Chapter 634
Black Hand's Betrayal
Chapter 634 Black Hand's Betrayal
"Are we just going in like this?"
Although he knew that Mike possessed amazing abilities, Éomer couldn't help but worry as he saw Mike walking straight toward the gates of Edoras.
Keep in mind that sixty years ago, when Mike helped Sezer return to Rohan, he had three hundred Gondorian elite soldiers assisting him.
"It's alright, no one can stop me from going wherever I want," Mike said casually.
With his current level of strength, numbers or sheer numbers are no longer effective against him.
The saying "one person is worth a country" is not just a figure of speech.
"Okay~" Hearing Mike's domineering speech and seeing his sister's admiring expression, Iome could only helplessly follow suit.
At the same time, he quietly tightened his grip on the sword at his waist.
As the nephew of King Théoden of Rohan, Éomer could definitely be considered "successful from the start".
However, this young man did not neglect his studies because of this. He not only had excellent command skills, but also had considerable personal combat strength.
Éomer was prepared to risk his life to escort his sister away if things went wrong.
"Prince Éomer and Princess Éowyn, you are wanted for treason. We apologize for our offense."
Upon seeing the siblings Éomer and Iome, the guards at the door immediately produced two wanted posters.
And someone was holding chains, trying to handcuff the two of them.
Without a doubt, this was the work of the treacherous minister Gelima once again.
“Wait, we’re on our way to see King Théoden. I’ll explain the situation of Éomer and his sister to him in person then.” Mike called out to the guards, but didn’t make things difficult for the ordinary soldiers.
"Sir..." The captain of the guard was about to shout "How dare you!" when he saw someone obstructing official business, but his expression changed after he saw the person's face clearly and he asked, "You, you are Mr. Mike, the Healer?"
“It’s me,” Mike nodded.
"It really is you!" The captain of the guards exclaimed with excitement.
Sixty years ago, during the coup, Mike was the greatest contributor to saving Rohan and was appointed Honorary Grand Tutor of Rohan by the previous King Sejer.
To commemorate this event, Sezer later erected a statue of Michael in Rohan.
The statue still stands in Rohan Square.
In addition, some portraits of Michael from that time are still preserved among the people of Rohan.
Therefore, it's not surprising that the captain of the guard recognized Mike.
To the guards' surprise, Mr. Mike, who stood before them sixty years later, was still so young.
"Please wait a moment, I will inform the King of the good news of your return." After the initial surprise, the captain of the guard made a decision.
As for the matter of Éomer and his sister, he had already put it out of his mind.
“No need for that trouble. It seems King Théoden is having some problems, and I’m going to see him in person,” Mike stated his purpose.
"This..." The captain of the guards looked conflicted.
This was clearly against the rules; even if Mike was the Honorary Grand Tutor of Rohan, he could not trespass into the royal palace.
Even the captain of the guard could sense that King Théoden's temperament had changed drastically in the past year or two, and something was definitely wrong.
Therefore, after some hesitation, the captain of the guard followed his heart and made way.
He bowed and said, "Mr. Mike, if King Théoden is really in trouble, please help him."
Throughout the history of Rohan, although the royal family members here may occasionally cause some problems, the soldiers here are mostly loyal to the kingdom and the people.
This was undoubtedly Rohan's good fortune.
The other guards at the city gate who recognized Mike instantly made way for him, shouting fervently, "Mr. Mike, please help Rohan!"
……
Afterwards, Mike, who entered Rohan by scanning his face, led Éomer and his sister to the kingdom's palace without any obstacles.
Looking at Éomer, he now held Michael in the highest esteem.
This is what a man should do! ! !
"Halt! Who are you? How dare you bring two criminals, Éomer and Éowyn, into the palace? What is your punishment?" In front of the palace, the advisor "Clever Words" Grima, leading a royal guard, blocked Mike and his group's path.
This treacherous minister, who bewitched King Théoden, had greasy long hair and an unhealthy pale complexion. When he spoke, his tongue swept across his lips like a venomous snake.
Clearly, this cunning and treacherous official had received advance notice.
The look in his eyes as he looked at Mike now was a mixture of malice and apprehension.
"You are Grema?" Mike glanced at Grema and sensed a trace of dark power emanating from her.
But the most important thing now is to see if there's any hope for Thing.
As for the treacherous minister Gelima, he can be dealt with at any time; it's not a big problem.
So Mike, ignoring Grema's attempts to stop him, led Éomer and his sister into the palace.
"Stop! I told you to stop!!!" Grema saw contempt in Mike's eyes. After failing to communicate, she angrily ordered the royal guards, "All of you, get him! Arrest this madman who dared to trespass into the palace, as well as the two traitors."
Unfortunately, not only did Grimma recognize Mike, but the members of the royal guard who were loyal to the king also recognized him.
Compared to Grimar, who became the kingdom's advisor through flattery and smooth talk, the members of the Royal Guard were more willing to believe Mike, who had once saved Rohan.
As a result, the King's Guard not only did not stop Mike, but even made way for Mike and his two companions to reach the palace.
"Damn it!! You bunch of useless trash!!!..." Seeing that his inner strength was useless, Grimma immediately started cursing his personal guards.
Grima had heard much about Mike's reputation as the "Healer," so he dared not gamble on whether Mike would be able to detect the problem with King Théoden once he entered the palace.
After berating the guards, Grema had to personally intervene and try to restrain Mike.
Seeing this, the ever-vigilant Éomer quietly drew his sword from his waist, intending to cover the rear alone.
Then he saw Mr. Mike, who was walking ahead, wave his hand without turning his head, and instantly summon a golden chain that restrained Grema, who was about to reach out.
“Thydon’s situation is probably related to you, so you might as well come along too,” Mike said before continuing on his way.
Throughout the entire process, he never glanced at Greema again.
It was as if the other party was just a roadside object.
Meanwhile, Grema, whose hands were bound, seemed to be under her spell, and her feet followed Mike and the other two's steps as if they were under her control.
Looking at his expression again, it had turned into one of terror.
"Uncle, what's wrong? It's me, Iowa, say something!"
As soon as the group entered the palace, they saw King Théoden of Rohan sitting on the throne like a puppet, his face pale and his eyes vacant, as if he were dead.
Upon seeing this, Éowyn, who had been raised by the king, immediately rushed over, murmuring sadly, "He wasn't like this when we left, and it's only been less than a month, how could he..."
Well, the only difference between King Théoden and a dead man now is that he still has a breath left.
"What exactly did you do to the king?" Iome's face was also filled with sorrow, and then his gaze toward Grimma was more like that of a murderer.
When the brother and sister went to Gushan to seek help, they encountered many obstacles from Gelima.
After much difficulty, the two managed to bring back the "reinforcements," but unexpectedly, King Théoden was the first to fall victim to their poison.
“No, it wasn’t me. I don’t know what happened to King Théoden either. On the contrary, I’ve done my best to prevent chaos in Rohan during this time…” Grimma’s eyes darted around and she shouted, “But you two siblings, King Théoden has always treated you well, yet you left Rohan when he was sick and needed you.”
It must be said that Greema truly lives up to its reputation for "eloquence," and its ability to turn the tables on others is indeed quite impressive.
In just a few words, he not only cleared himself of suspicion but also shifted the blame onto the Éomer siblings.
Of course, he didn't do this for Éomer and his sister's benefit; rather, it stemmed from his fear of Mike.
After all, people who can summon golden chains at will are rare in the Middle-earth.
"Don't worry, Théoden is just poisoned, there's still hope." Mike explained to the remorseful brother and sister, then conjured white light in his hands and threw it at King Théoden.
He wasn't listening to what Grema was saying at all.
Meanwhile, after being treated by the [Healing Power], Théoden's pale face gradually regained color.
After the faint black aura around his body was purified, his eyes were no longer dull.
"Cough~" King Théoden coughed up a mouthful of foul blood and then instantly "came back to life." "What happened to me? I feel like I had a very long nightmare."
“Éomer…Éowyn…”
King Théoden, still somewhat dazed from just regaining consciousness, then saw a familiar figure. "Uncle Michael, is that really you? What brings you to Rohan?"
Yes, from Segel's generation, Théoden should indeed call Mike "uncle".
“If I hadn’t come, you would have been poisoned to death by a slow-acting poison,” Mike said irritably. “Also, besides being poisoned, your mind has been tampered with.”
Generally speaking, even for a demon lord like Sauron, it wouldn't be easy to take action against a king without making a sound.
The fact that Thyeton fell into this trap is clearly related to his close relationship with the treacherous minister, Grimma.
In conclusion, he brought this suffering upon himself.
"Poisoning?" Théoden seemed to understand something, looked at the devastated Grimar behind him, and shouted, "Men, arrest Grimar and throw him into the death row. He will be executed at a later date."
Théoden isn't stupid; he was just misled by treacherous officials before. Now that he's awakened, he's naturally figured things out.
As Grimaldi, who was still protesting her innocence, was taken away by the royal guards, Iome and her brother breathed a sigh of relief, as if they had finally gotten their revenge.
“Uncle Théoden, how are you feeling now? The way you looked before really startled me. Luckily, Mr. Mike was here…” Then, Éowyn went to her uncle in a coquettish manner, while not forgetting to mention Mike’s contribution.
“I feel much better.” King Théoden smiled and comforted his niece, then looked solemnly at Mike and thanked him, “Uncle Mike, thank you for your help again. We will never forget your kindness to Rohan.”
Being called "uncle" by an elderly man with white hair is actually quite awkward.
So Mike changed the subject and asked, "The person who poisoned you has been found, but do you remember who tampered with your mind?"
Because someone had first manipulated his mind, Théodore didn't realize that Grimma had put a slow-acting poison on him.
The combination of mind control and slow-acting poison is also the reason why Théoden slowly turned into a "puppet".
"I only remember having a very long nightmare. I remember most of the details of the dream, but I just can't figure out who would do something to my mind." After trying to recall, Théoden shook his head.
Just like a "lucid dream," Théoden remembers everything about how he was "manipulated" by Grimma before. At that time, he could hear and see, but his body was not under his control.
However, he had absolutely no recollection of who had bewitched him.
"Is that so? Then that's a bit tricky." Mike remembered the scent of the Demon Lord Sauron, so he could tell that the black aura on Théoden earlier was not caused by the Demon Lord himself.
In other words, there is another person with dark powers hiding in Rohan.
If this person hiding in the shadows isn't brought to justice, Théoden or those around him could be poisoned again at any time.
Unless Mike stays in Rohan as a "nanny".
But that's obviously unrealistic, since the Allied forces on Lonely Mountain are still waiting for Mike to return.
"Is the situation serious?" Iowa asked, looking at Mike deep in thought, and couldn't help but worry.
“No, it’s just a bit of a hassle,” Mike said. “However, as long as they still have designs on Rohan, they’ll eventually slip up on their own.”
For ordinary people, the methods of dark forces are virtually impossible to guard against.
Therefore, Mike decided to go all the way and stay in Rohan for a while longer until he caught the mastermind behind it all.
Thye, perhaps sensing Mike's intentions, once again expressed his sincere gratitude to him.
Then, just to be on the safe side, he looked at his outstanding nephew and said, "Iome, I hereby appoint you as the Second Marshal of Rohan, with the authority to command the entire Rohan army..."
“If anything happens to me, you will be the next King of Rohan.”
Clearly, Éomer's trip to Lonely Mountain to seek help has been approved by King Théoden.
This prompted the king, who had no descendants, to entrust his affairs after his death.
……
Meanwhile, Saruman the White Wizard, who had just finished the White Council, also arrived in Mordor, the den of evil.
"Lord Saruman, how long will it take for your powers to recover? The Fellowship of the Ring, assembled by Gandalf and others, has already departed from Rivendell and may soon reach Mount Doom." Saruman, clad in white robes, walked through the orcish army and came before Sauron, who resided in Barador, a high tower in Mordor.
Barador Tower, located in Mordor, is the stronghold of the Dark Lord Sauron and the site where many of the One Rings were forged. It possesses absolute evil power.
After returning from the Void, Sauron has been recuperating here.
As for why the white-robed wizard Saruman is here, it's because he chose to cooperate with the demon lord who possesses the characteristic of immortality.
Yes, out of jealousy that Gandalf had also become a wizard in white, and out of an obsession with gaining the "respect" of everyone in Middle-earth, Saruman ultimately chose to collude with the forces of darkness.
In other words, Gandalf's plan to secretly send the Fellowship of the Ring to Mount Doom was actually under the surveillance of the dark forces.
“Returning from the Void has not been without its price… My power still needs some time to recover.” The Demon Lord Sauron, shrouded in black aura, sat on the throne of the Tower of Barador, with a huge vertical pupil of flame behind him—the Eye of the Demon King.
It can help Soren observe situations tens of thousands of meters away.
“Is that so? Since you can’t leave Barador Tower for the time being, we need more fresh blood to fight Gandalf’s Fellowship of the Ring,” Saruman suggested.
"Tell me your opinion?" After being beaten twice, the Demon Lord Sauron seemed to have learned to be patient.
“I suggest we develop that Lord Mike of Lonely Mountain into an ally,” Saruman offered his specific suggestion.
Although he and Mike didn't get along, he still highly respected Mike's abilities.
Moreover, if Mike also joins the dark forces, he will undoubtedly become Saruman's successor.
It must be said that Saruman's move was truly vicious.
“No, given our current situation, it’s not the right time to provoke them,” Soren shook his head, rejecting Saruman’s suggestion.
"Why?" Saruman pressed on, annoyed.
"I said no means no," Soren said in a low voice.
Sauron hated Mike more than Galadriel, the Elven Queen who had banished him, for the humiliating beating he had suffered.
As the first victim, Soren was well aware of the power within Mike.
Even in his prime, he might not have been a match for his opponent, let alone now.
Therefore, before fully controlling Middle-earth, Sauron did not intend to confront the unfathomably powerful Lord of Lonely Mountain again.
Of course, he couldn't directly explain to Saruman that this was something that would diminish his own prestige.
After all, the two are only working together temporarily.
In conclusion, Sauron's current behavior seems quite strange.
“Alright then.” Although he didn’t understand why Sauron, the Demon Lord, had suddenly become so angry as to seem to have lost his mind, Saruman still had the basic principles of a collaborator, so he suggested again, “Since we can’t win over the Lord of Lonely Mountain, we’ll have to think of another way to invade Middle-earth…”
"Furthermore, I have discovered that human forces are not a monolithic entity, so I suggest that we first defeat Rohan and take control of that territory."
"This will not only open a passage to Middle-earth, but also separate the Gondorian army from the Allied forces of the Lonely Mountain, achieving multiple benefits in one fell swoop."
Taking Rohan would divide the battlefield, isolating Gondor and the Lonely Mountain, making them vulnerable to being defeated one by one.
Next, Saruman casually mentioned the backup plan he had set up in Rohan.
Yes, Saruman orchestrated the events surrounding Théoden, the King of Rohan.
"Good suggestion~" After listening to Saruman's second suggestion, the Dark Lord Sauron said in a deep voice, "I'll leave the attack on Rohan to you. Afterwards, I'll send the orc Borg to assist you..."
"At the same time, I need you to help me create more powerful orcs~"
After joining the forces of darkness, Saruman used his wisdom to help the Dark Lord Sauron develop an even more powerful unit—the Orcs.
Compared to orcs, this new type of monster is larger and stronger, and has no weakness of being afraid of sunlight.
“As you wish~” Saruman accepted the task, but before leaving, he did not forget to remind the Demon Lord: “As we agreed before, after taking over Middle-earth, I need half of the control.”
It can be said that Saruman was willing to immerse himself in darkness because all he wanted was power.
He wanted to prove to everyone that Middle-earth would only be better under his control.
From this perspective, Saruman seems to have been enduring hardship and humiliation.
……
(End of this chapter)