While Tarnes was taking Bilbo to find that Rogier wasn't home, Legolas encountered someone who surprised him.
"Elladan, Elrohir? You're here too?" Legolas looked in surprise at the two Rivendell Elves he knew.
Elladan and Elrohir were the two sons of Rivendell's lord, Elrond.
They looked very similar, both possessing dark hair, gray eyes, and fair, handsome Elven faces, wearing equally shining armor and well-fitted silver-gray cloaks.
Legolas had met them before, which made him even more surprised why these two, given their status, would also appear in the Golden Tree territory.
Elder brother Elladan was slightly stunned hearing Legolas's voice, then smiled and greeted him. "Look who this is, Elrohir. Prince Legolas from the distant Woodland Realm has also visited this magical land."
Younger brother Elrohir performed the Elven handshake greeting to Legolas and invited, "Will you join us for dinner tonight, Legolas? It's been about four hundred years since we last met, hasn't it?"
Legolas returned the greeting to the Elven brothers and replied, "To be precise, 415 years... So are you two also interested in the Golden Tree and have settled here?"
Elladan shook his head slightly. "Settled? No, though we're indeed interested in the Golden Tree and life in this territory is very comfortable, my brother and I don't plan to live here. Compared to the peaceful life in the Golden Tree territory, Elrohir and I prefer staying with our father in Rivendell to hunt the Orcs that threaten Middle-earth."
Elrohir agreed. "Brother speaks correctly. The reason we came here is only to wait for the Golden Tree lord Tarnes's return."
Then Elrohir's eyes lit up. "I heard Tarnes was busy with affairs at the Lonely Mountain. Your Woodland Realm is close to the Mountain, so Legolas, you must know something about Tarnes's whereabouts. Can you tell us roughly when he'll return? And how did the war between the Dwarves and Smaug at the Mountain turn out? I heard from Father that Mithrandir went to great lengths to help the Dwarves return to the Mountain."
Legolas was slightly stunned. "Just now, Tarnes has already returned. I came to the Golden Tree territory with him through some kind of teleportation sorcery."
Now it was Elladan and Elrohir's turn to exchange surprised glances. The elder brother realized many things must have happened and quickly said, "This isn't a suitable place for us to chat. Legolas, come with us to our house to sit down. You must tell us in detail about what happened at the mountain."
Elrohir added with a smile, "Right, I'll have the servants bring us fresh Golden Tree fruit, and there'll be rich meat dishes in the evening."
Elladan shrugged. "Though we might not need to prepare dinner. Lord Tarnes will certainly prepare a welcome feast for Legolas. We can just bring gifts and visit the lord's hall then."
Elrohir realized and nodded. "You're right, brother."
Under the warm invitation of the Elven brothers, Legolas, who had planned to visit the Elves' quarters in the Golden Tree territory anyway, had no reason to refuse and happily went to the wooden house where they currently lived.
Outside the wooden house decorated with flowers and green leaves, Elladan looked at the locked door, stepped forward, and called out with slight amusement, "Estel, are you awake? Open the door quickly. We brought a friend home today!"
Hearing the name "Estel," Legolas looked somewhat confused at Elrohir beside him. "Who is Estel? I've only heard of your sister called Arwen. Has Lord Elrond had another son?"
Elrohir smiled and shook his head. "No, Estel is a human child adopted by my father. His father died heroically fighting Orcs, and my father, seeing the child was young, decided to raise him."
"I've been awake for a while, Brother Elladan! And I've already completed my noon sword training!"
A young male child's voice came from the wooden house, then the door pulled inward, revealing Estel's youthful face and his exercise-friendly clothing.
Estel's gaze first swept over Elladan, briefly stayed on Elrohir, then firmly focused on the Elf Legolas beside Elrohir, whom he'd never seen before.
More precisely, Estel's interested gaze was looking at the two silver blades at Legolas's waist.
He asked excitedly and curiously, "Are you also skilled in swordsmanship?"
Legolas noticed Estel's attire and his calloused fingers gripping the door handle and smiled at the human child. "Rather than swordsmanship, I'm actually better at archery. If you want to learn archery, you can find me. For swordsmanship, I think these two are already sufficient to teach you."
Estel showed a disappointed look. "I have no plans to practice archery for now. Brother Elladan told me not to bite off more than I can chew. I only plan to master swordsmanship for now."
Elladan came over and affectionately ruffled Estel's hair. "Good that you understand. Are there any fruits left in the house? If not, help us get some from the dwarf farm."
Estel dodged Elladan's head-patting attack and replied, "The fruits were eaten up by you and second brother yesterday. And why do I always have to get them from the dwarves?"
Elladan cleared his throat. "That's because they like you, a human child, more than us. Go quickly. There's good news today. Tarnes, whom you've been thinking about, has returned. After you get the fruits, Elrohir and I will take you to see him tonight."
Estel's eyes lit up hearing "Tarnes." "Teacher has returned?"
Legolas asked in surprise, "Wait, he's also Tarnes's student?"
Estel proudly puffed out his chest. "That's right! I'm the first student that Teacher Tarnes personally acknowledged as having extremely high sword talent!"
Legolas muttered with an odd expression, "First? But I remember those two Dwarf brothers called Fili and Kili, also called Tarnes teacher."
Elrohir, entering the house a few steps behind, heard the conversation between Legolas and Estel and explained, "The 'first student' claim is Estel's own words. Actually, everyone in the Golden Tree territory knows Tarnes first took two Dwarves of Durin's royal line as disciples, and Estel was the third."
Estel ran out of the house at this point, saying to the three Elves behind him, "Then I'm the first human student Teacher Tarnes took! Anyway, I'm first!"
Having said this, he ran toward the dwarf farm.
After Estel returned with a basket of fruit and listened to Legolas detail everything he experienced at Lake-town, the sun gradually set.
The last ray of sunset slipped through the fruit basket's gaps, Legolas's narrative faded in the rising night breeze, and the Golden Tree's glow just then spread across the land.
Elladan actively clapped his hands, emerging from Legolas's story, and called to the others, "It's getting late. We should go to the lord's hall in Stormveil Castle to visit Tarnes."
As a guest, Legolas also nodded. "Mm, I'm afraid if I don't rejoin Lord Tarnes soon, he'll send guards to search for me."
Estel looked up from the thrilling Battle of Lake-town and quickly said, "Wait, wait, I need to change clothes to see Teacher Tarnes. This outfit is really too impolite."
Elrohir stood up. "Then let me help you choose suitable attire."
In Stormveil Castle's lord's hall, Tarnes was considering whether to send guards to find the possibly lost Legolas.
As for Bilbo, he was already contentedly sitting at the dining table, waiting for the rich feast.
"Teacher Tarnes! Ah, and Uncle Bilbo!"
Estel's excited voice came from outside the hall, and the Storm Knight standing guard at the entrance opened the lord's hall doors after confirming the visitors' identities.
"Uncle?" Bilbo was stunned, then saw a human boy only half a head shorter than himself run in.
Estel first gave the adorable hobbit a hug, then eagerly came before Tarnes. After standing still and steadying his breathing, he respectfully bowed to Tarnes. "Congratulations on defeating your enemies, Teacher Tarnes!"
Tarnes glanced at Legolas following behind Elladan and Elrohir and immediately understood why Estel said this.
He bent down without airs and lifted Estel onto a wooden chair beside Bilbo, saying kindly, "I've received your congratulations, Estel. How have you been while I was away?"
Estel raised his hands and counted. "I've been very happy! Those uncles and aunties in armor have also kindly made time to guide my swordsmanship! But lately some uncles and aunties haven't been around, and I don't know where they went."
He must be talking about the Storm Knights. The Storm Legion was unexpectedly mobilized, so the Storm Knights were temporarily deployed to Lake-town. It's normal Estel didn't know about this.
After chatting with Estel a bit more, Tarnes looked at Legolas. "Where all did you visit, and how did you feel?"
Legolas showed a thoughtful expression on his handsome face and replied, "If I had to give a first impression, it would be peaceful. The biggest difference from other human kingdoms I've visited is that other people's faces also wear smiles rather than worry."
That might be because you haven't met Nepheli Loux, Kenneth Haight, and Edgar yet. After all, they're desperately working at their respective tasks to maintain the territory's stability.
Tarnes said, "I'm glad for your praise, Legolas. And you have plenty of time to stay longer in my territory. You might meet unexpected people."
Legolas nodded. "That's exactly my intention."
After Tarnes exchanged a few more pleasantries with the Elven brothers Elladan and Elrohir, the welcome feast for Bilbo and Legolas officially began.
After the banquet ended, Tarnes arranged lodging for Bilbo, while Legolas returned with Elladan and the others.
Having handled interpersonal matters, Tarnes finally had a chance to come to the courtyard where the Golden Tree stood, preparing to begin a new summoning.
Whether at Lake-town, Dale, or storming the Lonely Mountain, Tarnes hadn't forgotten to use the spirit vessel to collect enemy souls.
Unfortunately, the spirit vessel had reached its limit again. He needed to discuss this issue with Teacher Sellen.
Tarnes held the faintly glowing spirit vessel in one hand while skillfully touching the now-magnificent trunk of the Golden Tree with the other, his consciousness immersing once again in the Elden Ring.
His summoning target this time was very clear: the Royal Capital, Leyndell.
After all, given the Golden Tree's current scale and growth rate, this courtyard at Stormveil Castle was getting too small.
For the Royal Capital Leyndell, it could easily accommodate the Golden Tree's current size.
Of course, more importantly, to summon a certain maiden who lived in Tarnes's memory, the Royal Capital Leyndell was also a prerequisite for summoning her.
Tarnes just didn't know what he should say when he saw Melina again or what attitude she would have toward him.
But constant avoidance couldn't solve these problems. Tarnes felt it was time to face Melina again.
His consciousness immersed in the Elden Ring, found the inscription for the Royal Capital Leyndell, and confirmed summoning it.
Like summoning Stormveil Castle and Redmane Castle before, golden light burst from the Golden Tree, enveloping all of Stormveil Castle, including the houses and farms of Elves, humans, and Dwarves outside the castle.
Then Stormveil Castle appeared in the distance, while on the land where it originally stood, a massive and magnificent royal capital emerged.
The ancient royal capital that had appeared grand yet decaying in the Lands Between due to the Elden Ring's shattering now stood again under the brilliant radiance of the twin Golden Trees.
The entire city was primarily dark gold in tone, with towering walls and intricate roads weaving a maze-like structure. Broken spires and domes were overgrown with vines, dragon wing remains became natural stairs to climb higher, and shattered statues and rusted weapons were scattered through the streets, silently telling of past glory and war's devastation.
The Erdtree Cathedral was the royal capital's core landmark, its architecture once built dependent on the Golden Tree's massive root system, with branches and stone steps integrated as one.
However, the twin Golden Trees' current scale hadn't reached that of the Lands Between, so to enter the cathedral, Tarnes would need to have people rebuild a proper road for more people to reach it.
But at this moment, Tarnes didn't notice these things. His full attention was drawn to the maiden slowly appearing before him.
His gaze dodged for a moment, then he took a deep breath to meet her eyes and called out her name. "Melina..."