Chapter 267: The Round Table Conference
George walked through the streets of the Elven City. Every elf who encountered him would stop and take the initiative to salute him.
The light elves of the Elven City now were either those from the Battle of the Canyon or from the defense of the Elven City. They had all witnessed George's contributions to the war firsthand. They knew that if it weren't for George, they might already be dead.
Therefore, in their hearts, they felt deep gratitude and respect toward George.
George was also the only human of this era who could make elves greet him with a bow upon meeting him.
Even among the elves, only the princes received such treatment.
After walking for a while, he arrived at the Council Hall of the Elven City. While refining the dragon crystal earlier, an elf had come to inform him that the three princes had summoned him to the council hall for a meeting.
"Apologies, I'm late!"
George entered the hall and glanced around. Besides the three princes and Bregolas and Barahir, there was one elf he didn't recognize.
This elf was taller than the three princes, and George could feel that the energy contained within his body likely exceeded the combined power of all three princes.
"Not late. We haven't started yet.
George, let me introduce you. This is my cousin Fingon."
Prince Finrod introduced him.
"The brave Fingon, the next High King of the Elves!"
George immediately realized who this elf was. This figure was renowned throughout elven history.
Back in the day, Fëanor's family burned the ships and abandoned his two brothers. Leading his people to avenge themselves against Morgoth, they were slaughtered. His eldest son, Maedhros, inherited the title of High King of the Noldor.
But not long after, due to being deceived by Morgoth's false promise to trade the Silmarils, Maedhros was captured and hung on a cliff of Thangorodrim, tortured for thirty solar years.
His six younger brothers, afraid of Morgoth's power, dared not rescue him.
Fingolfin and Finrod's factions of elves, still harboring resentment over Fëanor's burning of the ships, were unwilling to act.
However, Fingolfin's eldest son, Fingon, had a close relationship with Maedhros during their time in Valinor. So he went alone to Angband and rescued Maedhros.
In gratitude for Fingon's lifesaving deed, Maedhros, against the objections of his six brothers, gave up the High Kingship of the Noldor to Fingon's father, Fingolfin.
After Fingolfin challenged Morgoth to a duel and was killed, Fingon inherited the title of High King.
As High King, he united all the elves and humans to repeatedly repel Morgoth's armies. In the end, he died exhausted, surrounded and killed by the Balrog King who led many balrogs and orcs.
"This is the Elven George I just spoke of. Without his help, we of this elven branch might only have Galadriel left."
After introducing Fingon, Finrod then introduced George to Fingon, his tone full of gratitude.
Fingon looked at George, eyes filled with admiration and thankfulness.
"George, thank you for helping the Noldor Elves. We Noldor will never forget this kindness!"
Back when their uncle Fëanor burned the ships, his father Fingolfin had led them and their cousins across the deadly ice fields of the northwest to finally reach Middle-earth.
Therefore, the two branches had a particularly close relationship—no different from real siblings.
After all, they shared the same grandfather and grandmother, whereas Fëanor only shared the same grandfather; his mother was different.
(Fëanor and his two brothers were half-brothers, with Fëanor's mother dying shortly after his birth.)
George had saved Finrod's branch—it was as if he had saved Fingon's own brother. Moreover, he had helped hold the central front, preventing Morgoth's army from launching a pincer attack on the west.
This was a great favor to the entire elven race.
Naturally, George, as always, responded humbly and politely, not immediately seeking to use his merit to ask for elven magic.
Because he already had a better idea.
Thus, after some pleasantries, everyone sat down around the round table and began discussing the situation going forward.
George simply listened and didn't rush to speak boldly. He wasn't a strategist; he had only helped the elves gain some advantages in the previous wars due to his knowledge of historical events.
Now, because of his interference, the course of history had already changed. His previous knowledge was no longer useful.
After about two hours, everyone finally came to a rough conclusion.
First, they would not concentrate their forces to support the east.
The eastern defense line had already completely collapsed. Morgoth's army had entered central Middle-earth. The six princes were retreating south, and the crown prince could only defend a fortress. Gathering their forces to go there would be useless.
If the defense line hadn't yet collapsed, they could go and help push back the enemy, allowing the sons of Fëanor to continue guarding the line. But to go now and station forces there would only expose them to attacks from both Angband and the central continent's dark army.
More critically, if Morgoth used their absence to launch a large-scale attack on the west and center, it would be even worse.
Second, they planned to reinforce the central and western defense lines to prevent Morgoth from launching a second assault.
Finrod would return to mobilize all elves to help his second and third brothers defend their cities. Bregolas and Barahir also planned to gather the scattered humans from across the land and bring them to live in the Elven City.
At the beginning of the First Age, humans had appeared in the easternmost part of Middle-earth. Three human clans had chosen to explore westward, with the House of Bëor being just one of them.
The other two were the House of Haladin and the House of Marach, both of which had larger populations than the House of Bëor.
Though the three clans lived in different places, they always kept in contact.
In this way, the central region would have enough troops to build a solid defense line. Even if Morgoth assembled the remnants from the west and center to launch an attack, they would be able to hold it.
As for the canyon, Fingon planned to visit his brother Turgon's hidden kingdom of Gondolin near the canyon and have them dispatch a large army of elves to defend the area.
His brother Turgon loved to travel and had once received a vision from Ulmo, the sea god, during a journey along the Sirion River. Inspired, he built the kingdom of Gondolin in a secret place near the canyon.
The elves of Gondolin seemed to have received the sea god's blessing. In just a few hundred years, they grew to rival the population of their father Fingolfin's kingdom.
With Gondolin's army, it was enough to guard that canyon.
As for the west, it had the strongest protector—Fingolfin—so it was naturally safer.
Finally, regarding the army of the Balrog King rampaging through central Middle-earth, Finrod said he would personally visit the Grey Elves' kingdom to ask Thingol to take action and eliminate them.
As for why Finrod could persuade Thingol?
That was because their branch actually shared kinship ties with Thingol.
(End of Chapter)