Xiao'en had long since grown used to the strange atmosphere between Charlemagne and Sylvanas.
As the son of a powerful family, he was also an old hand with women. He seemed to have noticed something between the two, but with the situation still unclear, he could hardly say much. Still, he could not help envying Charlemagne.
I hear Alleria Windrunner is a rare beauty too. Is this guy planning to marry both sisters?
The High Elves had a small population, and since most of those who had gone to war during the Troll Wars were men, male elves were far outnumbered by females. As such, neither the Sun King nor the Silvermoon Council had placed any restrictions on how many wives a man could marry. To some extent, they even encouraged having children.
However, the High Elves' easygoing nature and the low fertility characteristic of long-lived races ensured that birth rates remained low. Even with the king taking the lead in encouraging childbirth, it was difficult to solve the problem at its root. Instead, it had given rise to some new social problems.
Namely, the High Elves' debauchery.
Thanks to state subsidies, many young High Elves living in Silvermoon City never had to worry about food or clothing and faced no pressure in life. With the king encouraging childbirth on top of that, these men and women spent their days gathering for parties.
Parties... well, they were what they were. Elves who did not know each other ending up in bed together was perfectly normal. This decadent lifestyle had supposedly been popular in Silvermoon City for years, and Xiao'en, a seasoned player, was naturally one of its participants... or at least, he had been.
To raise birth rates, the higher-ups had always turned a blind eye to this. But why would these young elves, unwilling to take responsibility, let children tie them down and get in the way of their fun? And so... a certain contraceptive product instead became increasingly popular in Silvermoon City.
Of course, although Quel'Thalas did not limit how many wives a man could marry, most elves still remained faithful to one partner. After all, female elves were no pushovers. Would they so easily agree to let you bring home a legal mistress to come between the two of you?
Still, Xiao'en knew that his esteemed uncle did indeed have two... ahem.
While the young people caught up and chatted, Lireesa finally finished exchanging pleasantries with Lianda, Dar'Khan, and Aoxisi.
After the royal family and the council each invited the ranger forces into the city on behalf of their respective sides, Charlemagne finally passed through the imposing outer gate and entered the inner city, brimming with anticipation.
The first thing he saw upon entering the inner city was the imposing statue inside the wide-open gate. Roughly ten meters tall, it had been carved from fine stone into the likeness of an elderly elf dressed in magnificent robes.
Barring any surprises, the statue should have depicted the current Sun King-Anasterian Sunstrider.
Seeing Charlemagne, Sylvanas, and the others looking at the statue, Xiao'en introduced it with a hint of pride. "This place is called Shepherd's Gate. That statue depicts our Sun King, His Majesty Anasterian."
Once they passed around the statue, a magnificent avenue and the exquisite buildings lining it, built in the distinctive High Elf style, immediately came into view.
Because of their worship of the sun, the High Elves made extensive use of vivid red in their architecture. The roofs of most houses were covered in red building materials.
Red banners could also be seen hanging above some shops, bearing blessings in Thalassian, along with a few promotional offers.
The entire street bustled with people. Elves who knew each other stood by the roadside or sat on benches built expressly along the street, chatting leisurely. Patrolling Arcane Golems could also be seen on the road from time to time.
Arcane Golems were autonomous weapons powered by arcane energy cores. Though powerful and very durable, their cost had always prevented mass production.
After all, the price of a single Arcane Golem... was enough that an ordinary elf would have to cast aside their laziness and work hard for over a hundred years to afford one.
Such luxuries were destined never to see widespread military use. Supposedly, even the Sunfury Legion under the king's direct command had only been equipped with a small number, and they treasured them, performing maintenance every day.
As for what they saw as country troops like the ranger forces... forget it. They could keep dreaming.
"This avenue is the Walk of Elders, Silvermoon City's main thoroughfare. There are plenty of branching streets on either side, but we won't need them for now. When there's a chance later, I'll take you around."
As he advanced with the troops, Xiao'en dutifully explained Silvermoon City's layout to Charlemagne.
"Next, we'll follow this avenue into Murder Row, then head all the way to the Sunstrider Court. His Majesty the Sun King will meet you in the fountain square in front of the royal pavilion. After the collective commendations, he'll summon some of those who made significant contributions into the court individually."
At this point, he mischievously nudged Charlemagne in the waist with his elbow. "You're one of them. But I've never understood why you chose a bow as your reward instead of taking an official position in Silvermoon City."
In the eyes of these scions of powerful families, a ranger being given an official position in Silvermoon City was a major promotion. They might even climb step by step into the upper ranks someday. Xiao'en found Charlemagne's choice rather hard to understand.
Looking at the currently prosperous Silvermoon City, Charlemagne shook his head. "You don't understand. Being cooped up in Silvermoon City isn't what I want. Besides, do you think things would end well for a country bumpkin ranger like me if I suddenly went into politics to lock horns with a bunch of old foxes?"
Hearing Charlemagne's self-deprecating description, Xiao'en looked a little embarrassed. He scratched his cheek and turned his head away awkwardly. "Didn't I ask you to stop saying 'country bumpkin'...? I already admitted I was wrong. Isn't that enough?"
Charlemagne chuckled and patted him on the shoulder. "You're overthinking it. I'm not mocking you. But in the eyes of Silvermoon City's dignitaries, aren't we rangers who live in the forest country bumpkins through and through?"
"Hmm... even I used to think that way. Silvermoon City's residents know far too little about the ranger forces. There are even rumors that you rangers grew up eating raw meat, just like Trolls..."
Xiao'en's expression soured as he brought this up. Having grown up in Silvermoon City, he had inevitably been misled by such ideas himself. Only after spending time with the rangers in person had he realized just how absurd the rumor was.
But this also indirectly demonstrated the extreme contempt Silvermoon City's high-and-mighty officials held for the rangers. If they did not need these country bumpkins to guard the borders, even more outrageous rumors would probably have come out of their mouths.
Seeing Xiao'en's expression, Charlemagne patted his shoulder reassuringly. "Don't let it bother you. The prevailing attitude in Silvermoon City today simply isn't something one or two people can change. That's why I want to leave this place and find another path forward for our people in the wider world outside."
(End of chapter)