Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 378, Section 68: Ha, the adult world is so dirty!

The Exodar arrived under cover of night and reached the Thunderfall shipyard outside Stormwind City around noon. The hatches opened, and the brought-back Faith Guards and Iron Horse Knights disembarked, along with some High Elf expeditionary force members who returned to the Eastern Continent.

After a fierce battle, they desperately needed rest, and some of the wounded were carried off on stretchers to Northshire Abbey to recuperate.

The Lightforged acted swiftly, resupplying the starship with various resources. The battle at Mount Hyjal lasted less than twenty hours, but due to its extreme intensity, the consumption was enormous, especially the various casting materials for casting holy light spells, healing potions, and spare weapons. The logistics officers were ordered to complete the resupply in a short time.

Next, the Exodar will enter the Star Sea for an ambush operation, and who knows, there might even be some exciting and wild boarding battles.

The twins were left on the ship to oversee these matters, while Diakum disembarked and headed straight for Northshire Abbey, where he quickly found old Velen, who was discussing doctrine with Archbishop Faol.

Because His Holiness Volos, Diakum, and the entire Lightforged Chapter had gone to participate in the "Defiler Suppression Campaign," Elder Velen secretly arrived in Stormwind through the Dark Portal. He led the Chosen of the Light and an elite garrison to take over the Lightforged's defenses against demonic infiltration.

Although the demons' main area of ​​activity in the eastern continent is the northern frontier, in reality, due to the special nature of the Storm Kingdom, the demons' infiltration of this area has never stopped.

In just the last few days, the Chosen of the Light have uncovered more than a dozen hidden demons in Stormwind, most of them succubi skilled in disguise, some lower-ranking Nathrezim, and even a small group of Legion worshippers connected to local warlocks.

It can only be said that ever since Diakum reorganized the Assassin's Court and the Inquisition in Draenor, the Draenei clan's "special forces for hunting demons" have been developing better and better.

“You’re back. You look exhausted, Diakum. Is the war intense?”

Viren saw Diakum hurrying over and immediately stood up to greet him. Archbishop Fao, standing beside him, also responded with religious courtesy. Dick, however, did not hide anything and briefly described the entire process of the Battle of Mount Hyjal to the two of them.

Upon hearing that the Kaldorei had sacrificed their World Tree and immortality to kill the Great Demon Lord, Velen and Faol were deeply moved by the noble character of the Night Elves.

Especially Vilen.

As the leader of the exiles, the Great Prophet was all too aware of the destructive power of the Great Demon Lord, and thus the Kaldorei, whom he had never met, became a symbol of "noble character" in his mind.

Well, aside from some of Kaldorei's ideas, this viewpoint isn't too problematic. After all, adults should learn to judge actions by their deeds, not their intentions.

"Marshal Lothar and some commanders will stay at Mount Hyjal for a period of time to complete the initial diplomatic exchanges with the Kaldorei."

Dick said to Archbishop Fao:
"You don't need to worry too much about his safety. At most a week later, the Marshal will return to Stormwind Kingdom with news of victory, but the war at Redridge Mountains..."

"all the best!"

Archbishop Alonsous Fao drew a triangular emblem on his chest and said with a broad smile:
"Under the protection of the Holy Light, our warriors, led by His Majesty Ryan, have successfully crossed Stillwater Lake and recaptured Lakeside Town. The warriors of Upwind Trail and Sunshine Forest have also gone to Redridge Mountains to provide support after dispelling their respective threats."

Seventy thousand kingdom warriors have gathered there, and the capture of the Stonewall Fortress is just around the corner.

Perhaps by the time Marshal Lothar returns, the entire territory of Stormwind will have been conquered.

I have heard that His Majesty Llane intends to establish a new city at the northern end of the Black Marsh beyond Redridge Mountains, a city called Watchtower that will rise on the 'Lightforged Hills' born from your holy site, and become the new frontier of the Kingdom of Stormwind.

This is truly a joyous occasion.

The archbishop sighed again, twirling the rosary in his hand, and said:
"But now that the threat of war in the Stormwind Kingdom has been eliminated, we must turn our attention to the north. I have heard that the situation there is becoming increasingly dangerous, and I will soon set off to return to the northern frontier to uphold the Holy Light at the Chapel of Light's Hope and care for the innocent who have lost their homes."

"I will then send a group of Lightforged to accompany you."

Diakum said seriously:

"The situation in the North Frontier is not like that in the Storm Kingdom. Your reputation is outstanding, which will make you a thorn in the side of those dark creatures. Your safety must be the top priority."

"Ah."

Fao did not refuse the offer, but the archbishop noticed that Diakum seemed to have some secrets to discuss with the prophet Velen alone, so after exchanging a few pleasantries, he turned and left.

After the doors of the lecture hall closed, Dick went straight to the point with Viren:
"Kil'jaeden is coming!"

"Um?!"

This news caused the smiling old Velen's expression to change drastically. Like a dramatic facial expression, seeing the old prophet seem startled, Diakum quickly explained:
"What I mean is, we received information from the Illidari that a special Legion fleet is sailing into the star system where Azeroth is located. According to the Illidari, they believe it is a reconnaissance fleet under the command of the Conquerors."

They might have been infiltrators sent by Kil'jaeden to Azeroth to gather intelligence.

As you know, the Burning Legion's desire for Azeroth stems from the malice of the Dark Titans. They will not rest until they have taken it. Now that the Defiler has fallen, the plan to invade Azeroth will inevitably be transferred to another great demon lord.

I fear the appearance of this fleet may foreshadow Kil'jaeden taking over the invasion.

Given the strength of its demonic legions and its fleets that can be mobilized at will, once the Conquerors enter the fray, Azeroth is likely to face a difficult period.

Dick shook his head and said:
"I don't think Kil'jaeden would make the same foolish solo charge as the Corruptor, so it's important to prevent it from getting full information."

Illidan the Starhunter and I are preparing to head to the Starsea to ambush that fleet.

We can't be sure if there's a projection of Kil'jaeden or some kind of special communicator on it, so…

"I'll go with you!"

Old Viren turned the rosary beads in his hand, and said in a deep voice:
“I can no longer run away. Now that we have found a way to save the world and the great restoration of Argus is on the agenda, I cannot allow Kil'jaeden's war to destroy all of this.”

"If we can make contact with it within that fleet."

"Are you trying to salvage it?"

Dick said in surprise:
"Do you still believe that your ancient brother has feelings for Argus?"

Viren remained silent for a long time, then shook his head and said:
"I'm not sure, but I have to try."

"it is good!"

Diakum paced back and forth a few steps, seemingly deep in thought, then nodded and said:
“I’m granting you special permission to participate in this operation in my capacity as commander, but you must keep a low profile and I must accompany you throughout the entire operation! I cannot allow the spiritual leader of the Eredar to fall into danger.”

Viren nodded.

He disguised himself as an ordinary Lightforged priest and, along with Diakum, entered the Exodar. The Lightforged recruits stationed at Northshire Abbey were also summoned, and Lyran and Eredas were also transferred into the ship.

The starship's resupply would take several more hours, so Lyran and her friends started exploring the area, where the two soon discovered something "magical".

"what is this?"

Lyran, leaning on her staff, circled the specially sealed display stand a few times, marveling at it. She turned to Iredas, who was dressed as a priest, and said:
"It looks like a giant's arm! But why is it made of crystal? Who sculpted this thing and made it so lifelike?"

Faced with Lyran's question, the more composed Iredas carefully examined him.

What they saw before them was indeed an arm, which, judging from its shape, should belong to some Eredar. It was made of irregularly cut crystal, and the arm seemed to have been severed by some kind of sharp weapon. A strange remnant of a battle blade was held between the five fingers.

The crystal arm emitted a warm, holy light, but the remnants of the battle blade were enveloped in a strange black moonlight. Even separated from their original forms, the two objects continued to fight each other.

This is probably why the Lightforged wanted to seal it away.

"Hiss, this thing..."

Eredas blinked and said to Lyran with a strange expression:

"It should be Saint Diakum's arm, right? Isn't his crystalline structure like this in his Naaru form? But where did this blade come from? Who could so easily sever a Naaru's arm?"

Could it be Cenarius the Defiler?

"No, it's the 'Nightsworn,' an unstable lesser god of the Kaldorei."

Archbishop Auress of the Radiant Dawn happened to walk by carrying a magic book. Seeing the two "young people" discussing the sacred relic, she stepped forward to explain:
"Without the selfless resistance of the Vigilant, that unexpectedly awakened lesser god would have been able to annihilate the entire Kalimdor. The broken blade held in this severed arm came from the Nightsworn."

The broken blade still bears the dangerous remnants of the moon goddess's wrath; mortals below the level of a legendary figure must not touch it, or they will be instantly incinerated. We found this sacred relic in the ruins of Nightsworn Keep.

After discussing it with my sister, we decided to contain it as the Lightforged Chapter's 001st sealed artifact. The Hand of Light from the Vigilant might come in handy in the future.

"Tsk, the war remains of a lesser god, that sounds really exciting!"

Lyran picked up her notebook and quickly sketched the sacred object, recording it as part of her observations of the starry sea. She seemed to have come up with a brilliant idea, so she tilted her head and asked:

“I just saw that Uncle Diakum’s arm has healed, does that mean he can keep creating similar relics in a similar way?”
You already have the 'holy right arm of the vigilant,' and in the future you may have the 'holy left arm,' the 'holy left leg,' the 'holy torso,' or even the 'holy skull.'

If you piece it all together, can you create a 'sacred incarnation of the vigilant'?

So, if this 'Uncle Diakm' pieced together in this way is actually Uncle Diakm, is it truly the real Uncle Diakm?

"Wow, your imagination is a bit scary."

Aurecis stared in shock, then she couldn't help but start thinking about this bizarre and outlandish idea. It took her a while to detach the crazy idea from her mind. She then glanced at Lyran with a look of "the younger generation is truly formidable" and thought to herself that the young people of today are really something else.

But Lyran's "evil idea" was doomed to fail.

The other parts are fine, but this "divine skull" is a bit too much.

While the revitalizing winds blessed by the Force of Life can have the effect of limb regeneration, the phenomenon of "severed heads growing back" is most likely not within the scope of limb regeneration.

"But what about the 'Holy Spear'?"

As Orestes left with the grimoire, she couldn't help but start thinking about this even more wicked idea. If she could obtain a "holy spear" that belonged only to her, maybe that would be... uh, her sister and the savage woman Nelly would definitely strangle her!

Holy Light, please forgive my terrible associations.

Only when Orestes entered the navigation station and saw the six-meter-tall Commander Diakum discussing tactics with Illidan did she suppress her terrifying thought.

Although she is bold in her style, she is quite conservative in this respect. How so?

When it comes to the Holy Lance, the original is always the best.

------

In the mountains of Hyjal, Lothar and his entourage were temporarily placed to rest near the Temple of Goldrinn.

As the sacred site of Kaldorei, Mount Hyjal boasts a very pristine landscape, filled with forests and natural scenery. The only man-made structures are the temples dedicated to the god of the wilderness, which are well-maintained by druids and priests of the moon.

It was also the first time that Lothar and his companions had stayed in such a temple. The experience of waking up in the morning to the noisy chirping of various birds in the branches extending into the room, like a grand chorus, was quite fun.

Of course, cleaning bird droppings off your clothes is an "unexpected surprise".

"These elves eat too much vegetarian food."

Lothar, rubbing his stomach, couldn't help but complain to Daenerys beside him:

"Last night's dinner consisted entirely of fruit. Although it's said that these fruits were cultivated by the druids and can be eaten as food, this kind of diet is really not suitable for human stomachs. I heard that Heya and the others went out hunting because they couldn't get any meat."

"They killed a son of Malorne, and did so while a strange group of druids called the 'Benevolent Order' were watching, when they were caught red-handed by three archdruids while they were grilling it."

Then they brazenly resisted arrest and forced the druids to eat meat with them, which reportedly caused a huge uproar, eventually even involving Cenarius's eldest son.

They're still locked up in the beast's den.

Daenerys, holding a bright red apple, said in a low, eerie voice:
"Get ready, you'll have to go to the druids to pay a fine in order to bail out your little aunt and her wild sisters. I'm not going, it's too embarrassing."

Losa was taken aback.

But that's exactly what the brutish Vrykul are capable of doing.

"Marshal, the High Chieftain of Durotan has arrived."

A white soldier rode over swaggeringly on a large white deer. As the marshal's bodyguard, he reported the visitors, and Lothar straightened his armor and received Durotan and his entourage, Griselda Blackhand, in his temporary residence.

The orcs were all straightforward, so after taking his seat, Durotan didn't waste any time and said directly:
“We’re going to take ‘him’ away. ‘He’s’ still alive, right?”

Lothar and Daenerys exchanged a glance. The Marshal leaned back in his chair, toying with the wooden statue in his hand, and said:
"He's dead! At least that's what we have to say in terms of propaganda! Not only can we not spread the news that he's still alive, but we can't do it on the human side either. I think you can understand why."

"Ah."

Durotan said with a grave expression:

"In order to cover the escape of the greenskins, Warchief Orgrim Doomhammer fought a heroic battle against the human marshal at Mount Hyjal, but ultimately failed and died."

To commemorate his contribution in the attack on Cenarius the Defiler, the Kaldorei elves collected his body, scattered his ashes in the rivers of Mount Hyjal, and erected an unnamed cenotaph.

Is this conclusion acceptable?

"Sure, as long as 'Orgrim Doomhammer' doesn't appear again, we'll be fine."

Lothar nodded, then emphasized:

"But you must understand, Chieftain Durotan, the reason we tolerate that war criminal living under an assumed name is because we value the Mag'har tribe, our ally from another world, and we do not want the life or death of a war criminal to affect our diplomatic relations."

I'm not a child. I know that sometimes you have to make compromises for the greater good, but I hope this is the last time.

This is not to coerce you.

Although the War Horde has fled, many green-skinned orcs still roam the lands of Azeroth. When humanity later purges them, including the war crimes trial in Stormwind, I hope the Mag'har Horde will refrain from making any more irresponsible demands.

Durotan nodded silently.

Then he rose and bowed to Lothar, saying:
“I thank you for your mercy, Marshal Lothar, but I know that my actions will cause you considerable trouble, and even within Maghar, my actions could be considered ‘betrayal’.”

Someone has to be held accountable for this!
Therefore, after returning to Draenor, I will step down as Warchief of Mag'har and even cease to be the chieftain of the Frostwolf Clan.

My wife Draka will take charge of my clan in my place, and the position of High Chieftain of Mag'har will be temporarily assumed by Elder Drek'tar.

I will temporarily join your ranks as a 'mercenary'.

"Together with those righteous Mag'har warriors, I will aid you in reclaiming the territories of the Human Empire. Until the legitimacy of the Human Empire is secure, I will remain your warrior, as atonement for the calamities my sworn brothers have inflicted upon you."

"You are serious."

Lothar hurriedly stood up and tried to dissuade him:
“This is an internal human affair. I have seen your sincerity, but I cannot allow the leader of the Mag'har friends to suffer such danger, so…”

"No, Marshal, this is how we Mag'har orcs do things!"

Griselda Blackhand shook her head and said:
"Please accept Chief Durotan's apology, otherwise his conscience will be troubled. Moreover, Garrosh, Gaiara, and I will soon return to our homeland, which is in dire need of rebuilding. The Mag'har warriors left behind also need a commander."

No one is more suitable than the Chieftain of Durotan.

As for Orgrim
I regard him as my mentor. He did not drink the demon blood, so the Blackrock Clan still acknowledges him, but we will make sure that name never appears again!
By the name and honor of Magham, we will handle the aftermath of this matter properly.

As the future Great Chieftain of the Mag'har tribe, I also personally assure you that our two tribes will become brotherly nations! The Mag'har will respond to any request from the Human Empire!

(End of this chapter)