The Way Forward

"Although we don't have enough people"

"But we're all warriors. We'll never retreat, and we'll fight to the death!"

"Right! We'll never fear a dragon!"

The Dwarves chattered among themselves, their opinions divided into two camps.

The younger Dwarves, like Kili, Fili, and Ori, were hot-blooded and impulsive, seemingly afraid of nothing.

The older Dwarves, led by Balin, had experienced the devastation wrought when Smaug attacked their old capital, Erebor. They were much more cautious and levelheaded.

"Knowing we can't win and charging in anyway isn't bravery. It's stupidity!"

"Hey, who are you calling stupid?"

"You!"

"."

As the two opposing groups of Dwarves argued louder and louder, the tension between them grew, and it looked as if they might come to blows at any moment.

Morgan quietly shifted his chair backward.

But he saw that Gandalf had already moved back before him.

Just then.

"Enough!"

Thorin Oakenshield suddenly slammed a hand on the long table and stood, shouting.

"If we can see the signs, do you think no one else can?"

"When that happens, the rumors will start spreading."

"Smaug hasn't appeared in sixty years!"

"So many eyes are watching the East, thinking, weighing their options, and coveting the wealth that belongs to us!"

"In short, we must reclaim Erebor!"

"We must!"

Thorin Oakenshield clenched his fist and declared loudly.

The Dwarves were immediately fired up by his words and cheered in response.

But Balin, the oldest, calmest, and most cautious Dwarf in the company, immediately poured cold water on Thorin Oakenshield's speech:

"Have you forgotten that the whole Lonely Mountain is sealed off?"

"We have no way to enter the mountain."

Balin shook his head. Rather than pouring cold water on the plan, he had pointed out the greatest obstacle facing their expedition to reclaim the old kingdom.

After all, Erebor was an underground city built inside a mountain.

The dragon Smaug had sealed the kingdom's front gate. There was no way in through any other place, and without getting inside, nothing else mattered.

At Balin's words, Thorin Oakenshield fell silent.

That was indeed their greatest problem at the moment.

"Balin, perhaps that was true before, but not anymore."

Just then, Gandalf's voice rang out.

Everyone saw him produce, as if by magic, an exquisite key about the length of a palm and as thick as a thumb.

"How did you get that?"

Thorin Oakenshield murmured, staring at the key in Gandalf's hand.

"Thror gave it to your father, Thrain, and your father entrusted it to me."

"Now it belongs to you."

Gandalf spoke slowly, then reached out and handed the key to Thorin Oakenshield.

At that moment, a Dwarf suddenly said, "If there's a key, there must be a door."

"Exactly. And that's the next problem."

Gandalf nodded and pointed at the map on the table. "The door is hidden somewhere on this map, but I can't find it."

"But don't worry. There's someone in Middle-earth who can."

"Our mission must be kept secret. We have to be careful."

"So we need a burglar."

Seeing that the Dwarves weren't about to come to blows, Gandalf steered the gathering back toward the scene from the story he remembered.

As if he had some kind of god's-eye view, Morgan watched for a while before his mind began to wander.

Swish, swish, swish.

Rows of pale, glowing virtual data began to flicker and flash in the air.

No one present noticed anything unusual about Morgan.

[Time Traveler: Morgan]

[Race: Human]

[Biological Level: Tier One]

[Soul Power: 0]

[Attributes: Strength +; Constitution +; Agility +; Spirit +]

[Abilities: Common Tongue; Muay Thai LV2; White Crow Swordsmanship LV1; Archery LV2]

[Talent: Intimacy (Special Skill)]

[Current World Exploration Progress: 0.3%]

[.]

As he watched the data appear before his eyes,

when he saw the figure after World Exploration Progress,

Morgan's eyelid twitched violently.

"0.3—0.3%!"

His World Exploration Progress had shot up from 0.01% before he met Gandalf to 0.1%.

Then it had surged from 0.1% to 0.3%!

If nothing had changed during the half-month or so he'd spent traveling before, Morgan would have suspected the system was malfunctioning.

This proved that his earlier idea had been right.

Current World Exploration Progress was closely tied to the characters in the story.

This pointed the way forward for Morgan—or rather, it lit the path ahead.

Just meeting an important character had caused such a huge increase in his Exploration Progress.

If he took part in events alongside them, the increase would surely be even greater.

The higher his Exploration Progress, the more he would learn about the system.

Besides, Morgan had another major goal: gaining Soul Power and becoming stronger.

The best way to do that was to travel with Gandalf and Thorin Oakenshield, because there would be no shortage of enemies.

While Morgan was pondering his system,

Gandalf suddenly stood up. In the firelight, his already tall shadow grew enormous, spreading across the entire living room.

"Enough!"

"If I say Bilbo is a burglar, then he is!"

His voice sounded calm, but to everyone there, it was deafening.

The moment he finished speaking, everyone in the house was stunned.

They had always heard that Gandalf was a wizard, but none of the Dwarves had ever actually seen him perform magic.

Now that they had seen what he could do, the Dwarves looked at Gandalf with newfound awe.

Even Thorin Oakenshield was no exception.

Morgan, who had been distracted, was startled by Gandalf's display too.

He immediately dismissed the system before his eyes and refocused on the table in front of him.

"Hobbits are smaller, and they tread lightly."

"Some of you Dwarves can do that too, of course."

"But you must understand that Smaug is accustomed to you. He can easily pick up your scent."

"Hobbits are different. Smaug has never seen one before."

"The fourteenth member you asked me to find is Mr. Baggins."

"He is far more capable than he looks, and he can contribute more than even you—or he himself—realize."

"So you must trust him."

Gandalf sat back down, and Morgan quickly figured out what had happened from his words.

The Dwarves looked down on Bilbo, while Gandalf was doing everything he could to recommend him.

"Very well. We'll do as you say."

Thorin Oakenshield watched Gandalf for a long while before finally seeming to be convinced.

But from the way Thorin Oakenshield had acted, and from what Morgan remembered of the story, Morgan knew he still didn't trust Bilbo. He trusted Gandalf and was only agreeing to humor him.

"Bring out the contract, and Morgan's copy too."