Chapter 230: The Council of Six in Kirin Tor (Part 2)

Duke's words weighed heavily on the council members, causing them to retract their disdainful gazes.

But it wasn't enough.

"Please understand, our secret principles..."

"Hmph!" Duke snorted disdainfully, expressing his contempt for their shadowy games.

He knew exactly what these council members were thinking.

Why the Kirin Tor Council had invited him here. The exchange of information sounded nice, but there were many underlying reasons.

For instance, there was the matter of the alliance. Could a mage expect the same treatment as an ordinary knight after joining the alliance? Perhaps they thought that putting direct pressure on the warrior-born Lothar would be too conspicuous and possibly ineffective. So they targeted Duke, who was younger and more familiar with the magical domain.

Moreover, there was an important reason—Karazhan.

Dalaran, which had been the sole sanctuary for human mages for centuries, was upset by the appearance of Karazhan in the southern part of the continent, which challenged its unique and exalted status.

However, Medivh was too powerful for Dalaran to handle.

Just because they couldn't deal with Medivh didn't mean the Kirin Tor Council was helpless.

Hence, the Eye of Eternity came into existence. It was a secret organization established by the Kirin Tor to investigate Medivh and monitor his activities, a secret branch of the ruling Kirin Tor Council. Their mission was to keep an eye on Karazhan, full of spatial rifts, and its master, Medivh. Ostensibly, this was to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control.

In truth, they wanted to seize the opportunity and benefit as soon as Medivh stumbled.

In fact, even Khadgar was initially sent as a Kirin Tor spy to Medivh's side. However, Medivh magnanimously accepted Khadgar as his apprentice.

In the original history, Khadgar not only eliminated the possessed Medivh, but he also took great care of his "parental home," helping the Eye of Eternity transport Medivh's treasures and most precious books back to Dalaran.

It seemed as if Khadgar, as Medivh's disciple, had inherited his master's legacy and had the right to dispose of it as he saw fit, right?

In theory, yes. However, considering how Llane had gone to great lengths to build Karazhan for his friend Medivh and to create a new magical sanctuary in the south, Khadgar's actions seemed rather underhanded.

In the original history, Khadgar was undoubtedly a saint to the Alliance, but to the kingdom of Stormwind, which had invested heavily in building Karazhan and providing a large number of magical books, Khadgar was a treacherous ingrate. However, Llane had perished in that timeline, followed by Lothar, and the young King Varian had no way to seek justice. Stormwind lost control over Karazhan, and the matter was left unresolved.

But now, Karazhan was in Duke's hands.

Dalaran still wanted a piece of it? They shouldn't even think about it!

That's why Duke was so assertive.

Ignoring Antonidas's defense, Duke sternly said, "Sorry, but I'm a stubborn person. I have this peculiar talent that allows me to see through appearances to the essence. For example, when I was still a magic apprentice, I discovered that Medivh was possessed by Sargeras. So your so-called secrets are meaningless to me."

As his words fell, the entire Kirin Tor Council fell silent.

Disbelief filled the eyes of each council member.

Duke, as a traveler with a system elf, easily locked onto his first target.

That was a presence with the same magical circuits as his own. Although magic concealed much of the aura, the pair of eyes were unmistakable, and the system elf could help Duke analyze them.

He stared directly at the figure on the left: "Hiding in the shadows will only bring shame to the name of the Sunstrider, Prince Kael'thas."

Duke immediately heard a surprised gasp from beneath the man's mask, but it soon turned into a light chuckle: "You are right, young Duke Marcus," the mage replied, "I personally believe that speaking to a pitch-black figure is rather disrespectful for an Alliance Field Marshal."

With a swift gesture and a low incantation, the elf prince's disguise vanished, revealing his magnificent violet and gold robes.

As a high elf with a perfect 100-point handsomeness, Kael'thas had long, silky golden hair that seemed even more luxurious than gold silk satin. The exquisite hair draped over his shoulders, complemented by his extremely delicate, pointed face and the seductive red lips in his nymph-like eyes. One flirtatious glance from him would probably be enough to make all the girls who chased Korean dramas in Duke's previous life willingly jump into a river for him.

But Duke disliked him.

Men always hate pretty boys who are more handsome than themselves. Don't ask why.

Sensing Duke's mild distaste, Kael'thas's expression held a hint of caution, but his good upbringing allowed him to maintain his composure: "Is this better?"

"Much better, thank you," Duke said. He turned to look at the council member on his right. "How about the rest of you? Shall I continue? Archmage Krasus? Or perhaps Archlich Kel'Thuzad behind me?"

Krasus, the red dragon, and Kel'Thuzad, with his unique necromantic taste, were easily discernible with the help of the system elf, even easier than a lighthouse in the night.

With four of the six council members unmasked, the remaining two saw no reason to continue hiding, and the Kirin Tor Council members unanimously dropped their concealment.

They didn't know that Duke didn't recognize the remaining two at all. Duke didn't hang around Dalaran, and he wouldn't know who the two council members unmentioned in history books were. In fact, he wouldn't recognize them even if he saw them.

After Duke had thoroughly slapped their faces, Archmage Antonidas waved his hand, and the surroundings instantly transformed into a rectangular long table, typical of nobility.

"Please, sit," Antonidas said, taking the lead and sitting on an invisible chair.

Six council members sat on one side, with Duke on the other.

Now that their statuses were equal, Duke didn't give them a hard time and started exchanging information about the Horde with Dalaran on an equal footing.

"You say the orcs' planet is Draenor?"

"Connected to both worlds through the Dark Portal?"

"That's terrible. If we get the chance, we must destroy the Dark Portal."

"What? The Horde's warlocks all use the forbidden power of demons, which can drain human life and possibly resurrect the dead as undead. That's truly despicable news. We will study how to counter this."

After a series of exchanges, Duke was escorted away by Antonidas.