236 Chapter 236: Arrival of the Elves

"Alright, this is the total military strength we have at present."

Lothar clapped his hands to bring everyone's attention back, "I know it takes time for a nation to transition from peace to war, and I appreciate the efforts and support of all the kings. What we need to think about now is how to use these troops to win a series of beautiful victories. I don't expect to destroy the entire Horde in one decisive battle, but I do hope to lead everyone to continuous victories, from one victory to another."

The kings and generals burst into applause.

At this moment, Duke laughed, "My dear High Commander, it seems this is not all the forces you have."

"Who else?" Lothar was genuinely puzzled. All the forces promised by the seven human kingdoms, except those stationed on the Northshore Coast, were here. The dwarves were too preoccupied to help.

"How could you forget the high elves?" At this moment, Duke's face was radiant, and there was a touch of excitement. His joy was obvious to anyone.

"High elves?"

"Impossible! Didn't they refuse to join the Alliance?" The kings began to discuss amongst themselves.

"That damned councilor," King Aiden of Alterac did not hesitate to spit venom.

Antonidas, stroking his pure white beard, seemed to remember something, "If it were anyone else in command, it would indeed be impossible. But you are Anduin Lothar. Since the days of Emperor Thoradin, the high elves have signed an ancient pact with humanity."

"Ancient pact…" Lothar murmured, recalling that there was indeed such a matter. But recent events were so numerous, and the high elves' attitude so cold, that Lothar had almost forgotten about it.

Cunning and old, Antonidas stroked his white beard, looking at the slightly agitated Duke, and laughed, "Hehe, I think it's best for the two commanders to welcome them."

Antonidas was indeed steady. He knew that the behavior of the Silvermoon Councilor Dar'khan on the day of the alliance had angered most kings, and they would not attend for the sake of their dignity.

It wouldn't be the Sun King himself coming, so not welcoming them would be perfectly reasonable.

It was at this moment that a sentry rushed to the entrance of the command post and reported, "The elves are here."

"Oh, we knew that already," Lothar said indifferently.

"We only received the report from the patrol boat when the elves' ships were almost within five miles…" The sentry, clearly from Kul Tiras, sounded a bit bitter.

Lothar didn't blame the poor sentry, "It's fine, we have Naga and Murlocs from the deputy commander patrolling the waters off Southshore."

The sentry, relieved, withdrew.

Lothar looked around, "Alright, Your Majesties, the arrival of the elves represents the attitude of a powerful nation on the continent. Those who are willing, follow me to welcome the envoy of Sun King Anasterian. The rest of you may rest here for a while."

After some consideration, it was ultimately Llane, Daelin, and Antonidas who followed Lothar, Duke, and Turalyon to the docks.

Although Daelin wasn't too willing to let go of his pride, he was extremely interested in how many ships the elves could provide for him as an admiral and supreme commander of the naval fleet.

Llane simply hoped to see a stronger Alliance, while Antonidas' thoughts remained unknown to anyone.

At this moment, over twenty elven swift boats, with their characteristic design, raced across the sea like arrows.

"Hahaha! I can't wait to see the human's panicked expressions. Just now, I had my people completely avoid their patrolling ships and slipped through the gaps in their patrol net. After all, with such a clear view during the day, they wouldn't mistake our distinguished elven ships for the crude orc vessels, would they?"

A calm voice interrupted the first speaker, "Apologies, but the humans detected our presence long before we were within 10 nautical miles."

"How is that possible?!" the first voice's owner exclaimed in surprise.

"Intuition tells me that it is so. Although I didn't spot any human reconnaissance ships, I could feel the gaze of multiple eyes watching us. I can't be mistaken."

As they left the command center and came to the hilltop near the sea, people gazed at the elven swift boats cutting through the waves towards the harbor.

Compared to the towering hulls of human ships, elven swift boats were more slender and streamlined. Made from the sturdy Starwood found only in the forests of Quel'Salas, their hulls were not only strong but also lighter than most shipbuilding materials.

The boat's hulls were adorned with a multitude of intricately carved, curvilinear patterns, and along the edges, there were more than a dozen magically enchanted ballistae. The massive triangular projectiles, composed of three sharp cones, had a range comparable to that of human cannons.

At the bow, the design resembled the beak of a majestic hippogryph. In full-speed motion, this seemingly decorative bow could also serve as a ram, allowing the elven swift boat to slice through medium-sized or smaller warships' hulls like a knife through butter, crushing them entirely.

"Elven destroyers," naval expert Daelin Proudmoore murmured. "Faster and lighter than our Kul Tiran reconnaissance ships—although they carry fewer weapons, their speed is a considerable advantage. This is an excellent, no, an outstanding addition to our fleet."

After finishing his statement, the Alliance Admiral frowned. "But it seems too few, doesn't it? I can only see eight light swift boats and sixteen ultra-light reconnaissance ships. That's merely the configuration for two combat groups."

"Perhaps there are more beyond the horizon?" Turalyon suggested from Lothar's other side, using a comforting tone.

"No!" Admiral Proudmoore shook his head with certainty. "That's not their style. If nothing unexpected happened, this is all they have."

Disappointment was evident in Daelin's voice. Perhaps it was Duke's generosity that raised his expectations; the greater the expectations, the greater the disappointment. Especially after having to split forces and station them off the coast of the Northflow, Daelin had an insatiable desire for more warships.

He knew all too well that this small fleet couldn't effectively protect the entire northern continent's coastline.

"24 ships still represent an increase in our fleet's combat strength by 24 ships," Duke consoled Admiral Proudmoore. "As you just said, this is, at the very least, an outstanding addition to our fleet."