Upon hearing Gandalf's words, Luke felt a little embarrassed.
Was he abandoning the root for the branch, trying to run before walking?
He never expected that the music magic he had always used to dispel negative emotions was actually a meditation method that could cultivate the soul.
He always felt like he had a treasure mountain but didn't know it.
Since he knew the true value of music magic, Luke naturally would not ignore it anymore and quickly asked Gandalf how to meditate through music.
Gandalf was also generous in his teaching and even taught him another method of meditation: lighting herbs (such as sage, cedar, sandalwood, mugwort, etc.) and, with the help of the herbs' aroma, relaxing the body and mind to enter the 'state of no-thought' in meditation.
In this method, the scent of the herbs acts like an 'anchor,' allowing one to enter deep meditation amidst the swirling smoke.
This was a meditation method Gandalf had devised; he often burned pipe-weed by smoking his pipe, entering a state of no-thought during the process to gain inspiration and wisdom.
More importantly, this meditation method could also be combined with Luke's music meditation to achieve better meditation effects.
Luke was very grateful for Gandalf's selfless teaching. He spent over a week specifically making a faster flying broom from Mallorn tree wood and gave it to Gandalf.
Although this gift could not repay even a fraction of his gratitude, it was the best he could think of to repay Gandalf at the moment.
Gandalf, however, was very pleased with Luke's gift. He immediately rode the flying broom through the Lórien forest, causing the elves below to frequently look up.
One day, Luke found Galadriel.
He took out the fruit of the Holy White Tree that Thranduil had given him.
"Lady Galadriel, do you know of any way to make this Holy White Tree seed break its shell and grow?"
A hint of interest flashed in Galadriel's eyes as she took the fruit and examined it in her hand.
"I didn't expect you to have a descendant of nimloth. I thought there were no Holy White Trees left on Númenor except for the one fruit preserved by Isildur."
"This was given by Your Majesty Thranduil. He once visited Númenor and picked this fruit," Luke explained.
Galadriel understood. Then, like a breeze, she gracefully stepped across the grass, her moon-white robe sweeping the grass as she walked towards the garden.
Luke quickly followed her.
Galadriel came to the silver basin in the garden, placed the fruit into the basin, and submerged it in the stream.
"The fruit is ancient and has been thirsty for a long time. Let it soak here for three days. Once it has absorbed enough water, you can retrieve it."
"After that, you place it with eärendil's light, let it absorb the light, and then bury it in unpolluted soil. This way, it will break its shell and sprout."
'I understand, thank you, Lady!' Luke's eyes lit up, and he happily thanked Galadriel.
He hadn't expected Lady Galadriel to provide a method for germination so quickly, and that the eärendil's light she had given him earlier would have such a use.
Three days passed in a flash. Luke retrieved the Holy White Tree fruit, which had absorbed enough water, and placed it together with eärendil's light.
He planned to plant it on Weathertop when he returned.
The Holy White Tree was a divine tree created by the Goddess of Plants, Yavanna, herself. Although the one Luke held was a fourth-generation Holy White Tree, it still possessed extraordinary magic.
According to Lady Galadriel, the Holy White Tree has a certain connection with nature. Its growth and flourishing will have a positive impact on the surrounding natural environment, promoting plant growth and animal health, making the surrounding environment thrive.
Moreover, the Holy White Tree can weaken evil forces.
Where its roots spread, shadow magic will be suppressed, and even land polluted by dark magic will be purified.
At the same time, the sap extracted from the leaves or fruits of the Holy White Tree can heal injuries and illnesses. It can not only repair physical wounds but also alleviate the pain of a mind eroded by darkness, and it also has a certain purifying effect on poisoning and curses.
Because of this, the Holy White Tree is targeted by dark creatures.
The Dark Lord Sauron tried every means to incite the Númenórean to cut down the Holy White Tree nimloth, and then he broke through the city of Minas Ithil,
and burned the first Holy White Tree of Gondor.
After staying in Lórien for nearly two months, Luke and the others began their journey back.
At their departure, Galadriel gifted Legolas a longbow made from a Mallorn tree heartwood, with a bowstring woven with her hair, granting it perfect accuracy.
To Bilbo, she gave a gray wooden box containing soil from Galadriel's garden, which would make Bilbo's garden flourish.
This was a gift Bilbo had requested himself.
At the same time, Galadriel also gave him a kiss on the forehead, a kiss imbued with the power of blessing, which purified and dispelled the influence of the Ring's erosion on Bilbo's body.
Finally, when it was Luke's turn, Luke asked Galadriel for a seed of the Mallorn tree.
He planned to plant the Mallorn tree seed and the Holy White Tree fruit together, creating a 'miniature' version of the two trees, adding a unique landscape to Weathertop.
Lady Galadriel also found Luke's idea interesting and granted his request.
She also gave him a jar of stream water from the silver basin, allowing the Mallorn tree to grow.
This time, Luke and the others did not ride the Giant Eagles again, but directly teleported to Rivendell via the fireplace.
As for Smaug, who was now able to walk, Luke let him cross the Misty Mountains on his own to catch up.
Except for Galadriel and Celeborn who remained in Lórien, everyone else arrived in Rivendell via Floo Powder, including Arwen.
Now that the fireplaces of Lórien and Rivendell were connected, without distance restrictions, Arwen could freely travel between the two places, living with her father and brothers in Rivendell, and with her grandparents in Lórien whenever she wished.
Teleporting so many people at once caused Luke's Floo Powder supply to run low.
Luke prepared to start making a batch of Floo Powder.
The main material for making Floo Powder is full moonstone, which is favored by elves because it emits a soft moonlight glow.
Knowing that Luke needed full moonstone, Elrond sent a large quantity of it.
Luke looked at the perfect full moonstones and could only repeatedly refuse such extravagant behavior.
It was just for making Floo Powder; he couldn't bring himself to use such high-quality full moonstones.
Seeing this, Elrond then sent another batch of ordinary quality full moonstone roughs, stating that he had as much as Luke wanted.
So Luke began to make Floo Powder in Rivendell.
At the same time, he entrusted Thorondor the eagle to Elrond for treatment.
During this period, Arwen and Aragorn finally met.
In the original timeline, their first meeting was after Aragorn came of age.
But this time, Arwen saw an eleven-year-old boy.
So there was no love at first sight.
As her father Elrond's adopted son, Arwen only treated him as a younger brother.
On Luke's side, the full moonstone material for making Floo Powder was abundant. As for the remaining spider silk and snake fangs, Luke used Giant Spiders' silk, which worked even better than ordinary spider silk.
As for snake fangs, Luke had no source, so he went to find them himself.
He simply flew to the Troll Forest outside Rivendell, summoned a group of venomous snakes with Parseltongue, and then got a full bag of snake fangs.
Only the venomous snakes were left in tears, as they had all, without exception, lost a venomous fang.
They couldn't even open their mouths in front of prey, fearing ridicule.
After staying in Rivendell for half a month, Luke finally produced a full barrel of Floo Powder, which would last for a long time.
To thank Elrond for his help, Luke specially gave him a large bottle of Floo Powder.
And the young eagle Thorondor, entrusted to Elrond for treatment, had its congenital deficiency completely cured. Now it only needed good care,and in the future, it would be able to soar in the sky like other Giant Eagles.
Smaug was already outside Rivendell, wreaking havoc on the Trolls in the Troll Forest.
Then, after formally bidding farewell to Elrond,
Luke, Gandalf, Bilbo, and Legolas teleported directly to Weathertop through the fireplace.
As for Smaug, he continued his arduous flight to Weathertop.
As the fireplace inside Amon Sûl flickered with green fire,
this tower, which had been uninhabited for a long time, finally had visitors again.
"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey!" As soon as they came out, everyone was covered in dust from the fireplace.
"Cleaned anew." Luke quickly cast a spell on himself and his companions.
Once cleaned up, Luke looked at the empty tower and sighed, "Finally, we're back!"
He then waved his wand and began to clear the surrounding dust.
Legolas looked up at the tower and exclaimed in surprise, "Is this Amon Sûl? It's said to have been destroyed by the Witch-king of Angmar's army a thousand years ago. How did you do it, Luke?"
Gandalf skillfully sat on the sofa and said to Legolas with a chuckle,
"This is the magic of Luke's magic. You didn't see how he restored Amon Sûl in just a few breaths. That scene was absolutely stunning!"
Upon arriving, Bilbo completely relaxed and eagerly walked out of the tower to admire the scenery outside.
"Sweeping Whirlwind!" After cleaning the first floor, Luke looked at the dozens of floors above and directly cast a spell.
Instantly, a small tornado formed inside the tower, starting from the first-floor stairs, automatically sweeping towards the second floor, and then gradually moving upwards, sweeping away the dust from each floor.
This continued all the way to the highest observation deck, where the tornado, carrying thick dust, rushed out of the tower and dispersed into the distance.
Legolas watched this scene, astonished, and then became full of excitement.
"Luke, your magic is amazing!"
Seeing Legolas's eager expression, Luke smiled.
"Want to learn? I'll teach you."
"But from now on, the tower's cleaning will be your responsibility."
Legolas nodded without hesitation.
"No problem!"
It was just cleaning. Being able to learn Luke's magic was a gain for him.
Just then, Bilbo ran back in quickly from outside, looking somewhat excited.
"Luke, come out and see!"
"What's wrong, Bilbo?" Luke asked, puzzled.
Gandalf and Legolas were also curious.
Bilbo said excitedly, "I saw a village down the mountain, right next to the Midgewater Marshes!"
Luke was greatly surprised when Bilbo said that a village had appeared at the foot of the mountain.
He remembered that the area around Weathertop had been desolate before.
He immediately went out with Bilbo, followed closely by Gandalf and Legolas.
The scenery around Weathertop remained the same.
As the highest hill within a thousand miles, the Water of Weeping below the mountain and the East-West Road were all clearly visible.
And between the Water of Weeping and the East-West Road, near the Water of Weeping, a village had appeared at some unknown time.
Smoke curled from the village, and figures could vaguely be seen.
Standing on the hilltop, looking out at the village, Luke was full of questions.
"When did these people gather here?"
Gandalf was also surprised for a moment, then smiled and prompted, "Have you forgotten the villagers we rescued in the Troll Forest earlier?"
Luke naturally remembered.
But the problem was that he had previously distributed a portion of the Trolls' treasure to the villagers, and that money was enough for them to live a comfortable and well-fed life anywhere.
And traveling from the Troll Forest to the vicinity of Weathertop required crossing the vast wilderness of the Lone-lands, not only worrying about wild beasts and bandits, but also the appearance of Orcs; it was a difficult journey.
Even upon reaching Weathertop, there was no place to eat or stay.
To live here, they would need to start from scratch.
In Luke's opinion, these villagers should have continued west to live in Bree, or followed the Greyflood River under the Last Great Bridge to live in the human kingdoms to the south.
And not clear land near Weathertop.
If there was a question, then it should be answered.
"Let's go, we'll go down the mountain and see these new neighbors," Luke said.
The few of them did not take the easy way out by riding flying brooms; they simply walked slowly down the mountain.
However, looking at the path overgrown with weeds and thorns, Luke silently decided to build a road later.
Otherwise, the place he lived in wouldn't even have a decent road, which was a bit shabby.
Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, they first encountered the Water of Weeping.
The Water of Weeping was vast, covering a large area from the southwest of Weathertop Hills to Bree; it was a huge swamp.
Luke looked at this swamp and had a plan in his mind.
He thought that in the future, he could hire people to dig up this swamp and transform it into a lake, just like the Black Lake at Hogwarts.
Then, if he wanted to go to Weathertop, he could cross the lake by boat or pass over a high bridge.
Turning Weathertop into an easily defensible fortress,
Bypassing the Water of Weeping, Luke and the others arrived at the village near the swamp.
The appearance of strangers alerted the villagers, but when they saw Luke and the others coming from the direction of Weathertop, and then saw Luke's appearance, the villagers quickly changed from wary to surprised and doubtful.
A young man dressed in simple linen clothes suddenly rushed out of the crowd.
He came before Luke and the others, saying with surprise and excitement, "Wizard Luke, you're back?"
Luke looked at the young man in front of him, quickly recalling memories in his mind.
"You're Edward?"
The young man nodded excitedly and honorably.
"It's me, Wizard Luke, you've returned, haven't you?"
Luke nodded and asked about the doubt in his heart: "Why are you here? And what's the situation with this village and these villagers?"
"After you and Wizard Gandalf rescued us and gave us money, most of us chose to walk west along the road, hoping to come and live in your territory," the young Edward said with excitement and adoration.
"It was just too long a journey, and we even encountered a group of Orcs on the way; we almost thought we were going to die!" Edward said this with lingering fear.
Luke and Gandalf frowned upon hearing this.
They hadn't expected these villagers to encounter Orcs; had Orcs already spread to the wilderness?
"What happened then?" Luke continued to ask.
"Later, we encountered a group of Rangers. They quickly killed those Orcs, and when they heard that we were rescued by you and Wizard Gandalf, they had two of their Rangers escort us all the way here."
Edward explained, "Oh, by the way, the leader of that group of Rangers said he knew you. He said his name was Alpha."
"Alpha?" Luke was surprised to hear this, not expecting that it was Alpha and these Dúnedain who had saved the villagers.
Then, at Edward's enthusiastic invitation, Luke and the other three were welcomed into the village.
Among the people in the village, Luke recognized some of them; they were all people Luke and Gandalf had rescued previously.
But there was a small portion of people Luke had not seen.
According to Edward's explanation, he then learned that these people were those from nearby who had heard of the Black Robe Wizard Luke and had specifically come to seek refuge, hoping to gain Luke's protection.
Now, throughout the entire Eriador region, the name of Black-robed Wizard Luke was already well-known.
In this era, if common people had no one to protect them, they would either be plundered by bandits, oppressed and exploited by the powerful, or even attacked by Orcs, Trolls, and the like; it was truly a precarious existence, difficult to survive.
Therefore, finding a lord who provided protection, especially those benevolent lords, was a dream come true for the common people.
Luke's deeds, such as helping the hobbit resist tree invasions, solving the Barrow-downs Barrow-wights, and rescuing villagers captured by Trolls, had long spread throughout the wilderness, creating an image of benevolence and compassion in the hearts of many.
According to Edward, these refugees were just the first batch from nearby, and there would be a continuous stream of people coming to seek refuge later.
There were now over three hundred people in the village, and if more people came, the village would need to be expanded, transforming from a village into a small town.
Luke was also a bit surprised to hear this news.
And all the people in the village had gathered at this time; those villagers who had been rescued by Luke and Gandalf earlier were now looking at Luke with faces full of surprise and excitement.
They had traveled thousands of miles to settle here precisely to gain Luke's protection and no longer live a precarious life.
However, since Luke had not returned for a long time, their hearts had been empty and somewhat uneasy.
Now that Luke had returned, it was as if they had found their backbone, and they were completely at ease.
As for the villagers who had come to seek refuge, they looked at Luke from a distance with reverence and uncertainty, cautious and not daring to approach, fearing that Luke would reject them.
Luke looked at the villagers and asked, "Who is your current village chief?"
A tall, thin middle-aged man stepped forward and respectfully said, "Lord Luke, I am Luke. I was chosen by the villagers to temporarily manage village affairs, but the true village chief still needs to be appointed by you."
Luke looked at this middle-aged man, who was respectful in demeanor but steady in temperament, and was somewhat curious.
"You don't seem to be someone I've saved before. Where are you from?"
Luke bowed, "My Lord, I used to live in Bree."
Luke was truly surprised now.
"You used to live in Bree? Then why did you come here?"
Bree is located at the intersection of the East-West Road and the North-South Road, with convenient transportation, making it a prosperous commercial town.
And there was nothing here at Weathertop.
Why would this man named Larry come here?
Facing Luke's inquiry, Larry dared not conceal anything: "My Lord, I am the son of the previous mayor of Bree. Because of a rift with the current mayor, I heard that you established a territory here, so I wanted to come to you for protection."
The moment Luke's gaze met Larry's, he instantly knew the reason for the matter from his memory, and he withdrew his gaze with understanding.
It was merely a grudge arising from a change in power; Luke had no particular interest in such matters.
However, Larry, as the son of the former mayor, was indeed a capable person.
Upon arriving here, he quickly gained the recognition of the villagers and organized them to build houses, establishing a complete village from scratch.
He even started doing business with passing merchants.
Such a talented person would achieve something wherever he went.
Since he confirmed that the other party did not come with an ulterior motive and was also a capable person, Luke simply nodded.
"Since you have gained the recognition of the villagers, then you shall continue to be the village chief and manage affairs."
Larry couldn't help but show joy upon hearing this.
Although he had remained calm just now, his heart was still uncertain, unsure of Luke's impression of him.
If Larry had a bad impression of him, even if he had gained the recognition of the villagers, a single word from Luke could still decide his fate.
Larry immediately knelt down, solemnly and gravely swearing:
"I, Larry Thompson, in the name of the gods, swear allegiance to the great Lord Luke, Master of Amon Sûl, the Tree-Feller, the Bane of Barrow-wights, the Troll Slayer, and the Orc's Nemesis!"
Upon seeing Larry's action, the other villagers immediately knelt down as well, swearing allegiance to Luke, becoming his subjects, and accepting his rule.
Luke was startled by this sudden scene.
He immediately waved his hand: "I don't need your allegiance. You can all live here if you wish. I can guarantee that you will not be harmed here."
Upon hearing this, Luke and the other villagers were stunned, their movements frozen, their expressions uneasy and uncertain.
Gandalf looked at the uneasy villagers, then sighed and advised Luke, "Luke, accept their allegiance.
Only by becoming your subjects can they live here in peace."
After hearing Gandalf's words and seeing the villagers' expectant and uncertain expressions, Luke also felt a headache coming on.
Alright, he really didn't understand how people's minds worked in this world.
He had already agreed to let the villagers live here and promised to protect them, so why were they still begging him to rule them?
And even if he didn't agree, they wouldn't be at ease?
Seeing this, he could only nod and accept the villagers' allegiance.
And upon seeing Luke agree, the villagers immediately rejoiced, as if they had finally found a sense of belonging.
Thus, the villagers became Luke's first subjects.
All villagers could address Luke as "My Lord" to show respect and subordination.
And Gandalf, Bilbo, and Legolas, who witnessed this scene, all immediately congratulated Luke.
"Congratulations, Luke, you are now a lord with subjects!"
Gandalf congratulated him with a cheerful laugh.
"That's right, Luke, do I have to call you Lord from now on too?"
Bilbo also joked excitedly, while also feeling thrilled and happy to have a lord as a friend.
Legolas, though silent, was also smiling broadly.
Larry, who had been appointed as the first village chief by Luke, took this opportunity to ask Luke a question.
"My Lord, our village hasn't been officially named yet. Would I have the honor of asking you to name it?"
The other villagers also looked at Luke with anticipation.
Luke didn't refuse. He thought for a moment and said, "What are you talking about? We already have a name for this place. It is Amon Sûl."
Since Luke had accepted these villagers as his people, he couldn't show no appreciation.
He directly waved his wand, and countless stones automatically stacked into walls, while wood automatically pieced together to build structures.
Under the shocked and awed gaze of the villagers, houses were automatically built one after another, and stones surrounded the village, forming a high and thick stone wall.
Before long, a village resembling a small fortress appeared before everyone.
Luke stopped casting and nodded with satisfaction.
This was a display of power and a welcoming gift, but he wouldn't do it again in the future.
It is said that a small kindness is appreciated, but too much leads to resentment. He didn't want the villagers to develop a habit of relying on magic to get things for free.
After all, he was only responsible for protecting the villagers, not being a nanny.
Just as the villagers were marveling at Luke's magic, a giant roar came from the distant sky.
Everyone was drawn by the roar and looked over.
Looking at the black dot getting closer and closer in the sky, the villagers were first puzzled, but soon their expressions turned to terror.
"Dragon! It's a Dragon!" The villagers cried out in terror, their faces pale.
They had only heard legends of Dragons in stories, but now they were seeing one for the first time, and they were instantly scared out of their wits.
"Quick, hide! Get down!" Larry, as the village chief, was also very nervous and scared, but he immediately shouted to warn the villagers. He then saw Luke and the others still standing there, looking calmly up at the Dragon flying in the distance.
Larry still bravely suppressed his fear and quickly shouted to Luke, "My Lord, the Dragon is here, we should hide first!"
Luke heard this and exchanged a glance with Gandalf, both showing approval.
Luke had no intention of deliberately scaring the villagers. His voice was not loud but reached every villager's ears: "Don't be afraid, that Dragon is my mount and won't harm you!"
Hearing Luke's words, all the villagers were somewhat disbelieving.
After all, that was a legendary Dragon!
However, the Dragon didn't make them wait long. It directly swooped down, its huge wings fanning up a strong wind, and stopped outside the village just as the villagers watched the huge Dragon in fear.
The Dragon, however, complained to Luke: "Master, you easily teleported back, but I had to fly nonstop all the way from Troll Forest! My stomach is rumbling!"
Then his gaze fell upon the fearful villagers, his eyes darting with a mischievous glint: "Are these the snacks you prepared for me, Master?"
Hearing the Dragon's words, the villagers gasped, becoming even more terrified and uneasy.
Seeing this, Luke said in annoyance, "Shut up! If you scare them again, I'll confiscate all those treasures and make you sleep on the floor!"
"And these are all my people, no disrespect allowed."
"Ah, so they are Master's people!"
Smaug's attitude instantly changed dramatically. He tried hard to be more friendly and said to the villagers with a smile.
"I am Smaug, the Golden Dragon, Lord of Wealth. If you ever encounter an enemy you can't defeat, just call me, and I'll lead you to burn and plunder them!"
But even though Smaug tried his best to smile kindly, his fierce dragon head still made the villagers tremble with fear, and they couldn't help but look to Luke for help.
Luke was so annoyed by Smaug that his teeth hurt. He knew this foolish Dragon couldn't say anything good.
The glorious image he had intended to establish in the villagers' hearts was thus destroyed!
If outsiders heard such talk of burning and plundering, they would probably think Weathertop was a bandit's den.
With this foolish Dragon around, Luke couldn't stay any longer. He had to settle this fellow first.
So, after saying a word to the villagers, the group mounted the Dragon and left.
Only the villagers remained, wide-eyed, watching the Dragon fly towards Weathertop.
But unlike Luke's concern about his ruined image, the villagers, after their initial terror and fear, became excited and thrilled.
That was a Dragon! Their Lord actually owned a Dragon mount!
Owning a Dragon meant power and invincibility!
And as Luke's people, they would no longer have to worry about anyone daring to offend or invade this place.
They could even proudly proclaim that their Lord was the great Dragon Lord!
Meanwhile, Luke was unaware of the villagers' thoughts.
Smaug quickly brought them down onto Weathertop.
Luke already had an idea for Smaug's accommodation.
He specifically rode a broomstick to the cliff on the back of Weathertop, used an Exploding Bolt Charm to blast open a huge hole in the cliff, and then continuously excavated inward until he reached the position below the tower, connecting to the cellar on the first underground floor of the tower.
The original space of the cellar was not small, and with the expansion of the Undetectable Extension Charm, the space was large enough to accommodate Smaug's body.
Smaug could directly enter the cellar through the hole in the cliff.
Smaug looked at the empty cellar and immediately looked at Luke with anticipation and longing: "Master, quickly pour out all the treasures!
I can't sleep without a bed of treasure!"
Luke had no intention of teasing him. He opened the money bag containing the Lonely Mountain treasure, flew into the air on his broom, and poured it out.
A river of gold surged out of the money bag, instantly rushing towards the ground.
Smaug's eyes turned green at the sight of the gold coins, and he happily bathed in the waterfall of gold and silver jewelry.
Listening to the clinking sound of the gold coins was like listening to heavenly music, and he narrowed his eyes in satisfaction.
Luke had truly witnessed the greed of this Dragon.
He wondered what Morgoth was thinking when he created the Dragon race, to make them so obsessed with treasure?
After all, it was one-tenth of the Lonely Mountain treasure, and when piled up, it was a magnificent mountain of gold.
Now, it covered the entire floor of the cellar.
But even so, Smaug was still not satisfied.
After all, when he was in the Lonely Mountain, he used to sleep buried in treasure.
Now, not only was he forced to acknowledge a master, but even the quality of his sleeping environment had decreased.
He stared intently at Luke, "Master, I smell gold coins on you! Don't hold back, take them all out!
Luke's mouth twitched. This foolish Dragon's nose was quite keen.
He took out the treasure he had acquired from Goblin Town and poured it onto Smaug.
But Smaug's eyes were still fixed on Luke.
"There's more, Master! You still have treasure on you! Hurry and take it all out, I'll keep it safe for you!"
Luke was speechless. He poured out all the treasures confiscated from Troll Forest, as well as the wealth acquired from the Barrow-downs.
Only when there wasn't a single coin left did Smaug reluctantly withdraw his gaze, groaning comfortably as he lay on the treasure, and urged, "Master, you can go. Don't worry, I'll guard these treasures for you, I guarantee not a single gold coin will be lost!"
Luke took a deep breath, not wanting to argue with this foolish Dragon.
He turned and walked out of the cellar, closing the cellar door, and carved the warning "Sleeping Dragon, Do Not Disturb" on the door with his wand.
Afterward, Luke went to the observation deck at the top of the tower.
In the center of the observation deck was a large stone platform, with a depression in the center of the platform, which was where the Kingdom of Arnor once placed the Palantír.
Luke took out his Palantír and placed it in the depression.
Then he placed the crystal vial containing eärendil's light next to the Palantír.
This was to prevent the Demon Lord Sauron from looking through the crystal.
If Sauron dared to peek, it would surely blind him.
Luke then released the giant bird's nest and the young eagle Thorondor, placing them on the other side of the observation tower.
Giant Eagles naturally prefer high altitudes, and Thorondor was very pleased with his new home at this moment, flapping his tender wings to spread them against the wind,
He looked into the distance and let out a clear, resounding eagle's cry.
Luke gently stroked Thorondor with tender eyes: "This will be your new home from now on. When you grow up, you can soar through the sky during the day and return here to rest at night. Do you like it?"
The young eagle understood human speech and affectionately rubbed against Luke, letting out joyful chirps.
"Good that you like it." Luke offered him some jerky to eat. The young eagle had now been cured of its ailments by Elrond, and as long as it was gradually nurtured, it could grow like other Giant Eagles.
Luke was very much looking forward to the day he would spread his wings and fly.
After comforting Thorondor, Luke descended from the observation deck.
In the middle floor of the tower, he imprisoned the two Giant Spiders he had captured and solidified the iron door with a spell to prevent them from escaping.
"Why does it look more and more like I'm opening a zoo?"
After doing all this, Luke reacted with a belated realization.
There was a Dragon living in the cellar, a Giant Eagle chick living on the observation deck, and two Giant Spiders confined in the middle.
It truly felt like opening a zoo.
Dismissing this strange thought, Luke went outside the tower and found an open space with ample sunlight and moonlight.
Then he waved his wand, turning over the soil on the ground.
After loosening the soil, Luke took out two fruits, one gold and one silver.
They were the seeds of the white tree and laurelin, respectively.
The seed of the white tree had been soaking in Galadriel's silver basin stream for three full days, becoming very moist and lustrous, as if it had just been picked from the tree.
Afterward, it had continuously bathed in eärendil's light, absorbing a considerable amount of light, and now, held in hand, it subtly shimmered with a halo.
The white tree was created by the Goddess Yavanna in imitation of the silver tree, one of the two trees, with the only difference being that it did not glow.
And eärendil's light was actually the light of the silmaril worn on Eärendil's head, collected by Galadriel.
And the light of the silmaril was Fëanor's collection of the radiance of the two trees.
So, eärendil's light was essentially the light of the two trees.
The light of the two trees was a great tonic for the white tree.
This was also why Galadriel asked Luke to bathe the white tree seed in eärendil's light.
Luke dug open the soil and buried the seed of the white tree in the ground.
Then he took out the water bottle given by Lady Galadriel and poured some water to irrigate it.
This water contained the power of the Ring of Water, Narya, possessing extraordinary power, enough to urge the seed to break its shell and sprout.
Then he walked about a hundred meters further and planted the other seed of laurelin.
And then watered it with the water bottle.
The laurelin would grow very tall, even enough to build platforms and treehouses on it,
So, to prevent the two trees from being too crowded in the future, he had set the distance in advance.
After doing all this, Luke continuously cast various shielding spells and protective spells to prevent the seeds from being disturbed.
At this point, he only needed to wait for the seeds to break through the soil and sprout.
Then he looked forward to them growing into towering trees.
By then, two great trees, one gold and one silver, standing on Weathertop, would bring a new landscape to this place.
Inside the Amon Sûl Tower.
Luke and Gandalf were in the seventh-floor tower.
This place had been transformed into a meditation room by Luke.
Gandalf had carved runes on the floor and surrounding walls, imbuing them with mystical power to calm the mind.
Luke, not idle, had specially built two large fireplaces, tall enough for him to walk into upright.
Luke inscribed Runic script on the fireplace floor, then, holding his staff, continuously poured magic into the gem at its core, chanting complex and lengthy incantations.
As the immense magic was consumed, and just as Luke felt almost drained, a silver-blue flame appeared.
The flame was small, but it exuded a hint of indestructibility.
Even without any flammable material nearby, it burned in mid-air, neither increasing nor decreasing.
Looking at the flame, Luke smiled.
Gandalf noticed the commotion from Luke's side, walked over, and looked at the flame in the fireplace, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
"What kind of magic fire is this?"
"This is Palantír fire, also known as the Eternal Flame, a kind of fire that can burn forever," Luke explained.
Palantír fire is a rather profound magic, and only a few Wizards in the magic world can achieve it.
Luke himself only managed to conjure such a small flame with the help of his staff's amplification.
Palantír fire can burn forever without fuel and is extremely stable; although it is extremely difficult to cast, it is not as violent and uncontrollable as Fiendfyre.
In various parts of Amon Sul Castle, Palantír fire provides illumination, burning continuously from the time of the four founders until Harry Potter's enrollment, and likely will continue to burn indefinitely.
Dumbledore also once had Rubeus Hagrid carry a Palantír fire as a gift for the Giants, hoping to persuade them to side against Lord Voldemort, and the Giants were very interested in this gift.
"The Eternal Flame, truly a miraculous fire," Gandalf nodded, praising it with admiration.
Then he came before the fireplace, raised his hand, "Let me help you with the fire."
As he spoke, a brilliant ruby light shone from his finger, and a grand power was infused into the Palantír fire.
The small flame, as if doused with gasoline, instantly erupted into a blazing inferno with a roar.
The empty room instantly brightened, and the temperature rose.
Luke looked at the Palantír fire in the fireplace, which was taller than himself, smacking his lips in shock, and looked enviously at the Ring of Fire on Gandalf's hand.
He himself, with all his might and the help of his staff, could only produce a small Palantír fire, while Gandalf easily magnified it dozens of times.
There's really no comparison!
Luke then composed himself and released Palantír fire in the other fireplace as well.
Gandalf also magnified the flame.
Under the illumination of the two tall Palantír fires, the meditation room was brightly lit, becoming warm and comforting.
Palantír fire, as one of the most profound magic in the magic world, is not only reflected in its ability to burn forever but also because it can draw magic from its surroundings.
Therefore, the magic energy around it will be richer than in other places.
Under the blazing Palantír fire, Luke quickly felt that the entire meditation room's magic was much more abundant.
Meditating or practicing magic in such an environment would yield twice the results with half the effort.
"Thank you, Gandalf!" Luke thanked Gandalf.
If not for Gandalf's help, those two Palantír fires would not have achieved such an effect.
Gandalf smiled, accepting Luke's thanks, and suggested, "When you meditate in the future, you can put the meditation herbs into the Palantír fire; the meditation effect should be even better then."
Luke nodded thoughtfully.
Just then, in the teleportation fireplace outside the meditation room, a green flame suddenly ignited.
Bilbo's head emerged from the flames and he shouted to Luke, "Luke, Luke, the village chief of Amon Sul, has arrived outside, and he's brought guests."
Brought guests? Luke wondered.
Immediately, he and Gandalf used Floo Powder to teleport to the first-floor fireplace.
The tower was over a thousand feet high, with sixty floors in total; going up and down floor by floor would be too strenuous.
So Luke simply opened a fireplace on each floor, then connected them all with the Floo Network, forming a local Floo Network, and installed a Floo Powder jar next to each fireplace.
This way, he could directly teleport to any floor, saving the hardship of climbing stairs.
Currently, Luke had made a whole large barrel of Floo Powder, and Rivendell had also agreed to regularly send moonstone, only requiring a small exchange of Floo Powder.
So Luke was now wealthy and used Floo Powder without hesitation.
Upon arriving on the first floor, Luke immediately saw the guests.
"Lord Luke," Luke stood up and said respectfully. Luke waved his hand, signaling him not to be so formal.
Then his gaze fell upon the tall guest beside him, revealing a surprised smile.
"Alphaor, what a rare guest; I didn't expect the guest with Luke to be you."
The visitor was Alphaor, a Dúnedain, whom Luke had met once at the Prancing Pony Inn in Bree during the Lonely Mountain expedition.
Alphaor bowed respectfully, praising him with reverence and admiration.
"Wizard Luke, your deeds at the Lonely Mountain are well-known even west of the Misty Mountains."
"Dragon-subduer, Orc-bane who killed two generations of Orc kings, the one who turned the tide in the Battle of Five Armies - the Elves sing of your bravery, and bards praise your deeds in poems; it won't be long before your name spreads throughout the Eriador region!"
Luke humbly shook his head.
"That's an exaggeration; it wasn't my effort alone. Gandalf, the Dwarves, the Elves, and others contributed no less than I did."
Then he casually inquired:
"May I ask, Alphaor, what brings you here on this visit?"
Seeing Luke change the subject, Alphaor did not press further but stated the purpose of his visit.
"Wizard Luke, the herbal plants you asked us to collect earlier, we've almost finished gathering them. However, you weren't here before, so we couldn't deliver them to you.
This time, hearing you've returned, we specifically brought all the herbs we collected."
Upon hearing this, Luke's eyes immediately lit up.
After sweeping the Barrow-downs, Luke had traded the corpse creature ancient sword with Alphaor, asking the Dúnedain to help collect various herbs.
Now, almost a year had passed.
If Alphaor hadn't mentioned it today, he would have almost forgotten.
He immediately felt a sense of anticipation: "Oh, did you bring the herbs? Where are they?"
"They're outside. Because there's quite a lot, it's not easy to bring them in, so we came to ask for your opinion," Alphaor said.
Hearing this, Luke became even more curious.
A lot? How much is 'a lot'?
"Let's go, let's take a look!"
Luke took the lead and walked out, while the others also followed curiously.
Upon arriving outside, Luke first saw several tall Dúnedain.
However, Luke's gaze was immediately drawn to the several large carts behind them, piled high with goods.
Countless herbs were categorized and stacked, packed into large wooden boxes.
Most of them were live herbs, planted in soil, with both flowers and leaves.
Luke's eyes lit up, and he quickly walked forward to carefully examine the herbs.
"Is this Athelas, King's Foil?" Luke looked at a wooden box densely packed with hundreds of herbs, like chives squeezed together, and couldn't help but widen his eyes.
So much King's Foil? It was his first time seeing so much.
Alphaor, who had followed, nodded and explained, "King's Foil has strict and slow growth conditions, and it's a bit difficult to transplant, so we could only get these live plants. Please forgive us."
Luke was so happy he almost burst, how could he mind?
He had been a little envious when he saw King's Foil planted in Lady Galadriel's garden in Lórien.
After all, the healing effect of King's Foil was too miraculous; it could not only heal wounds and slow down toxicity but also ward off evil forces.
But he also knew his limits, so he didn't ask.
Now, the Dúnedain had suddenly brought him so much King's Foil, which made him overjoyed.
He looked at the somewhat withered King's Foil and felt heartbroken.
He had to transplant them quickly; if even one died, he would be in agony.
However, he knew he couldn't rush and shifted his gaze to look at other herbs.
Soon, his gaze fell upon one of the wooden boxes.
Inside, there were dozens of flowers.
Half of them were golden-yellow, star-shaped, with slender petals;
The other half were white flowers, identical to the golden ones except for their color.
"The golden flowers are called Elanor, and the white ones are called Niphredil," Alphaor introduced. "They are two types of the same species of flower; one blooms during the day, and one blooms at night, and they generally only grow in places where Elves reside."
Luke had also seen these two types of flowers in Galadriel's garden in Lórien.
He just hadn't expected these Dúnedain to be able to find such flowers.
Then Alphaor introduced him to the Simbelmynë, a flower that grows in the Kingdom of Rohan.
This is a small white flower, often growing on burial mounds, with eight petals, blooming year-round.
There was also the even more magical eight-colored flower—the Flower of Entwives.
This flower grows in the Old Forest. In ancient legends, eight Entwives entered the Old Forest and disappeared, and their respective flowers, in eight colors—red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple, and white—grew where they vanished.
Entwives are the female of the Ent race, while Ents are male.
It is said that the Ents and Entwives of the Tree-folk do not live together, only meeting for reproduction.
But since the eight Entwives entered the Old Forest and disappeared, the Tree-folk race has only consisted of male Ents, all living in Fangorn Forest, and can no longer reproduce.
There are even rumors that the Huorn, who are more like trees in the Old Forest, are actually a degenerate form of the Ent race.
However, none of this concerned Luke; he only regretted not having encountered these Flowers of Entwives in the Old Forest before.
At the same time, he was surprised by the Dúnedain's efficiency, being able to obtain such flowers that grow in the Old Forest.
Besides these magical flowers, there were also the blood-red flowers of Seregon, the detoxifying Nightshade, the Sea-foam flowers growing by the sea, the Sun-lillies growing in the gardens of Ithilien in Gondor, and the Stonecrop growing on cliff faces—
Having obtained so many living magical herbs and flowers, Luke was momentarily dazzled.
Alpha looked at Luke's happy expression but still reminded him,
"Luke Wizard, although these herbs are still live plants, their growing conditions vary, so it might not be easy for you to transplant them successfully."
Saying it wasn't easy was already a euphemism.
These herbs came from all corners of the world; some preferred sun, some preferred shade, and the soil they grew in also varied. It would be a miracle if they could survive together.
However, Luke had previously requested live plants, and the Dúnedain, following his request, did their best to bring live plants to him, but they held no hope for these plants to survive.
Luke naturally understood Alpha's meaning.
However, he didn't care about it.
If it were anyone else, it certainly wouldn't work, but don't forget he had the help of magic.
So, with confidence, he smiled and said, "Don't worry. Since they've been sent over, there's definitely a way to make them survive."
"But I'll still have to trouble you to tell me the growing conditions for each of these flowers and plants so I can make adjustments."
Alpha didn't quite understand, but since Luke had said so, he could only agree.
Then, Luke used a spatial bag to store the large pile of wooden boxes containing plants and soil.
Alpha and the other Dúnedain, seeing this for the first time, were all dumbfounded.
Afterward, the group followed Luke back into the tower, where Luke led them to a room on the sixth floor.
As he cast the Undetectable Extension Charm with his wand, the space here expanded.
Everyone watched as the originally somewhat cramped space rapidly grew larger and larger. The ceiling above became higher and higher, and the surrounding walls moved further and further away, eventually forming a space as large as two or three football fields.
Everyone's eyes widened, and their mouths hung open as they looked at everything around them. They were like ants, tiny, as if they had entered a Giant's room.
After finishing all of this, Luke turned to Alpha: "Alpha, what are the growing conditions for the King's Herb? For example, the soil it grows in, the climate temperature, etc. Tell me everything!"
The shock on Alpha's face had not yet faded, and he stammered his reply to Luke.
Luke listened carefully to Alpha's answer, nodding thoughtfully.
He then continuously waved his wand, and thick soil appeared out of thin air, filling the entire floor of the space, forming a small hill.
And in the depression of the small hill, Luke summoned a large amount of clear spring water, forming a clear lake.
He pointed his wand at the ceiling, and the ceiling quickly transformed into a blue sky with white clouds.
A large yellow sun shot out from the tip of his wand, flying to the ceiling and emitting suitable temperature and light.
With another wave of his wand, a gentle breeze appeared, continuously blowing and creating ripples on the lake's surface.
Then, Luke took out watercress, yellow irises, and water lilies from his spatial bag and planted them in the lake.
Then, on the slope not far from the lakeside, he carefully transplanted the King's Herb one by one.
The King's Herb likes water but not being too close to it. It prefers a moderate temperature and needs plenty of sunlight.
Now, Luke, following Alpha's guidance, transformed the room's environment into the ideal growing conditions for the King's Herb.
Looking at the transformed room, Luke nodded in satisfaction.
Currently, there were only hundreds of King's Herbs on the bare hill, but he looked forward to them forming vast grasslands in the future.
And those who witnessed all of this were now silent, their faces filled with shock.
Even Gandalf, Bilbo, and others who had already seen Luke's various magical feats were astonished.
A young Dúnedain even subconsciously rubbed his eyes, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing was real.
Luke turned around, smiled, and beckoned, "Let's go to the next room."
Everyone followed, looking dazed, as they left the room.
And as the last person left, the door automatically closed, sealing off the small world inside.
There were other rooms on the sixth floor. Luke chose the adjacent room and again expanded the space using the Undetectable Extension Charm.
Then, he repeated the process, and after consulting Alpha and a few Dúnedain, he transformed the room once more.
This time, the environment became a dry grassland. On the lush, grassy hillocks, Luke planted the Everlasting Flowers from the Kingdom of Rohan.
Such a natural environment even made Gandalf say directly that it felt like they had come to the Rohan region.
Afterward, Luke expanded and transformed other rooms one by one.
There were dense valleys, a seaside full of saline-alkali land, cold, howling rock walls, and ice and snow-covered hills. One could say that each room was a natural environment.
Following Luke, everyone experienced various natural landscapes in a short time, and the sense of shock in their hearts was beyond compare.
"Luke, the entire natural environment of Middle-earth is now encompassed by you!" Gandalf exclaimed with a look of anticipation, "I can't wait to see the flowers in full bloom. Please be sure to notify me then."
"Certainly," Luke smiled and nodded in agreement.
His current transformations were still very rough, and he would need to continuously adjust them in the future, even forming a complete ecological cycle, so that the plants inside could grow better.
And others also requested that they be invited to visit when the time came.
Luke agreed to all of these requests.
So, after having a meditation room on the 7th floor, Luke also gained a herb garden on the 6th floor.
Moreover, Luke planned to gradually fill each floor in the future, such as a Potion room, a library, an alchemy room, and so on.
He intended to truly transform Amon Sûl Tower into his Wizard Tower.
After transforming the herb garden, it was already late.
The Dúnedain refused Luke's invitation to stay. Having completed their trade mission, they immediately rode off.
Luke, who remained, then stated the purpose of his visit to Luke:
"My Lord, the villagers wish to cultivate land at the edge of the swamp and request your permission."
Luke hadn't expected Luke to discuss this with him. Upon hearing it, he waved his hand.
"You and the villagers can discuss this matter among yourselves; you don't need to ask for my opinion."
Luke replied, "Yes, My Lord," but still hesitated before asking, "Lord Luke, how much tax do you intend to collect?"
"Tax? What tax?" Luke asked with a bewildered expression.
"It's the tax to be paid to you. We are the people of your dominion, and according to ancient law, we need to pay you a certain amount of tax as a covenant for your protection, including head tax, inheritance tax, trade tax, land tax, house tax, etc.—"
Luke listened, completely bewildered. He never thought he would be collecting taxes one day!
He was about to say no, but then he swallowed the words that were already in his throat and asked instead, "How are taxes collected in other places?"
"I'm not sure about other places, but Bree has a tax rate of 10%," Luke replied.
Luke thought for a moment and said, "Then collect 1% tax, but you don't need to pay it to me. Just use all of it to maintain the operation of Hogsmeade Village."
Hearing Luke's words, Luke was stunned, thinking he had misheard, but then came a surge of pleasant surprise.
He excitedly bowed repeatedly to Luke, full of gratitude and reverence.
"Lord Luke, you are truly a benevolent lord sent from heaven! I thank you on behalf of the villagers for your grace. Everyone will remember your kindness.
Your grace is like sunshine illuminating the fields, more nourishing to the crops than rainwater—"
"Alright," Luke quickly interrupted Luke's effusive praise. "If there's nothing else, then you may return."
Luke was perceptive and, seeing Luke's impatience, immediately took his leave.
He ran down the mountain with a joyful expression, preparing to tell the villagers this wonderful news.
He even planned to boast to outsiders that they had such a benevolent lord.
Not only did he not demand any tax money from his people, but even the sole, meager tax collected was entirely used for the villagers.
He could already foresee the sight of people from other places, especially those who were suffocating under various high taxes, flocking here in droves after hearing this news!
Luke was no longer content with merely being a small village chief.
He vowed to develop Hogsmeade Village into a town, a city, and even a nation.
By then, he would be Lord Luke's right-hand man, standing by his side, and forever recorded in the history of Amon Sul!
At this moment, Luke had no idea that Luke harbored such grand ambitions.
After watering the white tree and the mallorn tree seeds as usual, he went to the meditation room on the seventh floor, closed the door, activated do-not-disturb mode, and then went between the two fireplaces where Gubraith-sel fire burned brightly.
The floor and walls of the meditation room were carved with ancient Elven runes, carrying a power that brought peace and focus.
The entire meditation room had no other light source except for the Gubraith-sel fire in the fireplaces.
The firelight flickered, making the meditation room seem somewhat mysterious.
Due to the presence of the Gubraith-sel fire, the surrounding magic energy was very abundant, comparable to Rivendell and Lórien.
In such an environment, Luke conjured a comfortable sofa and sat on it.
Then he pulled out a handful of broad golden leaves from a spatial bag and threw them into the Gubraith-sel fire.
These golden leaves were fallen leaves from the mallorn tree.
Before he left, he had gone to the mallorn forest and directly filled an entire spatial bag with leaves.
If poured out, they would be enough to fill the entire meditation room.
The mallorn tree leaves burned in the Gubraith-sel fire, emitting a scent of sunshine.
It was a scent like a blanket that had been sun-dried—fresh, warm, and very pleasant.
Luke waved his wand, causing the mallorn tree leaves to automatically fly into the Gubraith-sel fire at regular intervals.
For a time, smoke swirled, appearing and disappearing, ethereal and shifting.
The smoke seemed to have magic, condensing without dispersing, swirling around Luke like long, slender ribbons fluttering.
He inhaled the fragrant smoke of the burning mallorn leaves, leaned back on the sofa, completely relaxed his body, slightly parted his lips, and softly hummed the song that Tom Bombadil had taught him.
In the quiet meditation room, his singing echoed continuously through the room.
The song was full of magic, especially in this environment rich in magic energy, producing an even greater effect.
A feeling of joy arose spontaneously in his heart, filled with happiness, light, and childlike innocence.
Gradually, all his distracting thoughts vanished, and only this cheerful music remained in his mind.
Finally, even the music disappeared, and he became thoughtless and free from desires.
He seemed to be asleep, yet he was clearly conscious that he wasn't asleep.
His senses seemed to be infinitely magnified; he heard the crackling of burning leaves, the flow of air, his own breathing, the flow of blood, and even the fluctuations of magic within his body.
Time passed, unnoticed.
Luke finally awoke from his meditation.
He stretched contentedly, feeling as if he had enjoyed a wonderful sleep, and his entire being felt refreshed.
Even more surprising was the slight increase he felt in his magic.
He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination.
But if it was real, it was a huge surprise.
In the Wizarding World, a Wizard's magic naturally strengthens with age, especially between the ages of eleven or twelve and seventeen, when magic enters a period of rapid growth.
After adulthood, a Wizard's magic tends to stabilize.
Only a few exceptionally gifted Wizards, such as Dumbledore and Lord Voldemort, can continue to increase their magic through continuous study and practice.
Luke's situation was different; he had only awakened his Wizarding talent after transmigrating, and he was already an adult.
In the past two years, his magic had been rapidly increasing, and now it was comparable to that of elite Aurors in the Wizarding World.
If he were in the Wizarding World, he would be considered a talented Wizard.
However, recently, he had felt his magic growth beginning to stabilize.
Now, the increase in magic after meditation made him feel as if he had returned to the time when his magic had just awakened.
Luke was afraid it was his imagination, so he meditated for several more days.
Only after confirming that his magic had truly increased did he completely relax, filled with immense joy.
He hadn't expected that meditation could not only cultivate spirit and soul but also increase magic.
Gandalf, however, was not surprised by this.
According to him, soul, spirit, and magic form a complete triangular cycle: magic is the external manifestation of spirit, and spirit is the reflection of the soul.
Meditation can enhance spirit, and spirit can stimulate the soul to become stronger. Once the soul becomes stronger, magic will naturally increase.
With such an effect, Luke naturally wished he could meditate twenty-four hours a day.
But everything has its limits; excessive meditation is also mentally exhausting and can be detrimental to the cultivation of the soul.
So, at Gandalf's urging, Luke limited his daily meditation to a reasonable timeframe.
Most importantly, they were about to set off again.
They still needed to go to the Old Forest to see if they could entrust the one ring to Tom Bombadil.
Secondly, Bilbo was homesick.
He had been away from the Shire for a year, and for a home-loving hobbit like Bilbo, being away for so long was already quite extraordinary.
Although the outside world was dazzling, Bilbo still yearned to return to his Bag End.
Before leaving, someone was needed to care for the young Thorondor at the top of the tower.
Luke specifically found a young man named Edward from Hogsmeade Village to take care of Thorondor.
Luke had a good impression of this young man; when they rescued the villagers in Troll Forest, other villagers were numb, but he was able to answer his and Gandalf's questions clearly and logically.
Earlier, in Hogsmeade Village, he was also the first to greet them and answer their questions.
And Edward, upon being chosen, was overjoyed and ecstatic, looking at Luke with worship and fanaticism.
In Edward's eyes, Luke, who had saved them from the Trolls, was no different from a savior, so after receiving the gold coins Luke gave him, he unhesitatingly chose to travel a thousand miles across the desolate land to live in Luke's territory.
Even though he encountered many hardships and even dangers along the way, he never regretted it.
He even continuously encouraged the accompanying villagers, helping each other to move forward together.
It was also he who, when they encountered the Dúnedain and other villagers fearfully thought they were bandits, bravely stepped forward to communicate, thereby gaining the Dúnedain's escort and successfully arriving at the foot of Weathertop.
So, when Luke chose him to care for the young eagle, Edward excitedly patted his chest and promised to take good care of Thorondor, ensuring it would never go hungry.
After handling the affairs, Luke, watched by Edward, and Gandalf, Bilbo, and Legolas, successively used Floo Powder to directly teleport to the fireplace of the Prancing Pony Inn in Bree.
As for Edward, who remained in the tower, Luke was not worried about any accidents.
Several important rooms were sealed by his magic and could not be opened without his permission.
He also took the Palantír and eärendil's light from the top of the tower.
magic had also been cast on the locations where the seeds of the white tree and mallorn tree were planted outside the tower, so there was no need to worry about anyone approaching.
Edward's only task was to care for the young Thorondor.
For this, Luke even managed to pry a bag of gold coins from Smaug, who had transformed into a miser, and gave them to Edward.
Some were for his pay, and some were to buy food for Thorondor.
Bree,
Prancing Pony Inn.
In the dimly lit hall, a few scattered guests sat at tables drinking or eating, and the innkeeper stood behind the bar, wiping glasses with a rag.
Just then, the flames in the fireplace suddenly turned green, attracting everyone's attention.
The innkeeper, Mr. Butterbur, was initially startled, but then he remembered a similar scene from a year ago and immediately had a guess.
Sure enough, the next second, Gandalf's figure emerged from the green flames.
He walked out of the fireplace, bent over, and coughed a few times, choked by the dust.
Then he smiled at the innkeeper and said, "Good morning, Mr. Butterbur. Honestly, your fireplace needs a good cleaning."
Then he cheerfully greeted the few stunned guests in the inn: "Good morning, everyone, I hope I haven't disturbed you."
The guests stared, dumbfounded, unsure how to respond.
However, the next second, green flames erupted from the fireplace again.
The tall and slender Legolas appeared in the fireplace, his handsome face and elegant demeanor instantly attracting everyone's attention.
Some sharp-eyed guests quickly noticed his pointed ears, and a gasp of surprise immediately rose.
"It's an Elf!" a guest whispered, excitedly telling his companion about his discovery.
But even the lowest whisper could not escape Legolas's keen hearing, and he instantly looked over.
The discovered guest immediately lowered his head sheepishly.
The innkeeper was also very excited; the last time an Elf came to the Prancing Pony Inn was when his grandfather was young. His grandfather had described to him how perfect that westward-bound Elf was, even more elegant and noble than those noble lords.
He never expected to see a living Elf in his lifetime; this was truly too fortunate!
Looking at the Elf before him, though covered in dust, his elegant and noble demeanor could not be concealed.
His perfect features and golden long hair, illuminated by the lamplight, emitted a halo, making him seem to glow.
Compared to this Elf, the town mayor's pretentious gestures seemed forced and like a clumsy imitation.
After Legolas, Bilbo also appeared from the fireplace.
Compared to Legolas, Bilbo's appearance drew little reaction.
The Prancing Pony Inn already had two hobbit employees, so everyone's reaction to Bilbo, a hobbit, was unremarkable.
However, Bilbo didn't notice this; he quickly exited the fireplace to avoid being crowded by Luke, who was behind him.
Sure enough, the next second, green flames reignited, and Luke was the last to arrive.
The guests didn't react much to Luke's appearance, but the innkeeper immediately recognized him.
He immediately walked out from behind the bar and quickly approached Luke, bowing repeatedly with reverence and respect.
"It is truly an honor for this establishment that you, Lord Luke, have graced us with your presence! How may I be of service, my lord?"
Weathertop is not far from Bree. As the most well-informed innkeeper, he had naturally heard that the master of Amon Sûl Tower had returned, and moreover, he had returned riding a giant dragon.
He had also heard that the villagers gathered at the foot of Weathertop had become subjects of the Lord of Amon Sûl Tower and accepted his rule.
Being adjacent to such a powerful lord, the innkeeper had no choice but to treat him carefully.
After all, anyone with eyes could see that although Weathertop currently only had a few hundred people, with Lord Luke, a powerful lord, its future rise was destined to be meteoric.
And the other guests, hearing the innkeeper's address to Luke, quickly reacted and immediately turned their attention to him.
The sudden appearance of Amon Sûl Tower overnight, and its long-standing presence atop Weathertop, was common knowledge.
The name of the tower's master—Luke—was also remembered by many.
Some had even tried to investigate Weathertop, but ultimately, it was as if they were caught in a ghost wall; they clearly saw the giant tower ahead but could not get a single step closer.
This also added a sense of mystery to the reputation of Weathertop and Luke.
Luke happened to need the innkeeper to do something, so he took out a bag of gold coins and handed it to the innkeeper, along with a piece of parchment.
"Mr. Butterbur, you receive guests from all corners of the world every day; you are well-informed and have extensive channels. Please help me collect the materials listed on this paper, the more the better!"
"Oh, and please help me find a seven-year-old rooster."
"If you can help me accomplish this, these gold coins are just a down payment; the reward you receive then will satisfy you."
The innkeeper looked at the parchment, which listed all sorts of strange and bizarre items like "bat spleen, tree snake skin, crocodile heart, eel eyeballs, frog brain, pufferfish eyes," and his expression was peculiar.
Upon hearing that Luke was looking for a seven-year-old rooster, he was even more surprised.
A seven-year-old rooster is hard to find; ordinary households wouldn't keep a chicken for so long. Even roosters used for breeding are usually slaughtered and eaten when they get old at three or four years, certainly not kept until seven years old.
However, looking at the bulging bag of gold coins, the innkeeper's eyes glittered, and he immediately declared that it was not a problem.
"Lord Luke, rest assured, I will definitely help you find these things!"
As long as the money was enough, whether it flew in the sky, ran on the ground, or swam in the water, he could find it all for him.
It wasn't that the innkeeper was arrogant; his establishment was located at a vital transportation hub, where all sorts of people—rangers, traveling merchants, Dwarves, bards, and so on—would stop to rest. Information was most readily available there.
Therefore, the Prancing Pony Inn was not just a place to stop and rest, but also a place for exchanging information and even selling news.
After declining the enthusiastic innkeeper's offer, Luke and the others purchased some food and then left Bree.