Chapter 97: The City of Dale

Faced with Thorin's questioning, Kael's attitude was cold. "Since I promised to help you reclaim the Lonely Mountain, I naturally will not go back on my word." As for whether Thorin lived or died in the end, that was not his concern. He had only promised to help reclaim the Lonely Mountain, and nothing more. Thorin did not catch the deeper meaning in Kael's words and smiled upon hearing them. "I am very glad to hear your answer. Rest assured, when I have reclaimed the Lonely Mountain, you will not only receive one-tenth of the treasure as per our contract, but you will also gain the friendship of the folk of Durin!" Just then, a series of gasps rang out from the company. With a whoosh, Gandalf shot into the sky on the flying broomstick, flying with incredible agility and freedom. His nimble turns and thrilling dives made it seem as if he were one with the broom. His skill and speed were comparable to the best Quidditch players, not at all like an old man in his seventies or eighties. Watching this, Kael was so jealous he felt like his cell walls were separating. How could the gap between people be so vast? He hadn't even told Gandalf how to ride the broomstick, yet the man had already figured it out on his own. And he flew better than him! Like an old child who had found a beloved new toy, Gandalf took the flying broomstick for a joyride before landing, still wanting more. "Haha, this flying broomstick is truly wonderful! With this, one could go anywhere in Middle-earth!" Seeing how much Gandalf liked it, Kael said with a smile, "If you like it, I'll make one for you after the quest to the Lonely Mountain is over." Gandalf's eyes lit up, and he had no intention of being polite with Kael. "Rest assured, Kael, I will craft you the most powerful staff, and then I will teach you a special little trick of mine." He even winked when he mentioned the "little trick." Kael was extremely curious about this special trick Gandalf spoke of. After all, for a Maiar like Gandalf, anything he called a unique skill would certainly be no ordinary thing. Unfortunately, Gandalf was deliberately teasing Kael and had no intention of revealing it just yet. Seeing that Bilbo and the dwarves were also eyeing the flying broomstick with envy, Kael let them try it as well. But it was clear that dwarves and hobbits had no magic and thus couldn't make the broomstick move. They could only reluctantly give up the idea of flying on a broom. However, if they couldn't ride it themselves, they could be carried. Gandalf was more than willing to be the pilot, taking them one by one to the city of Dale and giving them a taste of flight along the way. Thus, amidst the dwarves' cries of alarm, Kíli, Fíli, Balin... one by one... took a ride on the "Gandalf-brand" aerial roller coaster to their destination: Dale. Kael also hitched a ride with Gandalf and, afterwards, never wanted to experience it again. The old man "drove" with a recklessness that surpassed even his own youthful wildness, pushing the limits the entire way. Throughout the process, Kael was worried that the brand-new broom he had painstakingly crafted would disintegrate and be wrecked in midair. But when Gandalf shakily brought back the last and heaviest passenger, Bombur, and the broomstick was still in one piece, Kael finally breathed a silent sigh of relief. Thanks to the flying broomstick, the company arrived at the city of Dale much earlier than previously expected. Dale was located at the foot of the Lonely Mountain; the group was not far from their final destination. Hogwarts Check-in System: Location detected—City of Dale. Check in? As soon as Kael set foot on the ground, the system immediately responded. Kael's heart stirred, and he silently recited, "Check in." Check-in successful. Congratulations on obtaining "The Wizard's Vows"! Seeing the book's title, Kael curiously began to flip through it. It turned out to be a book on magical contracts, recording various types of contract magic, including the Unbreakable Vow, the Fidelius Charm, and the Blood Pact. The Unbreakable Vow was an extremely strict magical contract. The person who made the vow had to keep their promise; if they broke it, they would suffer a magical backlash and die. The Fidelius Charm was a magic used for secrecy. It required a Secret-Keeper to hide a secret forever within their soul. Unless the Secret-Keeper voluntarily revealed it, no one else could discover the secret by any means, not even with Veritaserum or Legilimency. As for the Blood Pact, it was interesting. Those who made a Blood Pact could not harm each other. Dumbledore and Grindelwald had once made such a pact. A greater function of the Blood Pact was that it allowed the participants to share their souls and magic, making it a kind of "live and die together" magical contract. Kael was very pleased to obtain contract-based magic. Although contract magic had no offensive power, it was extremely useful in certain aspects and possessed formidable power. He even felt a sudden impulse to drag Thorin into making a new magical contract. Then, when his dragon-sickness acted up, he wouldn't dare break the agreement. But 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 his promised share of the treasure, then he would learn just how unwise it was to offend a wizard. Having obtained contract magic, Kael's range of magical expertise expanded further, and he began to study its contents with great interest. Having arrived in Dale, the company was in no hurry to go to the Lonely Mountain immediately. Instead, they moved into a house that Kael had repaired with magic. There was still some time before Durin's Day. According to the information Elrond had deciphered from the map, they only needed to reach the back door of the Lonely Mountain on Durin's Day. When the last light of that day shone on the keyhole, they could open the back door and enter the mountain. The company stayed in Dale and began to discuss their plans and preparations for entering the Lonely Mountain. Seeing that Thorin was still stubbornly insistent on going to the mountain and that the other dwarves would not disobey his orders, Gandalf could only offer guidance from the sidelines to refine the dwarves' rough plan in order to prevent them from bungling things and angering the dragon Smaug. The group had only one mission: to steal the Arkenstone without the dragon noticing, if at all possible. They had to avoid a direct confrontation with the dragon Smaug. As long as they obtained the Arkenstone, Thorin could officially become the King Under the Mountain and use it to summon the seven dwarf clans, assembling their combined strength to deal with the dragon and reclaim the Lonely Mountain. However, the dragon was very familiar with and sensitive to the scent of dwarves and men. Once they got close, the dragon would detect them. Therefore, the hobbit... Bilbo... who possessed stealth abilities and was unknown to the dragon, became the only choice. As long as Bilbo could secretly steal the Arkenstone from under the dragon's nose, they wouldn't have to face the dragon's threat. But this plan was firmly opposed by Gandalf. Because the dragon was now awake, no movement could escape its notice. Even with a hobbit's natural stealth, it would be difficult for Bilbo not to be discovered. Sending Bilbo to steal the Arkenstone from the dragon... what was the difference between that and sending him to his death? But in the end, Bilbo's own volunteering for the task left Gandalf silent. [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!