A Hero's Harvest and return to the Witcher's World
Wayne's deeds spread far and wide among the dwarves, elves, and the various factions around Lake-town. His strength and valor astonished not only the common folk but also the leaders of Middle-earth. Wizards, including Gandalf and Saruman, and even the Elven Queen Galadriel, were impressed by the feats Wayne had achieved during the conflict.
Thorin Oakenshield and Dáin Ironfoot were fortunate to survive. Trapped within the narrow mines of the Lonely Mountain, they had fortified collapsed tunnels to fend off the orcs, enduring hunger for several days. After the orc army was defeated, they were rescued from their harrowing situation.
As the savior of Erebor and its people, Wayne was honored with the highest accolades from the dwarves. Thorin proposed erecting a twenty-meter-tall golden statue of Wayne in the palace of the Lonely Mountain to commemorate the friendship between them.
King Thranduil of the Woodland Realm expressed his gratitude as well. Thanks to Wayne's intervention, the Silvan elves had survived the siege with minimal losses. The Elf King declared that if Wayne ever required assistance or made a request, the Woodland Realm would answer the call, holding true to their promises for generations to come.
Meanwhile, the refugees from Lake-town pleaded with Wayne to become their king. However, Wayne declined the offer. Instead, he suggested they relocate to the ruins of Dale and rebuild their lives. To ensure the future prosperity of the town, Wayne established the Council of Dale, composed of ten capable and respected individuals. The new town would no longer follow an autocracy; instead, important decisions would be made through deliberation and voting by the council. The wealth left behind by the former mayor would serve as a development fund for the town's revival.
Though Wayne declined the kingship, he didn't leave without influence. The council appointed him as the town's permanent chairman, granting him the right to participate in governance and wield veto power over decisions.
Before departing, Wayne worked with the council to take in twenty orphaned children, aged between five and ten. He expressed intentions to bring them to Wayne Manor in the Shire for their upbringing. However, this was only a cover. In truth, Wayne planned to bring the children to Kaer Morhen, the keep of the witchers, to begin training them for the Witcher Order. Even if they did not become witchers, they could still serve as loyal and skilled companions.
For Wayne, this was a meaningful endeavor, but the real prize lay in the rewards from his missions during the battle.
The Battle of the Five Armies yielded significant gains. Wayne completed both the epic and master-level missions he had received from Thorin, along with a master-level mission from King Thranduil. Altogether, these missions earned him nearly 5,000 experience points, two master-level treasure chests, and one epic-level treasure chest.
Additionally, Wayne had undertaken another master-level task from Lord Elrond, which involved eliminating orc forces in the Misty Mountains. With the battle's conclusion, this mission was also successfully completed, further increasing his rewards.
The experience points from these tasks propelled Wayne's level forward by three, bringing him to level twenty. His ability points increased to eleven. Reflecting on his rapid progress, Wayne marveled at how swiftly high-level missions accelerated his growth.
In just six months of adventuring in Middle-earth, Wayne had ascended seven levels and accumulated an impressive hoard of treasure chests. It felt surreal—a dreamlike accomplishment.
At present, his system held two epic-level treasure chests, five master-level treasure chests, over forty expert-level treasure chests, and nearly two hundred ordinary-level ones.
With these spoils in hand, Wayne made plans to return to the witcher's world. There, he intended to open the treasure chests—perhaps with the Lady of the Lake's guidance—on a fortunate day. And just for good measure, he mused about borrowing some luck from an unsuspecting soul. Only then would he unlock the wealth and secrets hidden within those chests.
By then, his strength would undoubtedly improve significantly. Just thinking about the treasures contained within the epic treasure chests was enough to stir excitement.
In addition to the rewards granted by these artifacts, Wayne gained substantial wealth from his time in Middle-earth. Among these treasures were gold valued at 1.8 billion orens from the Lonely Mountain, an order for 10,000 sets of knight armor, 100 top-quality warhorses from Rivendell, two collections of elven artifacts, two ancient elven swords, two finished sets of mithril armor, and a promise of eight more sets to come. Such items were exceedingly rare—many individuals would never acquire a single one in their lifetime.
However, the most valuable reward from this journey was not material wealth but the relationships forged with the leaders of the great races. These alliances and bonds promised to offer invaluable support and opportunities in times of need. Unlike the political scheming of the witcher world, the rulers of Middle-earth were beings of integrity. Their word was worth more than a mountain of gold.
Once the northern affairs were in order, Wayne bid farewell to his newfound allies. Though many entreated him to stay, the life of a witcher demanded that he remain a wanderer. Staying in the north was not an option, and so, with mutual reluctance, they parted ways.
Wayne's return to the Shire was accompanied not only by the twenty children he had taken under his wing but also by Bilbo Baggins and Lord Elrond.
To ensure swift travel, Wayne enlisted the dwarves to construct a large carriage, suspended like a cable car from Deathclaw Robin's back, to carry the children. According to Bilbo, this solution allowed him to comfortably ride with the children throughout the journey.
With this efficient setup, it took the group less than a month to traverse the dark Mirkwood and the Misty Mountains, finally arriving at the elven stronghold of Rivendell.
In Rivendell, Wayne was warmly welcomed once more by Lord Elrond. In honor of Wayne's accomplishments, Elrond hosted a grand celebration, with festivities lasting three days and nights. The Sindar elves rejoiced, filling the air with music, dance, and revelry.
During his stay, Wayne encountered two familiar figures: the graceful Princess Arwen and the future king, Aragorn.
The beautiful princess displayed even greater warmth toward Wayne than before, perhaps a bit too warmly. Each day during his stay, she sought him out—sometimes to chat, sometimes to share her experiences in the north, and occasionally to accompany him during Aragorn's sword-training sessions.
Wayne found himself in a delicate situation. While he appreciated the princess's kindness, he knew that elves approached relationships with unwavering seriousness. He could not, in good conscience, mislead Arwen, knowing that his own heart belonged elsewhere.
So, during one of their conversations, Wayne subtly revealed that he already had a girlfriend—several, in fact. Upon hearing this, Arwen's expression faltered, and she quietly excused herself, clearly unsettled by the news.
In the following days, she avoided him entirely, and they did not cross paths again before his departure from Rivendell.
However, something unexpected came of his interaction with Aragorn. Deeply inspired by Wayne's feats, the young man grew determined to learn from the witcher. Aragorn's admiration for Wayne was boundless, and he eagerly sought every opportunity to hone his skills under the Wayne's guidance.
Since Wayne was preparing to leave Rivendell—and possibly Middle-earth for several years—he initially hesitated to accept Aragorn's request. He didn't want to make promises he couldn't keep.
However, things took an unexpected turn. Aragorn, determined to become Wayne's apprentice, approached King Elrond. In the presence of the elven lord, Aragorn formally asked to follow Wayne as his disciple, learn swordsmanship, and accompany him on future adventures. To Wayne's surprise, Aragorn even promised to look up to him as a father figure.
King Elrond, rather than dissuading the young man, seemed supportive of the arrangement. He recognized the value of the mentorship Aragorn would receive under Wayne's tutelage.
After much deliberation, Wayne accepted the proposal, agreeing to train Aragorn until he came of age. His decision wasn't driven solely by Aragorn's future destiny as the leader of men, though that potential did play a minor role. The real reason was Aragorn's natural talent. Even without undergoing the Trial of Grasses—a dangerous rite of passage for witchers—Aragorn had the makings of an exceptional swordsman. Wayne saw in him the potential to surpass even the best swordsmen in the Witcher Order.
Wayne was excited by the challenge. If he could cultivate Aragorn's abilities, he wouldn't just have an apprentice but potentially one of the greatest warriors Middle-earth had ever seen—one who might repay his mentorship many times over in the future.
When the group departed Rivendell, it was with a larger entourage than Wayne had anticipated. Alongside Aragorn, they were joined by 100 elven knights from Rivendell, tasked with escorting Wayne and delivering the warhorses Elrond had gifted him. The elf king had not only provided the warhorses but also sent books on their training, ensuring Wayne would know how to care for and raise them properly.
The journey back was long but smooth. For more than two weeks, they traversed mountains and rivers, passing through towns and wilderness. At last, they reached Wayne Manor in the Shire.
Upon his return, Wayne hosted a week-long celebration to welcome his guests and honor the success of their journey. Bilbo, who had journeyed with the company to the Lonely Mountain, was hailed as a hero among the hobbits. Though Bilbo was humble and disinterested in such accolades, Wayne made sure his friend received the respect he deserved.
After the festivities, the manor returned to peace. Wayne seized the opportunity to sort through his vast wealth and prepare for his next steps.
Finally, he made his long-awaited return to the Witcher world, bringing with him his accumulated rewards, apprentices, and companions. Though nine months had passed in Middle-earth, only two months had gone by in the Witcher world.