With the arrival of the dwarven craftsmen, the construction project at Weathertop officially commenced. The dwarves demonstrated their professional expertise, meticulously surveying the terrain from the mountaintop to the base, leaving no area unchecked, and continuously refining their blueprints.
"We plan to build a grand castle covering the entire mountaintop, centered around Amon Sûl..." Balin unfurled a complete design blueprint and pointed at it as he spoke. "In addition, I propose excavating underground tunnels within the mountain itself, serving as a rear entrance leading directly from the castle to the marshland at the foot. Then, we can dig out the marsh to form a lake encircling Weathertop."
"This will not only create a natural barrier but also provide an escape route. If the front gate is ever blocked, we can retreat through the underground passage to the lakeside dock and depart by boat."
Luke nodded repeatedly as he listened to Balin's suggestions.
Balin's design aligned perfectly with his own vision—now, it resembled the Hogwarts Castle from his memories even more. "Then let's proceed according to your plan, Balin," Luke decided, slapping the table. "I trust your judgment!"
Balin grinned in response, thumping his chest in assurance. "I'll build you the most magnificent castle!"
Luke was equally excited, though his mind was already calculating how to squeeze more gold out of that miserly dragon. After all, while the dwarves had agreed to help construct the castle, their labor wasn't free. Building materials, tools, and other necessities would incur massive costs—not to mention the dwarves' food and, especially, their liquor expenses, which would be no small burden.
"Augh! Master, you might as well kill me now!" In the cellar, Smaug let out a wail so mournful it sounded as if his parents had died twice over. He sprawled his massive body over the treasure hoard like a dead pig, refusing to budge. "The treasure is already pitifully small, and now you want to spend it on building a castle?! How much will even be left after this?! You promised me a mountain of gold, and instead of seeing it grow, I have to watch my coins vanish! Woe is me!"
His resentful glare and pitiful cries might have made an outsider think Luke had committed some unspeakable cruelty against him.
Luke rolled his eyes and kicked him irritably. "Move!"
Smaug clung stubbornly to the treasure, not even twitching—even using his tail to subtly sweep more coins beneath his body.
Luke was so exasperated he almost laughed. Narrowing his eyes, he pulled out the divine spear Aeglos from his spatial bag and poked threateningly at the dragon.
Feeling the sharp sting of the spearpoint, Smaug stiffened before grudgingly shifting half his body aside, grumbling all the while.
Expressionless, Luke put away the spear and began scooping gold into his spatial bag. Watching his wealth disappear before his eyes, Smaug felt as though his heart was bleeding.
"Master, stop! I'll work for you! Just leave me some gold!"
Luke paused, raising an eyebrow in surprise. "You'll work for me?"
"Yes! I'll help build the castle! I can haul massive stones from afar, flatten hills with my tail, and melt steel with my dragonfire—I'm far more useful than those greedy dwarves!"
To save his gold, Smaug was willing to go all out.
And so, in the days that followed, the construction crew at Weathertop gained a new member—a mighty dragon.
The castle required sturdy stone. The dwarves found suitable granite for construction in the Weather Hills north of Weathertop. They quarried massive blocks, piled them up, and left the aerial transport to Smaug, who carried them to the mountaintop. The dwarves then assembled them like building blocks.
Smaug even flew thousands of miles to the Trollshaws, uprooting ancient, hardy trees to serve as construction materials. Every day, his busy figure could be seen laboring away.
With the dragon's assistance, the efficiency and speed of the castle's construction skyrocketed. According to Balin's estimates, the original construction timeline of over a year had been shortened to just three months. Even the most costly expenses—stone and timber—were resolved by Smaug's efforts. The biggest expenditure now was the liquor bill for a thousand dwarven craftsmen: The Prancing Pony's ale supply was nearly monopolized, and its proprietor, couldn't stop grinning.
As a result, Smaug's gaze toward the dwarves grew increasingly hostile...