Facing Thorin's doubts, Luke maintained a cold attitude.
"Since I promised to help you reclaim the Lonely Mountain, I naturally won't go back on my word."
As for whether the other party lived or died in the end, he couldn't control that.
After all, he had only promised to help him reclaim the Lonely Mountain, not any other demands.
Thorin didn't catch the deeper meaning in Luke's words and smiled upon hearing them.
"I'm glad to hear your answer. Don't worry, once I reclaim the Lonely Mountain, you will not only receive one-tenth of the treasure as per the agreement,
but also the friendship of our Durin clan!"
Just then, a cry of surprise rang out.
Gandalf, with a whoosh, rode his flying broomstick into the sky, flying with great agility and freedom.
With agile turns and thrilling dives, Gandalf seemed to be glued to the flying broomstick. His skill and speed were comparable to the best Quidditch players, completely unlike an old man in his seventies or eighties.
Watching this scene, Luke was so jealous he felt like his cells were about to split.
Why was the gap between people so vast?
He hadn't even told Gandalf how to ride a flying broomstick, yet the old man had already figured it out on his own.
And he flew better than him!
Gandalf, like an old prankster who had found a beloved toy, circled around on the flying broomstick before landing, still not quite satisfied.
"Haha, this flying broomstick is truly amazing! With it, I can go anywhere in Middle-earth!"
Seeing how much Gandalf liked it, Luke smiled and said, "If you like it, I'll make you a flying broomstick when the journey to the Lonely Mountain is over."
Gandalf's eyes lit up, and he showed no intention of being modest with Luke.
"Don't worry, Luke, I will make you the most powerful staff, and then teach you one of my unique little tricks."
He even winked when he mentioned the little trick.
Luke was very curious about the unique little trick Gandalf mentioned.
After all, as a Maia, anything Gandalf called a unique skill would certainly not be ordinary.
Unfortunately, Gandalf deliberately kept Luke in suspense, not intending to reveal it just yet.
Seeing Bilbo and the Dwarves also eyeing the flying broomstick, Luke let them try the broom.
However, the Dwarves and hobbits clearly had no magic, so they couldn't activate the flying broomstick and had to regretfully give up the idea of flying on it.
But even if they couldn't fly it themselves, they could be carried.
Gandalf was very willing to be a rider, taking each of these people to Lake-Town, and letting them experience flying at the same time.
So, amidst the Dwarves' exclamations, the Dwarves Kili, Fili, and Balin—one by one—boarded the "Gandalf Express" aerial taxi, heading to the final destination, Lake-Town also known as the Dale.
Luke also hitched a ride with Gandalf, and then he never wanted to experience it again.
This old man's driving speed was even crazier than his own, a young man, pushing the limits the entire time.
Throughout the process, Luke worried that the broom he had painstakingly made, fresh out of the factory, would disintegrate and be scrapped in mid-air.
However, it wasn't until Gandalf brought back the last, and heaviest, Bofur, swaying precariously, that the flying broomstick hadn't disintegrated, and Luke secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Thanks to the flying broomstick, everyone arrived at Lake-Town earlier than previously expected.
Lake-Town was located at the foot of the Lonely Mountain; everyone was not far from their destination.
[Hogwarts Sign-in System: Location Lake-Town, do you wish to sign in?]
As soon as Luke landed, the system immediately reacted.
Luke's heart stirred, and he silently thought, "Sign in."
[Sign-in successful! Congratulations on obtaining "The Wizard's Oath"!]
Seeing the book title, Luke curiously flipped through it.
It turned out to be a book about magic contracts, containing various contractual magic, including the Unbreakable Vow, the Fidelius Charm, and Blood Pacts.
The Unbreakable Vow was an extremely strict magic contract. Those who made the vow had to keep their promise; if they broke it, they would suffer a magical backlash and die.
The Fidelius Charm, on the other hand, was magic used for secrecy, requiring a Secret-Keeper to forever hide a secret within their soul. Unless the Secret-Keeper voluntarily revealed it, no one else, no matter what method they used, could discover the secret, not even with Veritaserum or Legilimency.
As for Blood Pacts, they were interesting. Those who made a Blood Pact could not harm each other. Dumbledore and Grindelwald had once made a Blood Pact, and its greater use was that it allowed them to share each other's souls and magic, making it a kind of life-and-death magic contract.
Luke was very happy to obtain contractual magic.
Although contractual magic had no offensive power, it was very useful and powerful in certain aspects.
He even had an impulse now to pull Thorin into making a new magic contract, so that when Thorin's dragon sickness flared up,
he wouldn't dare to break the contract.
However, after thinking about it, he decided against it; there was no need to make things so complicated.
If Thorin dared to violate the contract and not give him the share of treasure they had originally agreed upon,
then he would learn how unwise it was to offend a Wizard.
Having obtained contractual magic through signing in, Luke's magical scope broadened, and he began to excitedly study the contents.
As for everyone who had arrived at Lake-Town, they were not in a hurry to go to the Lonely Mountain immediately.
Instead, they stayed in a house that Luke had repaired with magic.
Because there was still some time until Durin's Day.
And according to the information Elrond had deciphered from the map, they only needed to reach the back entrance of the Lonely Mountain on Durin's Day, and when the last ray of light shone on the keyhole, they would be able to open the back door and enter the Lonely Mountain.
Everyone stayed in Lake-Town, beginning to discuss the plan and preparations for entering the Lonely Mountain.
Gandalf saw that Thorin was still stubbornly insistent on going to the Lonely Mountain, and the other Dwarves would not defy his orders. To prevent Thorin and the others from making a mess and angering the dragon Smaug, he could only offer guidance, refining the Dwarves' rough plan.
Everyone's task was only one: to steal the arkenstone as discreetly as possible, without the dragon noticing.
Avoiding direct confrontation with the dragon Smaug.
Once the arkenstone was obtained, Thorin could officially become the King Under the Mountain and use it to rally the seven clans of Dwarves, gathering the strength of the seven clans to deal with the dragon and reclaim the Lonely Mountain.
However, the dragon was very familiar and sensitive to the scent of Dwarves and humans; once they got close, the dragon would detect them.
Therefore, the hobbit—Bilbo—who had stealth abilities and was unknown to the dragon, became the only choice.
As long as Bilbo secretly stole the arkenstone from under the dragon's nose, they wouldn't have to face the dragon's threat.
But this plan was strongly opposed by Gandalf.
Because the dragon was already awake, any slight disturbance would not escape its eyes. Even if Bilbo possessed the hobbit's stealth talent, it would be very difficult for him not to be discovered by the dragon.
Sending Bilbo to steal the arkenstone from under the dragon's nose, what was the difference between that and sending him to his death?
But ultimately, Bilbo's volunteering still made Gandalf fall silent.