The Dúnedain Rangers leader was startled, stroking his stubbled chin, and the surrounding Rangers all looked at him.
Arthur immediately understood that this person was the "Talion" he was looking for.
So he waved to the other party in a friendly manner and shouted, "Judging by the reactions of the people around you, you must be Talion, the one I'm looking for?"
The middle-aged Ranger nodded helplessly, motioning for the surrounding Rangers to put down their weapons, but his tone was still somewhat guarded as he said, "You guessed right, I am indeed Talion, the one you're looking for, and I did go to the distant Golden Tree Territory with my companions to pay respects to the lord there. How can you prove that you are the Lord of the Erdtree?"
Arthur responded with a smile, "That's simple."
As he finished speaking, he already held a staff in his hand, and with a gentle wave, Glintstone Magic appeared above Arthur's head, its azure light illuminating the area within more than ten meters around him in a brilliant azure.
"How about it? If you still want to see more destructive Glintstone Magic, I can perform that for you as well."
Arthur shouted in a relaxed tone to the Dúnedain Rangers, who had surprised expressions.
Talion quickly said, "That's enough. Glintstone Magic alone is enough to prove your identity as a wizard. Even if you are not the Lord of the Erdtree, we should treat you with courtesy. Besides, in this godforsaken place, no one else would show up unless they were guests specifically looking for us, swaggering in."
Then he looked at the Rangers beside him and commanded, "You few continue patrolling outside. I'll take the guests back to the city wall."
"Yes, Lord Talion." The Rangers nodded and then dispersed.
Arthur then spurred Torrent closer and casually asked, "On the city wall?"
Talion nodded slightly, spread his arms, and showed Arthur the desolate and ruined plain. He explained with a wry smile, "Yes, there's no way to build houses in this environment, and even if we did, they would be constantly harassed by orc. So, those towering Black Walls are the suitable places for us to rest. Please follow along, honored guest. My son, after hearing your story, greatly admires you."
Arthur exchanged a glance with Melina, and did not dismount, but rode on Torrent's back, following behind Talion.
While ascending the Black Wall, Arthur and Melina both noticed that shouts of battle were still coming from other parts of the city wall.
Talion noticed their expressions and took the initiative to explain, "Lord Arthur, you should know the situation here at the Black Gate. Every day, we are subjected to attacks from orc, and sometimes even by Sauron's lackeys and spies leading orc to attack. However, compared to being on the plain, the city wall can easily withstand these scoundrels' attacks."
Arthur asked thoughtfully, "But even so, your lives must be affected, right? So, your previous visit to the Golden Tree Territory was to solve the problem of these orc attacks?"
Talion shook his head slightly, "No, as long as the Dark Lord Sauron is not dead, his lackeys will not cease these endless attacks. My purpose in visiting the Erdtree was simply because I heard that your place is very peaceful, and I wanted to find a safe haven for my family and some of my people who are unwilling to fight."
He laughed freely, "After fighting orc for so many years, to be honest, I'm a bit tired, but if no one here resists these orc, they will rush out and destroy the peace outside, and that's even less what I want to see. But my family shouldn't suffer here with me, so I took the time to go to the Erdtree to understand the true situation there."
Melina asked, "Are you the only ones defending here? If I remember correctly, isn't Gondor not far from here? Haven't they sent soldiers to help you?"
Talion showed a hesitant expression and replied, "Gondor... The areas they need to defend are far vaster than the Black Gate. Their own forces are already stretched thin. Being able to provide us with food and weapons for free is already more than we can ask of them."
Just as Talion was introducing the current situation of the Black Gate to Arthur and Melina, a group of Rangers with simply bandaged wounds came from the front.
"Lord Talion."
The weary Rangers nodded in salute to Talion, who frowned as he looked at the wounded Rangers and asked, "Why do you all have arrow wounds? Were there many orc attacking today?"
The Ranger Captain leading them sighed and replied, "Yes, today's offensive was even more fierce than yesterday. Most of the orc this time were archers, so it's inevitable that we would get hit by stray arrows on the city wall."
Then he forced a smile and said, "But Talion, don't worry, we've dealt with all those orc."
Upon hearing this news, Talion frowned deeply and said softly, "Quickly go to the infirmary with your brothers. Remember to check if your wounds are poisoned. There are still plenty of King's Foil and other herbs, so don't be stingy."
The Ranger Captain nodded and motioned for his team members to follow.
Talion looked at the team, which was clearly missing a few members, and his frown deepened.
Arthur and Melina did not interject, only nodding slightly to the Rangers who looked their way, then continued to follow behind Talion.
Talion did not continue the previous topic, but silently led Arthur and Melina forward.
Melina then whispered in Arthur's ear, "It seems the situation here is much more serious than we thought."
Arthur nodded slightly, hesitated for a moment, and still asked Talion, "Talion, have you always lived in such a high-intensity combat environment?"
Talion was clearly immersed in his own thoughts. Arthur had to ask two or three times before he reacted, showing an apologetic expression to Arthur: "Ah, sorry, I was just distracted. As for your question, if the situation here had always been this high-pressure, we wouldn't have settled here in the first place."
Arthur asked curiously, "Then when did this situation start?"
Talion also showed a confused expression and replied, "About one or two months ago, the orc within the Black Gate suddenly became collectively agitated, and the frequency of attacks increased."
One or two months ago?
Arthur's expression became strange. That time seemed to be when he and Thorin killed Azog and occupied the Lonely Mountain.
Could it be that the situation at the Lonely Mountain caused changes here at the Black Gate?
Talion then continued, "After that, the scouts also discovered that the strongest Ringwraiths under Sauron had also flown back to Mordor, though two of them were missing."
Alright, it really is related to the changes at the Lonely Mountain.
Just as Arthur was about to say something, a tender child's voice reached his ears with delight.
"Father!"
Immediately after, a younger Ranger, who bore some resemblance to Talion, appeared before them and excitedly jogged over.
Then Talion's son noticed two unfamiliar people following behind his father, which immediately made him realize that his father was showing guests around.
He said somewhat awkwardly, "Uh, am I interrupting you?"
Arthur smiled and shook his head, "No, we were just talking with your father."