Chapter 208 Bard

Lake-town, a town built on water located in the northeastern part of Rhovanion.

It was built on wooden piles on the northwestern side of Long Lake and connected to the land by a long bridge.

This place was an important trade hub for Men, Elves, and Dwarves.

Established by survivors of the former Dale, it had a population of only a few thousand, and its economic and military strength were very weak, far inferior to the Dale of the past.

After all, the development of Dale in those days was largely built upon the prosperity of the Dwarf kingdom.

It was already very close to the Lonely Mountain, and one could see that snow-white peak just by looking up.

Thorin paid the boatman Bard, and with his help, they successfully entered Lake-town.

The Dwarves, carrying a lingering smell of fish, carefully crawled out from the latrine.

The common people of Lake-town built their latrines over the lake, letting waste fall directly into the lake water.

The fish in the lake grew up nourished by these cycles of waste, only to be caught by fishermen and eaten.

In a sense, it could be considered a kind of ecological cycle.

As for Chen Nuo at this time, he had also arrived in Lake-town.

"The mark of the Woodland Realm. My lord, may I ask what your relationship is with those Elves?"

Alfred looked at the extraordinary-looking Chen Nuo before him, couldn't help but bow, and plastered a fawning smile on his face.

This man was the Deputy to the Master of Lake-town, a petty, greedy villain who bullied the weak and feared the strong.

"Do I need to explain that to you?"

Chen Nuo looked down and glanced at the other man.

"Of course not. Lake-town welcomes your visit. If you have the opportunity, please convey our greetings to His Majesty the King."

Alfred bent his waist even lower.

That vibe was spot on!

It was just like they were cut from the same mold as the Elves.

It wasn't until Chen Nuo disappeared from view that he straightened his back, put away his fawning smile, and muttered something, though it was unclear what unpleasant things he was saying.

Lake-town was very small, and the residents all knew where each other lived.

Especially Bard's.

This seemingly ordinary boatman was actually a descendant of Girion, Lord of Dale, and had quite a reputation among the people of Lake-town.

It was just that when Dale was destroyed, the Lord of Dale failed to protect the people, and thus lost his leadership position.

Chen Nuo easily found out where Bard lived by asking a random resident.

With his current base charisma, gaining the trust of these ordinary people was incredibly easy; a slight smile was enough to make these aunties swoon.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

Chen Nuo knocked on the door of Bard's house.

The Dwarves inside instantly became alert upon hearing the sound, grabbing knives and forks, lifting stools, looking as if they were ready to rush out at any moment.

Having just escaped from the prison of the Woodland Realm, everyone's nerves were a bit frayed.

"Thorin, open the door, it's me."

Hearing this familiar voice, Bilbo was the first to step forward and open the door for Chen Nuo, enthusiastically wanting to hug him, only to be avoided with disgust.

"You reek of fish, and there's a smell of excrement too. Mr. Baggins, when did you become so sloppy?"

"...I don't want to talk about it."

Bilbo's face was full of stories.

"Let me guess, did you crawl through a latrine?"

Chen Nuo couldn't suppress the corners of his mouth.

"...Sometimes I really suspect that you are also a wizard."

Bilbo looked like he had given up on life.

"And who might you be?"

Bard stepped forward, frowning as he asked.

He had originally just wanted to supplement his household income, so why were things becoming more and more complicated?

Looking at Chen Nuo's exposed equipment, one knew he wasn't some low-class character; just that Elven sword alone would probably be enough to buy half of Lake-town.

Bard realized he seemed to have made a mistake.

These dozen or so down-and-out Dwarves didn't seem ordinary.

One couldn't blame Bard for his lack of foresight; after all, who could recognize the disheveled Thorin as the King under the Mountain?

"This is our guide."

Thorin replied, then looked deeply at Chen Nuo and said with genuine emotion.

"Welcome back, Nuo."

"How is it? Is everyone alright?"

Chen Nuo's gaze swept over the Dwarves.

Except for the heavy smell, the wet clothes, and the tired expressions, at least everyone was healthy and didn't have any missing limbs.

"It's hard to describe."

Kili sighed deeply.

The escape along the way had indeed been spectacular, but the ending was a bit unbearable to look back on.

In the future, if he were to tell his descendants about this journey, he would definitely have to embellish it. At the very least, he couldn't let the terrifying story of Dwarves growing out of a latrine spread.

"By the way, how did you find this place?"

Bilbo chimed in curiously.

"There was only one boat leaving the Woodland Realm today. I figured you must have left on that one."

Chen Nuo answered casually.

"You came in just like that, you must have been seen by the Master's men. You can't stay too long. Hurry up and pack, I'll help you leave Lake-town tonight."

Bard's status and reputation made him deeply feared by the Master, who even sent many people to monitor the area.

As he spoke, Bard had his children bring clean clothes for the Dwarves to change into.

"Are you an Elf?"

A little girl approached Chen Nuo and asked, blinking her big, sparkling eyes.

This was Bard's youngest daughter, Tilda, who was quite cute.

On the other side, the eldest daughter, Sigrid, was peeking over with a shy face. Seeing Chen Nuo look at her, she immediately lowered her head like a startled deer.

Can't help it, his personal charm was just there.

For these innocent young girls, it was too lethal.

"No, I'm not, but I have a good relationship with the Elves."

Chen Nuo said, taking out some Elven pastries and handing them to the little girl.

Tilda looked at Bard, and after getting his approval, she took them with a joyful expression and said politely.

"Thank you."

"What are you all planning to do?"

Bard couldn't help but ask.

Before Chen Nuo could answer, Thorin interrupted alertly.

"That has nothing to do with you. Since you've already taken the money, just do your job and provide us with weapons."

"..."

Bard's brows furrowed even more upon hearing this, but he still got up and left, bringing out the weapons hidden under the boat.

However, when they saw these so-called weapons, the Dwarves weren't having it. As natural craftsmen, they simply couldn't tolerate Bard calling these rusty harpoons and clubs weapons.

"This is all there is. The weapons are all in the town's armory."

Bard dropped this sentence, looking like take it or leave it.

He had been under the long-term surveillance and guard of the Master, and being able to scrape together this scrap metal was already very difficult.

Although it didn't meet expectations, Bard had fulfilled the agreement. Thorin and his Dwarves couldn't say anything, but from the exchange of glances between them, it was clear that the Dwarves were starting to scheme.

Although stone is hard, it also has its vulnerabilities.

Just as the Dwarves were waiting for nightfall to set off, the prophecy about the line of Durin was quietly spreading in Lake-town.

Many people had seen Thorin and the others with their own eyes, but at first, they didn't think in that direction. After all, the traces of Dwarves had rarely appeared in this vicinity for a long time.

For humans, that was the passage of several generations.

Long enough for people to forget the once-prosperous Dale.

Bard looked at the Lonely Mountain in the distance, dazed and lost in thought. Apparently, he had also realized it. He found a long-dusty tapestry, which depicted the lineage of the blood of Durin, and now it could finally be confirmed.

But by the time Bard rushed back home, the Dwarves had all left.

"Why are you still here?"

Bard looked at Chen Nuo in confusion, his tone filled with puzzlement.

"Thorin and the others said I was too tall, making it inconvenient to move, so we agreed to regroup under the Lonely Mountain tonight."

Chen Nuo didn't even lift his head, his gaze fixed on the Black Arrow in his hand.

This was the heirloom of the Lord of Dale, and as for who exactly forged this Black Arrow, it was hard to verify.

Chen Nuo could perceive the power contained within it.

Or should it be called magic?

Magic existed in Middle-earth, but its manifestations were very primitive. Not even the embryonic form of a system had been constructed, let alone building a civilization of magic.

This was not hard to understand.

There weren't many people who possessed magic, and a lack of sufficient numbers naturally made it difficult to nurture a civilization.

However, although the existing magic was still very primitive, this did not mean it wasn't powerful.

Many of these primitive magics touched upon higher concepts such as time, death, and causality.

For example, the Black Arrow before Chen Nuo contained the magic of "inevitable death," which was no wonder it had the ability to slay the dragon.

"You know what the Dwarves are going to do! You also know what is sleeping inside the Lonely Mountain. This will bring destruction to Lake-town."

Bard suppressed his anger and sat down in front of Chen Nuo.

People with vision and a sense of responsibility like him were a very small minority among humans.

"The dragon will eventually wake up one day. The current peace of Lake-town is inherently illusory. Even without the Dwarves, the dragon's fire would sooner or later ignite this place."

Chen Nuo looked at Bard and said softly.

In fact, the dragon had already opened its eyes.

It had been too long since it appeared in the world, and having slept for so many years, people had forgotten that dragons also needed to eat meat.

"..."

Bard was speechless for a moment; he knew Chen Nuo was right.

Lake-town was too close to the Lonely Mountain; if the dragon were to forage, the first target it chose would definitely be here.

This was also why survivors built a new settlement on the water after Dale was destroyed.

The raging dragon fire that day had left a tremendous psychological shadow on the survivors; only by living on the lake could they find some solace and a sense of security.

"But it shouldn't be today. The people of Lake-town are not yet prepared!"

Bard was still trying to argue.

"Preparation? With that dilapidated windlance and this one Black Arrow?"

Chen Nuo turned his head and glanced out the window.

At the highest point in Lake-town, a windlance from the Dwarves was particularly conspicuous.

This was the last symbol of the glory of Dale.

"When did you take it?"

Bard finally noticed that the Black Arrow he had hidden had actually been found by Chen Nuo.

"That's not important."

Chen Nuo chose to skip this topic.

It was just a matter of convenience.

"Nowadays, the people of Lake-town only have the wealth of the Lonely Mountain in their eyes and cannot see the danger inside at all. How can there be talk of preparation? Besides, have you forgotten that you are now just a boatman?"

"..."

Bard moved his lips, but there were no words to refute.

"Keep this Black Arrow. If the dragon truly descends, it will be up to you to see if you can reclaim the glory of your ancestors. The time is almost up, and I should go."

Chen Nuo said as he stood up to leave.

Bard subconsciously wanted to reach out, but in the end, he put it down dejectedly.

Chen Nuo was right about one thing: he was now just a boatman.

"However, if I can return, would you be interested in joining me to rebuild Dale?"

Chen Nuo left a final sentence before departing.

A tool person as useful as this, letting him mold here was really a bit of a waste.

Not just Bard himself, but even his offspring were future hero units.

The bloodline of kings in Middle-earth was indeed something to be reckoned with.

Before Bard could reply, Chen Nuo had already disappeared before his eyes.

"...Father, what should we do?"

Bard's son Bain walked up to his father and asked.

"Prepare to welcome the awakening dragon..."

Bard said, his throat tightening.

Although he hadn't witnessed the dragon's fire with his own eyes, from the words passed down in his family, he could imagine the terror of such a creature.

...

...

The Dwarves apparently also had the talent to be a Thief; after all, their physiological advantages were there.

Under Thorin's leadership, they successfully stole a batch of weapons from the armory, then quietly stole two wooden boats, leaving Lake-town under the cover of night, and rendezvoused with Chen Nuo at the foot of the Lonely Mountain.

Times had changed. Standing at the foot of their homeland, the Dwarves were actually a bit unable to find the passage to the Secret Door.

Following the map, it took quite a while before Thorin, with Bilbo's reminder, confirmed the direction.

After another strenuous climb, the group arrived at the entrance.

"According to the instructions, the last light of Durin's Day will reveal the keyhole of the Secret Door..."

Balin repeated the prophecy.

"The time is still early. The last light should refer to the time of dusk."

Thorin made the judgment.

"No, since the map was only decoded under moonlight, the last light should refer to moonlight."

Chen Nuo gave his own interpretation.

"You might be right, but we only have this one chance. We cannot miss any possibility."

Thorin nodded upon hearing this and reached out to take out the key.

The Dwarves around him started to lie on the door, searching, almost sticking their entire faces on it, for fear of missing any possible crack.

However, this was purely overthinking.

The Secret Door was covered with Elven magic; until it was broken, the keyhole would not appear.

Even trying to destroy this entrance was difficult to achieve.

With the strength of Dwarves, even using all their might, they could only leave a few white spots on it.

Chen Nuo watched the Dwarves fussing about, found a clean place to sit down, and quietly waited for the sun to set.

Until the bright moon rose, the thrush knocked on the shell, and a ray of lingering light shone through the clouds, revealing the keyhole, only then did the Dwarves' hanging hearts slowly settle down.