American TV series: Start with the little Sheldon's wool

Chapter 761 Departure and Reunion

"How did this place change like this? I remember it used to be full of fruit trees. Old Tom's favorite thing to do was play among those fruit trees..."

Baggins, who arrived at the old forest ruins through the portal, felt his good mood with the dwarves instantly turn somber upon seeing the abandoned forest.

The forest in front of us was still lush and green, but it was mostly covered with weeds and unknown trees.

Looking around, the tranquil comfort of the past is gone.

“Let’s go. Tom and his wife Kimmel should have left.” Mike shook his head after scanning the area with his senses.

Without the support of magic, the old forest that represents Old Tom's vitality will probably wither away soon.

To avoid dying with the old forest, Old Tom needs to find a new source of magic.

So Mike guessed that he probably took his wife to Central State.

Just like the elves were forced to leave their homeland.

"Sigh, I hope old Tom is doing well."

Before leaving, Baggins looked back at the old forest site one last time, his expression one of profound melancholy.

The Old Forest is very close to the Shire; they are practically neighbors.

When he was young, Baggins loved coming here for short trips.

His adventurous nature was probably cultivated during that time.

This place can be said to be the origin of his dream.

Now that the old forest is deserted and even his old friend Tom has left, Baggins can't help but feel sad.

"Let's go. I'm sure old Tom will take good care of himself." Mike comforted Baggins, then led his men toward Shire.

To be honest, Mike was also quite emotional.

Before he came, he had planned to get more rainbow fruit wine from Old Tom.

After all, that delicious fruit wine can only be found here, and I don't know if I'll ever be able to taste it again.

……

"Who are you? Lord Baggins!!!"

Upon entering the Shire, the first person recognized by the hobbits was actually Baggins.

A group of hobbit children who had heard about his adventures jumped and danced around him.

This feeling of warmth and comfort greatly eased Baggins's sadness.

As for Mike, his titles of "Lord of Lonely Mountain" and even "Healer" don't seem to be very well-known in the peaceful land of the Shire.

In fact, he didn't even receive as much attention as the elf princess with pointed ears.

However, with the rise of humanity in recent years, many human inhabitants have come to the Shire.

Although Alvin's ears are slightly different from those of humans, their overall appearance is not significantly different.

Therefore, it didn't cause much of a stir.

Afterwards, amidst the cheers of a group of hobbit children, Baggins and Mike's group arrived at Bag End.

“Uncle Baggins, and Mr. Mike!!!”

Frodo, who went out to check the situation after hearing the noise, immediately saw Baggins and Mike, and then his face lit up with surprise.

"Come in and have a seat. It's been a long time since I've had any guests here." Just like when Baggins met the wizard Gandalf who had suddenly come to visit, Frodo warmly invited Mike and his group into the house.

“The decorations here… and my desk…” Baggins exclaimed as he entered the room, looking at the almost unchanged space, “It’s so nice! Everything here seems unchanged!!”

Frodo, standing nearby, gave an awkward laugh upon hearing this.

It can only be said that these two, uncle and nephew, are truly of the same blood.

Frodo's personality is actually quite similar to Baggins'; he likes to be alone when he has nothing to do, enjoys life, and is a bit lazy.

After acquiring Bag End, he was very satisfied with everything there, and so he never thought of changing it, even after more than a decade.

……

“Mr. Baggins, and Mr. Mike. It’s so good to see you both.” Just as Frodo was preparing lunch for Mike and his group, Sam, having heard the news, rushed over with his family.

At the same time, they were carrying a generous amount of ingredients.

"Sam, long time no see~"

Mike patted the simple-minded hobbit on the shoulder, then asked with a smile, "Are those your wife and children?"

Unlike Frodo, who remained single for over a decade, Sam not only started a family but also had seven or eight adorable little ones following him around.

“Yes, sir. This is my wife Rose, and this is my eldest daughter Elano…” Sam introduced his family to Mike, Baggins, and the others with a happy expression.

Rose's gentle smile revealed that this family was indeed living a happy life. Of course, this was also related to Frodo sharing some of the gold coins his uncle Baggins had given him with his friend Sam.

Economic prosperity has solved more than 90% of the problems in this large family's life.

"Thank goodness, Sam, you've come just in time. I was worried I wouldn't have enough food." Frodo, who was preparing lunch for everyone, came out and his face instantly lit up with a smile when he saw the ingredients his friend had brought.

“Master Frodo, I don’t know if this is enough. If not, I’ll have the children go back and get more,” Sam replied honestly.

“That’s enough, that’s enough. I’ve said it so many times. We’re friends, don’t call me ‘sir.’” Frodo corrected his friend as he took the ingredients.

However, the results do not seem to be very good.

Sam grinned sheepishly, but still stubbornly addressed Frodo as "Master."

……

Compared to the dwarves' generous nature, the hobbit's feasts are quieter and more intimate.

Fine wine was merely an embellishment here; the conversation focused more on the good old days and the hopes for the future.

"Until we meet again. And, Baggins, take care!!!"

After lunch, Mike, along with the elf princess and her two companions, bid farewell to the hobbits.

"Mr. Mike, take care too!!!"

Baggins waved, tears welling in his eyes, probably saddened by the departure of yet another old friend.

And he knew very well that this should be the last time he saw Mike.

After saying goodbye, Mike and his group of four quickly left the Shire.

"Sophia, do you want to go check out the Green Dragon Tavern?" Mike asked considerately before returning to the main world.

As a former ranger, Sophia first met Mike at the Green Dragon Tavern.

“No need, I don’t have any friends there to see.” Sophia shook her head.

"Alright then." Mike didn't insist, and then said, "Is everything ready? We should head back to my place now."

A new world, new friends, and potentially more rivals.

When the moment actually arrived, the three girls seemed a little hesitant.

In the end, however, they all nodded.

Seeing this, Mike immediately opened a space leading to the main world.

"This is you..."

Upon entering the Genovia Palace, the elven princess Alvin wanted to ask Mike if the magnificent palace before him was his residence.

Before she could finish speaking, she realized that countless eyes were staring at her.

She had heard Mike mention before that he had nine female confidantes in the main world.

Before coming, Alvin had wondered what it would be like if the two sides actually met.

Now she realizes that being stared at by nine beautiful women with complex expressions is quite stressful.

Sofia and Iowa were in similar situations.

Mike spent two days in Middle-earth, which was exactly ten minutes in the main world.

In such a short time, the positions of the nine girls hardly changed.

It was obvious that they were intentionally waiting for Mike to return with his men.

“Um, let me introduce you. This is Princess Alwen, the elf princess; this is Sophia, the half-elf; and this is Princess Éowyn of Rohan…” Mike also felt immense pressure, but he still introduced the three people beside him.

Then he introduced Mia and the others to Alvin and the other two, one by one.

"An elf??" Queen Mia broke the ice first, curiously looking at Alvin's pointed ears before smiling and saying, "Welcome."

"Thank you, it's my honor to meet you all." After the initial awkwardness, the fairy princess responded gracefully.

Then, Sophia and Iowa also greeted Mia and the others.

"You guys chat first, I'll go bring someone back." Seeing that the atmosphere was good, Mike decided to bring Scarlet Witch along so she could meet everyone.

Since the decision has been made to let the girls get along, then we must treat them all equally.

However, upon hearing that Mike was going to bring people back, the atmosphere visibly quieted down.

Even the three of them, who had just arrived, looked at Mike with a hint of resentment.

"I promise, this is the last one..." Mike omitted the qualifier, then opened the portal guiltily and quickly disappeared from the girls' sight.

……

(End of this chapter)