Chapter 652
Follow-up
Chapter 652 Follow-up
"Long live the King of Men!!!...Long live the King of Men!!!..."
After Aragorn led the Gondorian soldiers to wipe out the remaining Orcs in Mordor, he is now leading his troops to Mount Doom to provide support.
I just happened to witness Mike killing the Mystic.
The soldiers who witnessed this scene were so moved that they spontaneously shouted.
Then, more and more people joined in the cheering.
The first human king, Isildur, a thousand years ago, earned the title of human king because he defeated a demon lord.
Now that Mike has completely eliminated the threat of the Demon Lord, the title of King of Men is well-deserved for him.
"Have the remaining eight Ringwraiths been dealt with?"
Mike descended from the sky amidst the admiring gazes of the crowd and stood before Aragorn.
With the Demon Lord's problem resolved, there's no need for the Ringwraiths to remain.
"Don't worry, it's been resolved." Aragorn said with a smile, "Thanks to Princess Éowyn from Rohan, she found the Ringwraiths' weakness."
With the destruction of the dark forces, Aragorn is arguably one of the biggest beneficiaries. Having restored his ancestors' glory, he is now in an exceptionally light mood.
Princess Éowyn, having proven herself to be no less capable than any man, proudly puffed out her chest when she saw Mike looking at her.
Red makeup paired with armor exudes a dashing and heroic air.
“Congratulations, Mike. Your story will live on forever in Middle-earth…” The wizard Gandalf, who had stepped forward, also looked on with a sigh.
Who could have imagined that the young man who called himself a traveler sixty years ago would now solve the greatest threat to Middle-earth?
While safeguarding peace in the Middle-earth, he also became a legendary hero no less than Isildur.
"Congratulations, congratulations!" Mike, understanding the unspoken agreement, smiled and congratulated the wizard.
At the moment of Saruman's downfall, Gandalf, as one of only two white wizards in Middle-earth, stepped forward and led the people in resisting the forces of darkness.
This achievement is clearly significant.
Upon returning to Middle-earth, you will surely receive a reward from the creator god Ilúvatar.
“By the way, we encountered these two unconscious little ones on our way here. Could you please check if they have any health problems?” Gandalf said, stepping aside.
The Poirot brothers quickly brought the two unconscious hobbits over.
Frodo and Sam, these two hobbit kids, have certainly put in a lot of hard work, if not great achievements.
Moreover, Frodo becoming a Ringbearer and Sam joining the Fellowship of the Ring were entirely instigated by the wizards, so he naturally didn't want to see anything happen to them.
"It's not a big problem, they're just too tired." Mike gathered two healing powers, throwing the larger one at Frodo and the smaller one at Sam.
As the healing power merged, Frodo's mental strength, which had been corrupted by the Ring, began to slowly recover. Before long, his pale face regained color, and his eyelids began to tremble.
This is a sign that I am about to awaken.
On the other side, Sam, who had only fainted due to exhaustion and hunger, recovered much faster and had already gotten up.
"Frodo, wake up..."
"Sam... what's wrong with me... I think I had a really long nightmare..."
"The nightmare is over, the Demon Lord has been defeated by Mr. Mike!"
"..."
Seeing the two wake up one after the other, Polomir, Piping, and the others, who had been worried about their safety, smiled happily again.
On the other side, Gandalf the wizard gave Mike a deep look.
The wizard could tell that Sam's condition wasn't very serious, but Frodo, who had been a Ringbearer, had suffered mental trauma that wasn't so easily healed.
Even Gandalf himself couldn't completely heal Frodo's hidden injuries.
Despite the thorny problem, Mike solved it with ease, seemingly effortlessly.
This inevitably made the wizard think even more highly of Mike.
Of course, things eventually came to a happy ending, which made the wizard feel as relieved as Aragorn was.
Afterwards, to celebrate the defeat of the Dark Lord, and on Aragorn's behalf, everyone, including Mike, was invited to the capital of Gondor.
Fine wine...delicious food...sharing joy with the people...
The grand celebration lasted for three days and three nights.
Driven by this trend, the people of Gondor, who had just suffered the trauma of war, slowly recovered and regained hope for life.
“Aragorn, it is a pleasure to be your friend. I will always remember this friendship…” Legolas, the Elven prince who had to leave Middle-earth, solemnly raised his wine glass to bid farewell to his friend Aragorn before the banquet ended.
After this parting, the two may never have the chance to meet again.
“I will always remember this friendship, my friend,” Aragorn said, raising his glass as well, a hint of melancholy and reluctance on his face.
Sixty years may not be a long time for two people with similarly long lifespans, but sixty years of living together day and night is enough for them to understand each other and become brothers.
With parting imminent, sadness is inevitable.
Led by Legolas, Pippin, Merry, Ginkgo, Thwaton, and others also expressed their intention to leave.
Although less than six months have passed since the trip, the four hobbit children felt as if a long time had gone by on this thrilling journey to protect the rings.
Long enough for them to begin to miss the wonderful life in the Shire.
As for Théoden, Éomer, and Éowyn, they need to return to Rohan to appease the people.
After all, Rohan had previously suffered attacks from orc armies.
And so, as everyone left, the victory celebration in Gondor gradually came to an end.
Afterwards, wanting to finish what he started, Gandalf decided to escort the four hobbit children back to the Shire, and also took along the dwarf Gimpulse who was traveling along the way.
On the other side, Mike, who had a portal, took Théoden, Legolas, and others along the way.
"Mr. Mike, may I come to Lonely Mountain to find you later?"
At the border of Rohan, Princess Éowyn gazed longingly at Mike, who was about to leave.
“Of course, Lonely Mountain welcomes you anytime~” Mike smiled.
Then, after nodding to Théoden and Éomer respectively, he led the Elf Prince through the portal to the Green Forest.
"Mr. Mike...can I come to Lonely Mountain to see you sometime...?"
Seeing his sister so distraught over Mike's departure, Éomer mimicked her previous mannerisms in a high-pitched, affected voice.
"Are you trying to die?!"
Embarrassed by the teasing, Iowa chased after her older brother, blushing.
"You're so violent... Mr. Mike won't like you..."
"You still dare to say that... I'll beat you to death..."
"..." Without the pressure from the orcs, the brother and sister seemed to become lively all of a sudden.
"It's so good to be young!"
King Théoden, who was following behind, couldn't help but smile kindly as he watched the brother and sister playfully bickering.
Meanwhile, Mike and Legolas, having traveled through the portal to the Green Forest, met Thranduil, the Elvenking, who was waiting there alone.
“Father, I’m back.” Legolas stepped forward and greeted his father.
“Good, you’ve finally grown up…” After not seeing him for sixty years, Thranduil looked at his son, who had become more composed, and a satisfied expression appeared on his face.
This is probably what it means for a father's love to be as strong as a mountain.
"Do you need me to take you to Grey Alley Port?" Mike asked at the opportune moment after the father and son had finished their conversation.
Having a spatial portal makes it very convenient for him to send people away.
“Thank you for your kindness, but it’s alright. We have Great Antlers to travel with…” Thranduil politely declined.
The dissipation of spiritual energy in Middle-earth does not mean that the elves cannot appear here; it simply means that their lives will slowly pass away.
For Thranduil and Legolas, who possess seemingly endless lifespans, staying a few more days in Middle-earth is nothing unusual.
Thranduil may have even waited here specifically to slowly make his way to Grey Alley with Legolas, to take one last look at the landscape of Middle-earth, and to use this time alone to deepen his bond with his son.
"This green forest is now in your hands. I hope you will treat it well..."
Next, King Thranduil of the Elvenking took Mike on a tour of the Green Forest, and after handing over the reins, he and his son rode away on the Great Deer.
The Grey Elves didn't take much with them during their migration; the cultivated orchards, fertile fields, and many household items and means of production were all left behind in the Green Forest.
This large sum of money all benefited Gushan.
"Goodbye, and I wish you a safe journey to Middle-earth." Mike, having received the Elf King's kindness, waved goodbye to the father and son.
……
"It's been more than two months since I last saw it, and Lonely Mountain has become even more prosperous." On this day, Gandalf, the wizard who had just sent the hobbits home, came to the Kingdom of Lonely Mountain alone.
Yes, with its ever-expanding population, the Lonely Mountain forces finally established their own kingdom.
After absorbing the Vale Kingdom, the Lonely Mountain Kingdom surpassed Gondor and Rohan in power as soon as it was established.
With Mike, the new human king, in charge, the territory of Lonely Mountain Kingdom has expanded south to Green Forest, west to Misty Mountains, and east to the Iron Hills.
The population has reached tens of millions.
Especially around Gushan, with the influx of a large population, several commercial districts and markets of various sizes have been formed.
The wizard was also inspired by the thriving atmosphere here as he traveled.
"Gandalf, I never thought I'd see you again in my lifetime!" In the Great Hall of the Lonely Mountain, Bilbo, dressed casually, warmly embraced the wizard who had just arrived.
Bilbo has now visited the Northern Highlands, and having heard that Mike established his kingdom on Lonely Hill, he recently made a special trip to celebrate.
Then, the elderly hobbit fell in love with the place once again.
He also used his own resources to build a library here, hoping to educate the people of Gushan.
The ideal is quite grand.
“Oh, Bilbo, my old friend, you look very well. Is something good happening?” Gandalf smiled and hugged the old hobbit who was like a younger man to him.
“Of course, I am now the first librarian of the Kingdom of Lonely Mountain,” Bilbo shared proudly. “And I have heard about your and Mr. Mike’s feats in Mordor, and I am preparing to rewrite a biography based on your story.”
Reading, writing, and teaching people to read—this is the newest pleasure Bilbo has found.
“A very good idea…” Gandalf nodded with satisfaction as he watched the hobbits regain their enthusiasm for life.
"Mr. Wizard, and Mr. Bilbo, please have some tea." Just as the two were reunited like old friends, Princess Éowyn, dressed in a beautiful long dress, served them black tea.
Not long after Mike returned to Lonely Mountain, Princess Éowyn also arrived there.
Keen observation skills... Knows when to advance and retreat...
Besides spending every day around Mike, she also unexpectedly became best friends with the elf princess Arwen and the half-elf Sophia.
“I’ve come to say goodbye. Peace has been restored in Middle-earth, and it’s time for me, Redagast, and the others to return to the continent.” After taking a sip of tea, Gandalf looked at Mike, who was surrounded by three girls, and unconsciously raised an eyebrow.
It takes real skill to get an elf princess, a human princess, and a half-elf to live in peace.
Gandalf, who had always admired the Elf Queen Galadriel, was not ignorant of matters between men and women.
At this moment, there was even a hint of inexplicable envy in his eyes.
"Congratulations, you've finally achieved your goal!" Mike offered his timely blessings.
As I said before, with his merits in maintaining peace in Middle-earth, the wizard's treatment after returning to Middle-earth should not be too bad.
"It was thanks to you that we were able to defeat the Dark Lord..." Gandalf smiled and said, "I have also reported your contributions to the peace of Middle-earth to Ilúvatar, and this is his reward to you."
As he spoke, the wizard carefully took out a silver twig with two leaves from his pocket.
Like the white tree in the White City, the Tree of Life is the tree through which the creator god Ilúvatar observes the rise and fall of the entire fantasy world.
It can be said that the Tree of Life is the origin of this world.
Gandalf came to Lonely Mountain specifically to deliver a reward on behalf of the Creator.
"What beautiful branches~" Princess Iowa was captivated as soon as the life branch, radiating silver light, appeared.
Alwin and Sofia, who had a broader perspective, wore expressions of shock.
"When you get to Middle-earth, please thank the Creator for his generosity." Mike calmly accepted the branch of life.
[Power of Creation (Trait)]...[Matter Transformation (Trait)]...[Life Analysis (Trait)]...
[World Energy +20000w]...
In an instant, a large amount of information and energy entered Mike's body.
With the power of creation from the very origin of the world, Mike also had some ideas about creating his own kingdom.
Specifically, the Power of Creation is like a seed; it only needs continuous nurturing to blossom and bear fruit.
It can be said that the World Tree branch sent by Ilúvatar is the most precious "gift" Mike has ever received.
Of course, despite his great success, Mike wasn't as happy as he had imagined.
Because he had already determined that Ilúvatar, the creator god in Middle-earth, had been watching him all along.
And this branch of the World Tree in his hand may well carry a "warning" meaning.
It's something like: I'm watching you, don't mess around.
……
(End of this chapter)