Stars dotted the night sky, and the tavern named "Prancing Pony Inn" glowed faintly on the street.
The young inn servant at the entrance, responsible for guiding guests, diligently showed Thorin and the others to the stables for their horses. Arthur, however, took advantage of the servant's inattention to recall Torrent into his horse Whistle.
Of course, the servant's diligence might also have been due to Thorin giving him a silver coin.
Nevertheless, Thorin still had Fili and Kili stay in the stables first, lest the servant do anything strange to their mounts, which were crucial for their expedition.
Thorin and the others then entered the Prancing Pony Inn.
As Thorin pushed open the heavy oak door, a lively atmosphere, tinged with the scent of wine and food, wafted out.
Inside the tavern, candlelight flickered, casting shifting shadows. Crude brass lamps hung from the wooden beams, shedding warm light into every corner.
Patrons sat around carved wooden tables, their laughter and chatter filling the air. They either talked loudly or whispered softly, with the occasional crisp clinking of silver cutlery.
At the bar, the bartender busily moved about, his hands deftly dancing in the air as he mixed various drinks. Each time he finished a drink, he would gently place it on the bar, leaving a trail of fine, elongated foam.
Near the fireplace, several farmer-like individuals sat together, their faces covered in dirt, their noses and cheeks reddened by alcohol, yet their simple smiles remained evident.
They raised their cups in a toast, the firelight reflecting on their faces as they occasionally waved their arms, gesturing exaggerated stories.
The waitress, who was also the daughter of the Prancing Pony Inn's proprietor, wore a neat black dress and had her light blonde hair tied into a short ponytail, moving between every table in the hall.
Thorin and his companions entering did not quiet the tavern's noise; instead, it grew louder, and conversations gradually shifted towards "why a large group of dwarves suddenly appeared here."
Although Thorin and his group were numerous, fortunately, the ground floor hall of the Prancing Pony Inn was spacious enough, and there were several empty tables in the corner.
Thorin and his group occupied that area. The waitress approached with a smile, asking kindly, "What would you like to eat? Are you staying the night?"
She then quickly observed the composition of Thorin's party and added with a smile, "Although we don't have rooms specifically for dwarves, we do have several excellent hobbit rooms. Of course, we also have normal-sized rooms for your stay."
Thorin pulled a heavy coin purse from his waist and tossed enough silver coins onto the waitress's tray. The crisp clinking of the coins made her smile broadly and her eyes light up.
Thorin said, "Give each of us two pieces of pure wheat bread, a bowl of seasonal vegetable soup, a pork sausage, half a block of cheese, and a portion of fruit. Also, prepare enough rooms for us to stay; we don't need hobbit rooms, just regular human-sized rooms will do."
The waitress replied cheerfully, "No problem, I guarantee you'll be satisfied."
After she finished speaking, she was about to turn and leave.
But Thorin had a sudden thought and called out to her, "Wait."
The waitress turned around, still smiling, and asked, "Is there anything else I can help you with?"
Thorin pointed to Bilbo, who was rubbing his sore thighs, and said, "Give him a separate, excellent hobbit room."
The waitress, holding her tray, bowed gracefully: "As you wish."
Bilbo looked at Thorin in surprise, opened his mouth, and pointed to himself: "Me?"
Thorin glanced indifferently at Bilbo and said, "Cherish this last night of having a warm bed to sleep soundly in, Master Burglar. Once we leave Bree, the feather-filled pillows and bedding will be gone from you forever."
Bilbo closed his mouth, but put on an expression that said, "I was already mentally prepared."
Because Arthur and Thorin's group were large, the waitress made five trips back and forth before all the food Thorin ordered was delivered.
Arthur, Bernal, Millison, and Igon sat at one table, while Thorin, Fili, Kili, Dwalin, and Balin squeezed together, and Dori, Ori, Nori, Oin, and Gloin sat on high seats.
Because Bombur was the largest and fattest, he could only share a table with his brothers, Bifur and Bofur.
He immediately ate the half-block of cheese that had just been served on his plate, chewed it contentedly a few times, and then reached for the table, but didn't find the pint of ale he'd imagined.
"Oh, if only I could drink, I'd love to have a good swig," he complained softly to Bofur.
Bofur, who was just eating the pork sausage on his plate, stole a glance at Thorin after hearing Bombur's words, then whispered, "I don't think Thorin will allow drinking tonight, at least not to get drunk. I'm afraid the next time we drink will have to wait until we reach the Lonely Mountain."
Bilbo sat with Gandalf and Igon, feeling much better about the soreness in his thighs.
Arthur sat at the table next to theirs. He had just picked up the pure wheat bread from his plate when he frowned, though his actions didn't stop.
Bernal's smiling voice came over: "You noticed it too?"
Arthur chewed the food in his mouth, swallowed, and then, while picking up the vegetable soup, said, "How many people are watching here?"
Bernal, like Arthur, acted normally while eating the food on his plate, but he had already subtly scanned the bustling hall of the Prancing Pony Inn.
After hearing Arthur's question, he chuckled softly: "Four in total, like three different groups. Two bearded men by the window, a squint-eyed man by the bar, and a bald, one-eyed fellow mixed in with those drunk farmers. They've been watching us since we entered the Prancing Pony Inn. At first, I thought it was just simple curiosity about the dwarves and us, since we're both wearing armor. But did you also notice the killing intent in their eyes just now? It wasn't directed at us, but at your dwarf friends."
Arthur ate and laughed, as if chatting about something interesting with Bernal: "Hmm, a bit interesting. I rarely come to such crowded environments. If they hadn't failed to conceal their gazes when looking at me, I might not have noticed that Thorin was already being watched. But the only thing I don't understand is, who exactly is watching Thorin and his group?"
Bernal said, "That's simple. We have a lot of people now. These individuals definitely won't make a move. But once they go outside… you and I each take two."
Arthur chuckled: "No, to be safe, let's call another helper. Four is too many. Kill one, and see what the other three say."
As he spoke, he looked at Millison, who had heard their conversation but hadn't spoken.
Millison simply returned a confident smile.
Just as they were talking, the two black-bearded men by the window seemed to confirm something, exchanged glances, tossed a few copper coins on the table, and stood up to walk outside.
Arthur's gaze met Bernal's and Millison's. No sooner had the two bearded men left the Prancing Pony Inn than Arthur stood up and stretched.
"I'm going to relieve myself," Arthur said with a smile to Thorin and Gandalf, who were looking at him, then found the waitress and very politely asked her for the location of the restroom.
Gandalf was smoking, his face obscured by the exhaled smoke, his eyes narrowed.
It was clear that the wizard had also noticed some issues; likely, only the dwarves had not yet realized they were being watched.
The Prancing Pony Inn's restroom was in the complete opposite direction of the main entrance, so when Arthur walked towards the restroom, the remaining two people who were still watching Thorin didn't find it suspicious.
Arthur arrived alone at the Prancing Pony Inn's restroom, and after confirming no one was around, he squatted down. His entire body suddenly seemed to be covered in a dark gauze, and then his figure vanished.
The [Veil of Invisibility] he had previously shown to Gandalf and Thorin finally came in handy.
Arthur smoothly and quickly returned to the Prancing Pony Inn's main hall. No one could see a man in armor walking while crouching, not even when Arthur left the Prancing Pony Inn.
The two bearded men hadn't gone far; they were walking briskly down the street less than fifty meters from Arthur.
Walking on a deserted street at night presented too great an opportunity.
Arthur stared at the two men with cold eyes, thinking to himself.
"Are you sure, brother? Is that the Thorin we're looking for? Those dwarves all look almost identical, I can't tell," one of the bearded men, dressed in a dark brown cloth and with a scimitar at his waist, asked his companion.
The other bearded man replied confidently, "Of course, I'm certain that the leading dwarf is definitely Thorin. Unlike you, who just arrived here from the Black Lands, I've been to the Blue Mountains and seen him in person. He matches the features in the portrait, it must be him."
His expectation solidified in the air, but his companion's praise did not reach his ears as hoped.
He felt a strange confusion and slowly turned his head. The sight before him instantly froze him—Arthur's fist, accompanied by a whistling wind, swept across like an iron hammer, mercilessly striking his forehead.
The bearded man's vision went black, and he fell to the ground without even being able to make a sound.
"Hey, what great sleep quality. If Bilbo had your sleep quality, I wouldn't have heard his quiet nagging every night," Arthur said, dragging both men into the shadows beside the street.
And everything went unseen by anyone, as it was very late, and outside was dark and cold, so everyone was in their warm homes.
At the same time, inside the Prancing Pony Inn, the bald, one-eyed man who was mingled among the drunken farmers was also preparing to leave.
The bald, one-eyed man quietly rose, his wide cloak concealing his figure.
He deliberately paused, looking around as if waiting for something.
However, the people inside the inn were busy with their own affairs, and no one noticed his actions.
Finally, after confirming that no one was paying attention to him, he slowly walked out of the inn.
Millison also waited until the bald, one-eyed man had left the inn, then announced to the waitress that she was tired and needed to rest.
The waitress immediately understood, smiling as she led Millison through the inn's bustling common room, up the quaint wooden stairs, and quietly brought her to a guest room on the second floor.
After Millison entered the guest room and closed the door, her expression, which had been smiling towards the waitress, instantly turned cold, as if she had become a different person.
She pushed open the window of the second-floor guest room, and the cold wind rushed into the room like a wolf, swirling her fiery crimson long hair.
Millison's golden eyes were fixed on the bald, one-eyed man walking alone outside. Her slender, lithe body agilely flipped out the window, like a leopard in the jungle, nimbly and silently leaping onto the moss-covered rooftop.
Her light body left almost no trace in the night, only a faint sound on the tiles.
Inside the Prancing Pony Inn, the charcoal fire crackled, and Bernal's smile appeared exceptionally bright in the firelight.
He gently put down the empty ceramic bowl in his hand, its warmth still lingering, and the wooden spoon tapped a crisp sound against the rim of the bowl.
Bernal stood up, like a hunting leopard, his gaze sharp and direct, piercing towards the last squinting man in the corner.
The squinting man sensed this gaze, and his body stiffened slightly.
He wanted to stand up immediately and leave, to leave the Prancing Pony Inn, but he felt as if he was being targeted by an extremely terrifying monster.
If he dared to move even an inch, his body would be cut in half by a sharp blade in the next second.
At this moment, Bilbo cautiously asked from a nearby table, "What's wrong with you all? Why are Arthur, Millison, and you all getting up one after another? Are you hiding something from me?"
And Thorin's questioning gaze also came over; even he, no matter how slow, had noticed Arthur and their unusual behavior.
Gandalf gestured to Bernal not to worry about Bilbo, and with a chuckle, took over the conversation, saying to him and the dwarves, "It seems after a good meal and drinks tonight, there's a good show waiting for us, Thorin, Bilbo."
Bernal strode forward, each step on the wooden floor making a dull, rhythmic sound. His smile gradually faded, and the squinting man's mouth twitched, his face pale as he sat leaning against the window.
The other people inside the Prancing Pony Inn also felt this invisible pressure, and their voices quieted down.
The squinting man moved his lips, about to loudly scream and accuse Bernal of being a bandit, attempting to cause brief panic in the inn, but he was interrupted by a sudden sound of footsteps.
The innkeeper's daughter was coming down from the second floor; she had just led Millison to her room a short while ago and was now coming down.
Her arrival seemed to inject a calming breath into the tense atmosphere.
Bernal smiled slightly, enthusiastically spread his arms, and quickly walked to the squinting man's side, loudly laughing and saying to him, "What a coincidence, Rykard! I never thought I'd meet you here; it's been seven years since we last met, hasn't it! How have you been lately? Hey, could you bring us two more pints of premium red wine! Let's celebrate my reunion with a friend!"
The waitress clearly didn't know what was happening, and upon hearing Bernal's words, she smiled happily and nodded, "Of course, please wait a moment, I'll go get them for you now."
Then Bernal truly acted like he was meeting a long-lost friend, directly putting his arm around the squinting man's shoulders. However, in a place where others couldn't see, a sharp small knife was pressed against the squinting man's waist.
"I don't expect to pry any information out of your mouth, do you understand what I mean?" Bernal let out a loud laugh, then, without changing his expression, said in a low voice into the squinting man's ear.
The squinting man's heart tightened, and he also pretended to be overjoyed at reuniting with a friend, chatting and laughing with Bernal.
Although it was just Bernal talking unilaterally, he only nodded and said things like "Hmm," "Right," "Okay."
Seeing this completely normal appearance, the others didn't pay any more attention and continued with what they were doing earlier.
If Arthur were to hear Bernal's address for the squinting man now, he would probably burst out laughing.