The wild wind scattered Roadside Keep's songs.
Whether feast or celebration, all commotion must eventually end.
Whoosh. The Woodland Realm's deputy startled awake at the table and stood up abruptly.
"I won."
Not a single dwarf remained standing. Nor any other elf for that matter.
But looking at the silent venue, this small joy inexplicably faded. These dwarves were actually quite interesting. Yet looking at these people before him, he didn't know whether he should feel happy or sad.
The deputy took a deep breath and suddenly smiled.
Now he somewhat understood why his king was unwilling to leave home. Only kindred could forever accompany elves. Like their woodland kinfolk... or relatives from Rivendell and other places.
"Time to go back."
Shaking his head, the deputy walked toward the Sky Road entrance.
"Wait a moment."
A voice called out to him.
Gloin propped himself against the table, barely lifting his head. "You're not half bad, fellow," he said groggily.
"Burp."
He fell asleep again.
Standing there dazed for quite a while, the deputy continued forward.
"Hold on!"
Someone else called out to him.
This isn't over...
He turned to see Levi waving at him.
Not over? Then let it not be over. No rush anyway.
"Take this back with you. I think Thranduil will like it."
Levi pulled out a beacon.
The deputy's breath caught.
No one could refuse such a pure crystallization of beauty. Last night, the most frequently heard phrase from elves was "Please let me look at that star in the beacon a little longer."
If dwarves merely appreciated and liked beacons from a general aesthetic standpoint, elves were addicted. This thing hit directly at their aesthetic sweet spot.
Elves especially loved silver items, sometimes even preferring them to gold. This preference arose fundamentally because silver resembled the color of stars.
They loved the stars above because when the elven race was born, the first thing they saw was the starry sky. And the nether star? Guess why it was called a "nether star"?
Precisely because it resembled celestial stars. Even more beautiful and pure than those hanging in the sky.
Most importantly, it was right before their eyes. Touchable and admirable up close.
Faced with Levi's casual gift, this Woodland Realm deputy really didn't know how to respond. Didn't know where to put his hands.
He felt he should go back and drag his king out to personally receive this thing.
Levi wasn't particularly stingy toward allies who genuinely befriended him, especially since he didn't lack these items at all. Even if others viewed it as a peerless treasure, he couldn't be bothered using this reputation to propose conditions or reach agreements.
Just pure gifting. Seeing you like it, I'm giving you one, nothing more.
In the end, Rivendell, the Woodland Realm, the Lonely Mountain—all present allies—received a beacon from Levi.
Thorin wanted to mount this thing as the new royal treasure on the wall behind his throne.
"Dig through the mountain! It must shine!"
The dwarves unanimously agreed. Their attitude needed no elaboration.
On the other side, Elrond felt weighty both physically and emotionally.
"Such a magnificent gift would bring joy even to beings from the sacred lands across the great sea."
"We shall remember forever."
From this day forward, Rivendell gained a beacon sanctuary. Elven craftsmen displayed their artistic achievements accumulated over long ages, carefully polishing every detail and environment of the beacon site.
Then, following Elrond's accounts, they carved several murals recording the beacon's origin and the person who gave this great gift.
The beacon, with obsidian as a base and pure, clear glass covering for protection, contained a nether star, pure and flawless like a true celestial star.
Perhaps the power it contained still couldn't match those three Silmarils, and its radiance wasn't like the holy tree light within the Silmarils. Yet it possessed another kind of unique beauty and more direct power.
When elves followed Levi's instructions and stacked metal blocks beneath in layers, the beacon displayed its power. The life force it emanated slowed or even stopped the physical decline of elves.
This was an age destined for decline. The elves' fate was to sail west, returning to the sacred lands, for only there could their physical weakening cease.
All elves unwilling to sail west would eventually have their bodies gradually dissipate due to certain forces' influence, becoming invisible souls.
Most elves didn't worry about this since they longed to sail west, only waiting for the opportunity to return immediately. But the Woodland Realm elves were different. They resisted being led by those proud Noldorin elves and were unwilling to answer the Valar's call.
They believed natural life uninterfered with by the Valar was the best life for elves, so these elves were unwilling to sail west.
But this meant only one fate awaited them: extinction.
Despite resistance, their destiny remained beyond their control, for this earth was no longer as pure as when created. Everything material had been polluted by Morgoth.
Living in such a world, elves' bodies were also affected. Not as strong and enduring as originally designed. The longer they remained in Arda, the more obvious their physical decline became, perhaps eventually losing physical form and becoming souls invisible to mortals.
The world's next chapter belonged to humanity.
Yet now Levi provided another choice. Or rather, assistance.
Beacons.
The life force emanated by beacons slowed elves' strength decline and loss, giving them more time to exist in this world.
When the beacon's light beam pierced through Mirkwood's leaves, Thranduil suddenly stood up, eyes wide, realizing this.
"I must go see Levi."
He wasn't staying home anymore.
Levi's action... greatly affected elven fate.
This matter was actually quite delicate.
"I just hope to spend more time with friends."
This was his answer.
"They definitely rigged it."
In distant Erebor's interior, Balin sat alone with wet eyes, guarding the empty hall.
"How could it be so coincidental that I'm left here again..."
"I'm never playing with you lot again."
This white-bearded old dwarf made such a declaration.
Time flowed like water, washing everything away.
This year, Levi finally didn't wander around but stayed in his territory, especially in that nameless tower, constantly building various things.
While building, cart after cart of original books and copies were transported in, filling the shelves. No one remembered how many batches of books were transported in. Everyone just knew that tower's collection must be terrifying.
Over time, it gained a new nickname: "Tower of Knowledge."
Of course, during this period Levi didn't just stay in the tower. He did another thing: completed both the Nether highway from Roadside Keep to Gondor and from Gondor to Dale.
These two projects plus tower decoration nearly killed Levi. He couldn't rest for an entire year.
One could say he worked hard and happily.
The Sky Road operated smoothly with more people traveling on it. More people learned of this road's existence, modifying ancestral routes. Middle-earth's entire map welcomed an update.
Of course, this road's impact wasn't limited to this.
Things continued brewing.
This year passed peacefully without major events. In a blink, spring and autumn passed.
Year 2948. A messenger from Gondor arrived at Roadside Keep, bringing news from distant places.
"A letter from Thengel."
Levi opened the envelope and read.
Nothing special. Mostly formulaic greetings and expressions of longing.
But besides these, Thengel mentioned one family matter:
"My first son was born. I named him 'Théoden.'"
"He's lively, active, and cries loudly. A healthy child. You must come see him if you have the chance."