Inside Thorin's hall.
Luke met Thorin Oakenshield again, only half a day later.
"It's you, the black-robed Wizard." A hint of surprise flashed in Thorin's sharp eyes at Luke's reappearance, and he frowned slightly, saying, "So, the customer who commissioned Bondi to reforge the ancient sword was you?"
Luke didn't have much affection for Thorin, but now wanting to use him to reforge the Barrow wight's ancient sword, he had no choice but to come in person.
"We meet again, Thorin Oakenshield, grandson of Thrór, son of Thráin II, King Under the Mountain." Luke, imitating Gandalf's words, nodded in greeting, "I once seized an ancient sword from a Barrow wight in the Barrow-downs, but the ancient sword has suffered erosion from time and evil forces, and has long lost its former sharpness and toughness. I heard that the Dwarf race is unmatched in forging craftsmanship, so I wanted to ask if you could help see if it can be reforged."
The terrifying reputation of the Barrow-downs was known even to the Dwarves, and the Barrow wight made people tremble with fear.
Thorin had heard Gandalf mention that Luke had ventured into the Barrow-downs alone, but he hadn't expected Luke to actually seize an ancient sword from a Barrow wight. This gave him a clear understanding of Luke's strength for the first time.
Such a person, no matter how arrogant Thorin was, he would treat with caution.
So he stepped down from his seat and said to Luke, "Forging is as simple as eating and drinking for us. We accept your business!"
"But before that, may I see the ancient sword?"
Luke handed over the Barrow wight's ancient sword he had brought.
Thorin took the ancient sword; the greatsword, longer than he was, felt weightless in his hand, held with just one hand.
He carefully examined the ancient sword, the regal solemnity fading from his face, replaced for the first time by the seriousness and professionalism of a craftsman, "The sword-casting process is complex, the blade is diamond-shaped, suitable for thrusting and slashing, the hilt is designed for one hand, the guard is a bronze crescent shape, and there's a White Tree emblem…"
"Is this a treasure sword belonging to the royal family, descendants of Númenór?" Thorin looked at Luke with a tone of certainty.
Luke nodded, explaining, "It once belonged to the last prince of the Cardolan Kingdom."
Thorin suddenly understood. Dwarf history recorded Cardolan, a kingdom that split from the Arnor Kingdom, and naturally, he also knew that this kingdom, established by the descendants of the Númenórean, was ultimately destroyed by the Witch-king of Angmar.
The Númenórean, taught by the Noldor, the most skilled blacksmiths among the Elves, mastered superb forging techniques. Even the Dwarves, who were naturally adept at forging, would not underestimate the craftsmanship of the Númenórean.
Thorin held the ancient sword, pondered for a moment, and then looked at Luke with burning eyes, saying, "I will personally forge your ancient sword, and I will invite the other most excellent craftsmen in our clan to help. Not only will it regain its former sharpness, but it will even become more powerful…"
Hearing Thorin's words, Luke's face showed no joy; instead, he gazed at him seriously, directly asking, "What are your conditions?"
He didn't believe Thorin would be so kind as to use the full strength of his clan to help him reforge the ancient sword.
"I want to invite you to join the expedition to the Lonely Mountain, to help us fight the dragon of the Lonely Mountain!" Thorin stated his purpose.
Luke frowned, looking at the Dwarf prince in confusion, "Have you forgotten that I already agreed to Gandalf to join your expedition?" Why would he use this as a condition?
Thorin shook his head, "No, you don't understand. I want to invite you to join *my* expedition, not Gandalf's expedition!"
Luke was stunned for a moment, then immediately understood Thorin's meaning, and was instantly astonished.
Good heavens, the expedition team hadn't even been fully assembled yet, and this Dwarf prince was already trying to seize power, attempting to snatch leadership of the expedition from Gandalf!
Was he trying to poach Gandalf's corner now?
Luke was a bit speechless, but he still shook his head and said, "Although I agreed to join the expedition, I am only joining as a collaborator and am not subject to anyone's command, whether the leader is you or Gandalf!"
Thorin's expression was somewhat gloomy upon hearing this. Ever since the dragon occupied the Lonely Mountain and he was forced into exile, with no one offering aid, he had ceased to trust anyone. Not even Gandalf did he trust.
However, reclaiming the homeland of the Lonely Mountain was not only his father Thráin II's obsession but also his ambition to revitalize the Durin clan.
So he re-proposed the conditions: "The previous conditions remain unchanged. As the heir of the Durinfolk, I formally invite you to join the expedition, and you do not need to obey my commands, but you must ensure that you fully help me reclaim the Lonely Mountain, how about it?"
Luke's eyes flickered. He naturally knew that even without him, Thorin and the others would eventually reclaim the Lonely Mountain.
But he still shook his head, chuckling, "Your demand is not low; one sword is not worth that price!"
Thorin gritted his teeth, "Plus one-tenth of the Lonely Mountain's treasure! As long as you help me reclaim the Lonely Mountain, I can share the treasure within the Lonely Mountain with you!"
At this, Luke's spirits lifted. He knew that the Lonely Mountain's treasure was piled high like a mountain, the richest place in all of Middle-earth; even one-tenth of it would be wealth comparable to an entire kingdom!
"Alright, but we need to sign a contract!" Luke agreed, while also proposing a condition.
After all, he remembered that this fellow had a family genetic 'dragon sickness'; as soon as he came into contact with the Lonely Mountain's treasure, he would lose his sanity and become mad and paranoid, filled with greed and possessiveness for the treasure.
However, at this time, Thorin was not affected by the dragon sickness, and he readily agreed to Luke's condition.
Moreover, he believed that with a contract, Luke would be more dedicated to helping them reclaim the Lonely Mountain, rather than giving up halfway.
Thus, with mutual consent from both parties, and witnessed by a host of Dwarf kin and elders, Luke and Thorin signed the contract.
The contract stated the conditions under which Luke would join the expedition and help the Dwarves reclaim the Lonely Mountain.
In return, the Durinfolk would use the full strength of their clan to help him reforge the ancient sword, and after reclaiming the Lonely Mountain, one-tenth of the Lonely Mountain's treasure would be gifted to Luke.
Afterward, Luke remained in the Dwarf territory.
Thorin and the other Dwarf craftsmen then began to reforge Luke's precious sword.
The place for sword casting was not in the Dwarf town but deep inside the mine tunnels of the Blue Mountains, thousands of meters underground, using the temperature of the underground magma to melt the Barrow wight's ancient sword.
The Dwarves did not avoid Luke during the forging, so Luke also had the privilege of riding the Dwarves' cable car mine cart, descending thousands of meters underground.
Here, the temperature dramatically rose, and the ground was a fiery red magma.
On the colossal basalt forging platform, Thorin and two other craftsmen, with bare arms and wearing leather armor, wielded huge iron hammers, continuously pounding the glowing red iron block.
The three moved in a continuous and orderly fashion, striking the iron block with a mysterious and complex rhythm, producing rhythmic clanging sounds. Sparks flew, and the sounds echoed incessantly in the cave, like a battle song of clashing weapons and charging horses.
Luke stood not far away, quietly watching this scene, his eyes filled with anticipation.
The surrounding scorching heat seemed to have no effect on him; he still wore a thick, long cloak, which emitted a cool sensation, as if brushed by a mountain spring, dispelling the surrounding heat waves.