Wizard: This witcher is neglecting his duties.

Chapter 158 The Growth of Deathclaw and the Journey to Brie Town

Time flies, and three months have passed.

Outside the Shire, at the construction site of Wayne Manor, the hobbits worked together, the bricklayers, stonemasons, and porters, all working enthusiastically.

With the joint efforts of the villagers, the most basic structure of this huge estate, which covers nearly 10,000 square meters, has been completed, and the outermost stone wall has been built.

At the suggestion of Lord Ford, Wayne set aside a large tract of land specifically for growing pipe grass, a plant native to the Hobbits. These fragrant plants, after special drying and processing, could be made into a special kind of tobacco that was very popular among both humans and dwarves, and had no trouble selling.

For Wayne, even if he couldn't sell all the pipe grass in Middle-earth, he could bring it back to the Witcher world to sell. He had already tried this kind of tobacco, and the taste was more mellow than the tobacco in the Witcher world. He was sure that the smokers would love it, so he wasn't worried about unsold stock.

In addition to the plantation used to grow pipe grass, Wayne also designated several other plots of land for growing herbs from the Witcher world.

Time flows five times faster here than in the Witcher world. If one could own a large herb garden, future Witchers would never lack a supply of herbs.

Besides the plantation, the biggest project in Wayne Manor is the large castle in the center of the manor. Unfortunately, according to Lord Ford, the hobbits are not good at building large stone castles. They are better at building wooden houses. If Wayne really has such a need, the best workers would be dwarves or elves.

Wayne readily accepted the old man's suggestion, especially since he also intended to make contact with the dwarves earlier, and this matter could serve as a convenient excuse.

However, besides the manor, there are countless things that need to be built inside the manor. Because a large number of hobbits have been working here for a long time, it has not only become a place for the hobbit villagers to work and earn money, but also a place for the village children to play.

Grandpa Wayne was kind-hearted, so he even spent money to hire a few hobbit women to help the workers look after the children, and also to provide them with food.

For him, being able to integrate into this world and gain the acceptance of the local hobbits was more important than building a manor and spending some gold.

In this amusement park, his pet direwolf cub, White Fang, became the children's favorite star, even more popular than the tall and handsome Grandpa Wayne.

Perhaps because dire wolves have a lifespan several times longer than ordinary wolves, their growth cycle is also extended several times over.

The six-month-old wolf cub is still in its juvenile form, chubby all over, covered in fluffy white fur that feels very comfortable to the touch. It has four short legs, bright black eyes, and a rapidly wagging tail, making it incredibly cute and adorable. No wonder it's loved by children.

The little creature has a very gentle personality and is very intelligent when interacting with people. Having lacked the pressure of survival since childhood, under Wayne's taming, it has become more like a pet that pleases its owner than a fighting partner.

The newborn Deathclaw cub is different. From birth, this little thing is destined to be a battle pet born for battle and to fight for its master.

Wayne named it Robin, a black male Deathclaw. From its cub stage, Wayne fed it fresh, bloody beef. As soon as it grew a little older, he took it to the forest to hunt rabbits, pheasants, and other small animals.

Because the environment in the wasteland is too dangerous and harsh, the Deathclaw's infancy is quite short. In less than three months, this Deathclaw cub has grown to the size of an adult goat. Due to its powerful bloodline, in terms of combat strength, it is not much inferior to a wild wolf.

Wayne's efforts were not in vain. Due to his personal incubation and long-term companionship, and influenced by his animal taming skills and the specially prepared food he personally fed them, the Deathclaw cubs regarded Wayne as their closest person and always obeyed his orders with absolute loyalty.

However, unlike the popular direwolf cubs, the Deathclaw cubs are naturally quite fierce in appearance, with terrifying claws and sharp fangs. Even though it is the pet of the respected Mr. Wayne, the hobbit children are quite afraid of this little guy, and even the adult hobbits don't like it.

For this reason, Wayne spent most of his time keeping Robin near the temporary cabin, where he acted as a guard dog.

However, unlike other hobbits, Bilbo, who was naturally curious and adventurous, was quite interested in Deathclaw Robin. After confirming that this seemingly fierce little guy would not harm any hobbits, he often brought homemade food to Wayne's neighborhood to feed the little guy.

Of course, Bilbo's purpose was not simple. Besides being genuinely interested in the Deathclaw cubs, his main goal was to learn about the outside world from Wayne.

Wayne, of course, did not refuse this offer. As a descendant of the Baggins and Took families, Mr. Bilbo Baggins enjoyed considerable prestige among the hobbits in the region.

By cultivating a good relationship with him, I can better participate in the upcoming trip to Lonely Mountain and also make a very good friend.

At least in terms of cooking, the two got along quite well, often bringing their respective specialties to exchange cooking tips. Wayne even felt that if the system's cooking skills were removed, his actual cooking skills might not be as good as Bilbo's, the hobbit.

On this day, seeing that the time was about right, Wayne invited Bilbo and the political officer Old Ford to his home as guests.

The three of them enjoyed their dinner while chatting about gossip. As the meal was drawing to a close, Wayne revealed his purpose to the other two.

"Bilbo, I'm about to head to Brie in the Old Forest to recruit some dwarven craftsmen."

"Old Ford told me that there were some dwarf craftsmen who had fled from the north working there, and I should be able to find them there."

"My manor has now completed its most basic construction, but the castle in the central area is still not finished, so I must make a trip there."

"This trip may take some time before I return, so I'll have to leave things here in your care."

Bilbo and Old Ford had actually heard Wayne mention this before, but the fact that he brought it up so formally this time meant that Wayne had definitely made up his mind.

So, Old Ford stroked his beard, smiled, picked up a glass of cider, took a sip, stroked his beard again, and said:

"Don't worry, Mr. Wayne, you're a good neighbor in our Shirehobbiton. Leave this to me, I'll keep an eye on the construction site."

"The young men in the village are all great; they won't slack off even when you're not around."

Wayne waved his hand, indicating that he didn't care about it. He picked up a glass of wine and toasted Old Ford. The fact that Wayne Manor had been able to operate so smoothly in Hobbiton until now was largely due to the kindness and enthusiasm of this old Hobbit governor.

Upon hearing this, Bilbo also picked up his glass and drank with the two men, but he asked with some doubt:

"Wayne, Mr. Ford is keeping an eye on things at the construction site for you, but what do you need me for? I know absolutely nothing about construction sites."

"Of course, it's not that I won't help you. Just tell me if there's anything I can do to help."

Upon hearing this, Wayne laughed and whistled. The Deathclaw cub Robin wagged its tail and ran over from another room, wagging its tail happily at its master, Wayne.

He patted Robin's head and said to Bilbo:

"Bilbo, besides me, you're the closest person to Robin around here. It's not appropriate for me to take this little guy with me when I go to Brie Town alone."

"So I'd like to entrust it to you for a few days."

"Oh, right, and my direwolf pet, White Fang."

Bilbo glanced at Robin at the request and immediately felt somewhat troubled.

White Fang the direwolf is alright; he's a cute little guy that every hobbit adores.

However, Deathclaw Robin was still too ferocious to look at. When standing, it was already up to Bilbo's chest, with its sharp claws and mouth full of sharp teeth.

Faced with such a huge creature, Bilbo instinctively felt that he might not be able to defeat it. He thought that if he brought it into the village, it might not only frighten the children, but also easily cause a riot.

If Robin were any more mischievous, he might get a real beating.

Wayne saw Bilbo's concerns, smiled, waved his hand, and said:

"Don't worry, Bilbo."

"You don't need to take it home. Just come here regularly every day and feed it."

"Don't let Robin's fierce appearance fool you, it actually has a very good personality and is quite intelligent. It has already learned to use the toilet on its own, and it won't harm any animal or person without my command."

Seeing that Bilbo was still hesitant, Wayne had an idea and said temptingly:

"Haven't you always been interested in humans and dwarves?"

"If you grant my request, I will prepare a special gift for you, something unique to humans and dwarves, when I return from Brie."

"A gift that will definitely satisfy you."

As he spoke, Wayne smiled and nodded to Old Ford.

"Of course, Mr. Ford, I'll also prepare a gift for you. How about some human red wine and dwarf beer? I know you love drinking."

(End of this chapter)