bookbashuk Chapter 129 The People
Chapter 129 The People
Chapter 129 The People
Upon hearing Bilbo mention that a village had appeared below the mountain,
Dui was greatly surprised.
He remembered that the area around Fengyunding used to be deserted.
He immediately went out with Bilbo, with Gandalf and Legolas following closely behind.
The scenery near Fengyunding remains unchanged.
As the highest hill in the surrounding area, the Wenshui Marshland below and the east-west avenue are clearly visible.
Between Mosquito Marsh and the East-West Avenue, in the area adjacent to Mosquito Marsh, a village appeared at some unknown time.
Smoke curled from the village chimneys, and figures could be vaguely seen.
Standing atop the hill, gazing at the village in the distance, Dui was filled with doubt.
"When did these people gather here?"
Gandalf was also surprised for a moment, then smiled and prompted, "Have you forgotten the villagers we rescued in the Troll Forest?"
Dui certainly remembered.
The problem is that he had previously distributed a portion of the ogre's treasure to the villagers, which was enough for them to live a comfortable life anywhere.
The journey from the Ogre Forest to the vicinity of Wind and Cloud Peak involves traversing a vast and desolate wilderness. One must not only worry about wild beasts and bandits, but also about the appearance of orcs, making it a truly arduous journey.
Even after arriving at Fengyun Peak, there was no place to eat or stay.
If you want to stay here, you'll have to start from scratch.
In Dui's mind, these villagers would either continue westward and live in the town of Buri, or go down the Cangquan River under the last bridge to live in the human kingdom to the south.
Instead of clearing land near Fengyun Peak.
Since it's a question, let's find out.
"Let's go down the mountain and see our new neighbors," Dui said.
Instead of taking the easy way out by riding flying brooms, the group simply walked slowly down the mountain.
However, seeing the path overgrown with weeds and thorns and not paved, Dui silently decided to build a road later.
Otherwise, the place where I live doesn't even have a decent road, which is rather shabby.
Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, the first thing you encounter is a mosquito-infested marshland.
The Mosquito Marsh covers a vast area, almost entirely extending from the southwest of the Wind and Cloud Hills to the town of Buli. It is a huge swamp.
Dui looked at the swamp and began to make plans.
He thought that he could hire someone to dig up the swamp and turn it into a lake, just like the Black Lake at Hogwarts.
If you want to go to Fengyunding, you can take a boat across the lake or cross the high bridge.
Transform Fengyun Peak into a fortress that is easy to defend and difficult to attack.
After bypassing the mosquito-infested marshland, Dui and his companions arrived at the village near the swamp.
The appearance of strangers alerted the villagers, but when they saw that Du Yi and his group were coming from the direction of Fengyun Peak, and saw Du Yi's appearance, the villagers quickly went from being wary to being suspicious.
A boy dressed in simple linen clothes suddenly rushed out of the crowd.
He approached Dui and the others, his face beaming with surprise and excitement, and said, "Wizard Dui, you're back?"
Dui looked at the boy in front of him and quickly recalled the events in his mind.
"Are you Edward?"
The boy nodded, excited and honored.
"It's me, Wizard Duir. You've returned, haven't you?"
Dui nodded and asked the question that had been bothering him: "How did you get here? And what's the situation with this village and these villagers?"
"After you and Gandalf saved us and gave us money, most of us chose to walk west along the road, wanting to live in your land," said young Edward with excitement and admiration.
"The journey was just too long. We even encountered a group of orcs on the way, and we almost thought we were going to die!" Edward said, his face still showing lingering fear.
Upon hearing this, Dui and Gandalf immediately frowned.
They never expected that these villagers would encounter orcs. Had the orcs already ravaged the wasteland?
"And then?" Dui continued to ask.
"Later we encountered a group of rangers who quickly killed the orcs. When they heard that we had been rescued by you and the wizard Gandalf, they sent two of the rangers to escort us here."
Edward explained, "Oh, by the way, the leader of that group of rangers said he knew you. He said his name was Alpha."
"Alpha?" Dui was surprised to hear this, not expecting that it was Alpha and these Dunedan people who saved the villagers.
Subsequently, at Edward's warm invitation, Dui and his three companions were welcomed into the village.
Duy recognized some of the villagers; they were the people Duy and Gandalf had saved.
But there is still a small group of people that Dui has never met.
According to Edward's explanation, these people were people from the surrounding area who had heard of the black-robed wizard Duir and came here specifically to seek his protection.
Today, the name of Duir in the Black Robe is widely known throughout the Eliado region.
In this era, if the lower classes had no one to protect them, they would either be robbed by bandits, oppressed and exploited by the powerful, or even attacked by orcs, ogres, and so on. Their lives were precarious and their survival was extremely difficult.
Therefore, finding a lord who provides protection, especially a benevolent one, is a long-cherished hope for the common people.
Duir's deeds in helping the Hobbits defend against the tree invasion, dealing with the wraiths of the Ancient Mound, and rescuing the villagers captured by the ogres have long been known throughout the wasteland, and he has become a kind and compassionate figure in the hearts of many.
According to Edward, these people who came to join him were just the first group of people who were closest to him, and more and more people would come to join him later.
There are now more than 300 people in the village. If more people come, the village will have to be expanded and transformed into a small town.
Dui was also surprised when he heard this news.
The villagers had all gathered around, and those who had been rescued by Dui and Gandalf were now looking at Dui with surprise and excitement.
They traveled thousands of miles to settle here, hoping to gain Dui's protection and no longer live in constant fear.
But Dui hadn't come back for a while, and I felt empty and uneasy.
Now that Dui is back, they feel like they have a pillar of support and can finally relax completely.
The villagers who came to seek refuge looked at Dui from afar with awe and reverence, cautiously not daring to approach, fearing that Dui would reject them.
Dui looked at the villagers and asked, "Who is your village chief now?"
A tall, thin middle-aged man stepped forward and said respectfully, "Lord Duir, I am Luke, elected by the villagers to temporarily manage village affairs. However, the real village chief still needs to be appointed by you."
Dui looked at the respectful but composed middle-aged man with some curiosity.
"You don't seem to be someone I saved. Where did you come from before?"
Luke bowed. "Sir, I used to live in Brie."
Dui was genuinely surprised.
"You used to live in Buri Town? Then why did you come here?"
Located at the intersection of the East-West Avenue and the North-South Avenue, Brie enjoys convenient transportation and is a thriving commercial town.
There's nothing here at Fengyun Peak.
What's this guy named Luke doing here?
Faced with Dui's question, Luke dared not hide the truth: "My lord, I am the son of the previous mayor of Buri. Because I have a grudge against the current mayor, I heard that you have established your territory here, so I came here to seek your protection."
The moment Dui's gaze met Luke's, he instantly understood the reason for the matter from Luke's memories and immediately looked away.
It was nothing more than grudges arising from a change of power; Dui had little interest in such matters.
However, Luke, as the son of the previous mayor, is indeed a capable person.
Upon arriving, he quickly gained the villagers' approval and organized them to build houses, establishing a complete village from scratch.
They even started doing business with passing merchants.
Such talent will achieve great things wherever they go.
Now that he was certain the other party hadn't come with any ulterior motives and was a capable person, Dui nodded directly.
"Since you have gained the villagers' approval, then you can continue to serve as the village chief and manage affairs."
Upon hearing this, Luke couldn't help but show a look of joy on his face.
Although he had appeared calm and composed, he was still unsettled and unsure of Dui's impression of him.
If Duir has a bad impression of him, even if he gains the approval of the villagers, he can still decide whether to stay or leave with a single word.
Luke immediately knelt down on one knee, and solemnly swore an oath:
"I, Luke Thompson, in the name of the gods, swear allegiance to the great Lord of Amonsurtar, the Tree Slayer, the Slayer of Corpses, the Ogre Killer, the Nemesis of the Orks—Lord Duir!"
Upon seeing Luke's actions, the other villagers immediately knelt down, swearing allegiance to Dui, becoming his subjects, and accepting his rule.
Dui was taken aback by this sudden turn of events.
He immediately waved his hand and said, "I don't need your loyalty. You can stay here if you want. I can guarantee that you won't be harmed here."
Upon hearing this, Luke and the other villagers froze, their expressions a mixture of unease and disbelief.
Gandalf, seeing the uneasy villagers, sighed and advised Duy, "Duy, accept their allegiance."
Only by becoming your subjects can they live here in peace.
After listening to Gandalf's words and seeing the expectant and thoughtful expressions on the villagers' faces, Dui also had a headache.
Well, he really doesn't understand the thought process of people in this world.
He has already promised to let the villagers live here and assured them of protection, so why is he being asked to rule over them?
Are you even uneasy if you don't agree?
Seeing this, he had no choice but to nod and accept the villagers' loyalty.
Upon hearing that Dui had agreed, the villagers were overjoyed, as if they had finally found a place to belong.
Thus, the villagers became the first inhabitants of Dui.
All villagers can address Dui as "My Lord" as a sign of respect and subordination.
Gandalf, Bilbo, and Legolas, who witnessed this scene, all immediately congratulated Dui.
"Congratulations, Duir, you are now a lord with subjects!"
Gandalf congratulated him with a smile.
"Yes, Duir, should I start calling you Lord from now on?"
Bilbo joked excitedly, while also feeling thrilled and happy to have a lord as a friend.
Legolas didn't speak, but he had a big smile on his face.