Fire bombs?
Levi flipped through the intelligence Halbarad had collected, his curiosity growing more uncontainable the more he read.
This thing looked somewhat similar to the dwarves' flash bombs.
"There are still some gains overall."
With Halbarad's detailed intelligence plus the statistical data Levi had obtained, the three now had a certain understanding of the Easterling forces.
Speaking of the most effective actions among the three, it had to be Halbarad.
Though he had neither intercepted messages nor blocked the army's advance, he had thoroughly investigated almost all intelligence from the port city. Which armies went where, how many people, what troop types, and when they departed. Everything was crystal clear.
The military movements in this region were practically transparent.
"A captain of the imperial guard became infatuated with a Dorwinion elf and privately sailed away by boat, attempting to navigate to the other shore of the inland sea... This kind of intelligence also needs investigating?"
"What if it's useful?"
Halbarad said as much.
"Well, regardless, the capital's army can't be assembled in the short term, and their movement routes are basically clear."
"I need to hurry and get this information back. Our forces don't know about this yet."
"Actually, I've always been curious."
Levi asked: "The force you mentioned. Which force exactly is it?"
Halbarad recalled the news he'd heard these past days and said: "They are called 'traitors' and 'collaborators.'"
It seemed this army wasn't merely some rebel force. It also involved a larger enemy, or rather, power.
"I said so from the beginning."
The Blue Wizard replied: "Just east of Mordor, south of the Easterlings."
"Khand."
The rain-washed earth gave off a fresh fragrance, while the withered yellow grassland foretold the bone-chilling nature of this rain.
The three traveled along the way to the pass city in southern Easterling territory.
"It's quite different from when I came here last time."
Alatar looked at this city obviously filled with some strange atmosphere, somewhat puzzled.
Pedestrians on the road hurried past, silently finishing their business before quickly returning home.
"Excuse me, what happened here?"
He stopped a passing resident to ask.
However, that person just shook his head and made a shushing gesture.
"This..."
What matter is so secret?
"Let me handle this."
Halbarad stepped forward two paces and began conversing with that resident.
Moments later.
"A terrifying rumor. There are rumors that a monster recently appeared here that can emerge from nightmares. Nothing can stop it, and even the Nazgûl cannot detect its traces."
"They say not long ago, a messenger from the capital was attacked and is still recuperating in a sealed room without windows."
"Monster?"
Alatar looked at Levi.
This pass city happened to be the place Levi was responsible for.
"Do you have any clues about this rumor?"
"I don't know."
Levi thought carefully.
"Perhaps the messenger was attacked by something during his escape by jumping out the window. I didn't pursue him at the time."
"Too bad. If there really was such a strange thing, I would definitely let him taste my sword."
Maybe it would drop some new materials.
"I see..."
Alatar thought for a moment and said: "In my view, most such strange events are connected to the Great Enemy and his minions. Perhaps it's some method he devised to consolidate his position."
"That makes sense."
"But he certainly didn't expect that doing this would actually delay the Easterling army's assembly."
"No matter how clever, there are always times of miscalculation."
Without delving too deeply into the abnormal rumors of the pass, the three quickly passed through this region, circumvented the mountain opening behind Mordor, and crossed another wilderness.
Until they arrived at a somewhat desolate place.
"This is Khand. The border region of Rhûn."
Alatar introduced: "Continuing south from Khand is a desert. Crossing the desert and continuing south leads to Near Harad."
"On the surface, Harad and Khand still maintain an alliance, with southern merchant caravans frequently passing through here to reach the Easterlings."
"What about in reality?"
"In reality..."
Alatar smiled slightly and raised his head.
"You'll know soon enough."
Khand. A dry borderland separated by rivers from wilderness and desert, sandy with abundant sunshine.
Though not large in overall area, it was relatively prosperous thanks to frequent trade with the north and south.
"It was indeed like this for a period."
While traveling, Alatar explained: "In the earliest times, Khand had considerable conflicts with both the northern Easterlings and southern Haradrim. With already small territory and sparse population, squeezed between two large groups, their lives were quite difficult."
"The Wainriders moved south all the way, forcing the Khandish to Harad. Finally, to resist the Wainriders, the Khandish had to ally with the Haradrim, and all three sides engaged in a great melee."
"This war had no victors, because at that time the Great Enemy was in Mordor."
"He sent envoys to forcibly end this melee, first conquering the three groups with force, then compelling them to worship him for generations."
"That faith is deeply rooted and difficult to remove."
After briefly explaining the situation here, Alatar shifted the topic: "However, even the Great Enemy cannot attend to everywhere."
"Whether it's the Easterlings north of Mordor or the Haradrim to the south, both these large groups have considerable power, and their lands have vast wealth reserves. Even though they're forced to tribute large amounts of treasure to Mordor annually, they can still maintain prosperity."
"But the Khandish cannot. Their territory is too small, and their wealth is quite limited."
"Of course, that they can still exist as a separate nation now is actually thanks to our Great Enemy. If he hadn't forced the three sides not to wage war, Khand might have become history long ago, absorbed by the other two great eastern peoples."
"Initially relying on this decree, Khand indeed enjoyed a period of peaceful development, but the good times didn't last. As Mordor's demands for war grew, this nomadic people was forced to surrender large amounts of supplies and horses annually."
"Mordor doesn't care whether they can afford it or are poor. They only care when the supplies arrive."
"Yet even so, the Khandish faith in the Great Enemy hasn't wavered at all. Simply stubborn..."
"Initially, I came east together with my friend 'Pallando' and our leader 'Saruman.'"
"We operated here and in the more eastern mountains for thousands of years. Saruman felt all races here were hopeless and returned alone to western Middle-earth."
"Leaving just the two of us to continue maneuvering against the Great Enemy's forces in the East."
"Later, Pallando also left. He's now active in the southern Harad regions."
"Though both left successively, fortunately, before Saruman departed, he taught me a magic that could free people from the Great Enemy's control."
"Oh?"
Levi, who had been listening from the side, looked at the Blue Wizard with some curiosity.
Saruman would be so kind-hearted?