Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 210:33. Promise temptation, forge hope; arouse greed, weave unity

"This city is quite big. It's about the same size as Shattrath, and both have harbors. But it's not as beautiful as Shattrath."

Garona sighed as she walked out of the portal and looked out at the city from the window of the teleportation tower.

In her eyes, Stormwind City was majestic but lacked some beauty. The city built of white boulders did not have the domes of Shattrath City, and it always felt like something was missing.

But Diakum's eyes were full of nostalgia.

Stormwind, your overlord is back!
But to be honest, Stormwind City at this moment was quite different from the city in Diakum's memory. The city walls were not as tall as he remembered, the urban area was a bit crowded, the planning was not clear, and there was no functional urban area division. There was no river waterway running through the city as he remembered.

The water from the nearby Thunder Falls was not brought into the city, making the city lack some of its gentleness.

This is Stormwind version 1.0.

It has not yet been conquered by the orcs, nor rebuilt by the Brotherhood of Stonemasons. Master Van Cleef's amazing architectural aesthetics have not yet been fully utilized. In fact, it is very likely that Van Cleef is now just an apprentice stonemason from the Fertile West.

There would be no bitterness and hatred in the future, no fame in the future, and no obedient daughter who would inherit his will.

Those imminent disasters have not yet occurred, and everything can still be reversed, just as the Western Wilderness is still called the "Fertile West" by the locals.

"Please follow me, King Llane is waiting for you."

Sir Lothar did not want to waste time. He had too many things to discuss with his sworn brother immediately. However, as they walked out of the teleportation hall, a Stormwind Royal Mage immediately stepped forward to report to Sir Lothar:

The city-state of Dalaran has sent an envoy, a great mage named Modera. She and her followers have come to ask for the Guardian's Staff. They are meeting with the king and have insisted that the magic of the Guardian of Tirisfal be brought back to Dalaran.

His Majesty asked me to report to you here, hoping you can make a decision in advance."

"Humph."

Lothar snorted and asked:

"Did the Archmage say anything about sending reinforcements to support the kingdom?"

"She said it."

The Royal Mage sighed and said:
"She said that as long as we return the guardian's magic power and holy staff, Dalaran will send at least three hundred battle mages and an equal number of golems to assist us in the battle."

"Only three hundred? Are you sending away beggars?"

Garona said disdainfully:
"This is the power of a demigod! We were able to exchange all the ogres under Chancellor Mar'gok on Draenor, and the wizard-chancellor still owes us an army. Aren't those mages really calculating?"

"It's quite a few already, several of them."

Following behind them, the archmage Alex, who was so weak that he needed his apprentice's support to walk, sighed and said:

"The Kirin Tor only has three thousand active battle mages. Excluding the city guards and the wardens of the Violet Hold, and including members of various organizations, the Council of Six can only mobilize a little over a thousand.

Believe me, they are very sincere this time."

"Of course I believe in your character, Master Alex. The problem is that three hundred battle mages can't protect this city! Don't think I don't know. According to Dalaran's customs, only spellcasters who are not so talented in the arcane will choose to become 'battle mages'!"

Lothar said in a stern tone:

"I've spoken with Master Merry Winterwind. I know Dalaran's intricacies better than you, a pure spellcaster obsessed with magical research. The magical city has a wealth of wealth. If you think you can take away the power that protects civilization with such a small number of people, forget it!"

Having said that, Losa and Diakum looked at each other and nodded at the same time, which was considered a tacit understanding on this matter.

A royal carriage was waiting outside the Mage Quarter. Everyone boarded it and, escorted by the knights, headed towards Stormwind Fortress. Inside the carriage, Diakum took off his helmet and said to Master Alex, who was resting with his eyes closed:
"I heard from your apprentice that after you woke up, you said you wanted to pass on the 'Ebony Chill'?"

"Ah."

The old wizard looked haggard, with sunken eye sockets, as if he had aged ten years. He said softly:

“On the one hand, my foundation has been damaged. Even if I could barely survive with your Holy Light’s help, it would take many years to recover. Leaving a divine artifact like the Ebony Chill in my hands would be a waste of resources.

Now that humanity is facing war, such weapons should be held by more capable young people to defend their country.

On the other hand, I was deceived by Medivh and nearly lost thousands of lives.
This is completely contrary to my arcane ethics. I am no longer worthy of holding the artifact left by the first guardian, Lord Alodi. My morality and dignity do not allow me to continue stealing this great power."

"The damage to the arcane foundation is not irreparable."

Diakum knocked on the table and shook his head.

"The Ogre leader of Draenor holds a Titan-forged rune, which is the artifact closest to the source of arcane magic in the material universe. My adopted daughter also has such a rare artifact. Holding it can quickly repair your damaged arcane foundation.

Your character is worthy of me seeking one for you, but I will not give it to you for nothing."

The Sentinel, who was now quite adept at negotiating terms, paused, giving the old wizard some time to react, before saying:
“I have two conditions.

First, you can't go back to Dalaran.

In your current situation, taking Ebonchill back to that city 'surrounded by wolves' would be tantamount to suicide. You must stay in Stormwind Kingdom and become the Royal Archmage of the Royal House of Wrynn, working together with the current Royal Archmage, Lord Andomas, to succeed Nielas Alan, who died many years ago, as the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Mages.

Second, the inheritance ceremony of the Ebonchill artifact will be presided over by Marshal Lothar!

We promise to choose for this staff an upright owner who is willing to sacrifice everything for the future and present of human civilization."

"But Dalaran can no longer interfere in this!"

Lothar added:

"Dick and I have finished our discussion. We will use the same method to complete the selection ceremony for the successor to the Holy Staff of Atiesh the Guardian."

“But you have no power.”

The old wizard's eyes widened.

Although he had great talent in arcane magic and was extremely skilled in ice magic, he had been a law-abiding person all his life and was the most intuitive inheritor of the "lawful" nature of the arcane way. He instinctively wanted to refute it, but the next second he saw Diakum take out something and put it on the table in front of him.

That was a "power of attorney".

Don't worry about the content, but there are three. No, four signatures below.

They are the soul marks of Merry Winterwind, Farondis Nar'thalas, Magna Aegwynn and the deceased Medivh.

"Merry Winterwind witnessed the first Guardian Alodi receiving the Staff. He remains a founding member of the Council of Tirisfal to this day. Lord Farondis is also a founding member and has been fully involved in the formation of the Guardian of Tirisfal.

Lady Aegwynn and Medivh are the two most recent Guardians.

According to the rules set by the original Council of Tirisfal, the next Guardian should be appointed by the previous Guardian before leaving office!"

Diakum said in a gentle tone:

"During this process, the Kirin Tor only has the power to witness and make proposals. They have no right to intervene in this process, let alone dispose of the power of the Guardians of Tirisfal as Dalaran's private property!
Please think carefully about the background of the birth of the position of Guardian of Tirisfal and the mission it needs to carry. Tell me honestly, is the current Dalaran qualified to inherit it?
If the Council of Six has any questions about this.
They can directly confront anyone named in this authorization letter!

If they are afraid of the majesty of the demigod spellcaster and want to find an 'easy persimmon' to squeeze, then I, a foreign saint who was entrusted to complete the Guardian Ceremony, will stay in Stormwind for a long time.

I welcome them to talk sense.

They want to talk physics, and I, the agent holding the Sword Saint Blade, don't refuse to spar."

Archmage Alex fell silent.

He trembled as he picked up the authorization letter and looked at it carefully. Then he sighed and said:
"I have no opinion."

After saying this, he waved his hand to summon a magic quill and elegantly wrote his name below, adding the authorization for the inheritance ceremony of Ebony Chill. He closed his eyes, stroked the artifact staff he had held for more than ten years, and finally handed it to Lothar, waving his hand and saying:
"Then you can do it. I witnessed Lord Diakum's feat of saving a thousand lives. I believe in your oath of protection. The current situation in Storm Kingdom does indeed require some unconventional methods."

"You are the conscience of humanity, Archmage."

Marshal Lothar praised sincerely:
"In these dark times, we are blessed to have a man of integrity like you by our side."

Khadgar, who had watched the entire scene, had a complicated expression on his face, while Garona said in a joyful tone:

"With the Guardian's Staff and the Ebonchill artifact, all spellcasters across the eastern continent will be mobilized. As long as they crave respect and power, they must participate in Stormwind's battle for survival. The number of spellcasters coming to support us will far exceed Marshal Lothar's plan.

Now we don't have to worry about air defense and city magic defense at least.

But spellcasters alone are not enough, we also need warriors who can stand up to the orcs head-on!"

"That depends on the outcome of the meeting between Saint Diakum and His Majesty Alonsus Faol."

Lothar carefully placed the magical staff that exuded a heavy chill into the magic box beside him and said:
"The darker the times, the more we need loyal faith. I believe that the Holy Light will bless humanity, and I also believe that the Holy Light will bless this city. Calculating the time, His Majesty Faol may come to this city in a few days."

Diakum did not answer.

He leaned against the moving carriage with his eyes closed, and in his ears, shadowy voices lingered like ghosts, approving:
"You did it so cleverly this time! Diakum, you've already mastered the art of exploiting others' desires and greed to drive them. We cannot help but admire your talent in the ways of shadows, a Saint of Light.

But you can definitely go further.”

"Yeah, I can go a step further."

Diakum replied in his mind:
"Why must the selection of the Guardian's successor be restricted to the Eastern Continent?
I think that the power-hungry Lord Mar'gok will never give up such a divine weapon that can allow him to reach the pinnacle of arcane magic. For this reason, the greedy and reckless ogre wizard does not mind serving as the guardian of the human kingdom for a long time.

They might even be willing to bring the armies of Highmaul and the Gorian Empire to become the true 'Guardians of the Kingdom'.

I still have so many artifacts in my hands, and my mind is filled with the specific locations of all the artifacts in this world. If I take them all out, maybe I can stir up a bigger storm.

But, this is enough for now!"

The Vigilant said in a deep voice:

"No matter how big the storm is, once it blows, it will be out of control. I simply hope to use the power of others to fight against fate, rather than start a power struggle that will bring disaster to the continent."

"Tsk, what a shame you're still trying to restrain your dark potential, Diakum."

Shadowwhisper sighed and said:
"What's wrong with chaos? Chaos can give birth to a vibrant future! You have witnessed the bitter fruits of a stagnant order. Even a glorious city like Dalaran fell into the quagmire of power struggles under the constraints of order.

Harness the power of chaos and raise a storm yourself, and even fate will tremble!"

“But walking too fast in the shadows will cause my light to lose track of me.”

Dick closed his eyes, leaned back in the carriage, and waved his hand.
"That's all. This is enough for now. Go away and leave me alone for a while."

"As you command, Your Excellency, the Honorable Archon of the Lightless Sea. We, your loyal servants, await your orders at any time."

------

"This is impossible! The position of Guardian of Tirisfal has belonged to us in Dalaran since ancient times."

"Please take a good look at this letter of authorization, Archmage Modera! We respect you as the envoy of Dalaran, a well-known benevolent and fair person, but this does not mean that you can speak freely in front of the king of Stormwind Kingdom!"

Archmage Modera and Marshal Lothar's voices were louder than each other.

The quarrel between the two made King Ryan look helpless, but judging from the fingerprints on the hands of the king who had been trying to mediate, which were placed under the table, he had been restraining his urge to laugh out loud.

It all depends on the support of my sworn brothers!
Without making a fuss, he brought such powerful reinforcements to the Stormwind Kingdom. The two artifacts will be passed down in Stormwind City, which is enough to summon all the greedy spellcasters in the entire continent here to help their people defend the city.

There is also the secret document that Lothar sent back to Stormwind a few days ago.

King Llane maintained a helpless expression as he carefully looked at his 45-year-old sworn brother. He had never realized before that this dog Lothar was so handsome that he could attract the Phoenix Guardian of Quel'Thalas to marry his granddaughter to him, and even give him a human empire as a "dowry".

King Llane fully supports the reconstruction of the empire.

Even though this meant he might lose his title as king, he was not only a king but also the head of a large family.

For the Wrynn family, this is not a bad thing. The inheritance of the throne after Lothar is an issue that must be considered. There is definitely no hope for him to be the same age as Lothar, but his son Varian Wrynn has been raised by Lothar since he was a child.

Moreover, as the main force and loyal follower of the emperor in unifying the empire, Storm Kingdom will inevitably benefit from it in the future.

Hehe
The Uryen family, regarded as "peasants" by the ancient nobles, will give birth to an imperial emperor!
This incident alone is enough to make the future "Guardian of the Southern Territory of the Empire", Grand Duke Llane Wrynn of Stormwind, wake up laughing in his dreams.

not to mention.
This was the last wish of his sworn brother, Medivh. He and Lothar had to help him fulfill this wish no matter what.

Although the crisis Stormwind Kingdom is currently facing was caused by Medivh, he cannot be entirely blamed for the fact that his brother has been possessed by the Demon King for so many years.

These good news, intertwined with the bad news of the fall of Redridge Mountains, made King Llane exhausted in the past few days. He was in a strange state of "happiness and unhappiness" superimposed, which greatly increased his mental exhaustion.

Seeing that the two were arguing and couldn't decide who was the winner, the king slammed the table and shouted:
"The Staff of Atiesh the Guardian and the Ebonchill artifact must and can only be inherited in Stormwind City! There is no need to discuss this matter any further! If Dalaran is not satisfied, send your army over and fight a decisive battle with our Stormwind Knights at the gates of the city!

If you don't have the courage, then don't curse like a shrew here. Archmage Modera, you are also a person of status, please be decent.

I have saints from other races watching over me, so don't let them think that all of you in Dalaran are a bunch of barbarians who use magic."

The King's Hall fell silent.

King Llane's words were a bit too vulgar, but they made Garona in the shadows beam with joy. She felt that this human king was quite courageous.

As for Diakum, who was sitting in the guest seat, he waved his hand.

He now dispelled his illusion and revealed his true appearance. The half-giant said in a gentle tone:

"The Archmage of Dalaran was graceful and not in a state of disarray, but he lacked the generosity and grace of our Draenor Ogre Sorcerer. If His Majesty Mar'gok were here, he would have surely recognized the situation and used various methods to gain an advantage for his side.

I will speak plainly, Master Modera."

Diakum looked at her and said:
"If the Council of Six has any opinions, why not come in person? After we defeat the green orcs, I'd be happy to spend a week debating with you, but at least for now."

A flash of light appeared in his hand, and a black flaming blade was propped up in his palm. He said in a deep voice:
"If you disagree with this decision, why don't we just have a Mak'Gora right here?"

"You...you are simply a bunch of barbarians!"

Archmage Modera is a man of honor.

She was really not a bad person, but this would make her face turn pale after being bullied by the three men. She stomped her feet, threw down a few words, and turned away.

The Staff of Atiesh and the Ebonchill were right next to King Llane, and she couldn't snatch them away unless they gave them to her.

What's more, it's impossible to snatch it away.

Although the alien saint was very weak, the great wizard's dangerous instinct told her that the other party had the ability to kill her here.

"Dalaran doesn't need to try to block the news!"

Sir Lothar called after the Archmage:

"We've already spread this news throughout the continent through the channels of Quel'Thalas and the League of Assassins. The Council of Six should send someone here immediately. It would be best if Archmage Antonidas himself leads your Council of Six and all your battle mages."
Storm Kingdom awaits you! "

(End of this chapter)