The process of counting the treasure was extremely long, and the dwarves, driven by their instinctive attention to detail and desire for wealth, took the task very seriously. Every piece of wealth had to be accounted for before any distribution could take place—no gold coin could be missed.
As for the hundreds of millions or possibly billions of gold coins in Erebor's treasury, it was uncertain how long it would take to complete the counting before a final distribution, as promised in the contract.
However, as the news of Smaug's death spread across the North, its effects became more and more apparent.
The first and most visible change occurred with Wayne's companion, Deathclaw Robin.
After Wayne had carefully skinned Smaug and collected dragon teeth, claws, and other valuable materials for crafting equipment, the remaining hundreds of tons of flesh and bone became Robin's feast.
The Deathclaw seemed to benefit greatly from consuming Smaug's corpse. For an entire week, Robin was unwilling to do anything else. Every day, he would lie on Smaug's body, feasting and occasionally letting out roars of satisfaction. The massive corpse of the evil dragon quickly shrank, devoured at a pace visible to the naked eye.
Through his connection with his pet, Wayne noticed that Robin's body was gradually growing stronger. Some strange, subtle changes had begun to take place.
Perhaps, as in many fantasy tales, devouring the flesh and blood of a dragon would awaken latent dragon-like abilities within the creature that consumed it.
However, this transformation would take time, just like the natural growth of any living being. The full extent of Robin's development would be revealed in the future.
In a gesture of gratitude to Thorin for keeping his word and ensuring no unpleasant disputes arose over the treasure, Wayne carefully severed Smaug's head, processed it with special Witcher potions, and presented this trophy—symbolizing honor and revenge—as a gift to the Durin line and the newly-crowned King Under the Mountain. This gesture was meant to strengthen the bond of friendship between them.
Thorin gladly accepted the gift, deeply pleased. As the future King Under the Mountain, he still lacked both prestige and a full knowledge of ruling. Smaug's head, representing the fall of a great enemy, would not only enhance his honor but also serve as a powerful symbol of his newfound leadership.
Thorin's lineage had been through great hardship. His grandfather, King Thror, squandered much of the dwarven kingdom's power, and in the dwarves' escape from the north to the south, many lives were lost. Because of Thror's reckless actions, the dwarven warriors had to fight in the bloody Battle of Azanulbizar, losing more than half their people.
In the end, even Thorin, the heir to the throne, had to work among humans just to keep the dwarves afloat.
Now, as the new King Under the Mountain, Thorin faced the monumental task of rebuilding the glory of Erebor from centuries past.
Thorin's cousin, Dáin Ironfoot, also proved to be fiercely loyal. After Smaug's death, Thorin sent word to Dáin, and this golden-bearded dwarf marched immediately from the Iron Hills with hundreds of his warriors. Along with him came barrels of fine dwarven ale and food to support their brothers.
After sharing drinks with Dáin, Wayne got to know the bold dwarf and received high praise from him.
Dáin called Wayne a great hero, the slayer of Smaug, and wholeheartedly supported Thorin's decision to give Wayne one-third of the treasure in Erebor. Dáin didn't concern himself with the staggering wealth within the mountain. His only thought was securing Erebor and preventing dark forces from trying to claim it.
To aid Thorin, Dáin pledged three hundred dwarven warriors to help guard the mountain, and they began rebuilding the walls and gates of Erebor while restarting the furnaces and other critical facilities within the kingdom.
During this time, Wayne received a special task: to return the necklace of King Thranduil's deceased wife to the Woodland Realm, settling the long-standing grudge between the dwarves and the Silvan Elves.
This decision showcased Thorin's growing wisdom and magnanimity. Perhaps the loss of his arm, the slaying of Azog, and the reclaiming of the Lonely Mountain—coupled with overcoming his own dragon-sickness—helped shape Thorin into a different leader than the one destined for tragedy in the original tale.
Without the influence of the One Ring and having fulfilled many of his lifelong dreams, Thorin's character had grown, and Wayne's actions had seemingly helped change his fate. Now, Thorin might avoid the tragic end that awaited him in the original story. If he survived the Battle of the Five Armies, he could well become the kind of king who would lead Erebor back to its former glory.
A few days later, the meeting with King Thranduil went very smoothly. The Woodland Elves had already heard of Smaug's death. When they saw Wayne, the hero who had slain the dragon, the Elven king held a grand banquet in his honor.
Everyone celebrated Wayne as a hero, and he received unprecedented respect and hospitality, even from the refugees of Lake-town who were temporarily residing in Thranduil's realm.
After receiving his late wife's necklace, King Thranduil showed great generosity. He congratulated Thorin on becoming King Under the Mountain and expressed a desire to move beyond past grievances with the dwarves.
Thranduil extended an offer to restore the old trade relations between the Woodland Realm and Erebor, emphasizing the need for cooperation to maintain stability in the North and to face the growing evil forces together.
Impressed by the Elven king's magnanimity, Wayne responded with high praise. The two parties enjoyed a pleasant exchange of compliments, marking the beginning of a stronger alliance.
The banquet of the Woodland Elves was a joyous affair. In Thranduil's luxurious halls, handsome Elven men and women were everywhere, all holding wine and enjoying themselves.
Wayne's fame played a significant role here. As the hero who had defeated Smaug, the northern terror, and with his own striking appearance, several charming and lively female Elves quickly approached him to express their admiration. Wayne did not refuse their company, and they spent the evening in pleasant conversation.
The Silvan Elves, unlike the more reserved Sindar Elves of Rivendell, lived in the perilous Mirkwood, constantly fighting against orcs, spiders, and other dark creatures. Living with the constant threat of death had shaped their culture to be more open about emotions and relationships. They did not cling to ideals of romantic fidelity in the same way as their kin in other parts of Middle-earth.
The next morning, Wayne awoke in the company of two beautiful female Elves. Shortly after, Legolas, the Elven prince, came to him with important information.
Through the Silvan Elves' extensive intelligence network, they had learned that Bolg, the son of Azog, had taken his father's place as the leader of the northern orcs. He was now amassing a large army in the Gray Mountains. It was highly likely that Bolg would soon march toward Erebor or the Woodland Realm to strike at their long-time enemies.
The size of Bolg's army far exceeded anyone's expectations. It seemed that all the orc clans from the Gray Mountains and the Misty Mountains were uniting, preparing for an all-out assault. Reports suggested that their numbers could reach tens of thousands—many times greater than the combined forces of the Dwarves of Erebor and the Woodland Elves.
While it was unclear exactly when this army would march, it was certain that if the upcoming war were lost, the entire northern region of Middle-earth could fall under orc control.
King Thranduil made no attempt to conceal this news. After the banquet, he provided Wayne with a generous supply of provisions and asked him to return to the Lonely Mountain with both the supplies and the warning about the orc threat.
The elves and dwarves, with their ancient enmity toward the orcs of the north, would need to unite if they had any hope of victory.