Chapter 163: Refusal

"To my surprise, Alleria is not inside the Sunspire." Wondering what might have called her away, Patrek headed toward the magus tower.

"Reporting to you, My Lord, Lady Alleria has gone outside the city to welcome General Sylvanas," replied the elven maid.

Patrek was somewhat puzzled as to why she needed to travel beyond the city gates just to greet Sylvanas. "Oh? Has something happened?"

"General Sylvanas led the troops to successfully drive the trolls out from Sunfire Peak, reclaimed the Farstrider Camp, and completely decimated the main troll forces led by Zul'jin."

Just as the maid finished speaking, Patrek heard the voices of Sylvanas and Alleria approaching from outside the door.

"It is merely a pity that Zul'jin managed to escape under the cover of night. Otherwise, we could have resolved the trolls of Zul'Aman once and for all," Sylvanas said as she entered first. Her tone carried a hint of regret, yet her expression was unmistakably proud, as if she were silently demanding praise from her brother-in-law for her brilliant performance.

This was indeed the greatest triumph the high elves had achieved since the founding of their nation. Zul'jin had originally joined forces with the Horde to assault the Eversong Woods from two directions. However, when the Horde retreated, they failed to notify the trolls, leaving them exposed to be intercepted by the rallying high elves and subsequently wiped out by incoming reinforcements.

Patrek’s slender golden eyebrows arched. "Were all the trolls utterly annihilated?"

"Not entirely. Sylvanas, alongside Ranger Lord Halduron Brightwing who arrived with reinforcements, surrounded and cornered them. The main troll forces have been eradicated, and the troll leader Zul'jin was nearly captured alive," Alleria explained as she entered next, accompanied by a male elf and a male human. "Unfortunately, during the trolls' nocturnal feint, Zul'jin used the chaos to slip away."

Patrek fell into deep thought before speaking. "The trolls and the orcish Horde must have conspired long in advance. While the orcs assaulted us from the front, Zul'jin’s forces attacked from the flank, aiming for a pincer movement to fracture our kingdom's military deployment."

"Indeed, but in the end, they failed. This is Halduron Brightwing, the leader of the reinforcements dispatched by the Ranger Command. And this is Nathanos Marris, a human merchant whose caravan encountered the trolls. Fortunately, he crossed paths with Sylvanas's ranger troops and was spared, afterward remaining with Sylvanas to assist in the fighting," Alleria introduced briefly.

Any ranger capable of winning Sylvanas’s approval naturally possessed exceptional qualities. Given the Windrunner family's exacting standards for rangers, Nathanos must have been a practitioner of considerable talent. "Regardless, this victory is a monumental achievement worthy of celebration."

"With the trolls severely battered and the interference of external foes lifted, the development of the floating city shall usher in a golden age."

...

As the highest administrative authority in the Ghostlands, Patrek was duty-bound to report the military achievements of Sylvanas, Halduron Brightwing, and the others to His Majesty Anasterian and the Silvermoon Council. Alleria, too, would officially submit the battle reports through the Ranger Command.

It had been countless years since Silvermoon City had achieved such a resounding victory in warfare against the trolls. According to frontline observations, the trolls had completely retreated into places like Zeb'Nowa and Zeb'Tela, limiting themselves to heightened patrols and defense, utterly incapable of further encroaching upon frontline regions such as Anowyn and Antalath.

Sylvanas and Halduron recounted the details of the battle at length. According to them, Nathanos Marris's superb wilderness survival skills had proved invaluable; otherwise, Sylvanas would never have permitted a human to enter the floating city. Patrek instructed the attendants in the tower to arrange temporary quarters for the two commanders and the human merchant so they could rest properly.

"Chief Councilor Patrek, Salthelor, Chief of the Royal Arcane Academy, has teleported into the floating city," Yanida’s magical telepathic transmission echoed in his mind. Salthelor’s arrival undoubtedly meant that the compensation terms had been finalized in detail.

"Send him up." Sending a general of such standing to deliver the terms—Anasterian must have harbored deep intentions behind this resolution.

Prompted by Yanida’s announcement, Salthelor ascended to Patrek’s top-floor chamber. Stepping into the floating city for the first time, Salthelor glanced around. Though the chamber lacked the lavish luxury of Silvermoon City, it was saturated with rich arcane energy. The interior furnishings were standard yet comprehensive, every necessary amenity present, with arcane scrolls and heavy tomes stacked high against the walls.

Salthelor cast out his mental perception, sensing the vast sky beyond. The sensation of this newly emerged city suspended amidst the clouds, looking down upon the world from above, left him momentarily entranced. "The atmosphere of this floating city is truly extraordinary."

Of course, Salthelor dared only think these words in his heart. Patrek was no longer the promising young mage he once was; as a member of the Council, his status now surpassed his own, and he was merely acting as the King's messenger.

Salthelor produced a legal document ratified by the four great families and presented it to Patrek. "Councilor Patrek, this is the compensation package drafted by the Sunwing, Dawnrunner, Windrunner, and Dawnspear families, applicable to all affected elven commoners. Furthermore, in recognition of your stellar performance during this conflict, the other four councilors have unanimously agreed to grant you a permanent seat on the Silvermoon Council as Vice President, to jointly guide the governance of Quel'Thalas. What are your thoughts on this matter?"

Salthelor maintained a respectful tone throughout. Though Patrek had once been an obscure young mage—whose application to join the Arcane Association Salthelor himself had once rejected due to his sudden council appointment—times had changed, and this once-overlooked spellcaster had leaped to the very pinnacle of Quel'Thalas.

Patrek cast a detached glance over the council report. The terms offered were exceptionally generous; the financial and material subsidies were so vast that Patrek briefly suspected his eyes were playing tricks on him, as if an extra zero had been mistakenly added. Yet, the final clause was an undisguised, malicious plot. Those councilors were still sparing no effort to scheme against him. They truly were relentless.

Patrek casually inquired, "What stance has Master Archmage Aux, Chief of the Magisters' Guild, taken on this?"

Salthelor replied, "Master Aux expressed no definitive position. He merely remarked that since the council's resolution had already been passed by the majority, his opinion was of little consequence."

That old fox; his political instincts remain as sharp as ever. He undoubtedly foresaw that I would be enraged upon reading this decree, and thus immediately sought to distance himself. While the Cabron family and the Dawnblade family had forged an alliance, and his own brother and father managed to uphold the family's prestige in Silvermoon City largely thanks to the Dawnblades' backing, Patrek understood well that their relationship was less an alliance of trust and more a marriage of convenience, each utilizing the other while harboring divergent loyalties.

Patrek set the resolution aside and stated clearly, "The final three clauses—I reject them, entirely and unconditionally."

"Chief Councilor Patrek, is returning to Silvermoon City to develop your career not vastly superior to remaining here in the Ghostlands? The council’s terms are exceedingly generous. You would become the very first elf in the history of the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas to attain the rank of Council Vice President before reaching a century of age." Salthelor found Patrek utterly incomprehensible. From his perspective, the council's offer was so extraordinarily lucrative that even he, Chief of the Royal Arcane Association, felt tempted. Why this young elf would refuse without a moment's hesitation defied all imagination.