Wasn't I just afraid you'd suddenly pull that thing out?
Garrett thought, turning around with a helpless expression as he retrieved several bottles of milk from his inventory.
That ring was like a beacon, definitely needed extra precautions.
The small experiment targeting the One Ring began promptly.
Step one: lava.
"Bilbo, do you see that block of lava?"
"I see it, but do you mean with 'block'?"
"It's a unit of length I'm used to using, about the distance of one step for an adult human."
"I understand. So what do I do next?"
Bilbo withdrew the ring and looked up at Garrett.
The ring sparkled dazzlingly next to the lava, as if trying its best to announce its presence.
"Throw it in."
"Pardon?"
"Throw it away, Bilbo. If it's really gone, I'll get it back for you, I'll find you a new one."
"...Very well."
Without heeding the One Ring's subtle resistance, Bilbo closed his eyes and tossed it into the lava.
There was no expected sound of it being burned.
Not only did the One Ring not get destroyed, it actually floated back to the surface, as if protected by some invisible force, showing no signs of damage after a long time.
Garrett collected the lava with a bucket, and Bilbo retrieved the ring.
After soaking in the scorching lava for so long, it remained completely cool to the touch.
"Come with me."
Not long after, the two arrived near the Nether portal.
Garrett looked around, then glanced up at the sky. After confirming nothing unusual was present, he addressed Bilbo, "Try throwing the ring into this portal."
"Is this some kind of magical gateway? I'm quite curious about its function."
Despite his words, Bilbo showed little hesitation and tossed the ring into the portal.
The result: the ring passed straight through and clattered to the ground, as if the Nether portal didn't exist for it.
"I see."
Garrett pulled out a small container. "Bilbo, place it in here."
Afterward, he took the container and began testing.
Couldn't be stored in his inventory.
Couldn't be placed in a chest.
Couldn't be transported through a portal.
All conventional storage methods for inanimate objects failed.
In other words, it appeared that, by definition, this thing might actually be... a living entity?
It could be carried, but not systematically stored.
"It's fine now, take it back."
It seemed that some things couldn't be destroyed simply because one desired it. After all, doing so would be like abruptly ending a melody mid-performance, bringing an orderly progression to a sudden halt, no continuation, no finale, just an awkward end.
Something like this was commonly known as a "bad ending."
Such behavior really should be avoided.
After finishing what Bilbo thought were some rather baffling experiments, he didn't immediately leave. Instead, he stayed for a few more days.
"Sometimes I truly cannot distinguish between this place and Rivendell."
Standing at a high point, overlooking the entire territory, Bilbo sighed.
"Apart from having somewhat less natural wilderness, everything here is no inferior to Rivendell. Even the people, they appear genuinely happy."
"If you want, you can live here as long as you like."
Faced with Garrett's invitation, Bilbo hesitated.
An Elven lord in Rivendell had extended the same offer.
After a moment, he said, "Thank you kindly. But I believe my Bag End is quite lovely as well. If you're ever free, please come visit and stay as long as you like. Simply enter, no need to knock. There's always abundant tea and cakes."
"Then you'd better be careful your snacks don't run out."
"If you can consume that much, then please attempt it," Bilbo replied, glancing up at the weather, then added, "It's about time. I should return home. Bag End must be frightfully cold by now, I need to go back and kindle the hearth."
"Alright, I'll come with you. Don't forget, you left a stack of golden apples with me, a stack means 64, in case you were wondering."
Bilbo swallowed the words he was about to say.
That very day, the two departed the stronghold together, strolling leisurely toward the Shire at an unhurried pace, like travelers on a pleasant journey.
It wasn't until the third day after leaving the stronghold that snowflake fell.
This time, winter had truly arrived.
By the time they reached Bilbo's home, a thick layer of snow had already covered the ground. It piled up in the garden, untouched, beautifully white.
"The good news is that no one visited my home while I was away this time. The unfortunate news is... the house is probably no warmer than the outside right now."
It took quite some time before Bilbo managed to get the fireplace burning, finally bringing some warmth to the house.
After storing the golden apples in Bilbo's pantry, Garrett asked for directions to the Sackville residence and then headed directly there, intending to pay a visit to this troublesome hobbit family.
Out of concern, mostly for the Sackville-Bagginses, Bilbo quickly followed after him.
Knock, knock, knock.
At the sound of knocking, there was immediate stirring from within. A voice, growing louder as it approached the door, called out, "Who is it? If you're a caller, this really isn't the time. We're not prepared to receive any visitors—"
Creak.
The door opened, and the words stopped abruptly.
"Bilbo?"
The hobbit who answered frowned deeply.
"What are you doing here? I'll have you know, we already returned everything of yours. We didn't retain a single item, so if you've lost something, don't come accusing us!"
"No, no, no. I'm not the one who came to see you, Otho."
Bilbo sighed and gestured to the figure beside him.
"It's my friend."
"Hello there."
"A Big Person? What do you want—"
Otho's words cut off the moment he looked up properly.
This outfit… where have I heard about it before?
Was it at The Green Dragon? Or perhaps at the market?
"You probably don't know me very well."
As he spoke, Garrett firmly pushed the door wider and ducked to enter. The commotion alerted Lobelia, Otho's wife, who came out holding a frying pan, her eyes filled with suspicion.
"Uninvited guests aren't welcome in this home!" she snapped harshly.
"Yes, yes, that's not ideal, of course. In that case, allow me to introduce myself."
Bilbo reached out, attempting to interject, but Garrett gently stayed his hand.
"I'm an adventurer. That's what I'd tell most people."
He slowly stepped forward, his imposing stature and dark armor radiating an oppressive presence, forcing the Sackville-Bagginses to involuntarily retreat.
He continued, "But if you'd like to know more, I could also be: Bane of the Orcs, Wight Slayer, Arch-Enemy of the Misty Mountains Orcs and Mordor, Ally of the Eldar and Khazad, Dragon Slayer, Lord and Guardian of the Free Settlements, my name is Garrett."
He suddenly smiled as he spoke.
By now, the Sackville-Bagginses had been driven into the corner of the room, trembling like leaves in a gale.
With each title he mentioned, their courage diminished further, their spirits wilted more. By the end, it was as if they had been placed under a spell, they dared not move a muscle.
No one would doubt that if Garrett took even one more step forward, they would burst into tears on the spot.
"Relax. I'm not going to do anything to you."
He said gently, "I just heard that not only did you try to seize my friend's home, you also planned to auction off the gift I gave him."
"Is that true?"
At those words, the Sackville-Bagginses' hearts sank. They couldn't hold back their tears any longer, one of them burst into tears right away.
It was over.
He was allied with Bilbo!