Arthas, who had just returned to Ironforge and was preparing to head to the Gnomeregan front, received two messages before he even departed.
One was from Lordaeron, and the other was a soul transmission from Naxxramas.
The message from Naxxramas was very brief, essentially reporting that they had found a trogg nest based on the information Arthas provided and were currently conducting a 'great purge' there.
However, the number of troggs was simply too great, and their ability to escape underground was also very strong; even with a plague specifically designed to deal with troggs, it would still take some time to suppress them.
Such a development did not exceed Arthas's expectations; after all, those in Naxxramas were Scourge elites. If they couldn't even deal with the troggs after receiving sufficient information, then the Scourge might as well disband sooner.
But the other letter left Arthas somewhat 'disappointed'.
"Galen is truly an idiot."
After crumpling the secret letter from the Secret Intelligence Agency and throwing it into the brazier, Arthas was utterly disappointed with this Prince who was 'on the same level' as him.
After the Second War, Stromgarde was left with him as the sole heir. No matter how good King Thoras Trollbane's health was, how many more years could he rule?
Arthas didn't mind helping Stromgarde, but that was on the premise that Stromgarde was stable.
He was currently preparing to confront Ragnaros and Nefarian, yet Galen chose this moment to try and rebel against his father?
Another madman blinded by power and fame!
As fellow Princes, Arthas had a brief exchange with Galen and could see that while Galen was somewhat conceited, he wasn't an utterly witless fool.
However, Galen Trollbane had a fatal flaw: short-sightedness.
Since the end of the Second War, he had done nothing good. Stromgarde's political instability was largely due to him.
Thoras was also blind to what was under his nose; he always knew there were people within the Kingdom opposing him, but he never imagined that the person who wanted him dead was his only son!
This sounded absurd and ridiculous, yet Galen did exactly that.
Ambition is not inherently evil, but in a person like Galen, it was destined to become his grave.
With Arthas's mediation, although the High Elves temporarily remained in the Alliance due to Kael'thas, Gilneas and Stromgarde were still at odds with the Alliance.
King Thoras Trollbane of Stromgarde advocated for the execution of most orcs, but Terenas disagreed with Thoras so easily disrupting his plans, so the two had harbored resentment ever since.
Ultimately, Stromgarde, due to both diplomatic and domestic reasons, withdrew its support for the Orc internment camps several years ago, and Terenas tacitly accepted this.
After that, Terenas did occasionally provide some compensation and assistance to Stromgarde, but due to Thoras's unresolved old grievances with him and the domestic situation in Stromgarde, these compensations were not effectively utilized.
Upon realizing Thoras's attitude towards him, Terenas, as a King, naturally would not tolerate such insolence. He immediately ceased the aid, waiting for Thoras to come to him.
Of course, he also understood that before Thoras completely resolved Stromgarde's domestic issues, these so-called compensations were merely throwing good money after bad, never to return.
For this 'former ally' who had already withdrawn from the Alliance, Arthas naturally had members of the Secret Intelligence Agency stationed there, but he never expected that at this critical juncture, Galen would truly prepare a huge surprise for him.
This made Arthas even want to grab Frostmourne and go to Stromgarde right now to cut down Galen, then resurrect him and throw him to Northrend to be a laborer.
Now the entire Alliance was preparing to meet a common enemy, and you were still contemplating doing something underhanded; Arthas was very annoyed by such behavior.
He always had clear likes and dislikes. For allies like the Gnomes who silently contributed to the Alliance, he naturally did not hesitate to offer help and support, even dispatching the Undead Scourge, who needed to remain hidden.
But for a troublemaker like Galen, Arthas also really wanted him to experience the 'warm hospitality' of Naxxramas.
Intelligence from the Secret Intelligence Agency indicated that within a few days, Galen would make a move against his own father to usurp the throne of Stromgarde, with the Syndicate, driven out of Alterac by the First Legion, also being a behind-the-scenes instigator.
Clearly, Thoras was still completely in the dark about his son's intentions, without any precautions. Galen didn't even need to consider how to murder his father; what he had to think about was how to execute this matter flawlessly.
Arthas understood that Thoras could not die, at least not now. Otherwise, under the Syndicate's guidance, Galen would surely perpetually bicker with Lordaeron over the issue of Alterac.
This was not the outcome Arthas wanted. He wanted to swiftly take Alterac, consolidate the rear, and prepare for the battle in the Burning Steppes.
After much deliberation, Arthas chose to return to Lordaeron himself. He wanted to completely destroy the Syndicate organization to prevent it from causing trouble behind the Alliance's back as it advanced.
With the help of Lordaeron and Ironforge, coupled with the precise strikes of the Scourge, the troggs in Gnomeregan would soon be brought under control. As for the subsequent work of settling refugees and restoring the city, Arthas did not need to worry about it.
The Gnomes themselves would quickly rebuild their homeland, allowing Arthas to free up his hands to resolve the hidden danger in Stromgarde.
Unless absolutely necessary, Arthas did not want to use force to make other Human Kingdoms submit.
But it now seemed that, apart from the Dwarves and Gnomes, and the Stormwind Kingdom to the south, the other Humans were still not completely united.
It was time for a change. Stromgarde, long weakened, was naturally Lordaeron's first target for reform.
Galen would also pay the price for his foolish actions. Stromgarde did not need such an utterly foolish ruler; he would only lead Stromgarde to ruin.
Upon returning to Lordaeron, Arthas's first order was: "Summon the Knights of the Secret Blades, and tell Zera her vacation is over!"
...
Far away in Eversong Woods of Quel'Thalas, on a soft and exquisite large bed, comfortable and lustrous silk slipped from Sylvanas's nearly perfect body.
The dim yellow light and ambiguous atmosphere in the room still left the Ranger-General's expression somewhat dazed and lazy. She reached out and twirled a strand of her silver hair by her ear, asking in a languid voice,
"Nathanos, aren't you going to sleep a little longer?"
Sylvanas's gaze fell upon the graceful figure on the room's balcony. Her brown hair was loosely draped, but this scene, which was incredibly pleasant in Sylvanas's eyes, did not last long as Nathanos tied up her long hair.
She helplessly held up a magic letter in her hand towards Sylvanas, "I also want to rest for a while longer, but my superior seems to have urgent business with me."
"Your superior... Hehe, is it that handsome Prince? Ah, how heartbreaking, it seems my proud student is about to leave me--"
Sylvanas's voice was seductive and pitiful, but Nathanos had spent countless hours with her and had long since figured out the Ranger-General's somewhat mischievous personality.
"I've also been on vacation for a long time, Sylvanas," Nathanos chuckled a few times, walking back to Sylvanas's side, "I want to stay with you forever, but I am still the Alliance's Ranger Lord."
"Alright, alright," Sylvanas rolled her eyes at Nathanos, putting on her silk nightgown, "Go if you want, that young Prince is really handsome anyway."
"Prince is indeed one of the most outstanding people I've ever met--" As Nathanos said this, she felt Sylvanas's gaze was off. She cleared her throat twice, emphasizing, "'Human'."
"That's more like it, hmph. I won't keep you either, hurry up and go, so you don't bother me by staying in front of me." Sylvanas waved her hand as if uncaring, but her peripheral vision kept glancing at Nathanos.
"I'll be back." Nathanos took Sylvanas's hand and lightly kissed the back of it. As their eyes met, Sylvanas showed a rare smile.
After bidding her final farewell to her mentor, the Ranger Lord quickly departed with her belongings.
According to the Secret Intelligence Agency's custom, the mission information obtained by agents before reaching the designated location is vague, and this applied even to her as a superior.
Therefore, only after she returned to Lordaeron could she truly learn the specific mission objective. However, it wouldn't take her too long to return to the capital, as the Prince had already granted her permission to use the teleportation array located at the estate he owned.
This allowed her to appear in the Royal Mage Tower in Lordaeron after only an hour or two. After greeting the Royal Archmage on duty, she quickly rushed to Arthas's study.
"You're back, Zera. How was your vacation?"
"Thanks to you, I had a wonderful time in Quel'Thalas." Nathanos nodded slightly. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, she waited for Arthas to give her orders.
"What are your thoughts on Stromgarde?"
However, Arthas did not ask directly, but instead posed a question Nathanos had not anticipated at all.
But after a brief silence, Nathanos replied, "After the Second Orcish Wars, their national strength has been consistently depleted. Their troops have not been replenished in time, and even Stromgarde itself has not been fully repaired.
They lack strategic strongholds, war reserves, qualified combat units, and even people with command abilities are extremely scarce. One could say that the current Stromgarde relies entirely on King Thoras Trollbane alone."
"What would happen if King Thoras Trollbane fell?" Arthas's second question slightly surprised Nathanos.
However, the Ranger Lord did not hesitate much and still responded quickly, "Then Stromgarde would quickly fall into a state of collapse."
"What about Thoras's son, Galen?"
"He does not possess the ability to revive Stromgarde. Thoras is the soul and pillar of Stromgarde; if he falls, Galen will absolutely not be able to steer Stromgarde back on track."
The Ranger Lord had worked in the Secret Intelligence Agency for many years, and her insights into Stromgarde's problems were incisive. She almost instinctively pointed out Stromgarde's hidden dangers and issues.
Her hesitation and brief silence were only due to her rapidly considering the reason why Arthas was asking her these questions.
"Sigh..."
After hearing Nathanos's reply, Arthas showed neither joy nor disappointment. He merely sighed calmly.
This was a problem that seemed obvious to everyone in the know except Galen, but why did Galen alone possess such mysterious confidence about it?
Whether it was Arthas's father or the intelligence agents of the Secret Intelligence Agency, their opinions on Galen were remarkably consistent:
That is, this Prince was simply not suited to be a revitalizing ruler; at best, he could be a King during a prosperous era.
"Take a look at this intelligence report."
Arthas pushed the letter in his hand towards Nathanos. Nathanos picked up the paper and quickly read the text on it.
Afterward, her doubts vanished. If she had been somewhat surprised by Arthas's intentions just now, thinking her Prince was preparing some world-shattering event, now she completely understood Arthas's feelings.
"Should we tell King Thoras about this?"
Although Stromgarde was, strictly speaking, no longer a member of the Alliance, as a King with a prominent reputation in human civilization, Nathanos still had basic respect for him.
"There's no need for that, or rather, it would be very difficult for anyone else besides us to believe this."
Arthas waved his hand. Yes, many people would probably find it incomprehensible if this were revealed. Galen was Stromgarde's sole heir and currently in the prime of his life, so why would he commit such a rebellious act?
Regarding this, Arthas and his Secret Intelligence Agency agents could only give a wry smile, especially Arthas, who stated that he truly went against filial piety.
Azeroth Survival Guide: 1. When you're a King, you must be careful of your children, especially the blonde ones.
Although Galen wasn't blonde, this Prince truly wanted to 'show filial piety' to his father, to the point where Arthas had to personally provide Galen with some help and lessons.
"Nathanos, take your people. I want you to keep an eye on this idiot Galen. Don't let him do anything 'foolish' before I arrive in Stromgarde with my men. As for the Syndicate... Jorach will take care of them for you."
Nathanos immediately accepted the order. She knew very well that Arthas's simple command already amounted to a premature declaration of Galen's failure.
'Poor fool.' Nathanos couldn't help but feel pity. Why would he, a Prince, choose to lead a rebellion instead of just being a good Prince?