"But... but as far as I know, Stormwind City and Lordaeron have always had a good relationship," VanCleef argued. "Lordaeron shouldn't be Stormwind City's enemy. When Genn Greymane withdrew from the Alliance, Varian also swore to stand with the Alliance, and even-"
"Even the early reconstruction of Stormwind City was funded by Lordaeron?" Felix sneered. "You don't need to tell me. I know that. After all, our Stonemasons' Guild only received wages for the first few months, and that money came from the Kingdom of Lordaeron. But think carefully: once House Menethil really wants to unite humanity and become a second Emperor Thoradin, can Lordaeron and Stormwind City still remain on good terms?"
"If House Menethil marches south, Stormwind City's lesser and middling nobles can all surrender of their own accord and welcome their new ruler. They can still be noble lords afterward, and their interests won't suffer in the slightest. What's more, a unified Alliance might even cut tariffs and reduce military spending, facilitating trade and letting the lesser nobles and merchants make a fortune."
"For all we know, Stormwind City's lesser nobles have long been waiting eagerly, anxiously anticipating Terenas Menethil's arrival in his loyal Stormwind City. Once Terenas has consolidated his hold over the Hillsbrad Foothills, Andorhal, and the other territories he gained in the Second War, I have no doubt he'll do it."
It was just like Lu Su's advice to Sun Quan during the Battle of Red Cliffs: even if Jiangnan's officials, great and small, surrendered to Cao Cao, their positions would remain unaffected. But what about Sun Quan himself?
"But can Varian and Bolvar welcome a new ruler alongside those lesser and middling nobles? Where would that leave Varian and Bolvar Fordragon? Can they place their fate entirely in Arthas's hands?"
"If Arthas really is a good man with a pure heart, he'll swear an oath upon the Elwynn River, promising that Varian will remain a wealthy man, that his son Anduin will inherit his title without trouble, and that House Wrynn will live securely in wealth for generations."
"But what if Arthas's character can't be trusted? If this prince of Lordaeron prefers to root out every last threat, break his word, and betray others to prevent future trouble, if he prefers to purge Stormwind City's remnants completely, then what do you think will happen to Varian and his son?"
Felix glanced at VanCleef and noticed that his face had gone deathly pale and his eyes were wide. He had clearly been stunned by the sheer volume of information.
He needed time to digest it.
A few minutes later, judging that VanCleef had recovered, Felix continued, "VanCleef, although Varian is our enemy, we should take him seriously tactically. There's one thing we have to acknowledge: even though Varian opposes us, he truly has the makings of a great ruler, and no great ruler would willingly leave his fate dependent on someone else's mercy."
One mountain could not hold two tigers, and the skies of the Eastern Kingdoms likewise had no room for two suns.
One blue and one white, the shadows between them would be burned away by blazing fire.
Although Lordaeron had done Stormwind City a kindness, who could say that Terenas had no designs on Stormwind City?
Thus, while Varian was grateful to King Terenas, he was also extremely wary of the Menethil father and son. He never let his feelings show and never told Terenas what he truly felt. Even Arthas, his "good brother" of the same age, was kept in the dark.
In the original history, the Kingdom of Lordaeron collapsed completely under the onslaught of the Undead Scourge, while Stromgarde was reduced to ruins by troll and undead attacks. Gilneas also fell to the Forsaken's plague, peace-loving Theramore ultimately met with nuclear peace, and Kul Tiras's main fleet was betrayed by its own princess, while the country became mired in internal strife...
Only under those circumstances did Stormwind City finally establish its unrivaled dominance among humanity. Since humans were indisputably the Alliance's main force and core, House Wrynn's position as High King of the Alliance became unassailable as well.
Otherwise, given the natural inclination of humans, those social animals, to fight among themselves and compete for power and profit, you were a king, and so was I. Why should I listen to you?
VanCleef was aghast.
As a leader of stonemasons, he had never considered the stakes on this level. He had originally thought Lordaeron and Stormwind City were entirely like one family, making no distinction between each other and standing united. Now, however, it seemed there was far more to it.
VanCleef knew he would have to cling even more tightly to Felix's support from now on. Otherwise, he would inexplicably find himself besieged by multiple Alliance powers and ultimately die without even knowing how it had happened.
Felix did not find this strange.
The Workers' and Peasants' Army had exploited the conflicts among a series of warlords-Chang Kaishen of Jiangzhe, He Jian of Huyin, Wang Jialie of Guizhou, Chen Jiongming of Guangzuo, Yang Sen of Sihe, and others-to survive between the cracks and slowly grow stronger;
The present-day Defias Brotherhood clearly also needed to make good use of the distrust among the Alliance's nations, to avoid becoming a thorn in Varian's side and facing the wrath of the entire Alliance head-on.
At the very least, the Brotherhood needed a few years to develop in peace and security first.
VanCleef asked tentatively, "So... Varian actually isn't having an easy time of it at all right now?"
Felix nodded solemnly. He was actually beginning to feel a little sympathy for this miserable king.
The Defias Brotherhood was struggling to survive between the cracks, but wasn't Varian Wrynn doing the same?
Every step he took was fraught with fear, as though he were treading on thin ice, because the slightest misstep could plunge Stormwind City into a bottomless abyss.
The sword of Damocles hanging over his head would only disappear once Lordaeron had fallen.
And it was only the summer of year 16 after the opening of the Dark Portal. The Defias needed to keep a low profile, and so did Varian.
"So, for now, we can only carry out small-scale operations. Attacking the Gold Coast Quarry is fine, and confiscating a few cash wagons is fine too, but we absolutely must not stir up trouble at Sentinel Hill or Moonbrook. Do you understand, Guildmaster?"
"All right. I'll do as you say." VanCleef took a deep breath, the shock in his heart lingering for a long time. "Then, Felix, I'll put you in full charge of the attack on Goldshire's cash wagons."
"As you wish, Guildmaster," Felix agreed. "However, I must have complete control over selecting the people who carry out this operation, and I have the right to keep it secret."
"Of course."
Before you continue