bookbashuk Chapter 125 The Secret Keeper
Chapter 125 The Secret Keeper
Chapter 125 The Secret Keeper
Gandalf had already witnessed the power of the Dui Oath, which could force even the dragon Smaug to submit.
Upon hearing that there was also a contractual magic called the Loyalty Spell used to protect secrets, he immediately asked Dui to cast the spell.
The others also looked at Dui expectantly.
After all, if the One Ring could be kept secret, there would be no need to worry about Sauron finding it.
"The Charm of Loyalty requires a Secretkeeper to keep the secret of the Ring deep within the Secretkeeper's soul, as long as the Secretkeeper does not betray it."
Outsiders will not be able to know the contents of the secret. Would anyone like to be the one to keep it a secret?
Dui then asked for everyone's opinions.
The role of the confidant is crucial, but none of the people present are the type to leak secrets.
Gandalf, Galadriel, Elrond, and Celeborn are the best choices, not only because they are powerful and wise, but also because they are righteous people.
Therefore, Dui didn't care who he chose as the confidant.
However, he did not expect that the people he had chosen would exchange glances with each other in tacit understanding, and then unanimously turn their gazes to Dui.
Gandalf, in particular, spoke on behalf of the group, cheerfully saying, "We shouldn't trouble two people with one matter. None of us know much about the 'Loyalty Charm,' so Duir, you should be the confidant."
Me? Dui was also taken aback.
He never expected that the last few people would entrust him with the position of the confidant.
Although it was somewhat unexpected, Dui did not refuse; a confidant it is then.
Anyway, he wasn't worried that anyone could force him to reveal the secret.
Now that the decision had been made, Dui began the formal confidentiality ceremony.
There were eight people present: Gandalf, Elrond, Galadriel, Celeborn, Bilbo, Legolas,
Alwen, and Dui himself.
Dui had Bilbo place the Ring on the ground, and then everyone formed a circle around the Ring, placing their hands together.
He then placed his wand in everyone's hands and began chanting a spell.
As the incantation was chanted, the tip of the staff trailed a silver-gray light, which solidified upon landing, like a circle cast with moonlight, enveloping everyone within it.
"I will keep this secret in the box of my soul until the end," Dui murmured his name and vow.
As soon as he finished speaking, a point of silver light shot out from everyone within the circle of light, gathered together, and directly entered Dui's body.
Everyone instantly felt a void in their hearts, as if some secret had been taken away.
At the same time, the halo surrounding everyone instantly contracted, transforming into a thin ring that pierced into Dui's heart.
Dui felt that something had been added to his soul, and only he had the key to unlock it.
"Alright, that's enough!" Dui said, putting away his wand.
"Is that all?" Legolas asked in surprise.
"You could try telling someone else," Dui said with a smile.
Legolas opened his mouth, trying to reveal the secrets of the One Ring, but found that some kind of restriction was binding him, preventing him from saying a single secret.
Others, curious, also tried it, but like Legolas, they couldn't reveal the secret of the One Ring.
"How are you feeling, my lady?" Gandalf asked Galadriel with a smile.
Galadriel smiled brightly and nodded in praise, "A very unique and magical contract magic, it has hidden all the secrets about the One Ring in the hearts of all of us deep in Duir's soul, and I don't think I can find a way to break it."
The others were even more surprised and relieved to hear this. To receive such high praise from Lady Galadriel must mean that the One Ring was even safer.
What happened next completely reassured everyone.
When the elf Haldir came to inform everyone that they could attend the banquet, he ignored the One Ring, which was placed on the table in front of him, as if he couldn't see it.
Even when Kellerborn specifically asked him what he saw on the table, Haldir shook his head, indicating that he didn't see anything.
With the potential danger resolved, the atmosphere among the group became relaxed and pleasant.
In the time that followed, everyone finally had time to immerse themselves in the beauty of Lorien.
Here you'll find evergreen trees and grass, everlasting flowers, and golden mahogany trees.
The Maurice Tree grows only in Valinor, the western holy land, except in Lorien, and is said to be associated with the Golden Tree, one of the two sacred trees.
The Maurice tree is not only tall and beautiful, but it is also a magical tree that contains magic power. In the eyes of the Dui wand maker, it is simply the best material to make wands!
If the wand masters of the magical world were to see this entire forest of Maurice trees, they would be as happy as mice trapped in a rice jar.
Speaking of wand making, Dui has started making wands for Alvin and the others these past few days.
After all, you can only feel at ease if you pay off your debts as soon as possible.
Upon hearing that Duy was going to make a wand for Alvin, Galadriel immediately sent over a piece of Mauron core, taken from a branch of the tallest and largest Mauron tree where Galadriel and Celeborn lived.
Dui's eyes lit up as he looked at the five-meter-long tree core.
With such a long tree core, how many wands could be made?
Moreover, as the oldest Mauron tree in Lorien, this core contains immense magical power, ensuring that any wand made from it will be incredibly powerful.
Elrond gave Dui an even bigger surprise, sending him a branch of the Sacred White Tree.
According to Elrond, this branch was a piece he broke off from the first sacred white tree in the southern kingdom of Gondor.
The branches were entirely white, and it was a mystery how Elrond preserved them; they remained alive even after so long.
Dui was overjoyed to have come across two top-quality wand-making materials.
He decided that while making wands for Alvin and the others, he could also make a few more wands for himself or give to others later.
We could even consider replicating Ollivander's wand shop and making it the only wand shop in Middle-earth.
Of course, obtaining a wand made by him cannot be done simply by spending money; one must make a deal that satisfies Dui.
After all, he now receives a substantial reward for every wand he agrees to make for someone else.
This is the value of a monopoly.
Making a single wand and making a batch of wands don't actually take much time. Apart from some steps that require manual labor, the other steps can be done simultaneously.
Therefore, the creation of wands for Arwen, Elrohir, Elladan, and Legolas was carried out simultaneously.
To this end, Dui also summoned Elohir and Elladan, who were staying in the valley, to Lorien to test their compatibility with the wand wood.
For the next month, Dui was busy making their wands.
During this time, Dui also asked Elrond to heal the injured wings of the dragon Smaug.
"Of course, no problem. I'm quite curious about the dragon you tamed," Elrond readily agreed with a smile.
To avoid Smaug frightening the elves of Lorien, Duy could not bring him into the forest.
So Dui and Elrond had no choice but to go outside the forest to find Shi Yuge.
Dui handed the flying broom to Elrond to ride, while he himself transformed into Animagus and flew over.
Elrond was very interested in the unique way of flying with a broomstick. After Dui gave a simple explanation of how to fly, he quickly mastered the method and followed Dui on his broomstick.
Even in the less-than-elegant way of flying on a broomstick, Elrond is still a sight to behold, with graceful movements.
Dui could only sigh in admiration, "Elves truly deserve to be called the most perfect race in this world; they can even ride a broomstick with such elegance."
Flying over the golden forest, the two found Smaug, a giant dragon, hunting outside the forest.
Watching Smaug easily kill a bison and skillfully roast it with dragonfire.
Elrond sighed deeply:
"I was worried that your trip to Lonely Mountain would anger the dragon and cause an even greater disaster, so I have always disapproved of Gandalf's plan."
But unexpectedly, this trip to Lonely Mountain not only helped the dwarves reclaim Lonely Mountain, but also allowed you to subdue a giant dragon!
"Duir, you've made history." Elrond looked at Duir, his eyes filled with admiration.
"Dragons are dark creatures created by Morgoth. They are cunning, violent, and vicious. In ancient times, they followed Morgoth and brought misfortune and destruction. They were regarded as powerful and untamable beings."
"But Duir, you have successfully tamed a dragon, something even Sauron failed to do."
Dui shook his head: "Lord Elrond, you flatter me. I only managed to subdue the dragon by a stroke of luck, thanks to a bit of magic. The greatest feat, truly worthy of respect and admiration, is that of your father, Eyarendil, who slew the dragon Ankaragan!"
Ankaragan was the first winged dragon created by Morgoth, and also the largest dragon in history. Legend has it that it was large enough to block out the sun, and was the most powerful dragon in history.
During the War of Wrath, Morgoth's army was defeated by the Valar's forces, so he unleashed a legion of dragons led by Ankaragan in a final stand.
Ankara had just led the dragons to unleash lightning, storms, and fire, briefly driving back the Valar's army.
At the critical moment, Eyarendil, wearing the Silmaril, arrived in a spaceship and engaged in battle with the dragon Ankara. After a day and a night of fierce fighting, he finally killed it before dawn.
Ankara just fell from the sky, smashing several mountains, which is enough to show how huge it is.
The giant dragon Shi Yuge was nothing but a shrimp in front of him, not worth mentioning at all.
Hearing Dui's praise, even though he knew it was just flattery, a hint of a smile flashed in Elrond's eyes.
Elrond's life was full of hardships. When he and his twin brother Elros were young, their people were attacked and slaughtered by enemies. Their mother committed suicide by jumping into the sea with the Silmaril. The two brothers were kidnapped and raised by the enemy.
But as he grew up, Elrond chose to become an elf, while his brother Elroth chose to become a human, and he experienced the pain of losing a loved one once again.
After meeting his beloved and starting a family with twins and a young daughter, his wife Celebrian was captured by Oak and suffered greatly.
Although he was eventually rescued, he was exhausted both physically and mentally and had to travel across the ocean to Valinor to recuperate.
Even after suffering so much hardship and separation, Elrond remains resilient and strong.
Although his father Eyarndir spent very little time with him, he was deeply influenced by him and persisted in the cause of fighting evil. Back then, Dui and Elrond had just arrived at the side of the dragon Smaug.
Smaug immediately launched into a tirade, complaining that Dui was living the high life in Lorien, forgetting about him, the dragon.
This left him miserable, exposed to the wind and rain, while having to find food on his own.
Looking at Elrond's surprised yet amused expression.
Dui was momentarily embarrassed, then snapped, "Shut up! I brought Lord Elrond here to heal your wings. If you keep arguing, we're going straight back!"
Upon hearing Dui's words, Smaug's eyes lit up instantly, and he immediately shut his mouth.
He had suffered enough from not being able to fly, but ever since his wings were pierced by the spear Egolos, the wounds had been difficult to heal, and even flapping his wings was extremely painful.
Now that they hear there's a cure, they're naturally full of hope and dare not complain anymore.
Elrond, observing the dragon's interaction with Dui, chuckled and remarked, "Your dragon is quite interesting!"
"Just a stupid dragon, you've made a fool of yourself," Dui said helplessly.
Smaug was unconvinced, but after being glared at by Duy, he immediately shrank back and shut his mouth.