"Titan above! I actually saw a living Titan! My gods... I keep feeling like I drank too much and started hallucinating!"
Magni slammed his goblet onto the table, his eyes wide as copper bells, shooting lightning-like glar... pfft!
Hu Feng calmly downed a cup of strong liquor in a single gulp within seconds, set the cup down, and looked blandly at Magni. "Your turn again."
"No! This is cheating! You're a Titan God! Our creator! You can't use divine power like this to humiliate a dwarf's drinking capacity!" Magni's cheeks were flushed red, and he was already having trouble standing.
"Creating things was troublesome work done by my kin. It had nothing to do with me, so your reasoning doesn't hold. Come on, keep drinking."
In the end, Magni slid beneath the table and slept like a dead pig. His daughter, princess Moira, helplessly dragged her father outside.
"Wait, you're Moira, princess of the Bronzebeard Dwarves, right?" Hu Feng's voice came from behind her.
Moira hurriedly dropped Magni and bowed to this incarnation of a Titan. "Yes. Greetings, divine one!"
Hu Feng looked at princess Moira with great interest. "If you ever fall in love with someone you shouldn't, remember my words. Don't make your father sad, and don't become extreme. Just communicate. It can always be worked out."
Princess Moira shuddered. She had no idea why the Titan God was giving her such a prophecy. Could it be that she would fall in love with a troll?
Lost in wild thoughts, princess Moira still respectfully bowed to Hu Feng. "I'll remember it, Father God. Thank you for your guidance."
After the private alliance was signed, the Stormwind Kingdom, dwarves, and gnomes all began urgently preparing for war.
In the coastal Golden Sands region of Westfall, a Night Elf-style port city was rapidly being built. At the same time, large numbers of Arcane Golems hauled massive stone blocks all across Stormwind Kingdom territory, while the Stormwind City Stonemasons Guild directed the golems with blueprints, sending them where they needed to go.
Broad, smooth roads were also rapidly laid throughout the still-unfinished fortress network, with the road leading to Stormwind City completed first. Endless wagonloads of weapons and supplies were escorted into Stormwind City by Suramar Spellblades. Goldshire, the town closest to Stormwind City, had now become a semi-militarized transit station. Countless catapults, cannons, and dwarven Steam Tanks briefly assembled there before dispersing to the various fortresses.
Teams of newly enlisted soldiers drilled in temporary camps opened throughout Elwynn Forest, while veterans, after receiving specialized training, were marching toward defensive positions everywhere. Across the Stormwind Kingdom, white-armored streams moved in every direction beneath a sea of blue banners bearing golden lion heads.
The soldiers had already learned that the gods had issued a warning: a foreign race called Orcs was about to come to this world. They would burn human cities, slaughter human civilians, and raze human kingdoms.
Yet no one was afraid. Humans were strange creatures. When facing fear of the unknown, even if the hidden enemy was merely a weak little squirrel, they would be extremely wary and tense. But once they learned what the enemy was, where they came from, and what they could do, humans became unafraid instead, even if the enemy was immensely powerful.
They gathered beneath the royal banner of the golden lion head, every one of them burning with fighting spirit and wishing they could immediately slaughter the Orcs who wanted to invade their homeland.
Stormwind City had also been twisted into a single rope. Of course, that did not mean the nobles were particularly understanding. Aside from a few enlightened nobles led by Highlord Bolvar, most nobles initially voiced fierce opposition and dissatisfaction toward this nationwide construction effort and military mobilization. Many of their territories had been affected to varying degrees, and protests soon filled the King's Hall of Tempest Keep.
Then that Night Elf Divine Emissary spoke again, telling the nobles to behave and obey King Llane's orders.
Damn it! Who did he think he was? Just because the Night Elves stood behind him, he thought he was something special?
The nobles became even more agitated.
"Your Majesty! We firmly oppose this wasteful action that burdens the people and drains resources! Please immediately halt the useless construction and troop movements throughout the realm!"
"That's right! Your Majesty, I also believe you should not allow certain Night Elf figures to influence your will!"
But as they continued speaking, they noticed something strange about King Llane. He was looking at them with an expression of remembrance and farewell, and unusually, he did not argue with them as he had in the past.
"Is there... anything else you'd like to say?" the King finally asked, though something about those words sounded distinctly wrong.
They soon understood why it sounded so wrong. A squad of royal guards rushed in, and after a brief chaos, every noble was arrested. At the same time, the doors of nobles and factions that had opposed King Llane's actions were kicked open, and they were dragged off to prison.
At first, many still tried to protest their innocence and make excuses. But under the magical questioning of several Highborne mages, they eagerly revealed their deepest true thoughts and every vile deed they had committed. These elven mages had mastered some mind magic taught by the Faceless Ones. They could not accomplish something as profound as corrupting minds, but interrogating weak-willed nobles and forcing them to tell the truth was a simple matter.
This was perhaps the liveliest period in Stormwind Kingdom's history since its founding. Major events occurred constantly in both military and civil affairs.
After an internal purge ended, the old noble houses had essentially all fallen. Llane swiftly replaced them with a group of obedient New Aristocrats loyal to the Stormwind royal family. Free from the suppression of the old nobles, Highlord Bolvar had now become King Llane's chief administrator. He handled internal affairs while Lothar handled external matters, their duties clearly divided.
King Llane stood atop Stormwind City's white walls, watching teams of soldiers stream in and out of Hero's Valley below. He said to Lothar beside him, "The Alliance's war machine has already begun running at full power. No one can resist an Alliance that is prepared. No matter how powerful those Orcs are, we will crush them and drive them away."
Lothar nodded fiercely. Behind the two men, a massive blue banner bearing a golden lion head snapped loudly in the wind.
Hu Feng, seated nearby and sipping Thunder Ale, suddenly paused. He shook his head and revealed a faint smile.
"Gentlemen, prepare yourselves. Medivh's soul has completely fallen silent. Sargeras is controlling Medivh as he heads for The Black Morass."
"The Orcs are coming."
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