Dignity and honor are what every Drakkari Frost Trolls values most, more than life itself, at least outwardly.
After Warlord Zol'Maz declared that he would never surrender, the Priests of the Zul'Drak Empire immediately seconded his decision. They were all filled with righteous indignation, their eyes blazing with fury, wishing they could rush out immediately, tear the Alliance Legion apart with their own hands, and kill the Alliance King.
High Priest Tua'tua was the first to step forward, brandishing her staff and angrily saying:
"The Zul'Drak Empire has endured countless hardships to this day, but we have never yielded. We have relied on our courage and indomitable spirit. As a great Loa Priest, I swore from a very young age that no matter how powerful the enemy, I would live and die with the Zul'Drak Empire."
High Priest Havni, not to be outdone, trembled with rage and shouted:
"Let the King of Stormwind City prepare his own funeral. All enemies who dare to invade the Zul'Drak Empire will never find peace. By the Loa, may the Zul'Drak Empire endure forever. We will not yield; we would rather die standing than live on our knees."
The Priest of Quetz'lun, God of Wind Serpents, drew a sharp dagger, cut off three fingers of his left hand in front of the brazier, and threw them into the fire without hesitation, gritting his teeth as he said:
"I swear on these three fingers that as long as I live, the Zul'Drak Empire exists. I was born Priest of the Zul'Drak Empire, bound by the duty to protect its people and its land. In death, I will become an immortal being, protecting this nation and making all enemies tremble before Zul'Drak."
Led by Warlord Zol'Maz and several Priests, numerous Priests expressed their determination, singing hymns and conveying their resolve in various ways, even at the cost of self-harm.
Robbie secretly admired him; magic was indeed not omnipotent.
Even though Robbie had inherited the magic of the Highborne from ten thousand years ago and mastered most of it, he still couldn't see through the Trolls ' performance.
Are the Drakkari Frost Trolls natural-born actors?
If Robbie hadn't been familiar with the course of history, knowing that in the near future most of these Priests shouting for Justice would betray the gods they served and become estranged from Frost King Malakk, Robbie might have truly been deceived.
Frost King Malakk had a gloomy face. He had lived with these Priests day and night for hundreds of years, scheming and plotting against each other. Marak knew all too well what kind of people these guys were.
But as the saying goes, public opinion can be overwhelming, and Marak could not go against the will of the people, so he could only say it tactfully:
"Your Excellency, please go and rest. We can discuss this another day."
Robbie knew the difficulties faced by Frost King Malakk and didn't make things difficult for him. Accompanied by Marak, he left the Royal Palace, while the Priests behind him continued to loudly express their determination.
Marak personally escorted Robbie to the inn, dismissed his subordinates, and privately asked:
What does the great Lich King Arthas want?
Robbie was secretly surprised. Although Frost King Malakk was a Troll, he was shrewd and experienced in politics, and had actually seen through Robbie's identity.
Arthas was a human.
Robbie said with a solemn expression:
"This is clearly a Horde trick. The Zul'Drak Empire and the Alliance Legion will both be weakened, which will only benefit the Horde. Arthas's point is that the King of Stormwind City wants a victory to make his name in history, so let him have his way."
Frost King Malakk stroked his fangs, pondered for a long time, and said:
"If it's just a letter of surrender without any particularly harsh conditions, I'm willing to indulge the whims of a young King. If my dignity can be exchanged for peace, I'm willing to give it up at any time. I'm just worried that His King won't let this go easily."
Robbie gazed at the sky above the Zul'Drak Empire and said solemnly, "If the worst-case scenario does occur, the Scourge promises never to exert pressure on the Zul'Drak Empire."
"Good!"
Frost King Malakk's brows relaxed, and he said readily, "Since that's the case, what's a little dignity on my part? I'm willing to surrender to the Alliance."
The Warlord Zol'Maz hurriedly returned home, immediately shut himself in, sat in front of the brazier, and couldn't help but sigh deeply.
Upon seeing this, Zormaz's wife offered him a cup of tea and asked, puzzled:
"Has something serious happened?"
Seeing that no one was around, Warlord Zol'Maz lowered his voice and said:
"Today a human has arrived, claiming to be Duke Bolvar's special envoy. Everyone in Northrend knows that Duke Bolvar and Arthas are bosom friends, and his envoy represents Arthas's will. First, there's the Alliance army of 50,000 pressing in, and now the Scourge has intervened. How can the Zul'Drak Empire withstand this? It seems that national annihilation is imminent."
Upon hearing this, Zormaz's wife was terrified and asked tremblingly, "What should we do? We must make plans quickly; we have to think about our children!"
Warlord Zol'Maz sighed, gritted his teeth, and said:
"With disaster looming, the only option is to flee for your lives. I have a very Jin'do, the leader of the Hakkari tribe in Stranglethorn Vale. Pack your things immediately, take the child, and leave the Zul'Drak Empire via the side path. Don't forget to disguise yourself as Furbolg. I have good relations with some merchants in Grizzly Hills. Take my token, and they will naturally arrange for you to enter Stranglethorn Vale by boat."
Zormaz's wife pondered for a while, then got up and went into the bedroom. She took out a letter and handed it to the warlord Zormaz, saying, "This is a letter my brother sent by someone; it just arrived."
The wife of the Warlord Zol'Maz was Novos's sister and only relative. After Novos became Lich, his only concern was for his sister.
Zolmaz opened the letter and read it carefully. Novos expressed his longing for his sister and explained that if they encountered danger, they could take refuge in Drak'Tharon Keep at any time.
To Zolmaz's surprise, Novos recounted how he obtained a drop of the essence of the Blood Trolls from Vol'jin and stole the power of the Prophet Saronite. Although it was only a brief account, it deeply moved Zolmaz.
After putting down the letter, Warlord Zol'Maz pondered for a long time, then said fiercely:
"In such chaotic times, without great power, you will only be bullied and no one will respect you. Novos can do, I can do too."
His wife looked worried and asked softly, "I've heard that Vol'jin is cunning and treacherous; I'm afraid he won't agree to our demands."
Zormaz squinted and whispered:
"Back then, the Darkspear Horde withdrew from the Gurubashi Empire's civil war and fled from Stranglethorn Vale to settle in the Broken Isles. They lost an important item, and I happen to know its whereabouts."
The Zul'Drak Empire had actually surrendered! Kites could hardly believe his eyes.
Frost King Malakk sent a letter of surrender, expressing his willingness to submit to the Alliance, and included a generous gift. However, the Zul'Drak Empire was poor and backward, and the so-called generous gift did not Kites's eye.
Kites couldn't contain his elation and burst into unrestrained laughter. To surpass Garrosh and Vol'jin without firing a single shot—such a magnificent achievement, who in this world could rival him?
After calming down, Kites summoned the advisors of the Peace Dove for a consultation.
The Zul'Drak Empire is located in a remote and barren area, making it impossible to turn it into the land of the Kingdom of Stormwind, let alone turn Drakkari Trolls into military rations like the Horde.
After much deliberation, the advisors could only persuade the Zul'Drak Empire to sell some ore at a low price, barely managing to salvage some of the losses. The victory, which came so easily, left Kites feeling utterly bored.