I was looking around the Hobbit village. The quaintly decorated houses made me feel as if I had stepped into a fairy tale. Unlike human villages, the roads were well-maintained, and flowers were planted everywhere, so there was no foul smell.
"Are humans really the only dirty ones in this world?"
The Orcs on Sauron's side were likely worse, but setting them aside for now, the human villages were truly disappointing. Perhaps Edoras in Rohan or Minas Tirith would be a bit better since they were more developed.
While exploring the village, I found a place that served both food and drink, so I went inside and ordered a meal and some alcohol. Unlike the human villages, the interior of this restaurant was clean, so I didn't have to worry about hygiene.
"Finally, I'm eating a proper dish."
The Hobbits' food was edible. However, since it was cooked without modern seasonings, it was inevitably a bit bland.
"Hey, hey, look over there! He looks like an Elf. He's incredibly handsome.""You're right, he is very handsome.""He's human. His ears aren't long.""What? A human? There's a human that looks like that?"
Whisper, whisper...
'I can hear everything, you know.'
The Hobbits whispered as they looked at me. I tried not to pay them any mind, but they were talking so loudly I couldn't help but hear.
'Well, I'm the one staring at them too, so I suppose we're even.'
After finishing my meal and paying, I went back outside to continue my tour. The Hobbits were fine in every other way, but there was one peculiar thing: they all walked around barefoot. These small people had cute faces, but their feet were large and covered in coarse hair, which felt a bit mismatched.
After walking around and exploring for a while, I finally found Bilbo's house, the one I had seen in the movies.
'Oh~ So this is where it all begins.'
While I was admiring the house, someone tapped me on the side from behind.
"Why are you staring so intently at my house?"
When I looked to my side, Bilbo Baggins, the protagonist of the Hobbit movie, was standing there. He held a pipe and questioned me.
"Ah~ You must be the owner. The house is so beautiful that I couldn't help but admire it for a bit."
Bilbo seemed pleased by my compliment and invited me inside with a smile.
"Haha! Is that so? I put quite a bit of effort into building it. Would you like to come in for a cup of tea and see the interior?"
"Oh~ That would be great! Thank you for the invitation."
"This way."
We entered the house together. It was definitely small, but the interior was charmingly decorated using wood and brick.
"It's wonderful! Great light and a fantastic interior."
"Ahaha, you flatter me. Please, have a seat. I'll prepare some tea for you."
The smile never left Bilbo's face as I praised his home. We drank tea and talked, though most of it was him boasting about his house. I just listened to it all.
"This is a gift in return for your hospitality."
I took a tea set out of my inventory and presented it to Bilbo.
"Oh~ Thank you."
Bilbo took the tea set out of the box and spoke in admiration.
"Wow~ I've never seen such an exquisite tea set. It looks incredibly expensive. Are you sure you can give this to me?"
"Of course. I enjoyed seeing such a fine home, so it's only right that I show my gratitude. Well, I should be going now."
I stood up. Bilbo walked me out.
"If you're ever in the village again, please stop by for a visit."
"Sure, I'll see you next time."
After finishing my visit at Bilbo's house, I left the Shire, passed through Bree again, and headed toward Rivendell. I skipped the human villages along the way.
As soon as I arrived at Rivendell, the Elves were on high alert. My face was already well-known, so they all knew I was a dragon.
"May I ask what brings you here?"
"I'm just traveling. This is the only Elven territory nearby, so I wanted to see it."
"I see. Please wait a moment."
After saying that, one Elf hurried off somewhere. He likely went to inform Elrond.
I took a chair out of my inventory and sat down to wait. Soon, an Elf came back and guided me to Elrond's house. The Elves also lived in beautiful houses along well-ordered paths.
"What business do you have in my domain?"
"I'm just traveling. I'm on my way back from the Shire. I came to visit because this is the only Elven domain nearby."
"I see. Very well. However, I hope you won't cause any trouble."
"As long as no one attacks me, that won't happen. Also, this is a gift for my visit."
Once again, I presented Elrond with a tea set. Elrond took it and spoke with a slight smile.
"I suppose I have lived a long time. To think I'd receive a gift from a dragon. However, there is something I'm curious about. May I ask?"
"Go ahead."
"I've heard that dragons are obsessed with one particular thing. What are you obsessed with?"
"For me, it's magic. That's why I've spent a long time researching it alone."
"I see. That explains why you can use so many different types of magic."
Elrond seemed significantly relieved. In fact, not much is known about dragons in the Lord of the Rings world, but one thing that can be inferred is their intense greed or obsession with something. For example, Smaug's obsession with gold was legendary. It seemed Elrond was worried I was the type of obsessed dragon that would cause problems.
Elrond called for someone outside. A female Elf entered.
"This is my daughter, Arwen. She will guide you through the domain during your stay."
"I see. Very well."
Arwen was a stunning beauty with black hair, just like in the original source material. Under Arwen's guidance, I looked around and explored the Elven domain. I quite liked the Elven architecture and the tidy surroundings, but the one thing I really didn't like was the food. It was incredibly bland. It felt like what Western-style monk food might taste like. At least the bread was soft and palatable.
"Elves manage to survive on this stuff, I see."
When I said this, Arwen, who was sitting across from me eating, spoke with understanding.
"I understand. Compared to other races, we have no meat dishes, and the flavors are rather subtle."
"Do Elves not eat meat?"
"We eat it occasionally. But it is not our staple diet."
"I see."
I added a bit of Magic White Powder (MSG) to the soup the Elves had made for me and mixed it in. Arwen asked about the powder, curious.
"What is that powder?"
"It's a magic powder that makes food delicious."
"Oh~ Could I try some as well?"
"Sure."
I sprinkled the same powder into Arwen's soup.
"Mix it well before you eat."
"Understood."
Arwen mixed her soup well, took a spoonful, and looked incredibly surprised.
"Th-this is unbelievable! It's delicious!"
"Right?"
"Dragon magic is truly mysterious."
Arwen seemed to genuinely mistake it for magic. Even Elves couldn't escape the savory umami of MSG.
"I called it magic, but it's not actually magic. It's made by refining and fermenting various plants. It's called 'Magic White Powder' because it makes food taste magically delicious, but technically, it's not magic."
"Ah, I see. Still, it truly makes it delicious enough to be compared to magic."
I gave Arwen a bag of the Magic White Powder as a gift.
"Here, a gift for you."
"Oh~ Thank you so much."
It was a truly awkward sight to see Arwen in the Lord of the Rings world looking so happy holding a bag labeled 'Mi-won'.
"Don't use too much. Just a little. Using too much can actually ruin the taste of the food."
"I see. Noted."
We finished our meal and drank tea in a sunny spot.
"At least the tea is good."
"It is, isn't it? Elven tea is famous for its quality. By the way, I heard that all dragons are arrogant, violent, and cruel, but looking at you, that doesn't seem to be entirely true."
Arwen seemed to find it fascinating that I was different from other dragons.
"No, those descriptions are correct. I used to be like that too. I thought other races couldn't compare to the greatness of dragons. My kin felt the same. But while researching magic, I realized something: there's a limit to what one can achieve with solo knowledge. So, by learning various things, I've come to acknowledge that there's a lot worth learning in this world."
I felt like the rank of my [Swindler] ability might go up again at this rate.
"I see. That is a relief."
I stood up and said,
"There was much to see in the Elven domain. I enjoyed myself. I'll visit again sometime."
"You're leaving already? I thought you would stay for a few days."
"No, this is enough. It seems many people are nervous because of me, after all."
"I see."
As I was about to leave on my horse with Arwen seeing me off, she asked me a question.
"If it's not too much trouble, could I visit the Dragon's Tower in the future?"
"Sure, come whenever you like. It's close, anyway. But I don't know if I'll be there. I've been traveling a lot lately."
Arwen looked quite disappointed at that.
I left Rivendell and moved north, stopping briefly at my home, the Dragon's Tower. The miniature model was still there, and seeing the sign was still intact, it seemed no one had visited. I considered resting for a bit but decided to continue moving north. When resting along the way, I pulled out the Talaria camping car, used stealth, and floated it high in the sky. Sleeping on the ground was out of the question.
Continuing on, I saw Isengard, but I ignored it and passed by because I didn't know what crazy things Saruman might do. It felt a bit burdensome to mess with Saruman before the original story even began.
Anyway, as I continued south, the White Mountains came into view, so I turned east and entered Rohan. Rohan was a land of vast plains, perfect for riding a horse. Perhaps it's because of this environment that the Rohirrim cavalry is so strong.
After a few days of admiring the scenery, I arrived at Edoras. Edoras was the capital of Rohan, built on a hill that rose from the plains, so it was visible from quite far away.
Interestingly, it made little sense to me why Rohan, which was constantly at war with Orcs, would build their capital using wooden structures on such an exposed, windy hill. It would be incredibly vulnerable to fire attacks. Furthermore, they hadn't even built anything like a moat.
"How strange... Why did they build the capital here? It looks like a giant pile of firewood."
I set my doubts aside and entered Edoras. Fortunately, whether it was because it was the capital or because the air circulation on the high hill was good, there was no foul smell. Judging by the horse dung along the road as I entered, it was likely the latter.
"Good grief, human cities and villages are the most disappointing. Can't they clean up a bit?"
I dismounted and looked around. People stared at me curiously, but I didn't pay them much mind as I wandered. The architecture of Rohan was very similar to the Viking style. I didn't go near the royal palace specifically. I only explored the town to avoid unnecessary conflict.
Seeing how grimy people looked, I gave up on eating. Hygiene was one thing, but the bread for sale in the market was as hard as a rock. I wondered how they could even eat such a thing.
"Wow... The food of the Hobbits and Elves was actually quite good in comparison."
After some moderate sightseeing, I was about to leave on my horse. However, some soldiers approached me.
"The King summons you."
"Hmm?"
I stopped and entered a large wooden house, which was too humble to be called a palace, and met the King of Rohan. At this time, the king was Fengel, the grandfather of Theoden. He had a poor reputation as a king who lusted after gold and food and had a very foul temper. I didn't want to meet him, but since he was a king, I didn't refuse and went along.
Fengel had one son and two daughters. I had encountered a woman while exploring the town earlier, and seeing her blushing next to the king, I figured out the situation. This woman was likely Fengel's daughter.
"You are clearly a human, but how can you have such beautiful looks?"
"I'm sorry, King of Rohan, but I am not human."
"Then what is your true identity? You do not look like an Elf."
"I am a dragon. I come from the Dragon's Tower."
"Wh-what???!!!"
King Fengel seemed greatly shocked by my words.
"I am currently traveling. I am touring various cities."
Naturally, he didn't believe me easily.
"Do you expect me to believe those words?"
I simply created a large fireball and showed it to them. The soldiers immediately drew their swords, tensed up. The King was also flustered.
"Don't worry, I'm just traveling. I have no intention of harming you."
After saying that, I dispelled the fireball. Fengel, clearly terrified, spoke in a tense voice while breaking out in a cold sweat.
"I... I see. Very well. I hope you will leave quickly."
"I was planning on it anyway."
I walked out of the palace and left Edoras on my horse. Sometimes, demonstrating power was indeed the easiest way to resolve things.