Chapter 91: Checking In for a Flying Broomstick

Translator's Note: First, I would like to sincerely apologize for not uploading the chapters as scheduled, and second, for not informing you all beforehand about the delay. I understand that many of you look forward to regular updates, and I take full responsibility for failing to meet those expectations. I promise this will not happen again. Moving forward, even if I cannot upload for a day, I will make sure to inform you all about any delays in advance. Thank you for your patience and continued support. **** On Kael's side, the atmosphere with Legolas was quite harmonious. Unlike Thranduil's arrogance and coldness, Legolas had a gentle temperament and, aside from his prejudice against dwarves, gave off a refreshing feeling like a spring breeze. Legolas was not yet five hundred years old, which was considered very young among Elves. He had always lived in Mirkwood and rarely ventured beyond the forest. Legolas showed admiration for Kael, the wizard who had killed Azog, and was very interested in Kael and the others' previous experiences. Just as the two were conversing, the system suddenly reacted. Hogwarts Check-in System: Location detected - Woodland Realm. Check in? Kael's eyes flickered with emotion, but his expression remained unchanged as he silently recited in his mind, "Check in." Check-in successful. Congratulations on obtaining Flying Broomstick Crafting Techniques! Then a surge of knowledge and memories about broomstick manufacturing methods flooded into his mind. Kael felt a wave of joy in his heart. This time he had actually obtained flying broomstick technology! With a flying broomstick, he could completely ride it to fly anywhere he wanted to check in... nothing could be simpler. Moreover, the safety would be much higher. As long as he rode the flying broomstick in the sky, he would naturally have the advantage of air-to-ground superiority. After all, on the continent of Middle-earth, aside from creatures like dragons and Great Eagles that could fly, most other creatures basically couldn't fly. Carefully contemplating the flying broomstick crafting techniques, Kael discovered that broomstick making had similarities with wand making. Both used magically attributed wood as raw materials... one for flying, one for spellcasting. Moreover, the difficulty and complexity of flying broomstick crafting were considerably harder than wand making. Besides the steps of material selection, carving, grinding, polishing, and adjustment, it also involved some alchemical applications. So to successfully craft one, even under the smoothest circumstances, would take at least one to two weeks. Despite this, Kael was still full of anticipation about owning a flying broomstick. Fortunately, there was still a large section left from the wood core used for wand making, which could completely be used to craft a flying broomstick. So Kael decided that in the upcoming period before reaching the Lonely Mountain, he would craft a flying broomstick as quickly as possible. Then he'd see who could fly faster... the dragon or him! However, this matter couldn't be rushed, since he was still at someone else's banquet. So Kael suppressed his impatient feelings, gathered his thoughts, and continued participating in the feast. But before the banquet ended, an Elven guard quickly walked to Thranduil's side. "Your Majesty, those dwarves have escaped!" he said in Elvish. Gandalf, who also understood Elvish, immediately brightened upon hearing this news, though he restrained his smile out of consideration for their host. Thranduil set his wine cup on the table, frowning deeply, and asked in a low voice, "How did they escape?" "Someone stole the dungeon keys and freed the dwarves, and they escaped through the wine cellar's trapdoor, riding empty wine barrels down the underground river." Upon hearing this, Thranduil's expression became very ugly, his suspicious eyes moving back and forth between Gandalf and Kael. But ultimately he did nothing, snorting coldly and standing up. "The banquet is over. Those dwarves must be recaptured. This time I'll imprison them until they die!" The Elven guard received his orders, and Legolas joined as the leader. Only Kael and Gandalf were left unattended at the banquet. The two looked at each other. For a moment, leaving wasn't right, but not leaving wasn't right either. Gandalf, being thick-skinned, directly bid farewell to Thranduil. "Since Your Majesty Thranduil has business to attend to, we won't disturb you further." Thranduil looked at the two, seeming to consider whether to detain them, but ultimately let them leave. "Please, go ahead!" Seeing this, Gandalf and Kael immediately bid farewell and left the palace. The two came to the banks of the Forest River, looking at the rushing current and thinking about how to catch up with Thorin and the others. "Gandalf, can you pilot a boat?" Kael inquired. "A little," Gandalf nodded, but then shook his head. "But I'm afraid the Elves wouldn't be willing to lend us a boat." Kael said nothing and went directly to a section of dead wood by the riverside, waving his wand. The dead wood quickly became wider and longer, transforming in the blink of an eye into a small wooden boat that could accommodate two people. He then tapped two branches with his wand, and the branches became two oars. He kept one for himself and handed the other to Gandalf. Gandalf took the oar and said with delighted realization, "I forgot you had this ability! Your magic is so convenient!" He then helped Kael push the small boat into the water, and the two sat in the boat, drifting down the river. The Wood-elves observing from a distance flashed with shock in their eyes, then quickly reported this matter to Thranduil. Regarding this, Thranduil said nothing, but raised his regard for Kael by another level. On Kael and Gandalf's side, the two rode the boat downstream. The rushing river made the small boat rise and fall unpredictably, with the possibility of being overturned at any moment. Fortunately, Gandalf's skills were good, allowing the boat to avoid boulders and whirlpools each time. But after their boat had drifted for some distance, they discovered Elves on the riverbank fighting with a group of Orcs, with Orc corpses occasionally falling into the water, staining it black. What was this situation? Kael's expression became grave. Hadn't he already killed Azog? How could Orcs still appear here? When he saw an Orc drawing his bow to aim at an Elf fighting Orcs on the other side, Kael raised his hand and cast a spell. "Reducto!" The Orc was instantly torn to pieces by the spell. The Elf fighting the Orcs was Legolas. After cleanly dispatching the Orc in front of him, he nodded to Kael, then continued pursuing other Orcs. Kael, filled with confusion, didn't stop his actions, continuing downstream and eliminating the Orcs on both sides of the riverbank one by one. "Kael, watch your back!" Gandalf shouted a stern warning. Kael's heart tightened as he instantly reacted. He waved his wand to raise a wave that formed an ice wall behind him. The next second, an arrow emanating dark magical aura struck the ice wall, penetrating halfway through. Kael's pupils contracted... this was a Morgul arrow! He quickly turned to lock onto his attacker. He discovered that the one who had ambushed him was an Orc riding on a Warg's back. "Reducto!" Kael immediately counterattacked without hesitation. However, someone else reacted even faster than him. His spell had just been uttered when the Orc's head was already pierced by another arrow, falling headfirst from the Warg's back into the river. The Warg was also hit by Kael's spell, instantly torn to shreds. The one who had shot the Orc was Legolas. Having completed his task, he nodded to Kael, then turned to continue dealing with other Orcs. Further downstream, Thorin and the others were also encountering trouble. They were hiding inside wine barrels, drifting with the current. On the shore, many Orcs were continuously pursuing and shooting arrows. [Chapter Complete] *** Want more? Check out my Patreon for: ✓ Advanced chapters of all my stories ✓ Exclusive novels & fanfics ✓ Early access content [email protected]/meowthtl ???? Community Goal: 500 Power Stones unlocks a bonus chapter! Thanks for reading and supporting the story!