When Gandalf agreed to something, it was as good as done.
"Your journey might still be full of danger," Eric said, pulling a few golden apples from his backpack. The shimmering fruit gleamed faintly in the torchlight.
"Take these with you. You know what they do."
Gandalf didn't reach for the apples right away. Instead, he gave Eric a long look.
"You're not coming with me?"
"No," Eric replied, shaking his head. "I've decided to focus on developing the territory for a while. No more wandering around Middle-earth getting chased by dragons or lost in dark tunnels—at least not until next year. Maybe a few months more. Once everything here is running smoothly, I'll consider heading out again."
"Hmph. Very well," Gandalf muttered, clearly disappointed, but he didn't press the issue.
He pulled out his beloved pipe stuffed with Old Toby, the finest pipeweed in the Shire, and casually blew a smoke ring. The ring twisted midair and morphed into a tiny ship, which gently floated out the window like a miniature ghost vessel.
Eric watched with mild awe.
"I can see why children adore you."
"I have my moments," Gandalf said with a sly smile.
Eric's expression grew more serious.
"Have you ever considered the possibility... that the Ring is right here among us?"
"I know what you mean," Gandalf answered without missing a beat. "You're talking about Bilbo's ring, aren't you?"
Eric nodded, waiting for his response.
"That ring does carry some enchantments, yes. But believe me—it's not that ring. It's not the One Ring."
"Why not?" Eric asked, curious.
"Because if it were the One Ring, Bilbo would've gone mad by now."
Gandalf leaned forward slightly, voice dropping in tone.
"Never underestimate that thing, Eric. It's not just a trinket. It holds a twisted pull on every living creature in Middle-earth. The moment you see it, you're halfway stuck—like a troll in a tar pit. And not even a hundred orcs could drag you out."
Eric blinked. "That's... actually a very accurate description."
"Thank you," Gandalf said, pleased with himself. "If Bilbo's ring were the real deal, he wouldn't still be sitting around writing books and eating seed cake. He'd have run off to some cave long ago—or worse, Sauron would have already found him."
He paused, then added more grimly, "The Ring isn't just enchanted. It has a will of its own. And like its master, it's incredibly persuasive. It doesn't shove you into evil. No—it whispers. It amplifies what's already inside you. Your flaws, your pride, your fear. It tempts you with exactly what you want to hear, until you walk yourself into ruin... smiling the whole way."
"Even I wouldn't dare touch it."
Eric nodded slowly, taking it all in.
The danger of the Ring wasn't loud or obvious—it was subtle, insidious. Like a court advisor who always says the right thing, slowly nudging the king toward madness while swearing loyalty the whole time.
He glanced at Gandalf again.
If he were to possess the Ring, things might go south very quickly.
With his noble intentions, Gandalf would probably start by using the power to help others—curing, protecting, bringing peace. But as the Ring's influence crept in, he'd eventually start forcing people to be good. Commanding peace. Imposing kindness.
"Everyone must help each other."
"Everyone must do good deeds every day."
"Failure to be helpful will be punished."
Eventually, Middle-earth would have its own White Dark Lord. A world ruled not by cruelty, but by suffocating goodness. And in the end, it would be just as terrifying as Sauron's reign.
If even Gandalf could fall that far, Eric didn't want to imagine what the Ring would do to someone like him.
He'd probably be banished by the first month.
But there was something odd about it. He'd seen the One Ring before—or at least, he thought he had. Aside from that initial tug, it hadn't shown itself since. No whispers, no influence. In fact, it felt like the Ring was avoiding him.
Was it trying to play coy?
"I'll figure something out for the One Ring," Eric muttered, more to himself than to Gandalf. "I'll find a way to deal with it."
"That's good to hear," Gandalf replied with a soft smile. "Middle-earth just gained another layer of protection."
Eric walked to the window and stared west, toward the Shire. His thoughts drifted.
Should he just start the whole 'destroy the Ring' quest now?
The world was in a kind of calm chapter right now, and any overly powerful actions would disrupt the balance. Trying to march into Mordor at this stage would only stir chaos—and possibly turn him into part of the problem.
"Better wait until Bilbo shows up," he muttered.
Their conversation wrapped up not long after.
Gandalf stayed for dinner, then left in his usual hurry, heading east toward the Anduin Valley. He took only one golden apple. Just one.
Wizards knew restraint.
After seeing him off, Eric strolled through his growing domain. He checked on the stone-mining teams, visited the vegetable plots, and took stock of the lumberyard. Thanks to the residents' tireless efforts, the territory's basic resources were in good shape.
"Maybe it's time to take the next step…"
Before his adventures had really kicked off, Eric had been excavating iron veins not far from the edge of his land. The problem? That spot was a good hike away—fine for him, not so much for ordinary workers. Sending people out there with a simple order to dig would be wildly inefficient.
The solution? Expand the territory until the mine was part of it.
And so, he got to work.
He summoned several experienced builders to the gates—folks who'd at least helped construct homes before and handed them shovels. Their first attempt was to carve a dirt path through the grasslands.
Simple paths weren't recognized by the magical boundaries of the territory.
So Eric gave them blocks instead. They laid down proper roads from the gate outward, built rails and fences, planted torches, even crafted a few lamp posts. That did the trick. The territory expanded, and that stretch of road became part of it.
And from that new stretch, they could keep building. The system supported continued expansion, provided the method was right.
It meant Eric no longer had to do everything himself. The people could now expand the borders, build infrastructure, and take charge of future development. With enough workers, they could even outpace him in efficiency.
"Excellent. This is very good."
Eric's mind buzzed with possibilities.
The future of the territory looked brighter.