"Hiss, ahh."
Levi sat on a bench in the garden, took a deep breath, and gazed up at the open sky, feeling utterly refreshed.
"Gondor's royalty certainly knows how to enjoy life."
Around him, roses, peonies, tulips, and lavender bloomed in clusters throughout the flower beds and along the pathways.
Only now did Levi truly understand the phrase "a riot of colors." He had always thought deep color combinations like red and purple were somewhat gaudy, resembling a floral-print shirt.
But seeing the vibrant reds, purples, and myriad other hues spread in patches with his own eyes, he finally grasped it: the ancients never lied.
These brightly colored flowers of all sizes connected into a vast tapestry that was truly pleasing to the eye. What had once seemed gaudy now struck him as pure artistry.
Levi glanced around, ensuring he was alone, then quickly produced some bone meal and replicated one of each type of flower to take with him.
If Gondor can grow them, so can Roadside Keep!
Moments later, satisfied, Levi walked out of the garden. Behind him, the garden showed no change, as if no one had ever been there.
Just as he was about to explore elsewhere, a squad of guards with swan feathers on both sides of their helmets marched in formation to his location, lining up before him and blocking his path.
Rumble rumble...
Levi turned around to see another squad approaching, blocking the path behind him as well.
His heart sank. Busted already?
"I confess."
He immediately said: "I did secretly take two flowers from the garden, but I guarantee I didn't touch the original flowers. What I took were new flowers I grew with bone meal."
"If this isn't allowed, I can return the flowers to you. You don't need to give me the bone meal back."
Hearing Levi's words, the guards fell silent, somewhat bewildered.
"Those flowers in the garden, if you like them, we can later have the gardeners prepare some seeds for you. You could even take the gardeners themselves if you wish."
The guard captain emerged from the group and said: "But we didn't come for this matter."
"The Steward requests your presence."
...
"By what right does he command our soldiers?"
Within the royal palace, on the Steward's seat beside that high throne, Turgon frowned with considerable displeasure.
Though the results were good, in principle, this was an infringement on royal authority.
If he were simply an unaffiliated Ranger or wizard, that would be acceptable, but he was specifically a lord from the north and the kind whose legends spread everywhere with actual influence greater than a king.
"I'd like to see if those rumors are true."
Turgon sat quietly in the Steward's chair, leaning back and closing his eyes to rest.
At the palace entrance.
A group climbed the steps slowly, arriving at Gondor's highest level.
At the fountain plaza before the palace, Levi suddenly stopped and looked up at the white tree in the plaza's center.
The guards surrounding him also stopped with his movement. The guard captain's nerves tensed as he watched Levi closely, unable to guess what this legendary figure intended.
No one dared urge him forward.
"Such a pity."
"What?" The guard captain's attention was drawn back by this casual remark.
"That tree, it's already dead."
Levi shook his head. What now stood in the fountain plaza was merely a lifeless piece of dead wood, completely deceased.
If it weren't dead yet, perhaps some methods could still save it.
"Never mind, let's go."
After proceeding some distance, the guard unit remained outside while the captain and Levi entered the palace together to meet the Steward beneath the vacant throne.
Turgon.
Levi looked at the old man on the deputy seat, this name surfacing in his mind.
Of course, he wasn't that "Turgon" from the First Age, the High King of Gondolin. The two merely shared a name, or more bluntly, his name was borrowed from that Hidden King. Somewhat riding on fame.
Actually, his son also took a name identical to a First Age heroic figure.
"Ecthelion greets you."
Beside the Steward, a middle-aged man with still thick, dark hair bowed slightly to Levi.
Ecthelion... This was exactly the name of the First Age Lord of the Fountain in Gondolin, the legendary elf who killed three Balrogs and multiple orc commanders, striking such fear into them. Also one of the battle cries Elrond taught Aragorn to intimidate enemies.
This entire family's names were modeled after ancient heroic figures.
Levi nodded at him in response.
Unlike his father, Ecthelion appeared quite spirited, standing straight-backed as a beam despite being over sixty.
Hearing his son actually greet a mere lord first, Turgon couldn't help opening his eyes and glancing at him.
This fool—can't he have some awareness as heir to Gondor's Stewardship?
Turgon raised his hand, making his unruly son step back, then fixed his eagle-sharp eyes on the visitor with a serious, cold expression.
"Lord from afar, do you know whom you face?"
Clearly, the old Steward intended to give this foreign legendary figure an intimidating welcome.
"I certainly know, the Steward of Gondor."
Levi replied somewhat helplessly. This old man just can't speak properly.
The scene grew somewhat silent.
Ecthelion at the side was so anxious his eyelids twitched, wanting to step forward and say something, but Turgon had already dismissed him earlier. He couldn't act without permission.
He understood well that even as a father, the man on that seat had limited patience and wouldn't allow a second transgression.
"Since you know, why do you stand here so brazenly?"
Turgon said flatly: "I think I should teach you basic etiquette. As a lord, you should greet the person before you."
Levi sighed lightly.
"It's neither morning, noon, nor evening now. How do you want me to greet you?"
"Have you eaten?"
Haven't eaten, but already full.
Turgon slapped his chair and declared loudly: "Do you know you're provoking Gondor's supreme ruler?"
"Do you know you're provoking me?"
Levi stepped forward. The guard captain immediately grew alert, quickly making a ready gesture, prepared to call in the guards at any moment.
At this point Ecthelion couldn't stand it anymore. He hurried over to stand between them, speaking quietly to Levi:
"My father is old and somewhat temperamental. Please forgive him; he wasn't like this when younger..."
"What are you whispering about?"
Turgon glared at Ecthelion questioningly.
"Father, I think for a legend and hero who has helped Gondor, we shouldn't greet him with such an attitude."
"My son, rumors have clouded your eyes and ears. You don't understand what I truly care about."
"If he wants to do something before Gondor's high throne, let him come. Can't our guards and the tens of thousands of troops in the city stop one man?"
"Father..."
Ecthelion nervously glanced at Levi while taking two steps toward the throne.
"They probably really can't stop him."