Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 252.9. Black Crow King: It's truly unlucky for one person to be unlucky, but when a group of people are unlucky, I'm just waiting to see the fun.
In El Rethras, the Black Raven King today is just as busy as he has been for the past ten thousand years, but he's not exactly idle either.

Although elves, as a long-lived race, are a race lacking in change, and a kingdom composed entirely of elves doesn't have many unexpected events, there are always some less important but still necessary political affairs that require the leader's personal attention.

But His Majesty Quetallos is in a bad mood today!

This was because he had only processed a few requests for help when he received two strange "things".

At this moment, the Black Raven King closed the palace and sat alone on the throne, looking at the two ancient troll inscriptions on the table in front of him.

It was sent by King Rastakhan of the Troll Empire a few hours earlier. It was of extremely high quality, delivered by the priest of the "Secret God" Gani via the magical "garbage dump express" that traveled thousands of miles.

His historians had deciphered the inscription, and two coded texts were laid out before him.

The epic record on the left describes the war between the Zandalari Troll Empire and the Aqir Insect Empire. It details how the Insect Empire was defeated by the Troll Empire's attack and split into three factions that fled to different regions.

On the right side is a record of the oldest troll branch lineage in the Zandalari Empire, which includes the "Dark Trolls," a branch that is extremely taboo to the elves.

The two inscriptions represented two messages from the King of Gold, which made the Black Crow King's expression serious.

He knew that all of this was related to what was happening in the Silithus Desert.

"Provocative?"

Kutalos, who had maintained remarkably good manners for ten thousand years, rubbed his temples and pondered to himself:
"If it is truly a provocation, then King Rastakhan should directly announce to the entire world the fact that the 'Plague will cause the Dark Trolls to transform,' and use his power as the 'Lord of the Trolls' to announce the reinstatement of the Dark Trolls into the Empire."

This is what will bring maximum chaos and disruption to the elf world.

It didn't do that, but instead sent an inscription, which clearly indicates that it wanted to discuss this matter with the Moon Goddess's realm. But what does sending a war inscription mean?

The Black Crow King couldn't quite understand the "riddler" behavior of the trolls.

But he firmly believed that the Golden King's long journey to send this item could not possibly be just a casual joke; the relationship between trolls and elves was not so good that they could joke with each other.

So he picked up the cipher again and read it once more. A moment later, the Black Crow King got up and searched for his diary in his library.

He had a habit of keeping a diary, and the diaries he kept over his more than 10,000 years of life could fill a palace if piled up. Therefore, he had to create a magical library specifically to store his diaries.

Although the Kaldorei elves are very opposed to the misuse of magic, keeping a personal diary is obviously not considered "misuse." Besides, the Black Raven King is, after all, the leader of the Moon Goddess Kingdom, and he does have a few special privileges.

He found his diary from the Quicksand Wars, and on the first page he saw his own angry words written in the diary:
"I'm so fed up with that madman Staghelm (a long string of High Elf profanities), why is he so stubborn about everything concerning his son, just like a mad centaur (angry High Elf profanities)?"
What a fine boy Vastan! He longed to serve the people but was prevented from going to the front lines by that old man.

This is simply a waste of natural resources!

I must ensure that the best of my people get the chance to use their talents, and as for that XXX (an unseemly Kaldorei curse word) Staghelm, let him die.

"Ah, Elune, why don't you send down a meteorite of just the right size, at the right time, landing precisely on Staghelm's head, sending that old stubborn man to sleep in the Emerald Dream for a nap that's neither too long nor too short?"

"Snapped"

The Black Crow King was so embarrassed that he covered his eyes with his toes.

He glanced around furtively, and after confirming that no one was around, he quickly tore out the unseemly page from his diary. He then coughed a few times and pretended nothing had happened as he flipped through the pages.

Fortunately, he is a very dignified leader in most situations, and only becomes so undignified when he is extremely angry.

But this also solidified His Majesty Curtalos Ravencrest's dark thoughts: on the day he died, before he breathed his last, he would instruct his beloved daughter to burn all the records in his diary archives.

These diaries contain too much "dark history" that must never see the light of day again!

He dared not even imagine the chaos that would ensue if his sentimental love poem to Queen Azshara, written more than ten thousand years ago when he was young, were exposed, or if his sharp criticism of the leader of the anti-demon alliance in his diary were to be leaked.

Sigh, I'm usually such a proper person, so why can't I control myself when I'm writing in my diary?
Alas, it's hard to be the King of Black Crows; it's even harder to leave behind wise and virtuous people among humankind.

Fortunately, his Elissana was a good girl. Although she had gone to join the Watchers' secret force against his wishes and seemed to have a crush on that bastard Illidan for a million years, he could still trust her.

Black Raven King quickly flipped to the records from the end of the Quicksand War, when he led the elven warriors into the dark temple of the insectoids. After comparing them with the war inscriptions sent by the trolls, he came to a startling conclusion.

"The Qiraji, who fought the Kaldorei a thousand years ago, are a remnant of the ancient Aqir Empire! The descriptions of the dark gods worshipped by the troll ancestors are exactly the same as the mental anguish I felt at the entrance of the temple."

Our dragon allies halted our advance, saying that deep within the insectoid temple lay ancient gods beyond our control, a claim perfectly consistent with the troll records.

Kutalos stroked his chin, thinking:

"So is this a reminder or a warning, or does the trolls hope that the two sides can reach some kind of cooperation on this matter?"

"Your Majesty, Master Latousius has sent a new message that must be opened and read by you personally."

A loyal guard delivered the latest secret report. The Black Raven King took it and opened it, then his expression changed drastically. The report described in detail what had happened in Southwind Village. Latusius described in detail how the insectoid god used the power of the void to reshape the bodies of his people, turning them from dark trolls back into elves.

This report gave Black Crow King a headache.

He finally understood why the trolls had sent the war inscription.

"These guys want to form an alliance!"

The Black Crow King sighed and said:

"The Golden King learned all this through the Sandfury tribe in the Great Desert. They realized that the Kaldorei would definitely eliminate the bewitching dark god as quickly as possible under these perilous circumstances."

If they regard it as an ancient enemy of the troll empire, then a temporary alliance between the two sides, setting aside their hatred, becomes possible when they share a common enemy.

It was like the temporary alliance between the two races at the end of the ancient war.

I see. But couldn't you write a personal letter explaining this word by word?

Why do you insist on sending me an inscription to guess? Does that show your foresight?
troll.

Ah, those charlatan Loa gods really taught you a good lesson!

Kutalos stood up and paced back and forth in his palace, pondering the possibility of an alliance between the two sides. If it was decided to start another war of quicksands, then having tough-skinned trolls as allies would indeed be a good thing.

"And there's that alien saint that Master Lathou and General Staghelm described! The Vigilant bluntly stated that he came to cleanse the 'Thousand-Eyed Demon,' and the 'Raven Prophet' who gave me the warning was also with him."

Most importantly, he did come up with a way to cure the plague.

If the druids act quickly enough, the Kaldorei can avoid the tragedy of large numbers of their people being transformed into dark trolls.

Black Crow King felt that the pressure that had been building up in his heart recently had dissipated somewhat, but before he could even breathe a sigh of relief, he saw another inscription on the table.

The evidence the Zandalari tribe sent regarding the branch lineage of the Dark Trolls was clearly ill-intentioned. Combined with their desire to form an alliance against the Qiraji, Kul'Talos Ravencrest probably understood the meaning behind the "Riddler" of the Golden King.

"The trolls won't recruit dark trolls back to the Empire from the Kaldorei realm, but they also don't want us to stop them from recruiting from other elven factions. So, should I tell the other factions that the Plague can cause dark trolls to transform?"

The Black Crow King stared at the ancient inscription, hesitating.

Logically speaking, the three races of elves are enemies, not friends, and their relationship with each other is quite complex and subtle.

The Kaldorei had no obligation to remind the other elves of the flesh-and-blood degeneration that occurred in the final stage of the plague. Moreover, they currently had no way to deal with the plague, so reminding them would only create unnecessary tension for the other side.

But the transformation of the dark trolls is too terrifying!
This matter has transcended the struggle between elven factions; it concerns the interests of the entire elven race. Most importantly, the Black Raven King cannot guarantee that the other two factions will handle this matter properly.

The high elves are relatively easy to deal with; the Phoenix Dynasty has maintained a stable system for nearly seven thousand years.

However, the Highborne are in a state of chaos, and he is genuinely worried that if a case of dark troll transformation occurs, something terrible might happen on the Broken Isles. Although he is the leader of the Kaldorei, he is also a legitimate Highborne noble, and there is still a sense of kinship between them.

Most importantly, if Elisande of Suramar were to lose his mind under pressure and act recklessly, it could very well lead to an outcome that none of the elven factions would want to see.

“Once Azshara awakens, I don’t think she will show any mercy to the ‘dark trolls.’ By then, we might have to start a civil war before the demons even arrive.”

After careful consideration, the Black Crow King made a swift decision.

"We must notify them, and we must do it quickly! At the very least, we must make their senior management aware of the most extreme possible outcomes and prepare for them in advance."

Thinking of this, Kutalos immediately summoned several Moon Guardians, wrote a few letters, and ordered them to deliver them to the leaders of other factions as quickly as possible. "Every second counts! This is a critical moment; don't be stingy with your magic."

The Black Crow King instructed:

"It must be delivered personally to Governor Tosedrin, Archmage Elisande, His Majesty Anastarian, and Lord Farondis. It cannot be passed on to anyone else, and they must reply to me!"

"As ordered!"

After a solemn response, the loyal moon guards immediately used their superb teleportation skills to travel to different areas with the Black Crow King's handwritten letter.

After watching his guards leave, Ravencrest, who had been looking serious just moments before, suddenly revealed a subtle smile.

Honestly, if the plague had only broken out in the Kaldorei Kingdom, he would be absolutely worried to death right now.

However, the Corruptor's actions were too drastic, spreading the plague to all elven factions in one fell swoop. Now, the leaders of all elven factions had to empathize with the Black Raven King and share the burden with him.

Isn't there a saying that goes something like that?
Happiness shared is happiness doubled, while sorrow shared is sorrow halved.

The best part is that, thanks to the generous sharing of that "alien saint," the Kaldorei have already obtained the cure for the demonic plague ahead of time. As long as the druids are capable enough, their people can definitely avoid the tragedy of turning into dark trolls.

But do other elven factions have this condition?
They have a der!
Especially for the Highborne elves, their only means of communication with the Draenorin sages is probably through messages in bottles.

For a moment, Kultalos even had a rather "dark" thought. Although it was dangerous for Azshara to awaken now, he couldn't help but imagine how interesting the expression would be when the Great Light of Light awoke from the Nightwell and saw all her people transformed into dark trolls!

Oh dear, I really wish I could teleport over there and record this moment.

In a good mood, King Black Crow strolled out of his palace with his hands behind his back. Looking up at the warm sun shining on the city, he couldn't help but imagine the reactions of those guys when they received the letter and learned the truth.

Damn!

I made a mistake. I should have had the loyal moon guards record the leaders' reactions, preferably with a magic stone, so I could review it later when I'm under pressure.

Tsk, what a pity.

Forget it.

I'll record this regret in my diary today.

------

"Beep beep beep beep beep beep"

Diakum, who was learning the Void's Curse of Flesh arcane arts from Shadow Words in Cenarion Hold, frowned and interrupted his learning process. With a puzzled look, he opened the Augure Chest and took out a magical communication stone with a vibration frequency as fast as the highest grade purple mood.

"Isn't this the secret stone left to me by the old lich Farondis?"

The vigilant asked in bewilderment:
"He even gave me a special instruction, saying that the Phoenix Guardian was busy with his daily work and that I shouldn't bother him unless necessary. But look at the frequency of this thing's vibration. If you put it on the ground, it could run at 60 miles per hour."

You'd better answer the phone quickly.

Archbishop Nelly, who was "protecting" Diakum from the side, said:

"For a kingdom's guardian to be in such a hurry, something big must have happened. Perhaps the demons have attacked Quel'Thalas."

"Can't you say something nice?"

Dick glanced at his outspoken old darling, then reluctantly activated the communication stone. Before he could even speak, he saw the arcane projection of Farondis's upper body roar in a madman-like manner:

"Where are you now? Where are your Forest Spirit Sages? Tell me the world coordinates of Draenor! Quickly, I have summoned all the Silvermoon Mages, and the Sunwell's mana channeling is complete!"
I need those coordinates!
"Let's open a portal to your world right now!"

"No! Opening the gate to the world carelessly could cause trouble for both worlds. Medivh's lesson is enough."

This intense reaction stunned Diakum, who asked in bewilderment:

"What's going on? Why are you so agitated? I'm in Silithus, and I just got here to deal with a little 'emergency'."

"Are you in Silithus?"

Farondis's voice suddenly rose several octaves, and he screamed:

"So, is what that bastard Kutalos Ravencrest said true? That the final stage of the plague's degeneration of the elves' flesh will turn us into dark trolls?"

"Yes, unfortunately, it's true."

Diakum finally understood the source of the old lich's anxiety.

He stood up, carrying the communication stone that allowed them to see each other, and headed to the neighboring military camp, where Iriel and Marlad were providing "psychological counseling" to the quicksand guards, currently in the "talk therapy" phase.

To be honest, it's really useless.

After all, the transformation of an elf into a dark troll is not a trivial matter like losing a wallet or being cuckolded. It's a direct and passive race change, and to the side of a sworn enemy at that.

Upon witnessing the "dark troll" form of the Sand Guardians, Farondis, a lich who had lived for over ten thousand years, nearly fainted on the spot.

To be honest, it's quite interesting to see "fear" on a lich's face, and it's safe to say that he never lost his composure like this when he confronted the enraged Azshara.

"Don't worry, the forest elves have already arrived in Storm Kingdom. They are distributing seeds that can cure the demonic plague there."

The guard couldn't bear to see an old man half his age so anxious, so he comforted him:

"They are few in number now, and can only guard the area around Stormwind at most, but don't worry, as long as we get the Book of Medivh, the Dark Portal connecting the two worlds can be built, and then the Wood Elves can come over in large numbers."

"Very well, the Book of Medivh, is it?"

Farondis narrowed his eyes and asked:

"Can you, prophet, tell me where that book is now?"

"According to Moros, it was last seen near the Kingdom of Alterac. General Lireza had already set out to search for it when I left Stormwind."

Dick said:
"But there are also reports that the grimoire has been lost after changing hands several times. Lord Daval Presto and the Ravenholdt Assassin League each have a part in their possession, but it is incomplete."

"Wait for me there, don't wander off."

The old lich nodded, trying to calm himself down, and said:

"I'll meet you by tomorrow morning at the latest. Listen, you've underestimated the impact of the plague on the elves. Do you need me to bring some powerful spellcasters to support what you're doing?"

"But you don't even know what I'm doing."

Diakum narrowed his eyes, sensing that things might have taken an unexpected turn, and asked in return:
"This matter in Silithus has nothing to do with the interests of Quel'Thalas, so why are you being so proactive?"

"No, it's related!"

Another voice rang out through the communication stone, and the old lich turned the screen to reveal the person beside him: the current Sun King, Anastarian Sunstrider.

The majestic high elf leader spoke in the most solemn voice:

"I don't want to see any Quel'dorei elf reduced to such a wretched state! To that end, we will fully support your actions in order to win your favor. I know this is opportunistic, but let's just consider it a deal."

Whatever you intend to do, we will provide our full support. Lord Farondis will come to your aid, and Quel'Thalas will also do its utmost to support Lothar's restoration efforts.

We have only one request.

We need you to leverage your influence within the Kourei Alliance. After the Dark Portal is established, we must have the full support of the Forest Spirits.

The sooner the better!

Otherwise, it's no exaggeration to say that the Phoenix Dynasty risks collapse!

(End of this chapter)