Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 802, Section 15: The Dawn of War - The Restoration Army Departs from Azeroth
"Why would an angel suddenly appear now? You said she flew directly down from the sky?"

Awakened from his afternoon nap, Emperor Lothar adjusted his armor as he hurried toward the newly restored palace tower at Stromgarde. A white-clad soldier led the way, and upon hearing Lothar's question, the young man immediately replied:

"Yes! I was on guard duty with Jialiya at the time!"

I witnessed an angel descend from the clouds, who said she was a messenger from the High Heavens, bringing the message that the War of Reconquest was about to begin to the Eredar's allies in Azeroth, and that we need not rush.

For us, this war was more symbolic than practically meaningful in terms of participation.

"What does it mean?"

Lothar frowned, but as he stepped onto the tower's elevator, he suddenly realized that the emperor was looking at the white soldier with a strange expression and said:

"And what are you, an honorary captain of the Imperial Guard, doing standing guard? That hall is high up, does it even need guard duty? And you're with Galiya, um... you two wouldn't be..."

"No! It's just a date, don't overthink it."

Varian, his face flushed, explained:
"She's a priest, she has to follow the commandments of the Holy Light. At most, you can hold her hand, but don't even think about doing anything else."

"Oh, so you want to do something else?"

Lothar extended his hand and, expressionless, chopped Varian on the forehead, shouting:

"Don't forget you're not an adult yet. Hone your martial arts skills properly, and in your spare time, go to the court advisor to brush up on your academic studies. If you don't pass the entrance exam for the Mysterious Academy's School of Government at the end of the year, see how your father beats you!"
He's going to be the emperor someday, how can he be so unreliable?

How about we learn from Arthas?

I heard he came in third place in his seminary exams last month.

"There are only a few people in the seminary, it would be difficult for him to get the lowest score."

Bai Zu sighed, intending to continue complaining, but the elevator opened quickly, so he immediately fastened his eagle helmet and glanced somewhat guiltily at the golden angel hovering at the edge of the tower's hall.

Galya was kneeling beside the angel, praying in a standard posture.

Seeing Emperor Lothar stride towards them, wielding the white-gold Heavenly Spear adorned with a red ribbon, the angel who had been gazing at the vibrant afternoon scenery of Stromgarde from her vantage point turned around. She smiled at Lothar and whispered:

"Your Majesty, we meet again."

"Hmm, I recognize you!"

Lothar carefully observed the appearance of the angel beneath his helmet, and with a hint of joy at their reunion, he said:

"You were once the commander of the Lightforged Chapter, and you died in battle defending the World Temple in the Great War of Silithus. We fought side by side. It is truly joyful to see you ascend to the High Heavens as an angel."

A warrior like you deserves such blessings.

"You too, you will surely have a place in the highest heavens."

The messenger angel accepted the praise with restraint, then brandished his spear and addressed Emperor Lothar solemnly:
"The Lord of Dawn and Sunrise has issued a divine decree: the war of the Eredar's reconquest will begin at dawn tomorrow. As a formal ally of the Eredar reconquest army, I inform you in the name of the Lord of the High Heavens that you should prepare your forces before dawn tomorrow to embark on the demon-hunting campaign on Argus."

But there's no need to make a big fuss!
The Lord of Dawn explicitly emphasized that this is an epic battle of the Eredar civilization. The Eredar Starsea clans that have gathered are enough to drive out the demons from the land of Argus. Therefore, as allies who do not undertake important combat missions, you only need to symbolically send a team to participate in the battle.

Azeroth has just experienced a devastating war; nations should recuperate rather than engage in further militarism.

Having fought for most of his life, Losa understood immediately upon hearing this reminder.

Diakum was certain of victory and therefore did not intend to subject more innocent people to the threat of war, which relieved the emperor.

Given the current state of the empire, the objective conditions simply do not allow him to send an army of 10,000 men on a distant expedition.

“Then I will lead my own guard. Five hundred men, is that alright?”

Lothar asked a question, and the angel nodded and said:
"This size is just right. After you arrive in Argus tomorrow, a dedicated Eredar commander will issue you the necessary instructions. It will be an unfamiliar place for you, so do not go to unfamiliar battlefields."

"Okay, then I'll wait!"

The emperor, who was about to burst into laughter, suddenly froze.

He looked at the messenger angel with a strange expression and whispered:
"The army will assemble tomorrow morning, but they can arrive tomorrow?"

Isn't this right?

Although I have never participated in such interstellar warfare, I have discussed the history of the Holy Light Legion's wars with the Twin Archbishops. In the early stages of interstellar warfare, the marching time alone was measured in 'months'.

Argus is on the other side of the starry sky.

Even if the Vigilant personally used that miraculous large-scale phase teleportation to transport troops, they still wouldn't be able to arrive on the battlefield on the same day, would they?
Is there something wrong with the information?
Forgive my bluntness, but in a war of this scale, misinformation could lead to serious problems.

Faced with the emperor's questioning, the messenger angel shook his head and said:
“I also asked Lady Grace, but the information is correct. This is the oracle of the Lord of Dawn, and there is no possibility of a time error.”

I've also been wondering about this, but I believe that the vigilant will have a clever way to make the war proceed according to his plan.

The Stomka Empire only needs to act according to the divine decree.

Having said this, the angel flapped her wings to return to the highest heavens, but before leaving, she gave the white soldier and Calia beside her a strange look, hesitated for a moment, and said:
"You are still young. Moreover, Calia is a priest favored by the Lord of Dawn. Therefore, I personally hope that you can have your wedding ceremony after you are officially married. Well, never mind, this is not my place to comment."

Ladies and gentlemen, please forget what I just said.

We'll meet again on the battlefield tomorrow.

After saying that, the angel vanished into the sky above the tower platform in a flash of golden light, leaving only a Varian with gritted teeth standing there, his defenses broken.

If you know you shouldn't say something, just shut up!
Why are you only saying half of what you meant?

Isn't this deliberately trying to cause me trouble?

So, this is how your Supreme Lord teaches angels, isn't it? You just want to make a scene, don't you!

Varian's breach of defense continued until the Emperor stared at him with a look of utter disbelief. The White Soldier lowered his head guiltily, and then Lothar rebuked him:
"Why aren't you mobilizing the guards yet? Didn't you hear me? I'm taking five hundred men with me to the battlefield of Argus at dawn tomorrow. If you mess this up, I'll break your legs!"

"Oh, I'll go right away."

Varian turned and dashed away with a whoosh.

Lothar shook his head. He didn't think it was a big deal. After all, he had grown up in the palace and had seen all sorts of messy things. Varian was already a very good kid.

However, it's time to put Bai Zu's court etiquette lessons on the agenda, since he'll be the emperor someday.

"Cialia, are you and your brother also going to Argus tomorrow?"

The emperor asked a question, and Jialiya, her face flushed, nodded and said:
“Yes, Your Majesty. Since the Arcane Academy is currently the residence of the Arcane Scholars clan, the entire academy will travel with Lady Verara to the homeland of the Eredar. We will go to a place called ‘Markare’, where we will assist the Titan Souls in placing the dismantled Uniform Field of All Things into the planet Argus.”

She thought for a moment and said:

"You don't need to worry. Dean Vera said that the difficulty of this battle is not in clearing out the demons of Argus. The real difficulty lies in stopping the Dark Titans, but that is the responsibility of the Lord of Dawn."

We mortals, even if we wanted to help, are powerless to do so; we can only offer our sincere prayers and hope for divine grace.

"I'm not worried about that."

Losa sighed and said:
"Diacomb is already a god of light. If he cannot withstand the Dark Titan, then who in the sea of ​​stars can we rely on? Although after experiencing so much, I no longer believe in fate, perhaps tomorrow will be a 'day of destiny' in some sense."

Tomorrow's outcome will directly determine the future of this sea of ​​stars.

That's not just the future of Argus, it's the future of us and Draenor, Calia. The people of this world have done everything they can to survive.

We won a hard-fought war that will be remembered for ten thousand years.

We killed demons many times our size and managed to save our world, which had become ruins, but even so, we still cannot guarantee that we will survive until tomorrow.

This sea of ​​stars is too cruel.

Diakum wanted to change it, and although he never mentioned it to anyone else, I believe he was eager and willing to do so.

He didn't do these things for himself; he did them for us!
But you're right.

At this moment, there is nothing we can do but pray.

Hearing the emperor's pessimism, Galiya hesitated for a moment. She touched the copy of the Book of Light and Shadow hanging at her waist and said softly, "Excuse my frankness, but we can still have hope!"

"Ok?"

Losa looked at Galia, who said very seriously:
"When Archbishop Orestes explained theology to us, she said that 'hope' is one of the symbols of the Lord of Dawn, and the convergence of all hopes can provide Saint Diakum with more strength."

Therefore, as long as all beings in the starry sea hold hope, as long as the hope in the hearts of the People of Light is not defeated by fear, the Lord of Dawn will never fail!

The emperor fell silent.

He suddenly remembered the prayer that Diakum had given before igniting the sun during the Holy War of the Sun, when the "light" of the People of Light gathered together and created an unprecedented miracle before everyone's eyes.

All living beings used the light in their hearts to ignite the sun that had fallen into darkness in ancient times!

Perhaps Galina is right.

As long as those protected by Diakum hold hope, as long as they have light in their hearts, Diakum, who upholds righteousness, will not lose.

It wasn't just Diakum who fought the Dark Titan; the People of Light and all the beings of the Star Sea who placed their hopes and future on the Vigilantes also did so. Sargeras wasn't just fighting the Vigilantes either!
The most powerful god of destruction in the universe is fighting against the entire universe's desire for the future and tomorrow.

Can He win?

Can He, by His own power, drag the entire starry sea into the destruction He so arrogantly imagines?
"I'm a man in my fifties, yet I can't even match the willpower of a young pastor who just had an affair with my nephew here."

Lothar joked:
"Perhaps, when Varian becomes emperor, you will be able to take over the mantle of Archbishop Fao and become the leader of faith in this land."

“But then I wouldn’t be able to live a secular life. You know, even now in the northern border regions, people still call me ‘the Black Dragon’s harlot.’ I’ve had enough of being judged by others.”

Galiya blinked and said slyly:
"So, let's leave that prestigious position to my younger brother. He's more suitable than me in every way."

------

"Tomorrow! The war starts tomorrow?"

The five young heroes, who had just returned to Shattrath City from Auchindoun, hadn't even recovered from the grief of the Great Prophet's passing when explosive news reached them.

With red-rimmed eyes, Irelia exclaimed:
"This is too fast! Is the Restoration Army ready?"

"Yes, the last batch of Starsea Clan members arrived at the starport in the Azeroth star system last night. Although some warriors do need to rest after their long journey, the news coming directly from the High Heavens indicates that something may have changed on Argus."

General Jaid, who came to inform them, gripped the hilt of his sword and said in a deep voice:

"The specifics are still unclear, but this information comes directly from Diakum, and I believe he will not treat such a major event as the War of Liberation as a trivial matter. Therefore, tomorrow will certainly be the perfect time for the Vigilant to begin the war."

Although it was indeed a bit hasty, fortunately the Restoration Army of Draenor was fully prepared.

Most importantly

Jaid glanced in Auchinton's direction, noticed the black mourning band on Iredas's arm, sighed, and said:

"If the Great Prophet has completed this final sacrifice, it means our people will no longer have to fight the demons of Argus with their own flesh and blood. Those who are buried in the past will become the vanguard of the Restoration Army!"
This will give us ample time to complete the subsequent troop deployment.

The five of you must immediately proceed to Azeroth, assemble the Eredar there, and coordinate our various allies in Azeroth.

At dawn tomorrow, angels from the High Heaven will guide you to the battlefield.

"Yes!"

The five of them bowed in unison.

Jaid was very busy at the moment. He also had to coordinate the operations of the Lightforged Fleet and the Restoration Fleet on the battlefield of tomorrow. Other Grand Councilors and leaders had also taken action. It seemed that in an instant, the entire city of Shattrath had once again entered a state of war preparedness.

Yrel saw that the weapon shops on the street were packed with people, and the Eredar civilians were snapping up weapons and armor. The shop assistants hired by Dina were already overwhelmed with work, and even some orc merchants took the opportunity to start selling clan-style weapons.

They were not actually allowed to participate in the reconquest of Argus, but it was clear that these civilians were very interested in it, especially the ancient Eredar who had experienced the Second Common Era.

They probably dream of returning to their homeland, which they have been away from for more than 20,000 years.

Two-headed wyverns from Nagrand were descending from the sky, carrying orc warlords; they had clearly also received news of the impending war.

Are we going home?

Lyran held Eredas's hand. This great traveler, who had traversed the starry sea for 20,000 years, was still somewhat bewildered at this moment, as if he were experiencing something unreal.

She looked at her silent brother and said softly:
"Brother, do you still remember our home in Oronar?"

"Yes, in every dream about my hometown."

Marlade said softly:
“I remember there was a garden in my house, and when I was a child, I would always use those flowers as my imaginary enemies when I practiced swordsmanship, and I would be severely scolded by my mother every time. But my father would always encourage me in private, saying that I would definitely become the most outstanding garrison commander among the Eredar when I grew up.”

Just like Commander Kil'jaeden.

"Do you remember our great-uncle?"

"Ah."

Leilan nodded vigorously and said:
“General Elodeus! Father never allowed us to use the title of great-uncle in public. He said we cannot use the family's honor to seek personal gain.”

Although his great-uncle was already a general in the capital's garrison, his father was still willing to serve as a deputy captain in the Mystic Academy.

The captain at the time was Uncle Diakum. My father even complained to my mother that Uncle Diakum was an incompetent guy who got promoted by sucking up to Dean Archimonde and a country bumpkin from Krokun.

As it turned out, the father had misjudged the situation; he had 'blasphemed' a deity.

"Hahaha"

The brother and sister burst into laughter. Marlaad patted his sister on the shoulder and said:

“Look, our hometown has always been in our hearts. We have never forgotten it. For those who have wandered far from home, the only thing to do now is to embark on the road home. That’s all. We will return to Oronar, sister. We will definitely find the place where we grew up.”

"It's been so long, and you've never told me that your family actually holds high-ranking positions in Argus?"

Irelia poked Marad with her finger and said with dissatisfaction:
"So, you're also considered a descendant of a great noble family?"

"Uh, we Eredars don't have that kind of saying."

My maternal great-uncle explained:

"But if you insist on dwelling on it, then I can tell you that my family and Lyran's family have quite a background. Come on, I'll tell you about it on the way back to Azeroth. It all happened more than 20,000 years ago. You've never been to Argus, so I'll give you a description of what Argus is like."

"Then don't say it now."

Ireil ​​shook his head and said:

"Most people in Azeroth haven't been to Argus. You can mention it when you get back and give them a pep talk, so it can boost their morale. Although I was born in Draenor, every time I hear the word 'Argus,' I feel a strange sensation."

That's my hometown.
Even though we've never seen it, it's still our hometown.

I think this bond is enough to give all Eredar people courage, and no one can stop us from going home!

Even if Sargeras were standing right in front of me, it wouldn't matter.

"Aren't you afraid of the Dark Titan?"

Lyran took Irelia's arm and asked a question, while the little hoof said loudly and fiercely:

"Of course I'm not afraid!"

"What if the Guardians don't descend to earth to help you?"

"Well, we still need to be strategically cowardly. After all, it's Sargeras. It's not shameful to be cowardly, but rather than worrying that Sargeras will kill me with one sword, it's more serious that the Vigilant witnessed the suffering of the People of Light but did not show up to protect them, isn't it?"

That definitely means the end of the world is coming.

"Yeah, that's true."

(End of this chapter)