Chapter 137: The New Master of Karazhan

"Duke, I beg you too." Unable to hold back any longer, Lothar's eyes reddened as he spoke.

Duke gazed at the dying Medivh and at Lothar, the Lion of Azeroth, who seemed on the verge of tears before him.

The Anduin Lothar in his memory had always been a hero with boundless loyalty and courage. Even when his homeland was destroyed, when his two childhood friends passed away, or when his own son perished on the battlefield, he never showed any sign of weakness. He stood like a flag, leading the Kingdom of Stormwind, the seven human kingdoms, and even the whole Alliance of later generations to victory.

Lothar was a hero with an unyielding iron will!

But now, Lothar seemed to have lost that strong image of the past, yet appeared more genuine to Duke.

Yes! This was the real, living Medivh and Lothar, the true Stormwind Kingdom, and the Azeroth that countless heroes had forged into an epic legend with blood and fire.

Duke nodded gently.

"No more words are necessary."

"Your hopes, I shall fulfill."

"Your will, I shall inherit."

"I once told King Llane, 'If the fall of Stormwind Kingdom is inevitable, let me change it with my own hands for you to see.'"

"Now, though I haven't entirely achieved it, I believe that, with our efforts, the future of the kingdom's destruction has already begun to turn around."

"If inheriting your power and wisdom, and fighting for the survival and hope of all humanity is my destiny."

"Then my choice is to accept!"

As Duke finished speaking in one breath, both Lothar and Medivh shuddered as if electrocuted.

Medivh gently pressed on Duke's hand, "Duke, as the new master of Karazhan, can you please lead our old friends outside in? I can hold on for a while longer."

Feeling the temporary magical circuit within Medivh's body, though the circulation of magic was becoming weaker, it seemed that Medivh was telling the truth.

Duke decisively accepted the partial authority Medivh had passed on to him and opened the still functioning mage tower barrier of Karazhan.

Medivh's mage message sounded outside the tower.

"Lady Mother and our old friends waiting outside, can you please come in?"

The powerful figures who had been anxiously watching the situation outside the mage tower exchanged glances. The Red Dragon Queen spread her wings, lifting both Aegwynn and Tyrande up.

A few minutes later, not only the three of them but also Windsor with some remnants of his army arrived at Medivh's side.

People crowded around in a dark circle.

Aegwynn knelt down in grief, holding her son and letting Medivh's head rest on her lap. Even though 800 years had forged her strong and determined will, at this moment, she was just a mother of a child, no different from countless other mothers in the world.

Ignoring his mother's tears, Medivh spoke weakly.

"I, Medivh, once the Guardian of Azeroth and the Chief Mage of the Stormwind court, hereby declare in the presence of so many gentlemen and ladies: I bequeath the Mage Tower of Karazhan and all its contents to Sir Duke Marcus."

Standing beside them, supported by Windsor, Lothar also spoke up,

"I, Anduin Lothar, the seventh president of the Brotherhood of the Horse, Knight of Stormwind, and commander of the Stormwind Royal Knights, hereby acknowledge Medivh's last wish. I will convey it to King Llane Wrynn. Upon His Majesty's confirmation, the ceremony of transferring Karazhan will be formally completed."

This moment was destined to be eternally engraved in the memories of all who witnessed it.

As time went on and the years passed, many of those present would repeatedly recall the events of this moment.

The passing of Medivh, the most powerful mage and Guardian of Azeroth, marked the end of an era.

The inheritance of Karazhan by Duke Marcus signified the beginning of a new era...

With so many witnesses, Medivh weakly traced an unknown symbol in the palm of Duke's hand.

Duke felt an endless torrent of knowledge pouring into his mind like a tidal wave. Though he might not be able to digest this knowledge at this moment, Medivh had thoughtfully packaged, categorized, and sealed it for him.

Until Duke reached the appropriate level, the magic that would be too burdensome for him would remain sealed.

Additionally, there was Karazhan.

Similarly, a strange light flared up around the entire tower of Karazhan. The immense tower was becoming transparent and ethereal as Medivh activated a still-functioning magical device, beginning the process of pulling the entire tower into some void.

Time flowed quietly, and everyone in the workshop watched the great mage walk towards the end of his life.

Even though every being present knew that Medivh was the one who opened the Dark Portal and brought the orcs into Azeroth, they couldn't bring themselves to hate the Guardian who, in the final moments of his life, gave everything he had to cast Sargeras into the abyss.

Without much pain or regret, the forty-something Medivh was cradled in his mother's arms. As Aegwynn hummed an unknown lullaby, he quietly closed his eyes.

A few dozen seconds later, the last magical circuit within Medivh's body came to a halt.

With a gentle smile, the legendary mage Medivh bid the world farewell.

After confirming Medivh's passing, both Lothar and Duke bowed to all the witnesses present.

Duke spoke, "Thank you all for bearing witness. Now, please leave. In five minutes, Karazhan will temporarily disappear from the world of Azeroth. It won't return for some time."

The Red Dragon Queen and Tyrande were the first to leave. The two high-ranking and influential figures nodded in unison and led the way out.

Alexstrasza leapt out of the workshop and, in the blink of an eye, a flash of red light transformed her from a bikini-clad warrior woman into a colossal dragon spanning several dozen meters. She spread her wings and soared into the sky with a single beat.

Tyrande let out a whistle, and a massive white tiger defied gravity as it ran along the near-vertical outer wall of the unshielded Karazhan mage tower. Tyrande elegantly mounted the tiger, which let out a roar and, defying all logic, descended the vertical tower.

Lothar and Windsor were the second group to leave.

Lothar asked, "It seems you'll be staying in Karazhan for a while. Is there anything you need me to do?"

Duke pondered for a moment, "Stormwind should hold for a long time without any issues. But in case it can't, retreat to Alterac or Stromgarde. I have everything ready."