bookbashuk Chapter 146 Joining the White Path Society
Chapter 146 Joining the White Path Society
Chapter 146 Joining the White Path Society
The turquoise and white cypress trees blossomed, their fragrance filling the entire castle.
The fragrance of mulberry blossoms is like the scent of sunshine; it makes you feel warm and cozy.
The fragrance of the Saint White Tree flowers has a cool, light scent that invigorates the spirit.
Dui's eyes lit up.
The fragrance of the sacred white tree's flowers clearly has a beneficial effect on the spirit.
If used to aid meditation, the effect will certainly be even more remarkable.
"Thank you, Lady Galadriel, thank you, Lord Elrond," Dui said to the two. "Without you, who knows how long it would have taken for these two trees to bloom."
Moreover, it was created using a magical potion, which did not damage the twin trees' essence, but it cannot compare to other trees that have grown over the years and accumulated profound foundations.
The difference between the two is like that between naturally growing herbs in the mountains and artificially cultivated herbs. Although they look about the same size, their medicinal properties are worlds apart.
Now, Galadriel and Elrond are using the power of the Elven Ring to replenish the foundation of the Two Trees.
Galadriel and Elrond accepted Duy's thanks, and then the group sat down again in the flower-scented courtyard.
Listening to the faint music and laughter coming from the castle, Dui and his companions seemed to belong to two different worlds. They sat in the quiet garden, enjoying a moment of tranquility under the moonlight and lamplight.
"Duir, what are your plans for the future?" Elrond asked.
"Plans?" Dui paused for a moment, then asked, "What suggestions do you have, Lord Elrond?"
Elrond formally stated, "Actually, we've come here to invite you to join the White Way Society. Would you be willing?"
"Join the White Way?" Dui was surprised, not expecting Elrond to make this invitation.
He then looked at Lady Galadriel beside him and saw that she had a calm expression.
"Shouldn't joining the White Way require the approval of all members?" Dui asked, somewhat puzzled. "Does Gandalf know about this?"
And what about Saruman? He's the leader of the White Way Society; shouldn't we need his approval?
"This was originally Mislandil's suggestion," Galadriel said. "He believes you have made outstanding contributions in the fight against Sauron."
"We both agree that they possess the will and ability to fight against evil."
"Gandalf, you flatter me too much!" Dui was a little embarrassed. The members of the White Way Society were all big shots in their respective fields, and wise men who had lived for millions of years.
Inviting a young man like him is giving him too much credit.
"You need not be too modest. You and I defeated Sauron in Dorgon, then subdued the dragon Smaug, and led the victory in the Battle of the Five Armies, killing two generations of Orc Kings. Such achievements are unparalleled."
The White Order was founded to fight against Sauron and his dark forces. Inviting you to join the White Order was a joint decision made by me, Elrond, and Mislandil.
Lady Galadriel gazed intently at Duy and spoke slowly.
She then stood up and stood by the pavilion, gazing at the scenery below the mountain.
"As for Saruman, he was no longer the leader of the White Way when he chose to betray the Light."
"Although he was not publicly removed from the list in order to avoid causing many complications, the fact that he has fallen into depravity is undeniable."
Hearing Galadriel's confident words, Dui couldn't help but feel curious.
"Madam, does this mean you've already found evidence of Saruman's betrayal?"
After all, he had only spoken of Saruman's fall through prophecy before, and there was no concrete evidence to prove it.
Galadriel nodded, her expression revealing disappointment and indifference.
"Mithrandir went to Eisengard to investigate. To avoid arousing Saruman's suspicion, I deliberately sent a message to Saruman to lure him away, giving Mithrandir the opportunity to enter Osankta."
"Ultimately, the Crystal of Knowledge, corrupted by Sauron's power, was discovered in his laboratory, along with the blueprints he intended to use to forge the One Ring."
So, they've already made contact with Sauron so quickly?
Dui was also very surprised.
After all, in his view, Saruman should not have been in contact with Sauron before Dogur exiled him.
They hooked up so quickly in less than a year?
"Now that it's confirmed that Saruman has fallen, what do you ladies plan to do?" Dui asked.
"We cannot arouse Saruman's suspicion until we have absolute power to control him. Osankta has been forged into an impregnable fortress by him, and it will be very difficult for outsiders to break through its defenses," Elrond said solemnly.
"Otherwise, once Saruman discovers this, he will completely side with Sauron. If he uses the geographical advantage of Isengard to block the North-South Road and forms a pincer movement with Mordor in the east, the kingdoms of Gondor and Lothar in the south will be in danger."
"So we need to stabilize Saruman first, then get the kingdoms of Gondor and Lohan ready to prevent Mordor from invading from the east. Then we'll gather the members of the White Way and attack Orsankta together to try and control him."
Galadriel, standing nearby, also showed her agreement.
Dui asked in surprise, "Then why not lure Saruman out, and then you can all gang up on him?"
"No, the last time I led him away from Eisengard, it already aroused his vigilance and suspicion." Lady Galadriel shook her head. "Duir, please don't be fooled by Saruman's wisdom. Any clue is as clear to him as a candle in the dark."
"More importantly, we are not absolutely certain that we can control him."
"So in order to avoid completely arousing his vigilance, we can only hold back for the time being and wait until he lowers his guard and defenses."
Duy was taken aback: "Lady Galadriel, even if you, Lord Elrond, and Gandalf joined forces, you couldn't control Saruman?"
"Saruman is the most powerful of all wizards, and he possesses an extremely powerful staff. If he wants to leave, we simply cannot stop him," Lady Galadriel said, shaking her head.
Well, it seems he underestimated this white-robed wizard.
But thinking about it carefully, it makes sense. As a demigod-level Maiar, it would be really strange if Saruman were so easy to deal with.
"Alright, let's get back to the main topic, Duir."
Galadriel looked at Dui and asked again.
"Are you willing to join the White Path Society and become a member of the resistance against the forces of darkness?"
Elrond awaited his reply.
Without hesitation, Dui smiled and said, "I have no reason to refuse, do I?"
The White Path Society is a secret alliance composed of the top sages of the Central Continent, and each member is a powerful and influential figure.
Dui's involvement would naturally bring many benefits, so why would he refuse?
Upon hearing Dui's answer, Galadriel's face lit up with a radiant smile, instantly eclipsing all others around her.
Elrond also looked delighted.
"Welcome to the team, Duir!"
After becoming a member of the White Way, Elrond began introducing the membership slots to Dui.
To Duy's surprise, in addition to Gandalf, Galadriel, Elrond, and Saruman, whom he already knew, the members of the White Way also included Galadriel's husband, Kael'burn, and Cildan, the lord of the Grey Harbors.
Now, with him added, they are the seventh member.
However, even after Saruman was secretly expelled, the number remained at six.
As members of the White Way, their core mission is to fight against Sauron, stop the expansion of his dark forces, and maintain peace in Middle-earth.
The advantage is that Dui can not only directly obtain various information about Middle-earth, but also gain a deeper understanding of the situation in Middle-earth.
Moreover, the library in the secluded valley is completely open to Dui, allowing him to access ancient secrets, learn various knowledge and skills, and even understand the origins of the world, the power and rules of the Valar.
After inviting Duy to join the White Way, Galadriel and Elrond did not linger in the castle, returning to Lorien and the Valley via the fireplace.
As for Alwen, Elohir, and Elladan, they all chose to stay and prepare to remain here for a while to learn magic from Dui.
The banquet lasted until midnight.
The villagers gradually returned to Hogsmeade Village at the foot of the mountain, excitedly discussing the elves' elegance and beauty, as well as the dazzling crown on their lord's head.
The dwarves were still wide awake, remaining in the hall, either drinking heavily or telling lewd jokes, which made their companions around them burst into laughter.
Mayor Lucky and the owner of the Prancing Horse Inn were led to their rooms by the butler Edward.
Dui, along with Bilbo, the three elf siblings, Legolas, and Beorn, moved into the tower.
As for Bard, worried about his children, he returned home through the fireplace after the dinner party.
The next day, the dwarves were about to leave.
Dui looked at the thousand dwarf artisans, his voice not loud but loud enough to reach everyone's ears.
"Thank you so much for building this castle for me these past few months, so I'd like to give you two gifts before I leave as a token of my gratitude."
The dwarves were somewhat surprised to hear Dui's words.
They were only ordered to build the castle, but they didn't expect Duir to give them gifts.
Just as they were peeking at each other, curious about what the gift was.
Duy waved his wand, and a thousand gold coins flew out of his pocket, jingling and bouncing on the ground as they landed in everyone's hands.
The dwarves looked at each other, staring at the gold coin in their hands.
What do you mean? Are you trying to get rid of them with a gold coin?
Before the dwarves could even suspect anything, Dui immediately explained the reason: "I have enchanted the gold coins in your hands. If anyone around you has ill intentions towards you, the gold coins will heat up as a warning."
"Consider this a small gift for you; I hope it will be useful."
The dwarves were immediately surprised upon hearing Dui's words.
They looked at the gold coins in their hands, some with doubt. Among them, the quick-thinking dwarf rolled his eyes, fixed on his companion beside him, and approached with a wicked grin.
The bald dwarf beside him suddenly hissed and exclaimed, "Oh dear, it's really getting hot!"
Then he immediately looked around warily and came face to face with his companion who was quietly approaching.
"Harper, what were you trying to do?"
The dwarf named Harper was momentarily embarrassed, then laughed and said, "It's nothing, I just wanted to pluck a few hairs from your head to see if the gold coins would work."
"But now it seems it's actually quite useful!"
The bald dwarf immediately moved away, then quickly covered the last few carefully styled strands of hair on his head to prevent them from suffering misfortune.
The other dwarves, seeing this, also brightened up and immediately began trying to play pranks on their companion.
Without exception, all of them received an early warning from the gold coins.
When Elder Balin, the dwarf, saw this scene and looked at the gold coins in his hand, he suddenly felt they were much heavier.
He thanked Duy, saying, "Duyer, this gift of yours is invaluable; it could be a lifesaver in times of danger!"
Dui smiled and waved his hand, "It's just a small gift. You've worked so hard to build this castle for me, I can't help but express my gratitude."
In fact, making these coins didn't take him much effort. It was just a matter of using alchemy, referencing the Magical Mirror (a small gadget with an early warning function) to create a gadget, and then just constantly replicating it.
He then said to the dwarves, "This second gift is a bit special, so I'll entrust it to Mr. Balin for safekeeping."
As he spoke, he took out a silver wine jug and handed it to Balin.
Bahrain was taken aback when he saw that it was a wine jug.
However, based on his previous experience with gold coins, he didn't think this wine jug would be ordinary.
So he took the wine jug and asked curiously, "Duir, what's so special about this wine jug?"
Dui didn't try to be mysterious and explained directly, "This is one of my alchemical products. Just pour water into it, and it will turn into fine wine."
Upon hearing Dui's words, Balin's eyes lit up.
He immediately looked at Dui eagerly: "Is it okay?"
Dui smiled and nodded.
Balin immediately ran to the fountain and filled a jug with water.
The next second, a rich aroma of wine wafted out of the wine pot.