Aviana

Kael'thas had originally intended to see Karen off upon his return to Stormwind City.

However, Karen felt that would be too ostentatious; an Alchemy Master was not worth such a gesture from Kael'thas.

Thus, Karen declined, opting to hold the farewell ceremony right at Kael'thas's Mage Tower.

Upon leaving the Mage Tower, Kael'thas assigned two guards to escort Karen to the teleportation station. Having learned of Karen's identity, the two guards remained trembling with fear the entire way, terrified that any misstep might draw Karen's attention and earn them a punishment.

In truth, Karen was not so petty, nor did he wish to dwell on such trifles.

Nevertheless, Karen deliberately walked slowly the entire way, occasionally stopping in his tracks to startle them, which served as a fitting punishment.

As they neared the teleportation station, someone emerged just as expected.

"Oh, what a coincidence. Master Drew, I happen to be heading back to Stormwind City as well. Let's go together." It was indeed the young girl, Vereesa.

"Indeed, what a coincidence. Let's go together." Karen beckoned her into the group.

Walking into the teleportation station, everyone nodded in greeting to Drew. It seemed his brother Kael'thas had informed the upper echelons of Dalaran of his identity and issued instructions to those below.

At this moment, Antonidas stepped out from the station's lounge.

Antonidas had been notified of Karen's departure.

The two exchanged pleasantries before parting ways; after all, neither was the type to be overly sentimental, and they had communication devices to stay in touch.

Antonidas watched as Karen walked into the teleportation array. Once activated, Karen and Vereesa vanished amidst the shimmering runes.

When the two appeared at the teleportation station in Stormwind City, they were immediately greeted.

"Greetings, Master Drew. Welcome back. You have worked hard leading the team this time. The King asked me to pass on a message: you are welcome to visit the palace when you have time." It appeared his brother had also made the necessary arrangements in Stormwind City.

"Very well, I understand. I will certainly pay a visit to His Majesty when time permits," Karen replied with a nod.

Upon returning to the Alchemist Association, Karen encountered President Pierre.

First, President Pierre commended Karen for the excellent results the team achieved in the competition.

Then, President Pierre asked, "The results they achieved this time were primarily due to the intensive training you organized. I heard that you taught them certain things during the training that significantly improved the quality of their alchemy potions. Can this method be popularized?"

"Actually, the methods I taught them are similar in principle to what I gave you. It is just that you old fellows have a solid foundation and only need to understand the principles. These people lack your foundation, so I didn't teach them the theory; I forced them to improve their basics directly. As you saw, out of thirty-some elites, only five managed to learn it. This method improves quality, but not to a massive degree. The main factor is the formula I improved. If you need it, I can give it all to you."

"That would be wonderful. Yes, yes, I want it all."

"I must be clear: these formulas are quite difficult and not something an average person can master. It was precisely so they could use these formulas that I put them through intensive training to filter out those qualified to handle them," Karen explained.

"No matter, I will take them back and have us old fellows try them out first."

"Very well, I will have Nelson deliver them to you shortly."

"No rush, no rush. You have just returned, so get some rest first. I won't disturb you any further." With that, President Pierre departed.

Karen continued toward his room. Passing by the Alchemy Laboratory, he saw Nelson preparing for an experiment.

However, Thomas had come to find him, and the two were whispering and chatting quite happily.

Nelson spotted Karen and immediately ceased his conversation to greet him.

Thomas also noticed Karen, offered his respects, and prepared to leave.

"Thomas, how has your learning been going with your master lately?" Karen asked.

"Master Drew, my master says I have great talent, especially in the construction of magic runes. This is all thanks to the help provided by the academy you established; I have learned so much there. My master says I could promote to intermediate level now, but he wants me to solidify my foundation further and accumulate more, so that the promotion will come naturally," Thomas replied.

"That is correct. Building a solid foundation is far more important than rushing a promotion. If your foundation is strong, your future advancements will be much smoother. It is like building a house: the deeper the foundation, the higher the house can be built. You have great talent and will surely go far. So, do not rush; focus on your foundation."

"Thank you for your guidance, Master Drew."

"Alright, you may go."

"Goodbye, Master Drew."

Once Thomas had walked far away, Karen called Nelson into his room.

He organized several improved alchemy formulas and handed them to Nelson, instructing him to deliver them to President Pierre.

Nelson took the formulas, preparing to deliver them to President Pierre.

"By the way, I saw you chatting quite happily with Thomas just now. What were you talking about?" Karen asked curiously.

"Oh, Master. Someone gave a gift to Archmage Aegwynn's husband today."

"What's so strange about that? If you follow behind Archmage Aegwynn's husband for a day, you're guaranteed to find a pile of handkerchiefs, scarves, and the like on the ground. A bunch of young ladies pretend to lose things, hoping he'll pick them up so they can build a relationship. The more proactive ones just hand them over directly."

"This time is different, Master. In the past, Archmage Aegwynn's husband wouldn't even spare them a glance. This time, he actually accepted the gift," Nelson explained.

"Oh? Which young lady is so lucky?"

"It's a mage from out of town."

"What's her name? How did they meet?"

"Her name is Aviana, and she is a High Elf mage. I heard she is a human mage who came from the High Elf kingdom. Not long ago, a demon appeared in a nearby small town. The entire town was destroyed. Archmage Aegwynn's husband was sent to deal with that demon, and that's when he encountered Mage Aviana, who was being hunted by the demon. After being saved, Mage Aviana just wouldn't leave his side."

"Aegwynn's husband has never been interested in young ladies before. Why would he accept her gift this time?" Karen asked, puzzled.

"I'm not sure about that either. But according to Thomas, this Mage Aviana is very beautiful—more beautiful than any girl in Stormwind City. Furthermore, there is something about her that makes people feel a sense of closeness the moment they see her. Perhaps Mage Aviana's charm is just that great, even Archmage Aegwynn's husband couldn't resist," Nelson said, wearing an expression that showed he was dying to see what Aviana looked like.

"Alright, go deliver those to President Pierre."

"Yes, Master."

After Nelson left, Karen narrowed his eyes and whispered to himself, "Aviana... demon... Aegwynn's husband. Calculating the time, it is indeed drawing near. There is a fifty percent chance that this Aviana is the Guardian Aegwynn. Medivh is about to be born; the person who triggers the orc invasion is about to appear. What should I do now? Is there anything I can change? No, my strength is still too weak. Playing it safe and developing is what I should be doing; for now, I cannot change anything."