Chapter 7 Chapter Six

Muradin?Bronzebeard, Magni, king of the dwarves?The younger brother of Bronzebeard, the envoy sent to the human kingdom Lordaeron, was running in the corridor of the palace.He said to himself, "This ghostly place is really full of twists and turns, one after another, and then another, how many corners are there..." If memory serves me right, the spiral staircase leading to the king's private chambers and terrace is nearby.It occurred to him that if he passed through the armory ahead, he would— "Oh hey!" Even though Muradin realized it was just a child's cry, he was startled.He looked ahead and saw young Arthas standing before a suit of armor resting on a pedestal.Beneath Muradin's thick, bushy beard, his smile was still faintly visible.The Prince of Lordaeron was about twelve years old now, but he was quite a handsome young man.He had fair hair, always had a smile on his face, and had a very ruddy complexion.However, at that moment, Alsace looked very serious, pointing the wooden sword in his hand at the throat of the suit of armor.

The prince shouted, "Damn orc, do you think you can pass me? This time, my lord has a lot, let you go. Get out now, and never come back!" Even though Muradin was very hungry and he was late, he was still watching the prince's words and deeds and smiled happily.Isn't that what they fought for?He, Magni, and their brother Brann, the late Ser Lothar, and young Turalyon—they had fought together to save Ironforge from the orcs in the final stages of the Second War.After that, Muradin and Brann followed the humans to the Dark Portal, watching its final fall with satisfaction.Keep those kids safe and give them a better future.

Alsace stood up straight and said, "What? You won't retreat? I gave you a chance, but you didn't cherish it. Now, let's fight." The young prince was wise enough to know that he shouldn't really attack the old armor, because that would only displease his father.So he placed his imaginary enemy a few steps away, roared, and rushed over there. Muradin couldn't laugh anymore.What is this?Who the hell was teaching him what to do?Look at how he pretended to block, so far away from the target and out of control!And he grabbed—ah, no, no, nothing.Muradin's brow furrowed even tighter after Arthas' powerful swing.Arthas didn't hold the wooden sword firmly in his hand, so it flew out, across the room, and finally landed on the ground with a loud noise.

Arthas took a deep breath and looked around, trying to see if the sound attracted anyone's attention.His cheeks flushed as his eyes met Muradin's. "Well... Ambassador... I just..." Muradin coughed lightly, looking as embarrassed as Arthas. "I'm looking for your father, boy. Can you show me the way? It's a hell of a place to go." Arthas pointed to a staircase to his left.Muradin nodded, and quickly walked up the revolving steps, wanting to leave there as soon as possible. When he arrived, he heard Solas?Trollbane's gruff voice - he thought to himself, that was all too normal for him.

"Deal? With you? You sons of the tribe, you deserve to be scolded!" What's wrong?Muradin rushed to the terrace, thinking he'd see...well, he wasn't sure what he'd see, but he never thought he'd see such a small, green-skinned creature.His ears were like bat ears, his eyes were wide open with anxiety, and his head was bald.He wore a linen shirt and trousers, and a small vest over it.He still wears a monocle, but now it's hanging by a chain dangling from his chest. The green-skinned creature took a deep breath and screamed nervously, "No! No no no!" His hands were flailing wildly.Terenas and Trollbane were sitting in front of a table, and he was only slightly above it.Fumbling awkwardly with his monocle, the creature said, "You're totally mistaken! Things are not what you think they are!"

"Really, Chris?" Terenas said kindly.Muradin could hear that although Trollbane was excited, there was no real threat here.The king took a piece of bread and began to butter it. "Of course!" Chris said loudly, looking as if the conversation had offended him. "Well, yes. Once, a prince, made a deal. Yes, he did." He coughed softly and continued, "He made an alliance with the Horde. But, just that idiot prince! After World War II, he came to his senses! The other goblins thought it was time to stay neutral. Better yet, hello to you, hello to us, hello to everyone! Free trade thrives and we all benefit!"

Muradin frowned slightly, he knew what the creature in front of him was - a goblin. "Terenas, why is there such a green-skinned financial fan next to our breakfast table?" Muradin asked. Before the king could answer, the goblin said, "Cris? Vicris, nice to meet you. I can see you are a dwarf." Trollbane whispered, "You are really observant." "Maybe you dwarves will want to sign a free trade agreement with us! These two humans don't seem to be very interested in it. What I want to say is-think about it!" Chris smiled flatteringly, but His fangs made the smile weird. "You guys like to mine and we like to chop trees! It's a perfect business relationship! Our cutters can cut—"

"Thanks, Chris, no need to say more." Terenas interrupted him. "Now, our Ambassador Muradin is here, so let's get down to business. I'll talk to you again this afternoon and look at the documents you told me about." "What?" Muradin yelled at Terenas. "This guy is doing business with both factions, Terenas. I'd rather trust one—hey!" Chris stopped, the apricot scone in his hand was about to be put into his mouth, so he could only smile feebly.Muradin glared at him.Within a month of Muradin's arrival here, all the palace chefs knew him well, and he also made a special effort to establish a good friendship with those pastry chefs.What he did brought him countless delicious and tempting delicacies, such as those apricots.And now, the goblin is going to eat his cake!

Muradin said, "King Terenas told you to go." Chris nodded, his monocle dropped again.He threw the scone into his mouth, bowed deeply, and hurriedly turned away. "What a parasite," Muradin complained. Terenas said, "But he is very interesting, and the proposals he proposes are really valuable. But, my ambassador, now that you are here, we should discuss some more serious things. Like training King Renaud's question." "Damn, King! That's an awkward word to say. He doesn't deserve it!" cried Trollbane, slamming his right fist on the table, making all the cups, saucers, and flagons on it jump. up. "He betrayed all of us and almost destroyed us all, and this is what he got?" He continued with a scowling face, "If he can't be sentenced to death, he should at least be put in prison !"

Muradin said, "Aha, I wouldn't put a traitor in one of those barred cages." He never spoke softly, but said what was on his mind, and never worried Whether what you say will offend other people.Muradin knew that while some of the Alliance lords found this characteristic of him distasteful, it was always a source of comfort to Terenas and his old friend Trollbane. From the terrace where the three of them sat, they could look down on the great lake in front of the city.The scenery there is very charming, but it is also there that indirectly contributed to this dialogue.Orgrim?It was through the same mountain ahead that Doomhammer was able to lead his Horde here - also thanks to Alterac Lord Aiden?Betrayal of Perenolde.After the war, Terenas led Alliance soldiers into Alterac and imprisoned Perenolde in the name of military law.However, this man who had a feud with Trollbane for many years was only imprisoned in his palace by Terenas, and was watched with his family.Since then, there has been no other action.

Trollbane, like many others, resented this.As Perenolde's closest neighbor, he was forced to endure the machinations of the King of Alterac for a long time.Had it not been for Trollbane's sharp thinking and quick action to seal off those mountain ridge passages and block some of the tribe's new force, the whole tribe would have flowed across the plain like a green torrent, crossed the lake, and finally rushed to Los Angeles. The capital of Danlun, and the entire city fell. "I agree that even if he received a harsher punishment, it was right for him." Terenas said cautiously, trying to calm his old friend.Muradin reached for a scone and a hard-boiled egg. Terenas continued, "But he is, or at least he was, the king of Alterac. We cannot simply exile him, or put him in prison. If we If it is done, the other Union monarchs will certainly be worried that when they disagree with us, they will be treated in the same way." "We will, if they betray us like Perenolde!" Trollbane retorted, but he calmed down quickly.Muradin knew that Trollbane was not stupid, his words and deeds just now were just out of a whim. "Oh, that's a complicated question," said Muradin, deciding to grab another scone for himself. "You can't just throw him off a cliff. It will cost you your credibility with others. But you can't just leave him alone." "We need to force him to abdicate." Terenas made the point again—it wasn't the first time the pair had had a similar conversation. "After that, we can go to interrogate him, and then execute him as an ordinary alliance nobleman." He pinched his beard and continued, "But the problem is, he refuses to abdicate .” Trollbane snorted softly, "Of course! He knows that abdicating means his own death! But we must do something, as soon as possible. Now he is too free, and it is very likely to cause new troubles." Terenas nodded in agreement. "Indeed. We must do something about Alterac, especially with regard to the emerging problems." He sighed. "Ultimately all we need is to fight a war and worry about whether there will be new defectors at the same time." "And the boy?" Muradin asked, flicking a few crumbs from his thick beard. "Won't he fight for the throne?" "You mean Aridon?" Trollbane replied with a snort, "like his father." "For me, I don't really care about him," Terenas admitted. "He's just a spoiled kid who doesn't know what it means to suffer, and he doesn't know what it means to face danger," Terenas said. Maybe he doesn't even know how to be a leader. Taking a step back, why should we stop him? He's the son of Aiden, Crown Prince of Alterac. If his father abdicates, he will ascend the throne and reign as king." "No one can prove that he knew of his father's treachery," said Trollbane grudgingly, "I'm not trying to say that ignorance is better than being played with, but at least it's good for him. " Just then, a servant appeared at the door.Muradin frowned, afraid that the annoying goblin still wanted to negotiate trade with them.But no.The servant brought good news, "His Royal Highness, Daval? Lord Prestor please see me." "Ah, Raven, bring him up," said Terenas, and turned to Trollbane and Muradin. "Have you ever met Lord Prestor?" Muradin replied, "Well, he is indeed a good man. To his credit, after all he has been through, he is still strong enough to survive." Trollbane nodded in agreement. Muradin took a bite of the egg, remembering the man.Lord Prestor can be said to be a man who has been tricked by fate.Until recently, Muradin had never heard of him—of course, Muradin didn't know much about the complex aristocratic relationships of humans.According to others, Prestor was once the lord of a small kingdom in the mountains near Lordaeron.His ancestry can be traced back to the royal family of Alterac, and he is a distant cousin of Perenolde.In the Second War, Prestor's entire kingdom fell due to the attack of a giant dragon, and only he and some of his close relatives escaped.Without the help of servants and guards, Prestor came to the capital of Lordaeron with difficulty, only a few shabby clothes and his fame.His royal blood brought him into Lordaeron's aristocracy, and his charisma made him many good friends, including the three sitting around the table.It was Prestor's suggestion that military law was passed in Alterac.Both Terenas and the other Alliance Lords agree that this is a good solution, albeit a temporary one. After a while, the man whom everyone discussed just now stepped onto the terrace and bowed deeply to everyone decently.His curly black hair seemed to glow a pale blue in the warm, crisp morning light. "Your Highness," Prestor whispered, his baritone-like voice easily reaching everyone's ears. "And honorable ambassadors. Nice to see you again." "Indeed." Terenas said cheerfully, "Sit down here. Would you like some tea?" "Today's apricot cake is really delicious." Muradin proposed to him.The dwarf was chewing those scones, but accidentally sprayed some residue, so he quickly covered his mouth with his hand.Compared with Prestor's usual love of cleanliness, Muradin felt very rude. "Thank you very much." Prestor wiped the seat in front of him with the handkerchief he carried with him, then sat down gracefully, and poured himself a cup of tea.Muradin offered him the plate of scones, but he smiled and politely rejected the dwarf, raising his hand.His fingernails were carefully manicured, and his hands were callous-free. "Hope I didn't disturb everyone?" "Not at all, not at all," Terenas assured. "Actually, you came just in time. We were talking about Alterac." "Ah yes, of course." Prestor took a sip of tea enjoying himself. "I'm sure you've all heard of young Esden?" He was a little surprised when he saw the blank expressions on everyone's faces. "He's a nephew of Lord Perenolde, a young boy." "Oh, yes. The guy who fled to Gilneas, wasn't he?" asked Trollbane. "Yes. He fled shortly after you passed the military law in Alterac. There are rumors that he wanted some support from there to help him take the throne." "Graymane has mentioned it," Terenas remembered, "but he has never seen the child himself, or his entourage." Prestor shook his head and said, "Greymane is so noble that he didn't use him for profit. All he needs to do is to make young Aisden king, and then Gilneas will be able to win the throne from Alfred." cash in on Trank's riches, and of course, permission to pass through Alterac's many ridges." Muradin scratched his beard, "Oh, this is really tempting." Terenas and Trollbane exchanged glances.The old fox, Graymane, could not have missed such an opportunity, but he claimed he had never seen the boy.is he lying?Or is he still playing other conspiracy? "What do you think we should do to Alterac?" Terenas asked Prestor. "Your Highness, why are you asking me?" "The authorities are in the dark, but the bystanders are clear. We think your perspective will be valuable." Prestor blushed slightly, and said, "Really? Thank you for thinking of me so much. Well... I think, Your Royal Highness, you should take Alterac as your own. After all, you are the Alliance leader, and for which your country paid dearly in the last war. I am sure you need something in return for all that you have given." Terenas chuckled, "No, thank you." He held up a hand in feigned surprise. "The affairs of Lordaeron alone are enough for me to be busy. I don't want to occupy another kingdom and make myself do double the work." Muradin knew that King Terenas had also considered this idea, After all, it is still beneficial from some perspectives.But the troubles it brings, especially the troubles from the other monarchs, will far outweigh those benefits, at least Terenas thinks so. "What about you, my lord?" Prestor suggested, turning to the King of Stormgard. "Your quick action stopped Perenolde's treachery. I am well aware that many of your soldiers were died at the hands of the orcs." The young noble showed a trace of pain on his face, while the other three shrank back slightly.They all knew what Prestor was thinking about now, maybe that's why he was so cautious about himself.Muradin thought to himself that if he had walked so long in shabby clothes after being forced to flee a city ravaged by dragonfire, perhaps he could be as admired now as Prestor. Thorbane frowned slightly, thinking deeply.Before he could speak, Terenas said, "Neither Solas nor I will occupy Alterac. This is not a simple matter of one country invading another country. .We are all part of the Alliance. We must work together to protect our world, our land. It is because of the unity of the Alliance that we can defeat the Horde and win the war. Therefore, the spoils of war, including Alterac, It should also belong to the entire alliance." He shook his head, "If any one of us wants to annex Alterac, the other lords will think they are underestimated." Muradin agreed, "Yes, this issue must be put to a vote by all, or not considered at all." He smiled slightly, "Anyway, a suggestion for everyone can make the issue easier Some." Prestor nodded and put down the teacup in his hand, "If what I just said is inappropriate or offended you, I would like to express my apologies here." He chuckled lightly, "It seems that whether it is wisdom or diplomacy, I am far behind your level." Terenas waved his hand lightly and said, "Dear Prestor, you did not offend us. I asked you if you had an opinion, and you said it. One of the reasons the three of us gathered here was to To discuss this issue, I hope to find a way to satisfy everyone involved, and to ensure the safety and normal operation of Alterac." He laughed, "Our friend Muradin is right-if we can Give the league a good plan and it will save a lot of time and unnecessary arguments." "Of course. I just hope that my small contribution can play a certain role." Prestor stood up and bowed deeply, "Now if I can, I will leave here and let the three of you stay here Let's discuss this issue, because I think it is far beyond my ability." He waited for Terenas to nod in agreement, then gave everyone a graceful smile, and left the terrace. Trollbane watched the young lord go, frowning. "Prestor was naive, but he made a point. Maybe Alterac should pay." "For what?" Muradin sneered. "Alterac is almost penniless like you and me. At the same time, it sounds like revenge." Terenas pointed out, "Most of our money went to rebuilding after the war. Once we took control of Alterac, we transferred their wealth to the Alliance." "Well, and those orc shelters are not cheap." Muradin added, "When all the money is used for them and repairs, and the contract next to the Dark Portal, how can there be money for compensation?" Trollbane sighed, "You are quite right. Anyway, I just think they should pay the price, after Alterac's treachery took so many casualties." "Perenolde's treachery," Terenas corrected, "we must remember this. Few of the citizens of Alterac knew about their king's treachery. Perenolde just kept them away from a few The mountain passes, and let the orcs pass through those trails. That's the problem, not the whole of Alterac helping the Horde." "Indeed," Trollbane agreed. "I've known many people from Alterac over the years. They are good people, not like their cunning kings." He shook his head, After drinking the jug in his hand, he wiped his beard with the back of his hand. "I'll try to think of another way," he promised. "We will," Muradin assured him.As the three stood up, Muradin reached for the last scone on the table. "Don't worry, we'll find a solution." "I'm pretty sure of that," Terenas agreed. "I just hope we can get this sorted out before we're forced to face other, more pressing problems." Both of his companions knew what he was referring to.They had received a warning from Khadgar just a few days ago, and now they awaited news from Turalyon.If the Horde does make a comeback, if the Dark Portal does reopen, all questions about Alterac will be discussed later.As long as Perenolde remains under house arrest and Alterac remains under Alliance control, they can still consider these issues later - provided they survive to do so. Muradin thought gloomily of young Arthas swinging his wooden sword at the armor.He only hoped that the young prince wouldn't get a taste of war anytime soon.