"Oh, it's just that the few of us intend to nominate you as lord of the Shire!" Roland nodded.
"???" Bilbo looked as if to say, Are you people joking with me?
"We're serious! You have to understand, Aragorn's Kingdom of Arnor has a claim over the Shire! Although the Shire has effectively been independent for many years, in essence the Kingdom of Arnor still retains its sovereign claim over the Shire!" Roland said solemnly.
"Strictly speaking, it means Mr. Aragorn will enfeoff you as lord of the Shire!" Al-Tegron-Franz added.
"Why am I only finding out about something this big now?" Bilbo said in shock. No, what? They were enfeoffing him as a lord, and the person being enfeoffed was the last to know?
"Wait! You may have misunderstood one thing. The Shire doesn't really seem to need a ruler. The people here are prosperous, comfortable..." Bilbo spread his hands and tried to explain the Shire's current situation to everyone.
"You are right! But that may only be true for now. The Dúnedain have already withdrawn, and the north of the Shire is empty now!" Bard urged. His meaning was obvious: comfort now did not mean comfort later—one could even declare that the comfortable days were over!
"...But I can't win people over!" Bilbo shook his head. He knew his own situation. He simply was not cut out to be a lord. How was someone who blushed even when talking to girls supposed to be a lord?
"That's our problem! I didn't bring several thousand men out here for a picnic!" Roland calmly shook his head.
"Oh! Roland, don't!" A pleading look flashed through Bilbo's eyes. He was afraid Roland would wash the Shire in blood. After all, king Roland was now famous throughout Middle-earth. He had heard many