Chapter 343: Hold Onto My Waist

The High Elves are indeed impressive, with many powerful mages and formidable rangers.

Sounds perfect, doesn't it? But don't you think something is missing?

Yes, the frontline soldiers.

The delicate physique of the High Elves makes them excellent mages and rangers, but not good warriors.

Their natural strength and stamina are inferior to other races. In close combat, they are at a disadvantage against the towering trolls, let alone the violent orcs.

Not only is it a matter of racial talent, but the most important point is that the population of High Elves is too small.

Their long lifespan makes the High Elves less enthusiastic about reproduction. Moreover, in a kingdom where mages are revered, the status of warriors is extremely low. This leads to an even smaller number of High Elf warriors. For this reason, Quel'Thalas has heavily developed arcane golem technology, attempting to compensate for the lack of vanguard in wars.

Without the magical defense shield of the forest, Quel'Thalas would likely repeat its past mistakes, being beaten down by trolls like 2800 years ago, nearly leading to the extinction of the kingdom.

This time, with the addition of the more violent and fierce orcs, the High Elves would definitely not fare well.

Seeing Duke, who was like a saint saving the world a moment ago, suddenly turn into a rogue, Sylvanas was almost driven mad. Duke is indeed a very good friend of her sister. But in the face of world-class events, Duke's priority is the Alliance, which is unquestionable.

How could she know that Duke had reasons for helping or saving each kingdom?

Ironforge goes without saying, it's the core of the future Alliance.

The maritime kingdom of Kul Tiras is a key aid to the restoration of the Kingdom of Stormwind.

Southshore in Alterac... now the refugees from Stormwind are there.

Stromgarde... Duke clearly remembers what a tragic situation Stromgarde will be in after the Third War. The seeds Duke sows today will definitely bear fruit in the future.

Perhaps Duke is indeed a great hero of the Alliance today, but while saving the world, Duke doesn't mind helping himself. Only he knows that in the future, it's a world where demons run rampant. If he doesn't preserve more vitality today, he will pay a higher price and make more compromises in the future.

He must assert his authority, cough, no. His relationship with Queen Sylvanas is innocent, he just needs to establish the master-servant relationship.

Looking at Duke with deep eyes, Sylvanas unusually had no idea what to do. She's not without talent in this area, but because she has a more mature and steady older sister taking the lead, she doesn't need to consider these things. She just needs to be the nominal Ranger-Marshal, being a salary thief in Silvermoon City.

Suddenly asking her to come up with a charter, or a suitable identity and reason for Duke to lead the army to save Quel'Thalas, she really couldn't say a word.

After realizing that Duke was not affected by her threats, she bit her lip, remained silent, and stared at Duke.

One second...

Five seconds...

Thirty seconds...

The air almost stagnated, time nearly stopped.

Finally, there was a plea in Sylvanas's eyes.

Duke didn't want to pressure Sylvanas too much at once, so he sighed.

"Sylvanas, it's not that I deliberately want to threaten you, or don't want to send troops. In the face of the Horde's barbaric invasion, the eight nations signed the Lordaeron Alliance Treaty. It's reasonable and legal for me to lead any nation's army into any of the eight nations. But Quel'Thalas is different. If the Alliance's troops step into Quel'Thalas without the formal permission of the Sun King, it would be equivalent to declaring war on the High Elves. I can't bear this responsibility, Lothar can't bear it, no king or group of kings can bear such a responsibility."

"So what do we do?" Sylvanas felt a chill in her heart as soon as she heard this. She's not young anymore, and as a Ranger-Marshal, she's very clear about how troublesome the Silvermoon Council can be. In peacetime, this might be a manifestation of democracy. In wartime, these guys can do nothing but hold back.

Even if her older sister goes back, how easy would it be to get King Anasterian and the Silvermoon Council to swallow their pride and ask humans for help?

Even after more than two thousand years, there are still councilors complaining about giving too many benefits to humans in the past. This made Anasterian, who took the throne after the Troll Wars, quite embarrassed. After all, even if he didn't set the terms, it was still the responsibility of their Sunstrider royal family.

Duke sighed again: "So the key to the problem lies not with our Alliance, but with you High Elves!"

"So... can we do nothing? For the sake of my sister and the entire Windrunner family's friendship with you." Sylvanas's body was trembling.

"For the sake of friendship, you come up first!" Duke extended his right hand to Sylvanas: "When I was speculating that the Horde might attack Hinterlands' Aerie Peak, I wrote a personal letter to Magni Bronzebeard. Because he was seriously injured and couldn't handle affairs himself, Magni now requests me in the name of acting King of the Bronzebeard Dwarves. If Aerie Peak is attacked by the Horde, he hopes the Alliance will definitely save their Wildhammer Dwarf brethren. So our going to Aerie Peak is absolutely reasonable and legal."

"And then?"

"If we can successfully protect the Wildhammer Dwarves, we will pursue the Orc and Troll army all the way to the border of Quel'Thalas. But let me make it clear, unless Quel'Thalas officially announces its joining the Alliance, the 'Alliance' soldiers will absolutely not step into the territory of the High Elves." Duke emphasized the word 'Alliance'.

"Hmph! You've thought about this a long time ago, haven't you?" Sylvanas grumbled unwillingly, but she put her hand in Duke's palm.

Uh, Queen Sylvanas's hand is so soft.

Damn it, why don't these rangers have any calluses on their hands from pulling bows all day? The bodies of High Elves are really unscientific!

Without giving Duke more chance to let his mind wander, Queen Sylvanas neatly flipped over and sat on the back of Duke's gryphon.

Originally, Duke had a small fantasy that Sylvanas might lean against his back. Unfortunately, Sylvanas, who had just given Duke some face, was on high alert. No matter how the gryphon twisted its back, or how bumpy it was when the gryphon flapped its wings, Sylvanas stubbornly straddled the gryphon's back, keeping her chest away from Duke, at most holding onto Duke's waistband with both hands.

Unfortunately, an hour later, Sylvanas's efforts to prevent being taken advantage of were destined to be in vain.

Because, they were about to engage in battle.

Countless gryphons were circling in the sky, on the ground, countless spears were being thrown towards the sky, occasionally shooting down dwarves and gryphons.

Sylvanas bit her lip, flipped over Duke's shoulder and came to his front.

"Hold onto my waist!"