For Garrett, there were only two truly valuable items to trade with the piglins.
One was ender pearls, which could be used for teleportation. The other was enchanted books, but the odds of obtaining those were extremely low, completely left to chance.
He traded two stacks of gold ingots and received an enchanted book only once. Even then, it was rather useless: Soul Speed, which increases movement speed on soul sand and soul soil.
It made him wonder if the piglins were doing it on purpose. Sometimes, those creatures really did seem to deserve a good thrashing.
Still, despite their occasional stinginess, the trading had to continue.
Under the bombardment of gold ingots, the piglins produced several chests full of various miscellaneous items.
He managed to acquire a lot of ender pearls, over 140 in total. He'd essentially achieved "Ender Pearl independence."
With plenty of ender pearls in hand, the very first thing he did was combine them with blaze powder to craft eyes of ender.
Back at Wayfort, he tossed an eye of ender into the air.
He watched as it flew upward in a trail of particles, hovered in midair, spun left and right momentarily, and then, pop, shattered into sparkling dust.
Well, now he knew. This world didn't contain an End portal.
"My lord."
Just as he was staring at the spot where the eye of ender had disintegrated, lost in thought, someone came hurrying over.
"What's the matter?"
"There's a hobbit named Baggins outside the gates. He says he's your friend. Should we admit him?"
Garrett perked up.
"Of course. I'll go immediately."
The resident watched Garrett's departing figure, hesitated, but ultimately chose to remain silent.
Their lord didn't seem to enjoy giving orders. Whether it was cooking or fetching items, he handled almost everything personally. He hadn't even appointed a personal servant.
And yet, if he said the word, there'd be a long line of people eager to serve him.
Clang.
The stronghold gates opened.
"Welcome, I've been waiting for you, Bilbo."
"Forgive my delay, Garrett."
Bundled in a thick winter coat, Bilbo looked thoroughly exasperated. As he entered the stronghold, he said, "You'll never believe what happened at my home. It was absolutely dreadful."
"Did you get robbed?"
"Worse than that!"
Bilbo complained, "You don't know, my cousins, the Sackville-Bagginses, they've been coveting Bag End for years. While we were away on our adventure, they actually declared me dead! They even held a funeral service!"
"When I returned, they were removing my furniture. They didn't leave a single item untouched. They even attempted to auction off the sword you gave me!"
Garrett frowned deeply.
He already knew the Sackville-Bagginses had always been at odds with Bilbo, constantly coveting his inheritance.
But some things were not for them to touch so casually.
That family really was quite rude.
If he recalled correctly, when Saruman later set his sights on the Shire, the Sackville-Bagginses were among the first to give in. They eagerly sold information to the White Wizard for big payment and even sheltered the ruffians and spies he dispatched, plunging the Shire into turmoil and daily suffering.
"It required everything I had to drive them out."
Bilbo continued, "When I returned, they even pretended not to recognize me, as if I were some burglar trying to steal their property."
"Fortunately, I still possessed the contract Thorin gave me. Without that document, I wouldn't have been able to prove my identity."
Whew.
He let out a sigh of relief as he spoke.
"But I'm truly grateful... that we both made it home safely."
He smiled and said, "Do you remember? It's rather embarrassing, but the first time I saw that contract, I fainted from shock!"
"Of course I remember. Gandalf had to spend quite a while calming you down."
Bilbo nodded. "I'm genuinely glad I chose to undertake that journey. But speaking of which..."
He looked around with curiosity.
"Are those people residents here?"
"Yes, they're new to the stronghold. They originally lived in the Vales of Anduin, between the Misty Mountains and Mirkwood, but it's gotten too dangerous there to stay."
"I'm not sure if you've heard, but many hobbits used to live there. Later, they crossed the mountains heading west. With the king's permission, they founded the Shire."
Bilbo shook his head.
"No one in my family ever mentioned that history. But now I understand."
"By the way, who was this king you mentioned? I don't recall the Shire ever having one."
"That was from a kingdom long fallen."
Garrett shook his head, clearly not wanting to get into it.
To explain properly, Gandalf would be the one to consult, he only knew fragments.
Bilbo didn't press the matter. He simply glanced curiously at the villagers, some working, others resting, then turned and followed Garrett into the castle.
"I brought you something."
As soon as they entered, he carefully removed his pack and placed it on the table.
"What's this?"
"Cellar-aged wine. Some of the most precious bottles from my family's collection. These are older than I am."
As he spoke, Bilbo pulled out twelve bottles of beautifully colored red wine from the pack.
"The Sackville-Bagginses have always coveted this wine. I absolutely refused to let them claim it. These are all for you. Trust me, they won't disappoint."
"Thank you. Although I don't typically... well, never mind. I'll treasure them."
Hearing that, Bilbo nodded with satisfaction.
"But come to think of it, what did you wish to discuss with me?"
As Garrett carefully set the bottles aside, he paused momentarily, then turned to Bilbo, who appeared slightly puzzled.
"Bilbo, I know you're carrying something... unusual, right?"
Bilbo's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
"I'm sorry, I don't know what you're referring to..."
"A ring. I know you possess it."
Bilbo instinctively reached into his pocket, a flicker of surprise on his face.
Wait, have I really been carrying it this entire time? But why? Why did I bring it with me?
He couldn't remember when or why he had brought the ring along.
Remembering a recent conversation with Gandalf, he sighed, then simply confessed, "Yes, I do possess a rather peculiar ring. You might not believe this, but I honestly wasn't even aware it was still in my pocket. Would you like to examine it?"
He reached inward, preparing to remove the ring for Garrett to observe.
"No, no, don't take it out."
Garrett quickly stopped him.
"You know I'm quite interested in magical artifacts. I just want to study your ring a little."
"Well, if you require it, then... I suppose you may use it."
After slight hesitation, Bilbo agreed.
"No, don't give it to me. It's better if it stays with you. Anyway, would you like a glass of milk?"
"Certainly. Actually, I've been drinking milk frequently lately. Thank you."
The hobbit accepted the glass and drained it completely.
"It's very fresh."
Once Bilbo finished the milk, Garrett gave a small nod and said, "Very well, let's begin. Don't worry, it's just a few simple tests. I won't take your ring."
"I understand."
Bilbo replied earnestly, "I'll cooperate however I can."
"Just..."
There was a flicker of hesitation on his face.
"Just what?"
"I don't mean to be impolite, Garrett, it might be a cultural difference, but in hobbit custom, conversing with someone while they have their back turned is considered rather impolite..."