Gou is a dark elf in Warhammer

(No chapters were lost, although the rhythm is a bit messy, the lost part is in reverse order)

Finnubar stood in front of the heavy oak door, and voices came out from inside the door. However, just as he expected, there was no fierce quarrel, but a calm but hostile voice, with a slow and aggressive tone, like fine ice needles, constantly piercing the heart, making people feel a faint oppression.

"What an amazing achievement... an entire fleet was annihilated!"

"Perhaps we should ask Druzy to give us a lecture on how to fight at sea?"

"Well, I've said it before, ships are for viewing, not for fighting."

"If we hadn't put all our resources into the navy, maybe we wouldn't be in such a mess now."

"If you ask me, it's not like they haven't fought before. They fought very strategically, luring the enemy onto their ship and then destroying the ship and the people on board. That way, at least they don't have to worry about taking prisoners."

A low laugh suddenly broke out in the conference room, and a sarcastic atmosphere spread. The laughter was not joyful, but cold and unpleasant.

"How can we govern with these insects? How can we build Ulthuan?"

Finnubar stood at the door, and the words that Dacus had said to him appeared unconsciously in his mind. At this moment, he agreed with it, and he agreed very much. Soon, his brows slightly frowned. It seemed that during the time when he was away, his supporters had borne a lot of pressure.

Yes, who caused the fleet to be annihilated? Who caused his faction to suffer a huge loss of strength?

"enough!"

Suddenly, a clear and angry voice was heard in the conference room.

Finnubar didn't need to guess, he knew it was Aedanna's voice, with a sense of resentment and helplessness. Even through the heavy door, the voice was still loud and clear, like a flash of lightning that cut through the dull air.

"Oh? Why, we are not allowed to speak anymore? We are just mourning for you, mourning for the pride you lost on the battlefield!"

"It seems that your rituals did not play any significant role. Your gods did not respond to you. This is why we abandoned the Sesarayi pantheon. Only you!"

"Those who died were your own, but it is the whole of Ulthuan that has lost face."

"You always talk about getting out of Ulthuan, but we can't even keep the coastline!"

What greeted Adianna was an even fiercer counterattack. Although no one actually drew their swords, every word in the conference room was like a sharp sword, piercing the air and chilling it. There was no banging on the table, no loud arguments, only a suffocating, quiet humiliation.

"Our cavalry of Arion has never been defeated! Druzil succeeded at sea, but if they dare to set foot on the grasslands of Arion, they will face the wrath of nearly 200,000 cavalry! The Sons of Wind have never retreated, and we will still fight for the glory of Ulthuan on earth!"

These words almost caused the entire conference room to fall into a brief silence. The Asurs who had been mocking and laughing at him before finally fell silent. The originally contemptuous faces were no longer so wanton, but became intriguing.

Finnubar listened to all this outside the door, raised his eyebrows, and sighed softly. He turned his head to look at Belanna behind him, his mouth slightly curled, with a hint of disapproval in his expression. Belanna did not speak, but just looked back at him with a calm gaze, full of understanding and calmness.

Finubar knew that the person who spoke this was Alandil Swiftwynn, the ruler of the Kingdom of Arion, a... strange guy.

Eighty years ago, Alandil lost his favorite horse, Thalothir, in a skirmish with the Druzi raiders. That horse was more than just his mount, it was one of the bravest horses in the cavalry of the Kingdom of Arion, and a symbol of Alandil and his warrior heart.

During that battle, Tharohir was hit by an arrow from a Druzil crossbow, and when he suddenly fell, he pinned Alandil to the ground, almost fatally. Because the doctors were unable to reshape his bone structure, his hip was permanently deformed. At that moment, Alandil's fate was completely rewritten, and the former knight and lord became a disabled person who could no longer ride a horse to fight.

This experience made Alandil gradually angry. He thought it was a curse imposed on him by Molayg. Whenever he thought of Salothir, his hand would unconsciously touch his deformed hip. Such a severe limp made him unable to ride with the warriors. He even began to hate the dusk, seeing it as a shadow cloak hiding assassins and spies.

But a warrior is a warrior after all. Even with a hip disability, he still insisted on participating in the war in the years that followed, leading the cavalry of Arion, but in the form of a chariot...

A lord of the Kingdom of Arion drives a chariot instead of riding a horse like the nobles of the Kingdom of Terenlock.

But this does not prevent him from still having a huge influence, allowing him to continue to control the decision-making power in the Kingdom of Arion.

Although Alandil was high and mighty, he lived an extremely simple life, with almost no luxuries.

His study was filled with treatises on cavalry tactics. One of the treatises, written by Aenarion himself, was particularly valuable. Although the first Phoenix King discussed dragon-back warfare and how to use the power of dragons for aerial combat, and had no direct relation to chariots or cavalry tactics, its value lay in the fact that these scrolls had once touched the hands of the Guardians, and each one was extremely precious.

There was no gorgeous decoration in the room except for the tables piled with books. The only luxury was the exquisitely carved chair, which was specially designed for Alandil to relieve his discomfort caused by sitting for a long time. In addition, several trophies he won were hung in the study.

There was a reason why he was so frugal. In order to maintain the strength of the Kingdom of Elion, he invested almost all of his wealth in arming the army, especially improving the quality of the equipment of the Elion raiders and increasing their armor rate, so that they could gain an advantage in any battle.

Finnubar's heart suddenly tightened, and the dull pain spread from deep in his chest. He remembered the loan he and Elardesi had lent to Alandil, a huge amount with generous terms, and even no interest was mentioned.

Both he and Elardesi knew that what Alandil owed was not just a monetary debt, but also an emotional commitment - a deep debt of gratitude.

But now it seems...this money should not have been lent out in the first place?
The corner of his mouth twitched, and a word flashed through his mind.

"Pretending to be B."

This was the slang that Dacus had taught him. Although he never really understood what the B stood for, he could understand the context - hypocrisy, affectation, pretense, pretending to be noble when one is clearly calculating. Did Alandil's speech calm the quarrel? Yes. But to him, the speech sounded more like a carefully planned political performance.

Of course, whether or not to act cool is not the point. The point is: the reason why the money should not be lent is because it is related to what is going to happen next, which is in direct conflict with the debt of favor.

Besides... he knew very well that Alandil was not bragging.

Alandil said that the Kingdom of Arion had 200,000 cavalrymen, which was not an exaggeration, but rather a conservative statement. Since the time of Moviel, all Asurs have been required to become citizen soldiers. From an early age, Asurs are obliged to receive basic military training, learn to use bows and arrows, and prepare for citizen conscription.
Although, not all kingdoms are like this. Citizens of kingdoms like Itain and Cosqui are more inclined to join the Sea Guard system. For young people in these places, being a Sea Guard is an honor. Only losers will settle for the next best thing and pick up the bow and become an archer.

Things are even more bizarre when we arrive at the Kingdom of Arion. This kingdom doesn't have any rich resources, nor is it known for its magic, but it has one thing that is outrageously abundant: horses.

On the vast grasslands of the Kingdom of Arion, horses are as common as sunlight and air.

The lifespan of elves is extremely long. Unless they are young or underage, or lying in bed unable to get up, any citizen of Arion who holds a spear, carries a longbow, and sits on horseback can be called: Arion Plunderer.

As for the quality, don’t ask...the only thing to ask is that there is enough quantity.

Finnubar looked back at Belanna again, and when he saw Belanna nodded, he took a deep breath, straightened the robe on his shoulders, slowly placed his hands on the heavy oak door, and pushed hard.

"Squeak..."

The door slowly opened, and he, the last performer, stepped in. But his appearance did not bring the expected silence, nor applause or standing ovations, but only lonely gazes and vague astonishment.

The traditional representatives all looked at him, not at him, but at the person behind him.

The Supreme Magic Swordsman - Belannaar.

In the political system of Assur, positions are never random. Who stands in front of whom, who walks beside whom, who speaks first in a meeting - every detail is a projection of identity, position, and even power distribution.

At this moment, Belanna chose to stand behind Finnubar.

what does this mean?
It is not only support, but also recognition. It is to put aside a certain traditional self-superiority and focus on the person of Finnubar.

This is an extremely rare gesture.

It was precisely because of this that the entire conference hall suddenly fell silent. The traditionalists were surprised not only by the appearance of Belannaar, but also by the fact that he appeared on the stage with Finnubar in this way.

The political structure of Ulthuan is sophisticated and complex, far beyond what outsiders imagine.

In fact, Asur society as a whole operates under a system of co-rule - the Phoenix King and the Everqueen rule Ulthuan together, creating a delicate balance of power and responsibility.

Unlike the Phoenix King who was elected by the nobility, the Everqueen is hereditary from mother to daughter, passed down from generation to generation without interruption. This also makes the Everqueen not only a political symbol, but also the continuation of the sacred bloodline. In order to maintain the form of co-governance of the two powers, the new Phoenix King must go to Avalon in person and have a ritual union with the Everqueen. This marriage lasts for one year, and the purpose is to give birth to the next Everqueen and maintain bloodline and tradition.

To put it bluntly, this union is more like a political mission than a real marriage contract. After one year, both parties can live separately and choose their own partners.

Avalon's political status is second only to Lothern. It is not only the domain of the Everqueen, but also the most important spiritual sanctuary in all of Ulthuan. The Everqueen influences the cultural identity of the entire Asur - from aesthetics to ethical norms, from public rituals to collective beliefs. She represents stability and continuity, and is the embodiment of the "tradition" of elven civilization itself.

For this reason, in politics, Avalon is often regarded as the last refuge by the Asur nobles. If a noble is convicted of a crime by the prince or the Phoenix King due to political struggles or arbitration disputes, they can go to Avalon to request asylum. Only the Everqueen can decide whether to accept the asylum. This makes Avalon not only a geographical territory, but also a symbolic "maternal center" and "spiritual pure land".

Traditionally, the Phoenix King is in charge of foreign affairs, while the Everqueen is in charge of domestic affairs. One is in charge of war, diplomacy, trade, and law, while the other maintains spirit, culture, faith, and social order. The two form a check and balance in institutional design - a product of the extremely high political wisdom of Asur society.

Although the system is ruled by two kings, in actual politics, the factional struggles among the Asur nobles are intricate and intertwined like a spider web.

A large number of conservative traditionalists believe that the Asur's first duty is to defend Ulthuan from the threats of the Druzi, Chaos invaders, and Norse barbarians. They believe that interfering in the affairs of humans and other lesser races is not only a waste of resources, but also a betrayal of their divine mission. Therefore, they secretly sabotage all exchanges and agreements with Elsin Arwen, Cathay, and even other human kingdoms, prevent the dispatch of diplomatic missions, interrupt trade routes, and discredit any attempts at foreign intervention.

Among them, Prince Haldin of Caledor, Lord Valoril of Chrace, and Lady Elenia of Avalon are the representatives of this faction.

They all share a core belief: "Ulthuan is the last refuge. Anyone looking outside is a betrayal of fate."

What the three of them have in common is not only the same ideas, but also the consistency of practical interests - they have no demand for trade.

However, things are never black and white.

While most of the Asur nobles remain wary of the Asrai, some of the nobles of Arion and Avelorn hold a different view. They believe that the time has come to reunite the Elves. They support establishing diplomatic relations with Athel Loren and Lauren Loren, and advocate for an alliance under the joint rule of the Everqueen and the Phoenix King.

Lady Elenia of Avalon is also an advocate of this school of thought. She has never denied that she has reservations about the lower races, but she has repeatedly emphasized: "Aslai and Ai Niel are not lower races, they are our wandering cousins."

This is not a contradiction.

She is against interfering in human affairs, but she is not against the reunion of the elves. What she protects is not the geographical territory, but the continuation of bloodline and spirit.

More importantly, in Finnubar's telling, the Asrai of Athel Loren are portrayed as devout followers of Aisha.

How else would he say, ah, that he met a Druzy when he was in Athel Loren?

This Druzy is the MVP with a score of 13.0.

It was just like the sun in the shadows, so bright that it was blinding.

So Finnubar cleverly chose to modify and transform, packaging the "aliens" as "lost ones", transforming the "opposition" into "the sons who have not returned", and smearing the "doubt" with the gold dust of faith. He did not lie, he just told an "acceptable truth".

What role does Finnubar play in this? Is he alienated? What is his score? (End of this chapter)