Every Storm Noble took a breath.
This is the Stormwind, the strongest human kingdom in the entire Eastern Kingdoms, bar none.
Twenty years ago, the Stormwind was destroyed in the first Battle of the Dark Gate. However, the fallen Stormwind was miraculously recovered and it took more than ten years to rise and become a leader among a large number of human kingdoms.
Even Lordaeron, the oldest human power, is no longer comparable to Stormwind. Because a large area of fertile and rich territory was destroyed by the plague of the Scourge, and the war consumed a large number of people, the once powerful Lordaeron is now just a second-rate country.
On the other hand, Stormwind Kingdom, during the Third Dark Gate War, thanks to Duke's pre-arranged measures, repeatedly thwarted the infiltration and conspiracy of the Cult of the Damned and avoided the natural disasters that broke out in the northern continent. In addition, when the continent of Lordaeron fell, Stormwind Kingdom accepted a large number of refugees and invested in the development of the southern Stranglethorn Vale and the Swamp of Sorrows.
Even after the war, because those who stayed were granted land, and Queen Calia of Lordaeron did not force the citizens to return, Stormwind's national strength generally increased instead of decreased.
The previous king, Llane, was undoubtedly an excellent king, but he was only excellent.
Compared with his two extremely dazzling and unavoidable ministers, Llane is just an average person.
Anduin Lothar - Grand Master of the Knights of the Stormwind Guard, leader of the Brotherhood of the Iron Horse, the first Commander-in-Chief of the Alliance, once the strongest human warrior, and the last confirmed direct descendant of Emperor Thoradin.
His life was legendary. He participated in killing the demon king Sargeras who possessed Medivh, beheaded the first chieftain of the Horde, Blackhand, and fought against Grom Hellscream who had killed many famous knights of the Alliance in Silverpine Forest. In the decisive battle of the Scorching Plains, he led the counterattack as the commander when his side was at a disadvantage...
His heroic story could be told over three days and three nights.
Lothar is simply a model of chivalry, an epic that is worshipped by countless knights and destined to be passed down through the ages.
However, there is another person whose reputation is still higher than Lothar - that is the recognized uncrowned king Edmund Duke.
In the military:
Duke personally stabbed through the chest of Medivh who was possessed by Sargeras, commanded the weak military force of Stormwind, burned 200,000 troops of the Horde with two fires, rescued 50,000 elite Stormwind soldiers with the miraculous ice island, and became the deputy commander of the Alliance at the age of less than 20 years old.
He then led his army across thousands of miles, from the Battle of Southsea where the sea water turned red, to Aerie Mountain, to Quel'Thalas in the north of the continent, and then to the siege of the Horde from all sides under the city of Lordaeron, and then to the decisive battle on the Burning Plains that made the name of "Blitzkrieg" resound throughout heaven and hell.
When the third-generation chieftain of the Horde, Ner'zhul, led his army to counterattack, it was the Watchtower defense line built by him that defeated the fierce counterattack of the Horde.
In the third battle of the Dark Gate, he returned as a king and led the Alliance to defeat the main force of the Scourge in one fell swoop. He finally expelled the Scourge, which had swept across the four kingdoms of Lordaeron, Dalaran, Stromgarde, and Quel'Thalas, from the continent of Lordaeron.
What followed was the Battle of Mount Hyjal, which almost destroyed the entire world of Azeroth.
It is no exaggeration to say that in the military field, Edmund Duke is the god of war!
This record alone is enough to make Duke famous for thousands of years.
But that's not all.
In civil affairs, Duke was the greatest inventor and reformer.
Brand-new sowing technology, mold-based house-making, marine economic development combined with the fish-man Naga, medical security system, six-year compulsory education, the Belt and Road economic construction of railways, and the continental integrated economic model that links all railway and sea transportation...
Many of his views and new ideas were initially fiercely opposed by countless people, but he used his unique vision and personal charm to promote all of this in an almost tyrannical manner.
Time has proven that everything he did and every policy he issued was correct.
This is how the Stormwind, which was completely destroyed by the war, was transformed into the Stormwind with extremely abundant resources today.
Obviously, his territory was larger than Stormwind Kingdom, and even larger than many small countries. There were rumors everywhere about his ambiguous love affairs with several queens. No, it was no longer rumors. At least the queens of Kul Tiras, Lordaeron, and Alterac publicly announced that the person they loved was Duke, and as long as Duke was willing, they would even change their royal family's surname to Edmund.
But Duke chose to be loyal, just like other lords in the kingdom, fulfilling his obligations as a vassal to the King of Stormwind.
In the aristocratic circle, there is a standard that is recognized by the whole world - as long as a vassal pays taxes to the king on time and sends troops according to the strength of the territory in war, he is a perfect vassal.
Apparently, Duke's Edmund family has done this impeccably.
Therefore, for the nobles, Duke is also the embodiment of loyalty.
Originally, it was heard that Duke almost died because of the curse in the Battle of Mount Hyjal. After he recovered from his injury, he participated in the secret mission of the Time Dragon Nozdormu, and it is very likely that he died in the long river of time.
Suddenly the news came that he had returned.
You know, Duke is a legend among legends, a living legend!
The nobles were filled with mixed emotions.
They coveted the benefits that the Duke would bring, but at the same time did not want him to return, because the return of such a powerful Grand Duke would inevitably reshuffle the power of the entire kingdom.
Compared to Duke, even the Regent Bolvar Fordragon has to stand aside!
As the ceremonial officer finished calling out the names, a great wizard wearing a set of dazzling epic wizard equipment appeared at the door of the meeting hall that had opened with a bang.
Every piece of equipment on his body exuded strong magical fluctuations visible to the naked eye. Even though he had repeatedly suppressed the magic power of the equipment, the brilliance of the equipment still made the jewelry on every noble pale in comparison.
Half a step behind the Duke followed closely two of his vassals - Earl Edwin VanCleef and Earl Reginald Windsor.
Behind them were two beautiful women dressed as maids, one of whom was an elf. Those who knew the inside story knew that one was VanCleef's daughter Vanessa, and the other was Solarian, a follower of the former prince of Quel'Thalas.
Putting aside the two important ministers who signed the documents, even the maids were either powerful warriors in the hero field or Archmage mages. Only Duke could be so extravagant.
Every noble, whether he was a marquis or a duke, bowed his head in respect.
Duke strode forward, but stopped in front of a beautiful black-haired noblewoman.
"Hello, beautiful ms.. May I, Edmund Duke, have the honor of knowing your name?"
"Hello! Your Excellency Edmund Duke, I am Countess Katrana Anrestor." Katrana performed a very standard and elegant ms.'s salute.
"Very good! I will remember you!" Duke showed a mysterious smile on his face.