Looking at the stunned black-haired man, Legolas said indifferently: "These are just deposits, and after the matter is completed, I will give you the same amount of gold." ”

The black-haired man was surprised and delighted, and hurriedly lowered his head to check the bag in his hand.

After confirming that this was indeed real gold, the black-haired man looked up a little wistfully.

"It seems that your destination is really the lonely mountain......

"Didn't I tell you before?"

"I thought you were testing my guts, but you can see the heavy gold ......" The dark-haired man shook his head and didn't continue.

"So what?" Legolas frowned slightly, "Do you take it or not?" ”

"Yes, of course!" The black-haired man decisively stuffed the gold into his arms, looked at Seymour and Legolas and said in a deep voice, "But I have one more request. ”

"Say."

"I'm going to deliver the gold to my family with my own hands."

“……”

Looking at the black-haired man's death-defying look, Seymour couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth.

"You think too much, this journey is not life-threatening for you, because you only need to send us to the foot of the lonely mountain, and the rest of the journey is our own business."

Seymour explained to the brunette man with a smile.

But the black-haired man didn't believe it at all, and said that he would not be relieved if he handed over the gratuity to his relatives with his own hands.

In desperation, Legolas assigned an elf to follow him back.

Seymour then disagreed, and he stopped Legolas's behavior, took Bilbo with him, and followed the brunette back to his home in Long Lake.

In Seymour's words, they will be traveling together after that, and getting to know their companions in advance will help with the rest of the journey.

When it had all been said and done, Legolas could only agree.

The black-haired man didn't object, after all, he got so much gold in advance, and he would never let himself leave the dock alone.

Walking on the road of Changhu Town, the black-haired man felt the heavy gold in his arms, and his heart was as heavy as this gold.

It's a lonely mountain inhabited by evil dragons!

When he remembered the story he heard when he was young, the black-haired man's heart was silent.

In his eyes, this gold has long been not just hard-earned money, but an expensive life money.

The descendants of Girion have fallen into such a situation......

The black-haired man couldn't help but laugh at himself in his heart.

Seymour turned his head to glance at him, thought for a moment and spoke.

"Get to know each other, my name is Seymour Sharomanda, as you can see, an elf, and he's Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit from the Shire."

“…… Just call me Bud. ”

The tone of the dark-haired man Bud was not very kind, but it was also quite gentle.

Seymour continued to ask, "What do you do?" ”

"I'm a member of the Long Lake Guard, an archer."

"Huh?"

Seymour and Bilbo both widened their eyes slightly, staring wide-eyed.

"You're a member of the Town Guard? I thought you were a boatman or a fisherman! ”

"What's so strange about that." Bard glanced at them, "There's not much to do in the Guard, so we'll all find some side hustles to support our families. ”

"Why, are you paid very little?"

"It's not just less." Bard scoffed, "The current mayor of Long Lake is a greedy miser, and we all call him the 'Money Bag' in private, and he handles the guard's salary...... I don't have to say it, you can understand. ”

Both Seymour and Bilbo nodded in understanding.

Seymour thought for a moment and whispered, "If you want, we can teach that mayor a lesson before we leave." ”

"Forget it!" Bud shook his head, "My family still lives in this town. ”

"And what if we kill the mayor?"

"No, I'm afraid the new mayor will be even more greedy than this."

“……”

Seymour pursed his lips and decided to change the subject: "Who are your relatives in your family?" ”

"One wife, three children."

"No wonder you're so short of money."

"......" The corners of Bard's mouth twitched slightly, and he turned his head to glance at Seymour, "What about you?" Is the whole team going to Lonely Mountain? In that case, I may not have enough boats and need to borrow a little more. ”

"No, it's just the two of us who want to go to Lonely Mountain."

"Only you?"

There was a slight pause at Bud's feet.

Seymour said with a smile: "If there are few people and the target is small, the chance of being found will also decrease, and the chance of you coming back alive will increase, why, do you still want to form a fleet, and be discovered by the evil dragon Smaug in the lonely mountain before you get close to the lonely mountain?" ”

“……”

Bard smiled wryly again, shook his head, and walked forward.

"It's almost there, and it's my home in front of me."

"Hurry up, we're waiting for you here."

Standing in this somewhat remote alley, Seymour pulled Bilbo to a halt.

Bard turned around with some surprise: "Aren't you afraid that I will run away with the gold?" ”

Seymour shook his head: "You have a wife, three children, and we have a whole elven escort and dozens of energetic horses, even if you want to run, how far can you run?" ”

"That's right."

Bud nodded, turned and walked into a house.

Through the somewhat dilapidated window, Seymour and Bilbo could vaguely see that Bard had handed over the bag of gold to a good-looking woman, and next to the woman, there were several slightly shorter figures, presumably his children.

It didn't take long for Bud to walk out in the company of the woman.

"Alright, let's go."

Bard calmly walked up to Seymour and Bilbo.

Behind him, two small girls hid behind the door and looked out secretly, as if amazed at Seymour's handsomeness, and Bud's wife, who seemed to be more knowledgeable than the children, stood in the doorway with a calm expression and bowed deeply to Seymour and Bilbo.

"Thank you for your generosity!"

"That's what Bard deserves."

Seymour nodded and returned the salute gracefully.

Bilbo on the side was stunned at first, and hurriedly learned to return the salute from Seymour.

Bidding farewell to Bud's family, the trio returned to the docks again.

After stocking up on enough food and necessities, a man, an elf, and a hobbit boarded Bard's ship and drifted away in the direction of the Lonely Mountain under the watchful eye of Legolas and the other elven guards.

The blue waves ripple and the ships float.

Seeing that the docks and Legolas were getting farther and farther away, Seymour couldn't help but retract his gaze and turned to the true destination of this trip—Lonely Mountain!

Looking at the sudden mountain peak in his field of vision, Seymour couldn't help but feel a trace of excitement and emotion in his heart.

Although this journey was not accompanied by Master from the beginning, it also led to a real adventure, an adventure that was truly his own.

Legolas, Taurrell, Thrandeil, Thorin Oak Shield, Bilbo Baggins, ......

Elves and dwarves, dragons and braves, these stories that could only be seen in video works are now really happening to him.

This couldn't help but cheer Seymour's heart.

The more he interacted with the characters of this world, the more Seymour became addicted to this adventurous atmosphere.

If in the beginning, Seymour was involved in order to complete the trial mission or experience the experience of 'going on an adventure with the Master', then now Seymour is simply taking risks for the sake of completing this adventure.

The same is true of Bilbo on the side.

But he didn't realize his yearning for adventure as clearly as Seymour, but found a very good reason for himself -

Steal the White Diamond Necklace and Akon Gem and rescue Thorin and the rest of his dwarven friends!

On the boat drifting downstream, Bard rowed the boat, expertly avoiding the reef according to the river map, while silently glancing at Seymour and Bilbo, who looked different on the other side.

After a long time, he suddenly asked, "You are not dwarves, why do you have to go to the place of Lonely Mountain?" ”

Seymour came to his senses and looked at him with some confusion.

"What do you mean, the dwarves have to go?"

“…… Not necessarily, but there are similar statements. ”

"What's that?"

Seymour was confused, and Bilbo turned his head curiously.

Bud sighed, "Since ancient times, there have been some ballads about the king of the mountain, which describe the arrival of the evil dragon and the destruction of Riverdale, and also predict that one day in the future, the legitimate heirs of the dwarven king, Thor and Thorne, will return to this place, gold will flow from the mountains, and the land will be shrouded in new laughter and songs......"

"Do you believe these prophecies?"

"I do hope it does happen." Bud said with a sigh.

Seymour smiled and patted him on the shoulder: "Don't worry, it's going to happen!" But not by a group of dwarves driven by dragons, but by an elf and a hobbit! ”

Bard: "......"

Bilbo: "......"

That's what he said, it's nothing to do with me!

Bilbo pouted and looked to the side, but deep inside him, unaware of it, a throbbing of excitement and yearning was slowly fermenting.