"Ding! Quest 'Recruit Orc Blademaster Follower Samuro' completed."
"Recruit Orc Blademaster Follower Samuro: Not all Orcs have abandoned their honor. Some Orcs with noble honor have been exiled by the Horde and wander this land in seclusion. Find the Blademaster Samuro, complete his challenge, and he will follow you."
"Ding! Samuro has become your follower."
"Samuro: Level: Hero Tier 3. Race: Orc. Class: Warrior, Blademaster. Skills: Wind Walk, Critical Strike, Mirror Image, Bladestorm. As a Warrior Instructor, can increase footman maturation speed by 20% and footman attack power by 20%."
"Ding! 'Conquer the Burning Blade Clan' Quest Part 2 initiated."
"Conquer the Burning Blade Clan (Part 2): Samuro is a hero of the Burning Blade Clan. It is now time for a reckoning with the clan that exiled him. Defeat the Burning Blade Clan's pursuers and find the clan's whereabouts. Objective: Kill twenty Burning Blade Clan pursuers, find the location of the Burning Blade Clan's encampment, and defeat the Burning Blade Clan Chieftain, Azuka Bladewrath. Reward: Become the Chieftain of the Burning Blade Clan and begin subsequent quests."
While Arthas and Samuro began their counterattack on the Orc command post, Windrunner Spire, the previously deceased Lireesa staggered back to her feet. She had been dead, but her soul had not yet traveled to the Shadowlands, so it was pulled back, and even the damage to her body was repaired.
Fortunately, there were no fatal wounds, or else not even a resurrection spell could have brought her back.
Looking at the other family members who had also been resurrected around her, a trace of doubt flashed through Lireesa's mind. "How is this possible?"
"My lady, it's the Prince of Lordaeron! He's outside fighting the Horde! Huh? There's an Orc with him. Did the Orcs surrender?"
"Wasn't I dead?"
"This... I'm still alive?"
There were all sorts of reactions—relief, fear, and awe toward Arthas. To be pulled back from the realm of the dead was a power beyond imagination. Not even their own priests could do that!
"All units, move out! Support the soldiers of the Lordaeron Alliance! Go!" Lireesa couldn't figure it out either. She had received letters from her eldest daughter, Alleria, and her son, Lirath, both of whom had mentioned being brought back from the dead. It seemed now that this human prince truly had something special about him.
The resurrected High Elves joined the battle. Coupled with the siege from the Expeditionary Force, the demoralized Orcs were mostly killed. Only a small portion were captured, and another small portion escaped.
The entire forest was ablaze, and panicked animals fled in all directions. All this destruction caused the High Elves immense heartache. The forest environment they depended on for survival had been ruined like this, and their kin had been brutally killed.
The cause of this tragedy was the Horde, and those Trolls who had colluded with the Orcs!
A High Elf woman with silver hair, her face still beautiful despite the faint crow's feet at the corners of her eyes, approached. She was clad in Ranger armor that covered her entire body and held a silver-white longbow. Her steps were steady, maintaining her elegance even after battle.
"Greetings, Your Highness. I am Lireesa Windrunner. Thank you very much for your aid. Without your support, we would have been defeated, and the civilians would not have been able to evacuate. Please allow me to express my most sincere gratitude!" After speaking, she bowed deeply, showing her utmost respect.
"You're welcome. Alleria is assisting the Alliance in resisting the Horde's invasion, so I am merely returning the favor. You and your people can retreat to Silvermoon City from the port. This place is indefensible. If the Horde attacks in force, it will still be difficult to hold." Arthas's eyes lit up. It was truly rare to see such a beautiful, mature Elven woman. Most Elves were young and beautiful, but this was the first time he had seen a fully ripened, mature Elf. Even with the faint crow's feet, she was still a pleasing sight.
"Thank you for your advice, Your Highness. May I ask where you plan to advance next?" Lireesa was more concerned about the humans' next move, not out of suspicion, but to see if they would support Silvermoon City.
"We plan to stay here for a while. If Silvermoon City does not join the Alliance, we have no obligation to enter the territory of Quel'Thalas to fight. That would be an invasion, considered an act of war. Please understand. The Rangers who went to Lordaeron to provide support have been a great help to me, and they are part of the reason I came here," Arthas said, shaking his head.
Politics were complicated. Relations between kingdoms were the most complex of all. Even the seven human kingdoms had friction and disputes, with some even thinking of annexation, let alone the relations between humans and Elves. The intricate games involved were too troublesome.
If Silvermoon City did not agree, and Arthas rashly led his army to fight the Horde before its gates, not only would Silvermoon City not be grateful, but they would also condemn Lordaeron for invasion.
Who knew if he was just pretending to offer support while actually planning to plunder the High Elves' wealth? It sounded fantastical, but other kingdoms resentful of Lordaeron would certainly take the opportunity to cause trouble. It might not cripple Lordaeron, but it would at least force them to bleed and make concessions.
Don't think this was impossible; in reality, it was very likely.
There was no such thing as being as close as brothers; that was all nonsense. Wasn't it the same with the Stormwind Alliance in later generations? The other six kingdoms were so devastated by the Scourge that they were on the brink of collapse. Stormwind's losses were minimal, so after its strength became preeminent, it naturally became the leader. This was reality.
Spouting righteousness and morality was useless; having the biggest fist was the only truth.
Lireesa sighed. "I will persuade the king to join the Alliance. Without the Alliance's help, I can't imagine how we can possibly fend off these monsters. The High Elves have never suffered such a heavy price. The Horde will surely face the wrath of the Quel'dorei!"
"You should rest well. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave." Arthas didn't take any further action; he still needed to do some planning.
Watching Arthas leave, Lireesa felt that this campaign would be very long and difficult. This prince had already gathered many races under his command: Naga, Murlocs, Gnolls, and now even an Orc.
Furthermore, he coordinated them very well, and they played a significant role. This kind of thinking that broke conventional boundaries was undoubtedly far ahead of its time. If not for his status as a prince, he would probably be flamed into oblivion.