Fulfilling the King's Promise

Erebor, the King's Hall.

Aaron looked at Thorin sitting on the throne and rolled his eyes speechlessly.

Sometimes I really wonder if your brain is fried.

Thorin, have you lost your mind?

Why start a war, especially one with almost no chance of winning?

"This is none of your business, Gaius."

"No," Aaron said bluntly, "This concerns me, and it concerns me greatly."

Thorin smiled knowingly, his gaze lingering on Aaron and Bilbo for a few seconds at a time. "I'm sorry to have dragged you into this, but I assure you you'll be safe."

"We're not afraid," Bilbo couldn't help but interject. "If war really breaks out, we will definitely stand with you. It's what friends should do. But we don't want to be forced into an unjust war because of your irrationality."

Thorin, you must recognize the current situation.

There's a well-equipped Elf Tribe army outside the city, and you just pushed countless angry fishermen across the way.

"Things will change soon," Thorin said with a meaningful smile. "Lord Bagins, never underestimate dwarves."

"We were able to reclaim Erebor, and we can certainly defend it."

"Yes," Aaron said sarcastically, "We can defend it, as long as we defeat an enemy hundreds or thousands of times our size."

"Not that many," Balin said. "We have already notified the army of the Iron Hills, and King Dáin will be here soon with his troops."

When was the notification given?

"The ravens of Erebor are not just cawing."

"Oh!" Aaron suddenly realized, "Flying pigeon, no, flying raven to deliver messages."

"Now you can rest assured!" Thorin said smugly. "With Erebor's city and Dáin's army, we may not be at a disadvantage."

"Now I'm even more worried." Aaron shook his head and looked at Thorin tentatively. "The scale of the war is constantly increasing, which means that casualties will also increase significantly."

Thorin merely smiled dismissively. "Dwarves fear no challenge."

Aaron:...

"This time is different; this is an unprecedented challenge."

We cannot make enemies; at the very least, we must preserve our strength as much as possible.

"We only have fifteen people, so we have nothing to hold back. We should go all out."

"No, you misunderstand. What I mean is to preserve the strength of both humans and elves," Aaron said seriously. "This war must be stopped no matter what."

Thorin's smile slowly faded, and the others looked at Aaron with confusion.

"Gaius, why should we preserve the enemy's strength?" Dwalin said unhappily.

"Because of a common enemy," Aaron explained patiently. "This is what Smaug himself told me when Bilbo and I were searching for the Arkenstone. The enemy in the shadows is very strong and has its eyes on Lonely Mountain."

"It's true," Bilbo nodded. "It says it's enough darkness to engulf the world."

The dwarves looked at each other in bewilderment, while Thorin burst into laughter.

"You two are just talking nonsense. It's obvious that this is the evil dragon spreading alarmist rumors."

It fears that you will find the Arkenstone, fears that I will become king, and fears the Dwarves army.

Aaron shook his head, speechless.

He knew Thorin was arrogant, but he didn't expect him to be this arrogant.

You are the king! Is it really appropriate to make such a hasty assumption?

"Alright! Since that's what you think, then I have nothing to say." Aaron said with a helpless bitter smile, "But rebuilding Long Lake Town was a promise you made to them."

"I made it very clear at the City Gate that I made no promises to them," Thorin said calmly. "I will not give these opportunists a single penny."

"But they have nothing left," Bilbo said with a heavy heart. "If we hadn't woken the dragon, they wouldn't be homeless."

"This is the price of greed, and they should be prepared."

"But a promise is a promise." Aaron looked at Thorin seriously. "You are a descendant of Durin, the king of the dwarves. Breaking your word will not only damage your reputation, but also bring shame to your ancestors."

Thorin took a deep breath and looked at Aaron and Bilbo with a complicated expression.

"What would you think of me if I absolutely refused to help them?"

Bilbo will feel regret and disappointment, but he won't try to persuade you any further.

As for me..."Aaron paused for a moment, then took out the signed contract, "I will give my share to the refugees in Long Lake Town to help them rebuild their homes."

Thorin, you don't have to give Bard a single gold coin, but you promised me, and I have the right to decide how to use them.

"What if I don't give it to you?" Thorin's voice was hoarse, and a strange light flashed in his eyes.

"Then I will retrieve it myself," Aaron said calmly. "But before that, I will make you realize your own limitations, for example, by destroying the Arkenstone."

The Thorin Oakenshield I know wouldn't value gold that much, unless his mind is bewitched by the Heart of Lonely Mountain.

Upon hearing this, Thorin slowly approached Aaron. "You had already made up your mind? Is that why you asked me before to confirm whether you acknowledged this contract?"

"I guess you could say I was planning ahead!" Aaron shrugged. "I had already decided when I arrived in Long Lake Town that if you, the King, didn't keep your promise, I would take out my share."

In this way, Long Lake Town can be rebuilt, and the descendants of Durin will not go back on their word.

"You won't leave anything behind." Thorin casually grabbed a handful of gold coins, which slipped from his palm one by one with a crisp sound. "Do you know what one-fifteenth means? You might spend the rest of your life regretting giving up this wealth, and this is all for a group of refugees you don't even know."

"Well... to be honest, money is a good thing, and I quite like it." Aaron said bluntly without a trace of embarrassment, "There are some things that money can't buy, like... a king's promise."

"It was you who bought it," Thorin exclaimed. "You bought the King's promise with one-fifteenth of the treasure."

"Thorin, forgive my intrusion," Bilbo asked with a light laugh, "Would you be willing to give a portion of our wealth to the people of Long Lake Town rebuild their homes?"

"What? Is Lord Bagins also going to offer up your share?" Thorin asked with amusement.

"No, no, no, that's not it." Bilbo hurriedly waved his hands and said, "One-fifteenth is enough to rebuild Long Lake Town. Too much would be bad. As for my share, I don't want it."

"You don't want it anymore?" Thorin looked at Bilbo with surprise. "Are you sure?"

Bilbo nodded. "I'm just an ordinary Hobbit. What do I need so much money for?"

"You're different; rebuilding a kingdom requires money in every aspect."

Hearing this, Thorin's lips curled up slightly as he looked at the two men with admiration. "I have to admit, Gandalf's judgment is impeccable. The two Golden Snitch he introduced didn't even want this enormous fortune."

Gaius and Lord Bagins, you are not greedy for the dwarves' wealth; you are true friends, worthy of the dwarves' trust and respect.

The other dwarves also showed more smiles; they wanted to help the people of Long Lake Town, but the king's command could not be disobeyed.

Thorin didn't want to give it, so they couldn't give it; no one expected anyone could persuade him.

"I can make you fulfill my promise, but it's not possible now."

"Why?" Bilbo asked anxiously.

"Since the Elf Tribe army is stationed in the River Valley City, I will absolutely not open the City Gate until we defeat them."

Bilbo was speechless. Thorin could allow them to help the residents of Long Lake Town rebuild their homes, but he would never compromise with the elves.

But if they don't open the City Gate, how will they send the money for rebuilding Long Lake Town?

Even if they explain to the River Valley City and Bard, they might not believe it, after all, Thorin's previous refusal was so decisive that it was almost like starting a war.

"I'll handle this," Aaron volunteered, stepping forward. "I'll explain things to Bard in the River Valley City. As for how to get the gold out of the city, that's not difficult for a Warlock like me."

"You can decide that yourself, but I need to give you something before you leave." Thorin said, turning to look at everyone. "Come with me."

armory.

There were all sorts of armor and weapons, all covered in a thick layer of dust.

However, the dwarven forging techniques are extremely rare. Even after many years, the weapons and equipment here can still look brand new after just a wipe.

"Choose suitable armor and weapons; we can't protect Erebor without them."

Without the slightest hesitation, the dwarves began selecting equipment that suited their needs.

"Lord Bagins." Thorin opened a box and took out a light silver vest. "You'll need this."

"My goodness!" Aaron stared in astonishment, his eyes widening. He touched it and exclaimed, "This is made of Mithril; it's impervious to blades and spears!"

"You have good taste," Thorin said with some pride. "This was made by my ancestor using a silver alloy."

Wear it! It symbolizes your friendship with the dwarves, and they will treat you as their most honored guest.

Bilbo was flattered and took off his coat, putting on the vest.

"It suits me well," Bilbo said with an awkward laugh. "But it feels a little strange, after all, I'm just Hobbit, not a warrior."

"You'll get used to it." Aaron patted him on the shoulder. "Nothing is more suitable for you than something to save your life."

"Gaius, there's only one Mithril vest. I've thought of something more suitable for you."

Hearing this, Aaron was overjoyed, feeling that he was about to acquire a Divine Weapon.

His expression quickly changed in a very interesting way, as Thorin placed a jet-black key in his hand.

"This... this isn't appropriate!"

Aaron's eye twitched slightly; he hadn't expected Thorin to give him the key to the Secret Door.

This key is indeed priceless, as it is a heirloom passed down through generations of the Thorin family and is also the key to the back door of Erebor.

But to say it's not precious, it really isn't worth much money.

At least that's how Aaron sees it. He'll leave this world sooner or later, and a key that he'll never use will only have sentimental value for him.

"How about...we switch them?" Bilbo said. "I quite like this key."

"Let's forget it. We might be facing a war next."

"The Mithril vest isn't very useful to me, but if you didn't have it, your mortality rate would probably skyrocket."

Bilbo:...

That's the truth, though it's a bit harsh.