Tarnes asked in confusion, "The Black Gate? Where is that?"
Nepheli Loux glanced at Bilbo before saying, "According to the map your hobbit friend gave us, the Black Gate is also called the Morannon, the Gate of Mordor, located northwest of the Ash Mountains, which lie in the southeastern direction of Middle-earth. In theory, that place should now be overrun with Orcs and other dangerous dark creatures."
Hearing Nepheli Loux's words, Legolas added, "The Black Gate? I've heard of that place. In recent years, a group of Dúnedain human rangers has been stationed there, preventing Orcs from Mordor from emerging. If my memory serves me correctly, the human kingdom called 'Gondor' is also providing assistance to these human rangers."
Then Legolas paused, worried Tarnes wasn't clear about the Black Gate's situation, and added, "Do you remember those Nazgûl that Mr. Bernahl, Mr. Igon, and I fought at Lake-town? The master of these Nazgûl should be within Mordor, inside the Black Gate."
Now he understood.
Tarnes nodded vigorously. "I see, but I really don't have spare time to go to such a distant place recently."
He raised his hand to point back at the vast but empty Royal Capital Leyndell behind him. "I need to first solve the problem of severely insufficient available personnel in our territory."
Nepheli Loux sighed. "Good that you know... After Bernahl returned the Storm Legion to me, he also gave me news that the human lord at Dale hopes you'll station a legion there. Please resolve this matter quickly."
Then Nepheli Loux remembered something. "Oh right, regarding the Storm Legion, Oleg seems to have something to report to you."
Tarnes nodded. "Go ahead."
Nepheli Loux turned to look at Oleg, who had been silent beside her, and said, "Tell Tarnes directly about whatever it is."
Oleg stepped forward, then bowed slightly to Tarnes with a respectful tone. "Lord Tarnes, the Storm Legion lost 75 men and had 1 seriously wounded in the battle at Lake-town. The issue I need to explain to you concerns this seriously wounded Storm Knight."
Tarnes frowned. "What happened to this Storm Knight?"
Oleg thought for a moment before saying, "He... suffered a very strange wound that ordinary treatment cannot heal. Lord Bernahl noticed this Storm Knight's injury and used Golden Tree incantations to treat him. But after the incantation's lasting effect ended, this Storm Knight's wound relapsed. Therefore, I humbly request whether you could deign to treat this Storm Knight. Yesterday we thought this was a simple curse, but judging from last night's treatment situation, the circumstances are likely more complex."
Tarnes was surprised. "Even having him drink blessed golden water couldn't cure it?"
Oleg replied, "When drinking the water, the Storm Knight's injuries healed instantly. But just like with Lord Bernahl's incantations, after the water was absorbed by his body, those strange wounds reappeared. Currently this Storm Knight can only stay in areas rich with golden blessing; otherwise, once he leaves, the wounds will relapse again."
This made Tarnes even more curious. He agreed, "I understand. Human life is at stake. Take me to see what's going on right now."
Legolas, having heard their conversation, frowned in thought. Only after Tarnes and the others mounted up did he hurry to catch up and say, "I might have some impression of that knight's wound. Was this injury received in battle with the Nazgûl?"
Oleg looked at Legolas in surprise and nodded. "Yes, after discovering this wound was difficult to heal, the physician treating him immediately asked how he got it. That Storm Knight said he actively traded injury for injury to restrict a Nazgûl's movement, accepting a sword thrust from it."
Hearing it was what he suspected, Legolas's expression didn't relax but became even more serious.
He explained to Tarnes and Nepheli Loux, who were listening intently, "I've read in books recorded in the Woodland Realm about an existence among the Nazgûl called the 'Witch-king of Angmar,' who uses a weapon called the 'Morgul Blade.' Those wounded by this weapon have part of the blade remain in their wound, constantly drilling inward until it pierces the heart. I think this is why that knight's wound cannot heal."
Tarnes frowned. "If it's just a curse, golden blessing should be able to cure it..."
Legolas looked at Tarnes with some admiration. "I do know a way to heal this kind of wound. Only a medicinal herb called 'Athelas' is needed. Besides that, I've never heard of any method that could cure such wounds, not even temporarily. That your Golden Tree territory can continuously suppress this knight's wounds and prevent them from worsening has already exceeded my expectations."
Tarnes nodded thoughtfully. "So there was such a reason..."
Nepheli Loux sighed and asked, "Setting that aside, Legolas, how do we obtain this herb called 'Athelas'? Where does it grow, and is it difficult to find? I don't want my warriors to lose their lives to this inexplicable curse."
But Legolas smiled and reassured, "Please rest assured, Lady Nepheli Loux. Athelas is what we Elves call it. In the common tongue it's called 'Kingsfoil,' and it appears frequently, especially within Gondor's borders. However, many people in Gondor haven't realized kingsfoil's medicinal uses and only treat it as an herb for refreshing the mind. But it's precisely because of this that some Gondorian merchants like to sell this herb externally, and according to information I learned last night, your territory happens to have trading relations with a Gondorian merchant group skilled in growing flowers and herbs."
Nepheli Loux had a realization. "Ah, those very fragrant herbs? I have an impression. I once bought several bundles out of curiosity and had Stormveil Castle's maids plant them in decorative gardens. So they have such uses."
Hearing this, Tarnes also understood that the injured Storm Knight wouldn't be in serious trouble. He breathed a sigh of relief and gratefully said to Legolas, "This is thanks to our Elven friend. Legolas, without you, we might have had a headache over this strange curse."
Legolas maintained his polite smile and replied, "This is what I should do. My conscience cannot bear to see a warrior who fought against Nazgûl die from the Morgul Blade's curse."
Soon, Tarnes's group returned to Stormveil Castle, where they saw patches of kingsfoil in the garden Nepheli Loux mentioned.
Legolas explained to the attending physician how to use kingsfoil medicinally. Tarnes and the others followed behind the physician until they personally witnessed that the Storm Knight injured by the Witch-king of Angmar was indeed cured, then left the infirmary.
Tarnes said to Nepheli Loux, "From Bernahl's assessment of the Nazgûl, they're a very dangerous enemy group. Our soldiers will likely encounter them frequently in the future, so I think we should designate a special area within Stormveil Castle's range to cultivate kingsfoil and have relevant physicians research pills similar to 'Neutralizing Boluses' to distribute among the troops. This could greatly reduce casualties among soldiers after fighting Nazgûl."
Nepheli Loux nodded. "I was just thinking the same thing. Oleg, this matter is specifically assigned to you. As for your patrol and defense duties at Stormveil Castle, hand the work over to Engvall."
Oleg and Engvall, standing behind her like two door guardians, immediately accepted the assignment.
However, they soon looked at Nepheli Loux with difficulty, appearing to want to speak but hesitating.
Seeing this, Nepheli Loux asked, "What's wrong? Say whatever it is directly."
Oleg and his old friend Engvall exchanged meaningful glances, then Oleg spoke. "Lady Nepheli Loux, whether cultivating kingsfoil or patrolling Stormveil Castle, both require large amounts of manpower... but we really don't have many soldiers available for deployment now. Even counting the Storm Legion that just returned from the Mountain, it's barely sufficient."
Engvall also added, "Moreover, because most Storm Legion soldiers were previously deployed to participate in the Mountain campaign, the remaining soldiers have been doing three people's work each, basically working around the clock without time to catch their breath."
Hearing both men speak, Nepheli Loux remained silent, just looking at Tarnes.
Tarnes felt overwhelmed and quickly said, "I know, I know, I'll find a way to solve this."
"Heh..."
Behind Tarnes, Melina seeing this scene, let out a faint laugh.
Then she stepped forward, lifted her skirt, and bowed slightly to Nepheli Loux, Oleg, and Engvall. "Please give the Tarnished lord some time. He will gather personnel for you as quickly as possible, and I will also find ways to help."
Bilbo, who had followed Tarnes's group all along, smiled and asked, "Looks like you're going to be busy, Tarnes?"
Tarnes showed Bilbo an apologetic expression. "Sorry, there are indeed too many things to handle. I might not be able to personally accompany you on a tour of the Golden Tree territory."
But Bilbo waved his hand very understandingly. "You can't say that, Tarnes. Your status is that of a king, after all. Think about it. Kings of human kingdoms probably wouldn't bother with a hobbit like me who has no noble status. That you personally accompanied me yesterday already made me happy."
Then he said easily, "It just happens that Estel is also in your territory. I'll stay with the Elves these few days. During the day I'll walk around on my own, and we can enjoy dinner together when you have time in the evenings?"
At this point Legolas also spoke. "If Mr. Bilbo stays at the Elven quarters, I can look after him during the day."
Seeing both saying this, Tarnes didn't object. "Good, when I'm not busy later, I'll definitely invite you both to tour my territory again."
Then Bilbo greeted the others present, actively discussing with Legolas where to visit next in the Golden Tree territory as they left.
Tarnes briefly discussed future plans with Nepheli Loux, then quickly left the Storm Legion barracks' infirmary with Melina.
However, he didn't choose to leave Stormveil Castle directly for the Royal Capital, Leyndell, but instead went to find his teacher Sellen first.
Tarnes needed to solve the spirit vessel's capacity problem. Seeing all those souls on the Mountain battlefield that he couldn't collect had made his heart bleed.
Otherwise, this return wouldn't have been just summoning the Royal Capital Leyndell and Melina, but also summoning the Leyndell Royal Army.
However, after summoning Melina as well, both the runes in the spirit vessel and the blessing stored by the Golden Tree were nearly completely exhausted.
"Teacher Sellen, are you in your room?"
Tarnes politely knocked and asked at Sellen's room door.
"Enter."
Sellen's lazy voice came from inside. Tarnes pushed open the door and entered.
This female sorceress was the same as always. Even in broad daylight she kept curtains drawn and lit candles with blue flames, conducting experiments in her room that Tarnes couldn't understand.
"Oh? That soul that always followed behind you has also been summoned by you? Like Ogha, both given flesh..." Sellen's tone was somewhat surprised upon seeing Melina, then she seemed to think of some new experimental idea and fell into contemplation.
Seeing Sellen's state, Tarnes didn't interrupt but patiently waited for her to finish thinking.
Fortunately, Sellen didn't think for long this time. Just a few minutes before rejecting the idea of "preserving one's soul and using a spectral Golden Tree to change to a new body" that had suddenly appeared in her mind.
She looked at Tarnes and asked, "The Mountain affair is finished?"
Tarnes nodded, then took out the spirit vessel and gently placed it on the table. "Teacher Sellen, do you have a way to increase the spirit vessel's capacity?"
Sellen didn't ask Tarnes for reasons but after serious consideration answered, "Currently there's no way to improve the spirit vessel's capacity on the existing foundation, since the number of souls that one glintstone can contain is fixed. To increase glintstone capacity, we'd need to find better substitutes. But your needs don't require finding better substitutes. There's a simpler solution: using glintstone to make several spirit vessels for you to carry."
Tarnes's eyes lit up. "Then please trouble Teacher Sellen to make several more."
Sellen laughed lightly and shook her head. "That's not possible right now. I only have this one glintstone. But I remember the Raya Lucaria Academy's warehouse stored quite a few glintstones, and oh, Caria Manor has countless glintstones. As long as you can summon either of these two places, I can make more spirit vessels for you."