Capítulo 225: Chapter 225: May the Light Be with You
Princess Kalia seemed to have forgotten to return the courtesy.
It took her a full ten seconds before she suddenly seemed to snap out of it, raising her head and lifting her dress with her left hand, performing a graceful curtsy. "I apologize for my rudeness. Thank you, Duke Markus. Your gift is so perfect that I was utterly entranced."
Off to the side, a noble girl whispered excitedly, "Oh my goodness, if someone proposed to me with a rose like that, I'd agree to marry them on the spot."
This unrestrained comment made Princess Kalia blush all the way to her neck. She abruptly turned and hurried away, saying, "Uh, excuse me, I'm not feeling well. Pardon my rudeness."
The nobles present were left with their jaws on the floor. Was it really discomfort, or had the brightest jewel of Lordaeron's royal family, the esteemed princess, fallen for someone?
This development sent a jolt through the hearts of the elites in attendance.
Lothar was an exceptional man, but his abilities were still within the realm of human imagination.
Duke, on the other hand, was different. His youth aside, he possessed courage, wisdom, strategy, and strength in abundance. He fought the demon lord Sargeras, burned the orcs, and saved fifty thousand elite soldiers with ice ships. If all these were just rumors, Duke's role in the establishment of the Alliance after arriving in Lordaeron had truly been witnessed by the elites.
Everyone understood that without Duke's intelligence and deductions, the Alliance wouldn't have been formed so quickly.
Without Duke as a go-between, the kings wouldn't have made their promises so easily.
Perhaps even without Duke, the Alliance would still have formed, and the armies would have been dispatched.
But with Duke's help, the process had been accelerated by an unknown factor.
Which nation was the most desperate now?
Certainly, it was Stormwind, a kingdom that had lost its territory. Without Duke's efforts, Stormwind would have been left with only refugees and remnants of its army. Even if the refugees survived, they would be absorbed by the northern continent's various countries, becoming expendable in the war. Stormwind's collapse would mean a disguised war dividend for the other countries.
A Stormwind with only an empty shell would be a puppet, subject to the manipulation of other nations. How could it be as free as Lothar?
Even if the other seven nations withdrew, Lothar would still have fifty thousand elite soldiers to make a final stand. This was the confidence that came from having their own people.
Stormwind, stripped of its territory, appeared as a treasure trove to the other kings. And Duke was undoubtedly the gem among them.
King Terenas stroked his long chin beard and suddenly thought that the union of Duke and Kalia might be a good choice.
King Terenas spoke up, "Duke Markus, tomorrow evening our royal family of Lordaeron is hosting a small banquet. I wonder if you would be available?"
Faced with the gaze of the King of Lordaeron, Duke shuddered slightly: had he been too arrogant just now?
"Uh, I apologize, but I have to deal with over eight hundred documents daily. I've accumulated quite a backlog these past few days." Duke looked very busy.
Little did he know, Terenas's eyes shone even brighter, as did the eyes of several other kings, all staring at Duke like hungry wolves.
Duke realized he had misspoken again.
"Stormwind is truly fortunate. My twelve cabinet ministers might not be able to handle eight hundred documents in a month."
Terenas seemed to have found another reason to win over Duke Marcus. "Stormwind is truly fortunate. My twelve cabinet ministers might not be able to handle 800 documents in a month, let alone a day." Duke Marcus felt a stampede of metaphorical horses in his mind.
Indeed, he might have matured in terms of magic and strategy, but in both his past and present lives, his political sensitivity was zero.
Duke Marcus decided to play dumb. After some small talk, King Llane pulled him away.
On a secluded terrace, with the door closed and the noise of the banquet blocked, the usually wise king appeared a bit melancholic.
"Duke Marcus... I wanted to say that I'm grateful to you. Without your arrangement, I might have died long ago, and most of the soldiers and civilians of Stormwind would have perished in the city. There would be no formation of the Alliance today."
"Uh, Your Majesty, wait, are you..."
"Let me finish. You're a very talented individual, and to be honest, I always thought I could give you everything you wanted. But it turns out I was wrong. Stormwind is too weak. If you think joining another kingdom is a better choice, I will bless you..."
"Wait! Your Majesty! Wait! Are you misunderstanding something!? I've never thought about leaving Stormwind!" Duke Marcus quickly interrupted Llane as he realized something was off.
"But those are invitations from the maritime powerhouse Kul Tiras and the most powerful kingdom of Lordaeron!?" In Llane's eyes, Stormwind was a sinking ship at the moment.
What kind of joke was this? He had just boarded the best ship, and now the captain was asking him to jump ship?
Only Duke Marcus knew that after a period of historical turmoil, all of the seven human kingdoms, except for Stormwind, would either be destroyed or left in shambles.
Duke Marcus could not remain calm. He knelt on one knee, "Although I was not born a citizen of Stormwind, I love this kingdom. Here, I have a king who trusts me, a commander who is willing to cooperate with me, and I can make use of my strengths. If Your Majesty still doesn't believe, you should at least trust your late friend Medivh."
"Medivh?" Llane was momentarily stunned upon hearing his friend's name.
"Yes! You can see Karazhan as an inheritance or a transaction. Medivh gave me Karazhan and a direct access to the highest throne of the mysterious world. In return, I am willing and obliged to protect Stormwind. So, Your Majesty, don't think too much about it. Even if I were to marry a noble lady, there would only be another Duchess of Karazhan, not a prince of another kingdom."
Hearing this, Llane finally set his heart at ease.
At this point, Lothar arrived with Archbishop Alonsus Faol. Lothar quietly approached the glass door of the terrace, and Duke Marcus opened the door for them.
"Archbishop Alonsus has something to say to us."
Alonsus walked over, smiling slightly, "I won't take up too much of your time, but I believe what I'm about to do will greatly benefit you and the entire Alliance. First of all, Stormwind is just. Not only will the Church of the Holy Light provide support to the Alliance, but after defeating the orcs, the Church will launch a fundraising campaign among its followers to support the reconstruction of Stormwind."
This statement carried great weight.
Llane's Stormwind had almost lost its sources of funding, and every bit of support was invaluable.
"Thank you, Father." Llane bowed slightly.
"The second and most important thing is that I have discovered a new use for the Holy Light. A very important usage method."
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