The Lord of the Rings: Lords of Middle-earth.

Chapter 770: They're all holy swords, so what difference does it make who wields them?
"Your future path is up to you. I can't see what lies ahead, but I don't believe in fate, nor will I place my hopes on vague prophecies. I firmly believe that human will can overcome fate! Even gods cannot change human will!" Sernar said calmly and domineeringly.

“I understand!” Weiss nodded sadly. He knew that he would most likely never see Cernar again. With the last wisp of his soul disappearing, Middle-earth would never again have a holy hero named Cernar.

“I was once ordered by Sauron to search for the legendary prophesied son, but I do not believe in fate! Compared to him, I think you are more qualified to lift my holy sword! The kingdom belongs to the Dúnedan, not the king! I have no obligation to serve a royal family that cannot even protect its own nation with those corrupt ideas!” Cernal sneered.

"..." Weiss was shocked by Cernar's outrageous remarks and didn't know what to say for a moment.

"Don't be distracted by external things. If one day a young man comes to summon you with the Holy Sword of Isildu, you don't have to pay him any attention. Your king is very good!" Sernar said meaningfully. He was really afraid that the successor he had chosen would foolishly run off to benefit someone else. Although Sernar couldn't be sure who the Child of Prophecy was, his many years of investigation had given him some clues. The "Big Stepman" wandering in the northern wasteland had some potential to be the Child of Prophecy, so he had been providing protection to that Dunedan man both openly and secretly.

Otherwise, do you really think that little Aragorn has the ability to roam freely in the North? Besides the protection of the Rivendell elves, Thenar's deliberate indulgence and cover-up are also key factors in Aragorn's ability to make a name for himself as a Great Stride in the North.

However, the birth of the Kingdom of Lagrange brought about changes, and the rapid changes in the North threw even the previously patient and prudent Thiar into disarray. Aragorn, whom Thiar had originally chosen, now had a better alternative—Wheel. In Thiar's view, Wael, backed by a powerful kingdom, had far more potential than Aragorn. Moreover, Sauron's return had intensified the Ring's corrupting influence on him, and his once clear will was now constantly being eroded by the Ring. Thiar felt he could no longer delay, or he would become a mindless Ringwraith again in a few decades...

Having made his choice, Sernar naturally wouldn't hesitate; going all in was a sign of wisdom! Entrusting everything to Weiss, and also handing over the undead army to him, he had arranged everything he could. Now he could leave with peace of mind. As for the future, Sernar could only say that he had done his best, and the rest was up to the fate of the Middle-earth humans. However, Sernar thought that the knights of the Lagrange Kingdom weren't going to be sitting ducks, were they? Even if they couldn't defeat them… Sernar naturally understood how destructive that undead army could be if used properly. He believed that with the King of the Mountain watching over Weiss, he wouldn't pull off a scene where the undead army stormed Mount Doom, would he?
Besides, Cernar had no other choice! If he didn't consider the consequences, once Sauron returned, the corrupting power of the Ring under the Dark Lord's influence would be enough to crush Cernar's will and turn him into a puppet again. This is why Cernar didn't rebel in the original history, because Aragorn had already gone to Gondor to fight the pirates. Cernar, unable to find Aragorn, could only watch helplessly as the Ring corrupted his will until he completely fell again.

“I’m leaving, little guy… Arno… I’m leaving him to you…” Cernar’s voice trailed off as quietly as he had come and gone.

"Plop, plop!" In the world of souls, two lines of soul tears overflowed from the corners of Weiss's soul eyes.

"Farewell, Your Majesty Sernar!" Vess respectfully knelt down and bowed deeply in the direction Sernar had vanished.

……

“Your Majesty Sernar…” Vis’s gaze gradually focused, then he looked at the King of the Mountain before him with a somewhat blank expression, finding it hard to believe that everything he had just experienced was an illusion. “Lord Vis, please don’t be alarmed. There’s a reason why I’m only appearing before you now,” the King of the Mountain said with a slightly embarrassed smile, withdrawing the illusory bone hand that had been pressing on Vis’s brow.

“I’ve been watching you for five years, but you were too weak then. I was afraid you’d overthink things if I entrusted everything to you,” the King of the Mountain explained. After all, Cenar had left his entire estate to Whis, and it was only five years later that Whis received the most precious portion. The King of the Mountain was worried Whis might be overthinking things, so he quickly explained. Aragorn was born on March 1, 2931, in Eriador, while Whis was born in 2932, a year younger than Aragorn. Five years ago, he was just an eleven or twelve-year-old kid. Giving him so much pressure beyond simple swordplay would probably break him.

So the King of the Mountain waited and observed for five years before finally deciding to carry out Sernar's will. Although the King of the Mountain greatly trusted Sernar, he dared not be careless about this matter concerning their complete liberation! If Weiss truly was an incompetent fool, the King of the Mountain wouldn't mind retreating to the Path of Kings and waiting for the Prophet to come to him. However, he was now satisfied with Weiss; a spirited, courageous, and sincere dragon knight was an excellent choice for the spirits of the Path of the Dead!

What? You mean Isildur's curse? The King of the Mountain thinks that's a joke! Essentially, it's a manifestation of authority, a personification of the authority of the High Kings of Gondor and Arnor. Removing it isn't just the work of the King of Gondor; any human ruler with the same authority can do it, like Sauron and Roland… Sauron is out of the question, but the King of the Mountain thinks Roland is handsome and still has a certain charm! At Roland's current pace, obtaining the title of High King of the North in his lifetime would be a piece of cake, wouldn't it? With a few kind words from Whis, it won't be a problem for Roland to decide the outcome.

Is the King of the Mountain out of his mind to wait for the Prophet to come with the Holy Sword and rally them? Why would he ignore the readily available High King of the North and instead fawn over some unknown, self-made Prophet? Who says the Holy Sword he wields has to be the Isildur? The Sernar is a Holy Sword too, isn't it? The King of the Mountain can tell the difference, and he promptly surrendered after the five-year observation period! And now that Viss is older, he can shoulder this burden. The King of the Mountain even dreams of giving Viss a throne in the future; after all, all the kingdoms in the West are ruined, so he can inherit any one of them.

"Thank you for your covert protection!" Weiss was no fool. The King of the Mountain spoke lightly, but Weiss could guess that this sixth brother had been protecting him in secret for the past five years. It was just that Caslo was too overpowered in the open, and he hadn't had a chance to make a move. In fact, it was Caslo who left quickly this time. If he had left a little later, Uvasa would have felt the gust of wind again... (covers face and laughs).

“It is my duty to fulfill Lord Thenar’s request!” The King of the Mountain shook his head. As Thenar, the Three Rings, who had sheltered the people of the mountains after they abandoned Sauron and turned to Gondor, the people of the mountains were truly grateful!

This is precisely why the Mountain People weren't punished by Sauron after their betrayal. Thenar concealed their defection to Gondor from Sauron, leaving him completely unaware of their betrayal. Now you know why the Mountain People refused to go when Isildur led them to fight Sauron—Sauron didn't know before, but their presence would have revealed everything! And Isildur, that bastard, was ruthless; he unleashed a torrent of curses at the Blackrock Depths, leaving the Mountain People caught in the middle.

Although the cursed man was neither human nor ghost, the respect and gratitude the mountain people had for Cernar was genuine, as evidenced by their king's willingness to heed the dying wish of this dead man.

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(End of this chapter)