We moved to a safe location first. It appeared to be a dwarven lodging area within the Moria mines. I created an ice wall to block the entrance, and we decided to take a short rest inside.
"Let's rest for a moment."
The party members collapsed onto the floor. The atmosphere was extremely grim, as they had already lost a companion.
"What happened?"
I asked them about everything that had occurred until now. In response, Aragorn shared their story.
"When we tried to cross the Misty Mountains, we were ambushed by Orcs. The Nazgûl persistently followed and hindered us, so we had no choice but to enter the Moria mines. Thinking back now, it seems they lured us here. We were driven into a trap like rabbits."
"I see. And then you encountered three Balrogs. But wasn't there supposed to be only one Balrog known as 'Durin's Bane'? Why were there three?"
Gandalf answered that question.
"Previously, while tracking Gollum, I saw Orcs establishing bases in various parts of the mountains. I assumed they were building structures to serve as forward bases and merely kept track of their locations. But to think they weren't building forward bases, but were instead digging to awaken Balrogs... It was my oversight. I should have looked deeper."
In that moment, I understood why Sauron had been so quiet until now. He had been expanding his ranks with even more powerful allies.
"Then how many such places were there?"
"From what I have identified, more than fifteen locations."
"Then that means there are at least ten Balrogs."
At those words, the resting party members let out groans of despair. Having faced a Balrog directly, they knew its danger better than anyone.
"We should rest here for the day before moving on. It looks like you haven't had proper rest in days. I'll accompany you as far as the Lothlórien forest."
I pulled blankets from my inventory and distributed them. I also made warm soup to help warm their bodies and handed it out. As they ate the warm food and their tension eased, they began to settle down one by one and fall asleep.
Gandalf, Boromir, Aragorn, and I, who remained awake, sat around the campfire. Aragorn spoke with a worried expression.
"The Balrogs are a major problem, but we don't know what other enemies he might have gathered. To think this was the reason Sauron was quiet."
Listening to Aragorn, Gandalf once again emphasized the importance of destroying the Ring.
"That is precisely why we must destroy the Ring. The fate of everyone living in Middle-earth now rests on that single Ring."
Boromir, who had been listening quietly, also spoke up with concern.
"The Ring is important, but shouldn't we warn the various factions as soon as we leave here? They likely know nothing, and if Balrogs suddenly descend upon them..."
Gandalf agreed with Boromir.
"You are right. Once we reach Lothlórien, I will ask Lady Galadriel to spread the word."
At that point, I stood up and spoke to them.
"I'll go scout the surroundings for a bit. There might still be Orcs or Balrogs around. You all should get some sleep quickly. We'll have to travel far tomorrow."
I melted a small section of the ice wall I had built, just enough for one person to pass through, and after heading outside, I sealed the entrance again with magic. Then, I moved to the location where the Balrog had died. Naturally, it was to turn the Balrog into a Shadow Soldier.
"Arise."
As I commanded, black flames flickered from the Balrog's corpse, and a Shadow Soldier rose and bowed its head to me.
"I'll just call you 'Balrog 1.' Since I'll probably be catching more of you anyway."
The Balrog bowed once more and then vanished into my shadow.
After that, I scouted the area, but there were no Orcs, and the other Balrogs were nowhere to be seen. So, I returned to the resting place. Gandalf, Boromir, and Aragorn had all fallen asleep, likely exhausted. Since the dwarves had paid great attention to air circulation when building the Moria mines, keeping the campfire burning wouldn't be an issue.
As they slept, I fell into deep thought. I had many questions about why the Absolute One had intervened. Was it because Saruman's fall would have led the quest to failure, just like in the original story, or did the Absolute One take Saruman away because destiny had become twisted? I couldn't be sure.
If I assumed his corruption was the cause, it was certainly dangerous. Since Saruman was the most powerful in the Fellowship, no one would have been able to stop him if he went on a rampage.
'Was it really because of the corruption? I don't know...'
As I pondered this and that, the day passed by.
The next day, sensing it was about time for the party to wake up, I added wood to the campfire and prepared a meal. Being inside the mine, it was impossible to tell if it was day or night, but I roughly knew it was around noon. As the cooking neared completion and a delicious aroma began to spread, the party members started to wake up one by one.
Having slept soundly, their faces looked significantly better than the exhaustion-ridden expressions they had yesterday.
"Wow~ That smells delicious."
The Hobbits gathered around the fire in anticipation of the food I had made. Then, the others tidied their spots and joined them. I distributed warm soup and soft bread, just like I had the day before.
"Munch, munch. Master Cassian, you really are an amazing cook. This is so delicious."
Merry praised my cooking skills while eating. To that, Aragorn added:
"My elder brother's cooking truly is top-tier. Even I find myself thinking about it from time to time when I've been out in the wild for a long while."
They shared various stories, beginning with praise for my cooking. It seemed they had recovered significantly, not just physically but mentally as well.
After finishing their meal and resting briefly, the party packed their bags and prepared to depart. Once they were ready, I removed the ice wall blocking the way, and we began to move. We encountered no further Balrogs or Orc ambushes. Whether it was because I was there or for some other reason, the lack of combat was a relief for the party, though I felt a slight bit of disappointment.
'I was looking forward to it... like an Orc ambush or something...'
We emerged from the East Gate of the Moria mines and saw the setting sun. Gimli looked at the sun and let out a dry laugh of disbelief.
"To think I would ever be happier to see the sun than a mine..."
Legolas chuckled in agreement and patted Gimli on the shoulder. For a Dwarf to say such a thing was proof of how much they had suffered within the Moria mines.
We camped for the night before entering the Lothlórien forest. Although Lothlórien was a safe forest thanks to Galadriel, traveling through it at night was difficult. So, after resting for a day, we entered the forest the next morning and walked hard until we arrived at Caras Galadhon in Lothlórien, where Lady Galadriel served as the Lady of the Wood.
"Welcome. I have been waiting for you. It seems it took much longer than expected to cross the Misty Mountains."
Galadriel welcomed us warmly.
"Furthermore, the power I sense from Gandalf has become far more potent."
"My Lady... Saruman departed for the Halls of Mandos while protecting us. This power is what Saruman passed on to me."
Galadriel seemed quite surprised by Gandalf's words. The Halls of Mandos were the dwelling of the Vala, Mandos. To put it simply, it was the afterlife. Elves and Maiar like Saruman would stay there until a new body was fashioned for them to be reborn, or if they did not wish to return, they could remain in the halls indefinitely.
However, humans could not enter the Halls of Mandos unless permitted by Mandos or Manwë. There were many stories regarding this; some said humans, having received the gift of Ilúvatar, leave Arda (the world of Lord of the Rings) for somewhere else upon death, while others suggested they are reincarnated. However, since this was not explicitly confirmed by Professor Tolkien, it was impossible to know which opinion was correct.
"I... I see. Regardless, I shall guide you to your quarters. You may rest there, and I will hear the details later."
"Thank you."
We spent the day resting. The next morning, the party informed Galadriel of everything that had happened.
"Balrogs... This is a serious matter. I shall quickly inform the various factions of this fact."
"Please do."
The Fellowship would stay and rest here for almost a month. While one might think a month is too long, considering they had to travel on foot across a continent larger than North America, it was necessary to eat well and rest fully to bring their physical condition to its peak. I had no such need, so I planned to tell them and head to where Arwen was. Then, Gandalf approached and made a request.
"Would you not stay with us on this journey?"
"I'm sorry, but Arwen is more important to me than the affairs of Middle-earth. I'll visit her and then rejoin you later."
"It is a relief to hear that you will rejoin us. Very well. Do not forget what we asked of you. If the quest were to fail..."
Gandalf chose his words carefully, as others might be listening.
"I know."
I handed the signaling ring back to Gandalf, transformed into dragon form, and flew over the Misty Mountains toward where Arwen was. Rivendell was quite quiet as many Elves had already departed. Upon my arrival, Arwen ran to me and embraced me. Elrond also came along and welcomed me warmly.
"Welcome. Was everything well?"
"Sauron has awakened Balrogs. Because of that, Saruman was taken out."
Elrond seemed significantly shocked by my words.
"No... Please tell me everything that has happened in detail."
I told Elrond and Arwen exactly what had transpired. Both of them listened with very serious expressions.
"Sigh... This is no small matter... If we are not careful, all of Middle-earth might fall into Sauron's hands."
After organizing his thoughts, Elrond continued speaking.
"Hmm... In that case, I must also remain until the very end to confirm the success of the Fellowship before departing. If the Fellowship fails, I might have to ask the Valar for assistance."
It seemed Elrond intended to cross over to Valinor and inform the Valar of the situation to seek help if the quest failed. While it was unknown what other preparations Sauron was making besides the Balrogs, the situation was indeed escalating beyond what humans alone could handle.
I stayed in Rivendell with Arwen and watched the Elves leave. The Fellowship seemed to still be staying in Lothlórien.
'As expected, being by my beautiful wife's side is the best. Much better than being stuck in the Lothlórien forest.'
Time passed, and I finally picked up the signal that the Fellowship was moving from Lothlórien. I decided to wait for a while. I had no intention of rejoining them until they passed the Argonath.
There was a reason for this. In the original story, while passing the Argonath, Boromir would fail to resist the temptation of the Ring and cause an incident. Because of this, Frodo would realize that only he could carry the Ring and would part ways with the others, moving toward Mordor with Sam. I planned to rejoin them then.
After separating from Frodo, Aragorn's party would play a vital role in supporting the war against Sauron by traveling between Rohan and Gondor. If they moved together without separating, carrying the Ring might be easier, but the strongest factions capable of standing against Mordor's armies, Gondor and Rohan, might fall one by one. Thus, their separation was both a necessity and destiny.
If I intervened now, Boromir might fear me too much to cause the incident, and the Fellowship might remain intact. Furthermore, since they didn't lose Gandalf thanks to me dealing with the Balrog, I didn't know how he would act. So, I intended to monitor the situation before rejoining.
'What if things flow differently from the original...?'
I sat outdoors in the bright sunlight, sipping tea and lost in thought. Meanwhile, Arwen approached me cautiously and spoke.
"Um... there is something I want to ask you..."
"Hmm? What is it? Is there a specific dish you've been wanting to eat?"
Then, Arwen spoke softly with a blush on her face.
"It's not that... I was wondering if the reason we haven't been able to have a child is perhaps because our races are too different."
"You wanted to have a child?"
"Yes... but if there is no way, staying like this is fine too."
Looking at Arwen's expression, it seemed she had been worrying about this for a long time.
"I see. I understand. I'll look for a way."
When I said I would look for a way, Arwen smiled brightly with joy.
"Thank you."
When I came to the world of the Ring for my recreational life, I chose the 'Go Directly' option and came in my own physical body. So, currently, I was human. If Arwen were to get pregnant as it is, the child would likely be a Half-elf. However, solving this problem wasn't difficult. Once Arwen became pregnant, I could simply use my [Unlimited Blade Works] ability to transform the baby in her womb from a Half-elf into a full Elf.
"But since when did you start worrying about this?"
"Well... since 50 years ago..."