Reforged Chapter 63: The Debut

Medivh is back?

For most of the Stormwind nobles and mages, this was not an unusual event. In fact, not many people were overly concerned.

The powerful Guardian of Azeroth would have no safety issues. His disappearance in recent years, traveling alone without a word, was not the first time.

So when Medivh returned, everyone's reaction was merely, "Oh, he's back."

Instead, the focus of attention was on Duke.

Simply put, Medivh was like a glorious figure in the clouds above, admired by mortals but unattainable.

Over the past year, the idol of all commoners, and even those struggling nobles, was the self-made Duke.

The youngest Archmage, a member of the Royal Mage Corps, ruler of the ocean off the Western Plaguelands, undisputed master of the Pearl Route, and inventor of Chanel perfume…

So many titles, all on the head of one young man.

Rumor had it that King Llane Wrynn had decided to grant Duke knighthood. For Duke, a commoner by birth, this was an extraordinary elevation. At least that's how the nobles saw it.

Thanks to Duke's development of the Pearl Route over the past year, he provided a significant additional tax revenue for Stormwind. Even though Llane had greatly favored Duke, nearly a hundred thousand gold coins in taxes still left Llane's tax collectors reeling.

Not only were the walls of Stormwind City being repaired, but the long-neglected Stormwind Keep also benefited. The stonemasons of the Stonemasons' Guild were all grateful for Duke's magnanimity.

Originally, Duke was not qualified to attend the New Year's banquet, but Llane and Anduin jointly sent Duke an invitation.

Saturday, 8 PM.

Outside Stormwind Keep, carriages slowly arrived, pulled by tall, strong horses, their backs nearly as high as a person.

Each horse's coat shone with a healthy glow, almost every strand of hair neatly groomed, and some horses even had their manes braided.

Various carriages, whether luxurious or low-key, had clearly undergone some restoration, and many still smelled of fresh paint.

The prominent spots on the carriage exteriors were engraved with the emblems of each family, symbols of their history and glory.

Under the watchful eyes of Stormwind guards dressed in new armor, elegantly dressed noble gentlemen and ladies stepped out of the carriages and walked along the red carpet. Some were led inside by messengers, but most greeted each other at the majestic entrance of Stormwind Keep.

Small circles formed, an obvious divide.

"Lord Fordragon, I didn't expect you to arrive so early," a middle-aged man greeted a young man with reddish-brown hair dressed in a black tailcoat. The surrounding nobles also showed great respect for this young noble.

He was Bolvar Fordragon, the head of one of Stormwind's major families and the young inheritor of the title of upper nobility. His mother was a noblewoman with a high reputation among the upper echelons of the kingdom.

Bolvar responded with an elegant bow, "Yes, Count Carton, I heard that we'd be able to see the 'Sea King Duke' tonight, so I came early."

Count Carton's face showed a hint of embarrassment, as the Blancdale family was his vassal. However, he immediately changed the subject, discussing other matters.

Unfortunately, all the major topics in Stormwind recently revolved around one person - Duke Marcus.

...

"I heard that King Llane and Lothar agreed to let Duke *Marcus come to the banquet in his special carriage. I'd like to see what kind of carriage that is," said an unknown noble, which led all the nobles to cast their gaze into the distance.

Then, they finally saw a strange 'carriage.'

"My goodness, what is that?"

On the canal that runs through the entire city of Stormwind, a peculiar object drifted, neither a ship nor a carriage.

It wasn't a ship because it had no bow or stern.

It wasn't a carriage because it moved on the water.

If anything, it resembled a palanquin, supported by four massive male naga.

On any other day, such an odd vehicle would have been attacked by Stormwind guards. But not today, as a crest on the carriage's cabin assured them of its authenticity. The arcane symbol could not be counterfeited.

A purple circular magical array encircled the crest, with a spiral lightning bolt symbolizing arcane magic in the center. The radiant arcane glow signified the carriage's owner was inside.

This was the emblem of the respected Archmage Norton from the Royal Academy of Magic.

Beside this emblem was another crest the nobles had never seen before.

The design was simple: a tornado-like blue storm.

Carried by four strong naga, a coachman dressed in a standard Stormwind apprentice knight uniform sat at the front. The peculiar 'carriage' drifted along the canal, arriving at Stormwind Keep. At the small dock of the fortress, the naga swayed their enormous tails, proudly lifting the 'carriage' onto the red carpet leading to the welcoming hall.

Stormwind guards stood on both sides, expressionless, obviously having been informed beforehand.

Someone recognized the coachman as the somewhat famous squire, Reginald *Windsor.

The carriage was gently lowered, and Windsor skillfully hopped off, opening the door.

Under the gaze of the nobles, a young man with black hair wearing a blue and white gold-trimmed mage's robe stepped out first. He then impeccably greeted a tall, elegant middle-aged woman in an off-white evening gown who stepped down.

She had golden hair piled at the back of her head and, while not possessing delicate features, she gave off a pleasant and comfortable vibe. This was Elizabeth *Jones, a woman all of Stormwind's noble ladies enjoyed interacting with.

The second person to disembark was Archmage Norton, holding his staff.

However, the focus of everyone's attention remained on Duke Marcus.

Seeing the four massive naga carry the 'carriage' away, standing in line with Windsor as coachmen, the group of nobles was both surprised and amused. With such an enormous frame, should the naga be considered coachmen or 'horses'?

A strange smile crossed the lips of Duke Barovar: "What an interesting fellow."

Just then, suddenly, a burst of intense arcane energy dispersed before the red carpet, and a magical circle with a diameter of four meters appeared.

Following a brief flash of arcane light, a figure both familiar and unfamiliar emerged.

Azeroth's Guardian - Medivh!

...