"I certainly won't forget that, Uther. Listen, now I will tell you about this terrible plague." Arthas began to introduce the horrors of the Undead Plague to Uther in detail.
Jaina also cautiously moved closer to Rhodes, beginning to ask what had happened between him and Arthas in Hearthglen.
"It's fortunate you left early, Lady Jaina, or you would have witnessed the outbreak of the plague firsthand."
"The villagers who ate this grain immediately turned into Undead and began attacking those around them." Rhodes hid nothing, telling everyone everything that had transpired in Hearthglen.
"That is truly terrifying," Jaina said, her face filled with dread.
After finishing his explanation of the Undead Plague, Arthas went to the city gates to investigate. He saw several crates of transported grain! A sense of foreboding welled up in his heart.
He was all too familiar with this grain; it was the source of infection originating from Andorhal.
"Oh! No! Damn it, we are too late!"
"This poisonous grain has already been distributed to the citizens, and they have eaten this food carrying the Undead Plague!" Arthas said, his voice filled with extreme pain.
He knew clearly that once they ate this substance, they were beyond saving. Everyone in the entire city was doomed!
"Calm down, child!" Uther said.
Arthas seemed to have made a certain decision. If all the citizens in the city were infected and turned into the scourge, it would mean hundreds of thousands of Undead troops. This Undead army could instantly overwhelm all of Lordaeron and overthrow the entire Alliance.
As the Prince, as the future master of this country, he had to do something for his people.
"Listen to me, Uther. They have already been infected. Although they look normal now, they will turn into Undead sooner or later. This entire city must be purged."
"What! Arthas, how could you come up with such an extreme idea?
This violates the vows of us Paladins! It violates the tenets of the Holy Light! This is absolutely not the way to solve the problem!" Uther immediately rejected Arthas' demand to purify the entire city.
"Vows? Tenets of the Holy Light?" Arthas let out a short, cynical sneer and abruptly pointed towards Stratholme.
"When everyone in the city turns into Walking Corpse, when they rush our soldiers and tear at the flesh of the living, can your vows and tenets stop them?
Uther! Look at reality! The people who ate the grain—they are already dead!
Their transformation is only a matter of time! If we don't stop it now...
When the Undead of the entire Stratholme burst out, how many soldiers' lives will we have to sacrifice? The entire army of Lordaeron?"
"Arthas, this is not purification—this is slaughter!" Uther's voice also rose, filled with grief and anger.
"The Holy Light would never approve of such an action! As your mentor and the leader of the Silver Hand, I urge you to stop this madness!
We should first quarantine the city and find a way to neutralize the Undead Plague."
"I'm afraid it's too late, Uther. I command you, in the name of the future King, to purge this city." Arthas said.
"Child, you are not my King yet, and even if you were, I would not obey such an order." Uther retorted immediately.
The old Arthas would never have dared to speak to him like this.
"Then I can only consider your decision treason."
"Treason! Arthas, are you insane?" Uther was greatly shocked, looking at his disciple with disbelief, seemingly unable to believe those words came from his formerly humble, polite, and sunny-natured student.
"Yes! As the Crown Prince of Lordaeron, I hereby announce the removal of Lord Uther from all his rights and duties within the Silver Hand." Arthas stated firmly.
This decision shocked everyone present! Including the High Elves and Dwarves who had come to offer support; they all looked at Arthas with disbelief.
Are you kidding me! Stripping the title from Uther the Lightbringer, a hero of the Alliance, one of the five original human Paladins who rendered outstanding service during the Second War!
"Wait, Arthas, how can you do this?" Even Jaina was stunned at this moment.
"This is my decision. Whoever wishes to save this land, follow me. Everyone else, get lost." Arthas said.
At this moment, he couldn't even listen to the words of his former childhood sweetheart and lover.
"Prince Arthas, I urge you to reconsider your decision." Rhodes, who was standing beside him, said.
"Mage Rhodes, you joined my army as a mercenary. Now, if you want to continue this employment, continue to serve me.
Either come with me, or leave." Arthas seemed utterly cold and ruthless.
It was fine if others opposed him, but Rhodes had witnessed the horror of the Undead Plague. Why was he acting like this too?
Rhodes felt slightly uncomfortable hearing this. What madness had gotten into this kid? Just a few days ago, he was still humble and polite.
Now, why was he arguing with anyone who tried to advise him? Could it be that this youth's fate of becoming the Lich King and falling into a Death Knight was truly inevitable?
To be honest, if he had been transmigrated to this world longer, if he had developed his city to its peak, commanded a large army, and possessed a loyal roster of hero units, Rhodes would have tried to prevent the tragedy of Stratholme.
But now, forget about his own words; Arthas wouldn't listen even to his mentor Uther or his lover Jaina.
To summon an Undead army and directly confront the Prince would undoubtedly be suicidal behavior.
Five hundred Skeleton Soldier could be torn to shreds by the human soldiers present, and summoning Undead at this moment would definitely result in him being labeled a lackey of the scourge.
As for staying here to help Arthas slaughter the city, are you kidding?
If Arthas purged the city, others might not dare to do anything to the Prince, but if Rhodes participated in the slaughter, he would certainly be punished.
As for accompanying Arthas on an expedition to Northrend, Rhodes stated he had no desire to seek death; that place was the scourge's main base.
"I regret this, Prince Arthas, but our employment agreement was for me to help you deal with the Undead of the scourge, not to slaughter the citizens of an entire city," Rhodes said.
Rhodes did not want to do such a thankless task. His primary goal now was to develop stealthily and build up his own city.
"You have not fulfilled our contract, and I will not pay you a single copper coin," Arthas angrily rebuked.
"I don't care! But Arthas, as a friend of a few days, I want to warn you: do not fall into the enemy's trap." Rhodes emphasized the word "friend."
The current Arthas was becoming unrecognizable to him. Why had such a massive transformation occurred in just half a day?