Lord of Rivendell

A melodious, resounding horn sounded from afar.

"They once rode beneath the stars."

For no reason at all, a phrase surfaced in Li Wei's mind.

Rumble—

Hooves thundered as a silver-gray torrent interwove with flashes of silver-white.

At that moment, Li Wei was like a piece of driftwood caught in the river, splitting the current in two. Yet once the torrent flowed around him, it immediately merged again and surged downhill without the slightest hindrance.

Every soldier's gaze was fixed upon the enemy before them. Not one spared a glance for Li Wei, this unfamiliar visitor.

Crash—

In the blink of an eye, the silver-gray torrent collided with the Orc cavalry. In an instant, the foremost Wargs staggered from the impact. The unfortunate Orcs thrown from their mounts were either trampled beneath hooves or finished with a single blade, quickly falling silent.

One charge had shattered the Orcs' pursuit formation, leaving them unable to regroup. They had no choice but to stop and fight where they stood.

Yet the elves swiftly shifted formations as well, hunting down the Orcs with even greater efficiency.

Whoosh!

An arrow struck an Orc trying to flee with perfect accuracy. The rider shot while galloping, every arrow finding its mark. Li Wei could not help clicking his tongue in amazement. If it were him attempting mounted archery, never mind hitting every shot—he would be lucky if his arrows did not fly off into the horizon.

Bows, spears, knives, swords... all manner of weapons were wielded expertly in the elves' hands. The Orcs' numbers steadily dwindled, yet they could never organize an effective resistance.

There were no battle cries, no excessive clamor—only the collisions of blades, armor, and flesh, along with the dying screams of Orcs.

Everything about it felt somewhat unreal to Li Wei.

Li Wei sat astride his horse, halted upon the hillside as he watched the one-sided, silent slaughter.

A complete rout.

No phrase could have been more fitting for the scene before him.

Realizing that their force stood no chance against the enemy before them, the Orc squad's leader let out a roar and fled with his remaining subordinates.

After symbolically hunting down several straggling Orcs, the elves did not continue their pursuit. Instead, they quickly began to deal with the battlefield.

A moment later, as if they had finally noticed Li Wei, the cavalry rode straight over and encircled him several times over.

What... was going on?

Just as Li Wei began to feel somewhat nervous, a tall elf rode forward.

"Greetings, outsider. What is your name?"

"Li Wei, an adventurer from a human town in the west."

"Adventurer, what business brings you to this land?"

"I heard that Rivendell is the most beautiful place in Middle-earth, so I came to see it for myself."

"Oh?"

The elf regarded Li Wei with a trace of scrutiny in his eyes. After a moment, he said, "Then please travel with us."

No one spoke along the way.

Li Wei followed the main force onward.

After the greetings when they first met, no one spoke to him again. The elves around him were quieter than the last, leaving him with no choice but to open his inventory and sort through his backpack to pass the time.

Although the Faction System showed that Rivendell was friendly toward him, the group of silent types around him still left Li Wei feeling a little uneasy.

On one hand, it could be called strict military discipline. On the other, Li Wei could not think of any reason to strike up a conversation.

So they continued on in silence.

Until they entered a valley.

Upon first entering the gorge, the towering mountains on either side blocked out the light, making it somewhat dim. But before long, the barriers to either side vanished.

Without realizing it, Li Wei urged his horse into a quick trot toward the exit.

Beneath the starlight, his pupils slowly widened, and Li Wei's view suddenly opened up. For the first time, he felt that human eyes could hold so little. There was so much scenery before him, yet he could only turn his head bit by bit to take it in. There was no way to see it all at once.

"Allow me to formally welcome you, Adventurer Li Wei."

The elf who had questioned Li Wei outside the valley earlier dismounted lightly and looked toward him.

"I heard that a powerful human wizard has appeared in the wilderness of Eriador. He built a castle in a single night, then slaughtered an Orc squad of over a hundred all by himself. He calls himself an adventurer."

As he repeated a rumor from who knew where, the tall elf removed his helmet and regarded Li Wei meaningfully.

Seriously? The rumor had spread that fast? Even the elves knew about it?

"It wasn't that exaggerated..."

Li Wei hastily denied it. He raised his head to look at the elf, then suddenly froze.

That face looked so familiar—especially the silver circlet around his brow.

"Lord Elrond."

Just then, an elf dressed in casual clothes hurried down the nearby steps.

"Lindir." The tall Elf nodded in reply and handed the sword in his hand to Lindir.

Hiss—

That name?

Li Wei suddenly turned his head and carefully examined the Elf beside him.

No wonder he had looked familiar. This was the legendary Lord of Rivendell, Elrond.

And the one beside him was Secretary Lindir.

After briefly settling the people and horses behind him, the Lord of Rivendell continued speaking to Li Wei:

"Since several days ago, the Orcs nearby have been unusually active. From Last Bridge to Loudwater, they can be seen everywhere. This is highly unusual. I believe something—or someone—has drawn them here."

Don't worry. The Orc King would be coming again in a year anyway.

"Now, it seems we have found the reason."

"Uh, I suppose it's because of me. I've killed rather a lot of Orcs lately, so the Orc King has put a bounty on me."

Elrond stared at Li Wei, a trace of admiration appearing in his gaze.

"The evil creatures you have slain should number more than just Orcs..."

Li Wei's eyelid twitched. It felt like his title collection had just been inspected from top to bottom.

"I can sense that your achievements are far from false. There is no need for modesty. It is something worthy of praise."

"Rivendell welcomes you, Li Wei."

"Prepare a feast. Let us welcome our friend."

The lord had personally invited him to dine. To be honest, Li Wei felt rather flattered, but he did not lose his composure.

A short while later, Elrond, having removed his armor, sat across from Li Wei at the table of honor. Before them were dishes arranged on exquisite plates, while an Elf poured Li Wei a cup of richly fragrant wine.

"Thank you." Li Wei nodded in acknowledgment.

"Li Wei, my people first heard rumors of you from the Dúnedain. I have heard that you are also on good terms with the Dúnedain."

"Yes. A Ranger once helped me, and I had quite a few dealings with him. I promised him that if he or his people ever needed anything, they could come to me at any time."

"Generous people are always rewarded."

Elrond nodded slightly and took a sip of wine. Then, his gaze suddenly settled on the sword at Li Wei's waist.

"May I borrow this sword for a look?"

"Of course."

Li Wei had not put the sword into his backpack, instead keeping it at his waist. In truth, he had deliberately wanted this well-read Elven lord to help him determine its origins.

The lord accepted the sword and carefully ran his fingers over it.

"The craftsmanship is exquisite. It should have been forged during the First Age to face the armies of the Orc King. Its edge is incomparably sharp. It should not be a Nameless Sword."

"Yet I have never heard any legend concerning it. Perhaps it was lost before it ever had the chance to reach the battlefield after being forged."

"I took it from a Troll. Their caves always have some ancient trinkets lying around," Li Wei explained.

He did not mention that the Troll had once used the sword as a skewer for roasting meat, fearing that Elrond might choke on his wine.

"I see."

Elrond nodded and returned the sword to Li Wei. "I believe it will help you face the Orc King more effectively. I look forward to the day it gains a name."

Only blades that had achieved great deeds would be given names.

What the lord meant was that he wished for Li Wei to use it to accomplish great feats.

As expected of a cultured Elf. Even his compliments left no trace.

Li Wei found his conversation with the lord quite pleasant.

Everything felt so natural.

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