By the time Allen set foot on the road to Wilderness Town again, winter had arrived.
Snow and wind swept across the upper reaches of the Misty Mountains. In such bitter weather, even the Half-orcs were reluctant to leave the caves where they hid.
The climate in the Anduin River Valley was still bearable. Although the crops had stopped growing, the great river had not frozen over.
On his way back, Allen first scattered Lady Galadriel's gift evenly across Wilderness Town's farmland. He would have to wait until next year to see the results.
Afterward, he held a small meeting in the Hall's conference room to learn how Wilderness Town was faring.
The day after the meeting, he took Firentis along the Elves-path to visit Thranduil in the Woodland Realm.
The Elves-path had changed considerably by then. Most of the road had been repaired, and many trees along both sides had been felled, leaving it far less gloomy and oppressive.
These road conditions held all the way to where the Elves-path met the Enchanted River. Clearly, Thranduil had put considerable effort into his trade with Allen.
Allen once again arrived at Thranduil's hall and presented the king with his gift.
It was a Silver Necklace set with a great many diamonds. Thranduil had already been delighted to welcome Allen.
The gift pleased him even more, and a happy smile actually appeared on his radiant face.
The other Elves rarely saw such a sight. Afterward, the king held a grand banquet to entertain his human friend.
During their conversation after the banquet, Allen asked the king for military passage rights.
Thranduil was surprised, since he knew of no force in the surrounding territories worth Allen attacking.
Surely he did not intend to attack Lake-town? That would hardly be worthwhile.
Faced with Thranduil's questions, Allen frankly explained his purpose. His destination was the Lonely Mountain.
Thranduil believed Allen was after the treasure in the Lonely Mountain. He did not consider that wise, and as a friend, he felt obliged to dissuade him.
"Allen, I know the Lonely Mountain holds countless treasures. To be honest, there are gems there that I desire as well. But I must urge you to reconsider. An evil dragon still occupies that mountain, and his flames can destroy entire armies. Even if you managed to kill him, the losses would be more than you could bear. It is only treasure, Allen. It is not worth it."
Hearing this, Allen realized that the king before him had misunderstood his intentions.
Moreover, Thranduil did not mind what he believed to be Allen's greed for treasure. He merely urged him not to sacrifice his people for it.
Allen could tell that his friendship with Thranduil now rested on a solid foundation.
"You misunderstand. I have little interest in the treasure inside the Lonely Mountain. A friend of mine, Gandalf-you should know him as well-will need my help sometime from now. That is why I came to ask your permission for my army to pass through your territory and march toward the Lonely Mountain."
Thranduil looked somewhat scornful at the mention of Gandalf.
With mockery in his eyes, he said, "Gandalf? Mithrandir? What is he planning now? Wait, let me think."
He soon fell deep into thought. A long while passed.
Thranduil looked Allen in the eye and said gravely, "Allen, for the sake of our friendship, tell me. Is he planning to gather the Dwarves to reclaim the Lonely Mountain?"
Allen did not believe he could hide this from Thranduil, so he readily admitted it.
"Yes, but success is far from certain, and there is much involved in this matter. All I can tell you is that this is indeed Gandalf's intention. I also hope you can put aside your past grievances and help the Dwarves reclaim the Lonely Mountain."
Thranduil laughed aloud at that. There was no mirth in his laughter, only coldness. Of course, that coldness was not directed at Allen, and Allen understood that.
"Help them? Certainly. As long as they return my family's Starlight Gem, I will help them."
"Your Majesty Thranduil, I will find a way to arrange that. I believe your family gem will surely find its way back into your treasury."
Thranduil was somewhat surprised and asked, "What way could you possibly have?"
Allen explained his plan.
"I will take part in this expedition as well, and I will most likely accompany Thorin Oakenshield to the very end. If we reclaim the Lonely Mountain, I will certainly be entitled to a share of its treasure as my reward. When that happens, I will ask for your family's Starlight Gem to be included in my share. Once I have it, I will return it to you."
Allen's words shook Thranduil. He had never imagined that the young man before him would go so far.
It never occurred to Thranduil that Allen might deceive him, for there was no need. Even without this promise, he would have granted Allen's request for military passage rights.
"Then, Allen, my friend, how should I thank you for this friendship?"
Allen shook his head. "I cannot guarantee success, so let us leave the thanks for later. For now, I only hope you will grant me military passage rights and offer Thorin Oakenshield's company some assistance when the time comes."
Thranduil considered Allen's words for a long time.
He, too, shook his head. "I will not offer assistance to those stubborn Dwarves. If he enters my territory, I will negotiate with him. If I must truly use your reward to recover my family heirloom, I would owe you far too much. My friend, please allow me to try to resolve this in my own way."
Allen grew anxious and wanted to say more, but Thranduil interrupted him. Clearly, the king had principles of his own that he would not yield.
Having secured military passage rights, Allen still had other requests. He wanted to buy some Elven bows, arrows, and spears.
In fact, Allen had wanted to do this for a long time. He had simply never been wealthy enough to dare make the purchase. He dared ask now because he was preparing to draw rewards again.
Thranduil agreed. With a sweeping gesture, he sold Allen three hundred fine Elven longbows and five hundred Elven spears, throwing in a large quantity of arrows as well.
The arrows would last Allen a long time. Thranduil also thoughtfully told him that he could pay directly with the wine they traded. The price was three hundred barrels, and he could repay it gradually. There was no hurry.
To Allen, this was a steep discount on top of an already steep discount. He had no reason to refuse.
Overjoyed, Allen thanked Thranduil again and left the Woodland Realm the next day.
By the time Allen returned to Wilderness Village, evening had fallen.
Sitting in his bedroom, he eagerly brought out the five reputation points he had saved and prepared to draw rewards.
Allen was already in debt. All the Denars he possessed would not quite cover even what he owed Thranduil.
He also needed to purchase all kinds of supplies for the village and build up reserves for war. All of that required money. Right now, Allen was particularly eager to draw Denars.
[Are you sure you wish to spend five reputation points to draw rewards from the Pendor Continent?] [Confirm] [You have obtained the following reward options. Please select five.] [Dragon Tear Gem ×3: As the name suggests, these gems originated as the tears of dragons, creatures that lived on the Pendor Continent in ancient times. They seem to contain extraordinary power. Of course, their brilliant radiance alone makes them worth pursuing.] [10 Gryphon Knights (restricted to the Prophet's Child identity): These ten knights consist of five full-fledged Gryphon Knights and their apprentices, the Gryphon Knight Apprentices. As the guardian knights of the Pendor Royal Family, they have mysteriously learned of your identity and arrived fully armed to pledge their loyalty to you. (Wages, meals, and lodging required.)] [Twilight Knight Hollimion (hero; restricted to the Friend of the Elves identity): Hollimion was named by his parents, who hoped his life would shine like the morning dew. He is a young but exceptionally gifted Noldor Elf. He passed his combat assessment at an early age and became one of the Elves' powerful fighters. Even among the Twilight Knights, he ranks among the best. His parents spared no effort in preparing his equipment, especially his armor, which bears an emerald rune. Having heard of your reputation, he hopes to follow you and see the world. Of course, (wages, meals, and lodging required.)] [6 Twilight Knights ×2 (restricted to the Friend of the Elves identity): There are always Elves who hope to follow you, a Friend of the Elves, and make their way in the human world. (Wages, meals, and lodging required.)] [100,000 Denars ×3: Say nothing. You will always need them.] [50,000 Denars ×2: Say nothing. You will always need them.] [Sapphire Noldor Rune Bow ×2: This bow incorporates even stronger magical energy into a Noldor Composite Bow, granting the Noldor Arrows it fires the power of frost. Please note that ordinary arrows cannot withstand its magical power.] [Emerald Rune Armor: This armor incorporates even stronger magical energy into Noldor Rune Armor. It accelerates your stamina recovery, but also makes you grow hungry more easily.]
Allen did not agonize over his choices this time. Without hesitation, he chose two hundred thousand Denars.
He needed a large quantity of Denars to buy armor for his soldiers, even if he could only equip some of them.
Then he went out into his courtyard and selected Twilight Knight Hollimion and twelve Twilight Knights.
He also needed powerful fighters to help him kill Smaug. The Dragon Tear Gems and better equipment would have to wait.
Soon, a fully armed Hollimion emerged from a patch of white light, leading an Elves Horse. Behind him came the twelve Noldor Twilight Knights.
These Twilight Knights were formidable fighters, among the finest of the Noldor Elves.
If they had to be compared with characters from the story, they were only slightly inferior to certain members of the Fellowship of the Ring.
Finding himself in unfamiliar surroundings, Hollimion scratched his head in confusion and looked around. He only stopped when he spotted Allen.
He approached the human excitedly and said, "My lord, thank you for all the help you have given the Noldor Elves. Hollimion is willing to serve you."
Looking at the Elven knight, whose equipment was even better than his own, Allen said softly, "Thank you. I will certainly have need of you in the future. It is getting late. Take your kin and get some rest first. Tomorrow, Alayen will show you around."
With that, Allen instructed Alayen, who stood nearby, to take Hollimion and the others to their lodgings.
By the time these matters were settled, darkness had fallen. Allen ate a little and returned to his bedroom.
After all this time, the Simulator's cooldown had finished as well. Lying on his bed, Allen entered another simulation.
[Simulator starting.] [Please select the world you wish to visit.] [You have arrived on the Calradia Continent.] [Since your reputation exceeds 5 points and your current renown exceeds 100 points, you may redeem an identity related to the nobility.] [Yes] [Drawing your identity.] [Time: Unknown] [Location: Jekasi, near Lana, in the Khergit Kingdom.] [You are the second son of Noyan Boalie, lord of Jekasi. Your father recently died of illness. According to the traditions of the Khergit Kingdom, a father's property is divided equally among his sons.] [For some unknown reason, however, your father's will left all his land and the title of noyan to your elder brother, while assigning most of his herders to you. Yes, in the Khergit Kingdom, herders are also a form of a lord's property.] [You knew nothing of the scheme behind this until your elder brother Nuam approached you.] [Nuamu offered you a large sum of money to purchase the more than five hundred tents of herders in your possession.] [The Khergit Kingdom is partly settled and partly nomadic. One tent is equivalent to one household among other peoples.] [Since nomads can all fight once mounted, every tent of herders can provide one or two adult fighters and two or three warhorses.] [However, most of the herders' property also belongs to their lord. They have the right to use their cattle, sheep, and horses, but not the right to dispose of them.] [In other words, you possess at least five hundred light and heavy cavalry, along with over a thousand warhorses and a number of cattle and sheep.] [This is a powerful force. The problem is that you have neither pastureland nor a title, leaving you with few choices.] [You must either obediently take your brother's money and leave, or lead your people away to establish new pastures. The latter will inevitably be a difficult migration.] [This is your brother's scheme. In principle, family property has never been divided this way, but the division is still fair, since the two portions are roughly equal in value.] [The glaring discrepancy lies in the money Nuam offered. It would not even cover the cost of the horses.] [You dismiss Nuam's offer with contempt. Searching your memories, you set your sights on the grasslands farther east. The population there is far less dense, though conditions may be harsher.] [But you will never accept Nuam's extortion.] [Seeing you reject his offer, Nuam realizes that his long-planned scheme has failed.] [Humiliated, he flies into a rage and throws his authority as lord around. Not only does he curse you viciously, he even lashes you with a whip.] [You endure the pain of two lashes. Then, under the incredulous gazes of Nuam and everyone around him, you knock him down. You even wrap the whip he used on you around his neck.] [You tell Nuam that the money now belongs to you as compensation for whipping you.] [Seeing their leader's reddening face and the herders slowly gathering behind you, Nuam's men obediently set down the chest. They take the unconscious Nuam and flee in disgrace.] [This is merely an internal family matter. Even if you had strangled Nuam on the spot, there would have been no serious consequences as long as you were willing to pay bribes.] [At this point, Tuoju, the former village elder of Jekasi, approaches you. He tells you that, regardless of what happened, the simple laws of the Khergits require you and your herders to leave Jekasi's territory and seek pastures of your own.] [You order Tuoju to have all the herders pack their belongings and finish preparing for migration before nightfall.] [You also seek out Tuoju to learn about the fighting strength under your command.] [After speaking with the village elder, you learn that you have over fifty horse archers, over fifty lancers, and more than two hundred horsemen. The rest are ordinary members of your people. Given better equipment, they could immediately become capable fighters as well.] [You order the village elder to summon the horse archers and lancers to meet you.] [These men were originally your father's personal guards, and they, too, are a form of property. Each was allotted pastures, land, and even herders. They lived comfortably, with iron equipment and fine warhorses. Now they have been assigned to you.] [You look at them and see only despair and numbness in their eyes. Clearly, they do not believe you can lead them to new pastures, nor do they trust you. But they have no choice. To rebel would be to violate the interests of every Khergit noble, and their fate would be no better.] [Faced with this situation, you say nothing. No amount of words can match action.] [You order them to migrate east toward Tulga. This brings a glimmer of hope to their eyes. They believe you intend to seek refuge with Asugan, the lord who controls Tulga.] [You offer no further explanation. Before nightfall, you lead them toward Dasbeifa.] [Food is not a particularly serious problem during this migration, whether for the livestock or the people. The greatest problem is water. Every village and town in the Khergit Kingdom is built beside water. Letting such a large group drink from someone's river without permission would undoubtedly violate their sacred rights and lead to a fight to the death.] [You lead the vast migration out of Jekasi Village before nightfall, but remain within Jekasi's territory. In the morning, after the people and livestock drink their fill from Jekasi's river, you set out toward Dasbeifa.] [As your vast party enters Dasbeifa, the local noyan, Tuluge, comes to meet you with his personal guards. He draws up his forces and asks whether you intend to wage a steppe war against him.] [You reply that you are merely passing through. Tuluge says you may pass, but he will provide neither grass nor water. He will watch until all of you have left his territory.] [However, he offers you two other choices. The first is to pay by the day. All your money would buy only five days of survival.] [The other is to take part in an unfair wagered duel. You alone must face ten lancers, including Tuluge, with neither side permitted to use bows.] [If you win, you and your herders may stay here for a month. If you lose, you must surrender half your herders and leave his territory immediately.] [You choose the duel. At the same time, you tell Tuluge that such unfair terms and stakes are unacceptable. He must add money to the wager.] [Your arrogance infuriates Tuluge. He roars that he will pay if you win.] [The battle begins before a crowd of nearly two thousand people.] [At first, Tuluge thinks you are looking down on him. But as the battle progresses, he realizes he was wrong.] [Before everyone's eyes, you use your superb horsemanship to evade the enemy's pursuit and encirclement, seizing their fleeting mistakes to knock them from their horses one by one.] [You even have enough strength to spare to choose which opponent to defeat next. You leave Tuluge until last, allowing him to retain a shred of dignity.] [Tuluge gives up resisting. Though hot-tempered and cunning, he keeps his word.] [He tells you that you may use the pastureland near Tulga and that the money will be delivered shortly. Then he leaves.] [Among nomads, strength rules. Your herders no longer look at you with numbness and despair. Their eyes are filled with fear, along with a faint glimmer of hope.] [You know that, as long as you can find pastureland of your own, all your problems will fall into place.]
Before you continue