After Bolvar left, several great nobles hurried to the council's meeting place overnight and held an emergency meeting.
Although they did not know who had summoned them or for what purpose, the anonymous letters they had received mentioned secrets known only among certain great nobles, so they dared not dismiss the matter.
"Mr. Deputy Speaker, fellow council members, my dear colleagues, please forgive me for gathering you all at such a late hour."
Duke Lescovar, who had previously insisted that Varian personally lead an army to Lakeshire, smugly raised his wineglass and toasted everyone present. "Those saltworks and customs revenues are all ours now. I imagine you've all made quite a fortune lately?"
Choosing to work with Countess Katrana had truly been the wisest decision of his life. Ever since he had formed a political alliance with her and become her proxy on the council, Lescovar had found wealth pouring in and his influence on the council steadily growing.
"Oh, yes, but I believe we already celebrated that with champagne long ago." An old noble looked somewhat displeased, perhaps from being woken up. "So, is that why you called us here so late?"
"No, everyone, it isn't that simple," Lescovar countered emphatically. "Those troublemakers in the Stonemasons' Guild are becoming more and more insatiable."
"According to the reliable information I have, those troublemakers visited that fool, Grand Duke Bolvar Fordragon, at Stormwind Keep this afternoon."
"What good would that do?" Duke Wishock said dismissively. "The kingdom has no money at all. Everyone knows that. Bolvar refuses to cooperate with us, so he's practically half a pauper himself. He can't come up with much money."
"No, it isn't that simple!" Lescovar's expression grew serious. "You have no idea what they discussed. In fact, they've already joined forces..."
"That hotheaded brat Varian Wrynn has disliked us for ages! In fact, this ignorant king has been salivating over our money. He and Bolvar have made a decision that betrays their forebears-he has always sought to trample on the unwritten rule established in His Majesty Landen Wrynn's time: the private property of nobles is sacred and inviolable."
His words immediately shocked everyone present, and they began whispering among themselves.
Over a hundred years ago, the king of House Lothar had only daughters and had never had a son.
Whether to pass the throne to his daughter or his nephew had been a difficult question for the king. That nephew was Anduin Lothar's great-grandfather.
The old king's son-in-law had proposed the principle that "the private property of nobles is sacred and inviolable," winning the support of the great nobles and thereby helping his wife secure the right to inherit the throne. Their son, Landen Wrynn, had thus become the first king of House Wrynn.
It could be said that the legitimacy of House Wrynn's throne came from the support of great nobles like them. If Varian Wrynn now dared to trample on this sacred principle and covet their lawful property, then-
"Quiet, everyone!" Lescovar did his best to stop the nobles' side discussions. "Do you know what Varian and Bolvar are planning? They've already colluded with these troublemakers!"
"Bolvar Fordragon intends to give that vulgar, ignorant scoundrel VanCleef free rein, letting him lead those ungrateful stonemasons in a surprise attack to seize our property!"
"Then Varian Wrynn will secretly divide our property with VanCleef. Next, Varian will deliver a manipulative speech to stir up public sympathy for the Stonemasons' Guild. Finally, in his capacity as king, he will announce a pardon for every crime committed by VanCleef and his gang!"
"That way, Varian won't have to do anything to get our money and weather his crisis. He'll even gain a reputation for mercy and compassion. Meanwhile, those insatiable troublemakers in the Stonemasons' Guild will temporarily fill the gulf of their desires and walk away unscathed."
"And just like that, they'll have created a world where we're the only ones who suffer."
"My dear friends, that is the entirety of their conspiracy against the Council of Nobles."
The gathering immediately erupted into an uproar. At first, their opinions were a disorganized jumble, but gradually they coalesced into a few dominant voices.
"Duke Lescovar, may I ask where you learned of their secret plot?"
"I have my own reliable sources," Lescovar said confidently. "Friends, according to my intelligence, not only have we made a fortune from the saltworks and customs revenues, but we've also covered the shortfalls in the Booty Bay and Redridge Mountains accounts. Isn't that enough for you to believe what I'm saying?"
"Besides, think carefully about the kind of man Varian Wrynn is. Think about the things he's done. Think hard."
Everyone fell briefly silent.
After all, knowing this young, impulsive king as they did, these nobles understood that the bastard Varian really was capable of colluding with commoners to extort nobles. This could very well be true!
"Bolvar Fordragon, that faithful lapdog of the royal family, has already quietly left Stormwind City. You can all easily confirm that. As far as I know, he has already traveled to the Redridge Mountains through secret channels to wag his tail and beg his master for favor. Once he returns to Stormwind City with Varian's permission, it will be too late!"
"Then what should we do?" someone asked. Clearly, these great nobles did not want to die without knowing why. "Once Bolvar returns, we'll certainly be no match for him and those thieves in the Stonemasons' Guild."
"Well said. We absolutely cannot sit here and wait to die!" Lescovar nodded approvingly. "We must act now, or it will be too late!"
"Yes! We must act immediately and strike first!"
Ordinarily, or when serving the nation, these great nobles were each lazier than the next, looking listless no matter what they did. But once their own interests were involved, their capacity for action instantly increased a hundredfold.
"Lescovar, tell us what you have in mind. We trust you!"
"I now request authorization from the Council of Nobles," Lescovar said, his expression calm and decisive, "to take all necessary action to crush this anti-noble coup, tacitly approved by the king, planned by the speaker, and about to be carried out by the Stonemasons' Guild!"
"But we may not be a match for Bolvar," someone said apprehensively. "He's a powerful Paladin, and he also holds the title of regent. He can easily defeat us."
"Naturally, we'll target the weak ones." Lescovar smiled cryptically. "And we must seize this opportunity while Bolvar is away and act quickly-"
"We will now put it to a vote," the deputy speaker interrupted Lescovar. In fact, he was even more anxious than the duke.
A moment later, he said, "Then let us now ask Duke Lescovar to make the necessary arrangements."
"First," Lescovar said, "we must take the guild leader's daughter into custody. Then we must pin the charge of treason on the Stonemasons' Guild..."
Before you continue