"That serious?"
Everyone's expressions grew more solemn with each passing moment.
A mere gate, and it actually concerned the safety of the entire planet?
"Is it really that serious, Kael'thas? Don't exaggerate." King Genn Greymane smiled slightly, attempting to lighten the mood.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Archmage Khadgar released his senses to feel the magical power emanating from the south, his expression grave: "It might even be more serious than the Vice Marshal says."
"To my knowledge, the reason the Horde invaded is because the planet Draenor has been corrupted by fel energy, becoming increasingly uninhabitable. If the Dark Portal remains open, one day Azeroth will also become like that."
He said in a deep voice: "By then, humans, elves, dwarves—all life will perish. Azeroth will become another fel world, a doomsday world ruled by the Burning Legion."
At these words, everyone felt a heavy heart, a sense of urgency as if "the end of the world was nigh."
King Genn's smile was strained: "Is it really that terrifying? I see those orcs are all strong and robust, not like they're starving. And the Horde can send tens of thousands to invade, which means Draenor must have at least hundreds of thousands of orcs. If it can sustain so many orcs, is Draenor truly uninhabitable?"
Khadgar's expression was serious: "Not long ago, I saw a vision of Draenor. What I saw was a desolate world, a world like the apocalypse. Most areas were covered in this red earth, with only a few scattered regions where life still survived, and in very small numbers!"
Kael'thas said: "Don't use humans to infer about orcs. The physique and reproductive capabilities of orcs are not comparable to humans."
"The population growth rate of orcs is several times that of humans!"
"Moreover, orcs are the sole overlords of the planet Draenor, spread across the entire planet, unlike humans who only occupy less than half of the Eastern Continent."
"The peak population of orcs was definitely in the tens of millions."
"Most orcs were killed by fel magic."
"The current orc population might only be one-tenth of its peak."
Gul'dan was strong, right? The Shadow Council was strong, right?
After only a few years as a warlock, he could use magic to raise an entire island from the seabed, a clear demigod level, progressing much faster than Aegwynn or Medivh.
At the cost of countless orc and draenei lives!
Kurdran shot up, exclaiming: "No more sleeping! Wildhammer lads, we're going to scout now. We must find the Dark Portal tonight!"
He had just stood up when Kael'thas pressed him back down: "Highlord, visibility is limited at night, making scouting difficult. The Dark Portal has been open for several years; there's no rush for these one or two days."
Lothar said: "Quickly get some rest. The Black Morass—ah, no, the Blasted Lands—has many members of the Horde. We have many tough battles to fight tomorrow!"
His judgment was correct.
After the Battle of Lordaeron, most orcs lost faith in victory.
Only a small portion were misled by the Blackhand Brothers to Blackrock Mountain.
Most were cornered by the Alliance army in various regions.
And some came to the Blasted Lands, intending to return to Draenor through the Dark Portal.
These people were quite numerous, numbering twenty to thirty thousand!
In just three days, more than a dozen skirmishes occurred.
Fortunately, after Orgrim's death, the Horde was leaderless, and they encountered only small enemy groups, ranging from dozens to a few hundred, which were easily routed.
Three days later, the Alliance forces arrived in the central Blasted Lands and saw a very deep canyon.
And in the center of the canyon, stood a massive stone gate.
It was over 30 meters high and nearly 20 meters wide, built of greenish-gray rock, towering even higher than the gates of Blackrock Spire and Grim Batol.
On the stone pillars on both sides were carved some crude, twisted patterns—magic runes that were difficult for ordinary people to understand.
The patterns encircled a frowning head, with two eerie barbed hooks on each side. Dark red substances, the blood of unknown creatures, remained on the hooks. The stone pillars above had some unfinished decorations, seemingly without practical meaning.
"The Dark Portal!"
Kael'thas watched the gate from afar, seeing a black-green energy vortex within the massive stone gate—fel energy far beyond his own many times over.
This energy extended along the gate pillars to the ground, continuously drawing energy from deep within the earth, converting it into fel energy to satisfy its needs. At this moment, tens of thousands of orcs were gathering in front of the gate, having built numerous watchtowers and similar structures around it, seemingly intending to transform the area into a massive fortress.
"They should be stationed there long-term, specifically responsible for protecting the Dark Portal," Lothar said.
The orcs had clearly discovered them long ago and established contact with the other side of the Dark Portal. Orcs were continuously pouring out of the portal, their numbers growing.
"They're getting reinforcements!"
"All units, charge!"
At Lothar's command, Kurdran blew the horn of attack.
Nearly a hundred thousand troops, like a hundred thousand fierce tigers, roared as they charged downhill towards the orcs in the canyon.
The battle was one-sided.
They already had a numerical advantage, and now, with the momentum of a great victory, they attacked with full force. The orcs were utterly unable to resist.
The leader of these orcs was a human knight.
More precisely, he was the first Death Knight with a human body and an orc soul, Theron Gorefiend.
He was originally a member of Gul'dan's Shadow Council, a master-level warlock, and died during Orgrim's purge of the Shadow Council.
After Gul'dan pledged allegiance to Orgrim, he resurrected Theron and his companions as Death Knights, as a gift to gain Orgrim's trust.
During the Battle of Lordaeron, he and his subordinates, seeing the unfavorable situation, fled at the first opportunity.
After the Blackhand Brothers issued their summons, although he held great disdain for the brothers, he still responded immediately. However, it wasn't to join the Blackhand Brothers, but to take them down.
He intended to control the Blackhand Brothers, just as Gul'dan had controlled Blackhand the Destroyer back then, and become the de facto ruler of the Horde.
But he never expected that the Alliance's pursuit would be faster than he anticipated, and the Blackhand Brothers would be weaker than he expected!
He did not hide in Blackrock Mountain like the Blackhand Brothers, because he knew very well that Blackrock Mountain would eventually be breached, and hiding inside was a dead end.
He held no hope of defeating the Alliance and conquering Azeroth, but he had another plan, a plan that required a powerful force to execute and support from Draenor.
So he escaped here at the fastest speed, becoming the ruler of this place through absolute force.
He immediately took control of the Dark Portal, keeping all orcs who wanted to flee back to Draenor here, and sent people to Draenor for reinforcements.
He had originally planned to assemble a force of several thousand, build an impregnable fortress here, and then send people to various parts of the world to execute his plan.
But he still underestimated the Alliance's marching speed and their combat strength!
"Let's go, back to Draenor!" said Theron Gorefiend.
"But sir, the artifacts we need for our plan are all in Azeroth!" a Death Knight reminded in a low voice.
"The Alliance has too many troops, we can't hold this place, but in Draenor, it's our home turf. Then, we only need to guard the Dark Portal and prevent the Alliance from rushing in!" Talon Bloodfiend shook his head.
The Horde could certainly defend a mere gate!
"But sir, if the Alliance sends a large army to garrison here, they won't be able to enter Draenor, and we won't be able to return!" the Death Knight added.
"A large army? Impossible!"
"The Alliance has humans, elves, dwarves, and even humanity itself has seven kingdoms; they are not a monolith!"
"They can unite against us Orcs, but once the war ends, they will start infighting!"
"They will contend for power and profit, squabbling endlessly over tiny gains. It's impossible for them to station too many troops here for the long term!" Talon Bloodfiend sneered.
All races are the same!
Orcs cannot get along with Draenei, Ogres, Cyclops, Gronn, and Arakkoa, and neither can the Alliance!
The major Orc clans are constantly at war, and the Warchief's position changes again and again. The Alliance is no different!
In a few years, the Alliance's guard will slacken, and they will be able to invade again!
"But sir, what if the Alliance destroys the Dark Portal?" the Death Knight was still worried.
"Destroy the Dark Portal? They don't have the ability!"
"At most, they can only destroy this stone gate, not the real Dark Portal, the void rift connecting two worlds!"
"As long as the rift remains, I can reopen it!"
Talon Bloodfiend was full of confidence.
He was already a great warlock second only to Gul'dan, and having learned much from Gul'dan over the years, he was confident he was no weaker than Gul'dan of old.
If Gul'dan could open the Dark Portal, he was no exception!
"But sir—"
"No buts! Listen to me!"
The Death Knight was about to continue questioning but was interrupted by Talon Bloodfiend.
He did not hesitate, immediately leading his most trusted subordinates, abandoning his other compatriots, crossing the Dark Portal, and returning to the Orc homeland.
Without the Death Knight as their trump card, the Orcs were quickly routed. Kael'thas and the others arrived before the Dark Portal and closed their eyes.
Experiencing the Dark Portal up close felt different from before.
He unleashed his mental power, entering the Dark Portal, and soon "saw" the essence of this gate: a colossal, unimaginably vast void rift.
It pierced through the Twisting Nether, connecting two planets an unknown number of light-years apart, requiring energy far beyond the limits of legendary beings, or even demigods.
Tearing open such a void rift was absolutely beyond the capability of any mortal mage, not even the Blue Dragon Aspect Malygos.
Even Sargeras, powerful as he was, occupying Medivh's body and possessing the peak demigod-level power accumulated by generations of Tirisgarde, needed to cooperate with Gul'dan to achieve it!
"Now!"
Lothar pointed at the Dark Portal and said, "Kael'thas, destroy it!"
"Aren't we pursuing them? The Horde has just been defeated and hasn't had time to regroup their forces. Now is the best time," King Varian suddenly said.
"Varian is right, now is the best opportunity!" General Danas Trollbane walked over, expressing his support.
"Should we attack? Good, I'll be the vanguard!" Kurdran's eyes lit up; he hadn't killed enough yet.
"Let's attack, explore Draenor, mine the ore for doomhammer, and unearth the history of the Orcs!" Brann also chimed in.
"Now is indeed the best time—" Lothar was somewhat tempted.
However, not everyone supported it.
"His Majesty's order is to destroy the Dark Portal!" the Lordaeron Paladin who had argued with General Danas earlier said in a deep voice.
Lothar frowned slightly.
Terenas was the nominal leader of the Alliance and theoretically had the right to give orders.
Moreover, Lordaeron had shown kindness to the Stormwind Kingdom, so he found it difficult to disobey Terenas's command.
"I also believe we should destroy the Dark Portal, not attack. We don't understand Draenor, and a rash invasion would be unwise."
"The purpose of war is not invasion, but protection. As long as we are safe, that is enough!" King Genn said.
He was a conservative, a true dove. He avoided war whenever possible, and in his view, as long as the Dark Portal was destroyed and the Orcs couldn't cross, the war would be over.
"Safe? I'm sorry, I cannot guarantee that. We can only destroy the Dark Portal; we cannot destroy the void rift between the two worlds. The Orcs can reopen the gate at any time," Kael'thas said indifferently.
"Your Highness is right, the essence of the Dark Portal is a void rift. It cannot be destroyed, at least not by our power," Khadgar added.
Everyone's expressions changed again; would the Orcs invade again?
King Genn, however, said, "That's easy. We'll build a fortress here, station troops to guard it, and notify us immediately if there's any movement! If that doesn't work, we'll build a wall around that void rift and kill however many come!"
Kael'thas raised an eyebrow; Wolf King, how much do you love building walls?
As soon as he spoke, the Paladin from Lordaeron immediately said, "That's feasible, I think His Majesty will agree!"
Immediately after, many mid-to-high-ranking generals expressed their opinions, with both support and opposition.
Lothar pulled Varian aside and advised, "Your Majesty, going to Draenor is indeed somewhat risky. Have you considered, if Terenas firmly opposes it, if Lordaeron and Gilneas withdraw from the Alliance, can we defeat the Horde?"
"Don't forget, the combined forces of Lordaeron and Gilneas are more than our other kingdoms combined!"
The Alliance could defeat the Horde because the nations worked together.
If Lordaeron and Gilneas withdrew from the Alliance, the Alliance might not be a match for the Horde, even the Horde with its greatly reduced forces!
Moreover, fighting on enemy territory is different from fighting on home ground.
What if, after entering Draenor, the Horde regains control of the Dark Portal, or even destroys it? They would be trapped and perish in Draenor!
"Also, what if Lordaeron, Gilneas, or other nations take the opportunity to march south and attack the Stormwind Kingdom?" Lothar added. Varian's eyes widened instantly: "How is that possible? His Majesty Terenas has been very kind to us; it was he who took us in, allowing us to survive!"
Lothar shook his head: "Varian, you are still too young, too quick to trust others. Terenas did help us, but there was a reason. Think about how much wealth has remained in Lordaeron these past two years, think about Terenas's current prestige, and Lordaeron's current status!"
Military is the continuation of politics; politics is a game of transactions.
Terenas accepting them and them supporting Terenas's leadership of the Alliance was, in itself, a transaction!
Varian was silent.
He was only young, not foolish.
In the past two years, under Lothar's guidance, he had learned to handle state affairs and interact with dignitaries from various countries. He had matured greatly and understood many things. When the nobles of Stormwind Kingdom fled, they brought a lot of gold and silver treasures, much of which remained in Lordaeron, transforming into land and estates, significantly increasing Lordaeron's tax revenue.
And because of the formation of the Alliance, Terenas's prestige had now climbed to its peak, second only to Emperor Thoradin.
The Horde invasion caused losses, big or small, to all countries, but Lordaeron suffered the least.
Before the war, Lordaeron's overall national strength was only one-third of the Seven Human Kingdoms.
After the war, Lordaeron would account for more than half!
As the war progressed, with the exception of Quel'Thalas, Lordaeron was the only winner!
"Your Majesty, Stormwind City has just been recaptured. Elwynn Forest, Westfall, Duskwood, and most of Redridge Mountains are still in Horde hands. Our current forces are struggling to deal with them."
"If we send troops to Draenor, how will we retake other areas?"
"What if the remaining Horde gather? That would pose a great threat to us!"
"What if the Orcs of Blackrock Mountain attack Stormwind City? Their forces there are no less than ours!"
Lothar sighed: "Stormwind Kingdom's losses are greater than the Horde's, and our situation is worse than the Horde's. We should now be recovering lost territories and governing the country, not fighting abroad, Your Majesty!"
Varian was silent for a moment, then nodded gently.
He was persuaded.
Lothar was his uncle, the Regent of Stormwind Kingdom, loyal to the Wrynn family, and would only help him, not harm him.
In this world, he could distrust anyone, but he could not distrust Lothar.
Actually, he didn't understand or agree with everything Lothar said.
But he knew very well: at his age, if his ideas clashed with Lothar's, then he must be the one who was wrong!
Lothar breathed a sigh of relief, walked up to King Solas, and advised: "Besides Stormwind Kingdom, Stromgarde suffered the most losses. The most important thing now is the ownership of Alterac Kingdom, not attacking Draenor, isn't that right?"
"If we continue to engage in war, leading to excessive casualties among our soldiers, can Stromgarde still sustain itself? Your Majesty, I believe you must understand what I mean."
King Solas, however, merely responded lightly: "Don't try to persuade me, I don't care. Regardless of whether we attack Draenor or not, I will fight for the interests I deserve! And you underestimate Stromgarde, and you underestimate me. As long as I am alive, no one will ever annex Stromgarde!"
This was by no means blind self-confidence, but a full assessment of the current situation:
Kul Tiras, Gilneas, and Dalaran had no ability to annex Stromgarde.
Dalaran's great enemy was Quel'Thalas. Before resolving the High Elf issue, Terenas would absolutely not invade Stromgarde!
As for other races like the High Elves and Dwarves, it was even more impossible, because an invasion would be tantamount to declaring war on all of humanity.
"Your Majesty, rest assured, no one can annex Stromgarde, and Stormwind Kingdom will never allow such a thing to happen."
Lothar then pulled Kurdran and Muradin aside, and whispered:
"There are still many Horde remnants in Grim Batol and Khaz Modan. The Blackrock Orcs and Dark Iron Dwarves are also a considerable threat. Continuing the expedition at this time will not benefit you."
Kurdran waved his hand, nonchalantly: "Don't try to persuade me, I don't care. There aren't many Horde in Grim Batol, the Wildhammer Dwarves can handle them, and the High Elves have also promised to help. Whether to fight or not, you have to ask Kael'thas."
Muradin's tone was equally relaxed: "Don't try to persuade me, I don't care. There aren't many Horde in Khaz Modan Kingdom, the Bronzebeard Dwarves can handle them, and the Gnomes have also promised to help. Whether to fight or not, you have to ask Kael'thas."
At this moment, Brann also came over, grinning: "Don't try to persuade me, I don't care—hey, hey, why are you leaving? You should try to persuade me, I'm also a prince, I can also influence my big brother's decisions!"
Lothar came before Kael'thas.
Before he could speak, Kael'thas smiled and said: "I don't care, but since you don't want to fight, then I will support you."
What the High Elves needed most now was also to recuperate and bide their time.
He was actually a little worried. What if Lordaeron didn't send troops, and instead attacked Quel'Thalas after Quel'Thalas sent troops to Draenor?
Terenas might just be capable of such a thing!
Moreover, attacking Draenor benefited the entire world. For Quel'Thalas and himself, there were benefits, but not many, and it wasn't worth taking such a big risk.
"Kael'thas, I owe you a favor, do it." Lothar's heart finally settled.
He was really worried that Kael'thas would refuse.
If that were the case, the Alliance would inevitably split, and humans and High Elves might even go to war, with unimaginable consequences.
"Everyone, retreat a thousand meters away."
Kael'thas concentrated, casting a spell to harness the energy of the Void Rift, condensing it into an oversized energy bomb, which he detonated within the portal.
With a booming sound, the Dark Portal exploded, turning into a giant energy vortex.
Most of the debris was sucked into the vortex, entering the Twisting Nether, with only a small portion scattering dozens or hundreds of meters away.
After a while, the energy vortex disappeared, and everything returned to calm, as if the Dark Portal had never appeared.
On the other side of the Dark Portal, Talon Bloodfiend, who was assembling his army, watched the collapsing Dark Portal, then turned and left, heading towards the Black Temple in Shadowmoon Valley.
Orgrim was dead.
Only Ner'zhul, the Great Shaman of the Shadowmoon Clan, had enough prestige to reassemble the Horde and complete his plan.
And this would take a very long time, at least a year!
The collapse of the Dark Portal brought a sigh of relief to most people.
But there were exceptions, such as Khadgar.
"Your Highness's judgment was correct, the Void Rift is still there, but it's smaller than before."
His expression was solemn: "As long as the Dark Portal is rebuilt, the Void Rift is stabilized, and then enough energy is injected into it, the Void Rift will continue to expand, and the Horde will invade again."
Lothar's eyes lit up: "It's smaller? Can we find a way to make the Void Rift even smaller?"
This would make it even harder for the Horde to reopen it!
Khadgar shook his head: "No, the Void Rift became smaller because His Highness just detonated the energy that was expanding it. Now that part of the energy is gone, what remains is just the Void Rift itself."
Everyone was disappointed upon hearing this. Lothar, with his quick mind, asked another question: "Can this Void Rift continue to expand indefinitely?"
Khadgar nodded, "Yes, the more energy provided, the larger the void rift will be."
Lothar frowned, "I remember you said that the essence of teleportation is to tear open a void rift. Azeroth has so many mages, who have teleported countless times. Wouldn't there be void rifts everywhere?"
Khadgar laughed, "No, ordinary teleportation only tears open very small void rifts, and the void repairs itself. Only these super-massive trans-astral portals leave eternal rifts—actually, not eternal, as they slowly repair over time, but it takes thousands or tens of thousands of years."
Lothar asked again, "I remember you said that the larger the size and energy, the more difficult the teleportation. Is that because a larger void rift is needed?"
Khadgar nodded, "That's right. For example, a portal that summons the Dark Titan would definitely be hundreds or thousands of times larger than one that summons Gul'dan."
Lothar looked at where the Dark Portal used to be, "Then have you ever considered whether Medivh and Gul'dan built such a large portal just to allow Orcs and Ogres to invade Azeroth?"
Everyone was stunned.
Indeed!
The Dark Portal was too large, over thirty meters high and over twenty meters wide.
Orcs are only about two meters tall, and Ogres are only about three meters. Why would such a large portal be needed?
Even for efficiency, it should have been wider, like fifty meters wide and five meters high, instead of how it was.
The shape of this gate clearly indicated it was prepared for some kind of super-large humanoid creature to pass through!
What Medivh and Gul'dan truly intended to summon was actually a giant creature at least 20 meters tall!
"The Burning Legion! What they truly wanted to summon was the Burning Legion!"
"The Burning Legion has many massive demons, like Pit Lords!"
Khadgar said excitedly, "That's right! The Horde was just an advance party. After they defeat us, the Burning Legion will also come! Draenor was just a stepping stone; the Burning Legion's true goal is Azeroth!"
At this moment, Kael'thas said faintly, "You finally figured it out? But Khadgar, your thinking is still limited. Think about who really wanted to open this gate, and think about who the master of the Burning Legion is."
Khadgar trembled all over, "Sargeras? That's right, it's Sargeras!"
Medivh was influenced by Sargeras to open the Dark Portal.
Behind the Burning Legion was also Sargeras.
In ancient times, Sargeras wanted to come through the Well of Eternity portal, but he was stopped.
Ten thousand years have passed, and he still hasn't forgotten; he still wants to come!
The Dark Portal is too small?
No problem, when the Burning Legion arrives, they can build an even larger one!
Not enough energy?
No problem, wouldn't sacrificing all living beings on Azeroth be enough?
If that's still not enough, they could just drain the Ley Line energy deep underground!
"Sargeras, is he coming in person?"
Everyone was truly shocked now. No way, no way? This is too terrifying!
"Actually, there's no need to worry, it's just a guess," Kael'thas said with a smile. Lothar glared at him fiercely.
No need to worry? You're the one who scared us!
"Regardless, this place must be defended!"
He said, "Let's build a fortress, right here, to monitor it constantly!"
King Genn was also frightened and immediately added, "We also need to build a wall to enclose the void rift!"
Brann's face turned pale, and he shouted, "Mount cannons on the wall, arrange musketeers, and as soon as the Horde and the Burning Legion show their heads, we'll wipe them all out!"
Kurdran also shouted, "We also need to deploy Gryphon Riders to patrol!"
Khadgar's face was also grim, "We also need to station a large number of Archmages here and set up magic arrays!"
Clearly, Kael'thas's words had scared them all, and they were all very eager.
He did it on purpose; that was the effect he wanted!
If he hadn't said that, the various nations and races would surely have pushed responsibility onto each other, and no one would have taken the void rift seriously.
Even if guards were sent, there wouldn't be many.
When the Horde truly attacked, it would be impossible to stop them.
Of course, he wasn't just making things up. Who could guarantee that Sargeras wouldn't go to Draenor first, and then teleport to Azeroth?
"Not enough, far from enough!"
Kael'thas said in a deep voice, "We also need to bury a large amount of explosives underground. We'll deliberately let the enemies in, and when enough have gathered, we'll detonate them!"
"Hiss!" Everyone gasped.
Your Highness, Your Highness, aren't you a High Elf? Aren't you always elegant? How can you be so ruthless?
Too brutal, I like it!
"Explosives? That's easy, we Dwarves/Gnomes will handle it!" Brann and High Tinker Mekkatorque said in unison.
This stuff is easy to manufacture; they can make as much as needed, even ten thousand pounds is no problem.
The more the quantity, the greater the power.
If enough explosives were detonated simultaneously, even if a demigod came in person, they were confident they could blow him to smithereens!
Kael'thas smiled, "Alright, this place is closest to Stormwind City, so how about the Stormwind Kingdom takes responsibility for its construction, and our other nations contribute money and precious materials, and send troops to guard it?"
Anduin reluctantly agreed, "No problem!"
The others also agreed one after another.
"Let's call the fortress Nethergarde Keep, to watch over the void rift and the Dark Portal."
Kael'thas scanned the group, his gaze finally resting on Khadgar, "Nethergarde Keep needs an Archmage skilled in teleportation spells to be stationed there, so that any abnormalities can be detected immediately."
Khadgar nodded, "The Dark Portal was opened by Medivh, and I am his apprentice. This place should rightfully be my responsibility."
Anyway, he wasn't well-regarded in Dalaran, he was alone, and he enjoyed teleportation spells, so staying here to study the void rift was quite good.
"What are your plans next?"
As night fell, some rested, some returned to report, and Kael'thas, Lothar, and Varian began to converse in whispers.
"What else can we plan? Rebuild Stormwind City, reclaim lost territories, and then endless meetings and squabbling." Lothar rubbed his temples, a headache brewing.
The first two tasks, though difficult, at least had clear goals and could be done step by step.
But the post-war meetings, dealing with those politicians, were truly annoying, and he disliked it greatly.
But it still had to be done!
Such a heavy burden couldn't be placed on the shoulders of Varian, a teenage king, could it? It would crush him!
"You can't escape either!"
Seeing Kael'thas chuckling to the side, Lothar snorted in annoyance.
"That has nothing to do with me; the King and the councilors will handle it," Kael'thas said with a smile.
He would definitely avoid such matters if he could; there wouldn't be any brilliant ideas anyway.
He had already reaped most of the benefits he could.
The human nations would certainly not allow outsiders to interfere with the territory of the Alterac Kingdom. At most, he could secretly contact other nations to exchange support for benefits, but not much could be gained.
As for the surrendered Orcs, Terenas would definitely demand the construction of concentration—ah no, internment camps. It's estimated that Quel'Thalas, Gilneas, and Stromgarde would withdraw from the Alliance, but that would be a few years later.
Anyway, Orgrim was dead, and the Orcs of Azeroth wouldn't amount to much. As for whether Thrall could even survive to adulthood, that was a question, and even if he did, he would be useless and easy to deal with.
He had always been clear about his identity:
Not a politician, but an Archmage.
When he had time, he definitely wanted to pursue personal power; he hadn't properly studied in almost a year.
"Rebuilding Stormwind City, can your finances handle it?" Kael'thas asked with concern.
"Treasury? Does Stormwind Kingdom still have a treasury?"
Lothar gave a wry smile, "We ran out of money a long time ago! But I think Terenas will provide help; he's a—good man."
Kael'thas nodded, "Indeed. This is a good opportunity for him to show you favor and meddle in Stormwind Kingdom's internal affairs. That old fox, who would even sell his own children, certainly won't miss it."
Lothar sighed helplessly, "Kael'thas, some things are better left unsaid. There's no need to be so blunt, is there? Don't corrupt the children."
Varian quickly argued, "I'm sixteen, not a child!"
"Yes, old enough to get married," Kael'thas teased.
Lothar mused, "That reminds me. Stormwind Kingdom should have a Queen and a Crown Prince. Let me think, whose noble daughter is of a suitable age? Bolvar? Elroy? Or—"
Varian:
"…"
Adults are so annoying, I don't want to deal with you anymore!
He huffily turned his head away, the figures of two ducal daughters appearing in his mind—both quite pretty. Seeing his reaction, the two old rascals couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Alright, let's talk business."
Kael'thas sobered, his smile fading, and said seriously, "Since we're going to owe a favor anyway, how about owing me? Quel'Thalas will provide money and people to help you rebuild Stormwind City! Not only that, but I'll also help you eliminate the Orcs and reclaim your lost territories. How does that sound?"
Upon hearing this, Varian's eyes lit up instantly. Such a good deal?
He was about to stand up and agree when Lothar covered his mouth and pushed him back down.
"What do you want?"
Lothar stared directly at Kael'thas.
He didn't believe that this fellow, who had gained the most from the war, would be so kind. He surely had an agenda!
"Don't worry, it won't harm you," Kael'thas said with a smile. "Once your nation recovers its strength, just help me conquer Stranglethorn Vale."
"Just that? Kael'thas, your demand is not small at all."
Lothar shook his head, knowing this wouldn't be simple.
Stranglethorn Vale is the territory of the Jungle Trolls, home to over a dozen tribes like the Bloodscalp, Darkspear, and Gurubashi, who once established the Gurubashi Empire, a power no less than the Amani Empire.
Unlike the Forest Trolls to the north, the Jungle Trolls don't have a powerful mortal enemy like the High Elves. Both their territorial area and population are greater than those of the Forest Trolls.
The Jungle Trolls have always been mortal enemies of Stormwind Kingdom.
Twenty years ago, they even reached Stormwind City.
If Medivh hadn't unleashed his power at a critical moment, single-handedly annihilating the Gurubashi army, Stormwind Kingdom would have ceased to exist long ago.
To conquer Stranglethorn Vale, even with both nations united, it wouldn't be easy.
Kael'thas smiled, "The Jungle Trolls are also your enemies. Eliminating them benefits you too, doesn't it?"
Lothar spread his hands, "Alright, you've convinced me. How many people do you plan to send to help us?"
"Don't rush, I'm not finished yet."
Kael'thas's smile deepened, "Besides that, I also want a small item, a book—an insignificant, thin book."
Lothar immediately became alert, "What book?"
"Medivh's Book."
"I knew you had ulterior motives. What an appetite!"
Medivh's Book, as its name suggests, is the Archmage Medivh's spellbook, containing many legendary and even demigod-level spells.
Its value is no less than any artifact; it can be said to be the national treasure of Stormwind Kingdom, its worth immeasurable.
It could be said that with this book, one sees the hope of advancing to legendary, or even demigod, status!
"Don't be so stingy. My research on it is also to better deal with the Horde and the Burning Legion. The book must contain records about the Dark Portal," Kael'thas explained earnestly.
"...Alright."
Lothar summoned an Archmage, instructing him to hand Medivh's Book to Kael'thas, and then asked helplessly, "There won't be a third request, will there?"
"No, no, just two!"
Kael'thas gleefully accepted the spellbook, eagerly walking aside, casting a spell to unseal it, and began to read.
After just a few glances, he couldn't help but show a satisfied smile.
As expected of Medivh's Book, the magical knowledge recorded within was far more profound than that of Dalaran!
He read for a whole night. Several magical dark clouds that had once hung over his head dissipated, but hundreds more appeared.
There was no way around it; this knowledge was too profound, like an arcane scripture even for legendary mages, requiring slow study.
"If only I had a teacher," he thought.
The next day, Kael'thas ordered Alleria's troops to stay behind to guard the Void Rift and help Stormwind Kingdom reclaim its lost territories.
He himself returned to Sandar Hill, intending to check on its construction progress and stay there for a while.
Environment also affects learning; the rich arcane energy could clear his mind and enhance his thinking ability.
"Your Highness, something is amiss!"
He had just arrived at Sandar Hill when General Lirath Windrunner came to report, her expression tense: "I don't know why, but all living beings in Quel'Thalas are acting abnormally. Their desires in that regard have greatly increased, and the chances of pregnancy have risen significantly!"
"Especially near Sandar Hill, it's even more severe than other places!"
In just one month, dozens of female Elves had reported pregnancies, and over a dozen female Dwarves!
Even the Green Dragons, Keepers of the Grove, and Druids who came to help, who were originally as aloof as could be, had now started pairing up, and some were even pregnant.
This matter had escalated!
"Your Highness, I suspect we've been cursed!"
"A curse capable of covering all of Quel'Thalas must be the work of a demigod-level being. It's highly likely Deathwing did it!"
"After being defeated by Your Highness, he was unwilling to accept it and dared not retaliate directly, so he resorted to such insidious means!"
"He wants to weaken our combat strength by having female Elves constantly pregnant, consume our resources through a population explosion, and then dissolve our will with love and pleasure!"
"This strategy is too vicious!"
"He is too insidious!"
The more Lirath Windrunner spoke, the more agitated she became, completely convinced of her own reasoning.
Kael'thas listened in silence, utterly speechless. What was she even talking about?
"Actually, I did this—no, no, the Red Dragon Queen and the Green Dragon did it!" he quickly explained.
Lirath Windrunner was utterly bewildered.
So, after all this, the culprit was Your Highness?
"Actually—this is a good thing, Your Highness, you did the right thing!" Lirath Windrunner said with a strange expression. This tactic was too devious, wasn't it?
Everything has two sides, and Your Highness's idea also makes sense, it's just, "However, Your Highness, this matter will likely require you to personally explain to the leaders of the Green Dragons, Keepers of the Grove, and Druids," Lirath Windrunner said.
"Good, please invite them over. I'll speak with them."
Twenty minutes later, the three leaders arrived together, each with a grim expression, as if they were owed millions.