Three days ago, High Priest Liadrin was summoned by Sun King Kael'thas in Silvermoon City.
Liadrin arrived at the Silvermoon Royal Court with some trepidation; although she was a priest, she still sensed the political turmoil sweeping across Quel'Thalas.
Amidst this surging undercurrent, even the kingdom's nobles dared not act rashly, let alone her, a priest with no background, who had reached this point almost entirely through her own talent and ability.
Perhaps in other places, this would be the most reliable aid for promotion, but in the class-solidified Quel'Thalas, it was difficult for commoners to achieve much in any field, and overly prominent talent and ability would instead invite jealousy from others.
Fortunately, the place for studying the Holy Light was perhaps the most "fair" place in all of Quel'Thalas, and Liadrin, raised by High Priest Vandellor, had been passionate about the Holy Light since childhood.
However, as a member of the priesthood, although she had attended many important Saras ceremonies, her interactions with the nobility were still not very close, let alone with the Sunstrider royal family.
She did not know why King Kael'thas had summoned her; logically, at this time, King Kael'thas should be discussing important matters with the Magisters of Quel'Thalas, not summoning a priest.
The moment Liadrin saw Kael'thas, she was somewhat surprised to see him looking gloomy and a bit dispirited.
"It's truly troublesome to have you come all this way."
Kael'thas's attitude was beyond Liadrin's expectation; she was just an obscure junior priest, recently promoted to High Priest, yet Kael'thas's demeanor was as if he were receiving one of Quel'Thalas's most esteemed Grand Magistrix.
Liadrin, somewhat overwhelmed, bowed and replied, "It is my honor to listen to your teachings."
"No need for such formality," Kael'thas waved his hand, "It's just you and me here; there's no need for those cumbersome protocols between monarch and subject."
"But..." Liadrin hesitated.
"Alright, if you insist, then listen to me first. I'm truly tired of those nobles' sanctimonious appearances."
Looking at Kael'thas's rather impatient expression, as well as his sunken eyes and dark circles, one couldn't help but wonder how much pressure this King had endured in recent days.
Kael'thas led Liadrin into the side hall. The empty hall still had no guards or attendants in sight. The young Sun King slumped back on the sofa without any regard for his image, letting out a long sigh, "Liadrin, you are still very young, yet you have already made many contributions to Quel'Thalas. Logically, my father should have bestowed a noble title upon you."
Liadrin quickly replied, "I have already become a High Priest because of these military merits."
Kael'thas said with some profound meaning, "Do you think your military merits are truly only worth the title of a High Priest? Although High Priest is a respected position, it is still far less than a kingdom's enfeoffed noble.
Do you know, I once felt it was unfair for priests like you, and Farstriders, and thought my father should have given you more rewards. But now, I understand that there is a reason for not making these heroes members of the nobility."
Kael'thas fell silent here, not continuing to explain what that reason was, nor did Liadrin, but both Kael'thas and Liadrin understood perfectly well.
Why did those warriors who bravely fought on the front lines only receive titles such as High Priest and general, while the actual rewards they received were pitifully small compared to the nobility?
But now was not the time to complain about this; Kael'thas had understood everything. Quel'Thalas needed to break this solidification to achieve rebirth.
However, at this moment, Kael'thas realized that the Sunwell, which they relied on for survival and took pride in, had actually become a huge obstacle. As long as this magical source of power still existed, nothing could ever change.
Dath'Remar left behind the Farstriders, hoping to balance the inevitably inflated Highborne and Magister classes of Quel'Thalas. He emulated the ancient Night Elves' Sentinels and Priestess system, hoping to maintain the kingdom's stability.
However, he only saw that the ancient Night Elf Empire's demise was due to the Burning Legion, yet he overlooked that the reason for summoning the Burning Legion was that the Highborne, representing the Well of Eternity and Arcane, held almost complete dominance. Neither the Sentinels, the Priestesses of the Moon, nor the then-weak Druids could shake the Magisters' rule at all.
The power of Arcane was the core of the Elven Empire, and their foundation; the Sentinels and Priestesses were merely secondary branches that added icing to the cake.
But it was precisely this seemingly promising path of Arcane that led to the downfall of the ancient Elven Empire.
Dath'Remar may or may not have understood this. The Farstriders, existing in emulation of the Sentinels, did indeed form a corresponding system with the Magisters to a certain extent. But at that time, the Sunwell had not existed for too long, and the magical traditions brought from the Elven Empire still needed to be revitalized.
Moreover, Dath'Remar himself was a member of the Highborne; ultimately, he still represented the interests of the Highborne.
The existence of the Sunwell further solidified these interests completely; unless this well turned to ashes, no one could shake any of this.
Kael'thas naturally could not destroy the Sunwell, which the High Elves relied on for survival. Thousands of years of influence had completely linked this well with the High Elves; they could not be separated, nor could they be.
Destroying the Sunwell was no longer a matter of "cutting off a limb to save the body," but rather "committing suicide with a blade."
The only thing Kael'thas could do was to support more forces to maintain the balance of Quel'Thalas.
The Farstriders were one such force. Dispensing with Sylvanas was a choice and sacrifice that had to be made after the previous Sun King's death. Only with the departure of this "sole" Ranger-General would the Magister council members not be so nervous.
Sylvanas's departure allowed the Farstriders an opportunity to buffer, and Kael'thas could completely bring this faction under his control.
In these past few days, he had basically completed this step, and what he needed to do next was to add a weight to his scale.
After much deliberation, Kael'thas realized that he could only seek opportunities among the "Priestesses," who were the priests using the Holy Light.
And this "opportunity" was Liadrin.