The Quel'Thalas Golden Bow

After the Sun King finished his interminable, tiresome speech, the award ceremony finally got down to business.

"For this great victory over the Trolls, we must first thank Ranger-General Lireesa Windrunner for her outstanding command and the rangers for their valiant fighting, as well as the Arcanists led by Lianda for their timely fire support."

"We must also thank the Priests for doing everything they could to help. Though casualties were still inevitable, at least these Priests saved the lives of most of the wounded!"

Several dozen rangers had died in this war, most of them from direct hits to vital areas that left them beyond saving. This number was barely within the range the High Elves could accept.

After all, the Quel'dorei's population had always been a persistent problem. This was also one consideration behind their extensive use of rangers skilled in guerrilla tactics. The High Elves did not dare compete with the Trolls in a war of numbers.

The Trolls had nothing to lose. If they could overwhelm you with sheer numbers, they would not hesitate for a moment.

But the High Elves had to consider their long-term development. They could not spend lives weathering the Trolls' massive invasions every ten years.

Rangers, a class that relied on kiting, were the most suitable choice. This was also one reason the High Elves had so few Warriors. They could not afford the deaths!

"In this war, young Heroics have emerged once again among our Quel'dorei: Arcanist leader Lianda Sunstrider, Arcanist Sean Morningstrider, and Priest leader Liadrin."

All three people the king named were unquestionably of noble birth. Mentioning their names was also a way of giving the nobles face. Besides, these three had indeed performed well in this war.

"New talents have also emerged among the ranger forces. The most outstanding among them are General Lireesa's second daughter, Sylvanas Windrunner, and her disciple, Charlemagne Theron!"

Thanks to his mentor, Charlemagne had unwittingly become a second-generation military scion of Quel'Thalas... This was partly why the king had singled him out for praise now, though his outstanding performance certainly deserved the commendation.

The five people the king had named stepped out of the ranks and respectfully knelt on one knee, awaiting their rewards.

Lianda was royalty. Though she had no right of succession, her exalted status meant she lacked neither gold and silver nor extraordinary weapons.

In the end, in accordance with her wishes, Anasterian arranged for her to become honorary head of the Arcane Academy and granted her the right to build a mage tower ahead of time.

The Arcane Academy was an institution unique to the High Elves. Only children of the nobility could enter, and its honorary heads had always been members of the royal family. No one would criticize Lianda's appointment to the position.

The position was not to be dismissed just because it was honorary. This was an important opportunity to expand her connections. The noble children who graduated from the Arcane Academy in the future would essentially all count as her students, and their numbers would become quite considerable over the years.

As for mage towers, no one could freely build one without reaching the seventh-circle Heroic rank, not even royalty. Once a mage possessed a tower, however, it meant they could stand on their own and at least had the right to recruit followers.

Lianda's strength was currently stuck at the peak of the sixth circle, and she seemed to be showing signs of a breakthrough. All the Heroic-rank mages on the Silvermoon Council could see this, so the Sun King's reward was not too far out of line.

Dar'Khan was somewhat wary of Lianda's rise. Once this royal woman reached the Heroic rank, she might affect his plans. He could not afford to disregard her.

When Xiao'en's turn came, his choice surprised those who had not been informed.

"I choose to transfer to the ranger forces as their Arcanist leader. I also ask Your Majesty to assign some lower-circle Arcanists willing to follow me to go with me."

This was also the first Charlemagne and Sylvanas had heard of Xiao'en's request, and both looked at him in surprise.

Lireesa, the Ranger-General, had certainly heard about it long before and looked entirely unperturbed. Councilor Aoxisi and Anasterian remained equally composed.

"Good! Since you wish to defend the frontier, I must of course support you as king. I will issue a notice shortly, asking all Arcanists in Silvermoon City willing to go to Tranquillien to gather at the entrance to the Arcane Academy. You may choose them yourself, but no more than twenty."

"Thank you, Your Majesty the Sun King!"

Watching their abysmal acting, Charlemagne curled his lip. The two sides had most likely discussed everything already and were merely going through the motions now.

Though he found Xiao'en's choice somewhat strange, this was clearly not the time to ask. He would find out more in private later.

After Xiao'en, Liadrin chose to take a position in Quel'Thalas's Church of the Holy Light. This was also the standard career path for Priests.

In Azeroth, where divine authority stood above royal authority, Quel'Thalas's Archbishop of the Holy Light also held a very high position. This was not, of course, a position of secular power, but an exalted place in the hearts of all the High Elves of Quel'Thalas.

Liadrin had little interest in power. As her family's only daughter, it was merely a matter of time before she inherited her father's earldom. With no worries about food or clothing, she had become a Priest to give herself something to pursue.

Yet Charlemagne was looking at Liadrin with a somewhat odd expression. He knew perfectly well that this tomboy would one day pick up a hammer and smash people with it. It was simply that Paladins had yet to be established, otherwise...

I should find an opportunity to introduce Liadrin to Paladins early. Judging by her future path, this girl has considerable potential as a melee fighter.

If he could establish Paladin forces ahead of time, it would be tremendous news for the High Elves. Their Warriors, who originally lacked an organized structure, could become Paladins with a certain amount of systematic training. The Blood Knights of later years were clear proof of this.

There was no suspense surrounding Sylvanas's reward. Though she had made a serious mistake this time, since it had not led to severe consequences, both Lireesa and Anasterian glossed over it.

Before ten thousand witnesses, Anasterian formally announced her as the Ranger-General's successor and bestowed upon her a precious magical bow from the royal collection-the Quel'Thalas Golden Bow.

In appearance, the bow followed the High Elves' usual style. Its wooden body was red, with a flame-shaped guard at the grip, both ornate and practical.

The decorations at the bowstring's attachment points, shaped like outspread wings, were the finishing touch. Blue-violet light representing arcane radiance flowed through the wings.

This magical bow, which Sylvanas could hardly bear to put down, made even Charlemagne look on with envy.

The Golden Bow! It had once been the most frequently used bow for transmogrification in the game. Unlike its later appearance, the wings, originally green to represent fel, were still a pure arcane blue.

Thanks to reader "Demonic Dominion※Advent" for the tip and support.

(End of chapter)