Duke glanced at Alleria, feeling somewhat puzzled. For some reason, she didn't quite match the image he had in mind for the eldest of the Windrunner sisters.
Not only was she curious and inquisitive, but she also seemed far removed from the mature and level-headed persona he had expected. Could it be that Alleria was part of the 20% discrepancy in his understanding of her world?
As Duke remained silent, Alleria graciously spoke up, "Don't worry! I'm just a high elf passing through on vacation, and I'm simply curious about the unknown. If I have offended you in any way, I apologize. Ah, I've already heard your name—Duke Marcus."
Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Duke rubbed his nose and extended his hand for a friendly handshake, replying naturally, "Alright, I accept your apology, Alleria."
Alleria hesitated for a moment before realizing it was a human custom. She extended her hand and clasped Duke's in return.
Upon shaking hands, Duke was surprised to find that Alleria's hand was soft, delicate, and flexible, much like those of noble ladies. He had expected the renowned ranger-general's hands to be calloused and rough.
Were all high elves so peculiar? How could they train without their fingers becoming coarse?
As Duke pondered this, Alleria revealed a slightly sly smile, "Well, Duke, you do know who I am. I don't believe I've introduced myself to you, have I?"
"…"
"In my experience with humans, high elves all look the same to you! What's the term again? Ah, yes, face-blindness."
Duke suddenly realized that Alleria had set a trap for him, and he had naively fallen in, effectively digging his own grave.
"Well… the Windrunner sisters are quite famous where I come from!"
Alleria burst into laughter, "Hahaha! You're too amusing! Even the most intelligent mages of Stormwind—80% of them, at least—don't know the name of the Quel'Thalas king. Yet you, a mere commoner, know the name of a ranger-general thousands of miles away. Hehehe!"
Without any hint of condescension or blame, Alleria's curiosity had simply reached its peak.
A human with merely apprentice-level skills who could use Mirror Image to feign death, seemingly master fire magic with ease, and know the name of a ranger-general from a faraway land.
Alleria's attention had shifted from mere curiosity to close observation.
After laughing heartily for a while, Alleria finally straightened up and wiped away the tears of laughter from her eyes, "It's a good thing you made a mistake, or else I would've thought you were some sort of sage or omniscient being reincarnated."
"Uh…"
Was I wrong?
Duke was a bit bewildered.
"I really don't know where you heard about the 'Windrunner Sisters.' However, in our generation, there are actually four Windrunner sisters. As for fame, my youngest sister, Lirath, is the most famous. She singlehandedly killed 128 trolls with just her bow in the Battle against the Trolls a couple of years ago, which made her name."
After hearing this, Duke mentally exclaimed three times:
Holy crap!
What the heck!
Oh my god!
Important things need to be said three times, otherwise, they won't be acknowledged as major events!
First of all, trolls are not some joke of a creature. These moss-covered humanoids can regrow lost limbs and heal serious physical wounds, possessing incredible regenerative capabilities. Unless their heads are blown off by an arrow or impaled by a heart-piercing shot, they can easily recover from severed hands and feet by consuming flesh.
Yes, flesh, be it their enemy's or their own. They don't shy away from consuming meat!
Not only are they savage and evil, but they also worship cruel blood sacrifices and are formidable warriors. Killing these creatures is no easy task, even for professionally trained Stormwind soldiers, who usually require at least three to four people to take down a single troll.
But according to Alleria, Lirath singlehandedly killed more than a hundred trolls?
It sounds like Lirath has entered the realm of heroes!
Well, the actual focus is on the second point!
It's Lirath, not Lirath. In the game Duke played before crossing over, besides the famous Windrunner Sisters, there was a fourth sibling – a male named Lirath.
According to the original timeline, Lirath would die in a troll invasion, which would become one of Alleria's greatest regrets later on.
But now, the Windrunner Sisters have become four, and not only has Lirath turned female, but she also sounds incredibly powerful. Is this... the 20% deviation determined by the system?
Duke's heart was in turmoil amidst the night breeze.
Darn it! He had a feeling that if he fully relied on the events from the game before crossing over, he would end up in a terrible situation.
Duke could almost see a ghoul version of himself waving at him from the Mirror of Fate.
Seeing Duke's astonished expression, wide enough to fit an egg in his mouth, Alleria laughed heartily.
"Hehehe, it seems you know what trolls are, don't you? Lirath is amazing, isn't she? She's the sister I'm most proud of. However, having such a talented sister can be troublesome. Those despicable Quel'thalas councilors are constantly causing trouble for me and my second sister, Sylvanas, claiming our Windrunner family is monopolizing the entire ranger corps. So, in a fit of anger, I took a year-long vacation to clear my mind."
Duke was dumbfounded, but he understood Alleria's underlying message. As a high elf ranger general, she wouldn't expose his Rogue background or reveal the shady dealings within Quel'thalas.
After all, Alleria believed there wouldn't be any fundamental conflicts of interest between a high elf ranger general and a human mage apprentice.
Duke sighed, "Alright, you don't get involved in my conflicts with the nobles, and I won't bother about your observation of me. Is that what you mean?"
"Don't make me sound like a voyeur. I just want to say that if you have any interesting activities to help pass the time, please include me. As a token of gratitude, I'll give you this."
Alleria handed over a small booklet.
"This is...?" Duke asked, examining the booklet.