I had no intention of personally saving those people. I knew that in a short while, Aragorn would liberate them all. It would make for a much better scene that way. So, I left them be and returned to Minas Tirith.
Minas Tirith was in the middle of cleaning up after the war. Orc corpses were being piled up and burned everywhere, while the bodies of humans were being gathered separately to be identified by their families for funerals. Even though it was an open plain with good air circulation, the stench of burning corpses filled the air.
'Whoa~ I wonder what they're going to do with those massive Mumakil...'
The Mumakil were a problem during the fight because of their size, but clearing them out seemed like it would be an even bigger ordeal.
'If a horse dies, you could at least eat it... Wait, can you even eat a Mumakil?'
I thought about it for a moment before shaking my head. Come to think of it, Sauron's side doesn't just raise animals normally. According to the setting, they supposedly feed 'Fell Beasts'—the ones the Nazgul ride—tortured and corrupted meat. There was no telling what they fed those Mumakil to grow them like that.
As I walked around watching the corpse disposal, I saw Gandalf spotting me and heading my way.
"You're back. I saw you flying off in a hurry. Did something happen to Frodo?"
"It wasn't a message from Frodo. Sauron mobilized Balrogs to attack Rivendell. I'm just getting back after stopping them."
Gandalf looked quite shocked at my words.
"What??? Is that true? Are Elrond and the Elves alright?"
"I arrived quickly, saved them all, and helped them evacuate."
Hearing that, Gandalf let out a sigh of relief.
"Phew... that is a great relief."
"On the downside, Rivendell was partially destroyed. I suspect Sauron did it to divert my attention."
"That makes sense. He marched forth almost immediately after you left."
Just then, Aragorn's group arrived and greeted me.
"It's been a while, Brother."
"Indeed it has."
Aragorn and I clasped hands in greeting.
"I don't see Boromir. Is he inside Minas Tirith?"
When Aragorn asked about Boromir, Gandalf explained everything that had happened. The expressions of Aragorn's group turned grim as they listened to the story.
"How could this be..."
"It could not be prevented."
Aragorn and the others deeply mourned Boromir's passing.
Once the war cleanup had reached a certain point, we moved into Minas Tirith to eat, rest for a while, and then reconvened for a meeting. The Hobbits, Merry and Pippin, were there, as were King Theoden of Rohan, Theodred, Eomer, and Eowyn. It seemed Eowyn had been caught by King Theoden after secretly participating in the battle. However, seeing that he brought her to the meeting, it appeared Theoden now fully acknowledged her.
"We must help Frodo."
Aragorn actively proposed that they march to the Black Gate to draw Sauron's attention toward themselves. King Theoden, however, expressed his opposition.
"Both Gondor and Rohan are exhausted from the great war. Moreover, Mordor's forces are still numerous. And those Balrogs are a concern as well."
"But if we do not destroy the Ring this time, this cycle will only repeat itself."
Their opinions remained divided, and the stalemate continued. Regardless of their debate, I kept tracking Frodo's location. Frodo's movement wasn't particularly fast after crossing into Mordor. Likely because of the sheer number of Orcs, the path to Mount Doom seemed difficult.
Eventually, with Gandalf and Eowyn siding with Aragorn, the decision was made to serve as a distraction.
'It ends up following the original plot anyway.'
I definitely felt that the world of the Ring moved according to a divine plan. Of course, I couldn't prove it. It was just a gut feeling. If that were the case, the powers that be might not be very fond of my presence here. To anyone's eyes, I was a foreign object, a ticking bomb that could break the world's setting at any moment. But since I hadn't felt any hostility from the world's 'will' before, it seemed they were willing to overlook me as long as I didn't cross a certain line.
'I wonder about the Ring, though.'
Gandalf then came over and asked me.
"What will you do?"
"I'll stay here and wait for Frodo's contact."
Gandalf pondered for a moment before replying. He seemed to agree that it was better for me to wait here and be ready to respond quickly if Frodo were to fail.
"Hmm... Yes, that would be for the best."
I called Aragorn over and handed him the shield that Boromir had returned to me.
"Boromir gave this back to me. Take it. He will be with you."
"I understand."
Aragorn took the shield and stared at it for a long time. Then Legolas, Gimli, Merry, and Pippin also came over and silently touched the shield one by one, mourning Boromir.
The next day, I watched from my lodgings as the soldiers of Minas Tirith and Rohan departed for the Morannon (The Black Gate). Rohan's forces were noticeably thinned out, likely due to the many killed or wounded by the Mumakil.
'Rohan did fight a bit too recklessly.'
Anyway, since the distance to the Morannon was considerable, it would take them several days to get there. I stayed leisurely in my quarters, waiting for Frodo to reach Mount Doom. The meals provided were quite good; it seemed they were taking good care of me now that they knew I was a dragon. However, they weren't particularly delicious.
Two days after Aragorn's coalition left, Frodo's movement in Mordor became a bit faster. It seemed Aragorn's plan to draw attention away had succeeded.
After a few more days, Frodo finally reached 'Sammath Naur' inside Mount Doom. I then concealed myself and teleported to Mount Doom. Frodo was standing at the edge of the Sammath Naur precipice, and Sam was shouting from near the entrance.
"Frodo!!"
"I'm here, Sam."
"Destroy it!"
Hearing Sam's shout, Frodo lifted the Ring hanging around his neck and stared at it.
"Frodo!! Quickly! Cast it into the fire!!"
As Frodo hesitated, Sam shouted again.
"Why are you hesitating? Just throw it!"
After staring at the Ring for a long time, Frodo turned back toward Sam and spoke.
"The Ring is mine!"
After saying that, Frodo tried to put the Ring on his finger. Sam looked at Frodo in despair.
"No..."
At that moment, I appeared and quickly snatched the Ring from Frodo's hand before addressing them.
"This is far enough."
"Ack! Master Cassian!"
They seemed incredibly flustered when I suddenly appeared and took Frodo's Ring. I first put the Ring into my Inventory and then took out a replica I had made in advance, immediately tossing it into the lava. Just then, the hidden Gollum suddenly leaped out, diving toward the cliff in a desperate attempt to catch the ring.
"No!!!"
Funnily enough, Frodo had also lost his senses and tried to jump with him, but I caught him first. Then Sam came over to help restrain Frodo.
"Frodo, get a hold of yourself!!"
Sam tried his best to shake Frodo and snap him out of it. Gollum had already vanished into the lava along with the replica ring.
Suddenly, lava began to surge within Mount Doom.
'Huh? I haven't even used the [Penalty Removal Ticket] on the Ring yet, so why is this happening?'
I grabbed both Frodo and Sam and quickly escaped outside. Once out, I saw 'Barad-dur', Sauron's tower, collapsing in the distance.
'No way... Did the connection to Sauron break because the Inventory is in a different dimension?'
It was truly absurd. All it took to resolve everything was simply putting the One Ring into my Inventory once.
'Wow... talk about anticlimactic...'
I took the two of them to a safe-looking spot at the base of the mountain and handed them a water bottle from my Inventory. Frodo and Sam took the bottle and began to drink greedily.
"Sam... it's over now."
"Yes. It's finally finished."
Since Frodo seemed to have come to his senses, I spoke to them.
"Let's get out of here for now."
"Alright."
I immediately transformed into my dragon form, picked them up, and flew over the mountains back toward Minas Tirith. As soon as we arrived, I made some porridge for them to eat and sent a message to Gandalf via a magically-imbued bird. If I didn't tell him, he would likely spend forever calling the Great Eagles to search for Frodo and Sam. Frodo and Sam fell asleep in bed immediately after finishing their meal.
A few days passed, and the coalition forces returned to Minas Tirith. Aragorn and his group ran to see Sam and Frodo. However, Frodo and Sam were so exhausted that they couldn't even get up for a while, remaining confined to their beds.
I began preparing to leave.
"Where are you going?"
Gandalf asked, and I replied.
"The Grey Havens. I've moved the Dragon's Tower there. You'll be coming, right?"
"Yes, I'll head there as soon as matters are settled here."
"Then I'll go ahead and wait."
Now that his work in Middle-earth was done, Gandalf also intended to depart for Valinor. Aragorn and the others came to say their goodbyes.
"Brother, thank you for everything. I will never forget your help for as long as I live."
"Sure. I've enjoyed having a good younger brother too."
Legolas and Gimli also stepped forward to say farewell.
"Lord Cassian, thank you for your assistance. Your tales will remain as legend."
"I'll never forget the Dragon Gentleman's delicious cooking as long as I live."
It seemed Gimli didn't remember much other than my cooking. Anyway, I also said goodbye to Merry and Pippin.
"Lord Cassian, I'll make sure to pass down songs about you for generations!"
'There's really no need for that...'
After finishing the farewells, I transformed into a dragon and left Minas Tirith. I didn't head straight to the Grey Havens because I wanted to hunt the remaining Balrogs. I landed in a secluded spot, transformed back into a human, and took out [Jack Sparrow's Compass] from my Inventory to start searching for the Balrogs.
Seeing the compass spinning in the direction of the Misty Mountains, it seemed they were gathered in the Mines of Moria. I had wondered why Rivendell, which was quite far from Mordor, had been attacked so suddenly; since they were gathered in Moria, it hadn't taken much time to strike at the nearby Rivendell.
"Found you, rascals."
I entered the Mines of Moria immediately, found the Balrogs, and sliced them down. Since no one was watching here, there was no need to hide my power.
Squelch!
"Graaaargh!"
Thud!
There were a total of five Balrogs hiding in the Mines of Moria. I cut down every single one without exception and turned them all into Shadow Soldiers. This brought the total number of Balrogs who had become Shadow Soldiers to eleven.
Exiting the Mines of Moria, I searched for any more lurkers, but there were only those sleeping deep underground who hadn't participated in this war. So, I stopped hunting and arrived at the Grey Havens via teleportation to tell Arwen and Elrond everything that had transpired.
"Peace has finally come to this land. You've worked hard."
Both Elrond and Arwen were overjoyed.
A month passed, and Galadriel along with the Elves of Lothlorien arrived at the Grey Havens to depart for Valinor. They stayed at the port for a while before boarding ships in groups to set sail. The Elves from the Dragon's Tower also left with them, leaving only Elrond, Arwen, myself, and Galadriel. Thus, Galadriel stayed with us at the Dragon's Tower while waiting for Gandalf.
One day, while talking about Gandalf, I remembered Saruman and decided to go pick up his belongings from Isengard.
"I forgot to grab Saruman's things. I'll be right back."
"I'll be waiting. Safe travels."
I immediately turned into a dragon, flew to Isengard, put the entire place into my Inventory, and returned to the Grey Havens. Saruman would surely be happy to see his tower again.
A few more days passed, and Gandalf and the Hobbits arrived at the port. Among the Hobbits was a familiar face; I saw Bilbo Baggins, now an old man, walking toward us while being supported by the other Hobbits.
"It's been a long time, Bilbo."
"A long time indeed, Lord Cassian. You haven't changed a bit, just like Gandalf."
Bilbo smiled and greeted me. It had truly been a very long time since I'd seen him. Arwen and I had visited the Shire one more time about thirty years ago, which was the last time I'd seen Bilbo.
'Living with Elves really does make your sense of time a bit strange.'
In the original story, they departed immediately upon arrival, but we decided to spend one day at the Dragon's Tower before leaving. This was because the Hobbits had requested to taste my cooking one last time. So, that day, I put quite a bit of effort into preparing a feast for them.
"Wow~ As expected, Lord Cassian's cooking is delicious."
"Right? It's the best!"
As the Hobbits praised my culinary skills, Galadriel also nodded in agreement.
"I was also impressed when I ate here at the tower. I have never tasted such delicious food before."
Gandalf added his two cents as well.
"Indeed. I can't tell you how glad I am that Cassian is coming to Valinor with us. It means I can mooch off his cooking again."
At that, I cut in.
"Arwen and I are going to run a business. Buy it yourselves."
"What? Is that true?"
"Yes. We've decided to open a bakery."
"Oho... such a pity..."
Everyone burst into laughter at Gandalf's lament. Afterward, the Hobbits told me what had happened after I left—Aragorn's coronation, his marriage to Eowyn, and how Sam was hitting it off with a certain girl in the Shire. Everyone enjoyed the stories as the day passed by.
The next day, after saying our goodbyes to the other Hobbits and packing the Dragon's Tower into my Inventory, we set sail for Valinor. The difference from the original story was that Frodo didn't come along; since he hadn't been injured by the Nazgul, he had no physical ailments and no reason to go. Thus, among the Hobbits, only Bilbo Baggins boarded the ship for Valinor.
Nothing much happened during the voyage. It was just a bit boring because it took so long. After over a month of sailing, a song suddenly drifted from somewhere. Hearing it, the Elves settled in and began to sing along. Bilbo and I just stood there, as it was our first time hearing the song.
Then, a bright light began to shine down upon us.
'Geez, talk about a flashy immigration check.'
Following that light, we entered Valinor. Arriving at the port, I saw the previously arrived Elves and Saruman waiting for us. It appeared Saruman had obtained a new body.
"Welcome. We have been waiting for you."
As Saruman greeted us warmly, Gandalf teared up and took Saruman's hand.
"At last, I see you again."
"Hmph, what's a grown man like you doing? Stop crying."
I also greeted Saruman.
"Old friend, it's been a long time."
"Cassian, we must continue our unfinished research."
"Indeed, we shall."
We settled near Tirion, the capital of Eldamar where the Elves live in Valinor, and erected the Dragon's Tower. I wondered if setting up such a structure would be an issue, but no one seemed to object. When I also set up Isengard right next to it, Saruman was immensely grateful, saying all his research materials were inside.
Arwen and I built a building near the tower and opened the bakery as planned. At first, there weren't many customers, but as word of mouth spread, it became a famous spot where not only Elves but also the Ainur would come to enjoy bread and tea. Of course, I continued my magic research alongside Gandalf and Saruman.
Arwen and I also had two children, both sons. We named the first 'Elladin' and the second 'Air'. Naturally, they were Elves. Elrond adored them. I even transferred some abilities to my sons and taught them magic and swordsmanship rigorously. I could eventually just leave, but they might have to fight Morgoth in the future.
However, the second son, Air, was actually much more interested in baking. In the end, I only gave him moderate training and taught him baking so he could help with the shop. I was a bit worried about the future, but as they say, no parent can win against their child; I couldn't keep forcing him.
As I spent my days preparing my sons, another fifty years passed in the blink of an eye. Despite being extremely young for an Elf, the eldest, Elladin, had reached a level of magic and swordsmanship where no one but me could keep up. The second, Air, had begun making truly delicious bread.
I had gained something as well. Through teaching the children and constantly researching magic, my [Master] skill rose to EX, and [Mana Efficiency] reached S. I also acquired a new skill: [(S) Omegas Magic].
[Ability Description]
[(EX) Master]
The learning and enlightenment of the disciple become faster, and one ability can be passed on in a degraded version.
[(S) Mana Efficiency]
Mana used for abilities is reduced by 50%.
[(S) Omegas Magic]
The completion and the end of all magic.
Enables the creation or understanding of any magic S-rank or below. (All magic of S-rank or below is integrated.)
The [Master] ability's transfer cooldown had disappeared. And the newly obtained [Omegas Magic] was truly broken. It was a skill I had gained through years of magic research, coupled with analyzing and studying magic I had obtained from various other universes.
What made this ability special was that all magic and sorcery S-rank or below were integrated into a single skill, and whenever Saruman or Gandalf brought new spells to me, I understood them immediately. Just as the description said, it was 'The completion and the end of all magic'.
'All those years of research really paid off.'
However, charms and supernatural powers were not integrated. Those abilities seemed to fall under entirely different categories. Interestingly, [(S) Lifestyle Magic] was also not integrated, likely because it was a 'Yuhui Life' original spell.