The King Starts Making Grand Promises

The door opened hastily, and Bard looked at the room where only his three children were left. He was bewildered for a moment before becoming somewhat nervous.

"Dad, I've done my best to stop them," Bain said.

How long have they been gone?

"It's been almost two hours."

"Two hours?" Aaron opened his mouth in astonishment. "They were gone shortly after we left?"

Wait, did they leave me any message?

"He stayed," the younger daughter nodded. "Thorin said he believes you will catch up on your own, and the others say so too."

Upon hearing this, Aaron's lips twitched slightly.

Being trusted is a joy, but this kind of trust is both laughable and frustrating.

"Where is Kili? Did he say anything?"

"He said he wanted us to thank you on his behalf," Bain said. "And also to apologize."

"Heh! I can't accept that!" Aaron sneered and waved his hand. "I went to great lengths to save his life, but I didn't expect him to not cherish it."

"Why bring this up again?" Bard asked anxiously. "The important thing is, where did they go? Did they leave Long Lake Town?"

"Definitely not," Aaron said with certainty. "The dwarves are more stubborn than you can imagine. They will only leave when they get what they want."

Bard was taken aback. "You mean?"

"The armory, it can only be there, and there is no other place like it."

"Then let's go quickly..."

"Go where?"

Your house is already under surveillance. Under these circumstances, what's the difference between going to the weapons depot and inviting trouble?

Furthermore, they wouldn't steal weapons during the day; the best time to act is after dark.

Bard paused for a moment, then asked, "Shall we go when it gets dark?"

"No." Aaron refused decisively, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "The dock is the closest to the armory. They will definitely board the ship from there after they get the weapons."

"That makes sense." Bard suddenly realized. "I'll go to the docks right now and stop them."

No matter how many times I tell you, you can't stop me.

"But the townspeople will make them give up," Bard said, slinging his arrow over his shoulder and striding out of the room with a carefree air.

"Will my dad succeed?" Sigrid asked worriedly.

"No, he won't." Aaron shook his head with a sigh. "He is destined to fail, but he will not be in danger. The dwarves will not harm him."

He was extremely confident in his judgment. Bard was not a bad person and could not bring himself to kill. Faced with the dwarf who was ready to die, he had no choice but to back down.

As for appealing to the townspeople, that's even more impossible. The townspeople are hoping for Thorin's success, because only then can they live a peaceful life.

"But why did Dad stop them?" Bain asked, puzzled.

"Because of a Prophecy," Aaron said, pursing his lips. "Our destination is Lonely Mountain, and he fears we will disturb the evil dragon there, thus bringing destruction to Long Lake Town. Do you believe this vague Prophecy?"

The three siblings looked at each other, then nodded in unison.

"Uh... maybe I didn't explain it clearly."

If Thorin becomes the King of the Lonely Mountain, Long Lake Town will be transformed, and you will live a life of abundance.

"But all of this is worthless compared to life!"

Bain's tone was complex, but his attitude was unwavering, and his two sisters gave him approving looks.

Aaron:...

Bard is definitely a qualified father; his family education is truly exceptional.

As long as they don't die young, these three children will definitely be successful in the future.

"And what about you?" Sigrid looked at Aaron. "How do you plan to keep up with them?"

"I am Warlock, this question is simple for me." Aaron pointed to the Lonely Mountain outside the window and smiled meaningfully. "Knowing the destination, I can go wherever I want, and no one can stop me."

"But before that, there's something I need your help with." Aaron scratched his head sheepishly, then placed the package on the floor, revealing various kinds of medicinal herbs.

"Why did you buy so much medicine?" Bain asked.

"Why bother with all that?" Aaron pulled out three gold coins. "You're all locals, so please help me categorize these medicines. As for the ones you don't know, just leave them to me."

As night fell, a commotion broke out in the town.

Aaron, who was decocting medicine, heard the warning sound and looked at the torches that were rapidly lighting up outside the window. His expression turned grim.

Because a squad of guards was escorting the dwarfs toward the mayor's residence, the residents stopped sleeping and spontaneously went to watch the spectacle.

"They were arrested?" Bain's face paled as he looked at Aaron with suspicion and uncertainty. "Does that mean my dad won't stop them anymore?"

"Maybe!" Aaron shrugged. "I thought of everything, but I didn't expect them to stumble on the first step."

You all stay home and watch my earthenware pot. After the medicine is brewed, pour it into a bottle and seal it.

Stepping outside, I saw heavy snow falling, creating a solemn atmosphere.

Aaron wrapped himself up so that only half of his face was visible, and slowly made his way through the crowd, stopping in front of the mayor's gate.

A moment later, he felt someone tap his shoulder. He turned around and saw Bard looking at him with a sullen expression.

"If this gets out of hand, it will be difficult to handle."

"Then I'll give you an idea," Aaron said in a low voice, "Don't be the first to stick your neck out."

"But..."

"No buts. I am Warlock. I will save them if necessary," Aaron said. Breaking in wasn't too difficult for him, but getting them out was.

But facing so many guards and ordinary residents, ordinary magic probably won't be enough. Should we use a large-scale spell?

Bard's heart tightened. "What are you planning to do? I warn you not to harm the innocent."

"Don't worry, I won't hurt anyone indiscriminately." A glint of shrewdness flashed in Aaron's eyes. "What do you think about taking the mayor hostage?"

Bard:...

This sounds like something a teenager would say.

"Are you sure?" Bard asked with some doubt. "Although Mayor He is a piece of trash, he has quite a few guards around him."

"Don't worry, I'm experienced, and very experienced."

"I've kidnapped Ogre and orc kings; if it weren't for me, Thorin and the others would have died countless times."

Bard's eyes twitched slightly, and he no longer had any doubts, but he unconsciously moved a little to the side.

Damn, what kind of family raised such a ruthless person?

The door opened, and a bloated, balding middle-aged man walked out. Alfred stood respectfully beside him.

"What's going on?" the town mayor asked angrily.

"We caught the thief stealing weapons on the spot, sir."

"Oh!" A sly smile appeared on the mayor's face. "Our enemy?"

"They're probably a bunch of mercenaries, sir," Alfred said.

"Shut up!" Dwalin roared. "Do you even know who you're talking to?"

This is no ordinary thief; he is Thorin, Son of Thráin and Grandson of Thrór.

Thorin slowly stepped forward and revealed his identity in front of everyone in the town.

He didn't want to do this, as it was too high-profile, but he had no other choice at the moment.

"We are the dwarves of Erebor, and we have come to reclaim our homeland."

I still remember the bustling prosperity of Long Lake Town in its heyday, with fleets of ships laden with silk and jewels anchored in the harbor. Long Lake Town showed no signs of decay then; it was once the trading center of the entire north.

These words resonated with the townspeople, who recalled their past lives, a stark contrast to their current state of just getting by or even barely surviving.

"I hope to see prosperity return, I hope to restore the glory of the Dwarves, and let wealth flow from the Great Hall of Erebor once again."

As soon as he finished speaking, cheers erupted from all around, and even the mayor's heart started pounding.

This isn't a thief! He's clearly a god of wealth.

Amidst the crowd, Aaron struggled to pull Bard back, who was trying to rush out, saying, "Don't go, it's no use going."

"But if we let him continue speaking, we really won't be able to stop him."

"You can't stop them now. Look at these people, their eyes are full of joy and anticipation. They won't listen to you at this point."

"But life is more important."

"I completely agree with that; nothing is more important than life."

The problem is that not everyone thinks this way. At this moment, money is more important to these people.

Do you know what it means to cut off someone's livelihood is like murder?

Bard was silent for a few seconds before speaking, "Let me try, but I'll feel guilty even if I die."

Upon hearing this, Aaron pursed his lips and released his arm.

Bard breathed a sigh of relief, solemnly stepped out of the crowd, and shouted loudly, "Death is what you will bring us, the Dragon Fire that will destroy everything. If you awaken that beast, it will kill us all."

Thorin looked at Bard with some surprise, but quickly recovered, "You can listen to this dissenting opinion, but I assure you, if we succeed, we will..."

"Cough cough!"

Thorin was interrupted by a series of coughs as Aaron stepped out from the crowd.

"Gaius, what do you mean by this?"

"Uh, don't get me wrong, I didn't mean anything by it. I just feel that the King's promises shouldn't be taken too lightly." Aaron smiled awkwardly but politely. "I suggest at least rebuilding the entire Long Lake Town. What do you think?"

Thorin paused for a moment; he had almost suggested sharing Erebor's wealth.

But in reality, this is impossible. If all the money is given to these townspeople, how can the dwarves rebuild Erebor?

"That's right." Thorin lowered his standards silently, then roared, "We will help rebuild the whole of Esgaroth."

The townspeople were overjoyed. They had lived in such a dirty and chaotic environment for dozens of years, and they were more than happy to have someone help them rebuild their homes.

Aaron secretly breathed a sigh of relief; not everyone can resist the temptation of such immense wealth.

If we reach this verbal agreement now, it won't be too embarrassing if things fall apart later. If things really don't work out, we can just give them our share of the compensation.

He didn't value money much; one-fifteenth of the treasure should be enough to rebuild this place.