An Instantly Lofty Image

"Form a cannon fodder army to die, and the number must be large. Sauron won't take a thousand or eight hundred men seriously, so the army should start at least at ten thousand."

Ignoring the dark looks on everyone's faces, Russell spoke frankly: everyone understands the truth, but they are simply clinging to wishful thinking and unwilling to face the facts.

"Moreover, it's useless for just anyone to go. The person leading this army must be in a high position and have great power, such as Aragorn and Théoden. The two human kings are Sauron's biggest threat and the most delicious bait."

Aragorn: "..."

Théoden: "..."

"Oh, right, and Gandalf too. You're the first choice for cannon fodder." Russell looked at Gandalf with admiration and said, "The White Wizard has been targeting Mordor relentlessly, constantly on the move. Putting myself in his shoes, if I were Sauron, I would kill you at all costs if you showed up in Mordor!"

Gandalf: "..."

When a fire was set on him, Gandalf was slightly taken aback but accepted it. He wasn't afraid of Sauron; the great leader had granted him a pardon, so why would he talk nonsense?

But as a mature Maiar, being stuffed into the cannon fodder pile, he couldn't pretend he hadn't heard anything. He cleared his throat and said, "Russell, the person Sauron wants to kill most right now is you. In the Battle of Helm's Deep and the Battle of Pelennor Fields, you disrupted his strategic plans twice... Put yourself in Sauron's shoes, and if I were Sauron, I would do everything I could to kill you if you showed up in Mordor."

Aragorn and Théoden nodded in agreement.

To everyone's surprise, Russell also nodded in agreement. "That's right. I thwarted Sauron's plans several times and resisted the temptation of the One the One Ring. It was indeed a very good bait."

Gandalf's expression was strange. Russell's sudden enlightenment felt unreal to him. He asked with some doubt, "So, you want to join the cannon fodder and sacrifice yourself to Fellowship of the Ring destroy the One Ring?"

"When did I say I wanted to join the cannon fodder?" Russell asked in surprise.

"You said it yourself, you said you were the best bait!" Gandalf stared wide-eyed, feigning ignorance in front of everyone, appearing more mature than the man himself.

"Yes, I am the best bait, but I never said I wanted to join the cannon fodder team!"

Gandalf looked constipated. "If you don't join the cannon fodder, how will you be the bait?"

Russell chuckled and pulled a black robe from under the table, "During both battles, I wore a black robe similar to that of the Ringwraiths. Just pick anyone in the cannon fodder and put on the robe, and that's me."

Everyone: We have never seen such a shameless person!

"Hearing you say that, I..."

Gandalf opened his mouth, but Russell interrupted Russell halfway through his sentence: "The white robe won't do. Gandalf, you have a dignified and upright air about you. Although you are a bit old, you are still quite imposing. Your unconventional temperament is something that ordinary people can't learn."

Gandalf's eyes widened upon hearing this, but being a mature Maiar, he quickly changed the subject. "Don't talk nonsense. I, Gandalf the White, am ready to die. How could I possibly find a substitute?"

"Ah, so what do you want to say?" Russell picked his nose, rolled it into a ball, and flicked it into the distance.

"You found a double to impersonate you, so what are you doing there?" Gandalf asked seriously. Gandalf didn't believe Russell was planning to escape; if he wanted to escape, Russell would have done so long ago. Why wait until now?

Russell stood up, his expression righteous and resolute. "I will personally protect Frodo and go with him to Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions changed instantly. While the cannon fodder troops were already facing a slim chance of survival, venturing deep into Mordor's Mount Doom was ten times more dangerous, with a ninety-nine chance of death.

For a moment, everyone was moved by Russell's spirit of sacrifice.

Russell has a strange sense of sacrifice; he's terrified of death. He went to Mount Doom for a mission, where he had to personally end Sauron's life.

In the original story, the One Ring was destroyed not because Frodo's will was strong enough, but because of a series of unforeseen circumstances. He felt uneasy if he didn't go with them.

Russell knew the details of the mission, but others didn't. In everyone's eyes, his image instantly became noble and righteous.

"Russell, I'm willing to go with you," Legolas said.

"I'll go too!" Gimli chimed in.

"And me, I'm also a member of the Fellowship of the Ring," Boromir stepped forward.

"No!" Russell shook his head decisively.

"Why? Are you afraid we'll be a burden to you?"

Yes!

Russell glanced at Legolas and the others, and said in a deep voice, "I would like to take you with me, but I cannot do so. You are members of the Fellowship of the Ring and must be in the sight of the Eye of Sauron, otherwise it will arouse his suspicion."

Legolas and the others looked somber. Russell was right; for the sake of the bigger picture, they couldn't act impulsively.

"Frodo, you are a man of the Ring, are you willing to trust me and let me protect you on your journey to Mount Doom?" Russell looked at the Hobbits and asked seriously.

"Of course, Mr. Russell!" Frodo immediately stood up straight.

"Very well, I will ensure your safety even if it costs me my life."

Having created the right atmosphere, Gandalf cleared his throat and said, "I will follow the army and draw the Eye of Sauron's attention, buying you two time to destroy the One Ring."

"Me too!"

"Me too!"

"..."

Aragorn, Holy Sword in hand, said, "I will lead the Gondor army into battle. Sauron is plotting to eradicate the bloodline of the Dunedain. I am the sole heir of Gondor, and I will surely attract the attention of the Eye of Sauron."

Théoden looked on with admiration and stood up. "I will lead the Rohan cavalry with me. If we want to attract the attention of the Eye of Sauron, the King of Rohan is indispensable."

The meeting was now essentially over. The two kings, together with the members of the Fellowship of the Ring, were enough to divert the Eye of Sauron's full attention.

However, Russell and Frodo deep into Mordor was still extremely dangerous, and a single misstep could lead to their utter destruction.

Gandalf was deeply moved. Although Russell was usually just like him... cough cough, usually quite unreliable, he was indeed trustworthy in crucial moments. "Russell, this journey is extremely dangerous. Do you have any requests?"

In other words, you might not make it this time. If you still have any unfulfilled wishes, speak them now and we'll try our best to fulfill them.

A glint flashed in Aragorn's eyes, and he nodded silently to Russell.

Russell remained expressionless, completely baffled by Aragorn's meaning. He turned to Gandalf and said, "While traveling together with Frodo makes it easier to hide, the possibility of being exposed still exists..."

"So what?" Gandalf swallowed.

"In case we are discovered, we will need air support to rush into Mount Doom as quickly as possible." Russell looked at Gandalf with an innocent expression. "The white-robed wizard is knowledgeable and knows what kind of strange beasts can fly high and fast and can carry people... such as Great Eagles, or Great Eagles, or Great Eagles or something like that."

Gandalf: "..."

That's all for today!