The Reason

Seeing how close Gandalf and the Elf Lord Elrond were,

the Dwarves, who had been tense, relaxed a little.

But with the Elven cavalry still surrounding them, they weren't about to let their guard down.

Bilbo remained protected at the center of the group.

Morgan stood beside Gandalf, his expression calm.

"This may be because of us."

Hearing Elrond's words, Gandalf smiled and replied.

Elrond said nothing. He waved for the Elven cavalry to disperse, then exchanged a few words with the Elf named Lindir behind him.

Only then did he turn to the Company.

Elrond's gaze first fell on Morgan, who stood beside Gandalf.

With the vast majority of the Company made up of Dwarves,

the tall, handsome human Morgan naturally stood out.

Well, second only to the wizard Gandalf.

Not only because Gandalf was a little taller than Morgan,

but also because of Gandalf's traditional wizardly appearance.

In Middle-earth, few people had ever actually seen a wizard.

To most people, wizards were little more than figures from legend.

Elrond smiled at Morgan. "And who might this be?"

Gandalf was about to introduce him, but saw Morgan step forward as Elrond spoke. He bowed slightly to the Elf Lord, whose fame resounded throughout Middle-earth, and said:

"I'm Morgan."

"It's an honor to meet you, Lord Elrond."

Gandalf watched Morgan's actions with a smile, though he couldn't help wondering what was going through his mind.

In truth, he knew that bringing the Company to Rivendell to seek help was a little risky.

The Company's ultimate goal was to steal the "Arkenstone," the symbol of the Dwarves' highest authority, from the underground treasury of the Lonely Mountain, where the dragon Smaug dwelled.

With the Arkenstone, Thorin Oakenshield could summon reinforcements from the other Dwarf clans to help him fight Smaug and reclaim the Lonely Mountain.

There was no doubting the dragon Smaug's wickedness and might.

More than sixty years ago, he had single-handedly destroyed the once-prosperous Kingdom Under the Mountain.

He had seized the Kingdom Under the Mountain's mountain of treasure and kept it all to himself for sixty years.

During that time, not a single other power had dared to set its sights on Smaug's hoard.

That was the terrible might of the dragon Smaug.

This wicked and fearsome creature had occupied the Lonely Mountain for sixty years.

But it had also remained quiet for sixty years.

That was something all the great powers of Middle-earth were more than happy to see.

No one knew exactly how much treasure the Kingdom Under the Mountain, the "Erebor" renowned as the city of wealth, had possessed more than sixty years ago.

But everyone knew that the Kingdom Under the Mountain, ruled by Durin's Folk, had been immeasurably wealthy.

After the dragon conquered the Kingdom Under the Mountain, rumors spread around the world that it had fallen because its immense wealth had attracted Smaug.

And that was indeed the truth.

Every great power in Middle-earth coveted the Kingdom Under the Mountain's vast riches.

But none dared to make a move. None could!

In a way, this was for the best. With the treasure in Smaug's possession, no one else could get their hands on it.

That kept everyone satisfied.

And since he had so much treasure, Smaug could remain quietly beneath the Lonely Mountain instead of roaming around and wreaking havoc.

He had stayed there for sixty years.

That was what every power hoped for, and they all wished Smaug would stay among the riches of the Lonely Mountain until the day he died.

It was under these circumstances

that Gandalf was leading a Company of Dwarves to the Lonely Mountain to face Smaug and reclaim the Kingdom Under the Mountain.

If the great powers dedicated to preserving peace in Middle-earth learned of this dangerous undertaking, their reaction was easy to imagine.

That was also why Thorin Oakenshield had so strongly opposed coming to Rivendell.

Of course, the hatred between the Dwarves and Elves was also a major factor.

Thorin Oakenshield, representing Durin's Folk, wanted to reclaim the Lonely Mountain. They had their reasons and grievances; their cause was fair and reasonable.

The great powers, too, had sound grounds for wanting to preserve peace and stability in Middle-earth.

As for Gandalf, he had sensed the dark forces stirring. That was what had driven him to help Thorin Oakenshield's Company reclaim the Lonely Mountain.

Because if the dark forces rose again, they might join forces with Smaug.

With Smaug's evil and might, if that day came, it would be too late.

Gandalf had come to Middle-earth as one of the lesser gods, a Maia, to preserve peace.

That was his mission.

That was why, even knowing the Company might be stopped from entering Rivendell,

he had come anyway, partly because he trusted his friendship with Elrond.

And if they were blocked, he still hoped he might persuade the others.

Because he knew it would be difficult to keep this matter hidden from those powerful beings.

Whether he had also come to Rivendell to persuade Thorin Oakenshield and decipher the map of the Lonely Mountain—

only Gandalf knew.

"Welcome to Rivendell."

"Morgan, I hope you enjoy your stay here."

Elrond smiled at Morgan.

Setting aside his position as Lord of Rivendell, the Elven King Eldrond was beyond reproach in his personal conduct.

From what Morgan remembered of the story, he had been deeply impressed by this Elf Lord, who commanded the most powerful force in all of Middle-earth.

Now that he had come to Rivendell,

regardless of status, strength, or standing,

Morgan knew he had to show the Elf King the respect he deserved.

"I'm sure I will. Rivendell is the place everyone in Middle-earth longs to visit."

Morgan offered a flattering smile.

And it was true, too.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with Morgan,

Elrond turned his attention to the Dwarves, who were still gathered together.

At that moment, Thorin Oakenshield stepped forward.

"Welcome, Thorin, son of Thrain."

Elrond addressed Thorin Oakenshield in a grave voice.

"I don't believe we've met."

Thorin's voice was calm, but his words carried a barb.

"You look very much like your grandfather. I met Thror when he ruled the Kingdom Under the Mountain."

Elrond continued, seemingly unbothered by Thorin's pointed remark.

"Is that so? He never mentioned you!"

Thorin continued, his words still barbed.

Elrond's expression remained calm, as if Thorin Oakenshield's hostility hadn't angered him.

But after sizing up Thorin Oakenshield and the wary Dwarves behind him, Elrond suddenly spoke to Thorin in Elvish. "You're as stubborn as your grandfather Thror. Your manner and your words are both as unpleasant as ever."

Elrond spoke very quickly.

But his impassive expression and the torrent of Elvish pouring from his mouth

immediately made the Dwarves sense that something was wrong.

The Dwarves weren't fools. They seemed to realize that the Elf Lord had said something unkind to Thorin.

The Dwarf Gloín immediately grew angry. "What's he saying?"

"Is he insulting us?"

Gloín's angry words immediately struck a chord with the other Dwarves.

The Dwarves erupted into indignant shouts.

Seeing trouble brewing, Gandalf hurried forward and called out to the Dwarves, "No, King Elrond means he'd like to invite you all to dinner!"

At Gandalf's words, the Dwarves immediately fell silent. They looked at one another and whispered among themselves for a while.

In the end, Gloín awkwardly replied, "Well, in that case, lead the way."