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*****
"George, I didn't expect what Second and Third Brother said to be true. Where did you learn all that magic?"
On their way out of the palace, Galadriel pulled Lucy along as she walked up to George and asked.
Based on the strength George displayed in the palace, he still wasn't quite her match. But if his power increased a hundredfold, then she certainly wouldn't be able to defeat him.
That's why she was so curious—how could a human like George have learned so many powerful spells?
"Well, how should I put it... I was taught by a mysterious figure. But I don't really know who he is," George replied casually.
It wasn't something he could explain, so he just made something up.
After all, no one could expose the truth.
Even if he claimed Ilúvatar had taught him, as long as Ilúvatar didn't come out and deny it himself, no one could prove otherwise.
"A mysterious figure... Could it be Oromë Aldaron, the God of the Hunt? I've heard he often travels through Middle-earth," Galadriel speculated, somewhat confused.
"But I've never heard that he's skilled in light or giant magic. Could it have been another deity?"
"George, that little story you told earlier was really interesting. Was it something that actually happened, or did you make it up? Do you know more stories like that?"
Lucien didn't care much for combat or magic, but she was genuinely intrigued by the tale of Snaga in the cave. She had never heard such amusing stories before.
"Oh, that? I heard it from someone else," George said, eyes shifting slightly.
"We have a lot of stories like that back where I'm from. If you're interested, you could come visit my school someday—I can share them with you slowly.
For example, there's another one called Snaga Gazes at the Sky from the Cave."
"Snaga Gazes at the Sky from the Cave?"
Lucien's beautiful eyes were full of curiosity.
George slowly began:
"One day, a Snaga was working deep inside a cave when a bat suddenly transformed into a vampire and swooped down from above.
The vampire said to the Snaga: 'I've flown over a thousand miles. I'm thirsty. Go fetch me some blood.'
The Snaga, who had never once left the cave in his life, looked doubtful and replied: 'Stop exaggerating. The hole above the cave is tiny. Why would you need to fly that far?'
The vampire burst into laughter and said: 'You ignorant half-orc. The sky is vast and boundless—far bigger than you can imagine!'
The Snaga grinned foolishly and retorted: 'I work here every day. I just have to look up and I can see the sky. I'm not mistaken.'
The vampire cursed him: 'Fool! If you don't believe me, then wait until the day you join our army and leave the cave to fight the elves. You'll see for yourself.'"
"I get it. This story has a similar meaning to the one you told earlier in the palace. Both are about narrow vision and limited knowledge," Lucien said with a silvery laugh that rang like bells, catching the attention of several noble elven heirs nearby.
None of them had ever seen Princess Lucien this cheerful before. Unfortunately, her laughter wasn't directed at them—but at a mere human.
Well... perhaps "mere" wasn't the right word. This human was clearly something else.
"Princess Lucien, you're really clever."
George gave her a thumbs-up.
Of course it sounded familiar—one version was the frog at the bottom of a well, and the other was the Snaga gazing at the sky. He had just adapted it to fit this world better, making it easier for people here to understand.
His goal in chatting with Lucien wasn't to flirt, but to pique her interest in joining his school for a magical exchange.
Lucien was even stronger than Galadriel, possessing the blood of a Maia and the first Elven King. Her enchantments could even put Morgoth to sleep, and she had inherited the true teachings of Melian.
If she could come to the school as a teacher, it would benefit both the students and George himself.
Like a curious child, Lucien raised a thumb too and asked,
"This gesture—does it mean 'clever' among your people?"
"Yeah, you could say that."
George nodded with a smile.
Lucien then pointed her thumb at George.
"You're clever too. Your people really are an interesting race."
"That guy… don't tell me he's trying to court my daughter!"
From a short distance away, Thingol's expression turned dangerous as he watched his daughter Lucien laugh joyfully beside George.
If his precious daughter were to fall in love with a human, that was something he absolutely could not accept.
Even if that human was a hero, even if he possessed immense magical power—it still wasn't enough.
Humans only lived for a few short decades, whereas elves had lifespans that could stretch on forever. Once the human died, his daughter would be left in utter heartbreak.
Elves died in two ways—either by being slain, or by losing the will to live. In the latter case, their spirits would also pass on to the Halls of Mandos.
To put it bluntly, when an elf and a human fall in love, even if they die together, their souls will never reunite in Mandos's halls.
Human souls do not fall under Mandos's dominion. After death, they go directly to Ilúvatar.
Fortunately, his thoughts were soon interrupted—they had already arrived outside the palace of the Thousand Stone Caverns.
The gray elves outside, seeing King Thingol and the many elven nobles emerge into the city all at once, gathered curiously around them.
"George, you may now demonstrate your magic," Thingol said.
This time, he no longer called George human, but addressed him by name.
Clearly, the power George had displayed earlier had earned his respect.
"I'm about to perform the Giant Magic—Full-body Enlargement!"
Magic circles lit up across George's body as his form began to swell rapidly. In the blink of an eye, he had transformed into a hundred-meter-tall giant.
With a thunderous clap of his hands, a powerful gust of wind swept out and blew apart the clouds above.
It was easy to imagine—if he brought down a single punch, the force would be utterly devastating.
"He's huge! He reminds me of Tulkas, the God of War. Could it be Tulkas who taught him magic?!"
Galadriel couldn't help but cry out in amazement as she watched George in his giant form.
She remembered her grandfather once telling her that Tulkas, the God of War, could transform into a towering giant tens of thousands of meters tall when going into battle.
During the First War against Morgoth, it was Tulkas who delivered a crushing blow to the dark god, and used Angainor—the divine chain forged by Aulë—to bind Morgoth and bring him back to Valinor for judgment.
And it wasn't just Galadriel. Thingol and all the other elves present were equally stunned.
"An exchange—we must initiate a magical exchange!"
If even a human could master such powerful spells, then surely the elves could as well.
But George wasn't done shocking the elves.
"I've heard that the Valley of Death is filled with dark creatures born from Morgoth's influence. Today, I shall turn the Valley of Death… into the Valley of Light!"
Still in his giant form, George brought his palms together and shouted:
"Light Magic: Fairy Law!"
(End of Chapter)