Luke looked at the golden cup in his hand, a smile spreading across his face. Unlike the Gryffindor Sword and the Ravenclaw Diadem, the Hufflepuff Cup was neither a weapon nor an artifact of enhanced wisdom. Instead, it was a holy grail, capable of healing injuries, nourishing the body, and replenishing magical power. Even basilisk venom could be cured by the cup, making it the only known remedy for the potent poison aside from phoenix tears. Furthermore, the cup possessed a subtle longevity attribute: long-term use could not only ensure health and freedom from disease but also extend one's life, allowing the user to live longer than ordinary wizards. This was the very reason why Helga Hufflepuff lived the longest among the four Hogwarts founders.
In addition to these powerful functions, the cup was also a practical aid for daily life. It could remotely summon and transport various delicacies, multiply food, and continuously produce wine, milk, tea, and other beverages to meet one's daily needs.
Having successfully crafted the cup, Luke left the stone circle with it. He planned to bring it along for future banquets or long journeys. As for the stone circle, Luke did not dismantle it. He decided to leave it in place as a scenic spot within the castle, thinking it might come in handy again in the future.
Soon after, Luke traveled to Rivendell via the Floo Network. "Luke, did you succeed in crafting the cup?" Arwen asked gently with concern. She had seen the starlight from Lumbar project onto Weathertop the previous night. Although she had faith in Luke, she still wanted to know the outcome to feel at ease.
Luke smiled and nodded. "It was a success."
Hearing this, Arwen's last trace of worry vanished, and she gave a sincere smile. "Congratulations!" she said, genuinely happy for him.
Since his permanent move to Weathertop, Arwen had been residing in Rivendell. Her brothers, Ellohir and Elrohan, had affectionately "detained" her there with Elrond's tacit approval. Even though Luke and Arwen were openly in love, it was not yet considered appropriate for them to live together for an extended period before their wedding.
More importantly, Arwen now had a new pet—the winged horse Luke had gifted her. Arwen had kept it in Rivendell and was taking meticulous care of the young foal. The other elves of Rivendell also adored the pure white winged horse, as it perfectly aligned with elven aesthetics. Ellohir and Elrohan were openly envious, and even Elrond often visited the foal.
Sensing the situation, Luke immediately offered to breed three more winged horses for them, seeing how much his future father-in-law and brothers-in-law loved the creature. Instantly, the three became even more amiable toward him. The winged horses they eagerly anticipated were already being bred in Isengard and would be delivered soon.
As they were speaking of winged horses, a horse's neigh echoed above Rivendell. Luke looked up and saw a pure white winged horse, gleaming with a pearlescent sheen under the sunlight, both beautiful and majestic. The winged horse had inherited the speed, strength, intelligence, and endurance of the Mearas, as well as the soaring abilities and eagle-like vision of the Great Eagles. From high above, it quickly spotted Luke and Arwen. With a joyful neigh, it swooped down, flapping its large white wings, and landed on the platform. It affectionately nuzzled Arwen and then rubbed against Luke's face. Luke gently stroked the winged horse, his expression full of fondness.
This winged horse, named "Elroch" by Arwen, which meant "Star-Horse," was not yet fully grown. However, due to its inherited genes from the Great Eagles, it was much larger than an ordinary horse. Its fully developed wings were already capable of flying freely in the sky. It had become the star and darling of Rivendell.
The elves adored it, and some were already secretly planning to find it a mate once it reached adulthood, hoping to breed more winged horses. Elves were not without their own little schemes.
After calming the winged horse, Luke and Arwen went to see Elrond. Elrond was as gentle as ever, his eyes filled with profound wisdom. "Did everything go smoothly?" he asked.
Luke knew what Elrond was referring to and nodded with a smile. "Mission accomplished!" he said, taking out the golden cup and handing it over.
Elrond carefully examined the cup and was instantly amazed. Although he had heard Luke mention crafting a magical artifact, it wasn't until the starlight projected onto Weathertop the previous night that he guessed what Luke had created. He had seen Luke's Crown of Wisdom before and held that artifact in high regard, having even worn it once. But today, this golden cup won his heart even more.
The cup's healing and nourishing magical properties greatly appealed to Elrond, a healer himself. He returned the cup to Luke and sighed with a smile. "With this cup, my medical skills seem almost redundant. I doubt there is any poison in the world that could challenge you now!"
Luke shook his head, disagreeing. "Lord Elrond, you flatter me. This is merely a tool. It may have some healing uses, but it is not omnipotent, let alone comparable to you, the most exceptional healer in Middle-earth." His words were not mere flattery. Elrond's medical skills were extraordinary, and the Ring of Air he wore was a divine healing artifact. How could Luke's cup compare to that?
Elrond did not argue. He looked at his daughter standing beside Luke and said kindly, "With this cup, your safety is greatly enhanced. This will give me and Arwen's brothers more peace of mind when you travel to the Far East." He then asked, "When do you plan to go east to find the remaining materials for the Philosopher's Stone?"
Luke shook his head. "There's no hurry for now. The East is, after all, Sauron's territory, and the location of Hildórien is unknown. I want to be fully prepared before going, so I'll wait until the Resurrection Stone is crafted. Perhaps I can use the Resurrection Stone to summon someone who knows its location."
Elrond nodded, showing an appreciative expression. "You have considered this well. However, you shouldn't place all your hopes on the Resurrection Stone. If you wish to find Hildórien and collect the 'Salt of the Body,' I suggest you seek out the two Blue Wizards in the East. They, like Mithrandir, came from the West across the sea, and they arrived even earlier than him. They have been quietly guiding the Free Peoples in the East to resist Sauron's rule. They have long been active in that land and may know of Hildórien."
"Blue Wizards?" Luke asked in surprise. "Lord Elrond, do you know them?" Among the five wizards who came to Middle-earth, the two Blue Wizards were the most mysterious. They were rarely mentioned in Middle-earth's history. After arriving from the West, they did not stay but journeyed directly to the Far East, where they remained active.
Thus, Luke knew them only by their title, not even their names. As far as he knew, the two Blue Wizards were Maiar under the Vala Oromë, the Hunter. However, for some reason, they never boarded the ship returning to Valinor after the War of the Ring.
Elrond shook his head. "I only met them once. When they first arrived at Mithlond and traveled along the East-West Road to Rivendell, I hosted them. They did not stay long. After crossing the Misty Mountains, they headed directly east, and I never saw them again. I only heard rumors that they were in the east, secretly inciting rebellions against Sauron, hindering his actions there, and limiting the power of the dark forces."
"What are their names? How are they addressed?"
Elrond walked to the pool and waved his hand, causing the calm water to ripple and reveal an illusion. The image showed two elderly men in deep blue robes. One had a short brown beard, while the other had a slightly longer beard, though shorter than Saruman's and Gandalf's. Elrond pointed to the one with the brown beard. "This is Morinehtar." Then he pointed to the other blue-robed elder. "This is Rómestámo."
"They are close friends, inseparable, and are called the Blue Wizards due to their blue robes. If you wish to find Hildórien, you can seek them out in the East and ask for their help. Of course, I am not closely acquainted with them. You might inquire with Radagast or Mithrandir. As fellow wizards, they may have a way of contacting each other."
Then, as if remembering something, he frowned and said, "Speaking of which, the one most familiar with the two Blue Wizards should be Saruman. He once traveled far to the East with them before returning alone to the West. If anyone knows the East and the Blue Wizards well, it should be him." But now that Saruman had betrayed them, there was no way to ask him.
After learning this information about the Blue Wizards from Elrond, Luke did not stay long. After parting with Arwen, he did not return to Weathertop but instead went to Isengard. Isengard could not be neglected. To guard against Saruman and Mordor, Luke had previously devoted almost half his time and energy to the fortress. But to his relief, as the three-headed wolf, griffins, and hippogriffs he had bred grew older, his burden gradually lightened. Otherwise, constantly keeping an eye on this place would have been overwhelming.
Luke emerged from the fireplace on the first floor of the Orthanc Tower and was immediately greeted by a massive, hill-sized three-headed wolf—Cerberus. The first-floor space had been expanded to the size of a football field using the Undetectable Extension Charm, providing ample room for Cerberus to move around.
At that moment, Cerberus was lying on the ground, bored. The left and right heads were fast asleep, while the middle head was awake and on guard. When Luke appeared from the fireplace, the awake head instantly turned toward him, revealing a fierce expression. But upon recognizing Luke, the ferocity vanished, replaced by joyful tail wagging, tongue lolling, and happy whimpers, as if begging for affection.
"Alright, alright, I know, Cerberus. I'm here to see you now, aren't I?" Luke laughed warmly, stroking the massive heads while trying to stay on his feet.