A scarlet carpet lay across the floor. Sitting in a chair beside it, Rex lifted his richly aromatic coffee and took a small sip. As the flavor spread through his mouth, he sighed inwardly. He had been in this world for a year now, but even after absorbing all of this body's memories, he still had no taste for coffee. He simply could not get used to it. As a born-and-bred Chinese man in his previous life, Rex had always preferred tea.
Back in Gilneas, Rex generally preferred to drink milk and rarely touched coffee.
"All human magic owes its origins to a decision made by King Anasterian, Prince Kael'thas's father," Rex began, flattering the high elves. A proud prince like Arthas would never have been able to say such a thing. The old Rex would not have offered such shameless flattery either. He had taken an exchange of mutual benefits completely out of context and recast it as the high elves' generous assistance, putting their greatness on full display. But what sort of man was Rex now?
He had been tempered by the materialistic world of his previous life. What was a little flattery? Rex had said far more sickening things before; this was child's play. He had experience dealing with proud men like Kael'thas. Once he had praised Kael'thas to the skies, the prince would be too embarrassed to offer a low price when Rex brought out the Hearthstone. The prouder a man was, the harder it was for him to set aside his dignity. Even knowing he would lose out, he would still jump right in.
"My purpose in coming this time is to offer Prince Kael'thas a national treasure of Gilneas, a magical project whose development began in my grandfather Archibald Greymane's time. A magnificent masterpiece!" Rex finally got to the point. Although Kael'thas's expression remained calm, the fleeting impatience in his eyes could hardly escape someone as adept at reading people as Rex.
At Rex's words, the corners of Kael'thas's mouth lifted with a trace of disdain. If this had been a technological research project and the resulting invention, Kael'thas would not have been in a position to judge. But a magical item? Across all of Azeroth, who could compare with the high elves, who had invented magic? Even Dalaran, the splendid magical kingdom before them, had only been established with the high elves' support.
A magical item developed in Dalaran might have interested Kael'thas, but something from Gilneas? He had never heard of Gilneas producing any notable Archmage. The last Archmage to emerge from that kingdom had appeared five hundred years ago. The long lifespan of an elf gave Kael'thas time to learn far more, and Gilneas was not unfamiliar to him.
They dare call just anything a magnificent masterpiece, Kael'thas thought disdainfully, though he gave little outward indication of it. As a prince of the high elves, his every movement radiated aristocratic elegance. He spoke slowly. "I cannot leave Dalaran."
With those words, Kael'thas immediately shut down any intention Rex might have had of inviting him to Gilneas. He had no interest whatsoever in its national treasure.
"No, Prince Kael'thas, you misunderstand. I have already brought it with me." Rex smiled faintly. He could plainly see that Kael'thas was not particularly interested, and he would have felt the same in the prince's position. What Rex was doing now rather resembled showing off swordplay before a master—an invitation to humiliation. He would never have been so confident if the Hearthstone produced by the Warcraft System had not been so outrageously powerful, or if his extensive inquiries had not confirmed that nothing like it had ever appeared in Azeroth.
He gently stroked his Spatial Ring. At his mental command, a faint light radiated from it, drifting slowly outward until an exquisite box appeared in his hands.
The box was exceptionally fine. Azeroth was not a world where an antique, unadorned appearance marked something as valuable. Bringing out something plain and old-fashioned here would not only fail to catch Kael'thas's attention, but might get it thrown away as junk. The finer and more lavish an object, the better it was regarded. The patterns carved across the box fully demonstrated the carver's skill, something no ordinary craftsman could achieve. Monroe had spent a considerable sum before finding a carpenter with the necessary expertise. Even that was secondary, however. The key was that the patterns formed a defensive magic array. Once activated, it would give the box magical protection. That had been the greatest expense of all, and Rex had personally sought out a Royal Mage to make it happen.
A faint magical aura drifted from the box, catching Kael'thas's interest. The box itself was a Magic Item. Although its enchantment was of the simplest kind, it certainly could not have been cheap. These days, nothing connected with magic came at a low price. Using a Magic Item as a container was extravagant enough to suggest that whatever lay inside must be precious.
Seeing that the magical box had successfully caught Kael'thas's attention, Rex wore a faint smile. Was this not precisely why he had stayed a little longer? Clothes made the man, just as a saddle dressed a horse. Even a Hearthstone needed the right presentation. With this magical box, the Hearthstone instantly appeared far more impressive. After all, if even the container was a Magic Item, how could its contents be anything less? They had to be a precious Magic Item.
"This is Gilneas's magnificent masterpiece, the Hearthstone. No matter where you are, as long as you give this token to someone closest to you, you can return to his side the very next moment." Rex set the box on the square table before him and opened it himself. As its owner, he naturally would not trigger the defensive magic array. The luxurious box opened to reveal a long rolled scroll and a small token that could fit in one hand.
"Can it truly bring you back from anywhere? What if you are inside a magical barrier, or somewhere sealed?" True to his standing as an Archmage, Kael'thas immediately asked the crucial question, putting his finger on the Hearthstone's most important feature.
"Anywhere. It bypasses all seals and barriers," Rex answered with a smile.
Kael'thas sprang to his feet and cried out, "That's impossible!"
(End of chapter)
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