Surrounded by a flock of snowy owls, Sulond, the giant eagle, gently landed on the castle's lawn. Luke dismounted, his eyes bright with a gentle smile as he saw Arwen, who had been waiting for him.
"I'm back!" he said, his voice filled with warmth.
Arwen's eyes sparkled, and the corners of her lips curved upwards in a radiant smile. "Welcome back!"
Few words were needed between them; their understanding ran deeper. They simply gazed at each other, their eyes tracing familiar outlines, before smiling and walking hand-in-hand towards the castle.
At dinner, Luke savored Arwen's delicious cooking, talking animatedly about his adventures. Arwen sat quietly beside him, listening intently to every word.
"Oh, Arwen," Luke exclaimed, eager to show off, "I learned painting from a Sindarin artist! How about I draw your portrait later?"
Arwen smiled softly and nodded. "Alright."
After dinner, Luke eagerly led Arwen to the garden. He had her sit on a wicker chair surrounded by vibrant flowers, with the majestic Holy White Tree and the shimmering Maelstrom Tree as a backdrop. Arwen gently allowed Luke to arrange her, a fond smile in her eyes. Luke then retrieved his prepared painting tools from his spatial bag. He set up the easel, spread the canvas, and with focused eyes, began to sketch Arwen, then applied his brush to the canvas.
The garden atmosphere was peaceful and warm. The leaves of the towering White and Maelstrom trees rustled softly, their golden and silver foliage drifting in the wind, carpeting the grass in a shimmering blanket. Arwen reclined gracefully on the wicker chair, a purple bouquet draped above her.
At her feet were the white blossoms of the King's Weed, flanked by the ever-blooming Alfrin and Elanor, and surrounded by colorful Enthepo flowers and other species. She sat among the blooms, her eyes gentle and smiling, quietly watching the man who concentrated on painting her, like a flower goddess observing her devoted lover.
As time passed, Arwen remained perfectly still, her posture graceful, without a trace of fatigue or impatience. Her smile remained, as if she could sit there forever.
"Alright!" Luke finally announced, stopping his brushstrokes.
"Is it finished?" Arwen asked softly.
"It is! Arwen, come take a look. Are you satisfied?" Luke beckoned.
Arwen rose and walked over, filled with curiosity. On the canvas, Arwen's portrait was remarkably lifelike; even the gentle smile in her eyes had been captured. Behind her, a corner of the garden, including the the two trees, were also depicted. A hint of surprise flashed across Arwen's face as she saw her own portrait. Despite Luke's obvious inexperience in painting, her likeness in the artwork was vibrant, and the tenderness and love in her eyes seemed ready to spill forth.
Is this how Luke sees me? Arwen felt an immense sweetness well up in her heart.
"What do you think? Are you happy with it?" Luke asked expectantly. "If not, I'll paint a few more. I've already memorized your face, so you won't have to sit for long."
Arwen smiled sweetly. "This is already very good! There's no need for more. I love this painting very much. Can I have it?"
Luke shook his head, a mysterious smile playing on his lips. "Not yet. This painting isn't truly finished. It needs one more step." Arwen looked confused. Without further explanation, Luke led her and the portrait back to the castle.
Luke then went to the potion room, set up a silver crucible, gathered his prepared potion ingredients, and began brewing. Arwen didn't disturb him, sitting quietly and watching Luke's smooth movements with admiration.
When the potion in the crucible turned lavender, Luke suddenly looked up. "Arwen, could you give me a strand of your hair?"
Arwen was puzzled but promptly cut off a strand. "Is one enough? If not, I'll get more." Luke quickly stopped her. "That's enough, one will do." While Arwen was willing to give more, Luke knew one was sufficient. He took the strand of Arwen's hair and dropped it into the crucible. The potion instantly turned light blue, emanating a scent reminiscent of rain.
He turned off the heat, removed the cauldron, and let the potion cool completely. Then, to Arwen's astonishment, Luke used a dropper to apply the potion onto the portrait, which magically absorbed it. The previously still portrait gradually came alive; the painted flowers, plants, and trees swayed in an unseen breeze as if alive. The Arwen in the painting also came to life, her hair subtly shifting, just like a living person. The only drawback was that the eyes of the painted Arwen were empty and blank, as if she had no soul, no reaction whatsoever.
Arwen was amazed. "Luke, what's happening?"
Luke explained with a smile, "This is a magical portrait. Unlike a still painting, it moves and speaks."
"Then why does my portrait seem unresponsive?"
"Because she hasn't been imbued with memories yet. She's like a newborn baby, with a blank mind and consciousness," Luke replied. He then taught Arwen the magic of extracting memories. Arwen followed Luke's method, pressing her wand to her temple, drawing out her memories, and then injecting them into her own portrait. As the memory was absorbed, the painted Arwen's empty eyes gradually brightened. Then, as if a soul had been breathed into her, her intelligent and gentle eyes gazed out from the canvas at Luke and Arwen.
"Hello, Luke, and my other self," the portrait spoke.
Luke looked at the painted Arwen and asked curiously, "Arwen, what does the painting look like from your side? Can you tell me about it?"
The painted Arwen looked at Luke with tenderness in her eyes. She glanced around the canvas. "This place is no different from the real world. I am now in the garden, I can smell the fragrance of flowers and plants, and there is wind blowing. I can also see the Black Lake and Hogsmeade Village below the mountain, and even further. The only difference is that there is only me here. No you, no Sulond, no Smaug, and no residents of Hogsmeade down the mountain."
Luke was astonished by the painted Arwen's answer. He had thought the world within the painting would be dark or blank beyond what he had drawn, but he hadn't expected it to be a complete, realistic world. If Arwen were to leave Weathertop within the painting, she might be able to go to Rivendell, Lothlórien, or even the Mordor region controlled by Sauron, or even the holy land of Valinor in the west. How could this be called a magical portrait? It was simply a "mirrorverse"!
When Arwen heard her painted self say she was alone, she seemed to empathize, a trace of heartache flickering in her eyes. She turned to Luke. "Luke, please include you in the painting too? Otherwise, she will be very lonely!"
Luke patted her hand soothingly, nodding with a smile. "Of course, that's no problem. Not only me, but also Sulond, Smaug, the Kraken, and the residents of Hogsmeade down the mountain—I will draw them all in. I promise that the world inside the painting will be no less beautiful than the world outside!"
"But I think it would be best if you could draw my portrait for me. What do you think?"
Arwen smiled brightly and nodded. "Don't worry, I will draw you very handsomely!"
The next day, Luke and Arwen returned to the garden. This time, Arwen was the artist, and Luke sat in Arwen's previous spot. Arwen didn't make Luke sit for long. With her incredible memory, she quickly memorized Luke's image, allowing him to relax his posture.
Luke came over curiously, wanting to see how Arwen had painted him. When he saw the result, he was immediately amazed. In Arwen's painting, he was tall and upright, with a gentle look on his stern face. Looking at him through the picture, he seemed to be surrounded by a halo, so perfect he barely looked human.
Is this how Arwen sees me? Luke felt a mix of happiness and tenderness. He hadn't expected Arwen's painting skills to be so extraordinary. Not only was his own likeness lifelike, but every blade of grass and tree was incredibly realistic and vibrant.
She had even painted the entire castle. In comparison, Luke felt his own drawing of Arwen was like the difference between a primary school student and a master. Fortunately, Arwen didn't scorn it and treated it like a treasure, intending to keep it.
When Arwen finished, Luke looked at himself in the painting and teasingly remarked, "Arwen, you painted me so perfectly I almost don't dare admit it's me!" Then he took out the potion he had prepared earlier and poured it onto the painting, allowing it to fully absorb.
Everything in the painting came alive, incredibly realistic, as if reflected in a mirror—even more beautiful than reality, like a fairyland. His eyes in the painting were empty, but every hair was clearly visible, and his skin had a healthy complexion, just like a real person. Luke pressed his wand against his temple, slowly drawing out his memories, then pressed it against his own portrait, injecting them into it.
The empty eyes of the painted Luke became clear, then the corners of his mouth turned up, and he looked directly into Luke's eyes. "Hey, hello, OG!"
After greeting them, he looked around the painting with curiosity and exclaimed, "It's exactly as Arwen said! If I hadn't known this was in a painting, I would have thought this was really Middle-earth!" He continued, "Hey, Master, remember to draw me a flying broom next time. Also, don't forget Smaug and Sulond. I need to go somewhere else when I have time to see if the world in this painting really has no boundaries."
Then his gaze shifted to Arwen, who was standing beside Luke. He smiled and waved with a look of mock regret, saying, "Hello, Arwen. It's a pity it's not me standing next to you now. Although we are one, I am still very jealous of my other self!" He suddenly turned his head, spotting something. His eyes lit up, and he waved his hand. "Ah, I saw Arwen! I have to go find her. Goodbye, both of you!" Without waiting for the two to say anything, he quickly left the painted area and disappeared.
Looking at the empty scene in the painting, Arwen chuckled softly and looked at Luke with amusement. "I didn't expect you to have such a personality, Luke?"
Luke couldn't help but cover his head, his expression indescribable. The "self" in the painting was currently just a personality formed by a memory. To truly flesh out their personality, they needed to continuously inject memories, allowing their character and thinking to gradually become more like their own. This process would need to continue until the person died.
By then, the portrait would truly embody the deceased, possessing all their emotions and memories, making it, in essence, the real person. Of course, Luke would certainly not wait until that day. However, if he didn't want himself to appear so foolish in the portrait, he still needed to discipline his painted self for a while to avoid future embarrassment.
The portrait Arwen painted of Luke was carefully framed and hung in his private drawing room. As for the portrait Luke created for Arwen, she tucked it away, planning to take it back to Rivendell for safekeeping.
The painted Arwen often seemed to shuttle between the two frames, sometimes appearing with Luke in his portrait, sometimes with herself in Arwen's, or even vanishing together, seemingly off on a secret date elsewhere. Luke found himself incredibly envious. Here he was, working tirelessly, while his painted counterpart enjoyed an endless leisure of romantic excursions.
In the days that followed, Luke also painted portraits of his companions: Sulond the giant eagle, Smaug the dragon, Herpo the basilisk, and even the Kraken from the Black Lake at the foot of the mountain. At Smaug's insistence, Luke even painted golden mountains into Smaug's portrait. Luke found the sight of his painted dragon rolling ecstatically in gold so over-the-top that he felt too embarrassed to display that particular portrait in the main hall. With the portrait-making complete, Luke turned his attention to a new endeavor.
Next, Luke prepared to begin crafting the alchemical items he had acquired through his sign-ins: the Ravenclaw Diadem and the Hufflepuff Gold Cup. These two alchemical tools represented the pinnacle of magical achievement for Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff respectively. Their creation was incredibly complex and time-consuming, making it impossible to produce both simultaneously. Luke had to choose one as his immediate focus.
He hesitated briefly between the two. The Ravenclaw Diadem could enhance the wearer's wisdom, significantly stimulating their cognitive potential and accelerating thought processes.
This would be invaluable for learning new knowledge and mastering magic. The Hufflepuff Gold Cup was equally powerful, possessing not only potent healing abilities but also the capacity to absorb and store magical energy, nourishing the user's body and magic. Not to mention its ability to conjure magical delicacies and fine wines. It was a formidable magical item, combining life-saving, nourishing, and practical uses.
However, Luke ultimately decided to prioritize the Ravenclaw Diadem. While the Hufflepuff Gold Cup was powerful, its benefits were primarily defensive, and its nourishing effects on body and magic manifested gradually over long-term use, offering little immediate impact.
The Ravenclaw Diadem, conversely, could allow Luke to push his mental and intellectual capabilities to their limit, granting him higher intelligence and leading to significant improvements in a short period. He also reasoned that once the Ravenclaw Diadem was successfully made, its enhanced wisdom would make the creation of the Hufflepuff Gold Cup much simpler.
Having made his decision, Luke began preparing the necessary components for the diadem. Arwen, intrigued by the prospect of creating a magical item that could enhance wisdom, readily joined him as his assistant.
Luke first retrieved an exquisite and ornate holy white crown. The entire crown was a luminous silver, appearing as if woven from the branches of sacred white trees. Lifelike broad and narrow leaves intertwined, their bends and folds remarkably natural, giving the impression of rustling in a gentle breeze.
At the center of this holy white tree crown was embedded a dazzling white diamond, sparkling with starlight. The gem's glow was brilliant yet not overpowering, like a captured star within the crown. This was the crown Galadriel had gifted him after the castle's completion, a piece designed by Arwen herself, with the white diamond infused with starlight by Galadriel's magic.
So gorgeous and precious was it that Luke usually kept it in storage, only wearing it for important festivals or occasions. He planned to use this crown as the base for the Ravenclaw Diadem.
Next, Luke took a bottle of the spiritual mercury collected from Mithlond. He meticulously engraved runes onto the crystal bottle using a mithril solution, then placed it atop the tallest Amon Sûl Tower to absorb moonlight for purification. This process would remove impurities, leaving behind only pure spiritual energy.
Under the runes' influence, the moonlight was drawn into the crystal bottle like liquid silver, merging with the spiritual mercury and slowly cleansing it of emotions and memories. This purification would continue for a full month, until the moonlight had completely refined the mercury.
During this period, Luke used mithril as ink to carefully draw intricate magic patterns onto the crown, covering every leaf and branch of the holy white tree design. Using his magic wand as a pen and his own magic as ink, he enchanted the white diamond at the crown's center, engraving runes representing "knowledge," "enlightenment," and "discrimination."
Then, Luke journeyed to Lothlórien, Rivendell, and Mithlond, seeking out the four wise elders: Lady Galadriel, Celeborn, Elrond, and Círdan. He sought their deepest understanding of wisdom and their most profound memories of knowledge. These memories from the wise elders were then carefully infused into the crown's central jewel.
After the spiritual mercury was purified by moonlight, Luke submerged the crown in it, allowing the crown to absorb the spiritual energy. The light of wisdom emanating from the crown's jewel grew increasingly bright, causing anyone bathed in its glow to experience clearer minds and faster thinking.
Once the crown had absorbed the pure spiritual mercury, Luke awaited the auspicious night when Mercury would appear in the sky. In Middle-earth, Mercury was also known as Elen-Míri, "Star-jewel," a name given by Varda, the Valar's star goddess, for her firstborn children. In the magical world's astronomy and astrology, Mercury symbolized thinking and communication and was known as the "star of wisdom."
On a night when Mercury was ascendant, Luke and Arwen ascended to the highest tower of Amon Sûl. On the vast stone platform, Luke used mithril to draw three concentric magic circles with the crown at their center.
The outermost layer was engraved with runes symbolizing wisdom, designed to gather spiritual energy. The middle layer depicted a "thinking circuit," resembling the intricate neural patterns of a brain, connecting to the central crown to create an energy conduction pathway. The innermost layer bore the "Resonance Core," a ring formed by two entwined snakes, constructed from countless runes, serving as the energy hub of the entire magic circle.
When Mercury reached its zenith in the sky, its starlight streamed down onto the formation on the stone platform. Luke placed his staff against the formation, chanted an ancient spell, and poured his magical power into the circles through the staff.
The formation activated, emitting a dazzling silver light that shot skyward, illuminating the entire tower and echoing with Mercury in the heavens.
The planet suddenly became incredibly luminous, its light even surpassing that of Eärendil, the brightest star in the sky. Blue starlight descended, guided and projected into the formation, causing the runes to illuminate one by one, forming a stable magical field.
Such a massive magical display, with its towering pillar of starlight, drew varied reactions from those who witnessed it across Middle-earth. Apart from Galadriel, Elrond, and others who were aware of the situation, everyone else speculated about its meaning. Those in Hogsmeade at the foot of Weathertop, in particular, gazed at the pillar of starlight on the castle tower in shock and awe, recognizing it as the work of their mysterious lord.
Luke, oblivious to the outside world, struggled to channel his magical power, maintain the formation, and guide more astrological energy into the crown. However, he had clearly underestimated the energy demands of the crown.
His magical power rapidly depleted, leaving him feeling exhausted. Arwen, standing nearby, noticed Luke's struggle. Her face etched with concern, she immediately raised her wand and continuously channeled her own magical power into the formation, alleviating Luke's strain.
As the daughter of Elrond and the granddaughter of Galadriel and Celeborn, Arwen possessed formidable bloodline powers, her total magical reserves even surpassing Luke's. With her magic added, Luke felt the pressure ease and breathed a sigh of relief.
As time passed, the astral power within the formation intensified, flowing continuously into the crown. The crown grew increasingly extraordinary, especially its central white gemstone. The light of wisdom it emitted became brighter and brighter. Both Luke and Arwen, standing outside the formation, could feel their minds working faster.
The ritual continued into the latter half of the night, until Mercury began its descent westward, and the projected starlight gradually faded, finally ceasing. The formation's runes dimmed once more, becoming inert, leaving only the crown lying quietly at its center.
The crown's appearance had subtly changed. The white diamond now shone more subtly, no longer as overtly dazzling, emitting only a faint blue light. Yet, upon closer inspection, one could perceive that the gem contained an endless wellspring of wisdom, instantly clearing the mind and sparking inspiration.
Luke stepped forward, knelt, picked up the crown, and examined it carefully. "Luke, did it succeed?" Arwen asked curiously.
"You'll know after trying it," Luke replied, then placed the crown upon his head.
In an instant, Luke felt his consciousness elevate infinitely. The speed of his thoughts accelerated countless times, and his comprehension of knowledge and efficiency in analyzing problems reached an unparalleled level.
Not only that, he gained the ability to perfectly recall everything he perceived. Memories once buried deep in his mind surged forth with perfect clarity. If his memory had merely improved to the speed of an electric car after his time travel, now, wearing the crown, it felt as though he were strapped to a rocket, possessing the most brilliant mind imaginable.
"How is it, Luke? How do you feel?" Arwen looked at him with concern.
Luke found it difficult to articulate the sensation. He calmly replied, "I feel like the door to wisdom has been opened to me, and endless knowledge is at my fingertips."
Arwen noticed that after Luke put on the crown, he seemed like a different person, with no significant emotional fluctuations, which worried her slightly. When Luke saw her concerned expression, he removed the crown from his head. His calm eyes instantly regained their natural warmth and emotional expressiveness.
He reassured her, "Don't worry, this is just a side effect of wearing the crown. While it enhances wisdom, it inevitably allows rationality to take precedence, suppressing emotional fluctuations and making one more rational. But once you take off the crown, you'll recover immediately, and your character won't be affected."
As he spoke, he placed the crown on Arwen's head so she could experience it. With the crown upon her, Arwen's demeanor also transformed. Her eyes deepened and became calmer, and her aura grew cold and distant, like a goddess on snow-capped mountains, exuding pure wisdom and insight. For a moment, Arwen bore a striking resemblance to Galadriel.
Arwen didn't wear the crown for long before taking it off, instantly transforming back into the gentle Princess Evenstar. She held the crown in both hands, smiling brightly, and congratulated Luke.
"Congratulations, Luke, you've created a truly magical object! Such a treasure that can increase wisdom is enough to attract many who seek knowledge!" She added, "By the way, are you going to give it a name?"
Luke shook his head. "The crown is a joint work of ours. I hope you can help me choose its name this time, so it will bear both our names for the rest of its existence!"
Arwen's eyes crinkled with a radiant smile, and she did not refuse Luke's request. She looked at the exquisite crown in her hand, her red lips parting slightly as she pronounced its name: "Racas Golwon."
"Racas Golwon? The Crown of Wisdom?" Luke was surprised for a moment, then nodded with a smile. "What a beautiful name!"
With the successful creation of the Crown of Wisdom—Middle-earth's version of the Ravenclaw Diadem—Luke plunged into a period of intense study and practice. Spells, Transfiguration, Potions, Alchemy, as well as Middle-earth witchcraft, incantations, and Elven magic, all soared in learning speed and efficiency under the Crown's blessing.
What surprised Luke even more was the significant gain from meditating while wearing the Crown of Wisdom; his meditation efficiency was almost several times higher than usual.
The only drawback was that such high brain activity consumed physical energy at an astonishing rate. Luke now ate several times more than before, needing constant energy replenishment.
For this reason, Arwen specially prepared lembas for him, ensuring he wouldn't need to eat constantly just to keep up. Furthermore, the Crown of Wisdom couldn't be worn continuously, as prolonged rapid brain activity was incredibly exhausting. Therefore, Luke limited his use of the Crown to half a day, removing it when he felt mentally fatigued.
However, even with the Crown of Wisdom's aid, Luke understood the importance of focus. He dedicated his primary energy to mastering alchemy, crucial for preventing errors when he eventually crafted the Philosopher's Stone.
After all, merely knowing how to make the Philosopher's Stone didn't guarantee success; otherwise, Nicolas Flamel wouldn't be the sole possessor of such a stone in the wizarding world's known history.
Luke remained at Weathertop for several months. Although he considered starting on the Hufflepuff Gold Cup, its production, in addition to material requirements, demanded specific magical rituals and astrological conditions.
Specifically, the magical rituals needed to be performed on the day when Saturn was in opposition to the Sun. In Middle-earth, Saturn was known as Lumbar. Approximately every 378 days, Lumbar reached opposition with the Sun, becoming incredibly dazzling, its light even outshining Eärendil. Since Saturn's opposition was still more than half a year away, and Luke needed to continue his search for the remaining Philosopher's Stone materials, he couldn't afford to wait.
Despite the wait, Luke began some preliminary preparations. Much to Smaug's chagrin, Luke extracted nearly a ton of gold from the dragon's treasury and melted it down in his mithril furnace. After continuous calcination, only a fist-sized piece of pure, impurity-free gold essence remained.
Unlike the Ravenclaw Diadem, the Hufflepuff Cup was crafted using ancient Celtic natural magic. This required drawing ancient runes symbolizing abundance onto the gold essence embryo, then burying it in fertile ground simultaneously with the planting of crops. It couldn't be unearthed until the crops were ripe for harvest.
Luke also drew healing and protective runes onto the gold essence, then found an oak tree covered with mistletoe. He chiseled a hole in the oak tree, hid the gold essence inside, and sealed it. The gold essence could only be retrieved from the oak tree when the tree bore fruit and the mistletoe bloomed. Luke, of course, couldn't wait that long.
Taking the gold nugget inscribed with the harvest rune, he apparated down the mountain. Finding the most fertile wheat field, he cast an invisibility spell while farmers were planting wheat, then buried the gold nugget deep in the field, ensuring it wouldn't be discovered. Leaving a magical mark, he quietly returned to Weathertop.
After a brief stay at the castle, Luke once again bid farewell to Arwen and set out for the White Mountains in the south to search for Soul Sulfur. This time, Luke didn't take Thorondor directly. Instead, he first traveled to Lothlórien via the Floo Network, and then used Apparition to reach Fangorn Forest. However, Luke didn't find Gandalf in Fangorn Forest this time. According to Treebeard, Gandalf had left Fangorn several months prior and gone to the Kingdom of Rohan.
Luke had to abandon his plan to seek Gandalf's help. He traded a few bottles of his plant growth potion with Treebeard for some Ent-draught, then mounted his flying broom, exited the forest, and flew south.
Along the way, Luke spotted Orthanc Tower, Saruman's dwelling, in the distance. However, Luke had no intention of engaging with the White Wizard just yet, so he simply bypassed the area and continued his flight south. While it was a missed opportunity, finding the Soul Sulfur was more important than a chance encounter.
Meanwhile, as Luke flew south, unaware, Saruman sat in a secret chamber within Orthanc Tower in Isengard. He stared at Luke's flying figure in a crystal ball, his gaze unfathomable. Suddenly, Luke's image vanished, replaced by a fiery eye emitting a dark aura.
"Sauron, what do you want from me?" Saruman asked, frowning. Although he had been seduced by Sauron and chosen to betray the side of justice, Saruman retained his pride, viewing himself as Sauron's partner, not his subordinate.
Sauron did not directly answer. Instead, he probed, "Are you concerned about the black-robed wizard just now?"
Saruman frowned, dismissively replying, "He's just an insignificant person!"
"Insignificant?" Sauron retorted with a mocking tone. "If he were truly insignificant, how could he have compelled a white-robed wizard such as yourself to use the Palantír to spy on him? And his reputation now far eclipses yours. Tsk tsk, he's the slayer of Orcs, lord of the dragon Smaug, and he slew the Balrog of Moria alongside the Grey Wizard. Even east of Mordor, his legend is whispered!"
Hearing Sauron's sarcastic remarks, anger flashed in Saruman's eyes, and his face darkened. "What are you truly occupied with? I am very busy. Unlike you, who lacks even a physical form and can only hide idly in Mordor."
"Busy forging the Ring of Power?" Sauron's eyes gleamed with sarcasm. "You wished to forge a ring capable of rivaling my One Ring, but it seems you have not succeeded. It is not even as good as the ring of one of my Nazgûl!"
He then shifted his tone, full of deception and corruption: "Saruman, I know your ambition and your discontent. I can personally teach you how to forge a supreme magic ring, so that you may possess the most potent power! As long as you are willing to submit to me and become my servant..."
"Impossible!" Saruman, a Maia of the same order, remained arrogant even under the influence of Sauron's power. "No one can make me submit—not the Valar, and certainly not you, Sauron!"
In his view, he and Sauron were merely temporary collaborators, his sole purpose being to extract the method of forging the Ring of Power from Sauron. Submitting to another Maia was utterly unacceptable to the haughty Saruman.
Sauron, perceiving Saruman's thoughts, sneered: "But what are your conditions for cooperating with me? The Orcs of Moria, with whom you wished to ally, were all dealt with by the two wizards and the Dwarves. As for the Dunlendings, as far as I know, the Grey Wizard is in Rohan and has persuaded the King of Rohan to grant the Dunlendings a piece of their ancestral land. It seems your words of discord are no longer effective."
"Mithrandir!" Saruman's face grew even fouler, and he gritted his teeth in fury. The two assets he had cultivated had been neutralized by Gandalf, derailing his plans. This fueled his deep hatred for Gandalf.
But Sauron's next words shocked him. "Don't you find it too coincidental? Why was it that just as you were about to ally with the Orcs of Moria, they were destroyed? Just as you were attempting to sway the Dunlending people against the Rohirim, that Grey Wizard sought to broker peace between Rohan and the Dunlendings, and your plan was quietly ruined!"
Saruman was incredulous, his heart filled with anxiety. "What do you mean?"
"I think you've been exposed! Especially by that Grey Wizard; he's targeting you!" Sauron said with a hint of gloating.
"That's impossible!" Saruman stood up excitedly. "What I did was highly secretive; no one knew! How could Gandalf know about this? It must be a coincidence!" Saruman was deeply uneasy, yet his conceit and arrogance made him unwilling to accept that his plans had been discovered.
He had never imagined that his collusion with Sauron would be exposed. Such a revelation would cost him his current standing among the forces of good and his position as the leader of the White Council.
Moreover, with his current plans incomplete, exposure would leave him with nowhere to go among the righteous. Even Orthanc Tower would no longer be safe. To survive, he would be forced to flee to Mordor, seek Sauron's protection, and be compelled to become Sauron's servant. Could Saruman accept this?
But Sauron gave him no chance for self-deception. With a mocking look, he directly pointed out: "You already have the answer in your heart, don't you? If you consider carefully what has gone wrong these past days, you will figure it out, won't you?"
Saruman's memory of Gandalf's sudden visit, and the subsequent events he had overlooked, intensified his unease. "I kept this a secret; no one should have known! And with the Stone of True Knowledge in my possession, the entire region of Isengard couldn't possibly have escaped my notice! How did Gandalf discover this?"
Saruman paced restlessly, a storm of thoughts raging in his mind, his memories tracing clues. He glanced out the window, spotting the tall trees standing outside. A sudden realization struck him, and his face instantly contorted into a grimace. He gritted his teeth, enunciating slowly: "Great! I actually forgot there were a bunch of thieves with their ears sticking into my house! I should have cut down all the trees here, leaving not a single one behind!"
Sauron watched Saruman's panic, his gloating evident. "You have been discovered. There is no place for you on the side of light. If you submit to me, I will send the army of Mordor to aid you. I will even help you forge a Ring of Power. How about it?"
Saruman calmed instantly upon hearing this and sneered, "Sauron, do you think I would simply give in? I am a disciple of Aulë, the god of craftsmen. I may not be as talented as you in forging, but I excel in engineering and creation! I've figured out how to breed stronger Orcs, making them fearless of sunlight and even more formidable. We can definitely form a powerful army. And this is just the beginning. If given enough time, I can even breed even more powerful monsters!"
Sauron's fiery eye in the crystal ball pulsed, and his conditions shifted. "How about we formally form an alliance? I will send you a dark army, completely under your control, enough for you to defend Isengard. You only need to cultivate a powerful enough war machine, and then we can attack from both sides with the army of Mordor and annex Rohan and Gondor."
Saruman was somewhat tempted, but still shook his head. "There's no rush for now. I need to first confirm whether Gandalf has any evidence. If it's merely suspicion, I can continue to hide and secretly accumulate strength."
Saruman didn't want to openly betray the forces of good and align with Sauron unless absolutely necessary. Beyond not wanting to abandon his current status, he also considered the reaction of the Valar.
Hearing this, Sauron suggested, "If you want to confirm this, you can capture that black-robed wizard. He has close ties with the Grey Wizard. They were the two who killed the Balrog of Moria. He must know the information you seek."
At the mention of the black-robed wizard, Saruman's eyes turned cold. He was equally furious at Luke, who had also disrupted his plans. He nodded in agreement.
"This boy is highly regarded by Gandalf, so he must know a lot. He's also very strange, and there's something about him I can't see through. If I catch him, I can discover what secrets he hides!"
What Saruman didn't say was that when he first saw the boy, he had perceived a very strange and obscure look in Luke's eyes. Although Luke had deliberately concealed it, Saruman had keenly noticed it.
He hadn't understood that look at first, but after his collusion with Sauron, he finally comprehended. That was the look one gives a traitor. It was as if Luke had already foreseen today's outcome. And that last look left Saruman even more unsettled.