Astartes of the Bear School

Chapter 1079 1061. Bad News

"Etc., etc!"

Bard was shocked and incredulous. But in Lan's opinion, he actually believed the dwarf's words, but because the meaning behind these words was too terrifying, he refused to admit it from the bottom of his heart.

"First a dwarf, then a human? And a cat in clothes, and then an orc? What on earth is going on?"

"The situation is - Lake Town is in danger, Bud."

Lan En spoke to him calmly. Facing a panicked person, a steady tone could help him regain his sanity.

"Those orcs have been chasing the group of dwarves in front of you since the west side of the Misty Mountains, and they have not given up until here."

"I don't think they'll abandon their plans just because there's a town or fishing village on the lake."

"You mean?" Bud's pupils dilated, and he subconsciously turned to look at his three children. "They will come to kill us?!"

"Eighty percent." Lan En shook his head and said.

"As long as they are on this route, the orcs will most likely not let go of any possible settlements. Are there any other settlements in this area now?"

Gone.

This area once prospered due to the countless gold and gems in the Lonely Mountain, but since the evil dragon attacked.

Even if they hadn't died on that fateful day, the survivors wouldn't have dared to exist so close to a dragon.

The population and trade in the area began to decline, and finally only the marginal town of Changhu remained.

This is the only place where the dwarves can get supplies and rest on their route. Whether the dwarves come or not, the orcs will definitely come.

At this moment, Bud seemed to have thought of something, and he suddenly turned his head to look at Lan.

"Wait, how did you get here? There must be something at the door."

"There were people following us," Lan said nonchalantly, "but I let them sleep. By the way, are those the mayor's men?"

"That's right! And you just knocked out the mayor's men!"

Bud covered his forehead and said with difficulty.

"The mayor has been keeping an eye on me, thinking I'm a threat to his power. I also know he's keeping an eye on me, it's a tacit understanding. I stay under his nose and don't cause any trouble, and he won't make things difficult for me and my family."

Lan nodded, indicating that he understood the situation.

"But for now, put aside the little tacit understanding between the two of you."

"The orcs will most likely come. I knocked out the mayor's men in broad daylight, so you can just take me to the mayor. We need him to arm himself."

As he spoke, Lan En smacked his lips in embarrassment.

"The security of this town looks lax, barely stronger than a pile of sand."

"Orcs are born to be cruel killers and villains. I think if they get aggressive, they can scare away all your guards."

"Okay, okay." Bud was still struggling to absorb and digest this information. He pinched his forehead and agreed.

Bud walked over to his three children, hugged them with a worried look on his face, and whispered comfort to them.

The children don’t know what may happen in the future. They were born and raised here, and even the stories they heard didn’t include orcs.

But Bard knew what orcs were.

When the dwarves saw this scene, the originally lively atmosphere became quite quiet.

After all, although those orcs have evil natures and brutal instincts, they will be ecstatic and will not let go of any opportunity to inflict pain on others or spread darkness.

But these orcs, after all, did come with them on their journey.

No one could say that the dwarves were wrong in their efforts to regain their homeland, but they still inevitably felt guilty for the trouble and harm they brought to others in the process.

Lan patted Fili's shoulder and walked towards Thorin and Balin who were looking out the window.

The flannel had mingled with the dwarves and was bringing them little snacks from his little bag, for which the hobbits were very grateful.

Normally, Hobbits eat seven meals a day, and each meal is carefully prepared to ensure comfort.

But since he went out on his adventure, Bilbo Baggins, a member of a race that was originally known for its stable life, has not been able to eat seven meals a day for a long time.

When Lan came to the side of Thorin, the leader, and Balin, the oldest dwarf in the team, he naturally lowered his voice.

"That's the Lonely Mountain, Elbor?"

Looking out the window of Bud's house, you can see the other side of the Long Lake, and beyond that, behind a vast wilderness, a tall snow-capped mountain rises abruptly.

Thorin said in a tone that sounded almost dreamy: "Yes."

"That is our long-cherished hometown. It contains the wealth accumulated by our generations. It is enough for my people to live a prosperous life again!"

Balin moved his butt and sat on a wooden barrel by the window, also staring out the window.

Thorin turned his head and looked at the witcher.

"I have signed a contract with each participant in this team. Each of the fourteen of us is entitled to share one-fourteenth of the net profits of this adventure."

"Although you are not in our team, I am willing to give you half of what I deserve, Lan." Thorin's eyes were serious and sincere.

"I will always remember what you said for me in Rivendell, before the elves."

Lan En shrugged, his expression calm, as if he had no idea how huge the fortune was. In fact, he really didn't know.

"There are fifteen of you, including Gandalf. Why, you won't give him a share?"

"He is a wizard, and wealth is not something he cares about. Moreover, this expedition is his plan, and completing the expedition itself is what he wants most. But you are different, you can use the treasure, and you spoke for us sincerely before."

Thorin said in a low voice: "Sincerity is more valuable than any treasure in these dark times."

Lan En smiled at first, then his expression turned serious again, which meant that he was going to get down to business.

The witcher half-knelt down, put his mouth closer to the two dwarves who had the most say in the expedition team, and lowered his voice.

Seeing this, Thorin and Balin also became serious.

"It was Radagast and I who called Gandalf away because we saw some signs. Very bad signs."

Lan did not elaborate on what it was, and Thorin and Balin did not care. They were less than two days' journey from Lonely Mountain, and their attention was now entirely focused on the snowy mountain in the distance.

Lan En looked at both of them.

"To put it simply, the troubles you will face in this expedition to restore your country will definitely not be as simple as just a dragon, Thorin."

"Gushan's geographical location, strategic significance, and the huge wealth within it."

Lan En did not finish his words, but just looked at the two dwarves meaningfully.

"If you consider all these factors, you should know that the orcs are not hunting you down simply because of a feud."

"They have more realistic and utilitarian considerations."

"Wait! You mean..." Thorin seemed to have understood many things all of a sudden, and he muttered to himself.

"Is that so? Is this the reason why the Blasphemer Azog is chasing us so relentlessly?!"

Balin had the same expression.

They were high-ranking officials of the Dwarf Kingdom of Lonely Mountain, but people always ignore the things around them that have become part of daily life.

When Lonely Mountain still existed and stood firm, the strategic stability it brought to the entire north was almost as natural as air.

Only when the evil dragon captured Lonely Mountain and this important strategic node was lost did people realize how precious it was.

Unfortunately, at that time, Balin, Thorin, and even other high-ranking officials of the Lonely Mountain Kingdom had all their energy and thoughts occupied by their displaced people.

Just taking care of these people who have lost their homes and helping them to settle down and make a living is a life-threatening task for them.

There is no time to think about anything else.

So in the end, it was only after a long time had passed that an expedition to Lonely Mountain consisting of merchants, coopers, shoemakers and others emerged, led by a gray-robed wizard.

"It seems you understand. That's good."

The witcher looked at the two dwarves in front of him who had expressions of sudden realization and nodded.

But Thorin and Balin only felt cold all over, their throats rolling up and down but they couldn't make a sound.

Not far away, the dwarves were telling stories to the three children of Bard's family about their adventures along the way.

The Hobbit was enjoyingly sharing snacks with Elu the cat and the big meatball Bomb who came in temporarily.

However, although these heartwarming scenes were right before their eyes, Thorin and Balin felt that they were getting farther and farther away from them.

"Gandalf advises you to stop here, Thorin."

Lan relayed the wizard's words to the dwarf.

"The closer you get to success, the more hysterical the orcs and the forces they represent will become. In the end, it will be the worst possible situation."

"We might be facing, facing a large army of orcs?" Balin said with forced calmness.

And Lan En added even more grimly.

"An army of orcs allied with the dragon."

"Form an alliance with a dragon? That dragon won't form an alliance with lowly orcs!"

Thorin said hatefully.

"It's not the orcs who might form an alliance with Smaug." The witcher turned to him and said softly, "Orcs have always had masters, haven't they?"

Orcs, a species that is cruel and dirty by nature, are undoubtedly not the creation of Ilúvatar.

They have been servants of the previous Dark Lord Morgoth since before the First Age, when the sun and moon had not yet risen on the earth.

It is the most basic and largest army under Morgoth.

In the ancient days of Arda, there was the War of Sudden Flame, the War of Tears, and the War of Wrath. In the battle against Morgoth, orcs were everywhere.

(End of this chapter)