Chapter 137: Saruman's Performance

The next morning, after a brief opening statement, the meeting moved to the main topic; Saruman, dressed in a long, pure white robe, shone brilliantly under the sunlight.

"Everyone, we all know that the vast majority of the enemy's power comes from that one weapon forged in Mount Doom. For these years, we have been searching for matters related to it. Now, the Three Rings of the Elves, forged solely by Keleborn, have gathered in this small hall at this very moment."

His resonant, powerful voice echoed in the meeting room. As Saruman spoke of his understanding of this past, he turned to look around at the members of the White Council present, especially Gandalf, who was wearing Narya.

Although nearly two thousand years had passed, Saruman still could not fathom why the ruler of the Lindon Elves, the Lord of the Grey Havens, Cirdan the Shipwright, was unwilling to gift that Ring of Fire to him, but instead gave it to Gandalf, whom he had always looked down upon. One had to know that he was the first Wizard to arrive in Middle-earth, and he had come of his own volition.

And what of Gandalf, who had obtained the Ring? Before setting out, Saruman had heard that he feared Sauron's might and was unwilling to participate in this mission, only to be finally ordered to Middle-earth by the great Manwe himself. That such a person had obtained the reward he dreamed of, and was recognized for his abilities by the Star Queen Varda—to Saruman, this was simply too unfair.

These two points alone caused the proud White Wizard to harbor a prejudice against his colleague Gandalf that had lasted for nearly two thousand years, a prejudice filled with jealousy and hatred.

"According to my research, the three rings—Narya, Nenya, and Vilya—were never touched by Sauron and were minimally influenced. That is why, after Sauron was severely wounded, they were able to exert their power over these past three thousand years. The other sixteen Rings of Power, however, are different; they were forged with Sauron's own hand and are deeply influenced by darkness."

Saruman paused here, checking the expressions of those around him. This was the first time he had detailed the results of his years of research on the Rings of Power at a White Council meeting.

At this moment, Elrond, sitting to the side, nodded and took over from Saruman. His expression was somewhat solemn, and his gaze drifted, as if he were recalling events from long ago.

"After Eregion was breached by Sauron, I led a portion of the Elves who escaped the blockade to establish Imladris. They brought out some documents indicating that a person named Annatar, who called himself the Lord of Gifts, colluded with the craftsmen of the Jewel-smiths Guild to forge sixteen rings and left behind the craft of forging Rings of Power. Of course, we know what happened afterward: Annatar was that very person. He single-handedly orchestrated the destruction of Eregion and even besieged Imladris."

As he spoke, Elrond looked at the Vilya worn on his hand and continued: "The documents indicate that there were indeed three rings forged solely by Master Keleborn, and they have helped us greatly in the process of resisting the darkness."

At the same time, Lady Galadriel also looked at the Nenya on her hand. This ring had been personally delivered to Lothlorien and placed in her hand by Keleborn in the year 1600 of the Second Age. At the time, because Sauron held the One Ring, it had never been used. However, in the Third Age, after Sauron suffered a grievous wound, it did indeed help the Elves of Lothlorien obtain a more beautiful and secure living environment.

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Yet, having worn it for so long, Lady Galadriel had limited knowledge of the history of the Nenya on her hand. She only knew that the ring was forged by Keleborn; as for the rest, she knew little, because ever since Annatar arrived in Eregion, the craftsmen of the Jewel-smiths Guild had been dissatisfied with her and her husband's rule and were unwilling to reveal anything about their craft to them.

Because she did not wish to start useless strife among her kin, she and Celeborn soon left Eregion with a portion of their people and settled in Lothlorien. By the time they had contact with Eregion again, it was already when they were locked in battle with the armies led by Sauron.

Most information from this era was passed down through records or word-of-mouth. Since she had not spent much energy exploring these things, Lady Galadriel's knowledge of this middle period was not particularly detailed.

After receiving corroboration from Elrond, Saruman took back the floor.

"Since coming to Middle-earth, I have been studying the source of the enemy's power, even going so far as to spend a thousand years entering the enemy's stronghold to investigate. In fact, those Ringwraiths known as the 'Nazgul' began their activities long ago. Their power stems from one of the sixteen rings they once obtained, and their goal has always been to search for that ring belonging to their master—the one known as the One Ring."

Saying this, the white-robed Saruman fixed his gaze on Allen, his expression softening. His voice also became low and pleasant at this moment, as if he were speaking specifically for Allen to hear.

"Over these years, I have spent a great deal of time researching and discovered that these rings, which Sauron helped forge, are actually connected. Long ago, I hoped to obtain one of these rings to help me deepen my research into the enemy, yet I have never been able to fulfill that wish."

As Saruman spoke, he approached Allen's position. Allen, who was sitting quietly in his chair, suddenly felt extremely exhausted, as if the four hours of good sleep he had last night were merely an illusion. The Qi in his body was dissipating rapidly in the confrontation, his mind became somewhat unclear due to fatigue, and his body involuntarily wanted to slide from the wooden chair to the floor.

"The seven rings that once belonged to the Dwarves have been destroyed one after another by the dragons entrenched in the North over these years, and three of them have already been taken back by the enemy. I once found the Dwarf King in Dunland and hoped they would lend me that 'Thror's Ring' to help with my research, but unfortunately, Thrain refused my proposal. I must say, the character of the Dwarves is truly too stubborn, and this stubbornness led to 'Thror's Ring' being taken back by the enemy. Now, the difficulty of obtaining it is simply too high."

Saruman, who was speaking, was already about to reach Allen's side. His neatly groomed face seemed full of benevolence, but Allen felt he had reached his limit. The Qi in his body had begun to flicker intermittently. In such a situation, the physically and mentally exhausted Allen could only barely maintain a somewhat decent posture in his seat; he could do nothing else, having even lost the strength to speak.

Gandalf, sitting next to Allen, snapped out of the information shared by Saruman. Much of this was unknown to him. As a Grey Wizard, Gandalf had indeed traveled to many places over the years, but his main energy had been spent on interacting with others; he had not set aside much energy to study these rings, and he never went to the East.

At this moment, the recovered Gandalf finally noticed Allen's abnormality. The face of his young friend, exposed from beneath the helmet, was covered in sweat, as if he were enduring immense pressure. Gandalf was startled, frowned at the nearby Saruman, and then gently patted Allen on the shoulder with his left hand, which wore Narya.

Narya, known as the Ring of Fire, was set with a large red gemstone. Under this light pat, the gemstone emitted a trace of fiery red light. Allen, who had been crushed by exhaustion until he couldn't breathe, suddenly felt an indescribable sense of relief. Saruman, realizing his power had been broken by Gandalf, looked at Gandalf with ill intent. Gandalf, however, smiled and nodded at Saruman, while shaking his head, as if telling the White Wizard before him that this matter should end here.

Realizing he could gain no advantage and unwilling to have his actions widely publicized by Gandalf, Saruman stopped his steps and continued to speak using his magic-filled voice.

"Not long ago, Radagast brought me some very good news. Our dear young human friend actually eliminated a Nazgul in a battle and also obtained a remarkable trophy from the enemy. Oh, may I see this trophy?"

Having recovered, Allen naturally knew that everything he had encountered was the work of this seemingly benevolent old man. That sense of powerlessness made Allen feel once again the gap between himself and these big shots, and the look he cast at Saruman naturally carried a hint of sharpness.

"Indeed, I did obtain a ring from the enemy. It is a sapphire ring with a gold body that can grant one the ability to turn invisible. However, I do not know what this ring can bring to you all. Is it very important?"

Allen knew that what he had on his hand was merely a ring that once belonged to a human, not the One Ring that contained most of Sauron's power. He did not know why Saruman was so intent on obtaining this ring, even going so far as to convene this meeting. One had to know that Allen's original plan was to pass this ring off as the One Ring to lure Saruman.

If it were a few years earlier, Saruman would certainly not have valued this ring, because at that time he had not yet truly witnessed Sauron's might; the impression left on the White Wizard by that great battle at Dol Guldur was simply too profound.

If it were a few decades later, Saruman would not have valued this ring either, because relying on his abilities and the subsequent data he obtained, he would have been able to forge Rings of Power himself and call himself the "Ring-maker," even when he imprisoned Gandalf, he did not forcibly take Narya from him.

But it just so happened that at this moment, Saruman's research on the Rings of Power was at a critical juncture. If he had an authentic piece to analyze, he didn't know how much time it would save him. Moreover, at this moment, Saruman's pursuit of power, stimulated by Sauron, had reached an unprecedented height. After all, they were both Maiar serving Aule; there was no reason Sauron could do it and he could not. One had to know that Saruman's volunteering to come to Middle-earth also contained a hint of unwillingness to submit to Sauron.

But faced with Allen's question, these truths naturally could not be spoken.

"Oh, what a studious young friend. Very well, let me explain."

As he spoke, Saruman left Allen's side, returned to the center of the venue, and began his performance.

"I mentioned just now that after long research, I discovered there is a connection between these rings. If I had one of them, it would be very possible to deduce the whereabouts of the One Ring. I had always believed that the ring had been carried away to the sea by the currents of the Anduin River, but the enemy's movements in recent years tell us that this deduction is likely wrong. The ring is likely still in the Anduin River. We must find that ring before the enemy does. Therefore, young friend, I hope you can contribute the ring you obtained from the Nazgul for the sake of the greater good."

Allen would not believe a single word of Saruman's speech. If one could really rely on other rings to find the One Ring, would Sauron still be waiting for you to find it? He would have obtained his treasure as he wished thousands of years ago.

Naturally, Allen was not the only one with the same doubt. Gandalf stood up at this moment and voiced his question: "If one could really find that weapon through other rings, why has the enemy, who already possesses twelve rings, gained nothing over these years?"

Saruman knew that what he said could not withstand deep scrutiny, but seeing that it was Gandalf asking, his mood immediately turned extremely foul, and his words lacked a bit of consideration.

"What do you think the enemy has been hiding in Dol Guldur for hundreds of years for? What do you think the enemy is using to search for his treasure? Do you think you are the only one who knows the enemy has possessed twelve rings since long ago? Do not use your brain, which is already filled with pipe-weed, to speculate on my thoughts; it is very laughable."

The barrage of attacks made Gandalf feel somewhat embarrassed, but he was used to it; this was not the first time he had been lectured by Saruman in front of others. But soon, Gandalf reacted.

"My colleague seems to have known long ago that the enemy was entrenched in Dol Guldur, but he seems to have never revealed any information in this regard to us. Why is that?"

Gandalf, vaguely thinking of something, fell into deep thought, while Saruman believed that Gandalf had been rendered speechless by his verbal attack, a slight smile appearing on his face as he turned his gaze back to Allen.

Allen, knowing he could no longer get more information from Saruman, had long been prepared to return it.

"The ring, I can contribute it, but I also need the wise Lord Saruman to do me a small favor."