The second major event was a change in Quel'Thalas's upper leadership.
Dath'Remar Sunstrider, the leader who had led his family into exile after the end of the War of the Ancients, had passed away.
Quel'Thalas mourned throughout the kingdom. Prince Anasterian formally ascended the throne, inheriting the crown and becoming the new Sun King.
When news of Dath'Remar's death reached the Night Elves, Hu Feng was happily enjoying himself in Uldum and did not learn of it immediately. The Night Elves had never thought much of Dath'Remar and his fellow exiles, so they offered a few perfunctory words and left it at that. The Highborne of Suramar City had enjoyed a fairly good relationship with Dath'Remar, so the Council of Truth dispatched an envoy to cross the sea with the messenger and travel to Quel'Thalas to pay their respects.
By the time Hu Feng returned and learned of it, several months had already passed. By then, Dath'Remar had probably begun rotting underground, serving as fertilizer...
The death of yet another acquaintance left Hu Feng somewhat saddened. It made him feel that his decision to specifically separate a portion of Titan Divine Power and infuse it into Alleria's body had been absolutely correct. The High Elves had not received the World Tree's blessing. Though they lived long lives, they could still grow old, fall ill, and die. Hu Feng did not want the woman he liked to vanish so soon, so even giving up some of his own source power was worth it.
"Bastard! Who does that brat think he is? Has becoming King made him this stupid?"
Archmage Aethelus was roaring inside a lakeside villa outside Silvermoon City. Several Highborne mages seated nearby wore equally grim expressions. The two accompanying Nightborne sneered repeatedly, the killing intent in their eyes completely undisguised.
Alleria helplessly tried to soothe the mages' anger. She could not blame them for being furious; Anasterian, the newly appointed Sun King, was indeed rather full of himself. The Night Elf delegation had crossed the sea to offer condolences, and its standing was already exceedingly high. Aethelus, the chief councilor of the Council of Truth, had personally led Highborne and Nightborne here, which was more than enough respect for Quel'Thalas.
"Hmm, thank you for coming, Highborne. But why do I not see Hu Feng, the Divine Emissary of the God of Magic? As my father's friend, does he not wish to see my father one last time?" Those had been Anasterian's exact words, and the group of High Elf nobles beside him had all echoed their agreement.
That was going too far! It seemed the High Elves now dared to direct their inexplicable arrogance at their former kin as well!
The Highborne were never particularly approachable themselves. Hearing Anasterian speak that way, Aethelus immediately turned around and left with the grim-faced Highborne.
After that, they spent their days at Alleria's Farstrider Lodge and refused to go anywhere else. To the Highborne, Alleria was truly one of their own. After all, she was one of the future ladies personally chosen by the Divine Emissary. Even an idiot could see the relationship between the two. Though they had not met for a long time, their feelings had not faded in the slightest.
"Alright, alright. Aethelus, don't dwell on it too much. Anasterian was indeed in the wrong this time, but he bore no ill intent. The young and impulsive Sun King still needs experience before he can mature," Alleria said gently, setting down her cup.
Aethelus nodded. "You all heard what Lady Alleria said. Let this matter rest, especially you two Nightborne. I do not wish to see you make any excessive moves. Understood?"
"W-what lady? I've told you countless times, I'm not in that kind of relationship with your Divine Emissary!"
"Oh... not that kind of relationship... hmm, I understand!" After finishing the serious subject, Aethelus put on the standard lecherous grin of a Night Elf uncle. "But your own younger sister, Lady Sylvanas, did not say the same. How strange indeed."
"SYLVANAS!!! GET OUT HERE!" The female ranger flew into an embarrassed rage and chased after her sister with her longbow in hand, killing intent blazing around her.
Hu Feng looked at the report in his hand, sneered a few times, and casually tossed it aside.
Anasterian, the prince who had once trembled nervously before him, now felt that power was firmly in his grasp and that he could stand on equal footing with him? It was so similar to the relationship between his homeland in his previous life and certain neighboring small nations. All were members of the Chinese cultural sphere, all had once been tributary states of his homeland, yet now they leaped about like clowns, thoroughly pleased with themselves.
The High Elves truly never ran out of bad habits. Anasterian's actions were not hard to interpret: he was deliberately trying to diminish Hu Feng and the Highborne's influence over Quel'Thalas. As a leader, he could not be called wrong for wanting to escape the shadow of the Night Elves, their former suzerains. He was simply too immature, too eager for quick success, to the point that everyone could see his intentions.
It seemed necessary to make them suffer a little and give them another harsh warning.
They needed to wake up. Exile did not mean a complete break.
The envoys sent by the seven human kingdoms to mourn Dath'Remar had also noticed the rift between the Night Elves and High Elves. In particular, reports that Aethelus had led his delegation out midway through and moved into the Ranger Corps' Farstrider Lodge had already appeared on the desks of the various human Kings.
For a time, an undercurrent seemed to stir. Though the Night Elves, the former suzerain state, made no public statement, they began deliberately reducing trade exchanges and magical technical cooperation with the Sunstrider Royal Court.
Instead, they began increasing their support for the Silvermoon Rangers. Vast quantities of newly developed enchanted longbows and daily supplies were continuously shipped by merchant vessels to Sunsail Port, then hauled into Farstrider Lodge. The Night Elves were wealthy and generous, selling the goods at half price or simply giving them away. With a wave of their hands, they declared that the Silvermoon Rangers, a group poor enough to jingle when they walked, could pay the gold in installments.
Kul Tiras, the human maritime power, was overjoyed as well, because the Night Elves lacked large cargo ships for ocean crossings. Thus, trade between the two continents, especially the Night Elves' fleets trading with the Eastern Kingdoms, was now almost entirely handled by Kul Tiras's hired ships.
Lordaeron, now the strongest nation on land, had grown so prosperous that its nobles began seeking spiritual fulfillment. They especially loved the elves' carved artworks and decorative weapons. Of course, magical accessories were even better.
Previously, they had always purchased such luxuries produced by Quel'Thalas. But now the Night Elves were glaring fiercely at every nation in the Eastern Kingdoms. Though they said nothing, everyone knew that if anyone made the politically incorrect choice of backing the wrong side, the Night Elves would immediately make things difficult for them.
Though the Night Elves were based on the Kalimdor Continent, their influence in the Eastern Kingdoms was even greater than that of the High Elves. This was thanks to the overwhelming deterrence of Divine Emissary Hu Feng's power, as well as the Night Elves' own formidable racial strength and increasingly open diplomatic policies.
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