"Sir Roland, hello!" Thorin greeted respectfully as he saw Roland approaching on horseback.

"Well, I'm here to claim our reward." Roland's voice was cold, reflecting the heavy loss his Swift Infantry had suffered.

Thorin hesitated, seeing the blood-soaked and battle-weary knights and archers behind Roland. "Of course, you deserve this reward. The wealth in Elub City will be yours," he said, bowing. Despite his weariness, Thorin retained his noble demeanor.

"Sorry for the casualties your men faced," Thorin added, noting Roland's bloodshot eyes. He wisely stopped speaking as Roland's grim expression remained unchanged.

"Then allow us to clean up the battlefield," Thorin said, looking at the chaos around Elub City. The ground was littered with bodies of elves, dwarves, and orcs. Survivors combed through the carnage, searching for any sign of life.

Thranduil and Bard approached with their own troops, joining the grim scene.

"King Roland, thank you for your help in this crisis. The elves will remember your kindness," Thranduil said, bowing slightly despite his disheveled state.

"We're glad you could come to support us," Bard added, his eyes red with emotion. "The elves' help turned the tide in Riverdale."

Roland raised his Dragon Sword, pointing it at the sparse soldiers behind Thranduil and Bard. "What now? Another battle for the Lonely Mountain?"

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"No, we just want the wealth Thorin promised to rebuild our homes," Bard replied calmly.

"We seek only the White Stone," Thranduil added, looking at Thorin.

Thorin sighed. "You deserve it," he conceded, glancing at his own tired troops.

"Everyone, come to Elub tonight. We'll hold a celebration for the recovery of the Lonely Mountain," Thorin invited.

As they entered Elub, Roland spotted Bilbo standing alone. "Hello, Mr. Baggins! I'm glad you're alive!"

"Mr. Roland? It's good to see you. I thought you were still at Rivendell," Bilbo stammered.

"Don't worry. Lagrand's knights are strong. The orcs can't defeat us," Roland reassured him.

"What are your plans now?" Bilbo asked.

"I plan to build a town at the mouth of Long Lake. You’re welcome to visit," Roland replied with a smile.

Inside Elub, Roland felt a strange tremor in his Dragon Sword. "Something's wrong," Carlos said, gripping his sword tightly.

"The evil dragon's curse lingers here," Ivy, a temple priest, explained with a frown.

Dyne, a dwarf, noticed their hesitation. "What's wrong, friends?"

"My subordinates are sensitive to the curse here," Roland explained.

"Get out of here!" Carlos suddenly pulled Roland, causing confusion.

"Enough, Carlos!" Reynold intervened, reprimanding Carlos for his outburst.

"Apologies, my lord. The curse affects the sensitive," Carlos said, embarrassed.

"The curse of greed and death lingers here," Ivy said, looking around disdainfully.

"Can it be removed?" Roland asked.

"Yes, with purification magic," Gandalf appeared, explaining the solution.

"We have three people here who can help," Ivy said, pointing to Gandalf, Roland, and herself.

Thorin looked hopeful. "Will you help us remove the curse? We will pay you."

Inside the treasure vault, Roland was awestruck by the wealth. "Let's begin," Ivy said, as they cast their purification spells.

As the curses lifted, Thorin expressed his gratitude. "You can take as much wealth as you can carry."

Roland activated his Lord of the Rings system, converting gold coins into wealth. One-seventh of the vault's treasure disappeared into his storage.

Thorin looked shocked. "Is Elub being robbed?" Dyne asked.

"No, we agreed to this," Thorin said, still stunned.

"The banquet is starting soon. Join us, King Roland," Dyne invited.

"Of course. I look forward to experiencing the dwarves' hospitality," Roland replied with a smile.

Only Thorin, looking as if he had lost his soul, was led away by Dyne.