Stormwind City Has No One to Protect It (1)

Varian Wrynn was no longer young; gray hairs had long since crept into his temples. These were chaotic years of war, and people always age quickly, even Kings.

Since returning from the Arena, Varian has remained committed to cooperating with Thrall.

"Thrall is my everything, my master."

Deep within his heart, there was always a voice like this.

Faced with the Scourge, Scourge of the Lich King Arthas with no connection to the Alliance, countless Alliance soldiers fell forever in the icy wilderness of Northrend. Most of these unfortunate soldiers were eaten by Orcs, rather than killed by the Scourge, and were later resurrected by Sylvanas as Forsaken.

But that doesn't matter, as long as Thrall is happy.

Faced with Garrosh's Iron Horde, Alliance soldiers once again fought bravely, willingly serving as cannon fodder and pawns for the Darkspear Rebellion. Even now, many generals still cannot understand why the Alliance would get involved in the Horde's internal strife.

But that doesn't matter, as long as Thrall is happy.

After capturing Garrosh, Thrall wanted to obtain the secret of the Heart of Y'Shaarj. After exchanging glances, Varian stopped Thrall from killing Garrosh, giving Thrall the opportunity to torture the former Warchief Horde.

Unfortunately, Garrosh escaped.

After Prince Anduin died in Shadowmoon Valley, Varian thought he would be very sad, but strangely he didn't seem to feel anything, which made him feel particularly strange.

"Anduin is my only son, why do I care nothing for him?"

He tried his best to pretend to be heartbroken over his son's death and made a big show of wanting to avenge him, but his true heart was completely unmoved.

Varian gazed at the flickering candlelight, scrutinizing his reflection in the mirror, his doubts growing ever stronger.

Who am I?

Lately, Varian sensed that something was amiss.

The battle plan against Shadowmoon Valley had already been laid out, and the Alliance army successfully marched into Shadowmoon Valley, sweeping all before them with unstoppable momentum, with good news arriving every day.

Just three days ago, the valiant Seventh Legion breached the Karabor Temple.

Meanwhile, the Silverwing Sentinels and the Stormpike Guard also breached the Embaari Village, successfully capturing a large number of Draenei.

The West Lake Wilderness People's Army lived up to expectations, conquering Lunarfall and capturing all the adventurers.

Regarding the question of how to deal with these prisoners, Varian calmly gave the order: kill them all, leaving none alive. Shortly after the order was given, Varian suddenly remembered Yrel, the current leader of the Draenei, who was said to be a rare beauty, so he ordered Yrel to be sent to Stormwind City.

Unfortunately, the order was delivered a little too late. By the time the marshal in charge of the battle at the front replied that the King's order had reached them, Yrel had already been executed, and her body was burned along with the other Draenei.

It's such a pity. Varian was especially saddened by Yrel's death, far more so than by Prince Anduin.

The war in Shadowmoon Valley ended, and then strange things began to happen.

In this Lightning and decisive battle, the generals who had distinguished themselves all retired to their hometowns, catching Varian somewhat off guard. Without these veteran generals, who would command the battles in the future? Would he have to personally take to the front lines?

He sternly tried to stop them, but the generals seemed determined to leave, and nothing could stop them.

Not only these battle-hardened veteran generals, but also their advisors, think tanks, assistants who helped them handle government affairs, and even the steward, captain of the guard, and servants of Stormwind Keep, all resigned at almost the same time.

What's wrong with the world?

Varian sensed that something big was happening, but he was unaware of it; he always trusted his intuition.

But he couldn't verify his intuition. New guards and servants appeared, but he didn't recognize any of them. It seemed that overnight, he had become all alone, and Stormwind Keep had become a huge prison.

Until he met the High Archmage Antonidas, this enigmatic Lich teleported him directly to his study.

Varian was no stranger to the lich Antonidas. After Varian returned from the arena, he received help from Reginald, who had returned from Blackrock Depths, and the covert support of the Guardian Medivh.

The Black Dragon Princess seemed to have received advance warning, as only a Black Dragon illusion remained after they stormed into Stormwind Keep.

Subsequently, in order to regain the King's power, Varian had to overthrow Bolvar's authority. He was trying to fabricate charges against the Grand Duke of Stormwind City, but the Duke Bolvar wisely led his troops to Northrend.

In order to completely eliminate the threat posed by Duke Bolvar, Varian, together with Sylvanas, Jaina, and Garrosh, orchestrated the Wrathgate massacre, successfully eliminating their respective political rivals.

At that time, the person in charge of communication was the High Archmage Antonidas. Looking at this High Archmage who had come back from the dead, Varian was initially amazed, but quickly came to terms with it.

For the cunning Sylvanas, there's nothing she wouldn't dare to do.

"Your King, I come on behalf of the Dark Lady." Antonidas appeared like a ghost. It must be said that the Forsaken lacked intelligence and were unaware of the changes in the situation in Stormwind City.

Antonidas's voice was elusive. "The Dark Lady desires that you collect Prince Anduin's soul. Her Majesty is willing to help him resurrect and become a worthy successor to the Alliance."

At this point, Antonidas was, after all, a Lich. He couldn't stay in Stormwind Keep for too long; he had to deliver orders as quickly as possible without any delays.

Varian was slightly displeased upon hearing this. Contrary to what outsiders might think, Varian and his son had a very cold relationship. He wouldn't be saddened by Anduin's death, but he worried that Anduin he came back to life.

"I'm not a mage, so I don't collect souls," Varian said with a shrug, clearly annoyed.

Antonidas sensed the unusual tone in Varian's voice. He was prepared, and presented Varian with a black crystal ball.

"This is Soul-Calling Crystal. By calling his name in the area where Prince fell, his soul can be collected. King Varian and the Dark Lady take this matter very seriously and will not tolerate any negligence. They hope you will personally lead your troops to Shadowmoon Valley to put pressure on the Draenei. His Highness the Prince died at the Draenei's sacred site, the Karabor Temple. Unless you personally intervene, the Draenei will not agree to perform this soul-summoning ritual."

Upon hearing this, Varian chuckled and waved his hand, saying, "I've wiped out Draenei in Shadowmoon Valley. Archmage, why don't you make the trip yourself?"

Antonidas was stunned. The Draenei of Shadowmoon Valley had been wiped out? How come Sylvanas hadn't mentioned something so important? Impossible. He stared at Varian with a strange expression.

"Your King, you're not joking, are you?"

"This is absolutely no joke." Varian casually picked up the battle report from the table and handed it to the High Archmage.

Antonidas flipped through the battle report, becoming increasingly puzzled. The Stormwind City battle report should be accurate, so it must have been the Queen's oversight, or perhaps Her Majesty didn't trust him. Antonidas's mind raced with various thoughts.

Shaking his head helplessly, Antonidas knew he couldn't fathom the Queen's thoughts. "King Varian, I urge you to complete this task personally. There is absolutely no room for carelessness. Prince Anduin is crucial to the future of Azeroth."

"For Azeroth!" Antonidas shouted the slogan.

"For Azeroth," Varian replied listlessly.