Speaking of the night two weeks later.
At this moment, the dwarves were holding a bonfire party, eating various roasted meats and vegetables brought from Levi's territory, making quite a commotion that echoed through the peaceful valley.
Having such a lively spot in this quiet valley was actually quite rare, adding a touch of earthly warmth to Rivendell's serene atmosphere.
Here in the guest room arranged by the elves, Levi had just planned to lie down and sleep when old Gandalf pulled him up to go for a walk.
Levi had not yet slept, so they walked together in the moonlit courtyard.
Of course, the wizard wouldn't visit without purpose.
Soon, Elrond also joined them, walking in circles with the two with measured steps.
As they walked, Elrond brought up the matter of the dragon, reproaching Gandalf for concealing things from him with barely contained frustration.
"Actually, I called you out today to discuss this very matter. You must trust me! I know what I'm doing."
Gandalf explained rapidly.
But clearly, on this matter, Elrond had some different views from him.
Although both could vaguely perceive some future possibilities, whether they were the same possibilities was uncertain. Future possibilities always had both good and bad outcomes.
"You really know what you're doing? That dragon has been sleeping for sixty years. What if your plan fails? What if that dragon is awakened?"
"What if it succeeds? If the dwarves can reclaim the Lonely Mountain..."
Gandalf once again explained his strategic concerns about the Lonely Mountain, outlining the benefits of helping the dwarves reclaim it.
"This move is dangerous, Gandalf."
"Sitting and waiting for death is equally dangerous," Gandalf retorted with sharp conviction.
"Besides, we have a safety net. When the most critical moment comes, Levi and I will find a way."
Gandalf suddenly stopped and, together with Elrond, looked at Levi with expectant eyes.
"He's right," Levi chose to comply, not wanting to argue with the old man.
But he still needed to maintain appearances when necessary.
"I have no objections."
"Levi is indeed very strong. I can sense that even in the prosperous times of the First Age, he would have been a powerful warrior. But facing that dragon, no one dares claim complete certainty."
Elrond shook his head with ancient worry. The elven race had been weakened for too long. If something really went wrong and the dragon flew out, while they could deal with it, they would pay a considerable price. This would make the already declining elven race's situation even worse, possibly leading to collapse.
"Oh, come now. Inheriting Erebor is Thorin's rightful claim anyway. What exactly are you afraid of?"
Elrond still disagreed:
"Have you forgotten? Madness hides in their bloodline. Once they see the treasure in the Lonely Mountain, that madness will be drawn out."
"His grandfather was brought down by madness, as was his father. Can you guarantee that Thorin Oakenshield won't follow in their footsteps?"
"Gandalf, the decisions you make don't just affect us. The balance of Middle-earth isn't something you and I can divide and decide."
Hearing this, Gandalf shook his head and directly cut off the topic, saying instead: "Regardless of what we do, those dwarves will go to the Lonely Mountain anyway. They've made up their minds. No one can stop them."
"Besides, Thorin doesn't think he should be accountable to anyone, and frankly, neither do I."
Elrond said somewhat helplessly: "The one you should answer to is not me, but another."
The three suddenly stopped before a set of steps.
On the high platform, an elf radiating gentle light turned around and looked down with ethereal grace.
Levi's gaze met hers for an instant, leaving him momentarily dazed.
Beautiful, dignified, elegant.
These words couldn't be more fitting for this lady.
This was none other than the Lady of the Golden Wood, one of the most powerful elves in Middle-earth.
"Lady Galadriel."
"Mithrandir."
Gandalf bowed solemnly, saying: "Time may have changed me, but it cannot change the Lady of Lórien."
"I had no idea Lord Elrond had invited you."
Gandalf smiled and glanced at Elrond, as if saying why didn't you tell me about this earlier.
"He did not," suddenly, a sharp voice came from behind like a blade cutting through silk.
"It was I who invited the Lady."
Upon hearing this voice, the smile immediately disappeared from Gandalf's face. He took a deep breath, turned around, and somewhat reluctantly gave a slight bow.
"Saruman."
"You've been quite busy lately, Gandalf." Saruman stared at him for a while, then shifted his gaze to look at Levi with calculating eyes.
"Why is there an ordinary person here?"
"It's getting late. If it's not necessary, let him go back and rest. Our meeting is not for mortals to overhear."
This was an attempt to drive Levi away first before discussing matters.
"No, no, no. Levi is no mortal."
Gandalf immediately retorted: "A considerable part of our plan may depend on Levi to proceed smoothly."
"His power far exceeds our imagination and could even overturn many situations."
"Is that so? That remains to be seen."
Of course, actually, when Saruman first saw Levi, he had a vague premonition that this human was indeed extraordinary.
But he still chose to argue with Gandalf. Not for any other reason than to get in a few more jabs at him.
"This is the 'Enemy of the Orcs' of the Misty Mountains, Levi Stonecraft."
At the crucial moment, it was Elrond who stepped forward to speak for Levi.
[Enemy of Orcs]
An advanced version of the "Orc Slayer" title. When the orcs of the Misty Mountains began contracting their defensive lines due to Levi's killing spree, this title had replaced Orc Slayer and had been lying in his title collection.
Everyone present could see Levi's deeds if they wanted to.
With everything made clear, continuing to argue would be inappropriate.
"Very well, then I shall allow him to join," Saruman reluctantly agreed.
Lady Galadriel also nodded slightly at Levi, smiling as she invited him to join them with gracious warmth.
Levi followed Gandalf's example and paid his respects to her.
The small episode passed.
The Lady of the Golden Wood, the Lord of Rivendell, the White Wizard of Isengard, the Grey Wizard wandering Middle-earth, and Levi.
The five of them thus convened an impromptu White Council.
"The dragon belongs to no one, but if it turns to the Great Enemy, it would be a terrible disaster for Middle-earth."
"Great Enemy? What Great Enemy?" Saruman immediately pushed back against Gandalf's words: "The Great Enemy was defeated long ago, and the Ring has been swept into the sea. Your worries have no foundation."
Standing to the side, leaning against a stone pillar, Levi glanced at Saruman with a half-smile, but after thinking about it, said nothing.
At this time, Saruman was simply arrogant, jealous, and looked down on Gandalf. He still stood with the Free Peoples and could be considered an ally.
"Gandalf, our four hundred years of peace were hard-won. There's no need to take risks," Elrond, who always favored stability, now agreed with Saruman's opinion.
"Peace? Is it really peaceful? Trolls have come down from the mountains and begun raiding nearby farms and pastures. Orcs attack us on the main roads. Ask Levi how many orcs he can kill on a single journey, and you'll know how chaotic things are now."
"But this can hardly be considered a sign of impending war," Elrond voiced his opinion.
Saruman quickly followed up with criticism: "You always like to make trouble out of nothing."
"No, it's not just Smaug. There's something more evil influencing Middle-earth's situation. We can turn a blind eye to him, but he won't ignore us..."
Gandalf spoke of his concerns with growing urgency.
As he spoke, Levi noticed that Lady Galadriel and Elrond had somehow moved to his side, behind Gandalf.
This meant they, like himself, actually supported Gandalf's position.
Four people around one table were all on the left side, with only Saruman sitting alone on the right.
Seeing that everyone except him had gone to support Gandalf, Saruman's face stiffened.
"There is a Necromancer dwelling in Dol Guldur. He possesses the power to raise the dead..."
Gandalf spoke of the observations brought back by the Brown Wizard, trying to persuade everyone to attack Dol Guldur.
"This Necromancer is at most just a mortal who learned some dark magic. Nothing to worry about..."
Saruman still expressed opposition, speaking at length. After listening for a while, Gandalf suddenly stopped responding, as if he were daydreaming.
"Are you listening to me? Look at him! It's as if I'm talking to myself..."
Of course he wasn't listening to you.
Levi shifted to a more comfortable position against the stone pillar.
The bearers of the three elven rings could communicate through telepathy. Lady Galadriel had probably discovered the Morgul blade on Gandalf and was confirming it with him.
Sure enough.
Before long, Gandalf took out the sword and placed it on the stone table.
This type of sword was standard equipment for the Nazgûl.
[Morgul Blade] Attack +7.
Special effect: Withering.
Those wounded by a Morgul blade would be slowly dragged into darkness, their life gradually withering. This wound could not be healed by ordinary means and required magic or some secret healing methods to alleviate.
This thing was specifically effective against the Free Peoples but wasn't very useful against dark creatures.
"Impossible, absolutely impossible. It's just a coincidence."
Even with ironclad evidence before his eyes, Saruman maintained his faction's conservative stance.
"Let us think this through..."
He began another of his lengthy speeches.
However, unbeknownst to him, while he was saying these things, the dwarves had already packed up and left. This was clearly Gandalf's intention. He was keeping Saruman here to give the dwarves time to depart while also forcing him to make a choice.
Sure enough, before long, Lindir came to report: "Lord Elrond, the dwarves have departed."
As he spoke, the corners of his mouth could barely be suppressed.
Thank the Valar, they had finally left.
With the dwarves' departure, the meeting also came to an end.
The final conclusion was: help the dwarves, and attack Dol Guldur to gather intelligence.
However, when all matters were settled and everyone was about to leave, Lady Galadriel suddenly called out to Levi and slowly walked toward him.
[Chapter Complete]
***
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