Thorin, in particular, had been planning to reclaim the Lonely Mountain.

This idea, originally buried deep in his heart, became unstoppable after meeting Gandalf and speaking with him, and he began to officially plan its implementation.

However, not all the Dwarves agreed with this decision.

Although life in the Blue Mountains was arduous, it was not impossible to live, and some even said there was hope.

Furthermore, if the Durin clan in its prime was powerless against the dragon, on what grounds could they reclaim their home from the dragon now?

In the end, Thorin selected twelve followers from among his kin and the descendants of Durin.

Among these Dwarves, not all were warriors, but Thorin had no better options.

Looking on the bright side, at least there was a wizard willing to support him.

"Thorin, where exactly has our wizard gone?"

The white-bearded, elderly Dwarf Balin asked in a low voice.

He was an elite warrior of the Dwarf race, a veteran of many battles.

It was clear he understood that for this expedition to succeed, Gandalf was absolutely the key factor.

"Do not worry, we agreed to meet here."

Thorin replied.

Bree, a town belonging to Men, located east of the Shire, was also where Gandalf and Thorin had first met.

However, the height and physique of the Dwarves were a bit conspicuous here, and the two had already attracted quite a bit of attention.

Although they were in the same camp, the relationships between the various races could hardly be called friendly.

Moreover, there was a high bounty on Thorin's head.

With a bang, the tavern door was pushed open forcefully.

The original din fell silent.

Chen Nuo casually took off his straw raincoat. In the candlelight of the tavern, the first thing one saw was his exquisitely crafted leather armor.

Clothes make the man.

This set of leather armor alone was enough to make one solemn.

Next was the longbow hanging on Chen Nuo's back. Looking at the craftsmanship, one knew it was not the work of human artisans; it must have come from the Dwarves.

Elven weapons had a brighter, more luxurious texture.

However, what drew Thorin's attention most was the short axe at Chen Nuo's waist; its shape looked very much like the legendary Axe of Durin.

But that shouldn't be; had this treasure of the Durin clan not long been lost in Moria?

"This damned rainy weather, if it weren't for you, I would already be sleeping in a bed with three beautiful girls."

Chen Nuo grumbled at the person behind him.

Gandalf held his hat brim with one hand while offering a smile.

To coax Chen Nuo over, he had nearly talked himself dry.

"Gandalf!"

Thorin stood up and called out.

"It is good to see you again, Thorin."

Gandalf's expression relaxed; he hurried forward two steps, sat down opposite Thorin, and introduced them to each other.

"This is Thorin, grandson of Thrór, Thorin Oakenshield."

Thorin nodded to acknowledge Chen Nuo, with quite a bit of grace.

Compared to most Dwarves, Thorin was indeed more charismatic. This was not only reflected in his leadership but also in an open-mindedness quite lacking among the Dwarf race.

Of course, limited open-mindedness.

Chen Nuo glanced downward, and no one noticed.

Hehe, human chairs were indeed a bit high for Dwarves. They should be given child seats, otherwise, with their feet not touching the ground, sitting was uncomfortable.

"This is Nuo, a Ranger from the Misty Mountains."

After hearing Gandalf's introduction, Thorin spoke straightforwardly.

"May I see the axe at your waist?"

"Of course."

Chen Nuo was not stingy and took the short axe out, placing it on the table.

Thorin picked it up, examined it with a serious expression, and confirmed that it was undoubtedly the Axe of Durin.

This kind of forging technique could only be achieved by Dwarves, not to mention that this short axe was also mixed with Mithril.

No one was more familiar with this metal than the Dwarves.

"This is the Axe of Durin; where did you get it from?"

Thorin asked in a serious tone.

"I picked it up on the road."

Chen Nuo said casually, which was the truth.

"Impossible, it was long lost in Moria!"

Thorin's tone was a bit blunt; the Dwarf personality was just that suspicious and sensitive, especially towards outsiders.

"That's right, I picked it up in Moria."

Chen Nuo nodded, his tone sounding matter-of-fact.

"...You entered Moria?"

Thorin's eyes grew suspicious; he highly doubted what Chen Nuo said, but the evidence was right before his eyes.

"I was just about to tell you about this, Thorin."

Gandalf took out his pipe, cleaned it, and continued.

"Nuo did indeed enter Moria and successfully killed the Bane of Durin."

"That's impossible! That is the Bane of Durin! Do you know that it is not some Orcs scum, but an existence even more evil than a dragon."

Thorin's brows had knitted into a frown, showing the stubborn side of the Dwarf traits.

"The facts are just so."

Gandalf tapped his pipe and affirmed again.

"I am not here to listen to your stories, Gandalf."

Thorin shook his head. It wasn't that he looked down on Chen Nuo; perhaps this human was a decent Ranger, but that was the Balrog that drove the Durin clan out of their kingdom—how could it be matched by human strength?

"I knew it would be like this."

Gandalf was not at all surprised by Thorin's reaction; the Dwarf race was famous for being stubborn.

Indeed, how could a human possibly kill a Balrog?

But was Chen Nuo a human?

Gandalf offered no comment on this.

"However, you must admit one thing: Nuo can enter and exit Moria, and he is more familiar with the Misty Mountains than we are. We need such a guide to lead the way."

Hearing Gandalf's words, Thorin was silent for a moment, then nodded.

The road to the Lonely Mountain was not easy to travel nowadays.

Ever since the Lonely Mountain fell to dragon fire, the power of darkness had gradually eroded the place.

With only Thorin's current strength, no one could guarantee a safe arrival.

"You are right! We do need a guide,"

Thorin stroked the Axe of Durin in his hand, expressing agreement with Gandalf's words, and said in a deep voice.

"Likewise, I also need you to return the Axe of Durin; it is the heirloom of the Dwarf race."

As the words fell, Thorin felt his hands go empty. Looking down, he saw the Axe of Durin had returned to Chen Nuo's hand before he knew it.

"When the Dwarves abandoned their homeland and fled in panic from the Misty Mountains, then naturally, everything in Moria no longer belonged to the Dwarves."

Chen Nuo said, tucking the Axe of Durin at his waist.

This thing actually had no value to him, but it was quite useful for chopping wood.

At any rate, it was equipment he had looted from a dungeon; how could he just hand it over to the other party because of a word from Thorin?

"This is the Axe of Durin! The property of the Durin clan, you have no right to possess it!"

Thorin slammed the table hard.

The Dwarf race valued family honor very much.

The Axe of Durin was, in a sense, a symbol of legitimate inheritance. If he could retrieve this treasure, he would have more confidence in persuading other clans to join the expedition to the Lonely Mountain.

"Thorin!"

Gandalf stood up, his presence instantly overpowering the Dwarf.

Do not look at his usual appearance as a kind old man; when he truly revealed his Maiar side, it was not something mortals could withstand.

Even if the other party was a former Dwarf King.

Gandalf's attitude at this moment had an element of performance; he had worked hard to invite this help, and he could not let Thorin drive him away.

Of course, he was more worried that Chen Nuo would backhand an axe and chop off Thorin's head.

Although he had never actually seen how Chen Nuo defeated the Balrog, Gandalf did not doubt for a moment that the other party had this ability.

"Nuo is right; when the Dwarves lost the Axe of Durin, it no longer belonged to the Dwarves."

Gandalf's words were unpleasant, but they were the truth.

Every Durin Dwarf knew where the Axe of Durin was. In the past, none of them had dared to go to Moria to retrieve this heirloom weapon. Was it because they didn't want to?

Seeing that Thorin was about to lose control of his emotions, Gandalf immediately spoke to Chen Nuo.

"However, the Axe of Durin is indeed of extraordinary significance to the Dwarves. In your hands, it is at most just a useful weapon; why not use it to exchange for something else with the Dwarves."

Hearing this, Thorin sat back down.

If he could trade to get the Axe of Durin back, he would be willing.

"I need a territory recognized by the kings."

Chen Nuo gave his conditions.

"...This is not too much."

Thorin was silent for a moment and nodded.

Not to mention anything else, the Mithril contained in the Axe of Durin alone was already priceless. Using it to exchange for a territory was not an excessive price.

But the problem was, where would a landless Dwarf King get a territory to enfeoff to Chen Nuo?

In the end, it would have to wait until after the expedition succeeded.

Chen Nuo could afford to wait for this.

He was not short of money or treasure; Chen Nuo had long since harvested endless wealth in Moria, but he needed a territory to manage, to convert this wealth into tangible enjoyment.

This required a King's promise.

In Middle-earth, lineage and heritage were highly valued.

After all, in this world, those with illustrious reputations surely had the extraordinary flowing in their blood, and it was often they who achieved great deeds.

As for serving as a guide for the expedition team, that was another price, which had already been borne by Gandalf.

After the deal was reached, the atmosphere within the team improved a lot.

Being able to become a ruler of a nation and lead the Dwarves to prosperity again, Thorin's charisma was quite strong.

Moreover, among the many Dwarves, the Durin clan was considered the most refined in appearance. Even by human aesthetic standards, Thorin could be called handsome; it was just that he was a bit short.

"Bring up whatever good wine and food you have."

Chen Nuo tossed a handful of silver coins to the innkeeper.

Wanting to gain the respect of Dwarves was also simple: just drink them under the table at the tavern.

Don't look at Thorin bearing the title of King; after losing the wealth and territory of the Lonely Mountain, he lived a very frugal life and had not drunk heartily for a long time.

Watching barrel after barrel of beer-scented wine being brought to the table, Thorin could not resist the temptation. By the time he woke up and crawled out from under the table, it was already noon the next day.

"I now somewhat believe that guy really has the ability to kill the Bane of Durin..."

Balin, who had not yet recovered from last night's hangover, mumbled groggily while propping himself up.

In the simple cognitive concepts of the Dwarves.

Being able to drink and being able to fight could be equated.

Being able to drink Thorin under the table, they both absolutely acknowledged Chen Nuo's strength.

Afterward, the few of them had to temporarily part ways.

Thorin needed to seek out his kin to provide tangible aid for his expedition journey.

Gandalf needed to find a suitable Thief for the expedition team, and he had long had a choice in his heart.

...

...

"I heard, Gandalf, that you have a good private relationship with that Elf Queen; how good is it exactly? Tell me secretly."

Chen Nuo, on the way to the Shire, having nothing to do, raised his eyebrows and said to Gandalf beside him.

There was, and only was, one recognized Elf Queen in Middle-earth.

That was the bearer of Nenya, the Ring of Water, the ruler of Lothlórien, the most powerful Elf in Middle-earth—Galadriel.

"Ahem, Nuo, Lady Galadriel and I are just close friends. You must not listen to those rumors."

Gandalf couldn't help but raise his hand and thump his chest twice, swallowing his heart back into his stomach, and said with an awkward expression.

For this Queen, Gandalf held the utmost respect.

It was she who led her kin to rebel against the Valar, leave Aman, and settle in Middle-earth.

Within the Elves, there were actually different races, each with some differences in appearance, and they were also divided into high and low status.

Galadriel represented the second race of Elves.

The Noldor, also known as the Deep Elves.

"Close friends? I also want to be close friends with Lady Queen; when will you help me introduce her?"

Chen Nuo smiled amusedly.

He really wanted to meet that Queen.

The Elves were mostly closed and xenophobic; ordinary people couldn't find them at all. In some human kingdoms, Elves had almost lived into legends.

After all, being nearly immortal, it was indeed difficult for them to integrate with humans who lived less than a hundred years; maintaining sufficient distance was a good thing for both parties.

However, Gandalf was different; he maintained good relationships with all the Elf clans.

If he were to introduce him, it would be convenient for Chen Nuo to make friends.

Hearing this, Gandalf's heart immediately rose.

Images of his first meeting with Chen Nuo involuntarily surfaced in his mind. Cold sweat began to seep from his forehead, and he replied with trembling lips and evasive eyes.

"If there is a suitable opportunity..."

One must know, Elves do not easily fall in love, but once they do, it is undying.

And Elves only had two ways to die.

One was external force, like the sword.

The other was dying of heartbreak from excessive sorrow.

If one day Chen Nuo toyed with a female Elf, causing an irreparable tragedy, and provoked the pursuit of the Elf clans, would this debt be counted on his head?

"What is called a suitable opportunity."

Chen Nuo glared at Gandalf; the other party lowered his head and remained silent, pretending not to hear. Chen Nuo could only skip this topic and continued.

"By the way, why don't you just commission me to kill the dragon? Isn't that much easier than an expedition?"

"I believe you can do it, but the Dwarves currently need such an expedition."

Gandalf suddenly regained his hearing.

He did not doubt that Chen Nuo had such power; after all, the Balrog's whip was still hanging at the other party's waist.

But ever since the fall of the Lonely Mountain, the Dwarf forces had split. Gandalf needed an opportunity to unite them again to deal with the future dark forces together.

"However, if it really comes to the last resort, it might still need you to take action."

Gandalf hesitated for a while before adding.

"Doesn't matter, anyway, whether you do it or not, you have to pay as agreed."

Chen Nuo scanned Gandalf up and down and whistled.

Building a territory was not an easy thing; having a knowledgeable wizard who knew ancient and modern times to help, he believed it would make things much easier for himself.

"I understand."

Gandalf swallowed hard.

He was not Thorin; he did not have a kingdom waiting to be inherited. The only commission he could provide to Chen Nuo was himself and the knowledge in his brain.

Thinking of this, Gandalf couldn't help but feel a bit fortunate.

At least his old bones still had some appeal.