The next day, close to noon, a hungover Fili finally groaned and slowly opened his eyes.
As soon as he opened his eyes, he heard people talking not far away.
However, Fili quickly saw himself lying on the ground, covered by a blanket, and his heart immediately sank, feeling completely unwell.
Especially when he recalled his last memory from last night, that his uncle was still at the banquet, his face instantly turned pale.
He wondered how long Thorin would scold him this time when he returned.
"Heh heh."
Just as Fili was worrying about how Thorin would scold him, a large hand rested beside him. Fili looked over and saw it was his younger brother, Kili.
Kili was still in his sleep, grinning foolishly, showing no signs of waking up.
Fili looked around; both the plates and tables had been cleared, leaving no trace of last night's banquet. Only a few other dwarf compatriots, not yet awake, were snoring like Kili.
However, Thorin and Arthur were chatting near the City Lord's position in the City Lord Hall, while the female warrior named Nepheli Loux was not in the City Lord Hall…
Wait, Uncle Thorin is in the City Lord Hall!?
Fili instinctively raised his hand and gave Kili a crisp slap across the face.
Unfortunately, Kili did not wake up, but mumbled something and rolled over, wanting to continue sleeping.
"Thwack."
Fili's second slap woke Kili up.
Kili opened his eyes and sat up, his expression first confused, then realizing it was his brother, he rolled his eyes and prepared to go back to sleep.
Originally, after Fili saw Kili wake up, and because Thorin's stern gaze had fallen upon them, he was showing him an awkward yet polite smile.
But Kili's immediate attempt to go back to sleep almost made Fili lose his composure. He quickly supported Kili's back with one hand, then used his other hand to pinch Kili's chin, turning his face towards Thorin.
This instantly banished all of Kili's sleepiness.
Arthur couldn't help but laugh at the dwarf brothers' clownish performance, saying to the serious-faced Thorin, "Thorin, don't be too strict with them."
Then he loudly called out to Fili and Kili, who were standing up with trembling legs, "Fili, Kili, do me a favor and wake up all your hungover compatriots. It's almost noon; it's not good to sleep any longer."
"Yes! Teacher Arthur!" Fili immediately reacted and quickly responded loudly.
Kili was still a bit dazed, and only after his brother lightly kicked him did he realize that Arthur was helping them both. He then quickly and deftly began to wake up their compatriots who were sleeping soundly on the floor, covered by blankets.
From Fili and Kili's movements, one could not tell that they had just woken up from a hangover.
One could only say that the pressure Thorin exerted on the two brothers was indeed quite significant.
Thorin also knew that Arthur was protecting the brothers from being scolded by him, and he sighed slightly, "You're going to spoil Fili and Kili this way, especially Fili. As the Crown Prince, he should be held to stricter standards."
Arthur smiled and said, "No matter what, they are students I am satisfied with. Fili and Kili clearly still have some playfulness. Let them play around a bit while they are young. If they were your age, I think even if you let them do this, they would feel it's not good."
Thorin was silent for a moment, nodded, and then asked curiously, "I have a question, Arthur. How old are you?"
Arthur did not answer immediately, but asked curiously, "Why do you ask that question, Thorin?"
Thorin replied, "Because you look like a human in their twenties or thirties, but your eyes are as weathered as if they've contained a world. Sometimes what you say sounds like those long-lived pointy-eared ones."
He specifically looked at Arthur's ears and then said, "And you don't have the pointy ears of Elves, which makes me a bit unsure of your age."
Arthur smiled, "Just assume I've lived a long time. I've long forgotten my exact age."
Arthur was not lying to Thorin on this point. In those eight cycles of reincarnation, he had stopped counting his age at some point, as it held no meaning, and gradually faded from his memory.
Thorin nodded noncommittally, then saw Fili and Kili, who were both waking their compatriots and curiously looking over, seemingly wanting to know the content of the conversation between Arthur and Thorin.
"Hmm?" Thorin let out a heavy, questioning hum through his nose, looking towards them.
Fili and Kili shuddered, shaking their heads repeatedly.
After waking the last compatriot lying on the ground, they did not forget to take all the blankets with them and left the City Lord Hall.
After Thorin watched Fili and Kili leave, his serious expression softened, and he said with a hint of indulgence, "Those two troublesome fellows."
"Everyone has that phase, and I think you've already done a good job educating Fili and Kili," Arthur said cheerfully.
Thorin hummed in agreement, then said, "I'm preparing to leave today."
Arthur was a bit surprised, "Why so soon? You just arrived yesterday and are leaving today. Is there something urgent?"
Thorin looked out the window, a relieved smile on his face, and said, "Actually, I originally wanted to stay here with you for a few more days, because Fili and Kili told me many things about this place, and I was curious how you personally rebuilt your homeland. But when I came here, I found that you have already achieved even greater results than I imagined, which makes me a bit jealous. So…"
He paused, then turned and patted Arthur's back, "So, I'm also a bit impatient to reclaim the Lonely Mountain; I don't want to stop for a moment. Convening the dwarf council will take a long time. Your conversation with me after the banquet last night made me realize that I actually have a lot of work I haven't prepared for. I can say I've hardly thought about how to face the giant dragon deep within the Lonely Mountain. Your words enlightened me, Arthur."
Arthur said, "Alright, since you're eager to return, I wish you a smooth journey back."
Thorin nodded, "However, I have one small request that I hope you can grant."
Arthur was a bit surprised, "What request?"
Thorin cleared his throat, "Actually, you've done it before. I want Fili and Kili to stay and continue learning that type of sorcery called 'Prayers' from you. And, I also want them both to learn combat techniques from Nepheli Loux. I will pay her a satisfactory tuition fee, so please help me speak to that powerful female warrior."
Prayers really isn't sorcery.
Arthur muttered to himself inwardly while nodding readily, "Of course, no problem. I was planning to check on how well the brothers have been learning Prayers this time anyway. As for Nepheli Loux, I can't really promise for her, but I will help you ask."
He thought of Nepheli Loux and shook his head with a smile, "She told me yesterday that she wasn't used to sitting in the City Lord Hall all day, so she told me and then ran off to patrol the territory with the soldiers. By the time the patrol ends, it will already be evening. If you're leaving today, you probably won't be able to wait for her to return and ask her yourself."
Thorin said, "It was also my spur-of-the-moment decision after last night's banquet. I am already very grateful that you agreed to my unreasonable request."
Thorin's actions were swift, one might even say decisive. Perhaps, as he said, Arthur's speed in rebuilding his homeland truly stimulated Thorin.
So he politely declined even Arthur's lunch invitation and left with a few empty carriages, leaving Fili and Kili looking at each other in confusion.
The two brothers were a bit unclear about the situation. When they found Arthur working in the City Lord Hall within Stormveil, they still looked bewildered.
Fili asked somewhat uncertainly, "Teacher Arthur, did Uncle Thorin get disappointed in us, which is why he didn't take us back?"
Kili also nodded frantically beside Fili, even looking a little wronged.
Huh? What's going on?
Arthur was baffled by Fili's cautious demeanor. Then, seeing Fili and Kili's expressions, he was amused by their anxious appearance.
"Thorin just had an urgent matter to return for; how could he leave you two here?" Arthur said with a laugh, "He didn't take you back because he wants you to continue learning Prayers with me. He also asked me to find Nepheli Loux to train your combat skills."
Kili's face brightened again, and he said to Fili, "I knew it, brother. Uncle Thorin wouldn't just abandon us without a word."
Fili, however, still frowned. He thought more deeply and asked, "Teacher Arthur, Uncle Thorin was in such a hurry to go back, did something happen in the Blue Mountains?"
Kili's expression changed again upon hearing this, and he held his breath, looking nervously at Arthur.
Arthur motioned for them not to overthink and replied, "Didn't Thorin tell me yesterday that he was going to convene a meeting of dwarf representatives from the Seven Kingdoms? You both heard it. He was in a hurry to go back because he realized he still had a lot of preparations to make for this meeting. So just relax and stay with me for a while."
Fili finally relaxed.
Arthur then signed his name on the last document he needed to confirm, exhaled, and looked at the dwarf brothers who hadn't left yet, saying, "Since you're still here, go to the courtyard outside and demonstrate for me. I want to see how well you've learned your Beast Prayers."
The results Fili and Kili showed did not exceed Arthur's expectations. Besides the Beast Claw Prayers they learned initially, they had also mastered Beast Stone, Wild Beast Vitality, and Beast Strength.
However, Fili and Kili had not learned Gurrang's Beast Claw and Gurrang's Beast Stone.
Fili, slightly out of breath, said to Arthur, "These are all the Prayers Kili and I have learned. In fact, half a week ago, he and I started studying the remaining Prayers in the book, but we just couldn't understand them."
Kili also said with a tired face, "Yes, Teacher Arthur. You told us Gurrang's story in detail, but we still can't learn these two Beast Prayers named after him."
Arthur nodded, smiled, and encouraged the somewhat dejected Fili and Kili, saying, "Don't be discouraged. It's already commendable that you've learned more than half of the Beast Prayers. The rest will come with time."
After all, the name Gurrang once signified the death of a demigod. Therefore, the Prayers named after him were naturally not as simple as ordinary Beast Prayers.
Arthur himself had learned these Prayers directly from Gurrang, while Fili and Kili could only rely on the text and illustrations in books. Thus, Arthur was not surprised.
Perhaps he should ask Teacher Sellen if she had any better methods.
Arthur had to admit that as a teacher, he was still too green.
Thinking of this, Arthur spoke to the dwarf brothers, "Fili, Kili, that's enough for today."
Fili and Kili bid farewell to Arthur and walked towards the street where the dwarves gathered, planning to have lunch there.
Arthur, meanwhile, returned to Stormveil and found Sellen, who had moved from the inn to Stormveil.
He gently knocked on the door, and Sellen's calm voice came from inside: "Come in, the door's unlocked. But watch your step, don't touch the glintstones and books."
Arthur then gently pushed open the door, carefully stepping over the glintstones and books scattered on the floor, and slowly walked into the room.
His gaze quickly swept across the room with thick curtains drawn, noticing that the various furnishings in the room were somewhat messy. Clearly, no one had tidied it up for some time.
At the end of the room stood a beautiful woman with long black hair. Sellen was not wearing her sorceress hood at this time, and the table in front of her was as messy as the floor, covered with various objects Arthur couldn't name.
When Sellen saw that the person who entered the room was Arthur, her calm tone turned to surprise, and then she said playfully, "What's wrong, my dear apprentice, do you have time to visit your master today?"
Arthur walked and said, "Master, you really should have someone clean this place up."
Sellen shook her head: "If a stranger tidies it up, I'll just lose what I'm looking for. It's fine as it is; I know where everything is."
Then Sellen raised her beautiful eyebrows, and a faint curve appeared on her pale red lips: "Of course, if it's you, my apprentice, helping to clean up, I wouldn't object."
Arthur glanced at the terribly messy room and spread his hands: "It's not impossible, but not now. I have a question I'd like to ask you, Teacher Sellen."
Then Arthur explained the problem the dwarf brothers encountered to Sellen, but he saw Sellen looking at him with her bright eyes, a half-smile on her face.
Arthur pointed to himself: "Is there anything strange about me?"
Sellen sighed lightly, shaking her head as if amused: "My dear apprentice, do you think everyone is like you, able to learn any Prayers and Glintstone Magic in a very short time?"
Arthur looked confused. Sellen, seeing that he was still unaware of his own situation, decided to skip this topic.
She turned around, picked up a blue scroll pressed under a glintstone, and said, "Let's put the dwarves' problem aside for now; they'll learn those two Prayers eventually with enough time. Come here, I also have a new discovery to tell you."
Arthur walked over. Sellen unfolded the blue scroll in her hand and handed it to him, saying, "Didn't we discover before that dwarves couldn't learn Glintstone Magic no matter what?"
Arthur nodded: "That's correct."
Sellen reached out, her fair finger pointing to a section of text on the blue scroll, and a mysterious smile appeared on her face: "dwarves indeed cannot knock on the door of magic..."
"But Elves can."