The evening banquet commenced as planned, and indeed, not many attended; some faces were even familiar to Arthas. Among them were Lor'themar Theron, who, despite being Sylvanas's subordinate, always seemed to lack presence, and his colleague, Ranger Captain Halduron Brightwing, as well as many others Arthas had met within the ranger corps.
"You are truly remarkable. I apologize for my previous words and actions, Prince Arthas," Lor'themar said, raising his goblet filled with the elves' unique fruit wine. "Forgive my impulsiveness at the time; I was simply too worried about Sylvanas's safety."
"That's quite normal, Lord Lor'themar, no need to apologize. This merely shows that you are a trustworthy subordinate," Arthas replied, clinking glasses with Lor'themar. "I, too, wish to have a comrade as responsible as you."
"Haha, unfortunately, Sylvanas most likely won't agree to me serving you, Prince Arthas. After all, I believe I understand Sylvanas's style very well," Lor'themar chuckled and began to boast, only to see his colleague Halduron frantically winking at him. He thought Halduron must have been drunk—heck, this guy, he only had a few drinks and was already tipsy. This Halduron is really weak!
"Oh, how is it that I didn't know my subordinate understood me so well? Then tell me, what do you think my style is like?"
"Hehe, why, Sylvanas usually appears calm and composed, but at crucial moments, she is actually…" Mid-sentence, Lor'themar suddenly realized his mistake. He stiffly turned around and saw Sylvanas standing right behind him.
Sylvanas had already changed out of her battle armor and into a light blue silk gown with a white shawl. She looked nothing like a decisive Ranger-General, but rather like the elf young lady next door. However, the unintentional chill in her eyes indicated that Sylvanas was not in a good mood at the moment.
"Uh, I mean, that is," perhaps it was the wine, but Lor'themar suddenly felt his tongue was tied, unable to articulate clearly.
"Enough, Lor'themar. When we return to the Farstriders, we'll have a good talk about what my style is really like," Sylvanas said decisively, giving Lor'themar no chance to explain himself.
Halduron, standing nearby, helplessly rubbed his forehead. He had given that unfortunate Lor'themar such obvious hints, yet he still hadn't noticed that Sylvanas had been standing behind him for a while? Alas, he was so drunk after only a few drinks; if only he had eaten something, it wouldn't have been like this.
Why couldn't he just be his usual unnoticeable self and stick to being a subordinate? Why did he have to stand out and criticize Sylvanas's style? This was Windrunner's hometown, and she was the strongest Ranger here!
After dealing with the crestfallen Lor'themar, Sylvanas walked gracefully to Arthas's side and whispered to him, "Arthas, someone wants to see you."
"See me?" Arthas was startled. Although he generally recognized the prominent figures here, they didn't know him. Besides Sylvanas, could he possibly have any other acquaintances among the High Elves?
Sylvanas pursed her red lips. "Let's go and see. He's waiting for you in the reception room on the second floor."
A bewildered Arthas followed Sylvanas to the reception room on the second floor. There, he met a black-haired High Elf wearing a Dalaran mage robe.
"Who is this?" Arthas found this elf somewhat vaguely familiar but couldn't quite recall his name.
"Let me introduce you. This is Archmage Rommath, a close companion of Prince Kael'thas." With Sylvanas's introduction, Arthas suddenly understood—he was Kael'thas's confidant, and later Regent Lor'themar's personal advisor.
The black-haired elf's expression was stern; he was clearly a serious fellow, but he still managed to force a smile when he saw Arthas. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Prince Arthas."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lord Rommath. So, are you the one who invited me here?"
"No," Rommath shook his head. He waved his hand and tossed a magic crystal, letting it float in mid-air. "Prince Kael'thas wants to see you." Prince Kael'thas? Arthas knew this wasn't referring to himself, but rather the High Elves' Prince—Kael'thas Sunstrider.
Under Rommath's guidance, the magic crystal quickly projected a holographic image. Looking at the flashy appearance and handsome face that was no less than his own, Arthas smiled and greeted, "Kael'thas, so you were looking for me?"
"That's right. I must personally express my heartfelt gratitude to you on behalf of Silvermoon City and Quel'Thalas," Kael'thas stared at his former love rival with a complicated gaze. Although neither of them cared about that matter anymore, Arthas often teased him about it.
"Given our relationship, you don't need to say such polite words. You sent an Archmage specifically to find me; it shouldn't just be for this, right? I remember these long-distance projection crystals are quite expensive." As a second-generation royal, Kael'thas, the High Elf Prince with a rich family background, was naturally overflowing with wealth. Before the Secret Intelligence Agency became fully operational, Arthas was indeed not as wealthy as him. But now, Arthas was slightly better off. However, once Kael'thas inherited the throne, he might once again surpass Arthas—that's a true 'tall, rich, and handsome' individual!
"Of course, it's not for such nonsense. I personally want to give you a gift—it's with Rommath. He will give it to you after we finish this call. As for what it is exactly, you'll understand once you see it."
"Since it's from you, there's no problem with me accepting it," Arthas seemed to see through Kael'thas's thoughts. "But this still isn't the main point, is it?"
"You always seem to see through people's hearts, Arthas," Kael'thas's expression was quite helpless. "Rommath."
"Prince Kael'thas, I have already cast the barrier."
"Good. Arthas, from now on, I speak as the Crown Prince of Quel'Thalas, the future executor of our alliance."
"I've already told you why I'm in Dalaran and not Silvermoon City. Originally, I simply didn't want to bother too much with the Silvermoon Council, but now I realize that if I don't solve their problems, they will sooner or later destroy Quel'Thalas. This incident made me realize one thing: they not only don't care about the lives of ordinary citizens, they don't even care about the life of the kingdom!" Kael'thas's words carried uncontrollable anger; it was clear that his fury towards the Silvermoon Council had reached a breaking point.
"No, I think they do care."
Kael'thas was stunned by Arthas's words. His full rage suddenly halted. Sylvanas and Rommath also looked at Arthas, seemingly waiting for his answer.
"After all, if Silvermoon City were gone, they wouldn't have their good life anymore."
Kael'thas was exasperated. "I'm being so serious, and you're still talking about other things." Interrupted by Arthas, Kael'thas, who had somewhat composed himself, felt his anger subside considerably. He then continued, "If it really comes to that, those councilors will definitely pack up and run away—" As he spoke, he stopped himself, seemingly understanding something.
Arthas smiled meaningfully. "It seems you understand now?"
Kael'thas's smile turned bitter. He had probably understood Arthas's meaning. "But the cost of that would be too great."
"Then dealing with these people is truly not easy. The Silvermoon Council is mostly composed of representatives from ancient families with thousands of years of history. Even your father finds them tricky; how much time do you think you'll need to cleanse them all?" Arthas spoke casually, but every word almost pierced Kael'thas. Kael'thas's father, Sun King Anasterian, although nearing the end of his life, could still live for several hundred more years with the support of the Sunwell's magic.
As a Prince, Kael'thas's power was always limited, not to mention Anasterian's attitude towards Kael'thas, which was far worse than Terenas's attitude towards Arthas—Anasterian was currently engrossed in magic, and he no longer cared for his son as he did when Kael'thas was young. He was even displeased that Kael'thas went to Dalaran, the human magical kingdom. And he, holding the Sun King's supreme power, had not directly felt the influence of the Silvermoon Council. In his eyes, the Silvermoon Council was merely a tool for him to manage the country.
But now, because this tool was not being "used," it was no longer the Silvermoon Council that the Sun King knew. They had long become a cancerous tumor in the High Elf kingdom. Although they couldn't threaten the Sun King's power now, what would happen after the Sun King passed away? Kael'thas was precisely worried about this point. He had been too well-protected by his father, which made him appear clumsy and helpless when facing the Silvermoon Council, forcing him to go to Dalaran to learn "knowledge" that he had no chance to learn in the Sunstrider royal court.
Over the years, he had cultivated a group of trusted confidants, but compared to the deep-rooted influence of the Silvermoon Council, their strength was still somewhat weak, which is why he wanted to seek help from his good friend, Arthas, the Prince of Lordaeron. As for the idea Arthas wanted to convey, he knew it well, but Arthas did not say it in front of Sylvanas and Rommath, because their relationship with Arthas was not close enough to discuss such matters. That was something that happened shortly after Kael'thas arrived in Dalaran.