After simply eating roasted fish by the riverside, Gandalf walked back together with Levi and Bard.
Just like that, they crossed the outermost high wall, passed the alert line of heavy crossbows and watchtowers, and headed straight for the city's most central area.
"First Campfire."
This was the name later given by construction teams and residents to the campfire Levi had initially placed.
Bard looked at this crude small camp that remained exactly the same as several years ago. "I heard you were ambushed here back then."
"Along with a king and a ruling steward."
Hearing this, Gandalf looked over with some surprise.
"When was this?"
Levi responded, "Just a few years ago. We were investigating the road from Dale to Gondor and happened to encounter some blind orcs."
Gandalf frowned. "Good thing nothing happened. Also, your mouths are really tight—I've never heard of this matter."
"Now you have."
"Yes, now I have."
Chatting away, the three walked onto the city walls, gazing out at this contested land.
Two cities— South Undeep was purely a fortress city with strict defenses. North Undeep here integrated defense and transportation, functioning as a vital transfer hub.
North-south personnel circulation and cargo transport basically couldn't bypass this city.
Including Gandalf.
Actually, his main purpose for coming here this time truly wasn't to find Levi. He just used this place as the optimal north-south route, merely passing through.
Encountering Levi was pure coincidence.
On the city walls, Gandalf chatted casually.
"Thengel and Ecthelion II—they're both fine rulers."
"Thengel's governance is quite wise. Besides his private life often being gossiped about, everything else is quite good."
"As for Ecthelion, he recently issued a new decree: regardless of status, all talented people from far and near can come serve Gondor. He'll give generous rewards and due respect."
"For those truly talented, his attitude has always been quite open-minded."
The North had Lord of the North Levi's unbreakable defensive line—utterly impassable for enemies. The South had an open-minded, wise ruling steward. In between was the wise Thengel, plus he had a capable young man called 'Thorongil' assisting with affairs.
Middle-earth's situation had improved significantly.
Gandalf thought this way.
But the Nazgûl and orcs stationed at Dol Guldur didn't share this optimistic view.
In recent years, because Levi and his citizens' construction speed was too exaggerated, by the time they reacted, they suddenly discovered—oh no, the road back to Mordor was cut off.
One careless moment and they were surrounded.
However, panic aside, the Nazgûl never stopped developing their forces.
Dol Guldur's strength also grew rapidly. Here, trolls and Olog-hai and other large units were trained one after another. Some even combined local species characteristics, naturally carrying deadly poison.
Additionally, as mentioned before, local species—those massive spiders—were quite distinctive.
Inspired by Sauron, the Nazgûl captured a bunch of spiders and brought them back.
Both belonging to the dark faction, and the spiders' power being inferior to the Nazgûl's, quite naturally the wraiths successfully tamed a batch of spiders, making them serve their evil purposes.
Thus, a new troop type was born.
Spider legions and spider riders.
These giant spiders' climbing ability was quite formidable. Even carrying an orc and facing smooth ninety-degree walls, they could climb straight up a considerable distance.
Without orcs, they could climb even higher.
The cancer was secretly spreading within Mirkwood, silently and unnoticed.
Anduin Valley, Carl Town.
This small town located between the Eyrie and Woodland Realm had expanded considerably compared to two years ago. The most obvious change: it now extended to the riverside.
At the river's widest point, a dock was established with many ships stationed here.
Cargo ships, plus escort warships protecting security.
Also some merchant vessels. These merchant ships traveled down the Anduin all the way, passing Golden Iris Swamp, passing Lothlórien's golden forest, reaching directly to North Bridge between Rohan's Wold and North Undeep.
North Bridge considered ships passing through during initial design. The space reserved below was quite large. Besides Levi's giant flagship, other ships passed through without issue.
Though that flagship couldn't sail here anyway.
Thus, the final route was completed.
From the outer Belegaer Sea route to internal river transport and the Sky Road direct passage across mountains—all Middle-earth now had no serious travel obstacles.
As long as one wasn't going to Mordor or farther dangerous places, wherever one went had safe, smooth routes available.
Previously isolated factions were also influenced by merchant caravans running everywhere, becoming slightly more active and engaged.
The Woodland Realm needn't be mentioned—roads were built to their doorstep. Originally they already had considerable contact with valley humans. In recent years, influenced by Levi's territorial development, their various exchanges with the outside became even more frequent.
This could be seen from constantly full wine cellars.
Besides Woodland Elves, Lothlórien also quite rarely engaged in exchanges with passing merchant ships. They occasionally came out to purchase some goods, bringing novel products back to their golden realm.
Adding some variation to their timeless existence.
Days passed like this, one by one. Occasionally some conflicts flared, but overall no major wars erupted again.
Through many years' sustained effort, Rhovanion region's orc numbers sharply decreased, all forced back to outer peripheries, concentrated in areas near the Black Gate and war plains.
Regions north of Roadside Keep still had constant friction. Angmar, Ettenmoors, Forodwaith, Gundabad... Orcs, trolls, plus hill-men gathered in these desolate places, living among them in squalor.
Facing these Ettenmoors full of dark clouds and constantly snow-covered mountains connected to the frozen north, Roadside Keep's chosen strategy was maintaining the status quo.
This terrain was truly difficult to campaign in.
Achieving the current state of driving all enemies from plains to mountains and dark forests was already sufficient—pushing deeper was unnecessary and costly.
Rangers rotated shifts, keeping watch over wilderness and snowy mountains north of Eriador that teemed with enemies.
Near Riverside Keep, in Eregion—once an elven dwelling place, also at Moria's doorstep—an outpost was established.
Soldiers garrisoned here constantly monitored Moria's west gate. However, since the last great battle, there'd been no movement here, no orcs running out either.
Some guessed the orcs inside were all wiped out in that battle. Others said it was because after the great battle, the lord walked through inside again, incidentally eliminating the remaining orcs.
Under multiple rumors, Moria seemed to have become some safe, cleared place.
But if anyone tried passing through it, they'd immediately receive the Rangers' stern warning:
"The Sky Road exists, and you won't take it? You insist on going through Moria—days too idle, afraid you won't have accidents?"