Alex Barov

Orendo spoke with Eiro for a while, and learned that Eiro was not the only waiter at the banquet who had once been an apprentice mage.

"The Lordaeron Embassy pays quite well. They're also willing to hire apprentices who nearly became mages, so there are six people like me here today," Eiro said.

Orendo simply did not believe there was no story behind having former apprentice mages—people who had nearly become part of Dalaran's ruling class—serve as waiters at their ball.

Just then, a cheerful voice rang out. "Hey! There you are. I found you, genius mage!"

Nielas Aran, dressed in formal attire rather than mage robes—a lord's ceremonial suit—approached with a smile, accompanied by another young man who was likewise smiling broadly.

Holding a wineglass, Aran curiously glanced at Eiro. Eiro gave Nielas a slight bow, then said to Orendo, "Thank you for listening to me. I feel much better now, Mage Severosa. You are a kind man."

"Everything will be all right," Orendo told him again.

"Thank you for your comfort. I should get back to work now." Eiro smiled, looking far more cheerful.

Eiro Sadwind walked away with his tray. Former apprentice mages needed to work in order to receive their pay from the Lordaeron Embassy.

"Who was that? He looked a little familiar." Nielas, having come to Orendo's side, looked at Eiro's retreating back and frowned.

"He used to be our classmate. But now he's just a waiter at the ball," Orendo said.

Nielas Aran frowned again. "What do you mean? Our classmate? He was a mage too? How could a mage become a waiter?"

"Let's not talk about that." Orendo smiled and curiously looked at the other young man, who had been standing a short distance behind Nielas Aran with a smile on his face.

This young man looked even younger than Nielas, about Orendo's own age—fourteen or fifteen.

"Aren't you going to introduce him? Your friend?" Orendo asked the scion of a great southern noble house with a smile.

"Oh! Oh! Oh! I nearly forgot the important thing!" Nielas laughed, withdrawing what little curiosity he had about Eiro. "Let me introduce you! My friend here! Alex Barov, son of Duke Barov and heir to the Barov family!"

Upon hearing the surname "Barov," Orendo looked at Alex Barov, who greeted him with great enthusiasm.

"Greetings, Sir Severosa. I am Alex Barov. Your reputation has spread even as far as Caer Darrow! Though I am not a mage, I greatly admire you!"

"Greetings, Lord Barov." Faced with his enthusiasm, Orendo remained poised and courteous.

The Barov family—ever since becoming a noble, Orendo had long heard of their name. Among the nobility, the Barov family was a legend.

They were royal dukes with succession rights to the throne of the Alterac Kingdom, wielding enormous influence within Alterac.

Even more impressively, aside from being the only dukes beneath the King of Alterac, the Barovs also held tremendous influence in several other northern human kingdoms.

While being dukes of Alterac, they were also dukes of Lordaeron, marquises of Stromgarde, and viscounts of Gilneas.

Other than Stormwind in the south, Kul Tiras across the sea, and mage-ruled Dalaran, the Barovs held influence in every human kingdom.

The term transnational nobility practically existed for their family. Compared to the Barovs, whose lowest title was that of viscount, Orendo—a transnational viscount and baron—was utterly outclassed.

Of course, the Barovs' greatest influence lay in the Alterac Kingdom. After all, there they were grand dukes, and grand dukes possessed succession rights to the throne.

Because the Barov family held titles in so many kingdoms, they also possessed vast lands. They were a wealthy family controlling broad territories east of the Alterac Mountains. Brill, Tarren Mill, Caer Darrow, and even Southshore were all Barov lands.

The Barovs possessed wealth comparable to that of any royal family. They had ancient Arathi blood, and the members of their family lived in County of Caer Darrow—an old castle of the Arathi nobility—continuing their ancient bloodline.

Simply put, this was a family with immense influence throughout the northern human kingdoms, one that could nearly stand alongside several royal houses.

And this Alex Barov, according to Nielas, was actually the Barov heir. That meant that in another ten or twenty years, this fellow, who was about Orendo's age, would become one of the most influential people in the northern human kingdoms.

"I had heard your name long ago. Nielas has mentioned you to me more than once. But you rarely leave Violet Academy, so I never had the opportunity to meet you. Thanks to Crown Prince Terenas of Lordaeron today, I finally have! It is a pleasure to meet you!" Alex Barov's manners were impeccable; even the Eye of Truth could find no fault with them.

Nielas Aran added at the right moment, "Alex isn't a mage, and Dalaran doesn't like his family, so he has no way of entering Violet Academy. He truly has wanted to meet you for a long time."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Barov." Orendo smiled and nodded to Alex Barov again. Someone so young likely had not yet inherited his title, so Orendo did not address him as sir.

Dalaran disliked the Barovs, just as it disliked the royal houses of the other human kingdoms.

But what was worse for the Barovs was that practically no human royal family liked them either. Their influence was too great—so great that the royals feared something unfortunate might happen to them.

Orendo looked at the cheerful, somewhat carefree Nielas Aran and silently thought, Only someone from the South like you would not care about the Barov family.

After all, no matter how far the Barovs' reach extended, it could not stretch into the South. Nor did they have any interest in reaching a place that even ordinary people were unwilling to visit!

Alex Barov was extremely enthusiastic toward Orendo, even more so than Nielas. He went on to ask Orendo many questions. However, he was very skilled at conversation, framing everything as the curiosity of a layman in magic and asking only the simplest questions about spells.

Nielas Aran had also shed his usual talkative manner. Throughout the day, he wore only a faint smile, occasionally adding to what Orendo or Alex said and serving as the perfect third party.

The three young men talked for a long time.

It continued until a bearded middle-aged human in the center of the ballroom announced with a broad smile, "Everyone! All the guests have arrived! I declare that the ball may begin!"