Chapter 372: Rivendell's Ruins
Chapter 372: Rivendell's Ruins
"Friend, why don't you stay a while longer? Has our hospitality been lacking in any way?" Thranduil, dressed in his armor, hurriedly entered the palace. Recently, he had been very busy, as the Mystic Plants Liam had brought proved effective against the evil Spiders in the forest. He began leading the Elves in constructing a Green Barrier to temporarily encircle the forest near the capital.
So, he had been busy setting up defenses outside the city. When he heard that Liam was leaving, he rushed back on his Great Horned Deer.
"Everyone has been very welcoming, but I came here to conduct business. I heard that if I follow the rushing river near the Elven King's Hall downstream, I can reach Lake Town. From there, continuing along the river, there is a place called Rivendell's Ruins. I want to rebuild it as the center of my trade in this region."
Hearing that Liam planned to occupy a human-abandoned town, Thranduil had no objections. After all, it had nothing to do with the Elves, and the city was completely deserted. Occupying it would raise no ethical concerns.
However, Thranduil was somewhat worried about Smaug, the dragon that had destroyed Rivendell's Ruins decades ago. But after seeing Liam demonstrate how a piece of ordinary steel could pierce through three meters of rock, he felt reassured and began to hope that Liam could defeat the dragon.
After weighing the pros and cons and some hesitation, Thranduil finally made up his mind and instructed his son, Legolas, who was standing nearby, "Legolas, Mr. Liam will need some local guides and assistance. So, lead an Elven Squad to help him."
Then, Thranduil turned to Liam and earnestly requested, "I hope you can ensure Legolas's safety. If Smaug is too powerful, please retreat. I don't want any Elves to be sacrificed for this."
Thranduil was more of a politician, prioritizing the interests of his people. Unlike Gandalf, who might have helped humans to slay Smaug, Thranduil was sending his son to strengthen his relationship with Liam. This would facilitate future exchanges, as Liam's contributions had already proven their value. He had used the plants to reclaim the land around the capital.
Liam understood Thranduil's approach, as he had done the same in previous worlds.
Legolas seemed excited, feeling that this was finally his chance to leave his homeland and explore the outside world. He also hoped to spend more time with Tauriel while away from his father.
Indeed, Liam noticed a subtle affection between Legolas and Tauriel. In the movies, Tauriel likely sought comfort from Kili after being discouraged by Thranduil, and Kili, on the brink of death, half-imagined seeing Tauriel. This led to their relationship.
Now, with these events not occurring, everything was different. After leaving Thranduil, Liam observed that the bond between Legolas and Tauriel grew rapidly. By the time Liam and his group left Mirkwood, they had become an official couple.
Under the cover of night, Liam entered Lake Town and sought out Bard, the descendant of the King of Dale. Bard was a middle-aged man who made a living as a ferryman. Upon learning Liam's intentions, Bard strongly advised against it, fearing that Smaug would retaliate against the town's residents.
"I swear I have a way to kill Smaug and bring a better life to everyone. The Elves can vouch for my capabilities", Liam said. Bard looked skeptical at the Elves, but Tauriel stepped forward and told him about the changes Liam had brought to Mirkwood.
"If that's the case, you need to show me these things. If you can do what you claim, I'm willing to give you the position of King of the River Valley. After all, I'm just a commoner now. However, you must swear that even if you fail, you won't lure Smaug here", Bard said after lowering his head to think for a moment, then looked up at Liam.
After all, Bard's ancestors had lost the chance to kill Smaug, which brought shame to the family. Now, he only wanted to protect the people here and had no strong attachment to the throne.
"Alright, I promise", Liam assured him and then joined Bard's team to set out. Before leaving, Bard slung the Black Arrow on his back, and Liam handed some gold and silver to Bard's wife as compensation for their absence.
"Thank you", Bard expressed his gratitude on the road when he saw this. They had brought horses, so after a long half-day, they arrived at the ruins of Rivendell.
The city was now a desolate wasteland. After Smaug destroyed it, some people tried to stay, but Smaug would fly in at night to hunt them for food, especially the pure maidens. After a few such incidents, the city was completely abandoned.
After a brief inspection of the city, Liam began to deploy a large number of Steam Robots to start the reconstruction. The sound of machinery and the roaring flames of the boilers brought new life to the silent ruins.
Bard was a bit nervous, fearing that this might attract Smaug. After his explanation, Liam understood that Smaug could freely enter and exit the Lonely Mountain. This meant that the dwarves in the film were only trying to find the secret door to reach the Arkenstone without alerting the dragon, as the Lonely Mountain was not sealed off.
Liam had only seen the movie synopsis of "The Hobbit" and had assumed that the dragon would only leave the Lonely Mountain after the dwarves opened the door. However, now there was a solution. Liam set up several Gauss Cannons, which he had created using the principles of the Gauss Rifle from the Radiation World mixed with alchemy. He also remelted the Black Arrow and combined it with Valyrian Steel and a small amount of Mithril to create armor-piercing rounds, which he distributed to each Gauss Cannon.
"Leave it to us", Bard and the elves said after learning how to use the Gauss Cannons. They headed to the exit of the Lonely Mountain to prepare for battle. Since there was only one place in the entire Lonely Mountain where the dragon could fly out, they just needed to wait for Smaug to be provoked and fly out. Liam believed that as top archers, they would be able to hit Smaug accurately.
A week later, the ruins of Rivendell were mostly cleaned up, but Smaug still hadn't emerged from his cave.
"I think it might be because there are too few of us to lure the dragon out", Bard said, analyzing the situation after hearing Liam's concern.
"But we can't just sit and wait here. Rivendell's Ruins are almost rebuilt, and the city can't develop with Smaug around. So I've decided to find a way to drive it out."
"Getting Smaug out of his cave isn't too difficult", Bard said, feeling confident after seeing the Gauss Cannons equipped with alchemy-made armor-piercing rounds punch through several meters of rock. "I think if we make enough noise at the entrance of the Lonely Mountain, Smaug will definitely come out. It's a temperamental dragon and won't tolerate anyone causing trouble at its doorstep."
"Alright, we'll set out at dawn tomorrow. I'll figure out a way to lure Smaug out, and then we'll take it down together", Liam concluded.
(End of Chapter)
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