Arthur's conversation with the merchant caravan from Gondor went exceptionally smoothly, even beyond Arthur's expectations.
When the merchant leader first saw the two men from his caravan bowing and inviting Arthur over, he immediately knew that these two must have caused trouble.
Otherwise, with their personalities, they would maintain sufficient respect for the Lord of Golden Tree Territory, but they wouldn't act like his servants as they were now.
Therefore, the merchant leader was mentally prepared to be questioned by Arthur, but unexpectedly, the other party opened by asking if Gondor was suffering from orc incursions and offered some help.
The option to "refuse" simply didn't exist in the merchant leader's mind; the moment Arthur finished speaking, he nodded vigorously and agreed immediately.
It was no joke; this was the sixth wizard to appear in Middle-earth, and the only one who would actively hunt dark creatures like orcs.
Arthur might not be entirely clear, but his reputation in other human kingdoms should now be surpassing Gandalf and Saruman.
When Gandalf is mentioned, everyone knows he is a good-natured old man, toiling tirelessly, maintaining relationships between various nations and races.
As for a certain White Robe, people's impression of him is only: Oh, he lives atop the tower in Isengard.
But when people talk about Arthur, it's all about how many orcs he has killed and how many homeless refugees his territory has taken in.
And because of the dwarves' spread, everyone knows that Arthur is helping the dwarves fight the Dragon and reclaim the Lonely Mountain.
He stood out head and shoulders above the two Wizards mentioned earlier.
As for Radagast the Brown and the two other Blue Robe Wizards who had never shown themselves, because they hadn't caused any major stir for a long time, some people weren't even aware of their existence.
In any case, this merchant leader felt that bringing a wizard's help to Gondor would be a great achievement upon his return home.
Thinking of this, the merchant leader looked at Arthur with fervent eyes, but his tone still restrained his excitement as he politely asked, "Lord Arthur, how do you plan to solve Gondor's orc problem?"
Arthur did not answer directly but instead counter-asked, "If you can fully represent Gondor to discuss this with me, there's no harm in telling you."
The merchant leader immediately calmed down and quickly shook his head: "Of course, I don't have that qualification, but please tell me when you plan to go to Gondor. I will immediately inform the Steward when I return."
Arthur roughly calculated how long it would take to resolve the urgent matters Melina had planned and said, "At the latest within two months, I will personally set off for Gondor."
"Understood, Lord Arthur, I will convey this message for you," the merchant leader respectfully replied.
Then he paused, glared fiercely at the two members of his caravan, and then said with a fawning smile, "Lord Arthur, did something unpleasant happen between these two and you? I apologize to you on their behalf first."
The two merchants bowed their heads, not daring to speak. Arthur's gaze swept over them, briefly explained the situation, and then said to the merchant leader, "After all, they are from Gondor. If I were to deal with them and it got out, it would inevitably affect the relationship between Golden Tree Territory and Gondor. So I think it's better to let your own people handle it."
After listening, the merchant leader quickly said, "Thank you for your mercy and kindness. I will punish them according to the laws of Gondor. Please rest assured."
After he finished speaking, his expression towards the two merchants was very grim.
Arthur waved his hand: "Don't punish them too harshly; they have already sincerely apologized to me. Regarding when I will go to Gondor, I will arrange for someone else to write a formal letter and give it to you. Please deliver it to the Steward of Gondor on my behalf."
Afterward, Arthur casually chatted with the merchant leader for a few more sentences, learned some news about Gondor from him, and then left.
After leaving, Arthur, accompanied by Melina, returned non-stop to the empty Royal Capital Leyndell and went to the location of the Erdtree.
He needed to purify the two rings Bernal had given him. Arthur had been too excited after summoning Melina and forgotten, only remembering this unfinished task in the City Lord Hall of Stormveil.
Under the soft golden glow beneath the Erdtree, the two rings quietly resting in Arthur's right palm emitted a very distinct black aura.
Melina gazed at the two rings, frowning deeply, and after observing them carefully for a moment, she said, "The curses placed on these two rings are too malicious."
Hearing this, Arthur asked curiously, "Can you tell what kind of curses are on them?"
Melina answered Arthur softly, "Yes, because the curses set on them are not caused by pure Glintstone Magic or Prayers, but by using a bit of soul power."
Arthur suddenly realized, "So it's related to the soul. No wonder you know."
Melina nodded and continued, "Although I'm not sure what the specific outcome of the curse will be, I know that once someone wears this ring, their mind, body, and soul will be controlled by the ring's true owner, losing their self-awareness, unable to live or die."
Then Melina paused for a moment and added, "And I can also feel that these two rings seem to have a faint connection with some kind of existence. It's like the relationship between a monarch and a subject. I believe there must be another ring with even stronger soul power that can control these two rings."
Arthur looked at the rings in his palm with surprise and said, "Doesn't that mean these rings were forged from the beginning to better control those who wear them?"
Melina agreed, "Yes, I think so too. That's why I said the curses placed on them are very malicious. The person who forged these rings must be very evil, or rather, ambitious."
A shiver of fear ran through Arthur, and cold sweat broke out on his back as he murmured, "Thankfully, Bernal and Igon didn't immediately put on these two rings after getting them, otherwise, I might have lost two good friends."
Melina pondered and echoed, "...If they had worn them, although they would gain temporary boosts in power and various physical attributes, their souls would also be irreversibly and slowly corrupted until they were captured by the ring's true owner and became his puppets."
Arthur sighed and said, "I just don't know if Grace can remove the curses on these two rings."
Melina replied, "Eliminating the curse is equivalent to eliminating the trace of soul remaining on the ring. Grace, to some extent, is also energy related to the soul, and it will definitely remove this curse. However, it will also inevitably affect the ring's inherent ability to empower the wearer, or even turn it into an ordinary ring."
Arthur shrugged, "Such a malicious curse is better eliminated. As for the ability enhancement, although I am very interested, I prefer not to have the negative effects brought by the ring. I have no intention of becoming someone else's puppet."
As he spoke, he closed his eyes and communicated with the Erdtree with his spirit and soul.
The Erdtree responded almost immediately the moment Arthur communicated with it. From Melina's perspective, more Grace fragments fell from the Twin Erdtree's branches.
Arthur coaxed the Erdtree as if soothing a pet, then asked, "Can you remove the curses on these two rings?"
The Erdtree naturally could not answer Arthur with words, but it gave its answer with practical action.
The Grace, as if substantial, gathered in Arthur's right palm. The black mist emanating from the two rings grew thicker, until it coalesced into a gaunt, tall, armored figure, letting out a silent roar at the approaching Grace.
But the Erdtree ignored it. The next moment, a massive amount of Grace, like a giant wave, crashed onto the two rings, and the black mist instantly vanished without a trace.
A few minutes later, the Grace gathered in Arthur's palm was gradually absorbed by the two rings. The silver-white ring even turned into a pure golden color because of this.
Arthur blinked in confusion, "It's done?"
The Erdtree swayed its branches slightly, and the rustling of its leaves served as an affirmative answer.
And Melina, after carefully observing the two rings that had turned golden, said, "Hmm, the uncomfortable curse on the rings has disappeared. And… it seems that because the Erdtree actively infused Grace into the rings, these rings can still give the wearer a certain degree of physical attribute enhancement, though the degree of enhancement is not as strong as when the rings still had the curse."
Upon hearing this, Arthur put on the ring himself, felt it for a moment, then took it off and smiled, "Indeed, that's true. However, this level of enhancement isn't very useful for people like Bernal and me. It might only show obvious effects on an ordinary person. And it has an additional function: when the wearer is attacked by dark or curse-type attacks, the Grace inherent in the ring can defend the owner until the Grace inside the ring is exhausted, after which it needs to return to the Golden Tree Territory to replenish the Grace."
Then he put the rings away and said, "It's a good reward item. I remember a Storm Knight who was suffering greatly from wounds caused by the Ringwraiths, and I was wondering what reward to give him. This ring, which dropped from a Ringwraith, will be perfect for him."
Melina nodded, "Good idea. Alright, the curses on the rings have been cleared. It's time to move on to the next item on the agenda."
Arthur raised his right hand, held up a finger, swayed it left and right, then blew the horse Whistle to summon Torrent, and then extended his hand to Melina, "Don't rush, it's time to eat. How about it, do you want to try what the Elves in this world eat?"
Melina placed her soft, warm hand in Arthur's palm, and with his strength, she sat on the saddle and softly said, "I don't really care much about food, but since you recommended it, I'm willing to try it."
While riding Torrent, Arthur said to Melina, "Don't worry, I don't know if it's because Elves have such long lifespans, but they are very particular about food. When I was in Rivendell, I ate many delicious dishes. And it was the same in the Woodland Realm; the food cooked by the Elves was all very tasty."
Melina leaned against Arthur's back and softly replied, "Mm."
When Arthur appeared before Estel, the little boy showed a happy expression.
But he didn't forget to straighten his clothes before politely walking up to Arthur, performing an Elven greeting, and asking, "Teacher Arthur, why have you come? Are you looking for Brother Elradan and Brother Elrohir?"
Arthur did not disregard the boy's greeting because of his young age. Instead, he returned the bow properly, then picked Estel up into his arms, looking at him with a smile and replying, "Yes, and no. I mainly came for you, Estel."
Estel, sitting on Arthur's arm, blinked, "Me?"
Arthur had already walked to the wooden table outside the house, placed him on a wooden chair, and said, "Yes, aren't you going to learn swordsmanship with me? I happen to have some free time today, so I came to teach you. Otherwise, in a few days, I'll have to leave the Golden Tree Territory again, wouldn't I be breaking my promise?"
Estel said very sensibly, "It feels like human adults are so busy, not at all like my brothers, they seem to be in no hurry for anything."
"Because compared to our lifespans, humans are like mayflies, simply too short-lived. And humans want to accomplish what they want to achieve in their limited lives, so of course they will appear very busy." Elradan's magnetic voice came from inside the house, and then he appeared at the doorway.
He bowed to Arthur, placing a hand on his chest, then looked curiously at Melina, who was holding Arthur's hand, and politely asked, "It's an honor to meet you, Lord Arthur. My name is Elradan, and my father Elrond asked me to greet you on his behalf. May I ask how to address this lady accompanying you, who is as beautiful as a nightingale's song?"
Melina did not release Arthur's hand. Instead, she returned Elradan the Erdtree's royal courtesy with one hand and gently said, "My name is Melina. I am responsible for assisting Arthur in all matters."
Elradan could clearly see Melina's feelings for Arthur. He merely smiled inwardly, but outwardly, he returned the greeting as he had just done.
Just then, hurried footsteps came from inside the house, "thump, thump, thump," and Bilbo's small, cute figure appeared at the doorway, looking excitedly at Arthur, "Arthur? How did you know I was here! This is great, I just learned some new dishes from the Elves today, you absolutely must stay and try them."
"Uh, alright!"
Arthur was startled, then smiled slightly, going along with it and nodding in agreement.