Chapter Sixty-Five: The Frontlines of Sebnua

On the table lay a report from the front lines, sent by Aurelia, describing traces of large-scale rituals conducted by the trolls. The report, dated two days prior, was a swift dispatch from the mages at the front, stating that the entire Sebnuwa troll village was shrouded in a thin layer of green mist. Even from a distance, the defensive units on the front lines could smell the foul stench of sorcery.

“High-ranking spellcasters among the trolls holding rituals? Why so soon—winter is supposed to be their dormant season. From the arcane imaging, the scale of this ritual far exceeds expectations,” Patrick mused silently.

He organized the report, added his own observations, and sent it to Taquilin, requesting the council’s final decision. If a large-scale battle were to break out, his own reserves would be woefully insufficient. War was no child's play: the demands of the army were vast—logistics, medicine, equipment, supplies—each requiring considerable financial investment.

Without a complete industrial system, it was impossible to sustain a massive army. Even population itself became a resource in war. Without all the necessary factors for warfare, a nation would only be slowly worn down by conflict.

He summoned Quelinthas, instructing him to make preparations. Patrick had a strong premonition that the masters in the council would not sit idly by; after all, the stability of the front concerned the entire kingdom of Quel'Thalas. Ensuring the safety and stability of the kingdom was the duty of those in power.

Within days, Aurelia arrived at the Sun Tower, and the rangers who were on leave had their holidays abruptly ended. As the marshal of the Farstriders, Aurelia had special channels for ranger units. All reservists and rangers resting at the Sun Sanctuary were assembled, and supplies prepared by the ranger command began to trickle in.

Some time later, Patrick received instructions from the council at Taquilin. A large number of enchanted weapons, combat supplies, and logistics were being transported to their location. However, the council had not dispatched a sizeable force, reasoning that the battle had not yet begun; this was merely a preliminary probe into the trolls’ intentions, and there was no need to mobilize extensively. The front-line rangers were deemed sufficient to handle the initial troll assault.

Patrick read the council’s directive from Taquilin and sighed: “A mighty dam can collapse from the smallest ant’s burrow.”

All the elves had absolute confidence in Quel'Thalas’s defenses. Indeed, the defenses of Silvermoon City were flawless—but fate had it that among the high elves, a traitor emerged, one who would consign all the elves’ lives to the grave.

The high-ranking spellcasters in Silvermoon City cared little for outside affairs, wholly absorbed in their own glory. The council's supplies and gold flowed ceaselessly into the Sun Sanctuary, and the consumption by the quartermaster’s office was not insignificant. The funds sent by the council poured endlessly into the Sun Sanctuary, making Quelinthas and Anida, two elves, positively jubilant.

Previously, the Sun Sanctuary had been a poor, remote town. They never imagined that such an unremarkable place would one day rise to prominence. Idonis and his close friend were equally delighted; after all, magical research required money. Magical materials, mithril, thorium, astral essence—all were costly, and a few failed experiments, or dozens, could easily consume vast sums.

Even Theresta did not let this opportunity slip by, joining the Sun Tower’s quintet in crafting a batch of weapon and equipment enchantments, as well as food and potions for wartime supply. The lure of gold was indeed powerful. Liadrin, not being a mage, prepared some materials of the Holy Light, earning herself a tidy sum, avoiding hardship.

Aurelia was so busy she barely had time to meet Patrick; only at night did they find a moment to sit and share a cup of tea.

In the Chief’s office, only Patrick and Aurelia were present.

“I never expected you’d return so soon.”

“I didn’t expect the trolls to prepare a blood ritual in winter either; it’s unusual. The front-line mages observed strong evocation magic surges within Sebnuwa, and over the past days, the troll sorcery has grown ever thicker. That’s what caught our attention.”

“The council’s orders have arrived—same as last time at the Eastern Sanctuary. Idonis, Candiris, and I will head to the front as well to investigate.” Patrick quietly poured Aurelia another cup of calming flower tea, soothing her weary spirit.

“It hasn’t even been a few years, and the trolls are restless again.” Aurelia’s head ached; it hadn’t been long since their last trouble, yet the trolls were always up to something. As she raised her teacup, her body swayed, her alabaster skin drawing Patrick’s gaze.

“When shall we depart for the front?”

“To be safe, the assembled forces will set out immediately,” Aurelia said firmly.

Patrick nodded in agreement. Duty demanded readiness for all possibilities. Aurelia’s decisiveness was befitting a ranger marshal, and Patrick wholeheartedly endorsed it.

“It reminds me of those years in the Forest of Life,” Patrick reminisced. Back then, just beginning to make a name for himself, he and Aurelia had plunged into the Forest of Life together, thwarting the trolls’ schemes.

Once the troops were assembled, Patrick joined Aurelia’s team heading to the front. Some detachments split off en route, heading for An’owien and Antelas Moon Crystal Sanctuary to bolster defenses.

The force set off in the morning, passing the crossroads to reach the front-line camp. Patrick could clearly sense the sorcerous taint emanating from Sebnuwa; even the nearby lake water had a faint green hue, seemingly polluted by troll magic. The corruption was slowly seeping outward, tainting the land.

He also detected fluctuations of divine power, indicating the presence of a divine protector—possibly the animal god of the troll priests. The discovery of high-ranking spellcasters among the trolls made the expedition to Sebnuwa imperative.

“It should be above the Aman’i Path; the power fluctuations are most intense there, and the green mist of sorcery is thickest, truly nauseating,” Patrick pointed out the crux of the issue.

Aurelia agreed. As a seventh-rank ranger, her eagle-eye spell allowed her to observe the situation: “Indeed, there are many trolls there, apparently conducting some ritual. The deepest part is shrouded in green mist and cannot be seen clearly.”

The elves returned to camp and began deliberating the operation against the trolls. Naturally, Patrick participated as well. With the likelihood of advanced spellcasters among the trolls, the matter had to be reported to the council, and a force organized to sweep the area. As the most powerful mage in the current force, Patrick, along with Idonis and others, bore the responsibility without hesitation.