Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 385, Section 75: The Legend of the Dragon Kingdom - What? You're going to fight a civil war too?

Lothar delivered his speech in Nasaras perfectly.

When he finished his speech, the elves of all races even stood up and applauded enthusiastically, showing great respect. They didn't even offer much harsh criticism of the marshal's accented and terrible Salasian.

For an elf, this was already an extremely high honor.

Of course, Losa isn't naive or innocent either.

What we see now is just a showy display of human activity; if humanity truly wants to integrate into this extravagant world stage, there is still much more to prepare.

However, he did not intend to stay in Nasaras City for long. What followed was the elves' internal affair, and as an outsider, he really had no reason to get involved.

Therefore, after enjoying a very elven imperial-style lunch that day, which was said to be prepared according to the standards of Azshara's court banquets and was so luxurious that Lothar felt like a country bumpkin and a barbarian who had stumbled into the civilized world, a full-bellied Lothar and his entourage embarked on their journey back to the Eastern Continent.

There are still many things to do back home, especially the war in Redridge Mountains, which is constantly on Lothar's mind.

Dean Blue Moon spoke with him, and after both parties agreed to accept students from the Nassaras Magic Academy who came to study, a portal that could ensure maximum safety was opened directly to the mage district of Stormwind.

Don't ask how the elves located such an unfamiliar place so precisely; they have their own secret methods.

Lothar, Daenerys, and the White Pawn, along with several Iron Horse Paladins, crossed the portal, traversed half the world, and returned to their homeland. Without even having time to rest, they headed to Tempest Keep to gather a summary of the war situation.

As they emerged from the mage tower, a black carriage was already waiting for them.

The three got into the carriage and saw the human form of Saint Diakum sitting opposite them, with Garona sitting next to him, while the orc assassin was playing with two weapons that made Bai Zu's eyes widen.

"Isn't this a fragment of the Starhunter's cool Warglaive of Azzinoth?"

He exclaimed in surprise:

"How did you end up in your hands? I don't remember you participating in the Battle of Mount Hyjal!"

"Tch, if you can detect the whereabouts of an assassin as skilled as me, then I feel I need to go back to Gul'dan's Shadow Council and train more."

Garona, who participated in the entire Battle of Mount Hyjal but didn't show up much due to her low profile, pouted and then flitted between her fingers like a butterfly among flowers, letting the fel flames of the crystal-like daggers illuminate her five fingers.

"Kids, don't play with fire!"

Diakum sternly reprimanded his granddaughter, who obediently let out a soft cry and put away her spoils.

Don't ask her how she got these things.

With Garona's skills, picking up some "trash" on the battlefield is a piece of cake.

"I'm going back to Draenor with Garrosh and the others tomorrow."

As Diakum rode in the moving carriage, he bid farewell to Lothar, saying:

"I might have to go back for a while on this trip, as there are important matters to attend to. Therefore, the rest of the human affairs will be up to you. I will leave a squad of Lightforged Guardians to protect Archbishop Faol."

That benevolent person has made up their mind to return to the northern frontier, to preside over the Church of the Holy Light, and to provide shelter for the refugees there.

"I've heard that the Kingdom of Lordaeron has recaptured Tyr's Hand, which had been overrun by demons?"

Losa said seriously:

"Does that mean King Terenas's army has effectively regained control of the military fortresses in Stratholme?"

"Khadgar will report the specific situation to us; he has gathered a lot of information in the northern frontier."

Dick said:
“I will also sit in on the proceedings; I’m quite interested in the situation there.”

The marshal nodded, and as the carriage traveled towards Stormwind Keep, Bai Zu suddenly said:
"Since you're returning to Draenor, could you please bring a few things back for my lads? Arthas and Calia are both taking refuge there, and the situation in the Northlands is so bad; they might have to stay in Draenor for a long time."

I found some really fun things on Mount Hyjal.

"White Pawn!"

Daenerys tapped Varian's helmet and sternly rebuked him:

"The fate of countless cities in two worlds rests on the shoulders of the Vigilant Saint; he shouldn't waste his time being a deliveryman for you and your friends."

"Well, I, the 'Erida weightlifting champion' you all call me, actually do have some free time."

Dick complained:
"The framework of the Lightforgers and Shadowchasers has been set up, and I don't need to do many things myself. I even have time to comprehend the Holy Light and write scriptures, so delivering things is still a very easy task."

So, give me the gift you're planning to give to your friends.

Bai Zu was immediately delighted. He casually touched his magic bag, and a large bag of all sorts of random things appeared in the carriage, leaving the people inside stunned.

Diakum stared at the bulging bag, which clearly contained wooden swords and shields meant for elven children to play with, and a vein twitched on his forehead.

You bastard Varian Wrynn!
Are you really going to treat me like a deliveryman?
What are all these things you sent?
These are toys for little kids. Well, Arthas does seem to be a kid, so that makes sense. No wonder Varian even prepared a "Shaking Tiger" modeled after Malorne for him.

He truly deserves the title of "big brother who understands you."

"Wait a minute!"

With her sharp eyes, Garona reached into Varian's "gift bag" and grabbed a handful of the "Emperor's New Clothes" cloak, which she couldn't see but could touch.

She said in confusion:
"What kind of thought process led you to mix such a high-level magical item with a bunch of children's toys and give it to your four-year-old friend? Is this really something that Arthas or Princess Calia could handle?"

"Confiscated!"

Garona folded up the cloak and put it in her pocket. Just as Varian was about to shout, she magically produced a bundle of throwing knives and tossed them to him.

Bai Zu pulled out a knife and examined it. He discovered that it was a heavy throwing knife made from strange beast teeth. It was extremely sharp and had grooves specifically designed to penetrate armor. It also possessed some kind of peculiar magical effect. When placed near his ear, he seemed to hear the roar of an ancient behemoth.

"A complete set of 'Fear Knives' forged from the dragon teeth of Rezan, the King of Might, was meticulously crafted by Princess Talanji's personal artisans. It took me a lot of effort to acquire some of them."

"I won't take yours for nothing; I'll trade with you."

Garona spread her hands and said:

"For warriors who lack ranged attack methods, this thing is a real treasure."

"I've made the decision, it's changed!"

Before Bai Zu could speak, Daenerys reached out and took half of the throwing knife, stuffing it into her pocket.

This alarmed the white soldier, who turned to Marshal Lothar, who was deep in thought, and shouted:

"Lothar, shut up your woman! She stole my things!"

"This silly child, look at him, he really has no restraint and no manners at all. I'm sorry to have made you two laugh at him, haha."

Daenerys's forehead veins bulged, she clenched her fists, kicked open the moving car door, and got out with White Pawn in her arms. Then Diakum heard the furious clanging of weapons coming from behind.

"You've had it tough too."

The Watcher said something to Lothar in a low voice, and the Marshal, looking exhausted, covered his forehead and sighed, saying:
"Who says it isn't?"

A moment later, the carriage drove through the Stormwind City commercial district, which was mostly rebuilt, in the afternoon sun.

With enough manpower to take in refugees from northern Xinjiang, the stonemasons' brotherhood was able to repair the city very quickly.

The newly built city is based on white marble, and ancient elven sculptures adorn each area, giving the new city a unique "old money" elegance, which greatly pleases the city's nobles with this architectural style that has a touch of "exoticism".

Most importantly, King Llane, who was already a Lightforged, had a very high moral standard. He paid the reward with a sum of money from his own treasury plus the donations raised by Archbishop Faol during his travels.

This way, there won't be any more serious cases of unpaid wages.

The renovation of Stormwind Keep, the king's fortress, has been completed, creating a "city within a city" structure. Drawing lessons from the orc wars, this sturdy fortress can accommodate the city's residents for refuge when necessary.

Perhaps because the previous near-defeat of the city was too devastating, the king designed an underground area beneath the fortress for defense and relocation when necessary.

However, King Ryan was leading the war in Redridge Mountains, so only Queen Natalie and some invited nobles from the northern frontier lived in the fortress at this time.

This includes the family of Grand Duke Mograine, the Ashvane family of Kul Tiras, and the Viktor's family, among others.

As Lothar and Diakum made their way to the Hall of Military Intelligence, they could see a group of children playing Crusader games in the garden, while noblewomen from various human nations were enjoying afternoon tea in the bright sunshine, hosted by Queen Natalie.

"The Queen is also campaigning for you, Marshal Lothar."

Garona whispered:

"She's taking the 'lady route' to win over those high-ranking nobles to you, but the most influential Queen Catherine isn't here, which shows that Kul Tiras' attitude is still quite ambiguous."

“They have the leverage to be ambiguous. Whoever wants to achieve the liberation of the Northern Frontier will have to win over Dailin and her fleet,” Losa said, shaking his head.
"But Kul Tiras's geographical location, isolated overseas, means they are destined to be unable to participate in the pursuit of imperial legitimacy. I have received some unsettling news from the Sun King, and I hope Khadgar can answer my growing doubts."

The three entered the intelligence hall, where Khadgar was already waiting.

He had been traveling to various places lately, looking much older, but also much more composed.

He finally put on the most classic "traveler's robe" that Diakum remembered. The blue-gray decoration made him look less like a traditional mage and more like a traveler who wanders around.

He held the Staff of Atiesh, the Guardian, in his hand. Luxurious red magical silk adorned with blue gems hung down, fluttering in the gusts of magical wind, signifying Khadgar's steadily increasing power.

He did not greedily seize power to cross the boundary of demigod, perhaps learning from the actions of the ruler of Margok and consolidating his foundation to secure a broader future for himself.

"Marshal, you're in trouble."

Upon seeing Lothar enter, Khadgar's first words caused Lothar's eyes to darken.

As his former magical advisor raised his hand, causing the magical hand to float the documents, images, and even sketches around him, Lothar quickly saw what Khadgar wanted to show him.

"Is this Lordaeron?"

The marshal's eyes widened, he picked up a sketch, looked at it, and said:

"How did it become like this? What happened to those black towers?"

“That’s the tower where the Dragonborn live.”

Khadgar explained:

"The number of Dragonborn in Lordaeron City is beyond our imagination. They are spreading rapidly like werewolves. Rhonin and I can tell you with certainty that the Dragonborn is a hoax!"
His true identity is that of a human who has achieved 'half-dragonization' through some method.

Look at this!

The mage presented Lothar with a moving magical image, and Diakum also glanced at it. In the short clip, which was clearly recorded from an "abnormal shooting" perspective, a thin and disabled Lordaeron soldier received a potion from a gloomy spellcaster.

He opened the bottle and drank it all in one gulp. In a very short time, his severed limbs regenerated, and he became stronger, even breathing flames from his nostrils.

"too exaggerated."

Garona commented:

"This reminds me of orcs drinking demon blood."

"In terms of how they take effect, they are indeed the same."

Khadgar said very cautiously:

"We were unable to obtain a physical sample of this 'Dragonforce Potion.' A highly skilled dragonborn guards the central tower of Lordaeron, which serves as the laboratory for making Dragonforce Potion. However, it is certain that the people of Lordaeron have mastered the technology to quickly prepare this potion."

They also created a derivative, downgraded version.

What you see as alienation is the transformation of lower-ranking dragonborn.

Ronin risked his life to film the battle between the high-ranking dragonborn, and I can only say it's absolutely astonishing!

He picked up a crystal from the table and held it in front of the three people to activate it. The "magic video" was shorter, but the content was quite explosive.

A dragonborn heavy knight was surrounded by a large group of demons. In his desperate situation, he activated some kind of power, transforming into a black young dragon as his armor shattered. He devoured some of the demons with shadow flames and then spread his wings and flew away.

The shaky camera angle testifies to Luo Ning's shock at the time.

"Is this dragonification permanent or temporary?"

Losa asked in a serious tone.

"It's temporary."

Khadgar said:

"Miss Vereesa helped us set a trap, luring a high-ranking dragonborn into it. We disguised ourselves as demon servants and fought her. It turned out that this dragon transformation ability could only last for about ten minutes."

After the transformation ends, the Dragonborn will suffer from prolonged weakness and mental confusion as a sequela.

However, they also have another incarnation, a peculiar dragon-human form, with wings, a tail, and horns, but their entire body is covered in scales, and even their skeletal structure has changed.

That's a permanent transformation.

In fact, Ronin believed that dragons were the true form of these superior dragonborn, and humans were merely their disguise!

From a physiological perspective, we believe that these dragon descendants can no longer be considered human.

They became another kind of creature.

"Longshir"

Diakum narrowed his eyes and uttered an obscure title in Dragon Language, causing Khadgar to pause in surprise. The archmage hurriedly pressed for an answer:
"You know this creature?"

“I haven’t seen them, at least not yet, but I know where these dragonborn come from.”

Dick wiggled his fingers and said:

"They are the creations of the black dragons, which means Lordaeron has colluded with them under pressure from the demons. Tell me about their movements, Khadgar. Did the Sun King tell Marshal Lothar that Lordaeron has reclaimed its territory?"

"Exaggerated."

Khadgar shook his head and said:

"The northern frontier is teeming with powerful demons brought by the destroyer Maronos. How can they be so easily driven away?"
Even with the Dragonborn Knights in Lordaeron, they can only ensure that major cities like Lordaeron, Andorhal, Hearthglen, and Stratholme are not breached.

They did recapture Tyr's Hand Fortress, but to be honest, it was more of an accident.

A group of undead, for reasons unknown, started fighting the demons who had occupied Tyr's Hand, which gave the Dragonborn an opportunity. Baron Rivendare, the lord of Stratholme, personally led a contingent of Dragonborn knights into the fray. After two days and two nights of fierce fighting, they finally recaptured Tyr's Hand Fortress and the nearby town of Avalon.

But they themselves also suffered heavy losses.

Based on my and Rhonin's assessment, the Kingdom of Lordaeron is currently in a phase where it's more defensive than offensive, but if their dragonborn continues to increase, things could change.

The archmage, seeing Marshal Lothar's increasingly grim expression, whispered:
"King Terenas is mass-producing lower-ranking dragonborn, but even the weakened dragon potions are not enough to grant power to everyone. As a result, the social structure of the Kingdom of Lordaeron is changing rapidly."

At the suggestion of Lord Davar, the king issued a very... how should I put it? Uncomfortable order!
Dragonborn became warriors, while humans who could not become dragonborn were forced to serve as squires, providing them with various services. We have witnessed firsthand how they were treated like slaves.

Dragonborn are generally not as good-tempered as the flames they wield.

Lothar slammed his fist on the table and said:

"The Sun King told me that King Terenas has sent envoys to Quel'Thalas, demanding that the High Elves return the refugees from the northern frontier who were taken in by the Elves during the previous war. So, their purpose in doing this is..."

"Create more dragonborn, drive out the demons, reclaim our territory, and build a great 'Dragon Empire'!"

Khadgar said:

"This is just one part of the changes happening in the North Frontier. The entire country of Alterac has been occupied by demons. Alterac City, like Stromgarde, has become a land of demons, with a great demon stationed there, seemingly ready for a long-term war."

In Hillsbrad Foothills, Gilnean werewolves and demons fight each other.

The werewolves recaptured Southshore, but their attacks on Tarren Mill have repeatedly failed.

Besides demons, werewolves, and dragonborn, strange religious groups have even emerged in some remote areas.

Those were humans who had been degenerated by the plague and accepted the trolls' 'missionary work', becoming followers of the Loa. They often roamed the mountains, and the border town of Steinbrad of the Alterac Kingdom had already been captured by them and a group of Amani trolls.

Yes, Marshal, the trolls also intend to get a share of the chaotic northern frontier.

Those barbarians are certain we won't be able to return anytime soon."

"Damn it!"

Lothar closed his eyes in anguish, cursing:
"How did our imperial territory become like this?"
We must launch a northern expedition!
We must reclaim our homeland as soon as possible, or that lost land will truly be gone. Khadgar, contact Prince Drake and Queen Catherine for me!

I must reach an agreement with Kul Tiras as soon as possible; without Daelin's fleet support, it will be difficult for us to act quickly.

"The Civil War of the Human Empire."

Diakum sighed and said:
"The only lesson civilized races can learn from history is that humanity never learns. Talk to Terenas, Lothar. Even if you're going to reclaim your ancestral lands in the name of the Empire, you need to do it on the right side."

(End of this chapter)