Chapter 158: The Growth of the Deathclaw and the Journey to Bree-town

Time flew by, and three months passed.

Outside Shire Village, at the construction site of the Wayne Manor, the Hobbits worked in coordination; masons, tilers, stonemasons, and laborers were all working with great enthusiasm.

Through the joint efforts of the villagers, this massive estate, covering nearly ten thousand ping, had completed its most basic infrastructure, and the outermost stone perimeter wall had been finished.

On the advice of Magistrate Old Ford, Wayne specifically set aside a large plot of land for planting pipe-weed. This specialty plant belonging to the Hobbits could be made into a special tobacco after being dried and processed in a specific way. It was quite popular among humans, dwarves, and Hobbits alike, and there was no worry about sales at all.

For Wayne, even if he couldn't sell all the pipe-weed in Middle-earth, he could directly take it back to the Witcher world to sell. He had already tried this tobacco; the flavor was more mellow than the tobacco in the Witcher world, and he was certain it would be loved by smokers, with no fear of it sitting unsold.

Besides the plantation used for growing pipe-weed, Wayne also set aside several other plots of land for growing herbs from the Witcher world.

The flow of time here was five times faster than in the Witcher world; if he could possess a large herb garden of his own, future Witchers would no longer lack a supply of herbs.

Aside from the plantations, the largest project within the Wayne Manor was the large castle at the center of the estate. Unfortunately, according to Magistrate Old Ford, the Hobbits were not skilled at building large stone castles; they were better suited to building wooden houses. If Wayne truly had such a need, the best workers would be dwarves or elves.

Regarding the old man's opinion, Wayne followed the advice and chose to accept it. Moreover, he also intended to interact with the dwarf race in advance, and this matter could serve as a perfect excuse.

However, besides the mansion, there were countless things to be built inside the estate. Because a large number of Hobbits worked here for a long time, this place became not only a place for the Hobbit villagers to work and earn money but also a place for the village children to play.

Master Wayne was kind-hearted and even spent money to hire several Hobbit women to help the workers look after the children, and incidentally, he also covered the children's meals.

To him, being able to integrate into this world and gain the recognition of the local Hobbits was more important than building an estate or spending some gold.

In this playground, his pet, the direwolf cub White Fang, had become the children's favorite star, even more popular than the tall and handsome Master Wayne.

Perhaps it was because the lifespan of a direwolf was several times longer than that of an ordinary wild wolf, which caused their growth cycle to be extended several times over.

The six-month-old wolf cub was still in its juvenile form, plump all over, covered in fluffy white fur that felt very comfortable to the touch, with four short legs, black beady eyes, and a rapidly wagging tail; it was very soft and cute, no wonder it was loved by the children.

The little thing's personality was quite gentle, and it was very spirited when interacting with people. Due to the lack of survival pressure from a young age and under Wayne's taming, it had become more like a pet that sought its master's affection than a combat partner.

The newly born Deathclaw cub, however, was different. From the moment this little thing was born, it was destined to be born for battle, a war pet that fought for its master.

Wayne named it Robin. It was a black male Deathclaw. From the time it was a cub, Wayne fed it fresh, bloody beef. As soon as it grew a little larger, he took it into the forest to hunt wild rabbits, pheasants, and other small animals.

Because the environment in the Wasteland world was too dangerous and harsh, the juvenile period of a Deathclaw was quite short. In less than three months, this Deathclaw cub had grown to the size of an adult goat. Due to the power of its innate bloodline, in terms of combat power, it was already not much inferior to a wild wolf.

Wayne's efforts were not in vain. Because of the personal incubation and long-term companionship, under the influence of his taming skills and the special food he fed it personally, the Deathclaw cub also regarded Wayne as its closest person, and it was absolutely obedient to his commands, showing great loyalty.

However, unlike the popular direwolf cub, because of its naturally fierce appearance, terrifying claws, and sharp fangs, even though it was the pet of the respected Mr. Wayne, the Hobbit children were quite afraid of this little guy, and even the adult Hobbits did not like it.

Because of this, most of the time Wayne let it stay near the small wooden hut where he temporarily resided, with Robin acting as a guard dog.

However, unlike other Hobbits, Bilbo, who was naturally curious and adventurous, was quite interested in the Deathclaw Robin. After confirming that this seemingly fierce little guy would not harm any Hobbits, he often brought homemade food to Wayne's place to feed the little guy.

Of course, Bilbo's purpose was not simple. Besides being genuinely interested in the Deathclaw cub, his biggest goal was to learn stories about the outside world from Wayne.

Regarding this situation, Wayne naturally did not refuse. As a descendant of the Baggins family and the Took family, Mr. Bilbo Baggins had quite a good reputation among the Hobbits in this area.

Maintaining a good relationship with him could not only better facilitate his involvement in the future journey to the Lonely Mountain but also allow him to make a quite good friend.

At least in terms of culinary skills, the two could chat quite well, often taking their respective specialty dishes to exchange cooking tips. Wayne even felt that if he removed the system's culinary bonuses, his real cooking skills might not be as good as those of Bilbo the Hobbit.

On this day, seeing that the timing was about right, Wayne invited Bilbo and Magistrate Old Ford to his home as guests.

The three of them chatted about some gossip happening around them while enjoying dinner. When the meal was almost over, Wayne told the two his purpose.

"Bilbo, I am preparing to set off for Bree-town in the Old Forest to recruit some dwarf craftsmen."

"Old Ford told me that some dwarf craftsmen who fled from the north are working there, and I should be able to find them there." "Now that my estate has completed its most basic construction, but the castle in the central area has no progress yet, so I must make a trip."

"This journey may take some time before I return, so I can only entrust the matters here to you two."

Regarding this matter, Bilbo and Old Ford had actually heard Wayne mention it long ago, but making such a formal proposal this time meant Wayne must have already made his plans.

Thus, Old Ford stroked his beard, smiled, picked up a glass of cider, took a sip, stroked his beard again, and said:

"Don't worry, Mr. Wayne. You are a good neighbor of our Hobbiton in the Shire. Leave this matter to this old man; I will watch the construction site for you."

"The young lads in the village are all good; even if you are not here, they will not slack off."

Wayne waved his hand, indicating he didn't mind this. He picked up a glass of wine and toasted Old Ford. The fact that the Wayne Manor could proceed so smoothly in Hobbiton until now was largely due to this kind and enthusiastic old Hobbit magistrate.

Hearing this, Bilbo also picked up his wine glass and had a drink with the two, but he asked with some confusion:

"Wayne, Mr. Ford is helping you watch the construction site, but what do you need me for? I know nothing about construction sites."

"Of course, it's not that I won't help you; just say whatever you need my help with."

Hearing this, Wayne laughed out loud. He whistled, and the Deathclaw cub Robin ran over from another room, wagging its tail happily at its master, Wayne.

He patted Robin on the head and said to Bilbo:

"Bilbo, in this vicinity, besides me, Robin is closest to you. It's not convenient for me to take this little guy with me when I go to Bree-town alone."

"So I would like to temporarily entrust it to your care for a few days."

"Oh, right, and my direwolf pet, White Fang."

Regarding this request, Bilbo looked at Robin and suddenly felt a bit troubled.

The direwolf White Fang was fine; it was a cute little guy, and any Hobbit would like it very much.

But the appearance of the Deathclaw Robin was truly too fierce. Its standing height had even reached Bilbo's chest. Looking at its sharp claws and mouth full of sharp teeth...

Facing such a big guy, Bilbo instinctively felt he might not be able to beat it. Thinking that if he brought it into the village, it might not only scare the children but also easily cause a riot.

If Robin were to be a bit naughty, he might even get a layer of skin peeled off.

Wayne saw Bilbo's concerns, smiled, and waved his hand, saying: "Don't worry, Bilbo."

"You don't need to take it home; just come here regularly every day to feed it, and that will be enough."

"Don't look at Robin as if it's very fierce; actually, its personality is very good, and it's very smart. It has already learned to use the toilet by itself. Without my command, it will not harm any animal or person."

Seeing that Bilbo was still hesitant, Wayne had an idea and said temptingly:

"Haven't you always been very interested in humans and dwarves?"

"If you agree to this request, when I return from Bree-town, I will carefully prepare a gift for you consisting of things unique to humans and dwarves."

"A gift that will absolutely satisfy you."

As he spoke, Wayne smiled and nodded at Old Ford.

"Of course, Mr. Ford, I will also prepare a gift for you. How about human red wine and dwarf ale? I know you like drinking the most."

(End of chapter)