Chapter 258 The King Starts to Draw Big Pies
The door opened in a hurry, and Bard looked at the room where only his three children remained, bewildered for a moment before becoming a little nervous.
"Dad, I tried my best to stop them," Bain said.
"How long have they been gone?"
"Almost two hours."
"Two hours?" Aaron's mouth dropped open in surprise. "They left shortly after we did?
Wait, did they leave any message for me?"
"They did," his youngest daughter nodded. "Thorin said he trusted you would catch up on your own, and everyone else said the same."
Hearing this, Aaron's mouth twitched slightly.
Being trusted was a good thing, but this kind of trust was both amusing and frustrating.
"What about Kili? Did he say anything?"
"He said to thank you for him," Bain said. "And also to apologize."
"Heh heh! I can't accept that!" Aaron sneered, waving his hand. "I worked so hard to save his life, but he didn't even cherish it himself."
"Why are we still talking about this?" Bard was burning with anxiety. "The point is, where did they go? Did they leave Lake-town?"
"Certainly not," Aaron said with certainty. "Dwarves are more stubborn than you can imagine; they won't leave until they get what they want."
Bard paused. "You mean?"
"The armory, only there, and it can only be there."
"Then let's go quickly..."
"Go where?
Your house is already being watched. What's the difference between going to the armory under these circumstances and asking for trouble?
Besides, they won't steal weapons during the day. After dark is the best time to act."
Bard was stunned. "Then we go after dark?"
"No," Aaron flatly refused. After a moment of thought, he said, "The closest dock to the armory. After they get the weapons, they'll definitely take a boat from there."
"That makes sense," Bard suddenly realized. "I'll go to the dock right now. I must stop them."
"How many times do I have to tell you, you can't stop them."
"But the townspeople will make them give up," Bard said, slinging his bow and arrows and walking out the door with a carefree air.
"Will my dad succeed?" Sigrid asked worriedly.
"No," Aaron sighed, shaking his head. "He's destined to fail, but there won't be any danger. The Dwarves won't harm him."
He was extremely confident in his judgment. Bard was not a bad person and couldn't bring himself to kill. Faced with Dwarves who were ready to die, he could only back down.
As for appealing to the townspeople, that was even less likely. The townspeople were eager for Thorin to succeed, as that was the only way they could live a good life.
"But why is Dad trying to stop them?" Bain asked, puzzled.
"Because of a prophecy," Aaron pouted. "Our destination is the Lonely Mountain, and he's worried we'll disturb the Dragon within, which could bring destruction to Lake-town. Do you believe this vague prophecy?"
The three siblings exchanged glances, then all nodded.
"Uh... maybe I didn't explain clearly.
If Thorin becomes King Under the Mountain, Lake-townwill be transformed, and your future lives will be worry-free."
"But those things seem worthless compared to life!"
Bain's tone was complex, but his attitude was incredibly firm. His two younger sisters also gave him affirming looks.
Aaron:...Bard is definitely a qualified father. This family education is second to none.
As long as they don't die young, these three children will definitely achieve great things in the future.
"What about you?" Sigrid looked at Aaron. "How do you plan to catch up with them?"
"I'm a Wizard; this question is simple for me," Aaron said, pointing to the Lonely Mountain outside the window, smiling meaningfully. "Knowing the destination, I can go wherever I want, and no one can stop me."
"But before that, I need your help with something," Aaronsaid, scratching his head awkwardly. Then he placed the package from his back on the floor, revealing various medicinal herbs.
"Why did you buy so many medicines?" Bain asked.
"Why bother with so much?" Aaron directly pulled out three gold coins. "You're all locals, please help me sort these herbs. As for the ones you don't know, just leave them for me."
...Night fell, and a commotion arose in the town.
Aaron, who was decocting medicine, heard the alarm and saw the torches quickly lighting up outside the window. His expression couldn't help but turn grim.
Because a squad of guards was escorting the Dwarves towards the Mayor's residence, and the residents, no longer sleeping, spontaneously went to watch the excitement.
"They were caught?" Bain's face turned pale, looking at Aaron with surprise and uncertainty. "Then does my dad not have to block them anymore?"
"Perhaps!" Aaron spread his hands. "I thought of everything, just not that they would stumble at the first step.
You stay home, watch my casserole, and once the medicine is done, pour it into bottles and seal them."
Stepping out of the house, heavy snow was falling outside, creating a solemn atmosphere.
Aaron wrapped himself up, leaving only a small part of his face exposed, and slowly moved through the crowd, stopping in front of the Mayor's gate.
After a while, he felt someone pat his shoulder. He turned around to see Bard looking at him glumly.
"It's escalated. It might be hard to resolve."
"Then let me give you a piece of advice," Aaron whispered, his voice low. "Don't be a trailblazer."
"But..."
"No buts. I am a Wizard. I will save them if necessary," Aaronsaid. Breaking in wasn't too difficult for him, but getting them out was the challenge.
But facing so many guards and ordinary residents, ordinary magic probably wouldn't work. Should he use large-scale magic?
Bard's heart tightened. "What are you planning to do? I warn you not to harm the innocent."
"Don't worry, I won't casually harm anyone either," a glint flashed in Aaron's eyes. "What do you think about kidnapping the Mayor?"
Bard:...Does that sound like something a teenager would say?
"Are you confident?" Bard was a little skeptical. "Although the Mayor is indeed a scumbag, he has quite a few guards around him."
"Don't worry, I have experience, and extensive experience at that.
I've kidnapped Trolls and even the Orc King. If it weren't for me, Thorin and the others would have died countless times already."
Bard's eye twitched slightly, and he no longer doubted, but he unconsciously moved a little to the side.
Damn, what kind of family raised such a ruthless person?
The gate opened, and a portly, balding middle-aged man walked out, with Alfred standing respectfully beside him.
"What's going on?" the Mayor asked angrily.
"We caught the weapon thieves in the act, sir."
"Oh!" A sly smile appeared on the Mayor's face. "Our enemies?"
"They might be a group of mercenaries, sir," Alfred said.
"Shut up," Dwalin roared. "Do you know who you're talking to?
This is no ordinary thief. He is Thorin, son of Thráin, grandson of Thrór."
Thorin slowly stepped forward and revealed his identity in front of everyone in the town.
He didn't want to do this, as it was too high-profile, but there was no other way now.
"We are Dwarves of Erebor, and we have come to reclaim our homeland.
I still remember the prosperous past of Lake-town, with its harbor filled with ships laden with silk and jewels. At that time, Lake-town showed no signs of decay; it was once the trade center of the entire North."
These words resonated with the townspeople, who all recalled their past lives, a stark contrast to their current hand-to-mouth existence, or even mere survival.
"I hope to see prosperity return. I hope to restore the glory of the Dwarf race and let wealth flow again from the halls of Erebor."
As his words fell, a cheer erupted, and even the Mayor's heart began to pound.
This was no thief! This was clearly a god of wealth.
In the crowd, however, Aaron was strenuously pulling Bard, who wanted to rush out. "Don't go. It's useless even if you do."
"But if he continues his speech, he really won't be stopped."
"You can't stop him anymore. Look at these people; their eyes are filled with nothing but joy and longing. They won't listen to you now."
"But life is more important."
"I completely agree with that. Nothing is more important than life.
But the problem is not everyone thinks that way. At this moment, in the eyes of these people, money is more important.
Do you know the saying, 'blocking someone's path to wealth is like killing their parents?'"
Bard was silent for a few seconds before speaking. "Let me try. Otherwise, I'll feel guilty even if I die."
Hearing this, Aaron pursed his lips and released his arm.
Bard breathed a sigh of relief, solemnly stepped out of the crowd, and declared loudly, "Death is what you will bring us, the dragonfire that destroys everything. If you awaken that beast, he will kill us all."
Thorin looked at Bard with some surprise, but quickly adjusted. "You can listen to this dissenter, but I promise you, if we succeed, we will..."
"Cough, cough!"
A series of coughs interrupted Thorin, and Aaron emerged from the crowd.
"Gaius, what do you mean by this?"
"Uh, don't misunderstand, I don't mean anything else. I just simply feel that a king's promise shouldn't be too casual," Aaron said with an awkward but polite smile. "I suggest at least rebuilding all of Lake-town. What do you think?"
Thorin paused. He had almost said they would share the wealth of Erebor.
But in reality, that was impossible. If all the money was given to these townspeople, how would the Dwarves rebuild Erebor?
"You're right," Thorin silently lowered his standards and shouted loudly, "We will help rebuild all of Esgaroth!"
The townspeople's faces lit up with joy. They had lived in such a dirty and chaotic environment for decades, and having someone help rebuild their homes was naturally something they eagerly desired.
Aaron, however, secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Not everyone could control themselves in the face of immense wealth.
Now that this verbal agreement was reached, even if things turned sour later, it wouldn't be too ugly. If absolutely necessary, he would offer his own share of the reward.
He didn't value money that much. One-fifteenth of the treasure should be enough to rebuild this place.