Chapter 127: The Reactions of the King and Parliament

Without waiting for the King to speak, Patrick took the initiative: "Your Majesty, what is your opinion of our neighbors—the humans?"

The tone was somewhat blunt, and questioning the King in return was hardly a display of etiquette. The warrior standing beside the throne looked visibly incensed, yet King Anasterian remained unperturbed. "Humans? While they are but a short-lived race, and poor and chaotic at that, their people are exceptionally industrious. Consequently, human society has developed quite rapidly."

Hearing Anasterian’s reply, Patrick felt the King saw only one side of humanity, not the full picture. "However, my understanding of humans differs from yours, Your Majesty."

The warrior nearby could not help but interject to remind Patrick of his manners: "Councilor, please mind your words."

"It is of no consequence, Lord Galenor." The King waved a hand slightly, signaling Galenor to step back. A ruler who had governed Quel'Thalas for thousands of years had little need to concern himself with such trivialities of protocol.

Anasterian turned back and asked, "What is your insight, Councilor Patrick?"

Patrick looked at the King, pondered for a moment, and laid out his thoughts entirely: "Previously, humans were weak and few in number. Ever since the Arathor Empire fragmented, the development of the seven human kingdoms stagnated for decades. Relative to a human lifespan, this was effectively an entire generation without any progress or growth."

"Initially, the most prosperous human regions were no more than the capital of Lordaeron and the Darrowmere province. The capital of Darrowmere, Andorhal—which in the human tongue means 'the city on the lake's back'—was once merely an agricultural hub. Now, it has become a transportation nexus connecting Alterac, Quel'Thalas, and Lordaeron. The urban development and the lives of its people have undergone earth-shattering changes; it is no longer the small town that once relied solely on primitive farming."

"Furthermore, the Barov family, lords of Caer Darrow, have become the wealthiest human nobles on the entire continent, relying on the taxes and development of regions like Southshore and Andorhal."

"Take another example: the human province of Tyr's Hand. Originally, it was nothing but a wilderness where few humans dared tread, with the only settlement being Darrowshire, a gathering of hunting villagers. It was a world apart from the fertile Darrowmere province."

"With the growth of trade between us and the humans, more people began to arrive in Tyr's Hand. Those humans who frequently traveled to and from the Elfgates established a city by the sea: Stratholme, which in the human tongue means 'the strategic stronghold by the sea.'"

"Thanks to our trade, this fledgling city gradually developed into the most prosperous metropolis in all of Azeroth. Stratholme became the capital of Tyr's Hand, and the entire province has since become the most densely populated region in Azeroth."

"Our elven caravans and human merchant groups pass through Tyr's Hand in an endless stream. It is laughable, then, that in the entirety of Tyr's Hand, I have not seen a single elven fortress or camp. We have allowed the humans to develop right at the doorstep of Quel'Thalas, leaving our kingdom effectively blocked off at the northern end of the continent."

The King did not answer, for he could not. In truth, Patrick’s intention was to persuade Anasterian to engage in political reform. Unfortunately, 6,805 years ago, after the High Elf clans led by Dath'remar crossed the sea and founded Silvermoon, they had established the rules of the game between the various clans.

If the King were to break precedent and initiate political change, he would face the full resistance of all the High Clans, and civil war could even erupt. Stability remained Anasterian's primary concern; if the sovereignty of the Sunstriders could not be maintained, reform was meaningless to him.

After a long silence, the King sighed. He chose not to dwell on the previous topic, instead posing a new question: "How did you construct your floating city?"

"Finally, we reach the crux of the matter," Patrick thought.

"The levitation array is identical to the data recorded by the Magisters' Guild. I merely amplified the effects and range of the array and added auxiliary magic rings. That is all."

There was no expression on the King’s face, and it was impossible to tell if he believed him or not. However, that was of little consequence; the core was the arcane sequence combination of the Platinum Disc, a secret Patrick would never reveal.

"Very well, you may withdraw." Patrick bowed and teleported directly back to the Cabron family estate.

...

Silvermoon City, within the tower of the Dawnstar.

"Damn him." Jenerini was cursing someone fiercely. During the council session, Patrick had defeated him with a single glance. His shattered arcane shield had fallen to the floor like broken glass, and he had been thoroughly humiliated before the high-ranking officials. Jenerini could not let it go. "How dare he do this?"

The surrounding space warped slightly due to the master's rage, and the books on the desk were sent flying, scattering across the floor.

Those who are consumed by shame and anger never consider that they are at fault. Even if they struck first and were subsequently humiliated, they would blame others rather than reflect on themselves, as if every elf ought to be submissive in their presence.

Had Jenerini instantly struck down Patrick, he would have considered it his due. *It isn't rudeness or a lack of etiquette; I am merely teaching you a lesson, showing you how to be a proper elf...*

Some sentient beings are truly shameless, believing themselves superior—the fault is never theirs, but everyone else's.

Having climbed to the position of Councilor within the infighting-ridden assembly, Jenerini naturally had his unique strengths. As a qualified politician, he possessed a keen sense of smell, and the thought of Patrick shattering his arcane shield in a single exchange haunted him.

"The Ninth Circle?" The thought emerged in Jenerini's mind.

But he immediately suppressed it. If Patrick had reached the Ninth Circle, he should have reported it to the Council and the Royal Family long ago. That would have greatly bolstered the power of the Cabron family in Silvermoon, so why would they keep shrinking their sphere of influence?

The current territory of the Cabron family had almost devolved into a mere administrative office; their core business—trade, talent cultivation, and alchemy—was all being relocated to the Sun's Sanctuary. If Patrick were truly of the Ninth Circle, there would be no need for this.

Still, to be safe, Jenerini issued an order: "Pass on my command: our suppression of the Cabron family is to cease for the time being."

The closer an animal is to the top of the food chain, the more it understands the importance of a decisive, single-strike victory. The more intelligent the predator, the more it seeks out the target's weaknesses to strike with instant lethality, rendering the opponent unable to resist and leaving them to be slaughtered.

"What exactly are you planning?" Jenerini pondered silently.

Meanwhile, the Sunwing, Sunstrider, and Dawnwind families all issued identical orders. The heads of these great houses chose to remain spectators, waiting for the right moment and gathering intelligence. If covert actions failed, they would wait quietly for the opportunity to arise and then strike for a certain victory.