During his initial period in Dalaran, Kael'thas was constantly out of sorts; he was mentally disoriented, physically weak, and couldn't even properly cast low-level spells.
It took Kael'thas a full two weeks to recover from his condition, and only then did he truly realize that the Sunwell was not just a blessing, but also a terrifying burden.
Every elf born in Quel'Thalas could, from a young age, effortlessly draw a significant amount of magic from the environment to sustain themselves. The Sunwell, located at the nexus of Quel'Thalas's magical ley lines, could easily supply abundant magic to every part of their land through its extensive magical network.
It was easier for spellcasters to emerge among elves, partly due to their rich heritage and excellent innate talent, but more importantly, because of the Sunwell, an almost inexhaustible source of magic—an advantage no human Archmage could match.
They constantly enjoyed the Sunwell's favor, which granted them longer lifespans, stronger physiques, and magic that was integrated into every part of their lives. Even an elven Archmage, when casting spells while standing on the soil of Quel'Thalas, could easily use many spells typically only accessible to full-fledged Archmages, and the spells of full-fledged Archmages would become even more powerful.
In Quel'Thalas, only a very small number of elves did not regularly draw magic from the Sunwell's magical supply—these were the Rangers who chose to live close to nature. Unlike Archmages, they did not rely on drawing magic to strengthen themselves; combat skills and an understanding of the wild were their methods for improving their strength. Sylvanas, Lor'themar, and Halduron were among them.
Aside from these Rangers, in Quel'Thalas, even ordinary elves freely drew the Sunwell's magic, as this source of magic would never dry up.
However, when elves left Quel'Thalas for too long and could no longer absorb the high-quality magic of the Sunwell, their minds and wills would suffer unbearable torment. Only by returning to Quel'Thalas and resuming the absorption of the Sunwell's magic could this situation be avoided. Therefore, very few native-born elves left Quel'Thalas for extended periods.
Kael'thas had also read relevant research in the Sun King's court library; this condition was called 'Mana Addiction' by Quel'dorei scholars. But the elves were very unconcerned about it. Who could break the Banthinoriel Barrier, breach the elves' numerous defenses, defeat the mighty Sun King, and threaten the very foundation of their existence?
He even used to think this effect was exaggerated, until he stayed in Dalaran for a while. Only then did he realize that those records were not only not exaggerated, but they even understated the truth!
Even an ordinary Archmage's control over magic far exceeded that of common elves, yet as an Archmage, with strength and will far surpassing ordinary people, he was tormented by this strange effect for a full half-month. What would happen to ordinary elves if they left the Sunwell for a long time? He couldn't even imagine.
Kael'thas discovered that it usually took elven Archmages about a month to break free from this reliance on magic, and it was also related to their willpower. In contrast, the Rangers were barely affected, recovering to normal after at most a day or two of discomfort.
It was then that Kael'thas suddenly understood why Quel'Thalas, a kingdom primarily focused on magic, had Rangers who held almost equal status to Archmages, even holding positions like Ranger-General, who commanded the military power of the entire southern forest.
That was a safeguard left by the first Sun King—to prevent Quel'Thalas from losing all its power overnight and becoming defenseless prey if the Sunwell ever suffered a mishap.
Mana Addiction instantly became a problem that gave Kael'thas a massive headache. His father and his ancestors didn't care about this problem because the ranger corps at the time was strong enough, and there were no other forces on the continent that could truly threaten Quel'Thalas.
However, the Orcish Wars a few years ago proved that they were not completely safe; this world was not without danger. Coupled with the recently restless Amani Troll, Kael'thas suddenly realized that the elves seemed to have one foot already over a cliff.
During his time studying in Dalaran, he had been thinking about how to cure the elves' Mana Addiction, but this was a problem that countless Arcane researchers had never figured out in their entire lives. No matter how brilliant Kael'thas's talent was, he couldn't bridge that gap.
Until he met Arthas—'s girlfriend—in Dalaran.
And then he met Arthas because of her. At the time, Arthas had even beaten him up. After listening to Arthas's words, he suddenly felt that Arthas was more alluring than his girlfriend.
Of course, this wasn't to say that Kael'thas's preferences had suddenly changed, but rather that he discovered a quality in Arthas that he himself lacked—the confidence of a king.
Was Kael'thas confident? Of course. He was the most excellent and talented Archmage in Quel'Thalas for hundreds of years. He was the Sun King's son, the future Sun King. But Kael'thas had always lacked the confidence to become the Sun King; he always felt he was insufficient to bear such a heavy responsibility.
But Arthas was different. His decisiveness, his resolve, reminded Kael'thas of his own father's demeanor in his prime. As princes, Kael'thas felt he was simply inferior to Arthas. So he immediately gave up pursuing the girl he admired and instead became friends with Arthas, all to learn every aspect of how Arthas viewed and solved problems.
The important information Arthas possessed was far beyond what Kael'thas could match. After all, Kael'thas at most knew ancient secrets, but Arthas had a clear understanding of all the major turning points in this world's destiny. The two's judgment of the future was immediately on different levels.
During Arthas's stay in Dalaran, Kael'thas learned a lot from this friend, who was many years his junior. And Arthas, before returning to Lordaeron, subtly hinted at something to Kael'thas.
—He knew the solution to the Mana Addiction that troubled Kael'thas.
Kael'thas almost wanted to detain Arthas on the spot and force a result out of him, but luckily he restrained the impulse to act.
"Find sufficiently pure energy to replace the Sunwell's magic; that is one method."
After saying that, Arthas mounted his gryphon and left, leaving Kael'thas alone to ponder: 'One method?' That meant Arthas knew other methods?
This method was certainly effective; the best example was human Archmages. They used the purest Arcane ley line energy. Although it was difficult to draw, like dew compared to a lake when contrasted with the Sunwell, there were almost no reported cases of human Archmages being troubled by Mana Addiction.
But to make elves abandon the lake beside them and turn to drinking dew? Kael'thas knew with certainty that this was practically impossible, especially since the magic within Quel'Thalas was almost entirely influenced by the Sunwell's power, making it impossible to find pure Arcane ley lines from outside.
Moreover, elves needed a large amount of magic daily to avoid the effects of Mana Addiction. Relying on the small, gradual accumulation like human Archmages was impossible.
Arthas leaving after speaking only half-truths infuriated Kael'thas, but when he calmed down, he realized—Arthas was his friend, but he had no need to care about all elves. That's why he only told him a way to avoid Mana Addiction individually…
Arthas's meaning, when viewed this way, was very clear: 'You and I are friends, and I will help you. But if you want to know how to free your entire race from the torment of Mana Addiction, then you must understand that there is no such thing as a free lunch.'
And so, Arthas's number one loyal friend, Kael'thas, emerged.
The elven prince, mindful of his status, would certainly not do anything out of line to 'please' Arthas. But he knew that what Arthas needed was for him to stand on his side, because he was the sole heir to the Sun King.
Today, Kael'thas came to thank Arthas, but also to tie Arthas and himself to the same chariot of interests. If Arthas hadn't already had a fiancée, he would have even wanted to introduce a certain elven lady to Arthas.
Kael'thas subtly glanced at Sylvanas. He greatly respected and appreciated this Ranger-General, but he felt that Sylvanas's behavior today was a bit off. He knew that while Sylvanas's dislike for humans wasn't openly displayed, Kael'thas was aware that she didn't have a good impression of them.
Yet, her demeanor when facing the Prince of Lordaeron utterly surprised Kael'thas: Was this the formidable Ranger-General, and not some second young lady from a prominent family? Was she, like her sisters, immediately smitten? Did the Windrunner family actually have a thing for humans?
Should I tell Arthas's fiancée? Or should I simply try to set these two up?
If Sylvanas knew Kael'thas's thoughts, she would definitely teach this overly scheming elven prince a harsh lesson, regardless of his princely status—she was clearly acting less casual for the sake of Quel'Thalas's diplomatic facade, and he was already plotting to sell her off?
It could be said that in this semi-secret meeting, aside from Archmage Rommath, who was there solely to fulfill his prince's task with no other ulterior motives, the other three individuals were all 'harboring their own schemes'.