Chapter 559: That One Answer

In the grand scheme of things, the Dalaran foot soldiers were much like the neglected stepchildren, mere cannon fodder standing in front of the Dalaran Mages' Council. When the battle goes as planned, they could display prowess beyond their usual standards. But now, the left flank began to crumble.

This wasn't a situation the Sunstrider Paladins, numbering in the thousands, could salvage.

The center line was the worst off.

Aside from Mograine and Abbendis's Scarlet Crusade holding their ground, the rest of the Lordaeron noble forces had been scattered by the orcs.

The fully armored peasants began to flee in panic, lamenting they weren't born with an extra pair of legs.

There were no taskmasters left. Even the Lordaeron's taskmasters fled from the sight of the emerging colossal fire elementals. What's worse, even though Terenas's royal banner still flew, Anduin circled twice and couldn't spot King Terenas anywhere.

One would think that, given his grandeur, the king, adorned in golden armor and always atop a purebred Lordaeron steed, nearly as tall as a man, would be easy to spot.

Yet, he was nowhere to be seen.

If King Terenas, stationed in the rear, had been ambushed and fallen in battle, it would've surely caused an uproar.

Now, seeing that Lordaeron flag, which seemed to exude an aura of deceit, fluttering emptily in the fierce winds, Anduin felt a wave of nausea.

An hour ago, a 250,000-strong human army brandished their gleaming swords and spears, their weapons' glint seemingly piercing the overcast skies. Across the dark valley, human infantry, clad in shimmering silver armor, marched in unison. Everywhere you looked, countless banners, bearing the crests of leading knights, fluttered.

How magnificent and awe-inspiring was that formation? It left Anduin, the commander, utterly spellbound.

But now!?

"Damn it!"

Anduin watched with growing despair as the situation deteriorated further. Beside him, the Stormwind Royal Knights were also breaking. Not due to low morale, but because they were true heavy cavalry. The knights, clad in hefty armor, couldn't even mount their horses without the aid of squires. Now, having been thrown off, they'd need at least half an hour to regroup.

It was only now that he realized that all he had left to command were fewer than ten paladins from the Order of the Silver Hand.

Gavinrad returned, as Duke had specifically requested.

Turalyon quietly positioned himself next to Uther.

Uther, Tirion Fordring, Saidan Dathrohan, Turalyon, Gavinrad - the gathering of these five paladins evoked memories in Anduin of the first time they had met.

Uther rode up to Anduin and proclaimed, "The full force of the Order of the Silver Hand is here! We await your orders, Supreme Commander Anduin!"

Orders?

Was he asking him to send them to their deaths?

Anduin held his breath.

Being a descendant of Emperor Lothar, he remembered the stories his father told him when he was a child.

It was also the final battle.

During the barbaric ages when humans were still divided by clans, gathering a single cavalry unit often meant drawing men from seven or eight clans. This often resulted in many human cavalrymen falling in battle without their origins or even names being recorded.

Yet, such a group of men, during the most critical moment of the final battle, made the same request to Lothar.

"Your orders, sir!"

Knowing full well that the order might be tantamount to a death sentence.

Still, they asked, "Your orders, sir!"

History seemed to be repeating itself.

2800 years ago, a line of pale-faced, malnourished cavalrymen approached Thoradin, holding up their crude lances, requesting to join the battle.

Now, 2800 years later, a similarly small group of knights, in almost the same manner, uttered the same words, evoking memories in Anduin that seemed to be deeply ingrained in his bloodline, dating back 2800 years.

A young Anduin had often wondered what he would decide when faced with such a choice.

But now, to his surprise, he realized there was only one answer.

And that singular answer now loomed in his mind like a ghost, compelling his facial muscles and tongue to utter that answer...

Anduin pointed at the imposing horde of two hundred thousand orcs, "Charge! For the future of humanity!"

Yes! For the future of humanity!

Uther and the other nine paladins bowed slightly in unison. Then, enveloped in a blinding golden light, Uther shouted, "In the name of the Holy Light! We will not tolerate this savagery!"

The ten paladins stood tall, forgoing lances which were cumbersome to them, and raised their warhammers high. Their unique platinum-colored steeds began to gallop across the battlefield.

Noticing them, two other paladins, previously engaged in combat, joined their ranks.

Anduin watched, a mix of astonishment and a bitter smile on his face.

On the battlefield, no cohesive groups of archers or spear throwers remained to cover them.

No ballistae, and certainly no mages. Nearly all the mages, terrified by the magic that could burn their mana, were retreating rapidly from the terrifying fire elemental.

Could a mere twelve paladins make much difference? How could he expect them to turn the tide in this dire battle?

Initially, no one noticed the small golden wave emerging on the battlefield.

The fleeing human soldiers and the orcish warriors, laughing maniacally as they pursued them, continued their rampage. Despite being only twelve, these paladins seemed to embody the force of an entire army.

Bathed in the brilliant golden Light, their faces were indistinct from a distance.

Yet, there was an ethereal sense about them, as if they were emissaries sent by human ancestors, carrying forward the will from the past, marching towards the future, fighting for that sacred answer.

For the future of humanity!

Duke, now gazing from the right flank towards the center, saw a vast green expanse, the unique rough flags of the Horde fluttering above.

Occasionally, the glint of human weapons shone through. Mograine's forces were still resisting, but their annihilation was inevitable.

It was then that Duke caught sight of Uther's dazzling golden aura.

A smirk formed on Duke's lips.

"Yes! That's the Uther I know. That's the Azeroth I know, brimming with heroes!"