Chapter 121: Prophecy

In the magnificent great hall, after Celeborn finished exchanging warm pleasantries with Gandalf, he turned his penetrating gaze toward Kael, Bilbo, and Legolas. Though his attention focused primarily on Kael with obvious interest. "This must be the legendary Black-Robed Wizard Kael, who subdued Smaug the dragon, slew the Orc kings Azog and Bolg, and turned the tide in the Battle of Five Armies." Celeborn's tone carried genuine admiration. "Truly, reputation pales before meeting in person. You are younger and more exceptional than I ever imagined!" "Thank you for your generous praise, Lord Celeborn." Kael bowed respectfully in greeting, smiling as he graciously accepted Celeborn's compliments. This Lord of Lórien before him, though not as widely renowned throughout Middle-earth as Elrond or Thranduil, Even his wife Galadriel far surpassed him in reputation, status, and power across the known world. But that certainly didn't mean he was mediocre or lacking in ability. Without exceptional wisdom and strength, how could he have possibly won Galadriel's heart and devotion? Therefore, Kael never looked down on him because of dismissive sayings like "the man behind Galadriel." Seeing Kael's perfectly balanced demeanor, neither humble nor arrogant, Celeborn's eyes showed a hint of genuine appreciation. "Galadriel once told me that Middle-earth would welcome a peerless wizard in our time. Now it seems her foresight remains as keen as ever." "Lady Galadriel flatters me greatly. I'm merely an ordinary wizard trying to do what's right." "Ordinary wizards cannot subdue ancient dragons." Celeborn smiled warmly, then turned his wise gaze toward Legolas. When his emerald eyes met the Elven prince's, they carried an elder's natural warmth. "Thranduil's son is indeed as bright as starlight itself. I see in you some of your father's former grace and nobility. Is your father well these days?" Legolas bowed respectfully, his tone growing even more reverent. "My father is well, Lord Celeborn. I convey his warmest greetings. He often speaks of you, saying you carry more years of accumulated wisdom than Mirkwood's ancient trees and show more profound knowledge than the deep mountain lakes." Though Thranduil and Celeborn shared no blood relation, they both belonged to the noble Sindarin Elves, naturally making them feel closer kinship. So Celeborn treated Legolas like his own beloved junior. After exchanging several meaningful words with Legolas, he finally greeted Bilbo with equal warmth and courtesy. Meanwhile, Galadriel stood gracefully beside her husband, observing everyone with gentle wisdom without speaking. Only after everyone had completed their formal pleasantries did she instruct the attending Elves to prepare an appropriate feast to welcome these distant guests. The feast wasn't ostentatiously grand, but the atmosphere remained solemn and genuinely warm, without unnecessary clamor. The Lord and Lady occupied the main seats, dining with their four honored guests: Gandalf, Kael, Bilbo, and Legolas. Besides them, one more Elf joined the intimate banquet. She was Elrond's daughter who had grown up in Lórien, Princess Evenstar, known as Arwen. She was also Celeborn and Galadriel's beloved granddaughter. Arwen possessed lustrous raven-black hair, bright and deep gray eyes like mountain pools, jade-white skin, a graceful figure, and an ethereal bearing, radiating a spirited yet elegant aura in every gesture. She carried Maia blood flowing through her veins, combining the bloodlines of all three great Elven royal houses, plus the ancient ancestry of humanity's three noble families. Such a complex and extraordinarily noble lineage gave her Maia divinity, Elven elegance, and human free will in perfect harmony. Looking at the Elven princess nestled affectionately beside Galadriel, Kael's eyes filled with genuine amazement. If Galadriel's beauty resembled the moon itself, pure and dazzlingly brilliant, a queen of the night sky inspiring awe and reverence, Then Arwen embodied her title Evenstar perfectly. Her beauty carried gentleness and purity. She was like a star in the night sky, radiating soft yet brilliant light that naturally drew one's gaze. Arwen was obviously deeply beloved throughout Lórien. She carried a maiden's natural liveliness, nestling comfortably beside Celeborn and Galadriel. The two powerful Elven rulers always watched her with loving, protective gazes. As Kael observed this legendary Evenstar princess, She was equally curious about this dragon-subduing wizard. Their gazes happened to meet across the table. Arwen paused momentarily, then smiled gently and politely, nodding to him in gracious acknowledgment. Kael felt no embarrassment at being caught observing. His gaze remained perfectly calm as he politely nodded in courteous response. Yet he felt profound pity in his heart. Such a beautiful Evenstar, yet she would eventually choose to become mortal for love, ultimately leaving this world only after losing everything she possessed. He remembered that in the very end, when all Elves had sailed west and aged Aragorn had passed away, This Evenstar would choose to leave human lands forever and return to forests where Elves once lived, spending her final days alone and filled with sorrow. He wondered if she would regret such choices then? But all this remained far in the future. Even Aragorn was still just a young child, so there was no question of love at first sight. Kael mischievously thought perhaps he could interfere slightly by connecting Lórien and Rivendell through fireplace networks. Then allow Arwen to visit Rivendell and meet the child version of Aragorn much earlier. Under such circumstances, if Arwen could still fall in love with Aragorn, Then he could only conclude it was destined fate. But before he could continue these playful thoughts, the system provided a long-awaited prompt: [Hogwarts Sign-in System: Located at Lothlórien, sign in?] Kael snapped back to attention and silently responded: "Sign in." [Sign-in successful; congratulations on obtaining Prophecy Talent!] Prophecy talent? Kael felt genuinely stunned. Professor Trelawney's rambling, seemingly mad image instantly flashed through his mind. Honestly, if it was that kind of talent, what should he do if he didn't want it? The next second, Kael felt his mind clearing with supernatural clarity. He seemed to have opened a mystical third eye, perceiving this world from an entirely unprecedented perspective. A mysterious aura enveloped him, making him suddenly feel both highly rational and deeply mysterious. Such changes were extremely subtle, yet they couldn't escape the perception of the powerful beings present. Galadriel, Gandalf, and Celeborn all turned to look at Kael with obvious surprise. "That is..." For the first time, Celeborn's composed face showed dramatic change, uncertain and puzzled. "The power of fate itself." Galadriel's eyes flickered with recognition as she spoke with absolute certainty. "Kael, are you alright?" Gandalf asked with obvious concern. Kael looked at Gandalf and was about to respond normally. Suddenly, images he had never seen before appeared vividly in his mind. His mouth spoke involuntarily: "The age of Elves will end; the age of Men will come. When the broken sword is reforged, the crownless shall be king again. Darkness will rise anew; the Dark Lord seeks to find his lost precious..." His voice was low and completely emotionless, calmly reciting the prophecy like an oracle. Everyone stared at Kael with transfixed attention, listening in deathly silence to his emotionless prophetic voice. Until Kael finished the last sentence, his hollow gaze refocused, and he coughed lightly. Only then did everyone snap back to awareness, looking at Kael with intensely curious eyes. "Kael, you never told me you possessed prophetic abilities?" Gandalf sighed with complex emotions. Kael coughed again with obvious discomfort. "Actually, I just discovered this myself." Gandalf shook his head knowingly. He understood Kael had some secrets, but he possessed secrets too, so he had no intention of prying inappropriately. Instead, he looked toward Galadriel and Celeborn. "What do you think of Kael's prophecy just now?" Honestly, prophecies weren't particularly rare throughout Middle-earth. Like Lord Glorfindel of Rivendell, who had prophesied about the Witch-king of Angmar, saying he would not die by the hand of man. The "man" here could refer to humans specifically or males generally. Ultimately, the Witch-king was killed by Princess Éowyn of Rohan, while the hobbit Merry, who wounded him with an enchanted dagger, wasn't human either. This outcome perfectly fulfilled Glorfindel's ancient prophecy. There was also the prophet Malbeth of Arthedain, who prophesied that Aragorn would pass through the Paths of the Dead and summon the oath-breakers to fulfill their broken pledge. Even Elrond and Galadriel possessed prophetic abilities. Though their prophecies weren't natural talents but rather glimpses of future possibilities through wisdom and foresight gained from centuries of experience. So while everyone felt surprised that Kael could prophesy, they weren't completely shocked. They focused their attention on the actual content of Kael's prophecy. Endless accumulated wisdom allowed them to easily decipher the vague meanings in the prophecy and understand its true message. "The prophecy is clear. Dark forces will rise again, and Sauron with his minions is actively trying to find the lost One Ring." Galadriel's deep gaze looked toward the far east, her face showing obvious worry. "Obviously, we were all wrong before. The One Ring didn't flow into the ocean via the Anduin as we previously thought. Otherwise, Sauron wouldn't be desperately trying to find it." Celeborn frowned upon hearing this disturbing revelation. "When Isildur was killed by Orcs at Gladden Fields, the Ring was lost with him. Orcs, men, and even Elves have searched there extensively but found absolutely nothing. But if the Ring isn't there, where could it possibly have gone?" "It must be hidden somewhere or in someone's possession," Gandalf said with growing concern. Hearing their increasingly worried conversation, Bilbo looked visibly uncomfortable, lowering his head and unconsciously touching something in his pocket. Ever since entering this sacred place, the ring in his pocket had become unusually quiet, even seeming like an ordinary gold ring. Kael also noticed Bilbo's strange behavior immediately. He had originally brought Bilbo here partly hoping Galadriel and the others would discover the Ring. After all, this ring was no beneficial thing. The longer one remained in contact with it, the more it would erode one's body and mind. He thought perhaps they could destroy the Ring in Mount Doom before Sauron recovered fully, directly sending the Dark Lord offline permanently. No need to wait seventy-odd years for Frodo to escort the Ring. After all, he had no intention of following the original plot exactly. Why wait for Sauron to recover for another devastating great war? That would just be asking for unnecessary trouble. So seeing Bilbo's hesitant internal struggle, Kael silently walked to his side and gently placed his hand on the hobbit's shoulder. Bilbo trembled, stiffly turning his neck to look at Kael with obvious anxiety. Kael patted his shoulder reassuringly and said in a voice only they could hear: "Do you remember what I told you before? And think carefully about Gollum's appearance. Do you want to become like that?" Upon hearing this, Bilbo involuntarily pictured Gollum's hideous appearance and immediately shuddered with revulsion.