What does ば do in this sentence?


What does ば do in this sentence? I am familiar with it as a conditional but it
doesn't seem right here.

> 早朝と言っても人影がまばらにあって、露店の準備をしているホビット **もいれば**
> 、僕と同じ冒険者のドワーフ達が徒党を組んで何か話し合っている。これからダンジョンへ向かうんだろう。

I interpreted the first sentence as

> If there were hobbits that were preparing stalls, then they would talk to
> adventurers, like me, join their party, and then discuss something together.
> After that they would head probably head towards the dungeon.

But then this sentence followed after, so I don't think I interpreted the
first sentence correctly.

> 僕もダンジョンへもぐる装備を身に付けて神様から逃げ出し...もとい部屋から出てきたから、
> **傍{はた}から見れば彼らと似ったり寄ったりかもしれない。**

Thanks.




> 「露店{ろてん}の準備{じゅんび}をしているホビットもいれ **ば** 、～～～」

In this sentence, 「ば」 is used to express _**juxtaposition**_.

Usually, one would expect it to be in the form of 「Aも～～ば、Bも～～だ/です/である」, but
you are obviously not reading a very serious piece of writing and the author
did not use the second 「も」.

_**" there were a group of hobbits doing ~~ and a group of dwarfs doing ~~"**_

> 「傍{はた}から見{み}れ **ば** ～～～」

Here, 「ば」 expresses "conditional".

" _ **If/when**_ seen from the outside"

Examples taken from [プログレッシブ和英中辞典's entry for 「ば」, section
￼￼2](https://kotobank.jp/jeword/%E3%81%B0):

> 「彼{かれ}はゴルフもやれ **ば** テニスもやる。」 "He plays not only golf but also tennis."
>
> 「彼には妻{つま}もあれ **ば** 子{こ}もある。」 "He has a wife, and a child as well."




> 「露店{ろてん}の準備{じゅんび}をしているホビットもいれ **ば** 、～～～」

In this sentence, 「ば」 is used to express _**juxtaposition**_.

Usually, one would expect it to be in the form of 「Aも～～ば、Bも～～だ/です/である」, but
you are obviously not reading a very serious piece of writing and the author
did not use the second 「も」.

_**" there were a group of hobbits doing ~~ and a group of dwarfs doing ~~"**_

> 「傍{はた}から見{み}れ **ば** ～～～」

Here, 「ば」 expresses "conditional".

" _ **If/when**_ seen from the outside"

Examples taken from [プログレッシブ和英中辞典's entry for 「ば」, section
￼￼2](https://kotobank.jp/jeword/%E3%81%B0):

> 「彼{かれ}はゴルフもやれ **ば** テニスもやる。」 "He plays not only golf but also tennis."
>
> 「彼には妻{つま}もあれ **ば** 子{こ}もある。」 "He has a wife, and a child as well."

