Chapter 129: Subjects

Hearing Bilbo say that a village had appeared at the foot of the mountain, Kael was greatly surprised. He remembered that the area around Weathertop had previously been completely uninhabited. He immediately followed Bilbo outside, with Gandalf and Legolas close behind. The scenery around Weathertop remained exactly the same as before. As the highest hilltop within a thousand miles, the Midgewater Marshes below and the Great East Road were clearly visible from their elevated position. Between the Midgewater Marshes and the Great East Road, near the marshes, a village had appeared at some unknown time. Smoke rose from the village chimneys, and human figures could be faintly seen moving about their daily business. Standing on the hilltop and looking down at the unexpected settlement, Kael was full of confusion. "When did these people gather here?" Gandalf was also surprised for a moment, then smiled knowingly and offered a hint. "Have you forgotten the villagers we rescued from the Trollshaws before?" Kael naturally remembered those desperate people. But the problem was that he had previously given the villagers part of the trolls' treasure, which was already enough for them to live comfortably anywhere they chose. Getting from the Trollshaws to near Weathertop meant crossing the vast Lone-lands wilderness, not only having to worry about wild beasts and bandits but also Orcs. It was a journey full of hardships and dangers. Even arriving at Weathertop, there was nowhere to eat or stay initially. To settle here, they would need to start from scratch and build everything themselves. In Kael's thinking, these villagers should have continued west to live in Bree or followed the Hoarwell River down from the Last Bridge to live in the southern human kingdoms. Not pioneer here near Weathertop in the middle of nowhere. Since he was confused, he should go solve the mystery directly. "Come on, let's go down the mountain to meet these new neighbors," Kael said with curiosity. The group didn't take the convenient route of riding broomsticks but simply walked slowly down the mountain to approach naturally. However, looking at the overgrown weeds and thorns that didn't form proper paths, Kael silently decided to build a road later. Otherwise, having no proper road to his own residence would be rather shabby for a wizard of his reputation. Coming to the foot of the mountain, they first encountered the expansive Midgewater Marshes. The Midgewater Marshes covered a vast area, almost encompassing the large region from southwest of the Weather Hills to Bree, forming a huge swampland. Looking at this swamp, Kael also formed ambitious plans in his mind. He thought that in the future he could hire people to dig out this swamp and transform it into a proper lake, like Hogwarts' Black Lake. Then to reach Weathertop, one could travel by boat across the lake or pass over a high bridge. This would make Weathertop an easily defended, hard-to-attack fortress with natural protection. Circling around the Midgewater Marshes, Kael and his group approached the village near the swamp. The appearance of strangers aroused the villagers' immediate vigilance, but when they saw that Kael's group was coming from Weathertop's direction and looked at Kael's distinctive appearance, the villagers quickly changed from wariness to surprised uncertainty. A young man in simple hemp clothing suddenly rushed out from the crowd with obvious recognition. He came before Kael and his group, saying with surprise and excitement, "Wizard Kael, you've returned!" Kael looked at the youth before him, his mind quickly working through memories. "You're Edward?" The youth nodded excitedly and proudly. "It's me, Wizard Kael. You've come back, haven't you?" Kael nodded and asked the question burning in his mind. "How did you come to be here? And what's the situation with this village and these villagers?" "After you and Wizard Gandalf rescued us and gave us coins, most of us chose to travel west along the road, wanting to live in your territory," the youth Edward said with excited worship shining in his eyes. "It's just that the journey was incredibly long, and we encountered a band of Orcs on the way. We almost thought we were going to die!" Edward looked frightened as he recalled this. Hearing this, Kael and Gandalf immediately frowned with concern. They hadn't expected these villagers to encounter Orcs. Had Orcs already spread their ravages onto the wilderness roads? "What happened next?" Kael continued asking. "Later we met a group of Rangers who quickly killed those Orcs. When they heard we had been rescued by you and Wizard Gandalf, they had two Rangers escort us all the way here safely." Edward explained, "Oh right, the leader of those Rangers said he knew you. He said his name was Halbarad." "Halbarad?" Kael was surprised to hear this familiar name, not expecting it was Halbarad and the Dúnedain who had saved the villagers. Then, at Edward's enthusiastic invitation, the four were welcomed into the village. Among the people in the village, Kael recognized some of them. They were people Kael and Gandalf had originally rescued from the trolls. But there was also a small portion of people Kael had never seen before. According to Edward's explanation, he learned these people had heard of the Black-Robed Wizard Kael's reputation nearby and had specifically come to seek his protection, hoping to gain Kael's shelter. Now throughout the Eriador region, the name of the Black-Robed Kael was famous far and wide. In this era, if common people had no one to protect them, they would either be robbed by bandits or oppressed and exploited by the powerful, or even attacked by Orcs, trolls, and such creatures. They were truly living from day to day in difficult survival. So being able to find a lord who provided protection, especially those compassionate lords, was a dream-like hope for common people. Kael's deeds of helping hobbits resist tree invasions, dealing with the Barrow-wights, and rescuing villagers captured by trolls had long spread across the wilderness, forming an image of mercy and compassion in many people's hearts. According to Edward, these people who had come to seek refuge were just the first batch from nearby areas. There would be a continuous stream of people coming to seek refuge later. The village now had over three hundred people. If more people came, the village would need to expand again, growing from a village into a small town. Hearing this news, Kael was also quite surprised by the rapid development. The people in the village had all gathered around now. Those villagers previously rescued by Kael and Gandalf were looking at Kael with excitement and joy. They had traveled thousands of miles to settle here just to gain Kael's protection and no longer live in constant uncertainty. Previously, when Kael hadn't returned, they had felt empty and uneasy inside. Now that Kael was back, they felt like they had a backbone and could finally be at peace. Those villagers who had come seeking refuge looked at Kael from a distance with awe and anxiety, carefully not daring to approach, deeply afraid that Kael would reject them. Kael looked at the assembled villagers and asked, "Who is your village chief now?" A tall, thin middle-aged man stepped forward and said respectfully, "Lord Kael, I am Luke, chosen by the villagers to temporarily manage village affairs, but the real village chief still needs to be appointed by you." Kael looked at this middle-aged man, who was respectful but had a steady, competent temperament, somewhat curious about his background. "You don't seem to be someone I rescued. Where did you come from before?" Luke bowed respectfully. "My lord, I previously lived in Bree." Now Kael was truly surprised. "You previously lived in Bree? Then why did you come here?" Bree was located at the intersection of the Great East Road and the North-South Road, with convenient transportation conditions. It was a prosperous commercial town. But here at Weathertop there was nothing but wilderness. Why would this man named Luke come here? Faced with Kael's inquiry, Luke didn't dare hide anything. "My lord, I am the son of Bree's previous mayor. Due to conflicts with the current mayor, when I heard you had established territory here, I wanted to come seek your protection." Kael's gaze met Luke's for a second, and he instantly learned the cause from his memories, immediately understanding as he withdrew his gaze. It was just grudges arising from power transitions. Kael had no extra interest in such petty political matters. However, this Luke, as the son of the former mayor, was indeed a person of considerable ability. Upon arriving here, he had quickly gained the villagers' recognition and organized them to build houses, establishing a complete village from nothing. He had even done business with passing merchants. Such talented people would achieve success anywhere they went. Since he confirmed the other party hadn't come with ulterior motives and was indeed capable, Kael directly nodded with approval. "Since you can gain the villagers' recognition, then continue as village chief managing affairs." Hearing this, Luke couldn't help but show joy on his face. Though he had appeared calm just now, he was still uncertain inside, not sure what impression Kael had of him. If Kael had a bad impression of him, even if he gained the villagers' recognition, a single word could still decide his fate. Luke directly knelt on one knee and solemnly declared with formal ceremony. "I, Luke Thompson, in the name of the gods, am willing to swear loyalty to the great Lord of Amon Sûl Tower, Tree-feller, Wight-bane, Troll-slayer, Orc-enemy, Lord Kael!" Seeing Luke's action, the other villagers immediately also knelt on one knee, swearing loyalty to Kael, becoming his subjects, and accepting his rule. Kael was startled by this sudden scene. He immediately waved his hands. "I don't need your loyalty. You can all live here if you want. I can guarantee that here you won't be harmed." Hearing this, Luke and the other villagers were stunned, their actions frozen there, expressions uneasy and uncertain. Gandalf looked at the uneasy villagers, sighed knowingly, and advised Kael, "Kael, accept their loyalty. Only by becoming your subjects can they live here with peace of mind." Hearing Gandalf's words and seeing the villagers' expressions of anticipation mixed with uncertainty, Kael also felt somewhat troubled. Alright, he really didn't understand the mindset of people in this world. He had already agreed to let the villagers live here and guaranteed to protect them. Why did they still want him to rule them? And they wouldn't feel secure if he didn't agree? Seeing this cultural expectation, he could only nod and accept the villagers' loyalty. Seeing Kael agree, the villagers immediately rejoiced, as if they had finally found where they truly belonged. Thus, the villagers became Kael's first subjects. All villagers could now address Kael as "My Lord" to show respect and allegiance. Witnessing this scene, Gandalf, Bilbo, and Legolas all immediately congratulated Kael. "Congratulations, Kael. You're now a lord with subjects!" Gandalf congratulated him cheerfully. "That's right, Kael. Do I need to call you Lord from now on?" Bilbo also joked excitedly while being thrilled to have a lord as a friend. Though Legolas didn't speak, he was also full of smiles at this development.