Hearing this answer, Gandalf and Luke exchanged glances.
They were very surprised by this news.
They hadn't expected that Azog had only recently died, and his son Bolg had so quickly taken control of the Orc forces and inherited his position.
After all, the Orc throne was not inherited from father to son, but determined by strength.
For Bolg to inherit Azog's position in such a short time could only mean that his strength was not inferior to Azog's at all.
Luke continued to ask, "Did Bolg send you to hunt us down? Is he avenging Azog?"
The Orc Leader answered every question, "Partially. Bolg is very angry about Azog's death. He has put a bounty on the heads of Thorin Oakenshield and the Black Wizard Luke."
Gandalf frowned upon hearing this and asked in confusion, "Azog was killed by Luke, so a bounty on him is understandable. But why does Bolg also want to hunt down Thorin Oakenshield?"
The Orc Leader: "Because Bolg wants to prevent Thorin Oakenshield from becoming the King Under the Mountain. He wants to take the Lonely Mountain, then penetrate into the northern Angmar Kingdom, thereby bypassing the Misty Mountains and making a direct advance west."
Gandalf's expression grew even more perplexed.
"Why does Bolg think he can take the Lonely Mountain? Doesn't he know that a dragon lurks there?"
"Or has he already made a deal with the dragon?"
Gandalf voiced an even more serious speculation.
The Orc nodded.
"Yes, the dragon of the Lonely Mountain has awakened, and Bolg has already made a deal with him. As long as we kill Thorin Oakenshield and prevent the Dwarves from reclaiming the Lonely Mountain, the dragon will allow us to enter the North and reclaim the Angmar Kingdom."
Gandalf was startled to hear this, his expression solemn.
"No, we must go and stop Thorin and them!"
"That dragon has awakened; if Thorin and them go to the Lonely Mountain, it will be a complete suicide mission!"
Luke also hadn't expected such a result.
He clearly remembered that the dragon Smaug had not cooperated with the Orcs.
This time, due to Azog's death, such a major change had occurred.
It had actually caused the Orcs and the dragon to join forces prematurely!
Seeing Gandalf eager to stop Thorin and the others from going to the Lonely Mountain, Luke was not optimistic about it.
After all, Thorin's personality was very stubborn. Reclaiming the Lonely Mountain had become Thorin's obsession, even a demon in his heart. Even if he knew the Lonely Mountain dragon had awakened, he would certainly choose to continue the adventure without hesitation.
"Gandalf, there is still some time until Durin's Day. There's enough time. We can discuss this when we meet Thorin and them in Lake-town."
Luke said, then looked at the Orc Leader, who was controlled by Imperio.
"For now, let's deal with this Orc first."
Subsequently, the two continued to question him, stopping only after they had asked almost everything the Orc Leader knew.
"Alright, I have no more questions. Luke, do you have anything else to ask? If not, then let's get rid of him and immediately set off for Lake-town."
Gandalf drew his sword and asked Luke.
Luke stopped Gandalf's movement to kill the Orc, shook his head, and revealed a smile.
"Gandalf, don't kill him yet. He still has some use."
"Use?" Gandalf looked at him in confusion.
"He is now controlled by my Imperio and will only obey my commands," Luke explained with a smile. "We'll let him go,
and have him return to the Orc ranks to constantly relay news of the Orcs to us."
"At a critical moment, he can even stab Bolg directly when Bolg is unprepared."
Gandalf's eyes lit up upon hearing this, but he was still a little uneasy.
"Could he possibly break free of the control? If Bolg finds out, it might make him vigilant and cause more complications!"
Luke had a certain confidence in his magic.
"Imperio has no counter-spell. Unless he has a strong will and can break free of the control, or encounters a powerful magic user like Sauron who can forcefully break the Imperio I cast, it cannot be undone, and others will find it very difficult to detect."
"That's good." Gandalf put away his sword with relief.
They then released the Orc Leader, ordering him to return to Bolg's side to covertly lurk and transmit messages.
Of course, if there was an opportunity, it would be even better to directly eliminate Bolg!
However, such a possibility was very small, and they didn't hold out too much hope.
After letting the Orc Leader go, Luke and Gandalf continued their journey to Lake-town by small wooden boat.
Passing through the mist on the lake, the two rowed forward, following the direction of the guiding spell.
Finally, they arrived at Lake-town, located on an island in the center of the lake.
Most of Lake-town consisted of overwater buildings, and boats were the primary mode of transportation.
Most residents made their living by fishing.
As for trade with the Elves of the Woodland Realm, it was monopolized by the wealthy residents of Lake-town, led by the Master of the Town.
The two rowed their famous boat to the port customs and were stopped.
"Stop the boat!" A middle-aged man with a dirty brown hat walked out of a house, looking at them with suspicion and vigilance.
"Who are you?"
Luke looked at Gandalf; it was his turn to speak.
"Good evening, we are travelers from the West, planning to rest here for a few days," Gandalf said in a friendly manner.
The man scrutinized the two from head to toe, still somewhat suspicious.
"Travelers from the West? Do you have any documents? Or any goods?"
Gandalf shrugged and spread his hands.
"We carry no goods and have no documents, just a small boat."
The man looked at their small boat and found nothing.
"No goods means no need for customs declaration, but you still need to pay mooring fees."
"How much?"
"1 silver coin."
Upon hearing this, Gandalf turned to Luke, as he, being an old man, had no money.
Luke, however, was not short on money. He casually pulled out two silver coins from his money pouch and tossed them over.
The man skillfully caught the coins. Seeing two silver coins, his eyes immediately lit up, and his attitude became much more enthusiastic.
"Is there anything else I can do for you two gentlemen?"
"Have any strangers arrived in town before us?"
For the sake of the money, the man answered everything he knew.
"Just before you arrived, a group of Dwarves came here. They were taken to Bard's home in town. I wonder if this news is useful to you, sirs?"
Luke and Gandalf exchanged glances; they had finally found them.
"Thank you for the information, it is very useful."
The man then opened the gate, allowing Luke and Gandalf to smoothly enter the town via the waterway.
Meanwhile, at Bard's house,
the Dwarves were very anxious.
This was because Kili, the youngest of the Dwarves, had been shot in the leg by a Morgul Arrow.
Although the arrow was pulled out immediately, the potent poison and Dark Arts on the arrow shaft had already invaded Kili's body, making him increasingly weak.
It was fortunate that the Dwarves had strong constitutions, allowing them to resist until now.
If it had been an ordinary person, they would probably have died long ago.
The Morgul Arrow's poison was very strong, and ordinary medicine was completely ineffective. Fortunately, the Wood Elf Tauriel, who had been tracking the Dwarves, healed Kili's wound with King's Foil, saving his life.
Having had all their weapons confiscated by the Elves in Mirkwood, the Dwarves were now discussing how to acquire new weapons and then continue their journey to the Lonely Mountain.
Just as the discussion was heating up, a sudden knock on the door broke the noisy atmosphere.
The others also became vigilant and alert.
"Who is it?" Bard, as the host, walked to the door and opened it.
Then he saw Luke and Gandalf standing outside the door.
"It seems we've arrived just in time," Gandalf said with a chuckle.
"Gandalf!"
"Luke!"
Bilbo's eyes lit up, and he happily ran over, hugging both their legs.
The Dwarves in the house were also very pleasantly surprised.
The appearance of Luke and Gandalf brought everyone a pleasant surprise.
Even Thorin Oakenshield rarely showed a happy expression.
Since the two temporarily left the group, everyone began to suffer greatly upon entering Mirkwood.
First, they were made dizzy by the poisonous gas in the forest, completely losing their direction, and then they stumbled into the lair of the Giant Spiders, almost getting eaten.
After finally escaping from the Giant Spiders, they were captured and imprisoned by the Elves.
Escaping from the Elven dungeon, they were then pursued by Elves and chased by Orc, a journey full of peril.
This was completely different from the situation before, when Luke and Gandalf were present.
Thorin seemed to have forgotten the unpleasantness of their previous separation and walked up to the two of them, saying solemnly, "Welcome back, Luke, Gandalf."
"With your addition, I believe this journey to the Lonely Mountain will surely be smooth!"
Hearing this, Gandalf shook his head.
"I'm afraid we cannot go to the Lonely Mountain, Thorin; the expedition ends here."
As soon as he finished speaking, the room instantly fell silent.
Thorin's smiling face instantly froze, quickly turning grim.
His sharp eyes stared intently at Gandalf.
"Gandalf, what are you saying? What do you mean the mission ends here?"
Gandalf looked around, seeing everyone's astonished expressions, and sighed.
"We just received accurate information from the Orc that the dragon in the Lonely Mountain has awoken and has allied with Bolg, son of Azog."
"If we go to the Lonely Mountain now, it's like sheep entering a tiger's den, going to our deaths!"
"So the plan to steal the arkenstone and rally the Dwarves can no longer be used; we must re-plan and find another way!"
Hearing this, the house became even more deathly quiet.
The Dwarves were even more distraught.
The awakened dragon was something even the Lonely Mountain Dwarf Kingdom at its strongest could not withstand; how much less could these dozen or so Dwarves now?
They probably wouldn't even be enough to fill the dragon's teeth.
Thorin was also greatly shaken upon hearing this, but then a surge of unwillingness welled up in his heart, his eyes filled with madness.
"No! I can't give up!"
"What if the dragon has awakened! I must get the arkenstone, no matter the cost!"
Then he muttered to himself, "We can split into two groups, one group will attract the dragon's attention at the front gate, perhaps even lure him out, while the other group enters through the back gate and quietly retrieves the arkenstone."
"Are you mad?" Gandalf tried to shake the mad Dwarf awake, "Don't you know what kind of disaster it will bring once the dragon is enraged?"
"The dragon will burn everyone to death with his dragon fire; your companions and the residents of Lake-town will all suffer the dragon's revenge!"
Thorin's eyes were filled with madness, and he said coldly, "War always requires a price."
Everyone looked at him in shock; even the Dwarves couldn't believe he would say such a thing.
"You're truly mad!" Gandalf was so angry his heart ached, gripping his staff, seemingly wanting to knock some sense into the Dwarf who had fallen into madness.
Seeing the atmosphere growing increasingly tense, Luke finally spoke.
"Alright, it's still over a month until Durin's Day, so there's plenty of time. Everyone calm down first, and we can discuss it slowly."
Seeing Luke speak, the eldest Dwarf, Balin, echoed, "That's right, there's still plenty of time. We can re-plan; we'll surely find a solution!"
Bard, as the host, also invited everyone to sit down.
Gandalf and Thorin sulked at each other, sitting at opposite ends, one smoking, the other silently bowing his head.
Bilbo and the Dwarves, seeing this, exchanged glances, not daring to speak.
Luke didn't mind this atmosphere; instead, he paid more attention to Bard.
This person, who successfully killed the dragon Smaug in the original fate trajectory, was a descendant of Girion, the former Lord of Riverrun.
However, he was now just an ordinary resident of Lake-town, making a living by ferrying and trading.
When the dragon Smaug invaded the Lonely Mountain, Riverrun, at the foot of the Lonely Mountain, was also destroyed.
Girion, as the Lord of Riverrun, once used a huge black arrow to shoot off a scale on the dragon's chest.
And that black arrow, capable of killing the dragon, was passed down to Bard.
Luke scanned the surroundings and quickly spotted a black iron arrow hanging on the wall.
It was a two-meter-long, all-metal arrow, looking more like a spear or a harpoon.
Luke walked over and examined it up and down.
This giant arrow, forged from an unknown metal material, looked heavy and dull, but it was the only known weapon capable of piercing dragon scale armor.
"Guest?" Bard noticed Luke's actions and walked over, puzzled.
"Can I see this black arrow?" Luke asked.
Bard showed a surprised expression: "Does the guest know about this arrow?"
Luke nodded.
"I've heard of it. It's said to be a sharp weapon forged by the Dwarf race to deal with dragons, capable of penetrating the dragon's hard scales and causing fatal damage to the dragon."
Bard shook his head upon hearing this, giving a bitter smile: "If it could truly penetrate dragon scales, the former Kingdom of Riverrun wouldn't have been destroyed by the dragon! My ancestor once used it to shoot the dragon, but the dragon was unharmed, and my ancestor ultimately perished in the dragon's flames."
He wasn't unharmed, Luke remembered that Bard's ancestor successfully shot off a scale from Smaug's left chest, thus creating a fatal weakness.
This was also why Bard later succeeded in killing the dragon Smaug with the ancestral black arrow.
Their conversation was also heard by the others in the room.
The Dwarf Balin exclaimed, "You are a descendant of Girion, Lord of Riverrun? No wonder I found you familiar; you bear some resemblance to your ancestor Girion!"
Bard said with a self-deprecating smile, "Then your eyes are truly sharp, as I am merely a fisherman now."
Meanwhile, Thorin, who had been silent for a long time, now stood up, his gaze fixed on the black arrow, his expression showing a mix of excitement and greed.
"Is this the black arrow that can kill the dragon?"
Gandalf seemed to guess his thoughts and poured cold water on them: "There's only a slight possibility! Thorin Oakenshield, you cannot expect to kill the dragon with this black arrow! The dragon is very cunning; he won't foolishly stay there, waiting for you to get a chance to kill him!"
"If there's no chance for a fatal blow, what awaits you will be the dragon's furious revenge!"
Thorin completely ignored Gandalf's words, his gaze fixed on the black arrow with stubborn determination.
"No, this is a revelation of fate! Fate has brought this black arrow before me, intending for us to use it to accomplish the great feat of dragon-slaying!"
Saying this, he turned to Bard.
"How much?"
"What?" Bard didn't react.
"How much is this black arrow? I'll take it!"
Bard was stunned, then shook his head.
"Sorry, this is a family heirloom of mine and is not for sale."
"You will sell it!" Thorin was determined to have it.
"You are a descendant of Girion; you should know about the treasures within the Lonely Mountain. If you are willing to hand over this black arrow, I promise to exchange it for one-fourteenth of the Lonely Mountain treasure."
Faced with Thorin's request to trade the black arrow, Bard was somewhat tempted.
Legend had it that the treasure in the Lonely Mountain was piled up like mountains, and even the Dragon was attracted by the treasures within.
If he could obtain one-fourteenth of the treasure, not only would his life undergo a huge change, but he could also help the impoverished residents of Lake-town, and it might even be possible to rebuild the Dale and restore the former glory of his ancestors.
But after careful consideration, Bard still shook his head.
"I cannot risk the lives of the people of Lake-town. Once the Dragon is not dead, the entire Lake-town will be retaliated against by the Dragon, and everyone will be engulfed by the Dragon's flames!"
"Not to mention the Dragon has already awakened."
Being rejected, Thorin's expression became even uglier. His gaze lingered on the black arrow for a while, then he snorted coldly, turned, and sat back in his original seat, a grim expression on his face as he pondered.
And the atmosphere in the room once again turned cold.
Gandalf looked at Thorin like this, his expression a little worried.
Meanwhile, Luke was immersed in the System Sign-in.
[Hogwarts Sign-in System: Location Lake-town, do you want to sign in?]
"Sign in."
[Sign-in successful, congratulations on obtaining the Transfiguration notes of the Transfiguration Master, Minerva McGonagall!]
Looking at the thick notebook that appeared before him, Luke's eyes lit up.
Professor McGonagall's notebook? What an unexpected surprise!
Luke immediately flipped through it impatiently and was quickly drawn into its contents.
As a Transfiguration Master, Professor McGonagall's notebook not only meticulously recorded various Transfiguration spells, including many spells for mutual transformation between objects and objects, objects and animals, and animals and animals, but also included human Transfiguration, such as Animagus.
There were even spell-casting methods and techniques for transforming elements like water, fire, and earth.
For example, one could condense flames into giant pythons or Dragons, or animate statues to help fight enemies.
It could be said that this notebook was a complete compendium of Transfiguration.
Luke treasured Professor McGonagall's notebook as if it were a rare gem.
Especially as an Animagus with a tabby cat animal form, Professor McGonagall's notebook meticulously recorded various situations that might be encountered during the Animagus process, as well as corresponding solutions.
This was very instructive and valuable for Luke, who was currently practicing Animagus.
He currently had a Mandrake leaf under his tongue, just waiting for the next full moon to arrive, then he would be able to take it out and continue the next step.
And that time would come very soon.
However, before that, Luke decided to use this time to make a broomstick.
Thus, in the following days, the conflict between Gandalf and Thorin remained irreconcilable.
Gandalf tried to persuade Thorin to give up going to the Lonely Mountain.
But Thorin stubbornly insisted on continuing, even if it meant paying a price, he was determined to get the arkenstone.
For this, he found the Master of Lake-town to make a deal, wanting to get some weapons from the town's armory to arm the Dwarves.
He even still remembered the black arrow in Bard's home that could pierce Dragon scales and tried to obtain it several times through coercion and inducement.
The Master of Lake-town was a greedy and blind fellow. After learning about the treasure on the Lonely Mountain, he immediately agreed to provide weapons to the Dwarves, without considering the threat of the Dragon at all.
In his opinion, it was just an investment in some weapons gathering dust in the armory, and it wasn't even his money.
If it didn't succeed, then so be it, but if it did, he would gain endless wealth. It was simply a no-cost business, a huge profit.
For this, the Master even wanted to hold a grand farewell party for the Dwarves to send off the Dwarf warriors.
Gandalf was worried about this but couldn't stop it. As for Luke, he paid no attention to what was happening outside, staying in Bard's home all day, meticulously grinding and carving the willow tree heart with a sharp dagger.
"Luke, the current situation has deviated from my previous plan, and I am truly very worried."
One day, Gandalf found Luke and said with a face full of worry.
"It's not just the Dragon's problem, but also Thorin. The Dragon sickness inherited in their family's bloodline becomes more apparent the closer he gets to the Lonely Mountain's treasure."
"I'm worried that when Thorin comes into contact with those treasures, he might be consumed by that madness before the Dragon's flames can even engulf him!"
Facing the worried Gandalf, Luke felt admiration but also helplessness.
He admitted that he couldn't be as selfless as Gandalf, or even repay evil with good.
After all, in these past few days, Gandalf had truly considered Thorin and his companions, spare no effort to persuade them to give up going to the Lonely Mountain and disturbing the awakened Dragon.
But in the stubborn Thorin's eyes, Gandalf's persuasion was ill-intentioned and even became an enemy hindering him from reclaiming his homeland.
So he directly cast aside Gandalf and chose to cooperate with the Master.
For such a person, if Luke were Gandalf, he wouldn't bother to persuade him, letting him bring about his own destruction.
"If it really doesn't work, Gandalf, you can just knock him out and release him after Durin's Day is over, wouldn't that work?"
Luke suggested.
"Or if you don't want to do it, I can also help. One spell will make him quiet."
Hearing Luke's words, Gandalf was somewhat tempted but immediately shook his head.
"Although I'd very much like to do that, this is Thorin's will. We can only guide and persuade from the side, but we cannot forcibly change his will with power, otherwise it will only lead to more disastrous consequences!"
Then his gaze fell on the item in Luke's hand, and he asked curiously.
"Are you making—a broom?"
Luke nodded and then shook his head.
"I'm preparing to make a flying broomstick to use as transportation."
"A flying—broomstick? You mean it will fly!" Gandalf's eyes suddenly lit up, and he quickly asked.
Luke nodded, his hands still working.
Gandalf instantly cast aside Thorin's matter, his attention fully focused on the gradually forming flying broomstick before him.
Flight, this was an irresistible temptation for everyone, even Gandalf was no exception.
Although Gandalf and the Great Eagles were good friends and he could summon them to carry him flying when needed.
But being carried and flying oneself were completely different experiences, so Gandalf was very interested in the flying broomstick Luke mentioned.
However, before Luke's flying broomstick was completed,
Bard hurried back from outside and brought sudden news.
"The Dwarves just left by boat! They are already on their way to the Lonely Mountain!"
"And that Hobbit was also taken by them."
"They left?" Gandalf immediately became agitated, both angry and anxious.
"They left without even telling us! What does Thorin Oakenshield mean by this? Does he not trust us?"
Anger, and a hint of disappointment, showed in Gandalf's eyes.
"No, we can't just let them enter the Lonely Mountain like this! Thorin Oakenshield is leading them to their deaths!"
Saying this, he grabbed his staff, intending to catch up with Thorin and the others.
However, this time Luke refused to accompany Gandalf.
He shook his head, pointing to the broom in his hand: "My flying broomstick will be finished in a few days, so I can't leave for now. If you are willing to wait, Gandalf, we can ride the broom together to catch up then."
Although Gandalf was somewhat tempted, he still refused.
"Never mind, I can't sit still here either. I'll set off first to catch up with them. You can come when your broom is finished."
He then borrowed a boat from Bard and set off by boat to pursue Thorin and the others.
Only Luke remained as a guest in Bard's home.
Luke and Bard's family got along well.
Bard was hospitable, and his two children were innocent and kind.
Luke was also very generous, taking out some beautiful jewelry from his spatial bag and giving it to Bard's two children.
Three days had passed since Thorin and the others, and Gandalf, left.
Luke joyfully welcomed the first flying broom of his life.
The broomstick was made from the hardest core of the old willow, jade-white all over, with smooth and flowing lines.
Inside, intricate runic symbols were engraved, with magic subtly flowing within them.
The tail end of the broom was cut from the remaining material into countless neat thin branches to ensure its streamlined shape and precise balance.
With the flying broom completed, Luke couldn't wait to try it out.
He placed the flying broom beside his foot, stretched out his hand, and shouted, "Up!"
The broom rolled on the ground.
"Up!" This time, his tone became firm and unyielding.
With a whoosh, the broom leaped from the ground and landed directly in Luke's hand.
Gripping the flying broom, Luke's lips quickly curved upwards, his excitement and sense of accomplishment evident.
After making the flying broom, the first thing, of course, was to test its performance.
Luke eagerly went outside Bard's house, straddled the flying broom, and gently pushed off with his feet.
His entire body was immediately lifted by the broom, slowly floating off the ground.
Beneath his backside, an invisible air cushion supported him, just like riding a bicycle, so he didn't have to worry about falling.
Bard's family, who had followed him out, were stunned by this sight.
Bard's young son, after the initial shock, was filled with excitement and eagerness, wishing he could also ride it and experience it himself.
For his first flight, Luke was exceptionally excited, leaning his body directly forward, and his entire being shot out like a firecracker in an instant.
"Ah ah ah!" Luke flew around like a headless fly, soaring into the sky one moment, and nearly hitting a rooftop the next, making people's hearts pound.
The residents of Lake-town were all attracted by this scene, and then they were utterly astonished.
They recognized the person flying on the broom as the guest staying at Bard's house.
They never expected him to possess such ability, to be able to fly!
Especially the Mayor, who was almost hit by him near his own rooftop, widened his eyes and craned his neck out the window, a look of annoyance in his eyes.
Although he was greedy and short-sighted, he still had some insight.
He only regretted why he hadn't invited such an extraordinary person back then, instead letting that fisherman Bard benefit.
Meanwhile, Luke was oblivious to the reactions of the Lake-town residents; after his initial familiarity with the flying broom, he finally, somewhat wobbly, piloted it and landed back in front of Bard's house.
Seeing the envious and longing expressions on Bard's children's faces, Luke smiled and promised them that he would take them flying in the future.
Then, after formally bidding farewell to Bard, he soared into the sky on his broom, flying towards the Lonely Mountain.
As for Bard's black arrow, although Luke had considered taking it to deal with the dragon Smaug.
But after thinking it over, he gave up.
Although the black arrow is currently the only known weapon in Middle-earth that can penetrate dragon scales, it doesn't mean it's the only thing that can deal with dragons. Luke has a divine spear, aeglos, in his hand, and its penetrating power is unmatched.
Gil-galad, the High King of the Noldor, once used it to pierce the hardest armor on Sauron's body, leaving a wound on Sauron.
Luke believed his divine spear was no worse than the black arrow, so he left the black arrow for Bard, to see if he could still accomplish the feat of slaying the dragon.
The speed of a flying broom depends on the level of its craftsmanship, just like the Wizards in the world of magic have Sweep Series, Comet Series,
Nimbus Series, and other flying brooms, as well as the fastest one, the Firebolt.
Although Luke obtained the manufacturing process for flying brooms, he was only a beginner, so the flying speed of the broom he made was even slower than the slowest flying broom in the magical world.
However, even so, with his flying broom, he still managed to catch up with Thorin and Gandalf and the others, who had departed three days earlier, in just half a day.
It was unknown what had happened during these three days; Gandalf had not successfully persuaded Thorin to abandon his advance on the Lonely Mountain, but instead continued to walk with them.
When Luke was still just a small black dot in the distance, Gandalf had already spotted him, and a smile immediately appeared on his face.
"Aha, our last member has finally caught up!"
Hearing Gandalf's words, everyone looked in the direction of his gaze with confusion.
Then they saw a blurry figure in the distant sky rapidly approaching them.
Soon, Luke's figure came into view.
"Luke!"
Everyone looked at the flying Luke in disbelief.
"My Aulë, am I still dreaming? How am I seeing Luke flying on a broom?"
The Dwarf Bofur rubbed his eyes and exclaimed, "Everyone, I'm not too late, am I?"
Luke leaned slightly forward, slowly descending from mid-air and landing on the ground, asking with a smile.
"Welcome back, Luke," Gandalf happily stepped forward to give Luke a hug, then eagerly looked at the broom in his hand, "I didn't expect you to make the flying broom so quickly. How does it feel to fly?"
Seeing Gandalf's eager expression, Luke laughingly handed him the broom.
"It feels pretty good; you can try it too."
Gandalf's eyes instantly lit up, he snatched the broom, his face beaming with joy.
"Then I won't be polite!"
Having tossed the flying broom to Gandalf to tinker with, Luke turned to greet everyone.
Bilbo, upon seeing Luke, felt as if he had found his backbone, yet he was somewhat guilty and dared not meet his gaze.
As an honest and trustworthy hobbit, Bilbo didn't know how to refuse; after Thorin threatened him with the signed contract, even knowing that the dragon had awakened, he still agreed to risk stealing the arkenstone for Thorin, and so he left Lake-town first with the Dwarves.
Of course, more importantly, Bilbo had confidence in the magic ring in his hand.
He felt that as long as he put on the magic ring, he could steal the arkenstone right under the dragon's nose.
This would also fulfill the agreement they had signed.
It was just that when he left Lake-town with the Dwarves earlier, it was very sudden, and he didn't have time to tell Luke and Gandalf before leaving.
Now, seeing Luke again, he felt a bit guilty.
Luke, however, didn't care about this; Bilbo was his friend, not his subordinate, and didn't need to ask for his opinion to do anything.
He patted the hobbit's shoulder, then smiled and greeted the Dwarves.
To be honest, after getting along for so long, besides Thorin, he had a pretty good impression of all the Dwarves.
For example, the eldest, Balin, was the wisest and most mature among the Dwarves, practically the strategist of the Dwarf team.
The youngest, Fili and Kili, though Thorin's nephews, were lively, quick-witted, and friendly.
The fattest, Bofur, was easy-going, loved to eat and sleep, and was the 'mood-maker' of the team.
The other Dwarves also had many shining qualities.
But when it came to Thorin—Luke didn't know how to comment.
"Welcome back, Luke," Thorin's attitude was wary, his eyes full of suspicion, "I hope you are here to reclaim the Lonely Mountain together, and not to persuade me to give up like Gandalf?"
Facing Thorin's doubts, Luke maintained a cold attitude.
"Since I promised to help you reclaim the Lonely Mountain, I naturally won't go back on my word."
As for whether the other party lived or died in the end, he couldn't control that.
After all, he had only promised to help him reclaim the Lonely Mountain, not any other demands.
Thorin didn't catch the deeper meaning in Luke's words and smiled upon hearing them.
"I'm glad to hear your answer. Don't worry, once I reclaim the Lonely Mountain, you will not only receive one-tenth of the treasure as per the agreement,
but also the friendship of our Durin clan!"
Just then, a cry of surprise rang out.
Gandalf, with a whoosh, rode his flying broomstick into the sky, flying with great agility and freedom.
With agile turns and thrilling dives, Gandalf seemed to be glued to the flying broomstick. His skill and speed were comparable to the best Quidditch players, completely unlike an old man in his seventies or eighties.
Watching this scene, Luke was so jealous he felt like his cells were about to split.
Why was the gap between people so vast?
He hadn't even told Gandalf how to ride a flying broomstick, yet the old man had already figured it out on his own.
And he flew better than him!
Gandalf, like an old prankster who had found a beloved toy, circled around on the flying broomstick before landing, still not quite satisfied.
"Haha, this flying broomstick is truly amazing! With it, I can go anywhere in Middle-earth!"
Seeing how much Gandalf liked it, Luke smiled and said, "If you like it, I'll make you a flying broomstick when the journey to the Lonely Mountain is over."
Gandalf's eyes lit up, and he showed no intention of being modest with Luke.
"Don't worry, Luke, I will make you the most powerful staff, and then teach you one of my unique little tricks."
He even winked when he mentioned the little trick.
Luke was very curious about the unique little trick Gandalf mentioned.
After all, as a Maia, anything Gandalf called a unique skill would certainly not be ordinary.
Unfortunately, Gandalf deliberately kept Luke in suspense, not intending to reveal it just yet.
Seeing Bilbo and the Dwarves also eyeing the flying broomstick, Luke let them try the broom.
However, the Dwarves and hobbits clearly had no magic, so they couldn't activate the flying broomstick and had to regretfully give up the idea of flying on it.
But even if they couldn't fly it themselves, they could be carried.
Gandalf was very willing to be a rider, taking each of these people to Lake-Town, and letting them experience flying at the same time.
So, amidst the Dwarves' exclamations, the Dwarves Kili, Fili, and Balin—one by one—boarded the "Gandalf Express" aerial taxi, heading to the final destination, Lake-Town also known as the Dale.
Luke also hitched a ride with Gandalf, and then he never wanted to experience it again.
This old man's driving speed was even crazier than his own, a young man, pushing the limits the entire time.
Throughout the process, Luke worried that the broom he had painstakingly made, fresh out of the factory, would disintegrate and be scrapped in mid-air.
However, it wasn't until Gandalf brought back the last, and heaviest, Bofur, swaying precariously, that the flying broomstick hadn't disintegrated, and Luke secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Thanks to the flying broomstick, everyone arrived at Lake-Town earlier than previously expected.
Lake-Town was located at the foot of the Lonely Mountain; everyone was not far from their destination.
[Hogwarts Sign-in System: Location Lake-Town, do you wish to sign in?]
As soon as Luke landed, the system immediately reacted.
Luke's heart stirred, and he silently thought, "Sign in."
[Sign-in successful! Congratulations on obtaining "The Wizard's Oath"!]
Seeing the book title, Luke curiously flipped through it.
It turned out to be a book about magic contracts, containing various contractual magic, including the Unbreakable Vow, the Fidelius Charm, and Blood Pacts.
The Unbreakable Vow was an extremely strict magic contract. Those who made the vow had to keep their promise; if they broke it, they would suffer a magical backlash and die.
The Fidelius Charm, on the other hand, was magic used for secrecy, requiring a Secret-Keeper to forever hide a secret within their soul. Unless the Secret-Keeper voluntarily revealed it, no one else, no matter what method they used, could discover the secret, not even with Veritaserum or Legilimency.
As for Blood Pacts, they were interesting. Those who made a Blood Pact could not harm each other. Dumbledore and Grindelwald had once made a Blood Pact, and its greater use was that it allowed them to share each other's souls and magic, making it a kind of life-and-death magic contract.
Luke was very happy to obtain contractual magic.
Although contractual magic had no offensive power, it was very useful and powerful in certain aspects.
He even had an impulse now to pull Thorin into making a new magic contract, so that when Thorin's dragon sickness flared up,
he wouldn't dare to break the contract.
However, after thinking about it, he decided against it; there was no need to make things so complicated.
If Thorin dared to violate the contract and not give him the share of treasure they had originally agreed upon,
then he would learn how unwise it was to offend a Wizard.
Having obtained contractual magic through signing in, Luke's magical scope broadened, and he began to excitedly study the contents.
As for everyone who had arrived at Lake-Town, they were not in a hurry to go to the Lonely Mountain immediately.
Instead, they stayed in a house that Luke had repaired with magic.
Because there was still some time until Durin's Day.
And according to the information Elrond had deciphered from the map, they only needed to reach the back entrance of the Lonely Mountain on Durin's Day, and when the last ray of light shone on the keyhole, they would be able to open the back door and enter the Lonely Mountain.
Everyone stayed in Lake-Town, beginning to discuss the plan and preparations for entering the Lonely Mountain.
Gandalf saw that Thorin was still stubbornly insistent on going to the Lonely Mountain, and the other Dwarves would not defy his orders. To prevent Thorin and the others from making a mess and angering the dragon Smaug, he could only offer guidance, refining the Dwarves' rough plan.
Everyone's task was only one: to steal the arkenstone as discreetly as possible, without the dragon noticing.
Avoiding direct confrontation with the dragon Smaug.
Once the arkenstone was obtained, Thorin could officially become the King Under the Mountain and use it to rally the seven clans of Dwarves, gathering the strength of the seven clans to deal with the dragon and reclaim the Lonely Mountain.
However, the dragon was very familiar and sensitive to the scent of Dwarves and humans; once they got close, the dragon would detect them.
Therefore, the hobbit—Bilbo—who had stealth abilities and was unknown to the dragon, became the only choice.
As long as Bilbo secretly stole the arkenstone from under the dragon's nose, they wouldn't have to face the dragon's threat.
But this plan was strongly opposed by Gandalf.
Because the dragon was already awake, any slight disturbance would not escape its eyes. Even if Bilbo possessed the hobbit's stealth talent, it would be very difficult for him not to be discovered by the dragon.
Sending Bilbo to steal the arkenstone from under the dragon's nose, what was the difference between that and sending him to his death?
But ultimately, Bilbo's volunteering still made Gandalf fall silent.