Chapter 210: Afterword

When all the troops, under the gaze of that Eye of Sauron, left the now-settled Ithilien and returned to the White City via Cair Andros, the news of victory had already spread throughout the entire kingdom of Gondor.

Whether it was the majestic and spectacular Minas Tirith, or the bustling and lively Pelargir.

In every town that possessed a tavern, bards were composing all sorts of ballads for this great victory.

And the content of these songs was nothing but praise for the generals who devised strategies, and the brave and fearless warriors.

Telling stories of how they fought against the evil and vicious enemy, thereby safeguarding the peace of the kingdom.

It is believed that as time passes, the outstanding figures appearing in these ballads will inevitably become famous throughout Middle-earth as people sing of them.

Lindir, who missed his homeland, led the Elves of Lindon to rest in the White City for only one day before returning to Eriador along the North-South Road.

However, before leaving, he still extended an invitation to Allen, hoping that the King of Rhovanion would visit Rivendell when he had the time.

There, the Elves would treat their honored guest well.

Legolas, who had been defending the Morgul Vale, did indeed have a skirmish with a reinforcement force from Mordor.

That dark-skinned people actually led several massive giant elephants.

But the Elves' incomparably excellent archery skills quickly took down the beasts driven by the enemy.

And those southerners who were preparing to support Mordor were swiftly routed by the coalition of Dwarves and Humans.

At the banquet held in Gondor, Legolas told Allen that he intended to visit Lindon and hoped that Allen could take his kin back to his father's side on the way.

In fact, the Prince, who was considered young among the Elves, planned to travel in Eriador for a period of time and did not intend to return to Mirkwood.

Whether it was Cirdan of the Grey Havens or Lindir of Rivendell, both had extended invitations to this young Elf.

But before that, Legolas also planned to make a trip to Belfalas to see its main city, Dol Amroth.

After all, there were legends of the Elves there, as it was the former residence of Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn.

And Aragorn would become his companion.

The young chieftain ultimately abandoned the idea of revealing his identity in Gondor, perhaps because the words Allen had spoken to him had taken effect, making him prepare to travel throughout the kingdom of Gondor to understand how this ancient nation operated.

Or perhaps it was because the House of Hurin, which had been in power for so long, had a reputation in Gondor that was at its zenith, making Aragorn feel that this was not a very good opportunity.

In short, that reforged Narsil did not get a chance to be unsheathed, but was instead taken back to Rivendell by Lindir, along with the news that Aragorn would not be returning in the short term.

And Allen, upon learning of this, always felt that starting to travel now was truly a bit too early for Aragorn, who was only fifteen years old.

But the stubborn youth insisted repeatedly, and looking at those clear and resilient eyes, Allen did not continue to dissuade him.

As the heir of Isildur, Aragorn's path was one he had to walk himself, not to mention that he was accompanied by experts like Legolas and Gandalf, so there should be no problem with safety on the road.

Gandalf, this lovable old man, had not stopped smiling since leaving the Black Gate, and the joy in his heart was not hidden in the slightest.

In fact, the Grey Wizard's original plan was to return to the Shire from there; although many factions in Middle-earth welcomed this old man as a guest, Gandalf was most comfortable living in the Shire, and he could also visit his old friend, Bilbo Baggins, who lived at Bag End.

Additionally, the Ring of Power in Bilbo's possession, whether it belonged to Humans or Dwarves, required a certain degree of supervision to prevent it from harming the kind and peace-loving Hobbits.

However, upon hearing about Aragorn's affairs, Gandalf decided to travel with this young man, perhaps hoping to forge a deep friendship while protecting him.

In the process of resisting evil, the direct descendant of Elendil was a force that could not be ignored, not to mention that Gandalf also needed the help of the Northern Rangers so that they could pay more attention to the Shire.

Because the Great Enemy would never give up the chance to reclaim the Ring, and without the protection of the Rangers, that rich and peaceful land would soon suffer the ravages of evil, and Gandalf could not stay there for long.

Among those heading south with Allen, only Fili was a well-behaved child who decided to return to the North with Allen.

This once somewhat melancholic heir to the throne now had a glow of incomparable confidence on his face.

War always makes a person grow up quickly, and fortunately, Fili had found his own path.

Allen did not stay in Minas Tirith for too long, but he attended the handover ceremony of the Steward of Gondor and personally witnessed Turgon handing the white staff, which represented the power of the Steward, to his son Ecthelion II.

The oath, "In the name of the King, hold this staff and rule the kingdom until the King returns," echoed in the throne room of the White City, while Aragorn, who had not yet departed, watched all of this with a blank expression, his serious gaze truly thought-provoking.

Allen saw all of this, so when he left the White City and prepared to part ways with Aragorn, he called out to his student.

"Estel, we are about to part, and you are also about to embark on your own journey, so I will keep it brief: if you truly want to rebuild the kingdom of Arnor, you do not necessarily have to obtain the throne of Gondor first."

Allen carefully organized the words in his mind, and after a brief pause, he continued.

"Think about it, Gondor has not had a king for over a thousand years; although many people say they are waiting for the return of the King, they are waiting for a King, not the chieftain of some wanderers."

"Perhaps, now that the dark power is so weak, it is the moment for you to reveal your identity and gain fame in Eriador. As long as you are wise enough to lead the people to a stable and prosperous life, the title of King will inevitably be crowned upon you."

Looking at the shock gradually appearing on Aragorn's face, Allen shook his head, feeling that this young man was a bit stubborn, but he had not finished speaking.

"Aragorn, you are the descendant of Elendil, the descendant of the line of Ondoher's grandson. In all of Middle-earth, no one is more suitable to be the King of Gondor than you, but to gain the recognition of the majority, this inevitably requires the witness of time and the support of strength."

"If you can first possess the title of King and let your name spread throughout Middle-earth, then naturally there will be people who support you to become King. For example, the House of Dol Amroth, which is related to your ancestors—I think the House of Hurin, which has always prided itself on loyalty, would not start a civil war just because the King is returning to his throne."

Having said this, Allen patted Aragorn on the shoulder.

"If you need anything, come to Wilderness Town to find me—no, I plan to rename it Fislate. By then, I will provide you with help. Although the strength of Rhovanion cannot compare to Gondor, believe me, you will definitely gain a lot."

Although Aragorn was very young at this time, the excellent education he had received all along allowed him to quickly compose himself.

Although there were many doubts that needed to be resolved, Aragorn still asked that most critical and most awkward question.

"Then, Lord Allen, why would you help me like this? And what can you gain from it?"

Aragorn felt a bit ashamed saying this, because it was doubting a learned elder and a wise monarch, but he really wanted to know this.

Hearing this, Allen laughed out loud, the laughter even attracting the attention of Gandalf and Legolas; although the distance between them was very far, the hearing of Elves and Wizards was excellent.

"Of course I will gain a lot. Think about it: I will gain a student who becomes a great monarch—how proud that is! At the same time, I will gain a powerful ally who can help me resist dark forces in times of crisis—how reassuring that is! Finally, and most importantly, perhaps in this era, we can possess the strength and opportunity to defeat the enemy, then end this turbulent age and let Middle-earth have a very long period of peace."

Allen truly thought so; in this current era, one could no longer continue to count on the help of the Elves.

Allen had always had the opportunity to defeat Sauron, because he knew where the Ring that could decide the life and death of the enemy was; it could be said that he had already grasped the initiative.

But the biggest problem at present was that Allen lacked sufficient strength.

In fact, after winning the battle before the Black Gate, Allen had considered whether to invite Bilbo Baggins to Mordor for a visit; if they rode fast, or even invited the help of the Eagle King, this speed would actually be very fast.

It was just that after thinking for a long time, Allen gave up this idea; it was too risky, and one careless move would hand that powerful force over to Sauron.

However, to successfully reach Mount Doom, Allen still needed more allies, so supporting the descendants of Arnor as early as possible was also an option.

In fact, besides Bree and the Shire, there were other places in Eriador where quite a few Humans lived.

For example, the wild fishermen roaming the Enedwaith region, and the Dunlendings who had always lived in the southern part of Dunland; these were all forces that could be united.

In the past, these people lived like scattered sand, playing almost no role in resisting the darkness.

If in the years to come, there could be a highly capable monarch to unite them, it would inevitably become a force that could not be ignored.

Allen's reach could not possibly extend that far, but Aragorn could; this young man could be said to have unique advantages, with both background and powerful backing.

If things were to follow the original trajectory, the biggest problem facing Aragorn would likely be poverty, lacking the food and money to complete his initial accumulation, but Allen had these supplies.

Now, not only did mountains of gold and silver lie in the treasury of Wilderness Town, but a gold mine also remained unmined in Orc Town.

What purpose would this money serve just lying there? Allen would not use gold to issue credit currency, so spending it to gain a powerful and loyal ally was a win-win situation.

Therefore, after his laughter, Allen used his true thoughts to resolve Aragorn's doubts, then bid farewell to the young Dúnedain chieftain and led his men away from the White City.

However, before leaving, Allen gifted some jewelry and gold and silver to Gandalf and Legolas; no one knew how long they would travel, and having more money on them would allow for a better life in human society.

In any case, the Steward of Gondor, in gratitude for the support of the three northern kingdoms, had gifted a large amount of wealth and armor to Allen, and how to dispose of it was Allen's own business.

At the same time, the rulers of the two kingdoms of Rhovanion and Gondor had also settled many matters regarding commerce; if possible, the Anduin River would soon become prosperous.

Of course, this also required the consent of Sengel.

Because most merchants needed to travel past the Rauros Falls before they could continue to use ships to sail north, which was Rohan's territory, this matter could not bypass the Rohirrim.

Upon learning of this, Sengel stated that he would build a port town there to protect the safety of the surrounding lands.

Of course, good relations were one thing, but taxes still had to be collected.

For this reason, Allen led his troops to stay in Edoras for a period of time and met with Fengel.

And when autumn arrived, Allen took his troops and left the beautiful Edoras, setting foot on the road back home.

Sengel, as the Prince of Rohan, together with Eoloth, led a high-spirited Eored and escorted Allen to the ford of the Limlight.

Further ahead was the Field of Celebrant, which belonged to the territory of the Golden Wood; without the permission of Lady Galadriel, the cavalry belonging to Rohan would not step across this river.

And Allen was prepared to lead his troops through Lothlorien to return to his own territory.

If possible, Allen did not want to pass by Dol Guldur, which had been occupied by Orcs again; who knew if Sauron had dispatched his servants to wait for him with some "surprises" that were hard to accept.

With the cautionary tale of Isildur, no matter how urgent the desire to go home was, Allen felt it was better to be a little careful.

When the large fields of mature crops were harvested by the diligent farmers and processed back into the warehouses, the garrison of Wilderness Town saw the king returning from his expedition from afar.

That Crown Three-Star Flag was spotted by the scouts of Carrock from a great distance.

At this time, more than half a year had passed since Allen left Wilderness Town; in fact, before setting out, Allen had not thought he could return so quickly, as he had been prepared to spend several years in Gondor.

Because according to his original plan to end this war, just fighting the pirates who came ashore to plunder along the coastal regions of Belfalas and Lebennin would have taken an unknown amount of time.

However, the combat effectiveness of the Elves was truly too powerful, and Cirdan's influence was also very effective; there was actually a Maia who could command the ocean helping the Elven fleet in the shadows, quickly finishing off the Umbar Pirates.

After that, everything regarding the war seemed to have entered a high-speed track, ending in just half a year.

Of course, Allen's quick return brought great joy and surprise to Yamila, who had remained in Wilderness Town.

If possible, who would want to let their beloved leave their side and go to a battlefield thousands of miles away?

Allen was back, and her fearful heart was finally at peace.

As for the intimacy after nightfall, there is naturally no need to describe it in too much detail.

After a brief rest, the Dúnedain from Eriador were the first to leave; they took the gifts Allen had shared with them, crossed the ford near Carrock, and headed toward the High Pass.

Before the Dúnedain left, Allen left behind the Elven armor and Elven Longbows that had been previously distributed to them.

However, he distributed a large amount of gold and silver to the Rangers; in the Shire, gold and silver had extremely high purchasing power, which could help the Dúnedain escape some of their plight and give them more choices in their future lives.

Besides this, Allen also left a portion of the iron armor to this Ranger unit, totaling four hundred sets.

If Aragorn truly listened to his advice and revealed his identity in Eriador, then this armor could arm his people, allowing this nascent force to successfully withstand the first wave of attacks that might come from the dark forces.

At the same time, Allen also let all the Northern Rangers take the horses that had been with them day and night; this was considered a small reward for everyone's hard fighting until now.

In any case, Allen was a king; people had followed him from the north to the south, with over a hundred casualties, so rewarding each person with a horse was not an excessive thing to do.

After all, on the vast grasslands in the east of Rhovanion, there was already a herd of horses belonging to Allen, and he believed that it would not take long for this loss to be replenished.

After the Dúnedain left, the Elves of the Woodland Realm and the Dwarves of the Kingdom of Erebor also left Wilderness Town with the spoils of war that Allen had distributed.

After they returned to their own homes, there were naturally those who were happy and those who were sad.

At this time, the King of Erebor, Thorin II, was filled with gratification and joy; his heir had grown quite a bit and had already revealed the potential to become a great king.

In any case, it was more reassuring than a Dwarf who had already married an Elf; although the relationship between Erebor and Mirkwood had returned to its former harmony, the union of a Dwarf and an Elf was truly the first time it had happened.

And the ruler of the Woodland Realm, the handsome shut-in Thranduil, upon hearing the report from his subordinates, was filled with melancholy; his son had grown up and had become a full-fledged eagle, able to choose the sky he wanted to fly in for himself.

It was just that the King of Mirkwood had completely become a lonely man, his long sighs echoing in the palace from time to time.

Perhaps only the delicious Wine at the banquet could soothe a father's longing for his son.

(End of this volume)