Benefits and Harms (Wishing Everyone a Happy Lantern Festival)

The meeting was adjourned after Zul'ra spoke, and many Sin'dorei left. Zul'ra turned to speak with Lostro, Bakaji, and Mordu, gesturing for Lostro to hand over the remaining cigar, while speaking to Bakaji.

"Bakaji, you shouldn't have acted so impulsively just now. You should always be rational."

"I'm sorry, Zul'ra Jin." Bakaji stared at the lit cigar in Lostro's hand and the cigar he handed to Zul'ra, and couldn't help but widen his eyes.

"Why are you apologizing to me? You stood up for me, and I should thank you. But an impulsive personality is never a good thing." Zul'ra took the cigar Lostro offered, sniffed it, and noticed a strange smell.

"Indeed, we should be more rational and refute her with facts. Impulsiveness can sometimes make things worse," Mordu echoed Zul'ra's words. As a diplomat from Amani, he already had some experience.

"That's right, you should learn more from Mordu in this respect. Of course, refuting with facts doesn't mean you have to fight!" Zul'ra joked, making Bakaji feel embarrassed, while Lostro and Mordu chuckled to themselves.

"Alright, you guys go back first, I have some things to take care of." Zul'ra turned her head and glanced at the Sin'dorei who were leaving the conference room, sending them back first, while she strode forward under the gaze of the three of them.

"Lirath." Zul'ra abandoned Lostro and the others, and strode after Lirath in the Sin'dorei herd, calling out to the much thinner Windrunner lad under the gazes of onlookers.

"Zul'ra Jin." Lirath walked in the crowd without speaking to anyone, and did not expect to be called out. When he turned around and saw Zul'ra, his pale and thin face showed some surprise.

"Let's talk!" Zul'ra nodded to the Sin'dorei around her, and then, amidst their strange looks, reached out and pulled the Windrunner aside with her arm around his shoulder.

"What do you want to talk to me about?" Lirath was a little embarrassed and reserved as Zul'ra hooked his arm around his shoulder and led him away from the crowd, but he still let him lead him away from the crowded area.

"For example, your sister. We're not strangers, so you don't need to be so reserved!" Zul'ra looked at the reserved young man and tried to get closer to him while looking for a secluded spot.

"..." Lirath looked at the seemingly carefree Zul'ra without saying a word. We're not strangers, but we're not exactly acquaintances either. We've only met a few times, and I was even captivated by you once!

"Ahem, Sylvanas joined the Horde, so she's my colleague, and you, as her brother, are naturally not outsiders to me either?" Zul'ra looked at the Windrunner young man with some embarrassment, but still brought up a relationship that wasn't really one.

"Speaking of which, I should thank the Horde for accepting her." Lirath listened to Zul'ra's entanglement, he lowered his gaze and uttered a statement that even he himself was unsure of as true or false.

"Really? Uh, well, I feel like you're really out of sorts today!" Zul'ra blurted out instinctively, but seeing the look coming from Lirath, she quickly changed the subject.

"What do you want to talk to me about?" Lirath felt he had no desire to continue the conversation.

"Hmm, it seems you weren't very interested in the question I just asked. Let's change the subject, like the current situation in Sin'dorei!" Zul'ra looked at Lirath's green eyes and carefully chose her tone before speaking.

"What's wrong with the Sin'dorei now?" Lirath asked, his green pupils flickering slightly, but he remained nonchalant.

"You are facing a danger, the danger of internal division." Zul'ra stopped and looked at the silent, deserted corner of the corridor, lowering her voice.

"Oh, then what do you think we should do?" A mocking smile flickered in Lirath's eyes. Was the division of Quel'Thalas something Amani didn't want to see?

→

"Our two races have a very bad past, but given the upcoming situation, Amani wants to see a united Quel'Thalas that can be Amani's ally, not a chaotic Quel'Thalas." Zul'ra could see the meaning in Lirath's eyes, but he didn't pay it any mind.

"..." Lirath's gaze and expression were somewhat moved. Although Zul'ra's desire for unity in Quel'Thalas was purposeful, it was still impossible not to feel something for him.

"I don't know what you're thinking right now, but we all always..." Zul'ra looked at the sentimental Lirath, unsure of what he was thinking. She wanted to pry open his mouth and pour some chicken soup down his throat, but before she could even pick up the bowl, he interrupted her.

"Thank you, Zul'ra Jin." Lirath shook his head, interrupting the Trolls. Regardless of the extent of his gratitude, he should be thankful to the Trolls.

"... That's not necessary." Zul'ra looked at the boy who was blinking with his head up, seemingly with tears in his eyes. She didn't react for a moment, then paused slightly before continuing before the other could reply.

"You have many internal problems right now, but I hope you can put those aside for now, solve the current problems, and look to the future. Nothing is more important than being alive, except perhaps your sister." Zul'ra's tone shifted at the end. Death is the end for others, but for Forsaken like Sylvanas, it is probably just the beginning.

"I'm sorry..." Lirath lowered his head unconsciously in the face of Zul'ra's words. He understood what Zul'ra meant. Sylvanas's will was the biggest source of the current situation in Quel'Thalas!

"There's nothing to apologize for. Everyone has their own perspective and unique understanding of the world. This understanding leads to different choices, which in turn have different impacts on the people and things around them. In short, there's really no right or wrong in any of it."

"There's no right or wrong, so what?"

"Benefits and harms." Zul'ra stretched out two fingers, making a "V" sign.

"Benefits and harms?" Lirath asked, a look of interest on his face.

"Yes, profit and loss. The rule of nature is to give the surplus to the lack, and to benefit all living beings. But we ordinary people are different. We like to take from those who already lack, so that we can have a surplus." Zul'ra put forward a very profound statement.

"It sounds very profound." Lirath blinked his green pupils slightly. He couldn't understand the meaning of these words, but he could only say that he seemed to have grasped it. Then, without waiting for Zul'ra's reply, he asked again in a hurry.

"Zul'ra Jin, what benefits do you hope to gain now?"

"Of course, I hope that we can all benefit." Zul'ra nodded with a smile.

"Why? I can't understand." Lirath shook his head, indicating his disbelief. How could Trolls have such lofty thoughts?

"Why can't you understand? Didn't I tell you before? I hope everyone can benefit because Amani also belongs to this 'everyone'." Zul'ra explained the relationship to Lirath: his principle of benefiting everyone was based on the premise that he belonged to this "everyone".

"So that's how it is!" Listening to Zul'ra's logic, Lirath suddenly understood, and then felt his eyes were opened. Although this logic was selfish, it was not annoying, and people even admired it.

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