Erased Merit

Though Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider was young, he was already very familiar with these noble banquets. After all, he had grown up at the side of Sun King Anasterian Sunstrider, attending all kinds of aristocratic gatherings.

Through this banquet, Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider also became acquainted with the nobles of Dalsom, who differed from the corrupt nobles of Silvermoon City.

As a rising city founded only a thousand years ago, Dalsom's nobles possessed far more ambition. Most of them had originally been minor nobles who had risen to become mid-ranking nobles through their struggles after coming to Dalsom. Yet, in the eyes of those old-established nobles of Silvermoon City, they were still beneath notice.

After finally finding a chance to escape the entanglement of the nobles, Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider came to a relatively quiet terrace, intending to enjoy the breeze.

However, to his embarrassment, Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider discovered Ranger-Lord Lor'themar Theron and Countess Liadrin raising their glasses and chatting here, the atmosphere between them exceedingly intimate.

Faced with such an awkward scene, Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider naturally wanted to leave.

But no matter how lightly he stepped, how could he possibly evade the ears of Ranger-Lord Lor'themar Theron, a Ranger-General?

"Ahem, Prince Tyrel, I didn't expect you to come out for some air as well." Ranger-Lord Lor'themar Theron coughed, then acted as though nothing had happened, as if he had merely run into Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider while enjoying the breeze.

Unlike Ranger-Lord Lor'themar Theron's composure, Countess Liadrin was far less calm. Her face instantly flushed crimson, and she lowered her head before fleeing the terrace like the wind.

It seemed I interrupted their rendezvous, Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider thought.

Before Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider could speak, Ranger-Lord Lor'themar Theron smiled and said, "I knew it. Dalkhan went a little overboard. Prince Tyrel, you don't particularly like such an extravagant welcome, do you? I hope you won't blame Dalkhan for it. He merely wishes to earn your favor."

The Theron Family was also one of the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas's old noble houses. However, Lor'themar Theron disliked the life of nobility. He resolutely concealed his identity and joined the Farstriders, becoming a ranger. Through his own achievements, he caught the eye of Ranger-General Sylvanas Windrunner and was promoted to her adjutant.

At the very start of this noble banquet, Lor'themar Theron had relied on his extraordinarily weak presence and the nimble movements of a Ranger Lord to slip away to the quiet terrace, snatching several pastries along the way.

As for the wine glasses, Countess Liadrin had brought them over after freeing herself and coming to find Lor'themar Theron.

"Dath'Remar Theron is the other friend Countess Liadrin mentioned, isn't he? I can hardly believe the three of you became friends." Countess Liadrin, Ranger-Lord Lor'themar Theron, and Silvermoon Council member Dath'Remar Theron respectively belonged to the royalist faction, the Windrunner faction, and the Silvermoon Council—the three largest political groups in the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas. No one would have believed that the three could become friends.

In response to Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider's confusion, Ranger-Lord Lor'themar Theron said, "Prince Tyrel, if you have enough time, I can tell you how our friendship was forged."

"I think I would rather hear your story than deal with those nobles clinging to me." Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider shrugged, then waited eagerly for the story. He was still a youth, after all. Even though he had been born intelligent, he could not escape the immense curiosity of his age.

Back then, the runestones in the Southern Eversong Woods malfunctioned. Those runestones protected the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas, so Countess Liadrin was dispatched to investigate their failure. Dath'Remar Theron, a Magister who had only recently begun to distinguish himself, assisted Countess Liadrin at the time.

Later, they encountered Lor'themar Theron, who was then a ranger. Due to an ambush by Forest Trolls, they were all captured and interrogated by the Forest Trolls.

The situation was extremely dangerous. They might very well have died beneath the Forest Trolls' blades. However, they worked together, and in the end, Magister Dath'Remar Theron cast a teleportation spell that allowed them to escape danger.

That operation laid the foundation for their friendship. Having survived a crisis together, the three young High Elves were brought together. Later, because their ideals and positions differed, they joined different factions.

Just as Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider was still immersed in the exciting story, Lor'themar Theron sighed and continued, "Dath'Remar is actually exceptionally talented. This city, Dalsom, was built under his direction. Drawing upon the power of the Sunwell, he constructed a city in the mountains second only to Silvermoon City. It was this achievement that earned him a seat on the Silvermoon Council."

"Oh? Dalsom was built under Dath'Remar's direction? Then why is there no mention of him in the records..." Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider enjoyed the histories of all races and was especially knowledgeable about Quel'dorei history. The founding of Dalsom was naturally recorded in the history books, yet they only briefly stated that Sun King Anasterian Sunstrider and the Silvermoon Council had jointly ordered its construction. There was no way to know who had overseen it.

Ranger-Lord Lor'themar Theron did not directly answer Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider's question. Instead, he helplessly turned his gaze toward the streets of Dalsom visible from the terrace.

From Ranger-Lord Lor'themar Theron's refusal to speak of it, the clever Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider seemed to understand something.

This had been a political struggle between Sun King Anasterian Sunstrider and the Silvermoon Council. Dath'Remar Theron, still a Magister at the time, had demonstrated his outstanding ability. However, he accepted the Silvermoon Council's olive branch, causing Sun King Anasterian Sunstrider to dislike him. The Silvermoon Council, meanwhile, was unwilling to surrender the immense credit for the city of Dalsom. Thus, both sides tacitly erased Dath'Remar Theron's name.

After learning of Dath'Remar Theron's concealed achievements, Tyrel Sunstrider could not help but sigh. Perhaps it was precisely because of this incident that Dath'Remar Theron wished to curry favor with him.

Ranger-Lord Lor'themar Theron had been observing Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider's expression all along. When he saw Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider sigh for Dath'Remar Theron, he knew his words had had an effect. The reason he had brought up this matter was because he wanted to help his friend, Dath'Remar Theron.

Dath'Remar Theron had indeed been treated unfairly, but that was politics. His achievements had been directly erased, though he had still fared better than most by gaining a seat on the Silvermoon Council. It was precisely because he had once chosen the wrong side that Dath'Remar Theron now went to such lengths to please Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider.