Lived Three to Five Chapters Longer

Archmage Antonidas observed Taelan Fordring's demonstration of the Holy Bolt. Not only did he provide an assessment, but he also invited Taelan to study in Dalaran and recommended him to Archmage Krasus.

Tirion Fordring, however, was more concerned about his son's physical condition. In the end, Antonidas promised to look into it, though the truth was that Taelan's problem lay in his body's inability to withstand a soul that was far too powerful. Without mastering the corresponding occult knowledge, he could not bear the weight of that Holy Light.

Taelan Fordring knew his soul power was excessive because of the fusion of his past and present lives. To gain something, one must pay a price. If he wanted to possess great power, he had to accept the cost.

His body could only grow naturally; that could not be changed. But for an Archmage, there were ways to improve his situation: finding a suitable piece of magic equipment to enhance his magical capacity.

After thanking Antonidas, the two took their leave. Taelan Fordring was eager to visit Krasus immediately, but Tirion Fordring told him that showing up unannounced was highly impolite. Taelan had no choice but to follow Tirion to the Magic Tower to schedule a meeting with the Archmage for the following day.

At this moment, he was actually still remembering the promise to meet the little girl Jaina to catch the gnome who turned into a cat—it was simply absurd!

Aren't middle-aged men supposed to be forgetful?

In truth, Taelan had misunderstood Tirion. His real thought was: his son had lost his memories, especially regarding his childhood friend. Some say childhood is the most important time in one's life; a happy childhood can heal a lifetime, while some childhoods require a lifetime to heal.

In the original work, Jaina spent her entire life trying to heal from her childhood experiences. Her family overprotected her, leaving her almost entirely shielded from setbacks. This prevented her from seeing that behind the peaceful years, others were bearing the burdens for her. With Daelin constantly away at war, her mother busy with state affairs, and her brother dead early, she lacked companionship and communication with her kin.

In Tides of War, we can see that young Jaina's favorite thing to do was to arrange old books in a circle and sit in the middle, hiding whenever she encountered a stranger.

These experiences made her desperately seek a sense of security. She was easily influenced and overly concerned with the feelings of others. Yet, at only twenty years old, she was forced to carry the survival of her entire race and planet on her fragile shoulders.

She appeared strong on the outside but lacked security within. Look at the partners she chose—Arthas, a weakling in combat. They were all powerful men, and she hoped they would offer her a shoulder to lean on and cry for a while. But neither of them was mature or strong enough.

Prince Arthas was both a victim and a perpetrator. When Jaina said, "Our child will surely have golden hair," she needed a promise, but he retreated. He was completely unprepared to take responsibility, yet he demanded that a girl give him everything, even asking her never to refuse him. This hurt Jaina and embarrassed her deeply. That was why, later, when faced with the choice at Stratholme, she also retreated.

For Tirion Fordring, Jaina was Taelan's new childhood playmate, someone who could make up for the missing joy in both their childhoods.

But he did not know that Jaina did not think so.

That night, under the watch of the Blue Child, that boy had descended from the sky and pulled her away from death. This image was something she would remember for a lifetime.

Girls mature early. From the moment she picked up Taelan, who had turned into a ragdoll cat, the story began. And it soon deviated from Tirion's expectations.

After breakfast, Tirion Fordring took Taelan to visit Krasus. Soon, Jaina was left alone at home again.

Jaina did not like this state of affairs. Although she loved the scenery of Dalaran—this city was perhaps one of the most beautiful in all of Azeroth—her father did not bring her here for a vacation. Usually, after visiting some big shots, Daelin would leave her to rest at the inn while he went off somewhere unknown. He thought Jaina understood nothing, forgetting that children need more than just material satisfaction; they need the company of their parents.

Jaina could be called ice-cold and brilliant; Daelin thought his daughter had no idea what he was doing, but Jaina knew he must be seeing a woman! Because that unique scent of perfume could never be masked. She remembered that smell.

But now, she no longer cared about such things. Aside from flipping through a book Archmage Antonidas had given her, titled Arcane Energy Explained, she had gained another treasure: the Gentleman's Formal Wear!

Everyone thought she liked that beautiful hat just because it looked good, but in reality, she could already feel the power of this magic equipment. She was also a natural Awakened. It was just that a mage's power came mostly from knowledge, and she did not yet possess enough. That was why she could not cast spells. As long as she wore that hat, she could feel her physique and intelligence being enhanced, and perhaps even more. This piece of magic equipment boosted at least four attributes; only gear of Fine quality could achieve that.

In other words, this gift from Taelan was something she could use until at least the second tier. And this hat was a precious piece of magic equipment, the first gift Taelan Fordring had ever given her.

The entire morning was spent reading and looking in the mirror. By noon, Daelin returned to the inn, looking satisfied. The first thing he saw upon entering was his daughter blushing while touching that beautiful bow.

He teased his daughter, "Still thinking about that brat?"

"Hmm, it's truly hard to imagine that a warrior as burly and powerful as Tirion could produce such a handsome son. And his upbringing is far too successful."

"That boy will surely be a heartbreaker when he grows up. Even I find it hard to dislike him."

"Taelan is no heartbreaker; he is a Paladin. Loyalty is one of the virtues of a knight!"

"Jaina, that boy is already famous. Did you know?"

"How is he famous?"

"News has come from Archmage Antonidas's tower that he has recommended Taelan to Krasus as an apprentice. After examining Taelan, he called him the Child of Light."

"That's wonderful!"

She was truly happy for him; this way, he would come to Dalaran often.

Daelin said, "I think High Bishop Faol will baptize him soon. In a year or two, he will become an Initiate Paladin and come to Dalaran to study. Daughter, you must work hard! Don't get left too far behind."

Jaina raised her left hand and clenched it into a fist, waving it to cheer herself on. Then she said, "Why hasn't Taelan come to find me yet? We promised to go catch that prankster gnome today."

Daelin said, "Tirion is a man who never breaks a promise. You don't need to worry. Dalaran has tightened security now. The streets have been swept several times by Spellbreakers; it is very safe. When he arrives, you two can go for a stroll."

Tirion, who never broke a promise, was currently preparing a gift. He was visiting an Archmage tomorrow, and since he was not familiar with Krasus, and Antonidas's letter of recommendation had already been sent, he had to take his son to visit Krasus first. Out of politeness, a gift was indispensable.

Dalaran was not short of such things. The two walked around the commercial district and selected an expensive bottle of red wine as a gift. Tirion himself had never been one to enjoy the finer things in life, but fortunately, he had collected quite a bit of loot during the war and saved up some private funds. Before they left, Taelan's mother, Karandra, had also provided additional financial support.

Once the gift was ready, Tirion Fordring urged Taelan to go play with Jaina. But Taelan wanted to spar with his father and learn new combat skills.

He wanted to live for a few more chapters; as for Jaina, he wanted to stand her up!

I am not very satisfied with how this chapter turned out, so I will post it first and revise it later.

Jaina is one of the most complex characters in the entire World of Warcraft. She is a soft-boiled egg with a hard shell. This metaphor is a bit strange, as strange as the "hunger like a starving man" from the Classic of Poetry.

In her romance with the Prince, both sides were responsible. The Prince was the one who caused the problem first. As for her and her father, I think the responsibility lies more with Jaina herself; they lacked communication.

Whether one is willing to admit it or not, the characteristic of most women is often to be lenient on the outside but strict on the inside! Their strength lies in the details. Therefore, children in families where the mother is overly dominant are mostly unhappy.