After listening to Varian's grand speech about the so-called deal, Jaina and Garona both kept their faces tense, suppressing their laughter.
Finally, Jaina couldn't hold back any longer, bent over, and burst into laughter.
"Varian, you're supposed to be the King of Stormwind City, I've never seen such a fool as you."
Jaina shook her head and sighed softly:
"It's a real shame. If it weren't for the Black Dragon Princess ruling Kingdom of Stormwind, with your stupidity, Stormwind City would probably have fallen into the hands of the Orcs long ago. Varian, Medivh you as his King."
Varian was somewhat bewildered; he felt his deal was excellent and didn't know what the problem was.
After Jaina couldn't help but laugh, the Ogre Jaina she had invited, along with the Orcs Veteran Eitrigg and others, also joined in the mockery.
Varian was even more confused, looking utterly bewildered.
Then, the Orcs soldiers also burst into laughter, although most of them didn't know what was going on, they just laughed along with everyone else.
The laughter echoing in the cave irritated Varian's heart; he felt like a fool, and what was worse, he didn't know why.
Thrall smiled happily and nodded in satisfaction, saying:
"This is the Varian I know. The one who negotiated with me at the Shadebough Inn must have been a fake. Come, Varian, let me teach you, just like back in Karazhan. First of all, never negotiate with your opponent unless you can guarantee your own safety. You remind me of the foolish Prophet Velen."
Varian's soldiers have all fallen in battle, and now he is all alone, his life entirely in Thrall's hands. Moreover, he has willingly walked into this deadly predicament—what a foolish act.
When personal safety is not guaranteed, it is impossible to obtain fair treatment through negotiation.
"But my reasons are very valid," Varian said stubbornly, still unconvinced.
Thrall said in a lecturing tone, "Has anyone ever told you that you're incredibly naive?"
"The Black Dragon Princess said it, but I don't understand."
"You'll soon understand," Thrall chuckled. "What I'm about to tell you is that you're not the only option. Of course, you won't have a chance to learn from this. For a King, one mistake is enough to be fatal. This is the last piece of advice you'll ever hear."
With a soft "poof!"
A sharp dagger pierced Varian's chest, and then the assassin, hidden in the shadows, withdrew his weapon.
Varian looked on in disbelief. He clutched his chest, blood flowing freely from between his fingers. With difficulty, Varian turned around and saw Garona looking smug.
"A dagger assassinated two Kings, who happened to be father and son."
The eerie whispers of the Old Gods C'Thun echoed once again in Varian's mind.
"Do you remember this dagger, Varian?" Garona asked with a wicked grin.
How could I forget!
As blood gushed out, Varian, whose consciousness was gradually fading, seemed to be transported back to that chaotic era.
These were a pair of exceptionally sharp daggers; in fact, Varian did not know their origin.
In the first year of the Dark Portal, as the Orcs army was about to besiege the city, King Llane gave a pair of daggers to Queen Lady Taria and Prince Varian, instructing them to kill him after the city fell.
King Llane did not want to be taken prisoner by the Orcs. Of course, this was just an excuse. The queen and Prince both knew that it was to prevent the royal family from being humiliated and to save the remains for Anduin and his mother to commit suicide.
At that time, Garona, disguised as a human noblewoman, had successfully bewitched King Llane, but a noblewoman was absolutely not allowed to meet the King with weapons, so Garona could not find an opportunity to assassinate the King.
On that day, Garona was alone with King Llane when Prince Varian happened to pass by.
Garona smiled at Varian, and for some reason, as if by magic, Varian, who was still Prince at the time, drew a dagger and handed it to Garona.
Garona took the dagger, winked at Varian, and then stabbed the dumbfounded King Llane to death.
"Please remain silent, Prince Highness. This is a little secret we share."
Garona smiled radiantly and took the dagger with her.
This matter remained a thorn in Varian's side, a thorn in his side. Although a few nobles knew the truth, such as Duke Bolvar and the Black Dragon Princess, and they were willing to keep it a secret for Varian, he still could not let it go.
"The King lies fallen in a pool of blood, and who is secretly rejoicing? Jaina."
The dagger engraved with these words was a replica of the one that killed King Llane. When Varian found the engraved dagger among the ashes in Garona's residence, he knew he had no other choice.
As a King, Varian had many ways to gain power.
For example, the Black Dragon Princess has promised more than once that Nefarian 'Black Dragon Prince laboratory has made significant progress and, if he so desires, will grant Varian the power of the Black Dragon and the Shadowflame.
The reason for choosing to cooperate with Jaina was not entirely due to the Wild God's Spellstealer Wyrm.
He was terrified of being implicated in King Llane's death; if word got out, he would be utterly disgraced, and the throne would fall into Anduin's hands.
The Spellstealer Wyrm emerged from Varian's chest and fell into Jaina's hands. Gazing at the bleeding King, the Spellstealer Wyrm showed a look of disgust.
"Varian, the deal you proposed is actually quite good, but we already have better options."
Jaina pulled a large wooden crate, resembling a coffin lid, from the Portal and chuckled, "Varian, your mission is complete after you rescued Thrall. We don't like idlers."
The heavy wooden box was opened, revealing a young man with his eyes closed, dressed in King attire, whose appearance and build were almost identical to Varian's.
"Impossible!" Varian's consciousness returned instantly, seemingly forgetting the stab wound in his chest.
"He is your brother, and the backup King of Kingdom of Stormwind Medivh has long prepared. We are tired of endless negotiations, and you lack the courage to expel the Black Dragon Princess. From today onwards, he will take your place."
Jaina and Thrall looked at each other, and both of them smiled happily.
"So you've been lying to me all along. I've been such a fool!" Varian felt the strength leave him.
Garona leaned close to Varian's ear and whispered, "Actually, it wasn't your fault. The Kingslayer has a mind-controlling effect; it was the power of the dagger that bewitched you. You can rest in peace now."
Thrall walked up to Varian, looked at the dying King, and said in a low voice:
"History will not remember you, Your King, whose death was lighter than a feather." He then waved his hand and ordered, "Eat him, leave no trace of flesh!"
Orcs soldiers grinned savagely as they pounced on the dying King Varian. They jostled and fought, tearing flesh from Varian's body until he was completely devoured, leaving not even bones behind.
"The time has not yet come; the Lich King Thrall has not yet awakened."
Thrall, gazing at Varian's tightly closed eyes inside the coffin, gave Eitrigg the following command:
"Send him into the Arena, then weave his memories little by little, so that he truly believes he is King Varian of Stormwind City. Remember, make him accustomed to obeying us; humans must become the runners of our Orcs."
Eitrigg nodded quickly in agreement.
Robbie was utterly shocked to witness this from the Eye of C'Thun. He hadn't realized that King Varian was already dead, and that the King of Stormwind City had always been a puppet of the Orcs.
Upon closer examination, numerous historical clues have already proven this point.
For example, when marching into Northrend to fight the Lich King Arthas, regardless of whether Arthas Justice or Evil, he had no connection with the Kingdom of Stormwind, no blood feud with the Kingdom of Stormwind, and no hatred for the destruction of the kingdom.
Assuming the Lich King truly intends to destroy Azeroth, his primary target would undoubtedly be Undercity, the Dark Lady Sylvanas who betrayed him. Stormwind City, located far in the rear, would be geographically quite safe.
The true enemies of Varian, those who killed his father and destroyed his kingdom, were the Orcs. If King Varian had used his brain even a little, he would have watched the Scourge and the Horde fight to the death, then seized the opportunity to strike and reap the benefits.
Who would have thought that instead of seeking revenge against the Orcs, Varian would launch a preemptive attack on the Scourge, a force with whom he had no connection, leaving Scourge Kingdom of Stormwind's treasury empty, its people destitute, and countless refugees displaced? It's truly baffling what the King's motivation was.
If Varian is actually Thrall's puppet, then everything makes sense.
Robbie turned to Vanessa, recalling what she had said before, and asked, "You suspected it all along, didn't you?"
Vanessa nodded, a hint of pain showing on her beautiful face.
"The Brotherhood long harbored suspicions about Varian. Ever since Varian return from the Arena and the expulsion of the Black Dragon Princess, all his decisions have been in the best interests of Horde Thrall, while being ruthless and cruel to the people of Kingdom of Stormwind. We have investigated and found that Varian and Thrall have maintained contact."
"That's terrifying."
Robbie felt a chill run down his spine when he thought about Kingdom of Stormwind had actually been working for the Orcs all these years.
Vanessa's expression turned grave as she said earnestly, "Now that Medivh has fallen, the Horde's greatest support is gone. It's time to overthrow the false King Varian."
Robbie and Vanessa returned to Kingdom of Stormwind and told Princess Black Dragon Princess and Duke Bolvar everything that had happened at Vulgol Ogre Mound.
Duke Bolvar closed his eyes, Anjing for a long time, and quietly mourned for His Majesty the King.
"What an unexpected turn of events!" The Black Dragon Princess's dragon eyes shone brightly, like two beacons. "Once the fake Varian enters Stormwind City, I will surely devour him."
Robbie shook his head, reminding the Black Dragon Princess, "This is not a good idea. If the fake Varian returns, Medivh might also enter Stormwind City with him."
Upon hearing the Medivh, the Black Dragon Princess fell silent.
Duke Bolvar said sadly, "King Varian is dead. What should we do?"
Robbie cautiously offered his advice:
"Secretly accumulate power, weaken the influence of the House Wrynn, diversify the Kingdom of Stormwind, support local forces, and if the fake King Varian returns, avoid him. Remember, the Lich King position must never fall into the hands of the Horde. Also, be wary of Tirion Fordring; don't let him become the Lich King."
Duke Bolvar nodded. If the Horde were to gain control of the Scourge, it would truly be the end of the world.
The mystery of the missing envoy has been solved. Although the intended objective was not achieved, Robbie now knows how to create a new body for Prince Anduin the Shadow.
Karazhan holds the answer.
Robbie and Vanessa are preparing to return and need to find the Black Cat and White Cats. Vanessa believes it's necessary to talk to the two cats and find out their true identities.
Black Cat and White Cats are not hard to find; the places where mice are fattest and most numerous will surely have their traces.
Stormwind City Subway.