"Prince Galen, have you thought this through? Lordaeron's military action in Alterac is completely undisguised!"
As a consultant sent by the Syndicate to persuade Prince Galen Trollbane of Stromgarde, Lord Howard Berkeley was eloquently explaining the current situation.
"Isn't Lordaeron's reclamation of Alterac a good thing for you?"
Galen looked at Lord Howard in front of him with some annoyance. He was ambitious, that was true, but he wasn't a fool.
The Syndicate was a good help to him, but that didn't mean he didn't know that the Syndicate was just using him as a pawn to achieve their own goals.
Galen knew very well that he couldn't immediately fulfill the demands of such an organization; he had to constantly string them along to gain greater benefits.
"My Prince, don't you know what kind of country Lordaeron is? Beneath their glamorous exterior, they are nothing but brigands. Have you forgotten Lordaeron's actions towards Stromgarde in recent years?"
Lord Howard spoke with great emotion, as if they were innocent victims.
Galen naturally scoffed at this, but Lord Howard was right about one thing: Lordaeron was not a "good neighbor."
King Terenas had long wanted to acquire Alterac through political marriage, but it ultimately failed. And now, years later, had this King finally lost his patience?
No one would forget the fate of those who betrayed Lordaeron, but Galen was somewhat surprised that this time, it was someone from the Barov Family who was pushed to the forefront.
However, after thinking it through, he felt that this was not only not absurd, but indeed a good move.
It was just that this good move made all other kingdoms, except Lordaeron, very uncomfortable, because they had lost their means to counterbalance Lordaeron.
Leaving aside the correctness of Lordaeron's "help" in reclaiming Alterac, the legitimacy of the Barov Family alone was enough to silence the other kingdoms.
There was no other way; who told Barov that they were one of the few Alterac nobles who hadn't betrayed the Alliance but took the blame for Alterac?
Coincidentally, after years of turmoil, most of the nobles who betrayed the Alliance survived, hiding in the shadows and forming the Syndicate. In contrast, among the nobles who did not betray the Alliance, only Barov managed to cling on due to its profound legacy.
The others either became impoverished commoners or were completely eradicated during the turmoil.
Queen Ilucia Barov was undoubtedly qualified to become the new ruler of Alterac, at least more so than the current "Perenolde" family.
Perenolde's desire to restore their kingdom was merely their own delusion; even if Alterac were reclaimed, Alliance members would no longer agree to them becoming the royal family.
At that time, the other nobles would benefit, and the remaining few fools of the Perenolde family were merely being manipulated as puppets by the Syndicate.
Now the Syndicate was crying to him, Galen, simply because they wanted him to worry that after Lordaeron annexed Alterac, Stromgarde would be their next target.
This possibility wasn't non-existent, as Terenas certainly wouldn't miss another opportunity to reintegrate human civilization, but in Galen's view, this possibility was not great.
At least, this alone was not enough for him to wade into these troubled waters with the Syndicate.
Lordaeron's strength was unmatched by any other country. Although Galen deeply coveted the throne of Stromgarde, he also knew that provoking Lordaeron at this time might cost him even his princely title.
Terenas was purely giving face to his father, King Thoras Trollbane, which was why he hadn't done anything to Stromgarde. He knew this better than anyone...
However, it was precisely this point that made Galen incredibly resentful.
Yes, everyone remembered his father, King Thoras Trollbane, as a hero of the Alliance, and his cousin, Danas Trollbane, as the leader of the expeditionary force, but no one ever remembered him, Galen Trollbane!
Although his father was old, he still had complete control over Stromgarde, and Galen was tired of being a Prince!
Under the aura of his father and cousin, the pressure and resentment in Galen's heart grew day by day. He blindly believed that only by taking control of Stromgarde and allowing the people to live in peace and prosperity would the world remember his name.
He could no longer tolerate being a Prince; he had to do something!
The Syndicate saw Galen's ambition and realized that Galen was a very good "ally," but Galen also saw through the Syndicate's true nature. These jackals from old Alterac merely wanted to use Stromgarde's hand to restore Alterac's "glory."
Lordaeron's deployment of troops into Alterac also rendered all of the Syndicate's previous arrangements useless. Although Galen also disliked the Syndicate, Lordaeron's actions undoubtedly stimulated his fragile nerves.
He wasn't worried that Lordaeron would set its next target on Stromgarde, because that would undoubtedly provoke condemnation from the entire Alliance, as Stromgarde had not been destroyed and did not require Lordaeron's stationing.
But thinking that Lordaeron had once again left a significant mark on human civilization, Galen felt his resentment deepen—it was all his father, still occupying Stromgarde's position, and he was already old, his thinking ossified, incapable of leading the great Stromgarde...
Only he, Galen, could make Stromgarde as powerful a kingdom as Lordaeron!
Therefore, Galen interrupted the Syndicate consultant Lord Howard's incessant persuasion. He sat up straight, staring at Lord Howard, "Enough, Mr. Consultant, Stromgarde will help Alterac, but before that, I hope you can show some sincerity first."
Lord Howard was momentarily stunned. He suppressed the surprise in his heart and replied with an unchanged expression, "Of course, Prince Galen, the Syndicate is your most reliable ally."
"I don't need these pleasantries. Just tell me directly how many people you can send and when you can move. After my matter is settled, I will personally make a trip to Lordaeron."
By the window of the Prince's study, a dark black raven's eyes darted around, then it flapped its wings and flew away from the windowsill, until it entered another attic not far from the palace.
A somewhat thin hand reached out and caught the flying raven. He took out a rolled note and tied it to the raven's claw with one hand.
He raised his arm, sending the raven out through the attic window. In this movement, he revealed a black and silver emblem beneath his collar, engraved with two ancient runes, meaning: Secret.