"Opportunity?"
Everyone was startled, not understanding what Kael'thas meant.
Anasterian tapped his armrest, "What opportunity? Tell us."
"Naturally, it's the opportunity to completely eliminate the Amani Trolls, occupy Zul'Aman, and incorporate the entire continent of Quel'Thalas into our territory," Kael'thas said loudly.
The Chief Archmage frowned, "Completely eliminate the Amani Trolls? With our strength, I'm afraid we cannot achieve that."
The High Elves and Amani Trolls had fought for three thousand years, finally driving them into Zul'Aman, deep in the mountains.
But that was as far as they could go.
The mountains of Zul'Aman were steep and difficult to attack, the Amani Trolls were strong in battle, and there was more than one loa god stationed there.
How easy would it be to eliminate them?
Kael'thas smiled, "By our nation's strength alone, it is indeed impossible, but what if we had the aid of the Seven Human Kingdoms?"
The Chief Archmage snorted, "The Seven Human Kingdoms? They can barely protect themselves, why would they help us?"
"By offering our troops as an exchange!" Kael'thas said, "If they want us to send troops, or even join the Alliance, the Seven Human Kingdoms must first help us eliminate the Amani Trolls!"
"This… would the Seven Human Kingdoms agree?" The Chief Archmage had little confidence in this.
He was not an old fuddy-duddy, nor was he necessarily against sending troops.
Rather, he was acting from his position, considering the High Elves and Quel'Thalas.
He, of course, knew that if the Horde defeated the Alliance, it would be Quel'Thalas's turn to suffer next.
But he was worried that the Amani Trolls would take advantage of the situation, and that was something he absolutely did not want to see.
If they could truly eliminate the Amani Trolls, a sworn enemy of thousands of years, then even if it meant joining the Alliance, he would wholeheartedly approve.
"How would we know without trying?"
Kael'thas smiled, "We will first send an envoy to negotiate with the Alliance. If it succeeds, that's even better. If not, I will personally lead the Royal Guard and, together with Alleria, assist the Alliance. This would also extend our thousands of years of friendship, and allow us to ascertain the Horde's true strength!"
Alleria asked in surprise, "Your Highness, you will personally go?"
Kael'thas looked at Alleria, his smile gentle, "Of course! If the Amani Trolls raid the border, with me and the Mage Guard present, we can teleport you all back in time. I would not wish any harm upon my Farstrider captain."
Alleria's heart warmed.
The Chief Archmage asked the last question, "Then, who should go to negotiate?"
"Naturally, it will be me," Kael'thas volunteered.
The Chief Archmage nodded slightly.
The suggestion came from Kael'thas, so naturally, Kael'thas should be the one to carry it out.
Moreover, among them, Kael'thas had the closest relationship with humans and was the most suitable.
"Good."
Anasterian made the decision, "Kael'thas, you will be fully responsible for negotiating with the humans. As long as the humans are willing to help us eliminate the Amani Trolls, we will use the full strength of our nation to help the Alliance eliminate the Horde!"
"Your Majesty, rest assured, this matter will surely succeed," Kael'thas said with a smile.
Dalaran, Violet Citadel.
As the light of the teleportation faded, Kael'thas saw an old man with white hair and beard who did not require a mount.
"Speaker," Kael'thas quickly greeted him.
This person was the Chief Archmage of Dalaran, the Speaker of the Kirin Tor's Council of Six, one of the greatest mages in human history, a rare wise man among the Seven Kingdoms, and the founder of the Nine Schools of Magic theory—
Antonidas.
"Kael'thas."
Antonidas looked at the High Elf prince before him, somewhat puzzled, "Strange, you seem a bit different from before."
Mages were not only known for their intellect but also for their strong spirits.
As a renowned legendary mage, he could clearly perceive the most subtle changes in anyone:
This person's appearance, attire, and magical characteristics were all exactly the same as before, only his temperament was somewhat different—
No!
This person's soul had grown stronger!
His mental strength had also been strengthened accordingly, by about the degree of an ordinary adult.
"It's only been a few days, have you had a breakthrough?"
Antonidas quietly cast several detection spells, then breathed a sigh of relief, "If it weren't for the lack of any demonic aura on you, I would have suspected you were possessed by a Dreadlord. How is it, have your people agreed?"
Kael'thas said, "They have agreed, but there's a condition."
Antonidas had an "I knew it" expression, "King Terenas is holding a Seven Kingdoms summit, you should come along, we can discuss it there."
He gently tapped the ground with his staff, and a complex teleportation array pattern immediately appeared.
With a flash of light, the two arrived at the Lordaeron Royal Palace.
Kael'thas looked around and saw a dozen people scattered in the hall.
One person sat on the throne, which was, of course, King Terenas Menethil of the Kingdom of Lordaeron.
He did not recognize any of the others.
Although he was a member of the Kirin Tor's Council of Six and spent most of the year in Dalaran, he was more interested in magic than in various national leaders.
"Antonidas, my old friend, you are late," Terenas said with a smile.
"Terenas, long time no see."
Antonidas greeted him, then pointed to Kael'thas and said, "This is Prince Kael'thas of Quel'Thalas."
As soon as he spoke, a dozen gazes turned towards them, filled with curiosity, scrutiny, and vigilance.
The atmosphere immediately became somewhat solemn.
"Kael'thas, let me introduce you."
Antonidas introduced them one by one.
Kael'thas looked at each of them, matching these famous figures to the characters in his memory.
The seven or eight-year-old arrogant boy standing next to Terenas was Arthas, the most unfilial son in Warcraft.
At the head of the left side sat a fifteen or sixteen-year-old strong young man, Varian Wrynn, the King of the Stormwind Kingdom, who had just experienced the pain of losing his father and his kingdom. Standing next to him was the Regent, Anduin Lothar, the supreme commander of the Allied forces.
The second man, with a scruffy beard, was King Genn Greymane of Gilneas.
The first old man on the right was Thoras Trollbane, the King of Stromgarde.
The second man, a middle-aged man with a strong smell of oysters, was Admiral Daelin Proudmoore of Kul Tiras—Kul Tiras was special, having no king, with the Admiral as the supreme ruler.
Next to him stood a seven or eight-year-old girl.
Wow, what a beautiful loli! Kael'thas's eyes lit up.
Indeed, she was a woman who could be admired by High Elves, humans, orcs, blue dragons… Her beauty and temperament were extraordinary, possessing a demeanor that embraced all.
"Terenas, Varian, Genn, Thoras, Daelin…" Kael'thas murmured to himself.
Adding Antonidas, six of the leaders of the Seven Human Kingdoms were present.
The only one absent was King Aiden Perenolde of the Kingdom of Alterac.
"At such an important meeting, the old man didn't come. Something's fishy!" Kael'thas searched his memories and quickly had a guess.
"Kael'thas, this is Jaina, my precious daughter."
Daelin pointed to the little loli and introduced her, "Jaina, this is your Kael'thas… uh, uncle."
In terms of status, Kael'thas was a member of the Kirin Tor's Council of Six and the crown prince of the Sunstrider Dynasty of Quel'Thalas.
His status was slightly lower than Daelin's, and he was of the same generation as Jaina, the little princess of Kul Tiras.
The problem was, it couldn't be calculated that way!
Kael'thas's father was already the King of Quel'Thalas 2800 years ago, and was considered a brother to Soladin, the greatest emperor in human history.
If calculated from that time, Kael'thas should be his great-great-great-great… grand-uncle?
No, absolutely not!
After much thought, he still felt that the address "uncle" was more appropriate.
It both showed Kael'thas's esteemed "elder" status and did not put himself in a subordinate position.
It was perfect!
******
"Hello, Uncle!"
Jaina curtsied, holding her small skirt, looking exceptionally well-behaved.
Her clever, large eyes secretly assessed him, very curious about this renowned legendary Archmage.
This uncle was good in every way—tall, handsome—but his gaze was a little strange.
"Good girl, Jaina. Uncle came in a hurry and didn't prepare a gift, so I'll give you a little trinket."
Kael'thas ruffled Jaina's golden hair, pulled out a pendant, and hung it around Jaina's fair neck.
Immediately, ripples of water appeared, enveloping Jaina's body and forming a shield.
"Thank you, Uncle," Jaina quickly said, very happy.
She loved items related to magic.
"Such strong Water Elemental affinity."
Antonidas was slightly moved: "This child's talent in Water Magic rivals that of Alodi, the first Guardian of Tirisfal. She has the talent to become a legendary Archmage!"
Daelin instantly straightened his back, his face filled with "proud father" adoration: "Of course, she is the Daughter of the Sea, destined to become the greatest Tidesage in history!"
He hesitated for a moment, then asked: "Speaker, I wonder if you... would be willing to take her as a disciple?"
Antonidas was slightly taken aback, puzzled: "Kul Tiras has many Tidesages, and their mastery of Water Magic far surpasses mine. Why..."
"For safety."
Daelin sighed, saying: "I received secret intelligence that the Horde Fleet has already sailed north and could attack Kul Tiras at any time. Jaina is too dangerous there. I'll only be at ease if she goes to Dalaran with you."
Dalaran is the only magical city among the Seven Human Kingdoms. Not only does it have the most Archmages among the Seven Kingdoms, but it also has a defensive shield strong enough to withstand legendary spells.
If one day the Seven Human Kingdoms were completely conquered by the Horde, then Dalaran would surely be the last to fall.
"Alright, I'll take this child," Antonidas nodded in agreement.
"Hello, Teacher," Jaina was very sensible and quickly performed the disciple's bow, though her beautiful large eyes kept glancing at Kael'thas.
Compared to the eighty-year-old Archmage, she preferred the handsome and charming High Elf Prince...
At this moment, Terenas looked at Kael'thas: "Your Highness, what have you decided?"
Everyone looked at Kael'thas.
After a brief silence, he finally spoke, his voice strong and clear.
"It has been 2800 years since the High Elves and humans fought side-by-side, jointly resisting the invasion of the Amani Trolls."
"Not only did we successfully save the continent of Lordaeron, but we also signed an unbreakable agreement, imparting magic to humans, establishing the Council of Tirisfal, and training Guardians to resist demonic invasions."
"Now, the thunderous drums of war once again resound. Orcs from another world have arrived, burning, killing, and plundering everywhere."
"Stormwind has fallen, Blackrock Spire is occupied, Ironforge is besieged, Aerie Peak is attacked, Southshore is invaded, leading to a crisis in Azeroth, a crisis in Khaz Modan, and a crisis in Lordaeron!"
"In this moment of crisis, how can Quel'Thalas stand by idly?"
"His Majesty and I spent the night convincing all the nobles and ministers. We are prepared to use the full strength of our nation to march south and aid the humans, Dwarves, and Gnomes, to annihilate the Horde and restore the glory of our Alliance!"
Kael'thas paused for a moment, then said, "However..."
Here it comes!
The audience, who had been dozing off, suddenly perked up.
They were all seasoned veterans; who didn't know that what came after "however" was the main point?
"However, the main transportation route from Quel'Thalas to Lordaeron is occupied by the Amani Trolls. The common enemy of the High Elves and humans, dormant for 2800 years, has re-emerged!"
"Internal stability must precede external defense!"
"Only by eliminating the Amani Trolls can we restore transportation, and only then can Quel'Thalas have no worries, and be able to commit the full strength of our nation to aid the Alliance."
"Otherwise, most of our nation's forces would have to be used to guard our homeland and resist the Amani Trolls."
"Of course, the 2800-year friendship between the High Elves and humans becomes even more precious in times of crisis."
"Even if humans are busy resisting the Horde and cannot spare troops to deal with our common enemy, we will not complain. Instead, we will use the strength of our own race to hold back the Amani Trolls, preventing humans from being attacked from both sides."
Kael'thas raised a finger: "Additionally, we will dispatch a ranger unit to the south to assist humans, although the number of this unit may not be very large."
Everyone exchanged glances.
Terenas asked: "Not very large... how many?"
"One hundred!"
"Damn it!"
Everyone nearly cursed aloud.
What good would a hundred people do?
The Horde Orcs numbered more than a million; a mere hundred people wouldn't even make a ripple!
This was a threat, a blatant threat!
But they had to admit: Kael'thas's words made some sense... like hell they did!
What common enemy?
The Amani Trolls were clearly *your* High Elves' enemy, right within your territory of Quel'Thalas.
There was a mountain range stretching for hundreds of kilometers between them and Lordaeron, with only a narrow pass in between; they couldn't possibly get through!
2800 years ago, it was *your* High Elves who couldn't defeat the Amani Trolls and had to ask humans for help, teaching humans magic—that was an equal exchange!
And now, while the Orcs haven't reached Quel'Thalas, reliable intelligence suggests the Amani Trolls have joined the Horde.
You High Elves are not bystanders; you are also threatened by the Horde.
If humans are defeated by the Horde, do you think your High Elves will be spared?
Saying all this pompously, Kael'thas, do you have no shame?
However, at this moment, humans were in need of the High Elves. No matter how displeased they were, they still had to grudgingly accept it.
After all, the current situation was quite unfavorable.
Without the addition of the High Elves as a fresh force, humans truly saw no hope of defeating the Horde.
(Troll Wars era map)
"Your Highness, you are not unaware of the current situation."
"Most of Alterac and Stromgarde have fallen, Aerie Peak is under fierce attack, and large numbers of Orcs are raiding Kul Tiras and Gilneas by ship."
"We have already committed all our forces to various battlefields; there's no way to redeploy troops."
Terenas said: "Moreover, Zul'Aman is located in the mountains, with strong defenses, easy to defend and difficult to attack. 2800 years ago, even with the combined strength of both races, we couldn't breach Zul'Aman. How could we now?"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Times have changed, Your Majesty."
Kael'thas smiled: "For 2800 years, Quel'Thalas has been fighting the Amani Trolls and has been gaining the upper hand. The Amani Trolls now are far weaker than they were then, while the High Elves and humans have continuously grown stronger. With this shift in power, eliminating the Amani Trolls is not a difficult task."
Terenas frowned: "That may be true, but with the Orc army pressing, how can we spare forces to attack Zul'Aman?"
Kael'thas said: "Gentlemen, do you still remember how we defeated the Amani Trolls 2800 years ago?"
Everyone exchanged glances.
They were all kings, princes, or princesses, very busy in their daily lives. Who had time to study history? Especially early human history, which had few written records.
Of that war, they only knew that humans and High Elves had teamed up to defeat the Amani Trolls.
As for the specific process, who knew!
Of course, some people certainly knew, such as the Archmages of the Kirin Tor who believed in "knowledge is power."
Antonidas cleared his throat, about to answer.
"I, I know!"
Suddenly, a tender voice rang out, it was Jaina.
She raised her small hand, with an expression that screamed "Let me answer, let me answer," which immediately reminded Kael'thas of someone:
Hermione from Hogwarts!
"Student Jaina, please answer," Kael'thas said with a smile.