217 Chapter 217: The Throne Meeting
The Alliance
A word that filled Duke's heart with exhilaration.
Before his journey, Duke had never imagined that he would witness this historic moment.
The massive golden bell tolled, its long iron chains pulling gears that struck the bell, producing a melodious and delightful chime that resonated throughout Lordaeron.
From the east, southeast, south, southwest, west, northwest, north, and northeast, the prosperous Lordaeron laid out red carpets from the city gates to the royal palace for the monarchs and representatives of the eight kingdoms. Likewise, the resplendent Lordaeron soldiers lined up neatly along the red carpet all the way to the palace.
Walking on the red carpet of the Royal Avenue, young women on the second and third floors of the tall buildings on either side showered the avenue with vibrant flower petals, creating a stunning rain of blossoms.
The people of Lordaeron cheered to welcome the kings and representatives from various nations with the treatment befitting heroes.
King Varian Wrynn of Stormwind.
King Aiden Perenolde of Alterac.
King Genn Greymane of Gilneas.
Lord Admiral Daelin Proudmoore of maritime powerhouse Kul Tiras.
King Thoras Trollbane of Stromgarde.
Archmage Antonidas, leader of the Kirin Tor Council of Dalaran.
Elf representative Dar'Khan of the Silvermoon Council.
Dwarf representative Princes Muradin and Brann Bronzebeard of Ironforge.
Ironforge was under siege by the orcs, and King Magni had to send his brother, Muradin, known as the King of Blacksmiths, along with Prince
Brann Bronzebeard, the ambassador to Lordaeron. Now, two dwarf princes were present in Lordaeron.
It could be said that, except for the high elves, all nations had sent their highest-ranking leaders.
Such an event had never occurred in the past thousand years. In a way, it symbolized the prosperity of Lordaeron.
The leaders of the eight nations arrived together, and King Terenas Menethil II waited for them in the throne room.
The royal palace of Lordaeron opened all eight gates, and the leaders of each nation entered the magnificent palace and proceeded into the throne room.
Inside the grand and spacious Gothic throne room, the pure white sculptures adorning the arched beams and columns were themselves the most beautiful works of art, masterfully depicting the story of Emperor Thoradin forging a new land for humanity and the founding of Lordaeron.
The enormous, colorful stained-glass windows were suspended at the top of the room and in nine directions. The sunlight streamed in, casting a myriad of beautiful colors on the ceiling. Orange glows mingled with the bright purple of amethyst, while the shine of rubies harmonized with the soft light of amber, making the entire dome appear incredibly luxurious.
On the lower half, the sunlight entered through the transparent colored glass windows and reflected off the large stone spheres suspended by iron chains, casting light on each throne.
This warm and mysterious radiance evoked a sense of spiritual elevation in those who took their seats.
Without making things difficult or showing disdain for anyone, the circular throne room was divided into nine equal parts. King Terenas Menethil II stood before the throne at the north.
As the monarchs arrived at their seats, Terenas began to speak.
"2800 years ago, to confront a common enemy—the trolls—, the human empire of Arathor and the high elf kingdom of Quel'Thalas formed an alliance and established an eternal covenant.
1200 years ago, although the Arathor Empire was dissolved for a better future, the human kingdoms remained united as good brothers, never engaging in war amongst themselves. Now, we all have a common enemy - the orcs. I hope that this time, we can forge an unbreakable and powerful alliance, uniting humans, elves, and dwarves together."
King Terenas Menethil II's official declaration may not have been inspiring, but it was at least flawless. After a round of applause, the kings and representatives took their seats.
"Let me report on the situation in Ironforge first," Muradin Bronzebeard's booming voice sounded first. Dwarves are known for their impatience.
For example, the dwarven fishing rod. What's the issue? The problem is that the so-called fishing rod is a musket. Using a net to catch fish in a stream? When dwarves see fish in shallow waters, they simply shoot them dead.
Exploding fish is always preferable to netting them.
Shooting fish is always preferable to fishing.
This gives you an idea of the dwarves' temperament.
Brann raised his hand, and the Dalaran mage he had invited promptly used a magical mirror to display the fierce battle at the gates of Ironforge.
In this world centered around swords and magic, dwarven technology is only surpassed by goblins and gnomes. In the dwarven main force, they have cannons similar to mortars and steam tanks. Sounds like a mechanized unit, right?
The problem is that the orcs are tearing it apart!
A gigantic iron pipe, thicker than a human leg and nearly four meters long, was swung around like a windmill by an orc warrior. The dwarves relied on the terrain, allowing their five-to-six-ton steam tanks to charge downhill along the narrow mountain path. However, a furious orc swept them away with a single swing of his weapon, sending the tank crashing down the mountain and exploding.
In combat, dwarves may not be too disadvantaged in terms of strength against orcs, but their size is an absolute weakness. When orcs swing their heavy weapons down upon them, dwarves often have nowhere to dodge on the crowded battlefield and can only withstand the blows.
As a result, both sides are engaged in a seesaw battle at the main entrance of Ironforge.
The dwarves have a powerful musket that fires about once a minute. The orcs, on the other hand, have no qualms about throwing stones. Not only orcs, but also larger, more powerful and resilient ogres have appeared in the Horde's ranks.
The dwarves are suffering heavy losses.
Turning off the live feed, Brann slammed his hand down on the armrest of his specially made, slightly less luxurious dwarf chair, startling King Terenas.
"Ironforge urgently needs support! We need priests and medicine the most. Furthermore, those damned green-skins have ruined our farmlands; our entire autumn harvest is destroyed. We also need a considerable amount of food."
Dwarves are just that straightforward! They need food! They need medicine!
Terenas had to remind the brothers, "We are currently discussing the threat posed by the Horde. We must first determine the necessity of forming an alliance, establish the alliance, and then discuss how to support each other and how to deal with the Horde."
"Fine! Let's form the alliance then. Where do we sign?" Saying that, Muradin took out a royal seal with dwarven characteristics - the hammer he held in his hand.
All the human kings present were left speechless.
