Astartes of the Bear School

Chapter 1116 1098. The Wasteland of Smaug

Lan En patted his chest that was pushed open by Qilin without caring.

When he cut off the Kirin's horn before, because he used a sword blade and the Kirin cooperated very well, the fracture of the crystal horn was very smooth, unlike the last time when the golden lion broke it off, which was like the jagged dagger.

But Qilin was not done yet. It pressed forward like a big dog, lowering its head to nudge Lan En and even showing him the broken horn on its head.

"Xilulu!"

"What do you think? Don't you feel sorry for me? Huh?"

The ancient dragon's meaning was conveyed through the variant of the [Yaxi Seal].

"So what do you want to do?" Lan En pushed forward with both hands, pushing the Qilin's head away. "I want to train you, but you always run away first!"

The kirin's ruby-like eyes rolled around, and it seemed as if it had eight hundred eyes, but in fact its mind was still empty and innocent.

It thought about it and felt that what Lan En said was indeed correct.

Every time he follows the demon hunter to a new place, as long as the environment doesn't look too dangerous, he will be eager to play. Compared to fighting and exercising, it is more interesting to play by yourself.

After all, it is a young Qilin that is less than ten years old.

However, after the witcher finished speaking, he patted Kirin's head without horns with a bit of uncertainty.

"But... is it an illusion? Why do I feel like you're very used to losing your horns?"

"Your legs should have been weak for a day last time, right?"

The Qilin itself also tilted its head in a somewhat strange manner and stamped its hooves.

"Whoosh!"

'I don't know, I don't care, it's okay anyway.'

As long as it doesn't cause any trouble, Qilin doesn't care about any changes in his body. This is a characteristic of Qilin.

But this is indeed a good thing. Lan En had originally wanted to make a tow truck to tow the unsteady Qilin away.

Now it seems that Qilin can pull carts.

After the Qilin hopped away, Lann gently hit Smaug's body with his fist.

The scales of the corpse are still hard, and the dragon skin underneath the scales is still very tough.

It must be said that before being burned by the Light of Eärendil on the Sword of the Lady of the Lake, Lan En was really surprised that the material could withstand the charged slash of [Muddy Stream·Destruction] without any deformation.

It also made him want to do something with Smaug's body materials, as his armor happened to be broken.

This was also the reason why he did not leave [Muddy Flow·Destruction] directly on the corpse last night.

He was afraid that after his greatsword had eaten up Smaug's body, it would affect the material of the corpse's scales.

After all, Lann didn't know whether Smaug's extraordinary defense was related to his soul or other aspects.

Anyway, it's getting cold now, and the body is still in the burned Changhu Town, so it can be kept for a few more days.

If Thorin had restarted the furnace in the Lonely Mountain, he might be able to find a few skilled armorers among the dwarves who had returned to the Lonely Mountain Kingdom.

"let's go!"

Bud, who couldn't wait to see his child, shouted not far behind Lan.

The witcher patted Smaug's scales again, turned around and walked with him out of Long Lake Town.
-
On the northern shore of Changhu Lake is a large slope at the foot of Gushan Mountain.

Although he had seen it from afar many times, it was the first time for Lan En to walk on this land.

This land is now known as the Desolation of Smaug.

The origin of the name is naturally the evil dragon that killed people and destroyed towns in the Lonely Mountain area long ago.

Before it had this name, this was a wealthy and famous area.

The plain at the foot of the gentle slope is rich in grass and water, and is a natural pasture suitable for grazing, filled with cattle and sheep.

The wealth of Lonely Mountain attracted a diverse population, who built roads and maintained trade.

Carriages passed by day and night, loaded with gold and gems mined from the Lonely Mountain.

With an abundant supply of resources, the dwarven craftsmen in Lonely Mountain generally have a high level of craftsmanship, and the various handicrafts they produce are also the highlight of their trade.

The toy market in the north of the entire continent was once centered at the foot of the Lonely Mountain, which was simply a wonder of Middle-earth.

Countless people, whether they were free folk from the Kingdom of Rohan or travelers from Gondor.

They are all willing to come here to see the world-famous huge wealth, which also brings endless vitality to this place.

But now, the Wasteland of Smaug is truly worthy of its name.

There are no more grasslands or pastures. The water source is still there, and the sunlight and temperature in the sky have not changed, but this place has turned into a Gobi desert full of gravel and loess.

Occasionally, there were a few particularly tough weeds swaying in the wind on the ground, but the thinness and withered yellowness of these weeds did not make people feel physically and mentally comfortable and full of vitality. Instead, they became even more frightened.

There used to be lush forests here, but now there are only occasional charred, carbonized tree stumps, which are the only signs of the forest's existence.

"Just by looking at the ruins of River Valley City, I can roughly imagine how prosperous this city was in the past. But..."

Riding on the back of the Qilin, Lan En spoke to Bard, who was riding another horse left by the elves.

"It is precisely because I can imagine the prosperity of this city that the desolation around it now makes me feel even more abnormal."

"This piece of land can barely support a small village."

Bard pulled the reins and shook his head. His ears had almost recovered under the effect of the [Early Recovery Stone], and the small shield emblem was returned to Lan, so he could hear clearly and no longer had to shout when speaking.

"Smaug destroyed this place."

"This place was once lush and green, and rich in resources. But the breath of the evil dragon has been lingering in this land for a long time, destroying all life."

"But it doesn't matter!"

At first, Bard was very depressed, but then he cheered up. "Smaug is dead, but we didn't lose too many people. It's a good thing that we are still alive. What's more, we still have gold!"

"As long as Thorin pays us the gold as agreed, we can rebuild our home!"

Gold brings trade flows, which not only brings in materials but also a constant flow of people.

The breath of order and light will dilute the evil spirit of the evil dragon. The conditions in this area are already good. As long as the evil spirit disappears, the water and soil here will quickly recover.

Just like in Radagast's house, when the dark power invaded, the vegetation and animals began to die in an instant.

But once the dark forces are driven away, they can recover quickly.

Bud's view was more optimistic, but that was fine.

Now that even Smaug, the greatest scourge of the Lonely Mountain, is dead, their lives should be getting better, right? It should be okay to be optimistic.

By the time Lan and Bard finished walking through the Wasteland of Smaug, the lonely and proud snowy mountain was already very close to them.

Dale was built not far from the Lonely Mountain Kingdom, and this distance shows the harmony and trust between the dwarves and humans at that time.

It takes less than an hour to walk.

It has been a long time since so many people gathered in River Valley City.

The originally burnt buildings and city walls, and the towers that were broken and cracked by the impact of the dragon flames, were all crowded with the residents of Changhu Town.

As soon as Lan and Bud appeared, the townspeople cheered happily.

And they poured out from the city gate and surrounded them in the center.

People were laughing or cheering, expressing their happiness and gratitude.

Given this geographical location, it was hard not to see the scene in Changhu Town last night, which was like a brazier.

The townspeople also saw clearly how the evil dragon, with its wings spread wide enough to cover one-fifth of the town, fell to the ground and never got up again.

Everyone knows that the greatest scourge in the Lonely Mountain area is dead!

Just last night, they witnessed the birth of an epic dragon-slaying epic!

"Tell us, Bard! Tell us how you killed the dragon!"

People crowded around them and walked towards the ruined city, shouting.

Bud smiled back at the townspeople who were making a fuss with joy and good intentions, but he held his arms tightly around his three children who had rushed out first.

Lan En, who was already honored as the Dragon Slayer, just smiled and walked away silently.

Such praise and respect are best reserved for Bud.

After all, among the refugees in Changhu Town, Bard is already the most prestigious person, and he has demonstrated his sense of responsibility and ability in a series of emergencies.

In any case, he can be considered a leader among these townspeople.

He needs this prestige.

Of course, if a legendary story eventually spread about an archer and a silver-haired warrior wielding a giant sword killing a dragon together, Lan En would also feel a little proud.

Lan En really likes to hear others praise him.

There is a sense of secret satisfaction.

Lan, who was whistling, saw four dwarves not far from the gate of Valley City, carrying packages and preparing to leave the city.

Qili, who was shot in the leg, has almost recovered thanks to the dwarf's tough physique.

His brother Fili, Oin, and Bofur, each wrapped in a blanket, with weapons hanging on their bodies, the four of them were about to leave the city.

"Hey! Look, it's Lan!"

Bofur's beard quirked up and he pointed at the witcher and shouted happily.

The other dwarves also shouted happily. They were always open-minded.

Lann also waved and walked towards them with a smile.

"Where are you going?"

The four dwarves had been helping the residents of Long Lake Town move to the ruins of River Valley City since yesterday afternoon.

Moreover, as the few warriors among the townspeople, they spontaneously took up weapons and acted as guards last night.

In return, the townspeople gave them precious food and blankets to keep them warm.

"We need to get to the Lonely Mountain. Smaug has broken out, and I think things may not be good in there."

When Bofur heard Lan's question, the cheerful smile on his face stopped unconsciously, and he spoke with pursed lips.

"But no matter how bad it is, we should go in and take a look. Even if Thorin and the others have already gone, we should go in and put an end to this long journey. Let them be decent."

"I think you can be more optimistic. Smaug was probably beaten yesterday."

Lan En patted Fili's shoulder and said.

"Maybe."

But perhaps because Smaug's notoriety was too great, Fili did not dare to have too many good expectations, and just responded to Lan's words in a low voice.

Fili took this as Lan's consolation to them.

"But after all, we have to go in to find out." Philip cheered himself up and forced a smile at the witcher.

"Once we have cleaned Elbor, we will invite you to our King's Hall as a guest!"

“I’m looking forward to visiting Lonely Mountain then.”

The dwarves and the witcher patted each other as a farewell greeting.

(End of this chapter)