There were many more inhabitants in Dale, certainly far more than in Wayfort.
They needed more time to adapt.
After entrusting Bard with the management of all the new development affairs there, Garrett began his journey home through the Nether portal.
If anyone knew he covered a distance of over 1,100 kilometers from Dale back to Wayfort in just two hours, their jaw would surely drop.
However, for the residents of Wayfort, this had already become routine. From their perspective, their lord had only left for part of the day, he went out on business in the morning and returned by evening.
The weather was starting to warm.
He could clearly feel it the moment he stepped out of the Nether portal.
Snow on the roadside had mixed with a little melted water, and after a night of cold winds, it had hardened by the next day.
This winter was nearly over.
Clack.
The stronghold gates opened.
He looked over and saw several transport wagons entering the settlement one after another, pulled by horses whose eyes looked somewhat weary.
The merchant caravan had returned, bringing with them wagonloads of foreign goods.
"My lord, the journey this time went quite smoothly."
The lead merchant, seeing Garrett waiting at the gate, jumped down from the wagon at once and reported, "We passed through several small towns in Bree-land, and then continued on to the Shire. The folk in those places were very interested in our goods, and the trading went exceptionally well. After that, we continued westward and arrived at the harbor city where the elves dwell."
"The elves there were most welcoming. They admitted us without even questioning our purpose. Half of our cargo was purchased by them. They paid with silver coins, various jewels, corals, and even diamonds, they're all in the wagon up front."
As he spoke, he led Garrett toward the wagons.
To be fair, the elves of Lindon were quite generous, there were plenty of diamonds.
"Not bad. In the future, we can collect more diamonds."
"Understood."
"Oh right, there's one more thing, my lord."
The merchant paused thoughtfully and added, "An ancient elf with a silver-white beard, seems like he's the local lord, asked me to pass along a message to you: Círdan sends his greetings to Your Excellency, and welcomes the founder of the Free Settlements to visit the Grey Havens."
Círdan the Shipwright?
That was an unexpected message.
"I see. I'll visit when I have the chance. If I still haven't gone the next time you pass through there, just relay this message for me, and send my regards to him."
Several of the merchants agreed to carry out the request. One of them continued with the report, "After that, we headed to the Blue Mountains. The dwarves there were also quite interested in our wares, especially those tough leathers, which apparently assist with some kind of craftsmanship of theirs. They purchased nearly all the leather."
"And we also saw some of the dwarves packing up and preparing to migrate eastward. I made some inquiries, they weren't keeping it secret. According to them, they're planning to cross the Misty Mountains and the Vales this spring, heading north to return to their ancestral home."
"Erebor, the Lonely Mountain," Garrett added.
"It was only recently liberated and is in need of manpower."
He explained a bit more about the situation at the Lonely Mountain, and also mentioned Dale in passing, which left the merchants quite surprised.
So their lord held dominion on the far side of the mountains as well.
While the merchants were conversing and reporting trade matters to Garrett, the guards had already removed their armor and begun unloading the goods from the wagons piece by piece.
Among those goods were the jewels and diamonds. Once they learned that the lord had need of them, everyone dutifully packed them all up and sent them to the keep without keeping a single gem for themselves.
However, Garrett only took the diamonds when he saw them. As for the other gems, aside from looking attractive, they weren't particularly useful. At most, they could serve for decoration. So those were left for the townspeople to distribute and manage on their own. Whoever wanted them could claim them. He didn't involve himself in the distribution or negotiations at all.
After all, he wasn't lacking in gemstones. If he brought out all the gems he had stored at the Lonely Mountain, he could probably fill the entire keep.
This time, the merchant caravan brought back more than just goods, there were quite a few people as well.
There were refugees who had been attacked by bandits and robbers, and wanderers found along the roadside. Of course, these people weren't transported by the caravan directly. Rather, they were given guidance as the caravan passed by, along with some food aid, and they made their way here on their own.
Over the course of the winter, the territory gained more than a hundred new residents. By now, they had adapted to life in the domain and were actively participating in communal labor.
Just like that, after all the affairs were handled and the caravan members had rested for a few days, they gathered again to discuss the next trading expedition, covering topics like what kinds of goods to bring and which route to take.
Notably, there were some changes in the caravan's personnel. Two guards had decided to leave the group and return to farming during the break. However, they were quickly replaced by two residents who were eager to travel and seek adventure.
The merchants, on the other hand, remained the same four people.
"I've always wanted to travel like this," said one of the caravan members. "It feels wonderful, there's no need to worry about selling the goods, no stress about enough silver, and no concern over costs. Plus, our safety on the road is assured."
"We can freely journey across different regions, experience their customs and cultures through trade, and when talking to people, we'll never run out of things to say, there's just so much to share about our homeland."
"I'm already looking forward to the next trip."
"Let's wait for the snow on the roads to melt a bit more," another added.
"Besides, it seems the lord has something to announce, I wouldn't want to miss it."
"Oh? Really?"
"I'm going right now!"
---
In the central square of Wayfort, water flowed continuously from the top of the fountain, yet the pool below never overflowed, despite the fountain having no visible drainage.
At that moment, everyone in the territory was gathered in the open space before the fountain, eyes fixed on Garrett, ears attentive, hoping not to miss a single word.
"My dear people!"
He had barely spoken when a wave of cheers erupted below.
The content didn't even matter, just having him standing there was enough to excite them.
He quickly raised his hand to quiet them, then continued, "Do you all know what time next month is?"
The residents looked at each other in confusion. It was already February, so next month was March. What was so special about that?
He calmly stated:
"Two years ago, in the spring of Third Age 2940, Wayfort was established right here."
"Oh!"
The crowd erupted.
"Founding Day!" someone shouted.
"That's definitely a day worth celebrating."
Some of the residents began to anticipate what was coming, visibly thrilled.
Garrett raised his hand again and spoke loudly to the crowd, "That's right, Founding Day!"
"So it's decided, on the first day of next month, we'll hold a celebration for the founding of Wayfort. I hereby declare that everyone will receive seven days of rest starting in March!"
"A week-long festival!"
Whoosh.
The news landed like TNT thrown into deep water. The crowd exploded into an even greater frenzy than before. Cheers and excited chatter filled the air and spread far beyond the square.
After announcing the news, Garrett jumped down from the fountain with a broad grin and, in the middle of the raucous cheers and surrounding crowd, headed toward the wine cellar.
He ordered the already-brewed strong liquor to be brought out.
It was easy to imagine that the next few days would be filled with celebration. People wouldn't have to work or worry about much, the only things they'd need to watch out for were overeating or getting so intoxicated from excitement they passed out in the streets.
The residents bustled about, preparing for the feast and decorating the area on their own initiative.
He returned to the keep and brought out some gunpowder, preparing to craft some visually impressive fireworks.
But as he looked at the fireworks, a few people came to mind.
The first was Gandalf, the old wizard was incredibly skilled at fireworks. His magical displays were far more beautiful than anything Garrett could craft.
Unfortunately, judging by the timing, Gandalf was likely still on the far side of the Misty Mountains investigating something. He certainly wouldn't be able to make it.
The same went for Thranduil of the Woodland Realm, Thorin and the dwarves of the Lonely Mountain, Bard, the Great Eagles, Beorn, and Radagast the Brown... All familiar faces, but none of them could attend.
After all, this "Founding Day" was something he had just come up with. Even the name of the holiday was inspired by his residents' suggestions. There hadn't been time to inform anyone else.
It seemed the only one who might be able to come would be Bilbo.
But just as he was thinking this, an unexpected guest arrived at the gates of Wayfort.