Stepping into Dalaran once more, Rex immediately sensed the tense, somber atmosphere hanging over the city.
The streets held far fewer pedestrians than usual. From time to time, squads of mages carrying staves hurried past. These were the Mage Guard, a force unique to the Kingdom of Dalaran. Other kingdoms also had squads of spellcasters, but their scarcity afforded mages considerable status. While they might not be placed on a pedestal, they certainly would not be assigned the drudgery of patrolling city streets.
Only a kingdom of magic like Dalaran could afford the extravagance of establishing a Mage Guard dedicated to the city's security, using mages to conduct patrols.
"Your Highness, Prince Rex!"
"Your Highness, Prince Kael'thas!" The greetings rang out beside them. A bearded mage with a taut expression, leading a squad in haste and carrying a green staff, stopped to greet Rex and Kael'thas. After paying his respects, he hurried away with the mages behind him.
"Has something happened in Dalaran?" Watching the mages leave, Kael'thas lost his faint smile, his expression turning icy. He said to Rex beside him, "Follow me!"
Amid the somber atmosphere, Rex and Kael'thas gradually quickened their pace. Rex remained expressionless, offering no hint of what he was thinking. Only his unchanged gaze revealed that he was not anxious in the slightest.
Although Kael'thas was concerned about what had happened in Dalaran, he did not stop to ask anyone at random. Instead, he led Rex into a Mage Tower. Its pointed spire pierced the clouds, and only five other Mage Towers in all of Dalaran could rival it. Its owner's status was self-evident: a member of the Council of Six. In Dalaran, the six members of that council held the highest standing. Even the towers built by Hero Rank powerhouses were never permitted