The Elven King Who Bullied the Weak and Feared the Strong
The battle for Silvermoon City is over. As expected, the Scourge emerged victorious, and the Orcs were completely annihilated.
The Undead did not cheer; they methodically cleaned up the Battlefield, while Arthas, riding on Invincible's back, appeared somewhat dejected.
"We can't find Thrall; he's been missing since the start of the battle."
Arthas was extremely anxious. Frostmourne was stained with the blood of Orcs, but it did not bring Arthas any comfort, since the culprit had escaped.
"Don't worry, they can't escape," Robbie said confidently. "Prince Highness, do you remember how Thrall escaped in Lordaeron?"
"Sewer!"
Arthas exclaimed in surprise. The Elves have always been fond of cleanliness, and Silvermoon City has a vast underground sewer system.
"Before launching the final assault, I had people block the sewer exits. These little rats must have already lost their way in the sewers, trembling with fear. Let us find them and then use the same methods we use on rats," Robbie said with a smile.
The Scourge poured water into the sewers, and soon after, cries for mercy could be heard.
"Surrender, surrender, we are willing to surrender."
Thrall, Saurfang the Great, Grom Hellscream on a leash, Eitrigg, and almost all the Orcs generals were here, emerging from the sewers with their hands raised, throwing down their weapons.
Thrall, covered in dust and filth, led the way by kneeling and kowtowing to Arthas.
"Spare my life! I'm willing to be your slave. Look, I'm a fine gladiator. I can earn you glory and gold. I'll do anything to save my life!"
Saurfang the Great also rushed to kneel down, wanting to kiss Arthas's boots, but was kicked away.
"Lord Arthas, I am willing to be your most loyal dog. I will do anything to save my life."
Looking at the group of Orcs kneeling on the ground begging for their lives, Arthas closed his eyes. The fire of hatred in his heart burned fiercely; his wish could finally be fulfilled.
It was this cowardly Orcs who slaughtered Lordaeron and killed King Terenas, their father.
That way, I can complete my revenge.
Arthas showed no mercy, waving his hand and saying, "Leave no one alive, kill them all."
"No!"
"We know we were wrong, Your Majesty, please spare our lives."
We'll never do it again.
The enormous Abomination walked over, raised its Butcher's knife, and lifted the Orcs like a chicken, bringing the blade down in a swift motion.
Thrall was the first to be killed. Seeing the Orcs had lost control of his bladder in fear, and the look of terror on Thrall's face, Arthas sighed deeply, "I never imagined that the once Lordaeron would fall to such a despicable man."
"The heroes have all died on the battlefield, and those who stand high above are nothing but a bunch of petty people. There's nothing strange about that; history has never lacked petty people. They're just good at singing their own praises."
Robbie carefully observed Arthas's expression; the Prince remained perfectly calm.
After all the Orcs were dead, gazing at the vast pools of blood within Silvermoon City, Arthas finally exhaled the pent-up frustration in his heart, feeling a sense of exhilaration he had never experienced before.
And so, the hatred ended.
The Orcs are finished, the Scourge has won, and the shame of Lordaeron has been washed away.
Strangely, he suddenly felt a deep sense of loss.
"Perhaps, this is not the revenge I seek."
Within the same city, the Elf King, protected by numerous guards, watched helplessly as his allies perished.
Faced with the overwhelming army of Undead, the Elf King did not dare to resist. The High Elves of Silvermoon City were insufficient to fight against the powerful Scourge.
"What a pity, just a little short. The Void Summoning Array for Silvermoon City is already complete, just waiting for Medivh to activate it. If Medivh's powerful allies arrive, the Scourge Undead be history."
The Elf King had great faith in Medivh, and the more he thought about it, the more regrettable it seemed. He also grew to hate Kael'thas more and more.
"That damned traitor, he must have told the Scourge the parameters of the Magic Shield."
The Elf King is now powerless and can only wait for the Scourge to enter Silvermoon City and dismantle the Void Summoning Array that he has painstakingly built.
A guard reported to the Elf King that Prince Kael'thas had returned.
Kael'thas entered the city alone, without even a weapon. He grinned at the Elf King, swaggered over, and bowed to his father in greeting.
"You unfilial son, what are you doing back here? Do you want to inherit my throne?" The Elf King's expression was very unpleasant.
Kael'thas Anjing shook his head. "I used to be very interested in the throne, but you deliberately let me leave Silvermoon City. I felt that family ties were more important than the throne. I chose to trust the Scourge, which was a betrayal of Silvermoon City. If the Scourge turns against me, I am willing to bear the consequences with you."
"You unfilial son, do you know what you've done?" the Elf King roared in rebuke.
"Yes, Medivh is a Demons, but we in Silvermoon City have always coexisted peacefully with Medivh. The Orcs are incredibly brutal, but Medivh has no reason to help Orcs slaughter Silvermoon City. Arthas is a new Demons, a young man, prone to impulsive actions. You've staked the Destiny of your people on the mercy of a strange Demons; this is a wrong choice, and irresponsible towards the people."
Conservatism and inflexibility are the Elf King's weaknesses, but he can always find sufficient reasons for himself.
"I don't know why I trusted Arthas." The Elven Prince tilted his head and thought for a moment. "It was probably in Dalaran. The first time I saw him, his eyes were so clear, and I knew he was someone I could trust."
"You, never trust appearances, especially not humans; they are incredibly fickle." The Elf King suddenly remembered something. "Oh no, Sylvanas has offended Arthas, and her Elf rangers have committed a series of crimes in Lordaeron. We can't give the Scourge a reason to attack Silvermoon City."
The Elf acted decisively, sending a squad of guards to capture Sylvanas, intending to hand her over to Arthas to vent his anger. Compared to the safety of Silvermoon City, sacrificing a Ranger-General who was not on his side was worthwhile.
Soon news came that Sylvanas had disappeared.
"They're all a bunch of wretched creatures." The Elf King grew increasingly uneasy, pacing back and forth anxiously.
Waiting for the Scourge's judgment on Silvermoon City felt like having a sharp sword hanging over my head, like being a fish on a chopping board—a very unpleasant feeling.
Not long after, new news arrived.
"Great Elf King, great joy! The Scourge has retreated!" A guard ran over, so overwhelmed by the surprise that he tripped and tumbled to the Elf King's side.
"The Scourge has withdrawn from Silvermoon City. They're gone. Oh, Arthas left a letter."
The Elf King quickly opened the letter, which contained only one sentence:
Humans and Elves will always be allies.
The Elf King breathed a long sigh of relief, feeling as if he had escaped a calamity.
"Kael'thas, do you know you're wrong?" the Elf King asked with a grim face.
The Elven Prince was confused. Hadn't the Scourge retreated? Where did I go wrong?
"Do you know why I allied with Medivh? Because he is ruthless enough, domineering enough, merciless enough, heartless enough, and evil enough that he will not let anyone who opposes him go unpunished. Arthas is too merciful; we cannot ally with such a person."
"Isn't this just bullying the weak and fearing the strong?" Kael'thas protested loudly.
"That's right. To survive well in this world, you must first learn to bully the weak and fear the strong."