"Thank you very much for your help, Mr. Mike. I have already sent word of your deeds to the King by express horse. When you arrive there, you will surely be received by the Regent…"
Early the next morning, the commander, knowing that Mike was about to leave, led a group of warriors to bid farewell to Mike at the city gate.
Last night, Mike had already urgently treated the infected soldiers in the city's isolation zone.
At the same time, he also learned the name of the commander in front of him—Dúrdan.
In terms of position, the other party was the commander of the Gondor Seventh Legion, an absolute general.
And he was one with real power.
"After these two bottles of holy water are diluted, they can control the Corpse Puppet virus to a certain extent. They should be useful to you…" Before parting, Mike took out two bottles glowing with faint white light and handed them to Dúrdan.
Holy water with purification functions also had miraculous effects on the corpse puppet virus.
And the two bottles of holy water Mike gave were enough for the important town of Calembel to deal with the corpse puppets in the upcoming Orc army.
"Thank you." Dúrdan carefully put away the two bottles of holy water as if they were treasures, then shouted to the soldiers behind him: "Salute, bid farewell to our hero—"
"Dong… dong… dong…"
The rhythmic sound of shields clashing rang out, and the soldiers of the important town of Calembel gave Mike their highest respect.
"See you again—"
After Mike waved his hand, he mounted his warhorse and left with an escort team.
Yes, after learning that Mike would travel along the Gondor defense line all the way to Minas Tirith, Dúrdan temporarily formed a scout team specifically to escort him to the next important town.
It can be said that Mike, with his ability to cure plagues, was not an exaggeration to be called "God" in the hearts of the Gondor people.
He could not afford to make any mistakes.
Next, Mike was escorted by the escort team, passing through the five subsequent human strongholds.
In these military strongholds along the Gondor defense line, more or less soldiers were infected with the virus.
As Mike successively displayed his "healing" divine power, his prestige in the hearts of the Gondor soldiers grew higher and higher, and the number of escort team members protecting his safety also increased.
More than half a month later, when Mike arrived at the last important town of Gondor, Minas Tirith, he saw a welcoming team from afar.
"Welcome, Mr. Healer." The Regent, Ecthelion, in military uniform, welcomed Mike at the city gate.
Six urgent "letters of commendation" sent from the border strongholds to the White City meant that Mike's reputation had spread here even before he arrived at the capital of Gondor.
Although the title of The Healer did not sound very imposing, to the Gondor people who had suffered from the plague, this was the highest honor.
From Mike's increasing Power Of Faith gains during this period, it could be seen how popular he was in Gondor now.
Regardless of whether Ecthelion truly valued Mike's ability or was simply following the will of the Gondor people, His Excellency the Regent should have prepared a grand reception ceremony for Mike.
Thus, the scene at the city gate unfolded.
"It is an honor to meet you here, Your Excellency the Regent." Mike dismounted and greeted Ecthelion.
Ecthelion was in his prime, and every movement exuded a kingly aura.
Aside from lacking a legitimate reason, he was no different from a true King of Gondor.
Subsequently, led by Ecthelion, Mike entered the capital of Gondor, Minas Tirith.
Perhaps word had spread, as a large number of people gathered in the city to admire Mike, The Healer.
The atmosphere was so enthusiastic, even more lively than a festival.
The short two blocks took more than half an hour to walk amidst the cheers and crowds of the people.
After bidding farewell to the enthusiastic populace, Mike followed the Regent through the Triumphal Arch and entered the capital palace.
And in the huge square in front of the palace, a large group of people also gathered, most of whom were ministers of Gondor.
In addition, there were some people with special identities, either wealthy individuals from Gondor or foreign guests from other countries.
On the side of the square, Mike also saw the legendary "White Tree" that was said to have been given to Gondor by a "Goddess."
This White Tree, symbolizing the destiny of Gondor, now had fresh tender shoots growing on its withered branches.
This indicated that the destiny of Gondor was flourishing.
"Let us welcome The Healer, who has come from the North…" After entering the capital palace, Ecthelion, holding the Regent's scepter, began to read out Mike's contributions on the Gondor defense line according to the procedure.
Then, another round of warm applause followed.
"Can you show us your miraculous healing ability?" Amidst the eager gazes of the ministers, Ecthelion looked at Mike.
"Of course," Mike nodded.
As the capital of Gondor, Minas Tirith was also on the front line against Mordor.
Therefore, many soldiers here were also infected with the virus during battles.
As Mike nodded, a well-protected Regent's Royal Guard team quickly arrived at the square with a large group of soldiers in an abnormal state.
As all the ministers instinctively stepped back, Mike stepped forward and waved his hands, summoning healing power and applying it to the infected soldier formation.
Before long, the sickly pallor on these people's faces gradually disappeared, and they all eventually recovered their health.
To the ministers who were worried about the plague, this was simply a miracle.
What followed was an endless stream of praise from the ministers, this time obviously much more sincere.
"Mr. Mike, given your miraculous healing ability, I would like to invite you to serve as the Chief Medical Officer of Gondor. What do you think?" Amidst the expectant gazes of the ministers, the Regent took the opportunity to speak.
However, Mike noticed that the Regent's attitude did not seem as enthusiastic as it appeared on the surface.
There was even a hint of lingering gloom in his eyes.
That's right, this extremely capable and ambitious Regent must have also noticed the fervent expressions of the cured soldiers looking at Mike.
In this situation, he, who held absolute power, certainly did not want to see another person beloved by the soldiers appear in Gondor.
"I'm sorry, I have my own matters to attend to and will not be staying in Gondor for a long time." Mike never intended to be a physician.
Moreover, along the way, his goal of collecting Power Of Faith from Gondor had already been achieved.
"That's a pity," Ecthelion said, a smile appearing on his face, then continued: "I heard you also have a miraculous potion that cures plagues. I wonder if you could leave some for Gondor? I am willing to pay a high price for it."
Compared to having Mike stay, the Regent clearly valued the "holy water" that could cure the plague more.
"Are you talking about this?" Mike took out a small bottle of holy water and said with a smile: "As long as you can afford it, there's as much of this as you want."
Since His Excellency the ambitious Regent didn't want to talk about feelings and only wanted to talk about money, why shouldn't Mike satisfy him?
Of course, if it wasn't about feelings, Mike indicated that his holy water would be very expensive.
"Don't worry, the treasures in Gondor's treasury can satisfy anyone." It seemed that seeing Mike's "greed" made the Regent feel better, and he even made a playful remark.
Although the ministers on the side regretted that Mike did not choose to stay, with the potion that could cure the plague, their expressions indicated that they could also accept it.
After all, it was just some money, and every one of them could afford it.
"What a pity. I heard that Mr. Healer's combat power is also quite impressive. He has eliminated at least several thousand Orcs and many Corpse Puppets along the Gondor defense line. If he were to help, your Gondor might have a chance to counterattack Mordor…"
At this moment, a child of only five or six years old in the crowd was discussing with a slightly older child next to him.
"King Théoden, you're wrong. That greedy The Healer is not the help we Gondor needs. And I believe that without outsiders, our Gondor will one day also have the ability to counterattack Mordor…"
The older child, who looked very much like Ecthelion and already had a kingly demeanor, retorted: "In short, it is The Healer's loss for not joining Gondor because of money."
Yes, the two children who could appear here were not of simple origins. One of them was indeed Denethor, the son of the Regent of Gondor.
Compared to his father, who dared not overstep royal authority, this half-grown boy was more ambitious for power.
As for the other child, he was King Théoden, the son of King Fengel of Rohan.
At this time, he and his father were living as guests in a neighboring country. Although there was no immediate danger to their lives, the treatment they received was naturally not good.
"Perhaps you're right, but I don't think Mr. Healer is a greedy person…" Long-term guest living made King Théoden feel more sensitive.
However, when he saw that Denethor did not want to hear these things, King Théoden wisely shut his mouth and said no more.
Subsequently, in the square, after Ecthelion and a group of Gondor ministers generously brought out a row of boxed treasures and bought more than a dozen bottles of holy water from Mike, the grand reception ceremony finally came to an end.
Next, it was the banquet.
This time, Regent Ecthelion also stopped pretending. After a few more casual words with Mike, he hurriedly left the banquet hall.
It was unclear whether he truly had state affairs to attend to or if he wanted to show his displeasure with Mike.
In any case, after he left, the Gondor ministers in the banquet hall were no longer as enthusiastic towards Mike as before.
Everyone seemed to be "smart people."
"Please don't mind it. Ecthelion is not intentionally targeting you, but he is wary of all those with mysterious powers…" Taking advantage of the moment when no one was around Mike, King Fengel of Rohan, Thengel, approached him.
Thengel was very eager to build a good relationship with Mike, this mysterious The Healer from the North, so he continued to reveal: "You've heard of the White Wizard, right? He originally lived in Eisengard in Gondor and was a very capable and learned person."
"I even think he should also be able to deal with the virus…"
"It's just a pity that because of Ecthelion's apprehension, he was forced out of Gondor not long ago."
Eisengard was located on the northwestern border of Gondor. Although it was not a border stronghold, its geographical location was very important. It was a fortress that affected the stability of Gondor's northwestern border and the Kalennason Plain.
Just as the Brown Wizard was stationed in Rhosgobel, the White Wizard Saruman had also always been stationed in the Eisengard fortress, protecting large areas of Gondor from the erosion of dark forces.
However, as a wizard, the stronger his abilities, the more suspicion he incurred from Regent Ecthelion.
The two finally parted ways not long ago.
"As expected, Saruman's poker face is unwelcome everywhere he goes." Mike had some opinions on Ecthelion's overbearing desire for power, but that didn't stop him from enjoying the White Wizard's misfortune.
Indeed, happiness is always relative.
Thengel didn't know why Mr. "The Healer" suddenly smiled happily, so he also chuckled twice and said, "Of course, no matter what, everything you have done for the Gondor defense line deserves respect. Please allow me to express my highest respect to you on behalf of all the people within the Gondor defense line."
After speaking, to the astonishment of others, this Rohan prince bowed with the highest courtesy and offered three toasts to Mike.
"Don't worry, Ecthelion doesn't represent Gondor, so I don't care about his attitude. And my ambition isn't here…" Mike accepted Thengel's drink and briefly expressed his thoughts.
Then he looked at the other party and asked, "Tell me, what is your purpose in 'flattering' me like this?"
Mike could feel that this Rohan prince's enthusiasm for him was different from others.
As for the purpose, Mike had a rough guess: it was nothing more than saving Rohan or something.
"I am not deliberately flattering you, but out of respect for a human hero…" Thengel's attitude became even more respectful. When he saw Mike's half-smile, he steeled himself and said, "I want to invite you to return to Rohan with me to help that kingdom ravaged by dark forces."
"You're so confident I can help you?" Mike asked.
"Yes, I have heard of your feat of killing thousands of Orcs along the way from the Gondor defense line. So I firmly believe that you can help me return to Rohan." Well, the current Rohan King's incompetent behavior finally made Thengel have the idea of "righteousness over family."
Moreover, given how King Fengel had ruined Rohan, when Prince Thengel returned to Edoras, it was uncertain who the people would support.
"Alright, I'm passing through Rohan anyway, so I'll just help you out." Mike agreed to Thengel's request.
"Really? That's great, Rohan is finally saved." Thengel was overjoyed and called his son, Théoden, over.
He looked as if he was about to make his son acknowledge Mike as his godfather.
And after hearing the good news from his father, young Théoden's gaze towards Mike was also full of gratitude.
It could be seen that this descendant of the Rohan royal family had been raised to be very grateful since childhood.
Three days later, at the intentional instigation of Regent Ecthelion, Mike and Thengel and his son boarded a large ship and headed towards Rohan along the Anduin River.
Not to mention, although Ecthelion was overbearing, he was still a decent person. After knowing Thengel's purpose for returning to Rohan, he even specially sent him three hundred elite soldiers as support.
Because they were going downstream, Mike and Thengel and his son's journey was very smooth, and it only took them a week to reach the area of Dimrill Dale and Harrowdale in the southwest of Rohan.
The water here was calm, making it a good place to land.
"What is that White Mountains over there called?" After stepping ashore, Mike noticed a very unique aura in the White Mountains not far away.
It was somewhere between an evil spirit and a dark creature.
"That place is called White Mountains, but legend has it that a group of ghosts from Gondor lived in those mountains a long time ago. Local residents also often mention that whenever night falls, the sighs of ghosts can be heard from those mountains…"
Thengel explained, "Of course, the legend of ghosts is not credible. And no one has ever truly seen them, so no one bothers to delve into the matter of ghosts."
Ghosts are indeed terrifying, but if no one has seen them and no one has been harmed by them, then this ghost legend will at most become idle chatter for local residents to tell their children after meals.
Thengel must have heard the ghost legend of the White Mountains, but he obviously didn't take it much to heart.
"It's getting late. Let's rest here tonight. I'll also go to those mountains to see what's going on with the ghosts." Mike gave the order.
"Then go early and come back early." Thengel looked at Mike, who was preparing to explore alone, and casually reminded him.
Although it was called the White Mountains, its actual area was not large. If he went quickly and circled around, he might even make it back for dinner.
Moreover, the team had already arrived in Rohan, and Thengel needed to plan his trip to Edoras, so he had no time to worry about ghosts.
Mike, following that special aura, quickly entered a canyon in the White Mountains.
Before him was an area of scattered rocks, and further ahead was a small lake. The entire area could almost be seen at a glance.
The dim light of the evening added a sense of gloom to the place.
"I know you're here, won't you come out and meet?" Mike stood by the lake and shouted at the empty surface of the lake.
But after waiting for a long time, the lake remained calm, and nothing happened.
"Do you want me to invite you out?" Mike, losing patience, condensed a ball of holy light in his hand.
This thing had a special attack effect on ghosts and other dark creatures.
"Who are you, and what do you want from us?" A skeleton wearing a crown and emitting a ghastly green light appeared.
Its expressionless skull face made it look incredibly terrifying.
Immediately after, many skeleton soldiers glowing green emerged behind him.
The gathering of green light also dyed this canyon a ghastly green.
"Are you the deserters who fled when Isildur fought the Dark Lord back then?" Mike looked with interest at the dense army of ghost skeletons before him.
Although he was asking, he already had the answer in his heart.
This group of ghost soldiers should be the army that later helped Aragorn restore his kingdom.
Because they were afraid back then, they violated Isildur's oath, and thus were cursed to become immortal, never to enter reincarnation, and remain lonely souls.
To gain liberation, they needed to fulfill the oath they made back then to resist the Dark Lord.
"Human, state your purpose. Did you come here just to humiliate us?" This skeleton leader looked terrifying, but his personality was unexpectedly peaceful.
However, the skeleton soldiers behind him, hearing the words "deserters," roared as if in an instinctive reaction.
It was as if they were ready to pounce and bite Mike at any moment.
"Bluster." Mike casually flicked a ball of light into the pile of ghosts, and immediately, the screams of ghosts erupted.
At the same time, their gazes towards Mike were finally filled with fear.
Originally, this ghost army, besides being unable to leave this valley, almost possessed immortal spiritual bodies and naturally would not be injured.
Now, they were injured by a ball of light casually flicked by a human, how could they not be afraid?
"Quiet, everyone!" Due to the threat of the holy light, the skeleton leader also restrained his subordinates and gave Mike the respect he deserved.
"Although you're cowardly, considering that you have not done evil for so many years, I came here this time to try and see if I can grant you liberation without triggering the oath." Mike stated his intention.
The era of Isildur had passed for more than a thousand years, which meant that this group of ghosts had also existed for more than a thousand years.
For such a long time, possessing immortal bodies, they had never done evil, which was truly rare.
It could be said that, except for being cowardly and afraid of death when facing the Dark Lord back then, this ghost army could be called "perfect."
Of course, this doesn't mean they were without fault, after all, why be a soldier if you're afraid of death?
"Can you really make us free?" A hint of longing appeared on the skeleton leader's face.
For the skeleton army, living indefinitely without any sensation had become the ultimate torment.
Even death was a luxury.
"Don't get excited, I'm just trying. Even if I can truly grant you liberation, I won't do it for free." Mike naturally had his own selfish motives.
The ghost army was a surprise force against the dark forces in the future. With their immortal characteristics, their combat power was self-evident.
Mike just wanted to see if he could bypass Isildur's oath and prematurely bring this fighting force under his command.
At that time, there would be more room for maneuver.
Think about it, with thousands of "Ringwraiths" at hand, who in Middle-earth would dare to disobey?
Even the Dark Lord would have to take a couple of slaps before he could leave.
"Of course, as a bargaining chip for equivalent exchange, if you can truly grant us liberation, I am willing to lead all my subordinates to serve you for a hundred years." The skeleton leader made a promise.
This was due to the information gap; the ghosts did not know that Isildur's oath from back then still had a chance to be fulfilled.
So, in their view, after a thousand years, they finally encountered an opportunity that might allow the ghosts to be liberated, so they were naturally willing to exchange it for a hundred years.
"Very good, who wants to be the guinea pig?" Mike asked.
"Let me do it!" The skeleton leader looked around and was about to step forward.
"You can't. If you're gone, who will help me command the ghost army?" Mike shook his head, signaling for another ghost.
Then, a ghost without even a weapon was put forward.
Then a flash of white light passed, and the ghost instantly disappeared from its original spot. But before the ghosts could rejoice, the vanished ghost reappeared as a green light.
Indeed, things that appeared due to rules were not so easily broken.
Unless Mike's ability could surpass the "Creator God" Ilúvatar of Middle-earth.
The last time he failed to kill the Ringwraith Witch-king of Angmar by brute force, the situation was similar to this.
"Sorry, it seems you won't have the chance to be my subordinates." Mike, unable to grant the ghosts liberation, shook his head slightly.
Compared to the disheartened ghost army, he wasn't too disappointed.
After all, with Mike's strength, he was already unrestrained in Middle-earth, and the absence of this ghost army wouldn't have much impact.
"See you again, ghosts." Mike, unable to subdue the ghost army, turned and walked out of the canyon, then casually said, "Oh, by the way, I have good news for you. The Dark Lord Sauron has been resurrected again, so you might still have a chance to fulfill your oath from back then."
Forget it, Aragorn gets the benefit.