Chapter 132: Meditation

With so many living magical herbs and flowers spread before him, Kael was dazzled for a moment, his eyes practically gleaming with excitement. Halbarad saw Kael's obvious happiness but still felt compelled to remind him of the practical challenges ahead. "Wizard Kael, though these herbs are still living plants, they each require vastly different growing conditions. If you want to transplant them successfully, it probably won't be easy." Saying "not easy" was already a euphemistic way of putting it. These herbs came from all corners of the world. Some preferred sun, some shade, and they all required different soils. It would be strange if they could survive when put together randomly. It was just that Kael had previously requested living plants, so the Dúnedain had followed his requirements and tried their best to bring living specimens to Kael, though they weren't optimistic about whether these plants could actually survive. Kael naturally understood Halbarad's meaning and the genuine concern behind it. But he didn't mind at all. If it were anyone else, it definitely wouldn't work, but don't forget he had magical assistance at his disposal. So he smiled confidently and said, "Don't worry. Since they've all been delivered safely, there's definitely a way to make them survive and thrive." "But I'll still need you to tell me about these plants' specific growing conditions so I can make proper adjustments." Halbarad didn't quite understand how Kael could be so confident, but since the wizard had spoken so assuredly, he could only agree. Then he watched in amazement as Kael used his space bag to store the whole pile of wooden boxes containing plants and soil in what seemed like an impossible feat. Halbarad and several Dúnedain were seeing this magical storage for the first time and were stunned speechless. Then the group followed Kael back into the tower. Kael brought everyone to a room on the sixth floor. As he cast the Extension Charm with his wand, expanding the space with precise movements, Everyone watched in awe as the originally somewhat cramped space rapidly kept growing larger. The ceiling overhead grew higher and higher, and the surrounding walls grew farther and farther away, finally forming a space as large as two or three football fields. Everyone stared wide-eyed with open mouths at everything around them. They now felt like they had entered a giant's room, tiny as ants in comparison. After completing all this spatial manipulation, Kael turned to look at Halbarad with focused attention. "Halbarad, what are the growing conditions for Athelas? Like the soil it grows in, climate temperature, etc. Tell me everything you know!" The shock hadn't yet faded from Halbarad's weathered face as he somewhat stammered his reply to Kael's urgent question. Kael listened seriously to Halbarad's detailed answer, nodding thoughtfully as he processed each piece of information. Then he continuously waved his wand with practiced motions. Thick soil kept appearing from nowhere, filling the entire space's floor and forming small rolling hills. In the valleys between the hills, Kael summoned large amounts of clear springs, forming a pristine lake that reflected the magical light. Pointing his wand at the ceiling, the ceiling quickly transformed into a realistic blue sky with white clouds drifting peacefully across. A huge yellow sun shot from his wand tip and flew to the ceiling, emitting a suitable temperature and light that bathed everything in a warm glow. With another wave of his wand, a gentle breeze appeared, continuously blowing and stirring up ripples on the lake's surface. Then Kael took watercress, yellow iris, and water lilies from his space bag to plant carefully in the lake. Next, on a slope not far from the lakeside, he carefully transplanted each Athelas plant with the tenderness of a master gardener. Athelas liked water but didn't like being too close to it. It needed moderate temperatures and plenty of light to flourish. Now Kael had modified the room's environment according to Halbarad's guidance into a growing environment that Athelas would absolutely love. Looking at the completed room space, Kael nodded with deep satisfaction. Now only over a hundred Athelas plants dotted the bare hills, but he looked forward to the future when they would form entire grasslands of healing herbs. Everyone who had witnessed all this happening was now silent and shocked beyond words. Even Gandalf, Bilbo, and others who had already seen Kael's various magical spells were genuinely amazed by this display. A young Dúnadan even unconsciously rubbed his eyes, as if unable to believe what he was seeing was real. Kael turned and smiled warmly, calling out, "Come on, let's go to the next room." Everyone followed him out of the room in a daze, their minds still processing what they'd witnessed. As the last person left, the room door automatically closed, sealing off the small world within. The sixth floor had other rooms. Kael picked the adjacent room and again expanded the space with the Extension Charm. Then he followed the same method. After asking Halbarad and the other Dúnedain for their opinions, he transformed the room again with meticulous care. This time the environment became a dry grassland setting. On the dense grassy mounds, Kael planted Simbelmynë from Rohan with reverent hands. This natural environment made even Gandalf comment that it felt like being transported directly to Rohan itself. Afterward, Kael expanded and transformed other rooms one by one with increasing skill. There were dense canyons, salty coastal areas, stone walls with howling cold winds, and snowy hills. Each room represented a different natural environment from across Middle-earth. Everyone followed Kael in experiencing various natural landscapes in a short time, their sense of wonder growing beyond measure. "Kael, you've now encompassed all the natural environments of Middle-earth!" Gandalf exclaimed admiringly, his eyes full of anticipation. "I can't wait to see them in full bloom. You must notify me when that happens." "Definitely," Kael nodded and agreed with a smile. His current modifications were still quite rough. In the future, he would need to keep adjusting and even form complete ecological cycles to help the plants inside grow better. The others also requested to be invited for viewing when the time came. Kael agreed to all of this graciously. So after having the meditation room on the 7th floor, Kael now had an herb garden on the 6th floor. Moreover, Kael planned to gradually fill each floor in the future with specialized rooms: potion rooms, libraries, alchemy labs, and more. Making Amon Sûl Tower truly become his personal wizard tower. After transforming the herb garden, it was already late in the evening. Several Dúnedain declined Kael's invitation to stay. Having completed their trading mission successfully, they immediately mounted their horses and left into the gathering darkness. Luke, who stayed behind, stated the purpose of his visit to Kael with obvious nervousness. "My lord, the villagers want to cultivate farmland at the edge of the swamp and seek your permission." Kael hadn't expected Luke to discuss this with him. He waved his hand dismissively. "Just discuss this matter among yourselves and the villagers. You don't need to ask my opinion on such things." Luke agreed but still hesitantly inquired, "Lord Kael, how much tax do you decide to collect?" "Tax? What tax?" Kael asked with complete surprise. "The taxes we owe you going forward. As subjects of your territory, we're bound by ancient laws to pay you certain taxes in exchange for your protection - poll tax, inheritance tax, trade tax, land tax, house tax, and others." Kael listened with a blank expression, never expecting that one day he would be collecting taxes too! He was about to say he didn't want any, but swallowed the words at his throat and instead asked, "How do other places collect taxes?" "I don't know about other places, but Bree has a 10% tax rate," Luke answered. Kael thought for a moment and said, "Then collect 1% tax, but don't pay the taxes to me. Use it all to maintain Hogsmeade Village's operations." Hearing Kael's words, Luke looked shocked, thinking he'd heard wrong, but then felt a surge of joy. He excitedly bowed repeatedly to Kael, full of gratitude and reverence. "Lord Kael, you truly are a benevolent lord sent by heaven! I thank you on behalf of all the villagers for your grace. Everyone will remember your kindness. Your grace is like sunlight shining on the fields, more nourishing to crops than rain..." "Alright," Kael quickly interrupted Luke's endless praise. "If there's nothing else, then go back." Luke was very perceptive. Seeing Kael's impatience, he immediately took his leave. He ran down the mountain with joy, ready to tell the villagers this wonderful news. He even planned to brag to outsiders about having such a merciful lord. Not only did he not want a single tax coin from his subjects, but even the only meager tax collected was entirely used for the villagers' benefit. He could already foresee people from other places, especially those oppressed by various high taxes, going crazy and flocking here when they heard this news! Luke was no longer satisfied with being just a small village chief. He vowed to develop Hogsmeade Village into a town, a city, or even a kingdom. Then he would be Lord Kael's right-hand man, standing at his side and forever recorded in Hogsmeade's history! But Kael at this moment had no idea Luke would have such grand ambitions. After routinely watering the White Tree and mallorn tree seeds, he came to the meditation room on the seventh floor, closed the door, activated do-not-disturb mode, and sat between the two fireplaces blazing with Gubraithian Fire. The meditation room's floor and walls were covered with ancient Elvish runes that carried a power to calm and focus the mind. The entire meditation room had no light sources except for the Gubraithian Fire in the fireplaces. The firelight flickered bright and dim, making the meditation room seem somewhat mysterious and otherworldly. Due to the presence of Gubraithian Fire, the surrounding magical energy was very abundant, no less than Rivendell or Lórien. In such an environment, Kael conjured a comfortable sofa and sat on it. Then he pulled broad golden leaves from a space bag and threw them into the Gubraithian Fire. These golden leaves were fallen mallorn leaves. Before leaving, he had gone to the mallorn forest and filled an entire space bag with leaves. If poured out, they would be enough to fill the entire meditation room. The mallorn leaves burned in the Gubraithian Fire, giving off a sunny scent. It was like the smell of bedding after being sun-dried: fresh, warm, and very comfortable. Kael waved his wand to make the mallorn leaves automatically fly into the Gubraithian Fire at intervals. Soon smoke swirled, appearing and disappearing, ethereal and uncertain. The smoke seemed magical, condensing without dispersing, surrounding Kael like long, slender ribbons floating around him. Breathing in the fresh fragrance of burning mallorn leaves, he leaned back on the sofa, completely relaxing his body. His mouth slightly opened as he softly hummed the music Tom Bombadil had taught him. In the quiet meditation room, his singing echoed continuously. The song was full of magic, especially in this environment rich with magical energy, producing even greater effects. A joyful emotion arose in his heart, full of happiness, light, and innocence. Gradually, all his distracting thoughts disappeared, leaving only this cheerful music in his mind. Finally, even the music disappeared, and he became thoughtless. He seemed to be asleep yet was consciously aware he wasn't sleeping. His senses seemed infinitely amplified. He could hear the crackling of burning leaves, the movement of air, his own breathing, the flow of blood, and even the fluctuations of magic power within his body.