"Ambre Gilne?"
A strange voice spoke, and this cloaked figure was not anyone Gilne knew from SI:7, but this did not reassure Gilne; instead, it made her even more vigilant.
Gilne slightly hunched her body, her hand already on the hilt of the short knife strapped to her thigh. At such close range, she was confident of a fatal strike.
However, it was unclear how many opponents there were, and this guy in front of her might just be a decoy, so Gilne did not act rashly, but instead observed the cloaked figure's movements.
The cloaked figure seemed to sense Gilne's anxiety. He flung his cloak, and Gilne tensed, about to strike, only to find two demon heads rolling in front of her.
Gilne was stunned. She stared at the cloaked figure in front of her: Was he not an enemy?
"Found around your safe house; they've been watching you for a while." The cloaked figure was Arthas, who had tracked them down. These two demons hiding in the old city district could not escape his eyes. He had intended to go straight for the kill, but he didn't expect to find an unexpected bonus.
Her training as an agent quickly helped her recover from the shock. Gilne weighed the pros and cons, then gritted her teeth and said, "Follow me. We'll talk somewhere else; it's not safe here anymore."
Arthas said nothing more, simply following Gilne. Behind him, the two demon heads suddenly burst into golden flames, instantly turning to ash and disappearing into the dark alley.
Along the way, Gilne was extremely cautious and careful. She constantly erased her tracks and footprints. She had originally intended to help Arthas with his footprints, but when she realized that Arthas was like a ghost, leaving no footprints even when passing through muddy areas, she abandoned the idea.
After many twists and turns in the old city district, Gilne finally led Arthas to an old, dilapidated house.
There, Gilne opened a long-sealed basement. This was also one of her safe houses, and in her more than ten years as an agent, this was the first time she had ever needed to use it.
After returning to the safe house, Gilne visibly relaxed a bit, but at the same time, she did not forget to observe Arthas's state. If the other party showed any abnormalities at this moment, Gilne could easily react based on her understanding of the environment.
—At least it was much better than facing a troublesome guy in an empty alley with nothing.
However, Gilne also knew that she was simply too nervous. If the other party were truly an assassin sent by the Dreadlords, there would be no need for so many flashy tricks and plans. Since they had already found her location, the most reliable method would be to kill her directly, destroy the body, and use a demon's corpse as a substitute.
"Which department are you from? How did you find me?" Gilne poured herself a glass of water; the previous situation had made her nervously parched.
Although she had never heard Arthas's voice, given Shaw's temperament, it wasn't impossible that he had a secret unit to deal with special circumstances.
Arthas looked around the hidden basement. As an SI:7 agent, Gilne's vigilance was indeed very high. If an ordinary soldier or adventurer were to deal with the demons who had completely infiltrated SI:7, they would probably be eliminated before even entering Stormwind.
"I am Arthas. Although I am not from SI:7, you can understand that I am here to help you solve Shaw's troubles."
"Arthas?" Gilne repeated the name several times, then replied with a straight face, "That's not a good name… If it's a codename, I recommend you change it quickly."
Arthas shrugged, not getting angry. As for changing his name, it was given to him by his father, Terenas, so it wasn't that easy to change. It was like if you were to ask Anduin and Varian to argue about changing their names, that little guy would definitely experience what "fatherly love" felt like.
Gilne sighed when she saw Arthas's indifferent expression. "Alright, alright, it's not your fault that you're called Arthas. Thank you for earlier. If those two demons had ambushed me from the shadows, I would have been in danger."
"It was nothing," Arthas replied casually. "Do you know where that unlucky fellow Shaw is now?"
"Unlucky fellow… Heh, although it's not very polite to call my superior that, he really is an unlucky fellow," Gilne shook her head helplessly. "How did you know about this? I thought everyone considered me a traitor."
"Shaw is a bit overconfident, but when it comes to such important intelligence, he would definitely double-check. It's impossible for SI:7 to have no findings at all… Moreover, the SI:7 command center is now filled with the stench of demons." Arthas casually fabricated an explanation, though the latter part was true.
"You seem very familiar with Shaw… But we can't worry about that now. Stormwind is now full of SI:7 informants. I can't explain the truth to His Majesty Anduin at all, and most importantly, I have no evidence…" Gilne rubbed her temples with her hand. "I must go to Dalaran to find the Uncrowned. They are the only organization that can expose the Dreadlords' trick."
"A good idea, but I think you'll be killed by the demons before you reach Dalaran," Arthas said mercilessly, stating Gilne's probable fate.
"I have a way to get there… And even if I die, I want to die within the Uncrowned's territory. Demons don't dare to stay long in that organization. As long as my body can be found, they will definitely realize something."
Gilne looked at Arthas, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Please help me. With your help, the probability of my success is much higher than if I go alone… Of course, this mission is very dangerous. If you choose not to come with me, I will attract the demons' attention. Please give this badge to someone from the Uncrowned."
After speaking, she took out a fine iron badge. "I hid the intelligence about Shaw's capture inside… If I can't go personally, this badge can also alert the Uncrowned."
She bowed deeply to Arthas, "Please, this concerns the safety of the Alliance… It is also the only way we can make amends for our mistakes… The blood of His Majesty Varian and those Alliance heroes cannot be shed in vain."
Arthas stared at the badge for a while, then pushed it back. Gilne's heart was instantly filled with disappointment and powerlessness, but she had no complaints, simply putting the badge away.
"I'm sorry, asking you to do such a dangerous mission is indeed difficult for you." After composing herself, Gilne raised her head, "Then, thank you again for your help. I should be going."
"Wait, Varian isn't dead yet. There's no need to rush to your death. I told you, I'm here today to help the Alliance solve its problems, so there's no need to run to the Uncrowned again."
Arthas pulled off the cloak covering his face, and only then did Gilne see his features clearly, but this sight instantly left Gilne's mind blank.
"Ar…Arthas…?"