A Wise Decision

The next day

At the Blacksmith, the Dwarf had not yet left when Nathanos came bouncing in, startling him.

"What's gotten into you, Nathanos?" Gudul carefully examined the boy's shining eyes, wondering if he had found some long-lost treasure.

"Quel'...Thalas." Nathanos took Gudul's hand. "Elves... do you... know about them?"

"Quel'Thalas? Elves?" Gudul asked in confusion, then smiled knowingly. "Of course I do. No Dwarf is unaware of the Elves and their kingdom. Want to hear about them?"

Nathanos nodded.

"Sit down, lad." Gudul placed a stool behind the boy, his tone gentle and entirely unlike his usual self.

"Quel'Thalas, like Dalaran, is a city filled with magic."

Magic? Nathanos shuddered at the word. Ever since he was two, his father, mother, and uncle's family had all told him that magic was evil and would turn children into lambs.

No power is inherently one thing, nor is there any absolute distinction between them. Magic is not necessarily evil, and the Holy Light is not necessarily just. It only depends on the person who wields it.

"Don't be afraid, child." The Dwarf placed both hands on Nathanos's shoulders, grinned, and continued, "Have you ever seen an Elf? No, I don't mean those male Elves with their fake faces. I mean female Elves."

The boy did not answer. Instead, he stared strangely at the odd expression spreading across Gudul's face. The Dwarf seemed to be imagining something, his hands making strange grasping motions in front of him as drool leaked from the corner of his mouth. Nathanos had never seen a Dwarf make such a ridiculous expression.

"Female Elves are curvy in all the right places, with angelic faces that make you want to take a bite, and they usually have two huge..."

The Dwarf finally noticed Nathanos's strange look and realized just how lecherous his expression must have been. He silently cursed himself. What exactly was he teaching Nathanos? If anyone else heard this, they would surely know he was a Dwarf bewitched by beauty.

But it really was not his fault. Dwarves' fascination with female Elves was no secret; nearly every race knew about it.

Fortunately, Nathanos probably did not understand any of that. Gudul coughed a few times, gathered his thoughts, and said seriously, "I was only joking just now."

The boy's eyes remained fixed on him, making Gudul feel guilty. He immediately changed the subject. "If the human kingdoms have a tendency to favor men over women, Quel'Thalas is completely different. Many women are active in their politics, and some even become military leaders, commanding wars."

"Ranger-General...?" Nathanos muttered, but Gudul heard him.

"Yes, Ranger-General, that's right." The Dwarf patted his knees. "The Ranger-General is the highest commander of Quel'Thalas's Ranger forces. Below them are the Ranger-Lords, followed by the Ranger-Captains."

Nathanos had no interest in the other two positions, but this was not the first time he had heard the title Ranger-General.

"Ranger-General... is Alleria?"

On the day he enrolled, Nathanos vaguely remembered Kaishius mentioning that name, though he had not paid much attention at the time.

Gudul stroked his beard and thought carefully. After confirming it, he nodded. "That does seem to be her name, though her full name is Alleria Windrunner. The Ranger-General has always been chosen from the Windrunner family."

"Hereditary?" Nathanos seemed somewhat disappointed, but he still asked, "What kind of... person is the Ranger-General?"

"Of course she's formidable. I hear Alleria is also a great beauty."

Beauty? Nathanos could tell that the Dwarf's answer was clearly not what he wanted to hear.

Two months later, the school began assessing the children. Every child had their own talent, and Nathanos, thanks to his astonishing memory, was assigned to continue his studies at an Archive.

Two years later, six-year-old Nathanos had completely overcome his sluggish speech as he grew older. That same year, a joyous event took place in Lordaeron: King Terenas's son, Arthas Menethil, was born. Three days later, the royal palace of Lordaeron and every street and alley of the Capital City were decorated in celebration. Envoys from every nation also arrived, presenting the King with gifts they had brought. On that day, Nathanos learned the flags of every kingdom.

The curfew was temporarily lifted, and common folk stayed in taverns well past midnight, eating and drinking to their hearts' content while imagining the place where the King lived. Rumor had it that the royal palace was unimaginably splendid, its white castle filled with gleaming pearls. The nobles supposedly drank from golden cups and built staircases from silver, while even their pillows were made from the finest silk. Some even claimed to have seen turtle meat, too expensive for commoners to afford, among the rubbish hauled out of the palace.

But those who had truly visited the palace knew how ridiculous such rumors were. There were no staircases cast from silver. Every statue, wall, and round stone pillar within the palace was built from white gravel. To keep it comfortable and spacious, Terenas decorated it only with wild flowers, grass, and trees. Luxuries were few and far between. The only convincing part of those rumors was their daily food and clothing—the Menethil Family truly dined on delicacies from land and sea at every meal.

Queen Lianni sat beside the sleeping Prince Arthas, humming a lullaby. King Terenas entered the bedchamber with four-year-old Princess Calia, and the family was finally together. Whenever Princess Calia saw her younger brother in their mother's arms, a smile appeared on her face. Terenas, meanwhile, greatly enjoyed being at Arthas's side. He was the kingdom's hope for the future, while his daughter Calia was also very clever, gradually becoming refined and well-mannered exactly as he wished. She understood the meaning of etiquette thoroughly. Everything was proceeding according to Terenas's plans—his family, his kingdom.

There were no fewer pedestrians on the streets at night, but there were more soldiers on patrol, working hard to maintain order in the city and ensure that no unrest erupted.

At the steps by the river, patrolling soldiers heard a faint sound as they passed. But when they turned back, they saw nothing and could only leave in confusion. Nathanos poked his head out, let out a long breath, and looked up to see that the moon had risen to its highest point. Today was a good opportunity. He had bought a crude bow and several arrows from a weapon shop, along with a dummy he had made himself.

For two years, he had never found an opportunity to learn how to shoot. Today was his first day. He drew the bowstring.