Chapter 378 Road and Reputation

On the other side, in the prison of Nanhetao, a thin figure was looking around furtively.

Then he looked at the guard at the prison door.

"He's asleep, grunt..."

After deliberately making some noises and confirming that the guard was indeed soundly asleep, Gulu pulled at the iron railings and laboriously dug a small stone in from outside.

He looked at the guard again and found that there was still no movement. He immediately aimed at the wall opposite the prison gate. After aiming for a while, he threw the small stone along the iron railing.

In this way, the stone bounced back due to the reaction force of the wall and hit the button next to the iron gate.

Click.

The button is triggered.

Crunch.

The iron door of the prison was opened just like that.

Free! Gulu ran out in a hurry, keeping his mind tense all the way, memorizing the terrain while avoiding the patrolling guards, and he left the prison smoothly.

And not long after he left.

The guard at the door opened his eyes, stretched, and replaced the button next to the iron door with a lever.

This thing can't be simply triggered by projectiles.

No one cared about Gollum's escape.

Because... this is also part of the plan.

"If he starts to get agitated and wants to get out of here, let him go."

"Maybe he can provide some help for some operations."

Although they didn't know what action the lord had mentioned a few months ago, the guards still faithfully carried out the order.

And just like that, a few days later.

Gollum followed his inner desire and the call of the ring and found the two hobbits.

After some disputes and confrontations, he joined their journey, and swore to lead Frodo under Sam's sword.

Under the coercion of the oath and the situation, Gollum did a lot of things. He led the two of them around the rugged hills, avoided the Orcs on the road, and carefully waded through the Deadly Swamp. He also warned Frodo and Sam not to be attracted by the ghosts in the swamp, otherwise they would be trapped in it themselves.

This performance gave the two hobbits some trust in each other, and for a moment the three-person team seemed quite harmonious.

Oh, of course, due to different habits, they still have some small differences during the journey and in daily life.

Just like now.

"No hope."

On the green fields of Ithilien near the Black Gate, Sam was stewing a pot of fragrant rabbit soup and sprinkling seasonings into it.

"Rabbit meat should be eaten this way to show its delicious taste. It's a pity that there are no potatoes, otherwise you will experience the double satisfaction of the tongue and stomach."

"Pooh."

Opposite Sam, Gollum stuck out his tongue twice to express his disapproval.

"It's such a waste of good meat, grunt..."

"You don't understand."

Sam shook his head and said:

"Golden fried potato chips and a delicious fried fish... I'm sure even a guy like you can't resist that kind of deliciousness."

"Oh, after everything is over, maybe I can cook you a good meal. Then you will know what a hard life you have lived before."

"You have a hard life, you fat stupid hobbit who wastes your food. We have to eat it raw, Gollum..."

While the two men were arguing, Frodo frowned and looked out of the bush.

"Quiet, Sam."

"What's wrong?"

"There is an army."

"Who are they?"

"Sauron's army."

Gollum narrowed his eyes and said, "That group of dark humans came from Harad in the south. They were summoned to Mordor. I'm afraid they will invade this land. This day will not be too far away. It will probably be very soon..."

"What day?"

"Drag Gondor and Rohan into a day of darkness and destruction."

Guru was explaining intently, imagining the scene he was describing, and for a moment he even forgot to say his catchphrase.

That is the sound of "grunt".

"We must go on. We cannot stay here." Frodo stood up at once.

However, the next moment, the situation suddenly changed.

Suddenly a bunch of longbows popped out from the bushes, and countless arrows shot at the group of Harad soldiers. The group hiding in the dark attacked cleanly and quickly killed all the soldiers except the two giant elephants.

The two mammoth war elephants did not live long either. The people on them were shot down one after another, and they did not realize where the enemy was until they died.

Click.

A body fell beside Sam, shocking him so much that his breath hitched.

He looked at the body of the Harad who had just lost his life, his eyes still open, and wondered:

What is that man's name, where is he from, is he really evil in his heart, what lies or coercion made him leave his hometown and travel here, is he really unwilling to stay at home and live a peaceful life?

All kinds of thoughts flashed through his mind, but they only lasted for a moment. Realizing that this place was very dangerous, Sam immediately stood up and fled with Frodo and Gollum.

But their expectations were dashed.

Ithilien's ranger team had already spotted the three sneaky guys, and they were soon caught up and captured, blindfolded and taken to a nearby secret base for interrogation.

To prevent any accidents, their weapons were also confiscated.

But when Sam's dagger was discovered, the ranger in charge of confiscating the weapons was stunned.

He immediately sent the dagger to the commander of the commando.

The commander at this time was naturally Boromir's younger brother, Faramir.

Faramir drew his dagger and read the small words on it.

"Forged by Levi, and given to those who set out on an expedition."

Seeing the name, and the word 'expedition' at the end, Faramir realized that what the two hobbits had just said might be true.

"They have a secret and important mission."

"They are our own people. Go and untie them and return all their belongings. Also, bring them here. I have something to ask you."

Faramir gave the order, and took advantage of the brief interval while his men went to lead the others away to think.

"A secret mission?"

He recalled the dreams he and his brother had had, and what Boromir had said before he left, and had some guesses in his mind.

A moment later, Frodo and Sam were brought over.

They exchanged a few words, and in these few short words, Sam and Frodo knew the identity of the person in front of them.

He is Boromir's younger brother.

Faramir, on some presentiment, asked: "Tell me, hobbit, is your quest connected with Isildur's Bane?"

"How did you..."

"Sam!" Frodo quickly pulled Sam down and signaled him to shut up.

But it was too late, his previous words had already exposed the truth.

Frodo felt helpless.

"My brother, Boromir, traveled north for this very thing."

'And you, too?' asked Frodo.

"No."

Faramir shook his head and said:

"I wouldn't pick this up even if it was on the side of the road."

"Even though Minas Tirith lies in ruins and I alone can save it, I will not use the Dark Lord's weapons to do so."

"I do not want this victory, Frodo."

"I know very well that there are some dangerous things in this world that cannot be touched by mortals. The gray-robed wise man and the Lord of the North have talked to me and taught me many truths. I have enough reason..."

Click.

As Faramir spoke these words, by some strange chance the Ring slipped out, and hung by its chain upon Frodo's breast.

Faramir was immediately attracted.

His test had come.

"So it's right here, in you..."

Faramir just stared at the ring.

Frodo and Sam held their breath and looked quite nervous.

There was no escape now. If he turned out to be like Boromir, then all would be...

Destruction is just a thought away.

"Keep it safe, Frodo."

Faramir's words brought the two back to their senses.

His eyes are clear and intelligent.

"Don't show the ring to me or anyone else."

Faramir crouched down and took Frodo's hand, so that he could hold the Ring in his palm and hide it.

"Mr. Faramir."

Sam said sincerely, "You have proved your character: it is of the highest kind."

Faramir smiled, but neither denied nor responded.

The atmosphere suddenly became harmonious.

But this harmony was soon broken by the arrival of another guy.

Gurgle.

He was caught while fishing at a pond.

"I have heard of this unpleasant looking creature. Since he took the initiative to intrude into the territory of Gondor, I have an obligation to deal with him appropriately."

As for what is appropriate...

Faramir drew his sword.

"etc!"

Frodo hurried over to explain.

"He was once the bearer of the Ring, but now he is my guide to Mordor to destroy it."

Then Faramir drew back his sharp sword.

Thus, Gollum saved his life, but even so, Faramir forced him to swear an oath to be loyal to his mission.

He gave orders that Gollum was allowed to travel through Ithilien, but if the rangers of the commando party saw Gollum dare to leave Frodo and Sam's team and break his oath, he would be sentenced to death immediately.

This is like an insurance for the two of them.

"Go, Frodo, and may good fortune be with you."

The latest novel is published first on Liu9shuba!

With his final blessing, Faramir sent the three away and gave them some food supplies.

It can be foreseen that the next trip in Ithilien will be smooth...

Scouts sent a message: "Osgiliath is under attack, they need reinforcements urgently, the enemy numbers tens of thousands, and there are Ringwraiths leading them."

"Get ready to go and provide support."

Faramir made a decision immediately and parted ways with Frodo and the other two.

This incident, which began as a dispute over preference for raw or cooked food, came to a temporary end.

But somewhere else, there are others who are troubled by food.

Because the food is on the borderline between raw and cooked, it is difficult to describe.

"I made some soup, would you like some?"

On the way to the Hornburg for support, Éowyn asked Gimli while carrying a pot of soup.

"No, forget it."

Gimli, in his haste on the road ahead, missed the soup.

But it doesn’t matter, it’s not made for him anyway.

Éowyn went straight toward Aragorn.

"Would you like some soup? It's not much, but it will warm you up."

Aragorn glanced at the soup.

Considering he has lived for so many years and traveled alone for a long time, he also knows how to cook.

He could tell at a glance that there was something wrong with the preparation of the soup.

"The recipe of this soup was passed down from my grandfather Senger. It is said that he learned it from Livi, the leader of the northern people."

“Now it’s in my hands again.”

"Oh, really?"

Upon hearing this, Aragorn became interested.

He had experienced Levi's cooking skills, and none of the food made by Levi was bad.

If this soup was made the way Levi did, it's definitely worth a try.

So Aragorn took the spoon and filled a large bowl for himself.

Éowyn looked quite amused at his impatience.

This is the first time someone has taken this initiative.

Finally someone understood her.

"Drink it now."

"good."

Aragorn smiled, picked up the small spoon, lifted the bowl, and put a big mouthful of soup into his mouth.

etc…

wrong.

His smile slowly faded.

"What's wrong? How does it taste?" Eowyn asked with concern.

Aragorn nodded slightly and responded, "It's a little hot."

As he spoke, the soup flowed out from the corners of his mouth.

Just as Aragorn was thinking about how to deal with the princess's enthusiasm, Gimli, who had finished something nearby, came over and said in his rough and loud voice: "Ha, a grown man who has killed hundreds of orcs on the battlefield now thinks a bowl of soup is hot!"

"Aragorn, why didn't I realize you were such a hypocritical person before?"

Aragorn took a deep breath and clenched his fists, wanting to hit Gimli so that he would shut his big mouth.

But he soon thought of a solution.

"I heard that dwarves are not afraid of the high temperature near the furnace. They won't make a sound even if they touch the iron pot roasting on the fire with their bare hands."

"Why don't you try this bowl of soup?"

"I'm not hungry."

"Even if you are not hungry, I suggest you try it, Gimli. This is a skill that King Thingir of Rohan learned from Levi, and now it is demonstrated by Eowyn. It is a rare opportunity."

"Oh, seriously?"

Now Gimli also became interested.

“That’s really worth a try.”

He took the other bowl from Éowyn and filled it for himself.

Aragorn just smiled silently, watching Gimli pick up the bowl and pour it into his mouth to prove that he was not afraid of the heat, without saying a word.

"puff--"

"Ahem, ahem..."

Gimli seemed to choke and spat out the soup, wetting his beard.

"What's wrong?"

"Aragorn, you, this soup..."

Aragorn blinked.

Gimli rarely got the meaning.

After all, I have lived for more than a hundred years, so I have to understand the ways of the world.

"This soup is a bit hot, but I have to prove that dwarves can indeed withstand high temperatures. It's just that their throats and intestines are different from their skin and are relatively fragile."

Just as Gimli was trying to find an excuse for himself, Legolas appeared behind him quietly and said calmly: "Dwarves are always like this, impatient, like to drink all the wine in one gulp, and eat food without waiting to clean up the plate in one bite, chewing it like a cow."

"So elves are very elegant?"

Hearing this provocative remark, Legolas raised his head slightly and responded with a proud little expression.

"Humph, elegant, chewing slowly, like a little white rabbit that hasn't grown up yet."

"Come, drink the soup. This is a skill I learned from Levi. Don't you want to try it?"

Gimli said nothing more, and handed him the soup without hesitation.

"Oh, seriously?"

This time Lagrasse also became interested.

“That’s definitely worth a try.”

He took the bowl steadily and picked up the spoon. The soup in the bowl did not shake at all during the whole process, showing his elegance and steadiness.

Even when drinking soup, he gently put a mouthful of soup into his mouth and tasted it carefully...

Gurgle.

Legolas took a deep breath and swallowed the small mouthful of soup with difficulty under the expectant gaze of Gimli, Aragorn and Éowyn.

The elf suddenly felt a little sad.

He misses home.

"Why does our forest elf prince look so sad?"

Just then, Boromir came over and made a teasing remark.

From a distance, he saw the three people whispering about something with the little princess of Rohan.

Driven by curiosity, he walked straight over to see what was going on.

"Nothing, we're eating."

Legolas showed him the soup in his hand.

Boromir quipped: "Could it be that this bowl of hot soup reminds you of the warmth of home?"

"Perhaps."

"Give me a bowl too."

"I am hungry," said Boromir, "and I need to warm myself."

"We have been in a hurry on this journey. I haven't eaten anything yet."

"It's all for you." Legolas immediately handed the soup over.

"Thanks."

Looking at Boromir who picked up the pot, Legolas nodded and said:

"This is the craftsmanship passed down by Levi, I have to taste it."

…

"A-choo——"

In the wilderness of the Ened region, Levi, who was leading his troops southward, suddenly sneezed. He shivered so much that his horse took a step astray.

"What's wrong with you?"

Someone nearby asked with concern.

"fine."

"I just feel as if a certain reputation of mine has been irreparably damaged."

(End of this chapter)