Chương 404: Chapter 404: A False Smile
Orgrim took away nearly all the two-headed ogres and the Gronn, but he did not wait for Gul'dan and his Stormreaver clan, nor for Cho'gall's Twilight's Hammer clan.
After wandering in the mountains for three days, Orgrim decided to change the marching route, bypassing the Northern Watchtower, and returning to the northern part of Hinterlands near the original dwelling place of the Mossflayer trolls. He planned to attack Lordaeron via a route that no one in the Alliance could imagine.
Duke should have responded immediately. But the continuous forced marches over the past few days had left Duke's troops quite fatigued, so he could only order a three-day rest.
At this point in time, the high elves held a banquet.
Yes! A victory banquet to celebrate their success in repelling the invaders.
When Duke first heard the news, he felt as if he had been slapped in the face.
Celebrate!? Celebrate what!? Nearly three hundred thousand had died, almost one-third of the high elves had perished. They had only killed 50,000 trolls, and they dared to claim themselves victors of the war?
"I'm sorry! It's precisely because our losses were so heavy that the king and all the councilors unanimously agreed to hold a grand banquet to celebrate the victory and boost the morale of the people," Kael'thas said to Duke with a very apologetic expression and almost pleading tone. "Moreover, this will be the signing ceremony for Quel'Thalas to officially join the Alliance of Lordaeron."
Since it was an official joining, Duke, as the highest representative sent by the Alliance, naturally could not be absent.
The feeling was like being asked if you wanted to eat a fly, and being asked if you wanted it fresh or original flavor.
Despite being beaten to a pulp, they still wanted to put on a facade of peace and flaunt their power.
Pride before a fall, that described Quel'Dorei perfectly, and the ones who suffered were the common people.
Jandice, standing next to Duke, quietly tugged at his sleeve. Duke managed to swallow his anger and finally nodded in agreement.
After Kael'thas finally left, Jandice sighed, "I'm sorry, Duke, I know you're not used to it. Honestly, even though I grew up in a high elf noble family, I'm still not used to it. The decrease in population and the destruction of territories only mean a decrease in income. As long as the nation doesn't perish, everything can start over... that's the mindset of the nobility."
"I understand," Duke didn't hide his disgust for the elf council and the nobles.
Sometimes, Duke even felt that the first, second, and third wars of the Dark Portal might have been a good thing. Without so many external enemies to sweep away these terrible people, Azeroth would still be a world rotten to the core beyond redemption.
Duke... was conflicted.
Night fell, and the time for the victory banquet had not yet arrived.
Numerous ornately decorated strider-drawn 'strider carriages' had filled every gap in the Sunstrider Court square.
Before seeing so many noble carriages, Duke would never have imagined that there were so many nobles in Quel'Thalas. Each strider was groomed to a shiny finish, like proud phoenixes, raising their heads high, exuding a cold aura.
One by one, elves dressed as grandly as the nobles of Stormwind stood in front of the carriages. They were elegantly dressed, adorned with gold and silver ornaments with magical effects, and had the most graceful demeanor
.
Jandice whispered, and Duke would never have known otherwise, that these individuals were merely the carriage drivers!
Count Carriage Driver!?
Nobles of Stormwind! Do you want me to buy a box of tissue so you can dry your tears...
This extreme luxury left Duke dumbfounded.
The Sunstrider Court, ornate and filled with the style of the Sunstrider royal court, was brightly lit. The dazzling magical lamps made the palace, filled with circular towers and dominated by white, red, and gold colors, appear magnificent.
Walking across the massive red carpet that was over twenty meters wide, Duke allowed Jandice, who was attending as his female companion, to take his arm as they slowly ascended the steps. Stepping on the neatly arranged white jade stone bricks, Duke couldn't help but look up at the ingeniously crafted female elf statues on both sides of the staircase. These statues, some literary and some martial, used lifelike carving lines and passionate movements to sing the greatness of the Sunstrider Court.
They arrived at the entrance of the great hall.
Kael'thas, dressed in a very festive robe, was greeting each guest.
To Duke's surprise, Alleria had also put on a court dress in the distinctive style of her family, a vibrant green, and was accompanying Kael'thas in welcoming the guests.
Seeing Duke approach, Alleria performed a lady's curtsy with her dress. Her elegance and dignified demeanor made it impossible for Duke to associate her with the wild elf ranger he knew.
Alleria put on a sweet smile and said in her pleasant voice, "Thank you for coming, Duke. If you were absent, all of Quel'Thalas would be shamed."
Duke, however, sensed something. He looked at Alleria's lipstick-coated lips and her bright appearance, but unexpectedly found a hint of gloom hidden in her bright eyes.
"Alleria, what happened?" Duke asked, preparing to perform a hand-kissing gesture.
But Alleria 'enthusiastically' hugged him, and a low voice sounded in his ear, "Nothing, just like you said, 'big shots' always have 'show needs' that they can't help, it's just my turn today."
A show!
Duke began to understand.
If the trolls hadn't attacked, or if they had come but failed, then Alleria would certainly have been held accountable and investigated as a disgrace to the elves.
But the fact was that the trolls did come and wreaked havoc on Quel'Thalas. To whitewash the peace and boost the morale of the people, the elves needed a hero to divert the public's attention.
Kael'thas had one loss and one victory, at most it was a draw.
But Alleria was different, firstly she had close ties with the Alliance, and secondly, she had been proven right...
Elevating Alleria to the status of a hero could satisfy both the public and the Alliance.
As for her future turn of service, as long as it was handled discreetly, it would be fine. They would deal with the current crisis first.
Duke sighed deeply.
Due to the large number of guests arriving, after a brief exchange with Alleria, Duke entered the hall.
The huge hall, over a kilometer in diameter, was filled with countless dining tables, and all kinds of sumptuous food and flowers decorated the entire venue. When Duke entered, there were already a large number of nobles present. They held their wine glasses, moving around and networking, not missing any opportunity for social interaction.
The atmosphere was so lively, it was hard to imagine that this was a country that had just experienced war, where one-third of its people had suffered a tragic fate.
The banquet began with great enthusiasm, but Duke noticed that Alleria, one of the main characters of the banquet, was smiling, but it seemed as if she was crying.
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