Velen's expression changed very quickly; one moment he was Frost, and the next he was all smiles like a gentle spring breeze.
"Haha, Archmage Khadgar, disciple of Medivh, among all beings in Azeroth, you are the one I admire most, a true hero. The Holy Light has brought you before me, and we feel an instant connection. This is a rare opportunity, please follow me."
Velen warmly took Khadgar's hand, and this overwhelming enthusiasm made Khadgar feel very uncomfortable.
As expected of the shrewd Prophet Velen, his ability to change his tune so quickly is astounding.
Prophet Velen led Khadgar to the wine cellars of Exodar, which were filled with black stones. Velen picked up a stone, gathered Power of the Holy Light in his hand, and shattered it, revealing an ancient wine jar.
"These wines are from Argus Planet," Velen said with a nostalgic look. "I'm old. I've long since become indifferent to wealth, beauty, and other worldly possessions. Once you experience too much, life becomes meaningless."
Khadgar understood the implication: this was a veiled boast.
An ancient monster who has lived for tens of thousands of years, what hasn't he experienced? Khadgar, a human with such a short lifespan, lived in a chaotic world and was usually busy to the point of exhaustion. He had no chance to enjoy life and had no advantage over Velen.
"These are the only wines I can never give up. To bring this cellar of wines from Argus Planet, I abandoned hundreds of my people and watched them being torn to pieces by Archimonde. After that, I wandered from planet to planet, roaming the stars. No matter how difficult it was, I never gave up these wines."
Velen shook his head and continued to boast:
"Remember when Kael'thas led the Blood Elves into Tempest Keep to smuggle out these fine wines? This resulted in the capture of M'uru, the Naaru, who was covering the rear. Fortunately, he fulfilled his mission, preventing the wines from falling into the hands of the foolish Blood Elves. All the sacrifices were worthwhile."
Velen opened the wine jar, and an indescribable aroma quickly filled the cellar. The aroma alone was intoxicating, making one feel blissfully comfortable. Khadgar, inhaling the mesmerizing scent, agreed with Velen's assessment and felt that the sacrifice of hundreds of Draenei and M'uru had been worthwhile.
Velen took the two glasses, poured two glasses of wine, and drank one with Khadgar.
As soon as the fragrant wine entered his stomach, Khadgar felt as if he were flying in the sky. The resentment he felt from the rude treatment he had suffered at the hands of Velen over the past two days vanished instantly. He felt that Velen in front of him was so kind and friendly, a very good confidant.
Velen sipped his wine with a smile, "Do you know why Archimonde and Kil'jaeden kept chasing the Draenei? It was to retrieve these wines. Back in the day, our Argus Planet only produced this much. The recipe was lost, and I burned it all. Haha, how could I let those two drunkards have their way?"
Khadgar, though not entirely convinced, also found some truth in the story; the wine was simply delicious.
After leaving the wine cellar, Velen naturally became sworn brothers with Khadgar, and the two quickly grew close and became inseparable.
"Brother Khadgar, although the Naaru are in charge of the matter of the Savior, it still needs careful consideration." Velen patted Khadgar on the shoulder affectionately and said mysteriously:
"Since we're brothers, I'll be frank. We can't afford to waste our time in this game. I've been dealing with the Army of the Light for a long time; they appear benevolent, but they harbor deadly intentions. We must be wary."
"We're all counting on you, brother," Khadgar said from the bottom of his heart.
Velen nodded in satisfaction, then casually asked, "I wonder which Naaru orchestrated this scheme?"
Although Khadgar had drunk Velen's fine wine, his wariness remained. He feigned ignorance, saying, "Since you've asked, I won't hide it anymore. Actually, I was guided in a dream to find the Naaru in a cave deep in the ocean, but he has never revealed his name to me."
Velen's heart sank. He had hoped to encounter a familiar Naaru, making him easier to deal with. He hadn't expected Khadgar to be so tight-lipped. After a moment's hesitation, he said:
"Brother Khadgar, do you know what the hardest part of this game is?"
Khadgar replied without hesitation, "If Illidan becomes the Savior, Tyrande and Malfurion will definitely oppose it. Since we cannot obtain their consent, we can only resort to coercion. Currently, the most powerful force in Azeroth is the Dark Lady Sylvanas, and persuading Sylvanas is the most difficult task."
Velen shook his head and chuckled, "Sylvanas is just a woman. I see you're quite confident, brother. You must already have a plan. Sylvanas isn't difficult to deal with. The one we should be most careful of is Illidan Stormrage himself."
"This!"
Khadgar was startled; he had indeed overlooked that.
Velen stroked his beard and said, "From what I know of Illidan, he used to live in Mount Hyjal. He was Malfurion's brother, exceptionally talented, a rare Night Elves. Later, he joined the Burning Legion and gained Fel power. Although he successfully saved Azeroth in the War of the Ancients, Tyrande used this as leverage to frame him as the Betrayer."
Khadgar nodded. Although there were slight discrepancies with what he knew, the merits outweighed the flaws.
Velen's gaze sharpened, revealing a look of caution:
"Brother, an old fellow like me has suffered countless losses and stumbles throughout my life, so I've long since become cautious. After entering this world, I investigated important figures in Azeroth, including Illidan."
"Although Illidan has been imprisoned for ten thousand years, the Night Elf race are too inflexible, inflexible, and weak. Whenever the Night Elf race encounter a powerful enemy they cannot resist, they will release Illidan. The last time Illidan was released was to fight against the Lich King Arthas, but for some reason Illidan escaped and went to Outland to establish his own power."
"What's even more puzzling is that Illidan should hate Tyrande and Malfurion, who imprisoned him for ten thousand years, the most, yet he still founded the Illidari to take revenge on the Burning Legion. Khadgar, have you ever thought about the reasons behind this?"
"This!"
Khadgar took a slight breath; only after Velen's explanation did he realize that something was amiss.
Everyone says Illidan is hopelessly in love with Tyrande, but surely any love would vanish after ten thousand years of cold imprisonment? Khadgar doesn't believe such blatant lies.
Velen's eyes shone brightly, brimming with the light of wisdom:
"I investigated Illidan's battles. The foolish Night Elf race made no attempt to keep it a secret, nor did they discover anything amiss. The magic and skills Illidan used were incredibly sophisticated, an art form beyond our comprehension, a superhuman combat instinct. Even Archimonde and Kil'jaeden couldn't achieve such mastery."
Khadgar jumped to his feet, staring at Velen in astonishment. "What do you mean, brother?"
Velen chuckled coldly, "Think about it, what makes Illidan so special? A prisoner imprisoned for ten thousand years, why would the Army of the Light step in to set him up? Unless..."
"Unless what?" Khadgar had a vague idea of the chilling answer.
"Unless Illidan isn't Night Elf at all," Velen said seriously.