"What? King Varian is an imposter?"
Jaina was absolutely furious; she waved her arms angrily, her eyes brimming with tears of grievance.
"This is outrageous! I suffered so much injustice in Stormwind City, going through so much trouble. Do you know how hard it was for me? And it turns out it was a fake Varian! It must be the Black Dragon Princess's scheme. I will never let her get away with this."
"Be cautious, Jaina. I've told you before, stay calm in the face of chaos. Even if a magical storm sweeps through Theramore and destroys everything here, you must remain calm. There's nothing to be afraid of."
Aegwynn remained expressionless, like a block of ancient Frost, and said in a low voice:
"The moment I saw Varian, I knew he was a fake. He didn't have the aura of Karazhan. All children who grow up in Karazhan are affected by Fel and shadow, leaving a lifelong mark on them."
"What should we do?" Jaina asked helplessly, then suddenly said fiercely, "What use is a fake King? We might as well kill him! The peace talks between the Alliance and the Horde will have to be postponed. No, the Lich King Arthas could awaken at any moment. He won't let me go. I don't have much time left."
Jaina's lack of composure disappointed Aegwynn, whose voice turned sharp. "Jaina, remember, don't always think about fighting and killing. I've encountered Demons far stronger than myself, but they all died, their heads becoming my collection. The most powerful thing in this world is always wisdom; magic is merely a supplementary tool."
Jaina nodded slowly, feeling a sense of oppression and despair, finding solace only in Aegwynn's wisdom. The former Guardian did not disappoint her; Aegwynn's eyes gleamed with intelligence.
"What we need is peace talks between the Alliance and the Horde. Whether this Varian is real or not is not important. Once we seize the initiative, the real can become fake, and the fake can become real."
After hearing this, Jaina's expression softened slightly:
"You mean, we should continue with peace talks between the Alliance and the Horde?"
Aegwynn nodded, her sharp eyes fixed on Jaina:
"Thrall is a complete fool, a domineering and ambitious tyrant. Don't tell him that King Varian is actually an imposter; it will cause unnecessary trouble. Those who achieve great things must grasp the key factors. The one who truly played a decisive role in this peace negotiation was neither Thrall nor the fake King Varian."
Jaina's eyes widened upon hearing this. After pondering for a while, she asked, bewildered, "Then who is it?"
"It's the fake King Varian's bodyguard, that young man in thick armor."
Aegwynn's expression turned cautious, her deep eyes seeming to see through everything. "Jaina, do you still remember that mysterious young man beside Arthas, the second- Scourge, and the one who caused our defeat at Mount Hyjal?"
"Robbie Capor."
Jaina gasped, jolted awake, and said in a trembling voice, "So it was him. No wonder he possessed such powerful Power of the Holy Light. I should have realized it sooner."
Aegwynn sighed, his brow furrowed, and said, "To this day, we still don't know how he defeated Archimonde. This man is too dangerous. We can only choose to outsmart him, not fight him head-on. I have planted a seed of darkness in his heart, a method of bewitching people. If he is wise, he will definitely stand on our side."
Jaina shook her head, somewhat awkwardly asking, "Just like what you told me?"
Aegwynn grinned, his eyes gleaming with an unusual light:
"People always change, gradually becoming more worldly and mature. I used to have many ideas, those grand, unrealistic fantasies, like destroying the Old Gods and the Burning Legion, defeating the Void Lords. But cruel reality always easily shatters beautiful ideals, and later only the pure pursuit of power remained. I believe he will walk the same path as me; when faced with true despair, this is the only path to Redemption."
"Alright!" Jaina said, slightly annoyed. "Even now, I still doubt how much of what you say is true. Of course, I accept your point of view, but I can't completely believe your story."
"You should believe me, Jaina." Aegwynn smiled mysteriously.
"My child, my experience and wisdom will save you a lot of trouble. What you've seen of the Burning Legion is just the tip of the iceberg. You won't be able to reach the Legion's Pro-peace Faction unless they think you're qualified. I served the Pro-peace Faction my whole life, but the Pro-war Faction prevailed again, and all my efforts were in vain. Neither Archimonde nor Kil'jaeden will accept me, so I can only have one offspring, Medivh, to become Archimonde's student."
"Of course, we can't predict which faction will prevail in the future, so I plan to cultivate someone, preferably someone accepted by the peace Pro-peace Faction in the name of peace, so that we will be the victors no matter what. I hope that person is you, Jaina. You must facilitate this peace between the Alliance and the Horde, and let the Pro-peace Faction see your determination and ability."
Jaina felt the weight of her former Guardian's trust in her, a profound sense of responsibility washing over her. Her face shone with excitement. "I will certainly live up to your expectations and fulfill your ideals."
"Very good." Aegwynn smiled with satisfaction.
"Our conversation must be kept secret, which is why I activated the magic storm of the mage tower, preventing anyone from eavesdropping. Listen, here's my plan: on Alcaz Island, I've prepared everything. Almost no one knows that this island was once my secret laboratory, a massive magical Altar set up decades ago. Once anyone sets foot on this island, no one can escape my control; life and death are in my hands. It's a good location for peace talks."
"As you wish, great Guardian," Jaina chuckled.
The next morning, Experiment 335 woke up from a hangover with a splitting headache and burning thirst.
He was startled to see Robbie standing at the head of the bed and quickly got up.
"What are you doing here? Oh, damn it, I was drugged by Jaina last night. What did I do? Did I say a lot of shameful things? Damn it, I've disgraced Stormwind City."
Robbie hesitated for a moment, then deliberately lied, saying, "Jaina rejected your marriage proposal 395 times and made you kneel down and act like a dog in public. Don't you want to get revenge on her?"
"That damn bitch?"
Experiment 335 berated Jaina and then asked curiously, "Do you have any good ideas?"
Robbie said mysteriously, "Listen, whatever Jaina asks you to do, don't agree. I've received intelligence that no matter how much you make things difficult for Jaina, she will deliberately try to please you. Of course, you can't marry her. Do you remember, King Varian has a very fine sword?"
"Shalamayne!" Experiment 335's eyes shone with excitement.
Shalamayne, the sword of the High Elves, was originally a gift from Jaina to King Varian, according to historical records. King Varian later used this sword to kill the Black Dragon Princess. A sword befitting the noble status of the Alliance leader is certainly no ordinary weapon.
Not long after, Jaina indeed sent someone to invite Experiment 335 to lunch. Jaina, a smile on her face, said:
"King Majesty, the venue for the negotiations is ready on the Alcaz Island. Thrall awaits your arrival at any time."
"I am Varian, but I am also Lo'gosh," Experiment 335 asked in a muffled voice. "Lady Jaina, where is my Goldrinn's power? You promised me it."