"Ha ha!"
Kael'thas let out a burst of maniacal laughter. "Antonidas, this is retribution. Sylvanas's choice to ally with the Orcs and slaughter the people of Lordaeron foreshadowed the destruction of Silvermoon City. I could have stopped her; I should have."
"I will leave Dalaran as soon as possible; there's no point in staying here." His tone was full of desolation and disillusionment, the young Prince seemingly having seen through everything. "I was the biggest fool to think you humans would help me. I must leave this place of right and wrong; none of you can help me. My people need me to lead them."
Kael'thas's gaze swept coldly over Rhonin and Antonidas, and he uttered a vicious curse through gritted teeth.
"The tragedy of Silvermoon City will surely bring retribution upon Dalaran. History will prove that the Orcs are the Destroyers of Azeroth, and we were all their accomplices, our hands stained with blood. No one is innocent."
Kael'thas strode away, walking past Jaina without even glancing at her.
After the Elven Prince disappeared, the three people in the room all wore solemn expressions.
Magic Shield blocked out light and sound had somehow appeared, turning this place into a secret room.
Rhonin broke the silence first, saying worriedly, "Kael'thas was rude, but what he said makes sense. We must be prepared; the tragedy of Silvermoon City must not be repeated in Dalaran. I suggest..."
"What did you hear?" Jaina's shrill voice interrupted him:
"The Orcs are the Saviors of Azeroth. With the Orcs Legions joining forces with our Dalaran, the Scourge cannot break through our Magic Shield. What is there to worry about, Rhonin?"
"Alright, perhaps you're right," Rhonin didn't want to engage in a pointless argument with Jaina: "The nobles of Dalaran, some of the Archmages, are all making preparations, secretly evacuating their families and transferring their assets."
"A bunch of Imp, wimps, the Betrayer!" Jaina roared. "They took Dalaran's glory for granted, and when Dalaran needed them, they chose to run away."
"If we don't escape, are we supposed to become Orcs rations?" Rhonin muttered to himself.
"The Orcs are the Saviors of Azeroth!" Jaina protested loudly. "I will not allow you to slander such a great and intelligent race."
"Jaina, I've really had enough of you." Rhonin suddenly stood up and questioned loudly, "You and I both know the truth of the matter, so why are you putting on this hypocritical and disgusting act? Although I don't want to get involved in this mess, I know I have to do something. I don't want to run away, but I'm even more unwilling to collude with the Orcs."
"Alright, Jaina, Rhonin isn't an outsider."
During their argument, Antonidas kept thinking that he couldn't summon Archimonde alone; he needed the cooperation of the Dalaran Mages, and this required a leader, a person of high prestige and status.
Antonidas himself was the most suitable candidate; his power was sufficient to command widespread obedience.
But Antonidas was worried about something going wrong, which would ruin his reputation. He had to consider the worst-case scenario, so the best course of action was to support a puppet ruler and coordinate from behind the scenes.
Young people are ambitious and easily manipulated. Success brings all the glory, while failure leaves the blame and responsibility to the young person. This is the wisdom a mature politician must possess.
Antonidas already had suitable candidates, but in terms of popularity and status, none could compare to Rhonin.
If Rhonin were to lead this effort, the chances of its success would increase significantly.
Since Rhonin is willing to get involved, why not let him take his place?
"The Orcs garrison in Dalaran always been a hidden danger. Rhonin, your suggestion makes a lot of sense. What's your plan to resolve this?" Antonidas decided to test the young man.
"Cooperate with the Scourge. As long as we hand over the Orcs, Dalaran be safe." Rhonin said naturally. This was the most normal strategy, and almost every Dalaran Mages who knew the truth would suggest this method.
Antonidas smiled slightly, shook his head, and said with a wise glint in his eyes, "Young man, you are not mature enough yet. You need to experience some trials to mature. I am old. The future of Dalaran will surely belong to you. How can I entrust Dalaran to you with such a simplistic view of things?"
Rhonin was baffled. Knowing his own limited experience and knowledge, he could only humbly ask Antonidas for advice.
"Since the founding of Dalaran, we have witnessed firsthand how the Guardians gradually lost control, starting with Medivh's mother. As her power grew, she increasingly disregarded Dalaran. No one could counterbalance the Guardians ' power, leading to the perilous situation we face today. We must confront history; this is a lesson we must learn."
A look of doubt appeared in Rhonin's eyes as he asked, "Lord Antonidas, don't you trust Arthas?"
"It's not that I don't trust any particular person, but rather that I don't trust human nature. Anyone, no matter how kind or benevolent they were before, will naturally have their ambitions swell once they wield unchecked power. When they only think of themselves, that's when the world's disaster begins, and the degeneration of the human heart becomes unavoidable—it's almost an ironclad rule."
Arthas, the leader of the Scourge, possesses power even greater than Medivh's. Who can guarantee he won't fall into corruption? Rhonin involuntarily tensed up; at this moment, his heart was truly moved.
"If I were Arthas, I probably wouldn't be able to control my growing ambition either."
Judging others by his own standards, Rhonin made what he considered a very reasonable judgment deep down.
Seeing the bewildered Rhonin, Antonidas knew his opportunity had arrived. He shouted, "Defeating Medivh and replacing him with Arthas is not a wise choice. Only the arrival of a powerful force that can sweep away everything and reshuffle the deck can resolve this situation."
It's here, it's here, the opportunity has finally arrived.
Rhonin seemed deeply moved, trembling with excitement, his face flushed, his eyes sparkling, and he bowed deeply in an exaggerated manner.
"Lord Antonidas, Rhonin is willing to obey your commands and follow you to the death."
Antonidas was satisfied with Rhonin's loyalty and had no doubts. Faced with the current situation, Rhonin had two choices: join the ranks of the fugitives or participate in the conspiracy for personal gain. Clearly, he chose the latter.
Young people are easily swayed by worldly notions of good and evil, thus losing their ability to make sound judgments. Antonidas played a little trick. "Rhonin, I have a plan to summon the Army of the Light from the Void."
Does the Army of the Light in the Void really exist? How to summon them is irrelevant; after all, the Army of the Light sounds much more pleasant than the Burning Legion.
Rhonin seemed greatly encouraged, and he quickly got into character, enthusiastically offering advice and suggestions to Antonidas.
Antonidas listened with a smile, offering only occasional supplementary guidance. He was convinced that Rhonin was a smart and capable assistant, and felt more and more that recruiting this young man into his camp was the right thing to do.
Only Jaina looked unhappy.