Win or Lose

"Sorry!"

"I had no intention of insulting you, let alone bounty hunters!"

"I accept your challenge!"

Realizing his mistake, Thorin Oakenshield apologized at once, taking it with good grace.

But Morgan's challenge was also an insult to him.

Thorin Oakenshield was a man of noble standing. If he refused Morgan's challenge, he would bring shame on all Durin's Folk.

If he won, there was nothing to gain, because victory was only what was expected.

His rank and bloodline meant he had to win.

But losing would be far worse.

So no matter whether Thorin Oakenshield won or lost, Morgan's public challenge was an insult to him.

Even if Morgan had good reason.

As soon as Thorin Oakenshield accepted the duel, the room erupted into an uproar.

What was Thorin Oakenshield's status, and what was Morgan's?

Even if Morgan had good reason—and no one knew whether he had simply made it up—noble status and bloodline were what mattered most in all Middle-earth.

For Morgan to challenge Thorin Oakenshield was tantamount to insulting every Dwarf present.

"No, Thorin, you can't accept that human kid's challenge. Let me handle it!"

"Move aside! I'll teach that Morgan a lesson myself."

"No, let me do it. I said it first."

"Let me do it. That human kid's been getting on my nerves from the start. He's even more handsome than me!"

"Let me take him. I can see he knows how to use a bow, and none of you can shoot."

"What does archery have to do with a challenge? I'll make that kid taste my axe!"

"..."

The Dwarves clamored, indignant.

Gandalf looked at Morgan with a strange expression, then noticed the young man was signaling to him.

Only then did he catch on: Morgan had done it on purpose.

That made sense. The young man didn't look reckless.

He couldn't possibly fail to understand how serious it was to challenge Thorin Oakenshield—unless he didn't want the commission anymore.

Of course, Morgan's fierce reaction had also made Gandalf a little nervous.

Thorin Oakenshield's words had indeed belittled Morgan, and Morgan's talk of honor sounded entirely plausible.

Since challenging Thorin Oakenshield was out of the question, there was nothing stopping Morgan from challenging another Dwarf.

Gandalf quickly grasped what Morgan really meant.

Yes, let Thorin Oakenshield off and challenge another Dwarf.

If Morgan won, he could regain their respect and prove his strength.

And with Gandalf adding a few words of his own, Thorin Oakenshield—who cared deeply about the upcoming expedition—would never turn down a bounty hunter of Morgan's caliber.

That would settle two things at once.

With that in mind, Gandalf stepped in to smooth things over. "How about this?"

After a long discussion, Morgan's challenge was successfully redirected from Thorin Oakenshield to the young Dwarf Kili.

They would soon be setting out on an adventure, and it would be bad if either of them got hurt, win or lose.

There was also the fact that Morgan had said he was skilled with a bow, and among all the Dwarves present, the young Kili was the best archer.

The longbow and quiver on Kili's back made that clear.

A contest of archery would be a simple, safe, and sensible way to prove who was better, so everyone accepted it.

With the terms settled, the contest was set to begin right away.

Bilbo's Bag End was too small. Morgan had to stoop even just to stand, so there was no way they could compete inside.

Soon, the group moved outside Bag End.

There were too few pastimes in this world, especially at night.

A contest between two archers like Morgan and Kili was a rare spectacle.

The crowd of Dwarves seemed more excited than the two contestants themselves.

Since Morgan's challenger had become Kili, the Dwarves' anger toward Morgan faded along with the change in his target.

After all, their Dwarf king, Thorin Oakenshield, had been the one to show disrespect first.

Morgan was willing to let it go without making an issue of it. The Dwarves weren't exactly grateful, but they no longer had any reason to resent him.

Dwarves were hot-tempered and blunt, but that also meant they were straightforward. As long as no one angered them, they were quite willing to be reasonable.

The challenge had turned into entertainment.

The Dwarves, always ready to make a fuss and join in the fun, naturally took the opportunity to do so.

Before long, they started betting on whether Morgan or Kili would win.

Most of them knew Kili's skill well, so he quickly became the favorite.

But Morgan had an unusual air about him, and bounty hunters were a rare sight in Middle-earth. They had just heard the white-bearded Dwarf Balin tell them a little about bounty hunters.

A few Dwarves had gained some confidence in Morgan and placed their bets on him.

When the Dwarves asked Gandalf, he cheerfully pulled out a pouch of money and bet on Morgan without a moment's hesitation.

Morgan was his man, so of course he had to trust him.

Besides, the giant bear Morgan had killed a day earlier was proof enough of his skill.

Gandalf was definitely betting on Morgan.

The only one present who didn't join the fun was Thorin Oakenshield.

Even Bilbo Baggins, who had truly been watching from the sidelines the whole time, was urged by the Dwarves to place a bet. He bet on Morgan too.

Once all the bets were placed, Morgan and Kili began discussing how to compete.

Kili was a handsome young Dwarf with black hair, just like Morgan.

The only difference was that Kili wore his hair loose and messy, while Morgan had tied his back in a ponytail.

Each of them suggested a way to compete, but neither idea was any good.

Just then, a bird called from the woods a little farther away.

Morgan's eyes lit up. He had an idea and spoke at once. "How about we compete by shooting birds?"

Kili immediately looked toward the dark woods. After quietly weighing his chances, he nodded. "I agree. Let's shoot birds!"

With both contestants settled on the contest, the Dwarves watched eagerly.

Morgan and Kili didn't bother deciding who would go first. They each took a bow from their backs and pulled an arrow from their quivers.

Their bows and the fletching on their arrows were different, so it would be easy to tell whose arrow had hit.

Though it was night, countless stars shone overhead. The sky was dim, but they could just make things out.

The two men nocked their arrows and stood calmly, watching the distance.

The Dwarves behind them didn't dare speak loudly, afraid they might distract the archers.

Morgan and Kili stood fairly close to each other.

They were outdoors, and the surroundings were quiet. With both men holding their breath, they could almost hear each other breathing.

Since it was a contest, neither dared be careless.

As their breathing settled, a bird called out again from the woods ahead.

Kili's calm eyes suddenly lit up. He loosed the arrow he had been waiting to shoot, and it flew off with a sharp whoosh.

The next moment, a piercing bird cry rang out.

Kili's face brightened, and then a delighted voice came from behind them. "He hit it!"

But they remembered Morgan hadn't taken his shot yet, and the voices quickly died away.

Morgan remained calm. The news that Kili had hit his target couldn't distract him. He knew how loud the shouting and cursing had been at the underground fighting pits in his previous life, and he could still stay absolutely focused.

This was nothing.

His narrowed eyes carefully scanned the woods ahead.

At level 2, Morgan's Archery gave him far greater knowledge of bows, arrows, and shooting than an ordinary archer had.

He had trained in Muay Thai for more than twenty years in his previous life, yet even that had only reached level 2 in the system.

That alone showed how powerful the Time Traveler System's infusion-based enhancement was.

Just then, a dark shape suddenly took flight from the shadowy woods.

"Now!"

Morgan's gaze followed it swiftly, like an eagle's. He drew his bow to its full arc and released.

"Whoosh!"

The arrow whistled through the air, shooting straight ahead!