Chapter 67: The Lonely Mountain Treasure-Splitting Assembly

Regardless of the cause of the war or where its purpose leads, war is inevitably accompanied by a large number of casualties.

Allen did not know the specific situation on the side of the Dwarves and Elves, but the field hospital he had temporarily established in Dale was already filled with the wounded.

The militia of Long Lake Town spent an entire day finding ways to transport all the Humans, Elves, and Dwarves who still showed signs of life on the battlefield to the hospital in Dale.

Although they did not join the direct fighting, they were also exhausted after a day of carrying back several hundred people.

Not only that, but before the soldiers returned, they had also prepared piping hot food and large amounts of hot water, so that the soldiers fighting on the front lines could eat hot soup and dishes immediately upon their return.

Now, they were already too tired to hold on, and Allen arranged for them to rest as soon as he returned.

Although these people did not face the enemy directly in this battle, their contribution made Allen feel that they must also have a place in the book of merits.

As for the wounded who were brought back, they had already been given simple treatment by James's dozen or so apprentices; their injuries would no longer worsen, and subsequently, they would recover their health under the careful care of the physicians.

After all, James was Allen's military physician, his profession was extremely well-suited, and the apprentices he taught were also of decent caliber.

It was just that there were simply too many injured personnel, and treating the wounded was an extremely mentally draining task; they were also quite exhausted, so they left two people on duty at this time, and the rest went to rest as well.

Those injured Elves had already been picked up by personnel arranged by King Thranduil; the Woodland Elves left behind some ointments, saying they were extremely effective for external wounds, and Allen accepted them after expressing his gratitude.

The Dwarves were also carried away by old Balin and his men, and he also conveyed news from Thorin to Allen.

Tomorrow morning, a post-war meeting would be held in Thrain Hall of the Kingdom of Erebor; at that time, all the leaders of the factions would be there, and everything would have an explanation.

Thrain Hall was the plaza where the Dwarves piled up their treasures; the last time Allen went to retrieve the Starlight Gem, he had been there once under Balin's guidance, and it had to be said that the place was full of shining gold, eye-catching and soul-stirring.

Allen speculated that Thorin arranging the meeting place there was likely related to the distribution of treasure.

This Durin's Line, having just retaken the Lonely Mountain, wanted to let his neighbors and allies see intuitively just how much treasure he could obtain, thereby showcasing the strength and generosity of the Dwarves.

It couldn't be that he was just full and bored, and simply wanted to show off, right?

As for whether it would cause chaos? Allen had not considered this problem; the character of King Thranduil and Lord Elrond could still be trusted, and he reckoned Thorin thought the same.

But that was all a matter for tomorrow morning; Allen did not want to think too much about it.

He was currently at the field hospital, visiting the two hundred or so wounded who had survived the battle.

Allen's losses this time were heavy; not long after the troops returned, Fatis reported the casualties.

500 Spearmen were guarding the walls of Dale at all times, standing on the very front line of the battle, and received special attention from the Orcish catapults.

Their casualties were also the most severe of the three units; by the end of the fighting, only two hundred or so were left standing, one Captain was killed, one Captain was seriously injured, four Squad Leaders were dead and five injured, with a total of one hundred and forty-eight lying in eternal rest, and one hundred and fifteen lying in the hospital.

Among them, fifty-two were lightly injured, thirty-six were seriously injured, and twenty-seven were confirmed to be disabled for the rest of their lives.

Although the Heavy Infantry held the most dangerous positions, they were better equipped, which protected their vital parts, so forty-eight were injured and twelve died.

Even the infantry commander Alayen and the Noldor Royal Guard suffered injuries of varying severity.

That the Buping Jun Tuan could still walk out from the walls to fight the enemy decisively under such heavy casualties was due not only to Gandalf's Magic, but also to Allen's prestige as a lord and the background of the vast majority of the officers, which played a key role.

The Archer unit led by Bandak, because they spent most of their time shooting from the rear, only joined the direct fighting in the later stages of the battle.

Therefore, their casualties were not particularly large: forty-five injured, twenty-eight dead.

And when the Cavalry unit was deployed, it was already the moment of the final decisive battle; they had not experienced the cruel tug-of-war.

Most of the casualties occurred when Fatis led the Cavalry in a charge, and the fighting after that was relatively easier.

Therefore, the Cavalry regiment ended up with forty-two injured, eighteen dead, and a loss of more than fifty Warhorses.

More than one-third casualties could not be called anything but heavy, and the number of direct deaths was close to two hundred.

When Allen held this battle report, not only was his heart trembling, but even the hand holding the report was trembling slightly along with it.

In fact, Allen had long anticipated the arduousness of this battle, because the enemy's strength was indeed very powerful, and Azog was also an excellent Commander.

Even so, Allen had to lead his soldiers to participate in this battle.

As the most powerful force of Humans in the North, Wilderness Town could not possibly not participate in this decisive battle.

Allen spread the news of the Orcish attack everywhere, tied the Woodland Elves to his War Chariot, and in the end, Allen did not send out his soldiers.

Then in the future, Wilderness Town would have no allies in the North, and the relationships Allen had worked so hard to build over these years, the friendship between him and the Elves and Dwarves, would also collapse in an instant.

Therefore, Allen did not regret it, and had also made the corresponding preparations.

It was just that no matter how well prepared he was, now seeing this report representing nearly two hundred lives, this lord who was far from qualified felt a bit uncomfortable for a moment.

Finally, Allen dismissed all his subordinates and locked himself alone in his room; he needed to be quiet.

But a moment later, Allen walked out of his room and came to the field hospital to visit the soldiers who had survived the battlefield.

During the visit, Allen kept comforting the injured soldiers, telling them that the war was over, Wilderness Town had achieved the final victory, and they were all brave soldiers and good men.

Allen promised the wounded that the supplies and medical resources needed to recover from their injuries would be sent here continuously, and everyone could rest and recuperate here with peace of mind.

At the same time, he also promised generous rewards and guaranteed that the disabled would also have a stable life in the future.

When Allen was speaking, the ward remained relatively quiet; many soldiers gritted their teeth to endure the pain while listening to Allen's speech.

On one hand, it was out of respect for their lord; after all, Allen had neither treated them poorly over the years nor failed to show them sufficiently powerful strength.

On the other hand, they were also very worried about their future lives; those soldiers who were lightly injured were fine and did not have so many concerns.

Those who were seriously injured and those destined to be disabled for the rest of their lives were more concerned; they were basically the pillars of their families, and now that they had run into trouble, the lives of their entire families would fall into financial distress later on.

So they listened very, very carefully, especially the part Allen promised; after hearing it, their long-furrowed brows finally relaxed, and even the pain from their wounds seemed not so severe anymore.

Most of the wounded here were Woodland Residents, and having lived under the shadow of the Orcish all along, their thoughts were relatively simple.

Although they had experienced an extremely arduous and dangerous battle today, in this era of darkness reviving and turmoil, where was it not dangerous?

Had there been few family members and friends who died at the mouths of Wargs and the hands of the Orcish?

Now that their families had a stable and safe life under Allen's protection, then selling their lives to serve Allen was also a normal return.

Moreover, having survived the battlefield, they could still receive rewards and promises, so most people naturally relaxed, because their lord had never gone back on his word.

And after Allen finished speaking, he also noticed that most of the wounded had quietly let out a sigh of relief, with expressions of ease appearing on their faces.

In order not to affect the soldiers' rest, Allen left the hospital quietly after he finished speaking; he still had many things to consider.

What kind of compensation should be given to the families of the fallen soldiers? Should their bodies be burned and their ashes taken back? What kind of rewards should be bestowed upon the surviving soldiers, and how many levels should they be divided into?

Allen thought about these things while tossing and turning in bed, and only when he fell into a hazy sleep did he come up with a little bit of a concrete plan.

The next day, just after Allen had finished a simple breakfast, Kili came personally to invite him.

One must know that Fili and Kili were the only two boys left in Thorin's line of blood.

Unless Thorin could marry and father a prince, the heir to the King of the Lonely Mountain would have to be chosen from these two, Kili and Fili.

That Thorin would still have Kili come to invite Allen after reclaiming the Lonely Mountain also showed the respect and importance Thorin placed on Allen.

The young man Fili had been seriously injured; although his life was not in danger, his left arm was certainly lost. Yesterday, Allen had watched James's apprentice perform the surgery on Fili.

By the time Allen arrived at the magnificent hall with his main subordinates, most people had already arrived.

Thorin had heroically cleared a space amidst the vast piles of treasure and set up a large conference table.

At this moment, many people were already seated at the table, including Lord Elrond, the Elven King Thranduil, Dain Ironfoot, the Grey Wizard Gandalf, the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins, and most of the Dwarves of the Expedition.

At this time, there was an empty chair at the front of the left side of the table; sitting next to this chair was Gandalf, and opposite it was Lord Elrond.

Under Kili's guidance, Allen walked over. Before sitting down, Allen greeted everyone at the table one by one; after all, they were all acquaintances, and Allen still understood this bit of courtesy.

After sitting down following the greetings, Allen began to chat with Gandalf, who was beside him.

Before long, Thorin, having changed back into luxurious clothing, walked down from the stairs surrounded by the great piles of treasure. His figure was shrouded in brilliant golden light, and behind him was the old Dwarf Balin, carrying a box.

This Dwarf Prince looked to be in quite good condition, and unlike in the past, his expression was no longer so gloomy; his face was full of a confident and kind smile.

Walking down from the stairs, his gaze held not the slightest attachment to the surrounding treasures; what he focused on was always the people sitting in the middle of the venue.

Sitting there were his kin, his clansmen, his friends, and his comrades-in-arms.

Without the help of these people, Thorin could never have reclaimed his homeland, and his entire bloodline might even have been buried in this expedition.

The enlightened Thorin finally understood what the most precious wealth was.

Soon, Thorin arrived at the head of the table, and after signaling to everyone, he sat down.

Looking at the confident Thorin, Allen knew that today, this Dwarf Prince was the true protagonist of the play.

It was just that the Dwarf personality was indeed quite direct, to the point of not even having a brief opening statement.

As soon as Thorin sat down, he signaled for Balin to hand that box to the King of the Woodland Realm, Thranduil.

At the same time, he said calmly, "Many thanks to Your Majesty Thranduil for honoring the Contract and helping us resist the Orcish attack. This is the other half of the Starlight Gem. Afterward, I will arrange for personnel to send one-thirtieth of the wealth here to the Woodland Realm."

These were words of gratitude, yet coming from Thorin's mouth, they were so awkward.

This was certain; the hundred-plus years of grievances between Dwarves and Elves could not be smoothed over by a single battle. Being able to speak so officially and politely was already enough.

As for the Elven King Thranduil, he ignored Thorin. He had already opened the box containing the Starlight Gem, and its brilliant light shone upon his face.

Thranduil waved his hand behind him, and Legolas, who was standing behind him, handed over a gorgeously decorated box. Upon opening it, inside was the other half of the Starlight Gem.

Thranduil carefully placed both parts of the Necklace into one box, gently stroked the token of love between him and his wife with his right hand, and then tightly closed the box.

This Elven King did not have much interest in dealing with the Dwarf; he simply nodded toward Thorin and gave no further response.

Thorin did not mind, but instead expressed his gratitude to Lord Elrond.

"Respected Lord Elrond, thank you very much for traveling from afar with your soldiers to support the Lonely Mountain. Your support was very timely for this battle. At the same time, thank you again for your support and blessings to us in the past. To express the gratitude of the Dwarves, I will gift one-thirtieth of the treasure here to you; I hope you will not refuse."

Upon hearing this, Lord Elrond thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.

Although Elrond was not that keen on wealth, with this sum of treasure, the nearly two thousand Elves he brought would not have to return empty-handed.

After Thorin finished communicating with Elrond, he looked at Gandalf and said loudly, "Gandalf, my eternal friend, I will forever thank you for everything you said to me at the Prancing Pony, thank you for your help to us during the expedition, and thank you for finding me a great Burglar and firm allies."

Speaking, Thorin paused, looked gratefully at Allen and the nearby Bilbo Baggins, and continued, "Now, I announce as the heir to the King of the Lonely Mountain that the Grey Wizard Gandalf shall be a friend to all of Durin's Folk. No matter where you are, wherever there are Dwarves of Durin's Folk, you will receive the treatment of an honored guest."

Gandalf paid tribute to Thorin with a face full of smiles. This Grey Wizard was very satisfied with the current situation; the Lonely Mountain had been taken back by the Dwarves, and the relationship between the Woodland Elves and the Dwarves had eased, which would greatly strengthen the defensive power here.

He would no longer have to worry about Sauron using this strategic location to rebuild the Kingdom of Angmar and threaten the stability of Eriador.

As for the preferential treatment from Durin's Folk, it was also very useful for a Wizard like Gandalf who was always running around outside; Gandalf would never complain about having too many friends.

After this, Thorin looked at Allen, his eyes full of gratitude.

This Dwarf Prince stood up, took a deep breath, and said loudly to everyone, "Here, under the witness of all, I represent the Dwarves of Durin's Folk to thank my dear friend, to thank the Dragon Slayer, the King of the Rhovanion City-State, His Majesty Allen."

Hearing Thorin address him as King, Allen was slightly stunned, then reacted.

This must be Thorin's good intention. As the future King of the Lonely Mountain, he recognized Allen's status as King, which meant that from now on, all of Durin's Folk would recognize Allen's legitimate rule over Dale and Long Lake Town.

Just as Allen wanted to express his gratitude for this, Thorin's voice sounded again.

"At the same time, I have one more thing to announce. I will fulfill the Contract and hand over one-fifteenth of the wealth here to His Majesty Allen as payment for the expedition, and that is not all."

Thorin waved his hand, focusing everyone's attention on Bilbo Baggins, and continued to say loudly, "This kind-hearted Hobbit, Mr. Bilbo Baggins, upon learning of Allen's good deed of preparing to rebuild Dale and Long Lake Town, has decided to transfer his own one-fifteenth of the treasure to Allen as a reward for slaying the dragon."

Allen, who had long guessed this, looked back at Bilbo Baggins.

And at this moment, the Hobbit, already the focus of the entire hall, just scratched his head and smiled embarrassedly.

Allen knew that even counting the whole of Middle-earth, there were few who could compare to this Hobbit; even Allen himself felt inferior.

It was just that this Hobbit left his seat under everyone's gaze.

He came before Thranduil, took out an exquisite pearl Necklace from his bosom, and presented it to the Elven King with both hands.

This pearl Necklace was something he had discovered before pitting his wits against the dragon.

At the time, he felt this Necklace was very suitable for the Elven King before him, so he had tucked it into his pocket.

At this moment, Bilbo, feeling nervous and stuttering, opened his mouth to say, "Great Elven King, I ask you to accept this gift of mine as a return for your hospitality, and also as an apology for my offense to you."

Thranduil looked at the Bilbo Baggins before him, then looked at that exquisite Necklace, and said with a calm expression, "I knew it. A little thief lived in my realm for a period of time, and even stole the keys from under the noses of my guards and let the Dwarves go."

Bilbo Baggins, holding the Necklace with both hands, became even more nervous upon hearing these words.

It was just that a beautiful royal hand pushed back Bilbo Baggins's Necklace; at this moment, King Thranduil's expression was very serious.

He spoke again, but his voice was very soft.

"Bilbo, you are not only an outstanding Burglar, you are also a respectable Hobbit. Your greatness is something that even I have only seen in a few people."

Saying this, Thranduil glanced at Allen. Allen did not feel it; he was currently thinking about how to distribute those treasures and spend them.

And Thranduil's voice did not stop; he continued to say to Bilbo Baggins, "So I cannot accept your gift. Now, I announce as the King of the Woodland Realm that you shall become a friend of the Elves, and I will also always welcome you to visit the Woodland Realm."

At this time, Bilbo Baggins finally relaxed, but he did not take back that pearl Necklace, instead saying again, "Then, Your Majesty the King, as a witness to our friendship, I hope you will accept this Necklace."

This time, Thranduil did not refuse; he calmly put away the Necklace, and Bilbo finally breathed a sigh of relief, bowed respectfully, and sat back down in his seat.

With this interlude over, Thorin's voice rang out once more, and this time, he was speaking directly to Allen.

"Allen, to thank you for your help along the way, for your warm hospitality in Wilderness Town, for slaying the dragon, for leading troops to defend the Lonely Mountain, and especially for assisting us in killing Azog."

Thorin said this with a smile as he looked at his kin, those Dwarves in the Expedition, and continued: "Kili, Fili, Balin, Dwalin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Dori, Ori, Nori, Oin, and Gloin—these twelve people are all willing to take one-fifth of their own share of the treasure and gift it to you."

Upon hearing this, Allen turned to look at the Dwarves with an expression of disbelief, and the Dwarves smiled and waved at Allen one after another to show that it was true.

He truly had not expected these Dwarves to do such a thing; at this moment, he felt it was somewhat unreal.

But Allen reacted immediately; he prepared to refuse this gift because Allen felt that what he had already received was enough, and it was sufficient for his use.

Looking at the tragic plight of the Dwarves, Allen felt that more treasure was not necessarily better; Wilderness Town could not withstand a dragon's attack.

At this moment, Thorin saw Allen's intention and spoke up to interrupt his Human friend.

"Allen, I hope you will not refuse this gift; I once promised you that I would give you a gift worthy of our friendship. I think this treasure is very fitting, and besides, I have nothing else to offer to reward your help."

Thorin had indeed promised Allen multiple times during the journey that he would give Allen a gift.

Allen had not paid much attention to those words, nor had he thought about what Thorin might give him.

But the now-sober Thorin remembered, only his gift had not yet materialized, and Allen had done many things since then, not only killing Smaug but also facilitating the Contract between the Dwarves and the Woodland Elves, and preserving the Lonely Mountain.

In the end, he even led his own soldiers to participate in the battle to defend the Lonely Mountain and assisted Thorin in killing Azog.

These matters were not within the scope of the Contract; if Bilbo Baggins had saved Thorin's life.

Then, after everything was over, Thorin, having understood many things, believed that Allen was his greatest helper in reclaiming the Lonely Mountain.

Of course, what Thorin did not know was that, according to the original trajectory, Allen had also saved his bloodline of Durin's Line.

Regardless, to thank Allen, Thorin had discussed it with his kin for an entire night yesterday and decided to take out another portion of the treasure to gift to Allen, in order to repay this kindness.

Allen had not expected to receive so much wealth; facing Thorin's insistence, he looked back at those Dwarf friends who were nodding at him.

In the end, Allen nodded at Thorin and sat down; he did not want to say anything, and he did not know what he should say at this moment.

Finally, Thorin announced that after some time, he would travel to Lothlorien to bring back his father, Thrain II, allowing this King of the Lonely Mountain to return and rule the Lonely Mountain once more.

At that time, the Lonely Mountain would hold a grand banquet, and Thorin extended a warm invitation to everyone in this hall, hoping that everyone would be able to attend, and he would arrange for people to send notifications regarding the specific time.

With this, the meeting concluded.