Wizard: This witcher is neglecting his duties.

Chapter 157 Wayne Manor

Bilbo ran barefoot through the Shire and soon reached the vicinity of the village market.

It was still early morning, and before he even got close, he saw that the entire market was already packed with people and bustling with activity. Almost half of the residents of Shire Village had gathered there.

The current governor of Shire Village, their village chief, 83-year-old Ford Constance, stood atop a semi-circular wooden box, holding a megaphone made of rolled-up oil paper, and shouted loudly:

"Villagers of Shire Village, we're hiring! This is a huge project!"

"Mr. Wayne, we would like to recruit some workers from our Shire to build a large manor outside the birch forest on the other side of the river."

"The project lasts for one year, and the salary is twice the market rate. We are currently looking for bricklayers, carpenters, stonemasons, blacksmiths, porters, and general laborers. There is no limit to the number of workers. Three meals a day are provided, and there are three days off per month. Paid leave is also available for heavy rainy days."

"This is an unprecedentedly high salary; Mr. Wayne is truly a generous man."

"Sign up now, and we'll start work the day after tomorrow. Regardless of whether you join this project or not, Mr. Wayne will invite all the villagers of Shire to a grand open-air party next to the birch forest this afternoon."

"This is a noble and generous gentleman. As hospitable hobbits, we should be even more enthusiastic in helping this future neighbor."

"Alright, Mr. Wayne has finished purchasing the ingredients. Now I need to select ten skilled hobbits. Bring your cooking utensils and come with me to the birch forest across the river to prepare food for this open-air feast."

"We will treat this gentleman who has come from afar to the food that the hobbits are best at."

After saying this, Governor Ford smiled and nodded to a handsome man behind him who was nearly 1.9 meters tall. The handsome man nodded in response and looked at the short hobbit residents who were only half his height, with a gentle smile on his face.

Then, the old consul picked up the megaphone and shouted:

"Get moving, get moving, lads, show your enthusiasm and the hospitality of us hobbits."

"Today will be a happy day, and also a memorable day."

Listening to Old Ford's rough, raspy voice, Bilbo stood at the back of the crowd, tiptoed, and finally peered over his companions' heads to get a clear look at the big man.

He had a handsome face, short golden hair tied in a ponytail, wore a gorgeous and elegant silk robe, had a strong build, looked young, had amber eyes, and a pair of pointed ears.

It was very different from the big men he had seen decades ago. At the very least, Bilbo had never seen a big man with pointed ears before. He was more like the legendary elves.

Bilbo also noticed that the big guy named Wayne, although dressed in silk clothes that only respectable people could afford, carried a huge sword on his back. The length of that sword alone was a head taller than that of an average hobbit.

This filled Bilbo, who was born with an adventurous spirit, with curiosity. He guessed that Wayne must be a man with many stories to tell, and also an experienced warrior.

If you could enjoy milk tea, snacks, and a pipe while listening to these adventure stories from the outside world, it would surely be an unforgettable time.

Although Governor Old Ford was old, he was very efficient. Soon, under his leadership, the group went home to clean up their pots and pans, and together they headed to the birch forest on the other side of the lake with Wayne.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Bilbo slipped away to Wayne's vicinity, crouching among the crowd and secretly observing the strange, large man, especially the enormous sword with its ornate blue scabbard behind him. Its size and weight clearly indicated that it was not a weapon that an ordinary person could wield.

………………

Wayne, surrounded by a group of hobbits, also quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Just like in the movie, these adorable halflings are kind-hearted and hospitable, always offering their best food to guests who have come from afar.

He approached the village chief today with a "let's give it a try" attitude, hoping to hire a group of workers to help him build his house.

Unexpectedly, Governor Ford was so enthusiastic. He not only accompanied him throughout the recruitment process but also offered him helpful advice. When Ford suggested hosting an open-air banquet to welcome the new neighbors, Ford also helped him arrange the details.

It can only be said that Middle-earth, as depicted by Tolkien, is truly a fantasy world where good and evil are clearly defined.

In this world, the forces of darkness and light are clearly defined. The races on the side of light are all kind, brave, and noble, representing all kinds of positive emotions.

The races on the dark side are born evil, wicked, depraved, filthy, and beyond redemption.

In this world, there are not many conspiracies and tricks, not much treachery and deceit. As long as you stand on the side of justice, you will be loved, respected and admired by many people. You can make close friends and find unforgettable love.

But if you stand on the side of evil, you will be hated by all righteous races, corrupted by the power of darkness, and become a monster through and through.

In short, it's far better than the Witcher world, where everyone is a troublemaker and the social environment is bloody and barbaric.

A group of halflings surrounded him. After leaving the village, a group of hobbit children could still be seen standing reluctantly at the village entrance, watching them walk further and further away.

They were clearly too young to leave the village.

As Wayne was admiring the beautiful scenery of Shire Village, he suddenly noticed a very familiar figure among the group of halflings beside him. After taking a few glances, he immediately guessed who it was.

Bilbo Baggins was the protagonist of the Lord of the Rings film series, which he once greatly admired. He was a righteous man whose heart could not be corrupted even by the One Ring.

Although there are some differences in appearance compared to the movie, they are still generally recognizable.

However, Wayne wasn't surprised to see him; it was exactly what he had expected.

According to the information he received last time, Bilbo Baggins should be forty-one years old this year, and there are still nine years until his fiftieth birthday and his journey to Lonely Mountain.

Nine years is a long time. Even if you convert it to the world of Witcher, it would take close to two years. So there's still plenty of time. He has plenty of time to make plans and get to know the heroes in this world. He's not in a hurry to contact the future protagonist right now.

Time flew by, and under Old Ford's direction, the enthusiastic Hobbit villagers quickly set up a banquet venue for Wayne. Tables, chairs, pots and pans were all provided free of charge by the villagers, saving Wayne a lot of trouble.

However, Grandpa Wayne was not short of money. He bought all the good wine, food, snacks and fruits at the market and was very generous in entertaining his future neighbors. He brought out all these things and let the villagers enjoy them as they pleased.

Furthermore, in response to the enthusiastic help of these hobbit villagers, he personally prepared several of his signature dishes, such as cream of mushroom soup, roast whole lamb, roast whole pig, and roast whole fish, making full use of his superb culinary skills to cook many otherworldly recipes.

As the hobbits who are most particular about food and life in all of Middle-earth, these dwarves were immediately won over by Wayne's superb culinary skills.

Coupled with his handsome appearance, gentle nature, and generous way of handling things, the hobbit villagers of the Shire quickly accepted this rather mysterious Mr. Wayne from out of town as their new neighbor.

Over the next few months, the kind-hearted workers of Shire Village, receiving high wages and benefits, transformed into diligent architects under the command of their foremen and Governor Old Ford. With the help of the blueprints provided by Wayne, they began to build the enormous structure that was named Wayne Manor.

Meanwhile, Wayne lived a few hundred meters away in a simple wooden hut built by a small river.

My main task every day is to train the little direwolf White Fang and the hatched Deathclaw cubs, improving my taming level while establishing a true master-servant relationship with these two little guys.

However, the money required to build a manor was undoubtedly enormous. Although Vivian helped him exchange Middle-earth currency, saving him a lot of trouble and expense, it was not in Wayne's nature to live off his savings.

After spending two or three months in Middle-earth, he gained some understanding of the local environment and customs through books he bought from the Hobbits.

As a demon hunter and a quest expert, he decided to check out the densely populated areas.

In this world filled with all sorts of magical creatures, there are often bounties waiting for brave warriors to accept.

(There will be another chapter tonight, but I'm being a little lazy today, so it'll only be two chapters. Mwah!)

(End of this chapter)