Darius's allegiance to Jaina was entirely for self-preservation. If he had remained in Kingdom of Gilneas, he would most likely have been devoured by Greymane, leaving not even bones behind, and then hanged on Greymane's high walls on trumped-up charges.
Although he was mentally prepared, Jaina's incompetence still surprised him.
Jaina was a powerful Archmage, but Dalaran clearly lacked the skills to govern. The small Theramore was turned into a chaotic mess by Jaina, transforming from an Orcs meatpacking ground into a concentration camp for scum.
Environment can easily change a person. In order to adapt to Theramore, Darius himself became a scoundrel, spending his days with Pirates and wanted criminals, having long forgotten any aristocratic manners or elegant etiquette.
Yawning, Darius followed the guards into the Archmage's Tower.
This is probably the only safe haven in Theramore. With the former Guardian Aegwynn here, even the scum don't dare to act too recklessly.
Jaina rested her jade-like arms on the table, lost in thought, a map of the Eastern Kingdoms before her.
Darius glanced around cautiously, while Jaina's gaze remained fixed on the territory of the Kingdom of Gilneas.
"I just got back from Stormwind City."
Jaina said calmly:
"Thrall, the Savior, was betrayed by Deathwing in his attempt to save Azeroth, but thankfully I arrived in time to rescue him from his stone statue. Besides expressing my gratitude, the Savior is deeply concerned about the future of Azeroth. Deathwing's plot to destroy the world has triggered the Cataclysm, and in this time of crisis, the people of Azeroth must unite."
Boring, bureaucratic writings.
Darius understood perfectly. Although he already knew the truth, he still spoke with righteous indignation:
"The great Savior Thrall Consecration everything for Azeroth, which deeply moved me. As a member of Azeroth, I am willing to stand up and fight to save Azeroth. Queen Jaina, give the order! As long as I, Darius, have a breath left, I will never let Deathwing succeed, for Azeroth."
In this world, those who speak nicely are always more popular than those who do things quietly.
Jaina smiled contentedly, then her face fell with worry:
"I stayed in Stormwind City for a few days and witnessed firsthand its Stormwind City and the people's suffering. King Varian is an incompetent coward who actually resisted the Savior's Justice cause; he is truly disappointing. The human kingdoms of Azeroth are all in turmoil; Theramore is probably the only paradise."
Paradise?
Darius almost burst out laughing.
All you have to do is look out the window and you'll see a huge group of thugs and hooligans fighting each other, shouting all sorts of vulgarities and ruthlessly stabbing their opponents with daggers.
Slaughter and death are the norm in Theramore. Even a nobleman like Darius, who used to live a very refined life, has long since spilled countless amounts of blood on his hands.
"Her Majesty's wisdom is beyond the reach of ordinary people; King Varian is not even a fraction as good as one of her toes," Darius said insincerely.
Jaina smiled radiantly and nodded, saying:
"I knew I hadn't misjudged you. I've lost hope in Kingdom of Stormwind, but I'm somewhat interested in Kingdom of Gilneas. General Darius, you were originally the lord of Kingdom of Gilneas. Tell me about Greymane, what kind of person was he?"
Darius had guessed Jaina's thoughts and had already prepared an answer in his mind. The truth didn't matter, but it was essential to satisfy Jaina.
"Greymane, like his father, is an incompetent Imp and a wimp," Darius said deliberately, feigning anger.
Gilneas was once a powerful nation among the seven human kingdoms, second only to Lordaeron and Kingdom of Stormwind, but it squandered its manpower and resources on the Greymane Wall. When faced with the Scourge invasion, it listened to the slander of Archmage Arugal and turned half of Gilneas's population into Worgen. As a result, the Worgen went out of control, and most of the kingdom's territory fell. Now, Gilneas is like King; Greymane only controls the capital city and the surrounding area. I think he'll never get to eat the Man-faced Fish again.
"Man-faced Fish, what is that?" Jaina asked curiously.
Darius explained:
"The Man-faced Fish is a specialty of Gilneas. They live in the reefs by the sea and their flesh is extremely delicious. They are particularly afraid of magic, and will die if Mage gets close. Greymane only eats live fish, so they can only be caught by fishermen who dive underwater. For every Man-faced Fish caught, ten fishermen perish at sea."
To please Jaina, Darius deliberately exaggerated the dangers of capturing the Man-faced Fish. Upon hearing this, Jaina's eyes widened, and she slammed her hand on the table in anger.
"King Greymane is so cruel, utterly inhuman! Such Evil must be eradicated. General Darius, are you willing to lead your troops to reclaim the entirety of Gilneas?"
Darius, prepared for this, declared loudly, "I am willing to serve Her Majesty the Queen."
War means opportunity, and Darius didn't want to live like a scoundrel.
Although he wasn't confident he could dethrone Genn Greymane, with Jaina's support, he would have the Horde's help, and success would be within his grasp.
Jaina smiled slightly, "General Darius, remember, this is a personal feud between you and King Greymane, a civil war within the Kingdom of Gilneas. Theramore will not be involved. You will only lead your own fleet, and Theramore can secretly provide you with food and weapons."
Darius was taken aback; this was not what he had expected. He hurriedly pleaded:
"Your Majesty, my main fleet consists of only a few dozen dilapidated ships and a little over two thousand poorly trained sailors. It is no match for King Greymane."
"Don't worry, I've already prepared a Secret Weapon."
Jaina opened a Portal, and the next moment, the two appeared on the sea.
More than fifty large ships were floating on the sea. Darius was taken aback. All the ships were full of Worgen, like sardines in a can. He didn't know what magic Jaina had used, but the Worgen were very calm.
"Where did these Worgen come from?" Darius couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.
Jaina said smugly:
"The Worgen Plague is really effective. In the blink of an eye, 20,000 humans lost their minds and turned into crazed Worgen. Even timid little girls turned into ferocious beasts. What would happen if these 20,000 Worgen were sent to Gilneas City?"
Darius, pale with fright, trembled as he said, "I know King Greymane's military strength; he absolutely cannot hold out, and he will surely escape."
Jaina chuckled coldly:
"The lives of these Worgen are in my hands. A single spell can weaken them all. Gilneas City will fall, and you can then use the pretext of reclaiming the land to drive out the Worgen. You will be the Savior of the Kingdom of Gilneas, and you will gain a vaster land than before. I will become the Queen of Gilneas."
A mad woman, though incompetent in governing the country, was extremely cruel. Darius seemed to see countless people in the royal city being torn apart by Worgen, weeping miserably.
But he was helpless and could only sigh inwardly, saying, "Your Majesty, Darius is willing to serve you."