The Trolls' cave was nearby, and with the Palantír's lock-on, Luke directly led everyone to the cave entrance without needing to search.
The Trolls' cave was as foul-smelling as ever. As everyone entered the cave, they discovered a pile of gold coins and treasures in the deepest part.
Luke, with his target set, directly ignored the treasures and searched everywhere for the whereabouts of the elven swords.
Sure enough, Luke quickly found several dusty swords in a corner full of cobwebs and dust.
They were three swords, two long and one short. The two long swords were in beautiful scabbards with large gems inlaid in their hilts, while the short sword was in a leather sheath.
These swords had been there for a long time, covered in thick dust, yet there was no trace of rust. Even the leather sheath, which was the most difficult to preserve, looked as good as new, showing no signs of corrosion from time.
"Is this elven magic?" Luke couldn't help but exclaim.
"Luke, have you found anything good again?" Gandalf noticed Luke's movement and walked over curiously to ask.
The others were also drawn over.
Luke smiled and nodded, presenting the three swords before him to everyone: "I found three swords; they seem quite extraordinary."
Hearing Luke's words, Gandalf became even more curious, "May I see them?"
Luke handed over one of the long swords.
Gandalf took the long sword, examined the blade, and commented, "The scabbard is made of ivory, exquisitely carved. It looks like elven craftsmanship."
As he spoke, he drew the blade. The blade gleamed with a cold light, very dazzling even in the dim cave.
Gandalf caressed the blade, saw the mysterious inscription on it, and carefully deciphered it: "Glamdring, this is Sindarin, meaning Foe-hammer. It seems this is an elven sword."
Gandalf reluctantly put it down, seemingly fond of the sword.
Then he picked up the other long sword. After drawing it, it was a slender, curved sword with an incredibly sharp blade. It was inscribed with the same Sindarin script: "Orcrist, meaning Goblin-cleaver. The hilt has the aura of a dragon. Is this made from a dragon's tooth?"
Gandalf was very surprised. Dragons were Maia-level creatures, almost without rivals. This elven sword's hilt was actually made from a dragon's tooth, which meant that a dragon had once died at the hands of elves for them to obtain a dragon tooth.
The others also looked at the sword with curiosity, as they were facing a dragon on this journey.
Finally, Gandalf picked up the short sword to examine it, but since there were no inscriptions on it, he could not know any information about the short sword, only concluding that it was also an elven-forged sword.
Seeing Gandalf's gaze linger on the first long sword, Luke smiled inwardly, thinking that this sword seemed to have a strong connection with Gandalf.
In Gandalf's surprised gaze, he handed him Glamdring sword, which originally belonged to him: "Gandalf, you don't have a handy sword. Glamdring sword is yours."
Gandalf indeed liked this sword very much and did not stand on ceremony with Luke. He solemnly accepted the sword and said, "I'll keep it for now, Luke. Thank you!"
Luke shook his head. After several battles with the Trolls, his relationship with Gandalf had deepened. He gave the sword without any intention of seeking repayment, but merely out of the idea of returning it to its rightful owner.
Then he turned his gaze to Bilbo, handed him the short sword, and said with a smile, "This sword suits you best. It's yours from now on!"
Amidst the envious gazes of the Dwarves, Bilbo waved his hand, somewhat overwhelmed: "Luke, you've already given me a dagger. I don't need this sword, do I!"
Luke ignored his refusal and directly put the short sword into his hand, "Take it. The previous dagger was just an ordinary weapon and couldn't protect you. Now this short sword is an elf-forged weapon. Take it for self-defense."
Seeing Luke's insistence, Bilbo no longer refused and took the short sword with a touched expression: "Thank you, Luke!" Then he solemnly hung the short sword and the previous dagger on both sides of his waist.
Then, under the eager gaze of the Dwarves, Luke put away the last Orcrist and had no intention of continuing to be a dispenser of wealth.
Gandalf and Bilbo were friends acknowledged by Luke, and Luke didn't feel bad about giving them elven swords.
But he and the Dwarves had always been in a transactional relationship. Although he already had Blazefury, he wasn't generous enough to give them a sword.
Although this Orcrist fell into Thorin's hands in the original destiny, it was first come, first served. Since he encountered the sword first, it was his.
Thorin looked at the Orcrist in Luke's hand, vaguely feeling that it was destined for him. The dragon-tooth hilt also carried a good omen, subtly aligning with the dragon they were to face on their journey to the Lonely Mountain.
But he also knew that his relationship with Luke was not good enough for Luke to give him a sword, so he said, "Luke, are you willing to trade this Orcrist with me?"
"Oh, how do you plan to trade?" Luke turned to him and asked.
He already had Blazefury in his hand, so he didn't lack this sword. If the conditions Thorin offered satisfied him, he wouldn't mind letting this sword return to him.
Thorin was silent for a moment, then said, "How about I exchange one percent of the Lonely Mountain treasure for this sword?"
Luke shook his head: "I don't need treasure." According to the previously signed contract, he had ownership of one-tenth of the Lonely Mountain treasure, plus the treasure from the Barrow-downs and the Trolls' cave, so he didn't lack that one percent share at all.
"Then what do you want?" Thorin asked, frowning, only thinking that Luke felt he was offering too little.
Luke thought for a moment, then said, "After you reclaim the Lonely Mountain, I hope you will build a Castle for me, right on Weathertop, centered around Amon Sûl. I will provide the blueprints, and you will be responsible for the construction."
Since he had already renamed Amon Sûl to Hogwarts, he also wanted that name to live up to its reputation.
The Dwarves had excellent abilities and brilliant achievements in construction. Many magnificent buildings in Middle-earth were built by Dwarves. If Luke wanted to materialize Hogwarts Castle in this world, Dwarves were a good choice.
Upon hearing Luke's request, Thorin's brows furrowed even tighter. This request was not small; in fact, it could be said to be a huge demand.
After all, building a Castle centered around Amon Sûl, its grandeur could be imagined, and the human and material resources consumed would also be enormous.
But Thorin hesitated for a long time, and finally gritted his teeth and agreed.
Although building the Castle would consume a large amount of human and material resources, once he reclaimed the Lonely Mountain and became the King Under the Mountain, these would not be problems.
Thus, Orcrist returned to Thorin Oakenshield's hands once again, just as in the trajectory of fate.
The three elven swords inside the Trolls' cave were distributed among Gandalf, Thorin, and Bilbo. As for the remaining treasure, it was shared equally among the sixteen people.
After coming out of the Trolls' cave, Luke used the Palantír again to search for other Trolls' caves.
However, the nearby Trolls' caves had already been cleared by him and Gandalf, and the remaining ones were very far away, with no more living people found captured by Trolls.
After some discussion, the two of them did not continue to track the Trolls.
Instead, they decided to go to Rivendell.
As the rescuers this time, with the joint agreement of Gandalf and Luke, Thorin, even if unwilling, no longer stubbornly objected.
It was just that after the difficulty with the Trolls, he was even more eager to reach the Lonely Mountain, enter it to obtain the arkenstone, and thereby rally the Dwarves.
Thus, there was no more objection to the journey to Rivendell.
Everyone packed their belongings and left the Troll Forest, continuing eastward directly to Rivendell.
Not long after, news of the Trolls' successive tragic deaths spread among the Trolls, who said that a monster specializing in hunting Trolls had appeared in the forest; he would eat the Trolls' hearts, and could unleash flames, and any Troll who encountered him would die.
As the rumors became more terrifying, many frightened Trolls fled into deep mountain caves, not daring to descend the mountain, fearing they would encounter the terrifying monster and lose their lives.
Consequently, the probability of attacks near the Troll Forest sharply decreased, and passing travelers and merchants became somewhat safer.
At the same time, some of the villagers rescued by Luke and Gandalf from the Trolls chose to take a boat from the Last Great Bridge and sail downstream to the human settlements and kingdoms in the south.
Another portion chose to cross the Last Great Bridge, traverse the wilderness, and travel west along the East-West Road.
The deeds of Luke and Gandalf killing Trolls and saving villagers also spread throughout various places with the villagers.
The reputations of the Grey Wizard and the Black Wizard once again spread in the Eriador region, and the title of "Troll Slayer" became widely known.
Not long after everyone left the Troll Forest, a commotion came from a distance.
Instantly, everyone became alert and wary.
However, they soon realized it was a false alarm.
It turned out to be Radagast, the Brown Wizard, driving a wooden sledge pulled by rabbits, moving as if on flat ground through the mountains and forests, quickly arriving before everyone.
Seeing his old friend appear, Gandalf was a little surprised.
"Radagast, what are you doing here?"
Radagast was as tall as Gandalf, wearing a wide-brimmed brown hat covered in bird droppings, and a dirt-brown robe covered in mud, grass, and twig fragments, looking very disheveled and strange.
"I was looking for you, Gandalf."
"Something is wrong, very wrong!"
Radagast seemed a bit deranged.
"What's wrong?" Gandalf, accustomed to his behavior, asked in confusion.
"The Great Greenwood is sick, shrouded in some darkness; trees are withering, the air is foul, and the river water is poisonous. And many giant spiders have appeared there; they must be the offspring of Ungoliant."
Ungoliant is an evil deity nurtured in the outer void darkness of the world of Arda, a very large spider who once allied with Sauron's master, the Dark Lord Morgoth, to destroy the Two Trees, symbols of light, causing the world to fall into darkness for a time.
Ungoliant's offspring, Shelob, was so formidable that even the Dark Lord Sauron dared not easily antagonize her, even regularly sending Orcs as her food, which shows how terrifying her power was.
"I followed the tracks of the giant spiders all the way to Dol Guldur," Radagast continued, "and there I found traces of the Necromancer, and discovered this thing…" Saying this, he pulled out a leather-wrapped object from his bosom.
"The Necromancer…" Gandalf's expression became serious and solemn; he took the object and uncovered the leather.
Wrapped in cloth was a jet-black ancient sword, emitting a chilling, dark, and ominous aura that made one's heart palpitate.
"Morgul-blade, this is the Witch-king of Angmar's sword."
Gandalf frowned deeply, raised his eyes, and exchanged a glance with Luke.
Ever since encountering the Barrow-wights in the Barrow-downs, Gandalf already knew that the Witch-king of Angmar still existed. Now, seeing the Witch-king of Angmar's sword again, he instantly realized the seriousness of the matter.
It is well known that the Witch-king of Angmar is a minion of the Dark Lord Sauron. Now that the Witch-king of Angmar has appeared in Dol Guldur, and there are rumors of a Necromancer in the vicinity.
The identity of this Necromancer is already evident, only awaiting final confirmation.
However, before Gandalf could delve deeper, a wolf howl in the distance interrupted his thoughts.
"Is that a wolf howling? Are there wolves in this area?" Bilbo asked in confusion.
But the Dwarves immediately tensed up, "Wolves? That's not an ordinary wolf howl, it's a Warg!"
The next second, a giant wolf sprang out from the forest, leaped high, and opened its fangs to bite at everyone.
However, before the giant wolf could land, it was struck by Luke with a spell, instantly petrifying and falling to the ground, then was pierced through and killed by Blazefury.
Another Warg that charged out was also killed instantly by Gandalf with his newly acquired Glamdring sword.
"Hurry, these are Warg scouts; a large group of Orcs must be following them!" Gandalf warned seriously.
"We can't leave; the horses have all been startled away!" Dori, the dwarf responsible for logistics, gave everyone bad news.
However, Luke's pony, Little Dull, reacted as dully as its name, and since it was pulling a cart, it didn't run away like the other horses.
But such a single cart could not possibly accommodate so many people to escape together.
Seeing this, Radagast, the Brown Wizard, suggested, "I'll distract them; you take the chance to escape."
"But those are Gundabad Wargs! Are you sure, Radagast?" Gandalf asked, concerned.
"I have the Rosgobel rabbits; I'd like them to try and see if they can catch up to me?" Radagast said with great confidence.
"Then I'll also take responsibility for attracting a group of Orcs and Wargs," Luke stepped forward and said, "I'll drive the cart alone; this way, it can divide the target more and be safer."
"Who is this?" Radagast looked at Luke curiously.
"This is Luke, the Black Wizard," Gandalf introduced, then frowned and looked at Luke worriedly, "Luke, are you really sure you want to do this? Those are Wargs and an Orc army; they are definitely not comparable to those ragtag Orcs we encountered in the wilderness before!"
Luke smiled very confidently: "Gandalf, don't worry, I am confident in my ability to protect myself. Once we distract the Orcs, you all should quickly run towards Rivendell; as long as you cross the Bruinen Ford and enter the elves' territory, you will be safe."
Just as the Wargs and Orcs were surrounding the expedition from all directions.
First, the brown-robed Wizard Radagast burst out of the forest on his rabbit-drawn sled, provoked the Orcs and Wargs, and then quickly fled into the distance.
Immediately after, a carriage rushed out of the forest. Luke cast a spell, knocking down two Wargs blocking the way, and then grandly drove the carriage in another direction.
Surprisingly, the pony pulling the carriage seemed to feel no weight at all, pulling the light carriage and galloping wildly, its speed not slow in the slightest.
Watching the people run in two directions, hundreds of Orcs and Wargs split into two groups, pursuing each of them.
Radagast, relying on the incredible speed of the Rosgabel rabbits and his superb driving skills, moved through the mountains and forests as if on flat ground, narrowly playing with the Wargs.
Luke, on the other hand, presented a different scene. Although the pony pulling the carriage was fast, it still couldn't match the Wargs' speed.
So, whenever the Wargs caught up, he would cast a spell to repel a group of Wargs, creating some distance between them. But soon, the Wargs would catch up again, he would knock down another group, and they would catch up again... In this way, the number of Wargs and Orcs chasing Luke steadily decreased.
Wargs are very cunning and intelligent creatures. Although they serve as mounts for Orcs, their relationship is one of cooperation, not subordination.
Seeing that they weren't gaining any advantage with Luke, they immediately disregarded the curses of the Orcs on their backs, gave up the chase, and chose to pursue the others.
Luke's original goal was to lure the enemies away. Now, seeing that the enemies were no longer chasing him, he naturally wouldn't allow it. He immediately changed direction, chasing after the Wargs and Orcs instead.
"Petrificus Totalus!" Luke caught up to a Warg, and a spell flew out.
The Warg's body froze, and the Orc on its back was flung off by the immense inertia.
Before Luke could cast a spell on the Orc, a flying arrow instantly pierced the Orc's head, sending him directly to hell.
"Who stole my kill?" Luke looked in the direction from which the arrow came.
A long, clear horn blast echoed from afar.
The ground vibrated, and horses' hooves thundered.
A tall, silver-clad army, dressed in magnificent and elegant armor, rode on large, swift, and agile horses, swiftly pursuing Orcs and Wargs across the wilderness.
Their skill was superb, their movements crisp and elegant. Every arrow they shot hit its mark, and every swing of their swords severed an Orc's head.
It was like a perfect display of the art of combat.
They were warriors of the Elf race.
Facing the invincible Elf cavalry, the Orcs and Wargs could not form an effective defense. They were routed with a single blow, and after losing more than half of their fighting strength, they began to flee in disarray.
The Elves, disciplined and orderly, stopped their pursuit after a certain distance and began to finish off the Orcs and Wargs that were not yet dead.
One team of Elves walked towards Luke.
The leading Elf rode a tall, white steed, dressed in magnificent armor and a midnight blue war robe. His face showed no signs of age, neither old nor young. His dark hair fell smoothly down his back, bound by an exquisite silver circlet.
His gray eyes shone with wisdom and the profoundness of one who had seen much of the world, like a weathered monarch, exuding an aura of nobility and majesty that inspired awe.
"Greetings, distant traveler. May I know your name?"
"Luke, a Wizard, from the West."
"Luke, the Black-robed Wizard? Friend of the Halflings, Hournbane, Bane of the Barrow-wights—your name is known even among the Elves," the Elf said with curiosity mixed with scrutiny. "But now, I suppose we must also add the honorable title of Foe of Orcs."
"Moreover, I sense a fear from other races about you. Have you been to the Troll Forest?" The Elf's gray eyes were piercing, as if they could see through all things in the world, discerning all secrets and truths.
"Trolls attacked several nearby villages. Gandalf and I went to the Troll Forest to rescue the villagers and killed a few Trolls," Luke explained.
"A noble act." The Elf nodded, his face showing approval. "So Gandalf also came with you?"
"We traveled together, but just now I was responsible for luring away the Orcs and Wargs, so we got separated."
Upon hearing this, the Elf's attitude became friendly.
"Since you are a friend of Gandalf, please come with us."
Traveling together,
The Elves were all very quiet, which made Luke, who was used to the noisy Dwarves, feel a bit uncomfortable.
These Dwarves and Elves were truly two extremes: one talked too much, annoying people; the other talked too little, like a bunch of silent oil bottles.
Rivendell was hidden in a heath-covered wilderness, surrounded by formidable valleys, forests, swamps, and streams, its location secret and difficult to find.
Without the guidance of the Elves, it would be impossible to find the path into Rivendell.
Luke drove his carriage behind the Elf procession, following the steep, winding path into the canyon.
The moment he stepped into Rivendell, Luke's eyes widened in wonder, as if he had fallen into a dreamlike realm forgotten by time.
Wildflowers bloomed in the canyon, and winding paths paved with white gravel meandered through it. Pristine and elegant buildings spread along the valley and riverbanks, built into the terrain, well-arranged, with palaces, towers, bridges, gardens, and terraces in close succession.
What impressed Luke even more was that he discovered the entire Rivendell was enveloped by an incredibly powerful energy, making it rich in magic, perpetually spring-like, full of vitality, and imbued with a sacred and peaceful aura.
Such power, aside from Elrond who possessed the Ring of Air, Vilya, had no other explanation.
On the other side, after Luke and Radagast had lured away the Orcs and Wargs, Gandalf led Bilbo and the Dwarves into a secret passage and arrived in Rivendell.
The members of the expedition had just crossed a narrow stone bridge without railings and arrived at the entrance of Rivendell.
An Elf descended the steps.
"Mithrandir."
"Ah, Lindir, long time no see!" Gandalf greeted him familiarly.
"Where is Lord Elrond? I wish to speak with him."
"Lord Elrond is not here."
"Not here?"
"Where is he?"
Gandalf asked, puzzled.
Just then, a horn blast suddenly sounded outside the entrance to Rivendell, and a troop of Elf cavalry entered in an orderly fashion along the stone bridge.
Seeing the Elf cavalry in full battle gear, the Dwarves instinctively became alert.
"Alert!"
"Weapons ready!"
"Tighten formation!"
With a shout from Thorin, the Dwarves all drew their weapons, pulled Bilbo into the center, and formed a circle back-to-back, assuming a defensive posture.
The Elf cavalry, however, were not polite. They circled the Dwarves continuously, as if provoking and teasing them.
"Luke! I see Luke!" Bilbo's eyes lit up. He saw the carriage following the Elf cavalry and tried to squeeze out from among the Dwarves.
"Gandalf." The black-haired Elf leading the group greeted Gandalf.
"Lord Elrond." Gandalf bowed. "My friend, where have you been?"
"Hunting a group of Orcs who crossed the Bruinen River and trespassed into the Elf lands."
Elrond dismounted and handed his sword to his secretary, Lindir.
"It's strange that these Orcs would be so close to here. Something, or someone, must have attracted them."
Elrond gave a meaningful look at the wary Dwarves.
Then, he changed the subject.
"Oh, by the way, while we were hunting Orcs, we met one of your companions and invited him."
He said, pointing to Luke, who had come with the Elves.
As Luke dismounted from the carriage, an elf proactively stepped forward to take care of his horse and carriage.
After thanking him, he walked over and greeted Gandalf with a smile.
"Gandalf."
"It's good to see you well, Luke," Gandalf said happily.
"It seems you've already met Lord Elrond, so I don't need to introduce you."
Elrond nodded in praise, "Wizard Luke's magic attainments are extraordinary. While we were hunting Orc, he had already eliminated hundreds of Orc and Wargs. I think it won't be long before the title 'Foe of Orc' spreads throughout the Eriador wilderness."
"Lord Elrond, you flatter me!" Luke quickly declined. There were many people who had killed more Orc than him, for instance, the countless Orc souls under this elven lord's command. He dared not claim the title 'Foe of Orc'.
After exchanging pleasantries with Gandalf and Luke, Elrond looked at Thorin and spoke politely and courteously.
"Welcome, Thorin, son of Thráin."
"I don't think we've met," Thorin questioned.
"Your every move has the demeanor of your grandfather," Elrond explained amiably, "I knew Thrór when he was King Under the Mountain."
"Really? He never mentioned you once," Thorin's attitude was not friendly, his tone mocking.
Gandalf rolled his eyes.
Luke was also speechless for a moment; it was indeed something Thorin would say, offending people as always.
Elrond, with his good upbringing, did not mind Thorin's attitude and turned to instruct in Elvish, "Light the fires, prepare the wine, for we must entertain our honored guests."
"What is he saying? Is he speaking ill of us?" The dwarf Gloin angrily tried to rush forward, and the other Dwarves also looked ready to fight.
"No, Master Gloin, he's inviting you to a feast!" Gandalf explained, feeling weary.
The Dwarves were half-believing, gathering together and whispering, discussing whether this was a trap.
After their discussion, Gloin said with a matter-of-fact expression,
"In that case, lead the way."
At the banquet,
Elrond, Gandalf, Luke, and Thorin sat at one table, while the other Dwarves and Bilbo sat at another.
Luke looked at the table full of green food, without a hint of meat, and then at the group of Dwarves opposite him who had no idea where to start eating, and he felt a wave of helplessness.
It seemed the elves were not without their temper.
Wasn't this a small, immediate retaliation?
It just so happened that he was implicated as well.
At Luke's table, apart from Thorin not speaking, the overall atmosphere was quite good.
However, at Bilbo's table, it was a different scene altogether.
Among them, Kili, the youngest dwarf, stared intently at the elf playing the harp, even winking at him.
It turned out the elf was male, which directly caused his companions to burst into laughter.
The noise even drew the attention of Elrond and others at the head table.
Halfway through the banquet, Gandalf told Elrond about his and Luke's pursuit of the Trolls and handed him his sword, asking about its origin.
Elrond recognized it at a glance.
"This is Glamdring, the Sword of the Foe-Hammer, the sword of King Turgon of Gondolin, forged in the First Age for the war against the Orcs."
"I didn't expect you to find it. It seems your luck is good."
"This isn't my luck," Gandalf shook his head, explaining with a bright smile, "This is a gift; Luke Yier found it and gave it to me."
Elrond looked at Luke in surprise upon hearing this, his gaze becoming even more benevolent, and he nodded, "This is a precious friendship."
Luke felt a little embarrassed by what the two said and could only turn his gaze elsewhere.
Subsequently, Elrond also identified Thorin's Orcrist and wished the sword well for his use.
Bilbo, below, saw this scene and hesitantly picked up his own short sword.
The dwarf Balin next to him, seeing this, immediately scoffed, "Don't even think about it. Swords only get names if they have great battle achievements. If you ask me, yours probably isn't even a sword, at most, it's a letter opener."
Hearing this, Bilbo put away his short sword with some disappointment.
However, Luke happened to see this scene and immediately said, "Bilbo, bring your elven sword over. Lord Elrond might know its origin."
"This... that's not necessary, is it?" Bilbo hesitated; he also had no confidence in this short sword in his heart.
After all, compared to the elaborately forged and gem-incrusted Orcrist and Glamdring, the short sword seemed very inconspicuous and lacked any decoration.
However, at this moment, Elrond was also attracted by Luke's words and looked at Bilbo.
"Since there is another elven sword, may I see it?"
Watched by everyone, Bilbo felt a little constrained. He stood up and placed his short sword in front of Elrond.
Elrond saw it was a short sword and, with some curiosity, drew the blade from its leather sheath, examined it carefully, and then showed a look of surprise.
Everyone saw this scene and became curious. Could this short sword really have some special origin?
"Lord Elrond, do you know the origin of this sword?" Gandalf asked.
Elrond's gaze was complex, and he nodded.
"This sword, or rather this dagger, indeed has an extraordinary origin, because it once belonged to Glorfindel, the Lord of the Golden Flower of Gondolin."
"Are you saying this dagger is the one that killed the Balrog?" Gandalf was also very surprised to hear this.
Elrond nodded, and then told everyone the origin of the dagger.
Glorfindel was a Noldor elven noble, Lord of the Golden Flower family, one of the twelve houses of Gondolin. In the First Age, in the year 510, Gondolin was attacked by Morgoth. The enemy laid a net, sending a vast army including many Dragons, Balrogs, wolves, and Orc.
Gondolin fell, with only a very small number of residents escaping. Passing through a place called the Crissaegrim, they encountered an ambush of Orc and a Balrog.
Glorfindel fought the Balrog alone, allowing the others to escape. He struggled with the Balrog, was pulled down a cliff by its fiery whip, and during the fall, he plunged his dagger into the Balrog's abdomen, killing it, and then perished on the cliff.
And Bilbo's short sword was Glorfindel's dagger, which had once slain the Balrog.
Everyone who received this news was very surprised, and the way they looked at the short sword in Bilbo's hand also changed.
Luke was also very surprised at this moment. He didn't expect Bilbo's Sting to have such an extraordinary origin.
And what was even more interesting was that Glorfindel, the former owner of this dagger, was currently living in Rivendell, and was one of the few most powerful elves in Rivendell.
That's right, Glorfindel didn't die.
Or rather, he was reborn.
Glorfindel had perished after killing the Balrog, but he received divine grace and was reborn shortly after, and like the five Wizards, he was sent to Middle-earth to assist Noldor High King Gil-galad and Elrond against Sauron's growing power.
So now an interesting situation had arisen.
Both the former and current owners of this dagger were in Rivendell. Should it be returned to its original owner, Glorfindel, or continue to belong to its current owner, Bilbo?
Regarding this, even Elrond had a headache, and ultimately decided to seek Glorfindel's opinion.