Outside Silvermoon City, Quel'Thalas.
When Kael'thas teleported to the hut that had been attacked the previous night, he saw the owner of the dilapidated elven hut, the whole family, hanging neatly from the tree outside.
The Royal Palace guards who arrived first had already searched the house inside and out and reported to the king, "Your Majesty, it was the Troll who did it."
The new Sun King's brow furrowed into a deep frown. His kingdom had barely begun to stabilize, but the Troll had returned. These beasts had not been affected by the Scourge's destruction of Quel'Thalas. Were his people destined to once again fall under the threat of the Troll, as they had for the past millennia?
"Can we find any trace of them?" Kael'thas wanted to hunt down these troublesome Troll and give his people some answers. Otherwise, once the news spread, the elves of Silvermoon City, who had finally managed to settle down, would once again live in fear.
The captain of the guard shook his head. "Their tracks disappeared into the forest. You know these monsters never walk on the ground; they roam among the trees. We can't track them."
"Don't you have any ideas at all?" The Elf King realized that his subordinates were all incompetent fools.
The captain of the guard could only lower his head and say, "We will increase patrols to prevent the Troll from infiltrating Silvermoon City further."
"Strengthen patrols? No, you'll be ambushed one by one." Kael'thas understood that the elven population was sparse and their finances were strained, so the patrol personnel would naturally be insufficient, and they would end up being cut into pieces and eaten by the Troll. These monsters had fought too many wars with the elves over the past few thousand years. Now, with a sparse population and insufficient fighting power, the elves could no longer afford to continue the conflict.
"You handle things here well, and don't let the news spread too quickly. I'll find a way to completely eliminate these monsters." With that, the Elf King vanished via teleportation.
Back at the Royal Palace, Kael'thas thought of the empty treasury and the barely enough money to make ends meet each month. If he were to launch a war against the Troll now, not only would he lack the manpower, but his finances would also be stretched thin.
At this moment, Verina Starfury, the leader of the Sindra Elf, requested an audience.
Kael'thas watched the purple-haired Elf enter and knew she was there again to ask for " Sunwell Water." These elves, who had survived Feralas and migrated to Quel'Thalas, had come to appreciate the Arcane Energy of the Sunwell after escaping their desperate situation. They used it to alleviate their Mana Addiction and cleanse themselves of the demonic Fel Energy they had absorbed. Most importantly, the gentle energy of the Sunwell Water was incredibly intoxicating to these Sindra.
As expected, Verina spoke up, "Your Majesty Kyle, we need more well water."
Kael'thas actually had enough well water. The well water that Jaina had recently provided was not only plentiful, but also had a very high magical concentration. It seems that after the last protest, Theramore stopped adding water to the Sunwell.
Kael'thas didn't provide the Sindra with an unlimited supply of well water; instead, he gave them a fixed quota each month. They had to use it sparingly, which was just enough to satisfy their Mana Addiction. So, the Sindra, who liked to use the well water freely, would always run out of water by the end of the month. Then Verina would have to go to the Royal Palace to beg Kael'thas to allocate some more water.
Kael'thas, hearing Verina's words, could only sigh and say, "My well water came at a great cost, so you should use it sparingly. Don't treat it like water to drink." Kael'thas enjoyed the feeling of these purple-skinned newcomers coming to the Royal Palace every month to beg him. After all, when these Sindra first arrived, they were arrogant and looked down on the Quel'dorei. So by controlling the supply of well water, he finally made the Sindra realize who was in charge here.
"I know, I know!" Verina, with an air of humbly accepting and never correcting her mistakes, stepped forward to bow obsequiously to Kael'thas. Kael'thas sat on his throne, while Verina stood, so his head was directly facing the two towering Arcane towers, which seemed about to pounce on him. This made King Kael'thas somewhat irritated.
"I really can't do anything with you guys." Kael'thas hesitated for a moment, then took two deep breaths and handed her a Space Bag.
The leader of the Sindra took the bag, immediately took out a bottle of well water, uncorked it, took a big gulp, and then let out a satisfied sound. She smacked her lips, savoring the pleasure of magic dancing on her tongue. Finally, she stuck out her tongue in front of Kael'thas and licked the water off her lips. This made the Kael'thas, who had been single for thousands of years, feel his heart race.
Previously, he maintained the perfect image of the heir to the throne, and having spent a lot of time in Dalaran, he hadn't dated. Later, Quel'Thalas fell and was restored, and with so many things to do, he had even less time for romance. He suddenly felt that the purple elf before him might be someone he could consider.
Verina carefully collected the remaining well water and then prepared to take her leave.
"Wait a minute." Kael'thas seemed to realize something. "How many Archmage do you have available? I might be organizing a war soon, and I'll need a lot of mages to fight." If we're fighting Troll, these Sindra would be perfect. On one hand, having more Troll would increase our combat strength, and on the other hand, having them with me is more reassuring than leaving them in Silvermoon City.
Verina thought for a moment, "We can send at least twelve Archmage and over fifty ordinary mages. I can lead the expedition. However, as you know, once on the battlefield, casting too much magic can easily trigger Mana Addiction."
Kael'thas nodded. "Don't worry, there will be Arcane Crystal available. As long as you follow orders, there shouldn't be much danger."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Verina, being quite perceptive, immediately bowed deeply to Kael'thas. Kael'thas was once again provoked by the two Arcane towers.
Verina left satisfied with the well water. She didn't care about political calculations or power games. As long as Kael'thas could provide her and her men with enough well water, this place was like paradise compared to her days in Feralas. She didn't have to worry about Mana Addiction, slaughter, or corruption. She also had a vague idea in her mind to make her and Sindra's relationship with the Quel'dorei even stronger and closer.
Walking on the road outside the Royal Palace, Verina thought of Kael'thas's expression when he bowed to her earlier, and a feeling of joy welled up inside her. She couldn't help but take out her bottle and drink another sip of well water, letting out another satisfied sigh—this is life!
Meanwhile, Kael'thas convened a meeting of his close advisors. He asked his Chancellor of the Exchequer, "How much money do we have left in our treasury? Is it enough to sustain a war against the Troll?"
The elven Chancellor of the Exchequer's face contorted with distress upon hearing of impending war. "Your Majesty, we have no money! We have no money! Our magical artifacts are still awaiting payment from the goblins. They won't pay until the end of the month. But recently the goblins said magical artifacts aren't selling well and they're planning to reduce their orders."
Kael'thas was genuinely furious; this was clearly a tactic by the goblins to drive down prices. Since the restoration of Quel'Thalas, the High Elf had suffered greatly under the inactive rule of the Old Sun King Anasterian, and by the time Kael'thas came to power, their finances were in dire straits. They had barely managed to maintain their economy by negotiating an agreement with the goblins to produce the magical items they ordered.
The products the goblins ordered were all magical items he dared not even imagine: a magical necklace that increased stamina, a potion that increased endurance, Titan's belt that increased strength, and a ring that increased agility. They were reportedly sold to human nations, especially the nobles of Stormwind City, where they were very popular. With these products, Kael'thas was barely managing to keep his kingdom running. But recently, the goblins made an outrageous request, which Kael'thas refused, and now the goblins were causing trouble with the orders.
He said to the clerk beside him, "Go and tell the goblin leader, ' Rivendare, ' that I've agreed to the conditions he proposed last time."
Upon hearing that Kael'thas was prepared to agree to the goblins' terms and lease Quel'Danas Island, an elderly minister advised, "Your Majesty, that is the sacred land of our ancestors! How can we lease it to such uncouth goblins?"
Then several ministers came and advised the king not to sell off his ancestral property.
Kael'thas said with dissatisfaction, "Then what good ideas do you have for raising funds for the army? The Troll are almost at Silvermoon City now. Are you just going to stand by and watch these beasts slaughter my people?"
Old minister:...
Kyle: I knew you guys were all talk and no action, just spouting ancestral glory without offering any solutions.
A few days later, in the throne room of Silvermoon City, Kael'thas sat on his throne, his fingers unconsciously tapping the armrest. His gaze fell on the contract handed to him by Rivendare, the Goblin Prince the Hot Sands. The edges of the parchment were embroidered with gold thread, but its contents made his eyelids twitch.
"A thirty-year lease, with a five-year rent payment upfront, Quel'Danas Island to be fully developed by the Sandbox..." Kael'thas murmured, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper.
"A thirty-year lease is too long," the Elf King said calmly.
Gallywix spread his hands dramatically. "But the rent is incredibly generous! A five-year down payment of gold coins is enough to pay off all your loans in Stormwind City and rebuild the eastern defenses. I've heard the Troll are causing trouble again." He winked slyly. "We're even willing to pay a twenty percent deposit right now. Pay it today."
Kael'thas tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of his throne. He could feel all eyes in the hall fixed on him—the surviving nobles, the subjects who had lost their loved ones and homes. Silvermoon City's treasury was indeed empty, and the Royal Palace guards' wages from last month were still outstanding. Although no one dared to complain to his face, he knew that those below him were all secretly cursing him as an incompetent king.
"Your Highness, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!" Rivendare rubbed his hands together, his green cheeks glowing with excitement. "Not only will we pay the rent, but we'll also provide jobs for Silvermoon City! Once tourism opens up, tourists will flock in, and gold coins will pour in! Just wait to collect taxes. The residents of Silvermoon City can find work in the park if they want. They'll also spend money and pay taxes. It's all money!"
Kael'thas hesitated, forced by circumstances to compromise his principles for money, but a wary glint remained in his eyes. "Mr. Gallywix, Quel'Danas Island and the Sunwell were once our sacred sites. How do you plan to develop them?"
The goblin grinned, revealing jagged, sharp teeth. "Oh, simple! We plan to build a Sunwell Theme Park. We'll build a luxurious magical hot spring bath next to the original Sunwell, along with an elven culture experience area, a food street, a shopping center, Elven Charm Street... guaranteed to keep visitors coming back for more!"
Kael'thas's finger paused. "The Pedestrian Street?"
"It's just some traditional elven song and dance performances!" Gallywix quickly added, "Absolutely elegant! Absolutely elegant! If any goblins force elves to do anything immoral, they can complain to you. We guarantee to hold them accountable to the end."
Kael'thas paused for a moment. He knew, of course, that there was something fishy going on. The other meaning of "not forcing" was that if the elves voluntarily accepted the price for special services, the goblins would bear no responsibility.
Leaving aside the impoverished Silvermoon City at present, even during the period of refuge in Dalaran, many elven women chose to go shopping to earn Arcane Crystal.
But his country needed the money to cover its expenses, his people needed job opportunities, and he needed to organize a war to wipe out the Troll.
Kael'thas sighed one last time, picked up his pen, and signed the document.
Upon seeing the agreement signed, the goblin jumped for joy, shrieking, "A wise choice, my Majesty! Gold coins will soon be rolling in!"
Kael'thas could only sit dejectedly in his seat, unsure of what the future held.
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