Chapter 54: Allen's First Vassal, Bard the Lord of Dale

After the battle of Long Lake Town, the news of the dragon Smaug's death spread quickly to all parts of the north with the help of the birds.

By then, the title of Allen the Dragon Slayer would also be sung by the mouths of the northern people.

Soon, some changes would occur in Rhovanion.

And when Allen, who had just acquired his title, rushed from Long Lake Town to the Woodland Realm, King Thranduil had already set off first with an army of as many as three thousand Elves.

Since the dragon was already dead, there were only thirteen Dwarves and one Hobbit at the Lonely Mountain at this time.

It was very obvious that this Elven King did not want to wait a single moment, urgently wanting to take back the Starlight Gem that belonged to him.

Allen, who had originally wanted to travel with him, had no choice but to lead the human army to catch up.

At this time, Azog the Pale Orc, south of the Lonely Mountain, leading more than ten thousand elite troops from Dol Guldur, had already arrived in the vicinity of the Lonely Mountain; he would soon arrive at the foot of the Lonely Mountain with the help of the Earth-eater.

At the same time, tens of thousands of Snaga had already gathered at Mount Gundabad, northwest of the Lonely Mountain; after being armed, they joined the campaign commanded by Azog as the second army under the leadership of Azog's kin.

And in the Iron Hills east of the Lonely Mountain, the Raven carrying the letter from King Durin would soon fly before Dain; at that time, this cousin of Thorin Oakenshield would lead the elites under his command to support his cousin who had already retaken the Lonely Mountain.

And Allen's army had also been trekking through the Desolation of Smaug for a long time; it would only take half a day to reach Dale.

Of course, there was also Bard, this descendant of Girion, Lord of Dale.

This was a middle-aged man with one son and two daughters, who was currently leading over a hundred militiamen from Long Lake Town, also marching toward the Lonely Mountain.

At this moment, Bard looked at the young lord before him and could not help but think of Allen's proposal from last night.

"Now that the dragon is dead, do you wish to rebuild Dale?"

As a descendant of Girion, Bard dreamed of restoring his family's fiefdom.

But he had never held hope for it, only trying his best to struggle.

As a descendant of a city lord, Bard's family education had not been completely severed; his archery, which rivaled that of the Elves, his keen insight into things, his inspiring words in battle, and his courage to face the dragon all proved his excellence.

But the problem was that no matter how excellent Bard was, no one gave him a platform to display his abilities.

Over these years, Bard had been working hard; despite the suppression by Town Mayor Stephen, he still possessed some prestige in Long Lake Town, but in the end, everything vanished into thin air overnight under the dragon's attack.

So, facing Allen's proposal, Bard was moved in an instant at the time, but Allen's subsequent words made him calm down.

"Bard, descendant of Girion, I am very satisfied with your performance in this battle. You were able to take the initiative to shoulder the task of facing the dragon, and you completed it perfectly; such a performance is enough to prove your excellence. Now, in my capacity as the Ruler of Rhovanion City-States, I will provide funds to help you rebuild Dale and let you reclaim the title of Lord of Dale, but as a price, I hope to gain your loyalty. I know this is an important decision; you do not need to reply to me immediately."

In Bard's view, the conditions offered by this young man who called himself the Ruler of the City-States could not be called bad; on the contrary, they were very generous.

It was just that Bard still had other expectations in his heart, so he did not give Allen an answer immediately that night.

Allen, riding on his horse, of course knew what Bard behind him was expecting.

It was nothing more than two points: first, the treasure hoarded at the Lonely Mountain included a portion from Dale, which the dragon Smaug had snatched from Dale while attacking the Lonely Mountain and had placed into Thrain's hall as a bonus; now that the dragon was dead, the wealth should be returned to him.

Second, the reason why the dragon attacked Long Lake Town, causing the residents of Long Lake Town to be displaced, was entirely because of those Dwarves who went on the expedition to the Lonely Mountain.

In Bard's view, they had an unshirkable responsibility; in fact, at the beginning, Bard thought Allen should also be responsible for this, but this young lord had done many things after that.

Not only did he help save the residents of Long Lake Town, but he also killed the dragon with his own hands, so at this time, Bard no longer had any position to blame Allen.

Of course, Allen had also considered this, but he just didn't care. The expedition to the Lonely Mountain had developed to this point, and the dragon's attack on Long Lake Town was an inevitable result; Allen had only done his best, even risking his life for it, and he could not do more.

In fact, at the beginning, Allen had not thought about making Bard submit to him, but only thought about competing for a wave of population with the King of Dale after the Battle of the Five Armies.

It was just that as the power in Allen's hands grew stronger, coupled with his acquaintance with Thorin Oakenshield, this Dwarf Prince truly made Allen's thinking change a little.

During the journey, he often pondered in his heart: why compete for population? As long as Bard submitted to him, then the population of northern Rhovanion would, in name, all belong to him.

By then, if he had any matters, as long as he issued a conscription order, could Bard refuse his liege?

And with his help, these displaced people could also return to a stable life faster, which was also a good thing.

Subsequently, Allen compared the strength of both sides, estimated the possibility of success, and made up his mind to give it a try.

After all, Allen was already a lord of a city and a village, managing nearly ten thousand subjects and having over a thousand men in armor.

What did Bard have? Except for the status of a descendant of Girion and the legal title of Lord of Dale, he had nothing.

Even the two thousand or so residents of Long Lake Town were now living by looking at Allen's face.

Allen believed that the possibility of this matter succeeding was very high, because the already-afflicted Thorin Oakenshield would inevitably trample on the expectations in Bard's heart.

Even if Bard did not agree, it did not matter; Allen could completely settle those two thousand or so residents himself.

As for Bilbo Baggins, would he gratuitously take out his share of the treasure to help the people of Long Lake Town?

Allen believed he would, because this was the greatness of Bilbo, and also the place where Allen admired him extremely.

But this matter would not affect his plan, because that share of the treasure would likely be entrusted to Allen for him to help those residents rebuild Long Lake Town.

Allen still had this bit of confidence; had the storms of these past six months been walked in vain?

However, all this would have to wait until they reached the Lonely Mountain.

Soon, Allen's army also entered Dale and converged with the Woodland Elves.

Allen also found Thranduil, who was drinking sullenly in his tent, under the guidance of other Elves.

In fact, this Elven King had already gone to see Thorin Oakenshield yesterday; it was obvious that the already-afflicted Thorin Oakenshield had reached the point of being impervious to both soft and hard tactics for the sake of treasure.

The King of the Woodland Realm, having been rebuffed, was in a very unpleasant mood at this time.

Thranduil knew the relationship between Allen and Thorin Oakenshield, so at this time, looking at Allen sitting opposite him, he spoke directly.

Even in his resentment, his words remained calm.

"Allen, my friend, congratulations on obtaining the title of Dragon Slayer. In this era, killing a dragon is not easy. However, you, who have just become a Dragon Slayer, coming with an army, surely wouldn't be here to stop me?"

Thranduil was not worried about the small army in Allen's hands; he just did not want to have a conflict with Humans, and losing Allen as a friend and ally was not what he wanted either.

It was just that he was also unwilling to miss the current opportunity, the opportunity to take back the Starlight Gem.

Upon hearing this, Allen shook his head and said: "I certainly would not stop you from taking back what belongs to you, but I have more urgent news to share with you."

"Oh? Tell me!"

Hearing that Allen was not there to stop him, Thranduil was no longer as tough as before; instead, he stood up, poured a glass of Wine for Allen, and signaled for Allen to continue.

Allen then said: "I have received news that the Orcs are about to launch an attack on the Lonely Mountain, with numbers reaching tens of thousands. I brought my army here precisely to guard against them. I will organize personnel to repair the city defenses of Dale immediately."

Thranduil was very surprised after hearing Allen's words; the scouts he had sent out and the birds in Mirkwood had not brought him any relevant news, not even a trace.

"In this place of Rhovanion, it is not rare to see Orcish at any time, but to say that tens of thousands of such scum have already gathered—Allen, forgive my presumption, I cannot believe it."

Allen of course knew that the King of the Woodland Realm would not believe him; although the Elven King's words were very polite, he was perhaps already speculating in his heart whether Allen was exaggerating the matter for the sake of the Dwarf.

Allen did not want to explain much either; he simply wanted to plant a seed in the heart of the King of the Woodland Realm.

If there were no issues with the timing, Gandalf would be arriving soon, and Allen needed a piece of news from Gandalf.

As for whether Gandalf could come, Allen was not worried; he did not believe that after working so hard for so long, the result could still be worse than the original trajectory.

"My information is absolutely true; I only hope you can maintain a certain level of vigilance. Actually, what I want to know more is, when do you intend to demand your Heirloom Gem from the Dwarves?"

Seeing that Allen did not insist on his own claim, the King of the Woodland Realm was somewhat pleased; he believed that this young Human friend could still understand his actions.

His mood inexplicably improving, the King of the Woodland Realm took a sip of Wine and said, "It will be tomorrow morning."

Allen nodded and said, "Your Majesty, would it be possible for me personally to participate as well?"

The King of the Woodland Realm did not think much of it and agreed, for it was only Allen going alone, so what could possibly happen?

Hearing the reply, Allen drank the Wine in his cup in one gulp, then bid farewell to the King of the Woodland Realm and left the tent of the King of the Woodland Realm.

He still had to check whether his soldiers and the residents of Long Lake Town had begun to repair the city defenses of Dale.

Although the Elf were curious about the Humans' actions, their discipline was excellent; no one asked any questions, and naturally, no one helped either.

Dale was now a ruin; in fact, during the time when the dragon had just occupied the Lonely Mountain, there were still some Humans who wanted to live here, but they were soon devoured by Smaug. It is said that this fellow was particularly fond of pure virgins; he truly deserved to die.

For more than 170 years since then, no one had come to this place, which was full of decay and desolation.

Fortunately, most of the city walls here were still relatively intact.

Dale was built against the mountain and covered a vast area; most of the buildings within the city had collapsed during the dragon's attack.

Therefore, Allen's army and the Elf were only stationed in the section of the city near the Lonely Mountain.

As for the other side of the city, it had already been blocked by collapsed houses, and it was not easy to get across.

The area Allen was guarding had only three city walls; one of them faced the direction of the Lonely Mountain. Allen did not need to worry about this side because it was the best-preserved, and the Elf were stationed there.

The other two severely damaged city walls were the defensive sectors Allen needed to focus on. He took the now-recovered Holimion and went around directing his army and the Humans of Long Lake Town to repair the city defenses.

At the same time, Allen also arranged for soldiers to collect large stones scattered throughout the town, intending to block the gate between the two city walls.

The King of the Woodland Realm did not interfere in this matter because there was another gate in the city wall near the Lonely Mountain, which was sufficient for his great army to pass through.

At this time, Bard approached Allen, hoping that Allen would accompany him to the Lonely Mountain to persuade Thorin Oakenshield.

Allen did not agree, but instead said one thing to Bard: "At this time, Thorin Oakenshield will not give you a single coin. You can try, but I will not accompany you; it is merely a futile effort."

Having received the reply, Bard had no choice but to go to the Lonely Mountain alone, with Allen's words, "My offer remains valid," behind him.

Just as Allen had said, let alone Thorin Oakenshield at this moment, even a Thorin Oakenshield who was not afflicted would not necessarily take out money to help Long Lake Town.

After all, under Allen's interference, he and his close friend Bilbo Baggins had not made any promises to the people of Long Lake Town, nor had they accepted any help from the people of Long Lake Town.

Moreover, from the perspective of this Dwarf Prince, being attacked by a dragon was a very normal thing. How many times had Dwarves been attacked by dragons? How many of their kin had died at the hands of dragons? Had they ever asked anyone for compensation? Were they supposed to go find Morgoth?

In the end, it still came down to relying on one's own hands to take back everything that once belonged to oneself.

Therefore, at the gate of the Lonely Mountain, Bard did not get any of the things he wanted at all; the already afflicted Thorin Oakenshield's reply was nothing but refusal after refusal.

The returning Bard went to see the King of the Woodland Realm, requesting help from this Elven King who had always sheltered Long Lake Town.

The King of the Woodland Realm neither refused nor agreed; his original words were, "If you need help, shouldn't you be asking my friend, the lord of Wilderness Town, Allen, for help? I remember that the dragon was killed by Allen, and the people of Long Lake Town were also saved by him. I think my friend must have some arrangements for you, so why come to me? Isn't he more suitable?"

How could the wise King of the Woodland Realm not see his friend's intentions from Allen's series of actions?

But he did not think there was anything wrong with it; he was even happy to provide some help, just as Allen had once been willing to give up his own reward to help him retrieve the Starlight Gem.

Moreover, in the eyes of the King of the Woodland Realm, it was simply their good fortune that these people could live under Allen's rule.

Therefore, just as Allen had not hindered him from retrieving the gem, how could he possibly hinder his friend from expanding his territory?

In the end, Bard found Allen again; yes, he had compromised. Thorin Oakenshield and the King of the Woodland Realm had extinguished all the hope in his heart.

Bard ultimately hoped that the two thousand or so people of Long Lake Town would have a home, rather than being displaced.

Rebuilding Dale and reclaiming his family's glory also held great temptation for him.

Although submitting to another would mean losing a certain degree of freedom, Bard felt that Allen was a good choice.

This young man could fight bravely against a dragon, which showed that he was an excellent warrior.

Seeking help from the Elf of the Woodland Realm to assist the residents of Long Lake Town showed that he was a benevolent person.

Using direct military force to coerce the Town Mayor showed that he was a wise man who could grasp the key points of a matter.

Not using force to oppress, but rather recruiting him through a transaction, showed that he was not a king who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

Therefore, Bard, who had come to the city wall, knelt on one knee before Allen, indicating his willingness to pledge his loyalty.

It was now evening, and Allen, standing on the city wall, had the sunset about to fall below the horizon behind him.

The suit of silver-bright armor he wore emitted a faint glow under the illumination of the sunset.

Allen looked at Bard, who was kneeling on one knee before him in full view of everyone, and smiled with satisfaction.

He drew his Knightly Longsword and rested it on Bard's shoulder.

Bard had no reaction to this; he knew this must be a ritual for accepting loyalty, and his stillness also indicated that he would absolutely not resist his liege.

At this moment, Allen spoke: "Descendant of Girion, I am very glad that you are willing to pledge your loyalty to me. I believe you will be a loyal Vassal, an excellent lord, and a brave general in the future."

Allen paused here for a moment and continued: "If you are ready, please follow me and recite."

Bard nodded with a solemn expression and followed Allen in reciting the oath of loyalty.

"I swear to be loyal to you, the legitimate ruler of the Rhovanion City-State;"

"I swear that as long as I have a breath left, I will be your loyal follower;"

"I swear that when you need me, I will rush to your side to fight the enemy to the end;"

"I swear that from now on, I will be sincere and honest in my loyalty and service to you."

"I swear that I will always uphold your reputation and your legitimate rights."

After finishing the recitation, Allen withdrew the Knightly Longsword, helped Bard up, and said: "Finally, I will also fulfill my promise: after this war, I will rebuild Dale and help you reclaim the title of Lord of Dale."

Just like that, Allen now had his first Vassal, Bard, the Lord of Dale.

At this moment, a grey-robed old man arrived at the side of Allen and Bard.

That was Gandalf, who had ridden hard and fast to get here.