Chapter 542: You Fight, I've Got Your Back

Duke donned a disguise named "Makeup." Sadly, the art of disguise in this era was rather lackluster, so he entered the meeting with glaringly obvious panda eyes.

A group of kings couldn't help but chuckle under their breaths.

The Dalaran of this time wasn't the skyborne city of the future, crowded with buildings at every inch. The Dalaran City located on the southern shores of Lake Lordamere still had vast expanses of land.

Although every suite in the guest palace was a detached mansion, for security reasons, they were all in the same district. Given the commotion from Duke's side last night, culminating in a certain Vereesa using Thunder Arrow, it was impossible for the events to remain a secret.

However, since no one was deliberately prying, not many cared about Duke's personal affairs. Most just assumed Duke had faced some setback.

Given Duke's current status, a minor hiccup wasn't a big deal. No one really expected Duke's cross-racial relationship to last. For instance, everyone knew about Daelin's affair with the elven mage named Jaina Goldsword. So what?

To high nobles, a lover was merely a matter of taste. Any spouse that wasn't of equal social standing was deemed unsuitable. Looking at Duke's achievements, not many women were considered his equal. The kings watched Duke with amusement, curious to see which princess or duchess's daughter he'd eventually marry.

But at the Alliance Throne Meeting, official matters took precedence.

Once everyone arrived, the discussions grew intense.

Turalyon began by briefing everyone on the war situation: "The Horde's communication is noticeably slower than ours. After losing the support of the Red Dragonflight, they've lost all rapid communication means. Even now, the Horde army on the eastern side of the Thoradin Wall, numbering over a hundred thousand, shows no sign of retreating. According to our estimates, the wolf riders dispatched from Grim Batol Fortress will reach the front lines of the Thoradin Wall by late tonight or early tomorrow at the earliest."

King Thoras Trollbane, the most anxious among them, slammed his fist on the map table: "What are we waiting for? We must launch a full-scale attack before these greenskins flee and annihilate them in the Arathi Highlands!"

As the recently dethroned king, Thoras was the most anxious. In contrast, King Llane, who lost his kingdom a year ago, seemed calmer. Yet, both kings shared an equal desire to reclaim their lands.

However, Thoras's proposal wasn't met with much support.

Everyone could sense the Horde's declining morale. Reclaiming the Arathi Highlands seemed inevitable, but the means and the cost to achieve this became the issue.

Every nation in the Alliance had its political and economic interests. They all understood the need to crush the Horde, or none would prosper. Yet after so much fighting, even a powerhouse like Lordaeron felt the strain, let alone weaker nations.

Just as Thoras was about to explode in frustration, Anduin offered a compromise: "Fighting like this is too costly. Why not wait for the frontline Horde to receive news of the collapse from the rear? When their morale drops and they start to retreat, we can launch a full-scale attack. It'll be like chasing rabbits, a lot easier."

Anduin's suggestion quickly garnered support from several Alliance kings.

However, the dwarves from Khaz Modan disagreed. Muradin Bronzebeard, who had rushed over on his gryphon after confirming the Horde's defeat in the Wetlands, exclaimed: "Hold on! Are you sure you can wipe out these tens of thousands of orcs in the Arathi Highlands? Don't enjoy chasing those rabbits and inadvertently drive the orcs back to Khaz Modan. That would spell disaster for us Bronzebeards!"

Kurdran Wildhammer chimed in: "Exactly! In the Arathi Highlands and Wetlands, it's fine. But once you enter the mountainous regions of Khaz Modan, our precious gryphon riders will be at a disadvantage."

With a subtle nod from Duke, Anduin felt reassured: "Then we can tweak the plan slightly. Using Dalaran mages' teleportation and gryphon riders for transportation, we can deploy around two thousand elite troops to Stromgarde, who would then quickly march east to regain control of the north side of the Thandol Span. Then..."

Anduin made a gesture resembling a clash between forces.

The implication was clear: It would be like catching fish in a barrel.

King Thoras immediately brightened up. Although he knew this operation would incur heavy losses, the benefits were evident. The Horde would lose its last organized army: "Stromgarde can contribute 400 knights!"

"Stormwind, 300 knights," King Llane quickly added.

"Alterac, 200 knights," General Haas said, representing the essentially defunct Kingdom of Alterac, yet still trying to wash away the stains on his badge of honor.

"Kul Tiras will provide 200 skilled ballista operators," Daelin added, surprising many, given that Kul Tiras had mainly focused on naval battles.

The two dwarven leaders exchanged a glance: "The dwarves can contribute 300 chamber guards!"

"Quel'Thalas, 300 rangers!"

King Terenas couldn't hold back any longer: "Lordaeron, 500 knights."

For once, every nation of the Alliance was contributing troops.

After further discussions, Lothar, the most skilled among them, was chosen to lead. What started as a simple airborne strike transformed into an aerial support for a ground assault team, targeting the Thandol Span. They planned to march from Southshore, along the eastern coast beach, directly to Stromgarde.

King Thoras confidently mentioned a secret passage from Stromgarde to Thandol Span. So, the strategy was to use a 5,000-strong strike team to block the Horde's only escape route, while Mograine led a two hundred thousand-strong human army in a frontal assault, surrounding the Horde.

The Alliance army on the western side of the Thoradin Wall had long been on alert, with provisions packed and ready, so preparations didn't take long. Instead, the meticulous planning for the strike team took more time and drained the tacticians.

The leaders had started to inadvertently overlook Duke due to his overwhelming achievements. Yet, Duke managed to subtly yet significantly reassert his presence.

When Anduin and Llane privately asked Duke about the plan, Duke nonchalantly responded: "You go ahead and fight. If things go south, I'll step in."

"How so?"

"I'll call the Red Dragonflight to cleanse the area with dragonfire!"

Both Anduin and Llane burst out laughing.