"Oh, this batch of fruit wine seems quite potent! You must try it quickly!"
Tom's personality had always been optimistic, and even knowing that Middle-earth was about to lose its spiritual energy didn't significantly affect his mood.
At this moment, he had already taken out his special colorful fruit wine as if presenting a treasure.
This time, unlike before, taking a sip would cause a large amount of colorful smoke to emerge from one's nose and ears.
Tom even shivered pleasantly.
On the other side, after so many days of travel, the Four Hobbit Children finally enjoyed a delicious feast.
Tom's wife, Goldberry, as the daughter of the Anduin River god, was excellent in both personality and cooking skills.
Even the mischievous Pippin and Merry were well taken care of by her.
However, upon seeing Mike and Tom drinking, the four little ones all showed envious expressions.
Hobbits love life and enjoy it; smoking and drinking are common for them.
Even Hobbit children have the right to enjoy these things.
"What, are you interested in my fruit wine too?" The generous Tom noticed the four little ones' envious expressions.
Seeing them nod, Tom poured a small glass of fruit wine for each of them, reminding them, "Although the colorful fruit wine is made from fruit, its alcohol content is not low, so please taste it carefully!"
However, looking at the dazzling and colorful fruit wine in their cups, the Four Hobbit Children no longer heard what Tom said.
After a casual agreement with Tom, the four little ones eagerly picked up their glasses.
The rich fruity aroma, mixed with a sweet scent, made the four little ones choose to drink it all in one gulp after tasting a small sip.
In an instant, the Hobbit children, who had been tired from their journey, felt comfortable all over; warmth sank and the wine went to their heads, causing large amounts of colorful smoke to emerge from each of their ears and noses.
"I can guarantee this is the most delicious wine I've ever tasted…"
"Pippin, you have a rainbow in your mouth…"
"…"
The two lively little ones cheered, emboldened by the wine.
On the other side, red blushes gradually appeared on Frodo and Sam's faces.
Especially Sam, the honest child, who, under the influence of alcohol, rarely showed such a hearty smile.
However, not long after, the four little ones, who seemed to have a brief burst of energy, lay down next to the dining table after being energetic for a while.
"I knew this would happen," Tom chuckled as he looked at the Four Hobbit Children, an expression of "just as I expected" on his face.
It proved that Tom's fruit wine wasn't so easy to drink after all.
The four little ones had been traveling all along, so it was normal for them to fall asleep under the influence of alcohol.
Goldberry glared at her husband reproachfully, then sent the four little ones to the small wooden house to rest.
As for Mike and Tom, they were not ordinary people, so they would be fine even if they drank all night.
…
Afterward, Mike also chose to stay in the Old Forest for a day, giving Frodo and the other three time to recover their strength.
"You can come to the Old Forest more often when you have time in the future; I have nothing here but plenty of fruit wine." Tom gave Mike a few more jars of fruit wine, then reluctantly bid him farewell.
His childlike personality made Tom love liveliness, but his own abilities confined him to the Old Forest.
Therefore, he especially cherished his friends.
Especially friends like Mike, who were congenial and had stories.
"Uncle Tom, can we come to play here in the future?" Pippin loved the fruit wine here, so he specially flattered Tom before parting.
"Of course, you're Mike's friends, you can come anytime you want." Tom had no ill will towards the Four Hobbit Children.
Moreover, he could tell that his wife, Goldberry, adored children.
"That's great! Then we'll see you next time, Uncle Tom and Aunt Goldberry!"
With their objective achieved, Pippin and his companions smiled and waved goodbye to Tom and Goldberry.
Another week passed just like that.
With a well-planned itinerary, Mike and his party safely arrived in Rivendell.
"Welcome, Gandalf has already informed me of your situation." Elrond calmly greeted everyone.
However, from his subtle observations of Frodo, it was clear that his heart was not so calm.
To destroy the One Ring…
Speaking of which, it was actually unfair to the Elves living in Middle-earth.
This meant they would have to leave Middle-earth, their home where they had lived for a very long time.
Later, Mike also met Gimli, the representative of the Dwarven race; Queen Galadriel and Celeborn, the representatives of the Elves, and their granddaughter Princess Arwen; and Boromir, the eldest son of the Regent of Gondor, the representative of the Human race.
Among them, except for Boromir's arrogant demeanor, everyone else welcomed Mike's arrival.
"Esteemed Dragon Slayer, I am Gimli, son of Gloin. Please allow me to greet you on behalf of my father and Elven King Thorin!" Upon seeing Mike, the Dwarf Gimli offered a solemn bow.
It was evident that this Dwarven warrior inherited the straightforward character of the Dwarves.
Of course, Mike truly deserved the Dwarves' gratitude.
Since the Seven Dwarf Clans moved to Moria, their lives had steadily improved, relying on their excellent forging skills.
Compared to the enormous wealth in the Lonely Mountain, the Seven Clans of Dwarves, living by their own craftsmanship, had rediscovered a sense of groundedness.
In the long run, the stable life in Moria was also more suitable for the continuation and inheritance of the Dwarven race.
"You're excellent, no less than your old man Gloin." Mike nodded and praised Gimli, then said with a smile, "But I don't believe that narrow-minded Thorin would thank me."
Given Thorin's arrogant personality and his obsession with the Lonely Mountain treasure, Mike did not believe he would be well-disposed towards him.
"Uh, His Majesty the Elven King might still have some misunderstanding about you…" Gimli scratched his head awkwardly.
He couldn't comment too much on the elders' affairs.
"Never mind, I never intended to get along with Thorin anyway." Mike shook his head slightly, relieving Gimli's embarrassment.
Then he greeted Celeborn and Queen Galadriel, who had walked over.
"How long do you plan to stay in the Lonely Mountain this time?" Finally, it was Princess Arwen.
After coming to Mike's side, she seemed to have no intention of leaving.
"Probably until this crisis passes," Mike replied.
He could sense that this Elven Princess was somewhat interested in him, but also a bit hesitant to let go of her dignity.
Hence, she had always seemed conflicted.
"Then can I come to the Lonely Mountain to find you later?" However, this time, Arwen seemed to have made up her mind and was very enthusiastic.
"Of course, the Lonely Mountain welcomes you anytime." Mike smiled and nodded.
This Elven Princess was top-notch in both looks and figure; Mike had no reason to refuse.
However, having many confidantes already, he was not so urgent; everything would happen naturally.
Then, under Elrond's arrangement, those who would participate in the Holy White Council attended an Elven banquet together, as a preliminary acquaintance.
At the banquet, Frodo, who was responsible for guarding the One Ring, received the most attention, but everyone present was of extraordinary status, so no one rashly disturbed the Hobbit.
However, Celeborn and Queen Galadriel, watching their granddaughter approach Mike, couldn't help but look a bit more serious.
"Do I need to remind Elrond?" The Elven King Celeborn whispered to his wife.
Elrond was Arwen's father.
The current situation of the Elves was not optimistic; once the One Ring was destroyed, they would need to leave Middle-earth.
At such a time, if Arwen and Mike grew close and fell in love, it would be nothing short of a "sunset romance."
After all, in the eyes of Celeborn and others, although Mike was powerful, he was still a human, and humans have an old age.
And if the Elven Princess chose to stay in Middle-earth, which was about to lose its spiritual energy, for a human, the first challenge she would face would be aging.
"Let it be. Whatever choice Arwen makes, it is her own life." Queen Galadriel shook her head, rejecting her husband's suggestion.
In her opinion, if something could outweigh life, then for the person who could possess "it," it might not be an unhappy thing.
After the banquet ended, Mike also bid farewell to the Elven Princess and took Frodo and the other three to their resting place.
Now, they just had to wait…
Most of the people participating in the Holy White Council had already arrived; they just needed to wait for Gandalf and his invited Aragorn and Legolas to arrive before the council could begin.
Oh, right. The White Wizard Saruman, who had been doing who-knows-what recently, had not arrived yet either.