Northward

"I never expected to meet you here." Larein sat down opposite Nathanos without hesitation, while Kasha seemed to have become more mindful of etiquette than before. She nodded to Nathanos before sitting down next to him.

"I didn't expect you to come here either. It feels like it's been a long time since we last met." Nathanos smiled. The last time they met was at the very beginning of the war, and it felt like a long time had passed in the blink of an eye.

Larein and Kasha exchanged a glance. Nathanos clearly noticed the odd thing about their eyes, but didn't ask any further questions.

"We're here on our own," the young Priest replied, smiling as he glanced at the girl beside him. "Kasha is going to study at the cathedral here, and as for me..." He lowered his voice deliberately, glancing around to make sure no one was eavesdropping, before continuing as if sharing a secret. Kasha couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle at his behavior.

"I am about to be baptized as Paladin."

"What? "Nathanos didn't gasp, but the wide-eyed expression told Larein what he was thinking. Kasha nodded to Nathanos; it was all true.

"When did this happen?" Nathanos was a little incredulous; everything had changed too quickly.

Larein excitedly grasped his hand resting on the table. "This is all thanks to you. You sent me to fetch reinforcements for Lothar, and then..." He started to say something, but Nathanos interrupted him. Larein's expression froze, and he immediately shut his mouth. Kasha also frowned; this was indeed not the place to discuss the past.

"Larein, remember this: never mention that matter again, never. To become Paladin is a great honor for someone who has converted to the Holy Light, and I am happy for you." Nathanos raised his glass in acknowledgment. Larein nodded; he had indeed acted impulsively just now.

Seeing that the two had suddenly stopped talking and fallen silent, Kasha asked to ease the awkward atmosphere, "And you, Nathanos? Where are you going? It's a long way from Marius Farm to Stratholme."

"Yes, that's true." He replied briefly, without revealing why he was there. He only told Kasha that he was just staying for a while and would leave after the storm subsided. The liveliness in the inn temporarily eased the chill. Nathanos chatted with them for a while longer and realized that he seemed to have missed a lot of things. For example, his nemesis Gray was now a cavalry captain under Osmar Garithos, the commander of the Sixth Legion, leading a cavalry unit of over a hundred men.

"I wonder how much money that guy sent to Garithos time," Larein cursed, half-jokingly.

In addition, there are some rumors about Aerie Peak, which say that there is a powerful Aerie Peak Gryphon Rider Falstad Wildhammer who once defeated a dragon.

Nathanos, holding a piece of cheese, joked, "If that Falstad Wildhammer had let the dragon swallow Gray before killing it, he would have eliminated two scourges." He tried to keep a light tone (though he wasn't really), "I also had the innkeeper prepare some food, but I suppose your stomachs are already full."

Lordaeron

Terenas was spreading butter on a piece of bread; it was breakfast time, and he preferred peace and quiet. But someone was seizing every opportunity to discuss business with him. Unlike usual, Terenas was patient this time, not only because the other party was there to discuss business, but also because he wasn't human—he was a green-skinned creature. His ears resembled bat ears, his eyes were wide open with anxiety, and his head was completely bald. He wore a linen shirt and trousers, with a small vest over them. He also wore a monocle and held some documents in his hand. This was a Goblins, appearing right at Terenas's table.

"As everyone knows, Your Majesty Terenas, humans love to cut down trees, while we love to mine! It's a perfect business relationship! Our cutting machines can cut down trees..."

"Thank you for your suggestion, Chris Vickritz," Terenas interrupted him. "Now we should get down to business."

The Goblins called Chris put away his notebook and then smiled ingratiatingly, but his sharp teeth made the smile look very strange.

"Regarding your past cooperation with the Horde?" Terenas cut to the chase. After the war, the human kingdoms weren't entirely immersed in the joy of victory. Since the Alterac Incident, the King had soberly realized the Horde had received much help here. If even humans could submit to their power, then other races were even more likely to do so. Therefore, Terenas sent many people to investigate who else had helped the Horde, and the creature before him was one of them.

The green-skinned creature took a deep breath and cried out in a tense, shrill voice, "No! No, no...!" His hands flailed wildly as he clumsily fumbled for his monocle. "You're mistaken! Things aren't what you think at all!"

"Oh? Really?" Terenas said kindly. The King took a sip of steaming milk, his eyes fixed on the nervous and embarrassed Goblins.

"Of course!" Chris exclaimed, seemingly offended by the previous conversation, but after a few seconds of eye contact with Terenas, he lowered his head again. "Well, once... a prince... made a deal, yes... he did." He answered haltingly, without mentioning the Horde. "He... formed an alliance. But only that idiotic prince! After the war, he regained his senses! The other Goblins thought it better to remain neutral! Free trade thrives, and we all benefit!" He rubbed his hands together, hoping Terenas would accept this explanation.

Terenas's lips curled into a smile. He glanced up, and another person entered his field of vision— Uther. He frowned slightly, and his expression became even more serious upon seeing Chris. The Paladin first King, then said, "Your Majesty, why is there such a green-skinned money-grubber at your table?"

"Ah, Uther! You've come at just the right time." Terenas smiled, then said to Chris, "My most trusted advisor has arrived, so Chris, you should leave now. I'll discuss things further with you this afternoon and take a look at the documents you gave me."

"What?" Uther exclaimed to Terenas in surprise. "Your Majesty, these guys are just like Perenolde, they..."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, King Terenas," Chris interrupted Uther, giving him a seemingly victorious smile.

"King Terenas commands you to leave," Uther roared, the man's color reminding him of Orcs.

Chris nodded, bowed deeply, and hurriedly turned and ran out.

"A cunning and unscrupulous merchant," Uther complained.

"But he's very interesting, and the proposals he put forward are indeed valuable." Terenas wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Alright, forget about him, my advisor. Now that you're here, we should discuss some more worthwhile issues."

Uther nodded and bowed again. "What do you need me to do, Your Majesty?"

"Two things. Let me start with the more important one, concerning King Perenolde."

"Your Majesty, I find the title of 'King' extremely awkward. Perenolde is utterly unworthy!" Uther said, a rare hint of anger on his face. "He betrayed us all, nearly destroying us all. If he cannot be executed, he should at least be imprisoned!"

Terenas nodded, then said in a comforting tone, "He's suffering more now than he was in prison. He's under house arrest here, being monitored along with his family."

"But after that, you never held him accountable again." Uther pointed this out without hesitation, and like many others, he was very dissatisfied with it.

"I agree. Even a harsher punishment would be deserved," Terenas tried to calm his old friend, reaching for an egg. "But he is, or at least was, the King of Alterac. We can't just exile him or imprison him. If we do, the other Alliance King will surely worry that they will face the same fate if they disagree with us."

"They will, if they betray the Alliance like that guy did!" Uther retorted, but he quickly regained his composure. Terenas wasn't stupid; he knew Uther's words and actions were merely a momentary impulse.

"We must proceed step by step. First, we must force him to abdicate," Terenas proposed. "After that, we can interrogate him and then execute him as an ordinary Alliance noble."

Uther stroked his beard and reminded him again, "But the problem is, Perenolde is cunning; he wants this, so he will refuse to abdicate."

Terenas nodded in agreement. "Indeed. So we must take action against Alterac." He sighed. "We may end up in a war, while also worrying about new the Betrayer."

"And what about Perenolde's son?" Uther asked. "He's just like his father."

"You mean Oriden? I don't really care about him," Terenas shook her head, admitting. "He's just a spoiled brat. He doesn't know what hardship or danger is, so he doesn't know how to be a leader. But he's Aiden's son, the crown prince of Alterac. He should know something, shouldn't he?"

"No one can prove he knew about his father's treachery," Uther said reluctantly. "At least it's good for him."

"Perenolde's betrayal," Terenas pointed out. "Alterac citizens are hardly aware of their King's treachery. Perenolde simply kept them away from a few mountain passes and allowed the Orcs to pass through those trails without incident. That's the problem, not that Alterac as a whole helped the Horde. We must remember that."

Uther nodded. "So, what are your plans for dealing with the Alterac problem?"

"My plans are useless." Terenas waved his hand, and the servants began clearing the table. "I also have to consider the opinions of the other kingdoms, especially Sorath and Greymane. But we must be prepared for both possibilities. I have already sent people to find other Alterac in Alterac, and we should have some results soon."

"It seems everything is going according to plan."

Terenas gave Uther a confident smile.

"And what about the other matter?" Uther asked, no longer concerned since Terenas had already decided how to handle the Alterac problem.

"About Arthas." Terenas stood up after his meal, looked out the window, and admired the beautiful morning scenery of Lordaeron.

"What's wrong with His Prince?"

"He is good, but I don't think it's enough," Terenas replied cheerfully. "He's almost nine years old, and in another year or two he should be learning to hold a sword and ride a horse. I will find him the best teachers, but that also means he will have less time to play."

Uther chuckled softly, revealing that he, like Terenas, had great faith in the blond Prince of Lordaeron. "Arthas is the hope for Lordaeron's future; he cannot become like Perenolde's son, Oriden."

"Yes, of course. In fact, I want him to learn while he's playing with other children."

"How could that be, Your Majesty? That would exhaust His Highness the Prince."

"No, no, no!" Terenas shook his head and explained, "I mean, he should learn while he's playing."

The Paladin frowned. "I don't understand what you mean."

"Arthas can't stay in the palace forever, or he can't just stay with those noble children forever," Terenas thought he had made himself clear. "He needs to connect with the common people of Lordaeron. He can play in the mud like a poor child, or engage in role-playing games. In short, Arthas needs a comprehensive understanding of the kingdom that raised him. Therefore, I want to send someone to his side. This person must first possess great skill to ensure Arthas's safety. Second, he must be an ordinary commoner. Finally, he must be young enough and belong to Lordaeron."

"So what does this person need to do?" Uther asked the crucial question.

"To be by Arthas's side, but not in a superior-subordinate relationship, nor a master-disciple relationship, but a friend, a true ordinary friend. I searched the entire kingdom and found the most suitable candidate. Uther, you should know why I called you here."

Upon hearing the King's words, Uther's expression slowly darkened. This seemed to put him in a difficult position, but as a Paladin, he knew that obeying orders was his basic responsibility. "Understood, Your Majesty. I will go find him now."