The Red Dragon Legion was even brought up. King Anasterian and the council members fell silent. After exchanging glances, Anasterian spoke, "Your Highness, we can have the Windrunner Family serve you. They are the most outstanding Rangers and would be of considerable help to your forces."
"The entire family? How many of them are there? Are there any mages? Will they serve me for life?" Arthas fired off a series of questions, almost enough to daze a person.
Anasterian, however, answered calmly, "As of the start of the war, the Windrunner Family and the Ranger Corps under their command total thirteen thousand. They can serve you for life; joining Lordaeron is not a problem. There are mages within the Ranger Corps as well. If Your Highness agrees, we can sign a magic contract immediately. You must lead your troops to Silvermoon City at once to support Quel'Thalas, repel the Orc and Troll invasion, and drive them out of Quel'Thalas."
Magic was fundamental, while the Ranger Corps could be trained anew. The cost of training one mage could train more than ten Rangers. Rangers who simply bent a bow and shot arrows were not that expensive; one could even say they were quite cheap.
Only the Rangers of the Windrunner Family attempted to combine magic with archery and combat, which was seen as heretical by traditional mages and was naturally not well-liked.
"I also want one thousand pounds of thorium ore, one thousand pounds of mithril ore, three thousand pounds of peacebloom, three thousand pounds of fangtooth grass, one thousand pounds of forbidden thorn..." Arthas rattled off a list of materials he wanted, making exorbitant demands like a lion opening its great maw. He wanted everything, including the kitchen sink.
"Done. Your Highness, can we sign the contract now?" Anasterian suppressed his anger. He was reaching his limit; this was too much!
"Fine. Give me the teleportation coordinates, and I'll bring my people over. My troops will arrive to support you soon. Hmph, I don't have much time to waste. I have crucial things to do." Arthas spoke with a hint of arrogance.
Compared to these haughty long-ears, his own wife, Alleria, was already quite understanding.
After receiving the magic coordinates, Arthas closed the magic communication. He cursed inwardly, then said to Emeriss and Keristrasza, "Get Tarecgosa and Chromie. We're all going to Silvermoon City."
The Expeditionary Force had actually set out long ago. The small contingent left behind was just to build simple fortifications and outposts, responsible for escorting supplies.
Arthas found Lireesa. The strong elven matron was still taking care of her husband. "I've reached an agreement with Anasterian. From now on, the Windrunner Family belongs to me. You are mine now."
"I understand. What do you need me to do?" Lireesa was not surprised at all. Those old fools in Silvermoon City had always looked down on Rangers. It was fine during a crisis, but so long after the Troll Wars, the conflict between mages and Rangers had grown increasingly severe. Wherever there were people, there was scheming; it was inevitable. She just never expected that Silvermoon City would actually give the Windrunner Family away.
This was also the result of Arthas's outrageous demands. He had proposed terms that Silvermoon City could not accept, forcing them to turn on him. Then he had Emeriss and Keristrasza, the two dragon ambassadors, make a guest appearance, using the power of the dragon legions to swindle and deceive. He made Silvermoon City believe that he had dragons backing him, which is why they agreed to give him over ten thousand Rangers. The reputation for selling out one's own people was not a good one. But to put it another way, from another angle, having them help the High Elves' benefactor was justifiable and could convince the common folk at the bottom.
"Leave things here to someone else. You and Mareecia will teleport to Silvermoon City with me." Arthas didn't mind supporting another cripple. Besides, toying with a man's wife right in front of him had a certain cuckolding feel to it, which was great!
"Alright." Lireesa didn't even resist, her head bowed like a virtuous wife. She knew she could not escape Arthas's clutches in the future, so she might as well satisfy him as much as possible. A man as lecherous as him wouldn't be interested in an old woman like her for long. Perhaps after a while, his interest would wane, and she could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Tarecgosa cast the teleportation magic, transporting Arthas and the others to Silvermoon City.
As the white light faded, the architectural style around them changed from natural to exquisite and luxurious. Several High Elves in magic robes were already waiting. Seeing Arthas, they bowed slightly and said respectfully, "Your Highness, please follow me to see His Majesty."
Chromie wasn't particularly curious; it wasn't her first time in Silvermoon City, as she used to wander around here in the past. Only Tarecgosa was curious about everything. She had spent most of her time in Northrend, either at the Nexus or Wyrmrest Temple, and rarely went to the outside world, so everything felt new and fascinating to her.
Gauze curtains hung, runes were carved everywhere, and rows of Spellbreaker warriors stood along the road. The armor on these warriors was in a spell-breaking state; magic cast upon it would be naturally dispelled, and it would also suppress the surrounding arcane energy, making it the best armor for dealing with magic.
"It seems Silvermoon City hasn't reached the end of its rope yet," Arthas sneered, showing not a shred of respect.
"Indeed," Emeriss agreed faintly. If the situation had truly deteriorated, these guards wouldn't be here; they would all have been sent to the defenses.
This was truly misjudging Silvermoon City. These Spellbreakers were just about to be sent to the battlefield and had merely been borrowed to stand guard, all to put Arthas in his place.
It was only a short walk to the royal court. The ceiling here was high, inlaid with magic gems and pearls, and the shimmering runes indicated that this was a magic structure.
A High Elf wearing armor, with a longsword that seemed to burn like fire hanging at his waist, had a flicker in his eyes when he saw Lireesa. The magic message Lireesa had sent earlier stated that the Windrunners had been martyred for their country; otherwise, he would not have agreed to use the Windrunner Family as a bargaining chip. In a resonant voice, he said,
"Welcome, Prince of Lordaeron, and esteemed dragon ambassadors."
Emeriss, Keristrasza, and Chromie all gave faint nods. They had more than enough capital to look down on the High Elves. Only Tarecgosa smiled; she was still straightforward to talk to.