Azeroth: Starting with Eagle Eye in the Necropolis.

It has been two months since I last returned. The capital city of Lordaeron has been rebuilt even more beautifully, and the army has recovered. A large number of refugees are beginning to return.

"Welcome, King Varian Wrynn, welcome, Prince Anduin, and our distinguished friends from Stormwind." Princess Calia bowed to King Varian.

She was currently a princess, while Varian was a king. In terms of status, she was lower than Varian, which was why she bowed first. Only after the coronation ceremony was over could she, as queen, sit on equal footing with Varian and bow to each other. This was the etiquette of Chinese people.

"Gentlemen of Stormwind, your presence has added significant glory to my coronation ceremony, brought great honor to Lordaeron, and strengthened the unity of the Alliance," said Uther, standing beside Princess Galiya.

It seems that Rhodes has successfully persuaded Stormwind. Now, Uthir is curious about what exactly happened in Stormwind that made the stubborn and conservative nobles agree to let their king come to Lordaeron.

King Varian stepped forward, placed his hand on his chest, bowed slightly to Princess Galya, and then spoke.

"Thank you for your warm hospitality, Your Highness. I am very sorry that Stormwind was unable to provide assistance during Lordaeron's most difficult time, and I sincerely apologize for that."

The inability to support Lordaeron was a thorn in Varian's side. He had wanted to, but Count Katarina and many nobles opposed him.

Moreover, given the circumstances at the time, even if Stormwind reinforcements arrived, it would have been too late. The destruction of Lordaeron happened too quickly, but the country was also rebuilt very quickly.

“There’s no need for that, King Varian. I know you are willing to help us, but we are quite far away, and the Stormwind army cannot come to help us fight against the Scourge.” Princess Galiya smiled slightly, giving the King of Stormwind a way out.

Many of the Lordaeron nobles who had followed her in her escape suggested that she seek refuge in Stormwind. Fortunately, she did not go then; otherwise, she would not be where she is today, and she would never have had the opportunity to ascend to the throne of Queen.

Varian also toned down his usual sharp edge and responded with standard royal etiquette: "Princess Calia, thank you for your hospitality."

It is an honor for Stormwind to witness the rebirth of Lordaeron and the birth of a new queen. May the bonds of the Alliance grow ever stronger among us.

His words already bestowed upon Queen Calia the title of honor, a gesture of diplomatic recognition and blessing.

The young Prince Anduin also stepped forward and bowed: "Princess Calia, may the Holy Light bless you and your kingdom."

Calia smiled and responded to Anduin's greeting, taking a liking to the gentle and polite prince.

This little guy, who was only five or six years old, was about the same age as her daughter. Galiya pinched Anduin's little face affectionately.

“I know you, little Anduin. When you were born, your father specifically notified Lordaeron that it was a good thing that you had such a high affinity for the Holy Light at such a young age.”

The child was about the same age as her daughter, who had always been fostered in the inner palace. Perhaps she should find a way out for her daughter, even though she was an illegitimate child and her father's name was not even remembered.

However, after becoming queen, she will at least be a princess, and she is the only prince of the same age in the Alliance. If Lordaeron can form a marriage alliance with Stormwind, and her daughter can become the future queen of Stormwind, it would be a good thing.

She planned to discuss this matter with Rhodes later to see what her regent thought.

"Alright, everyone, don't just stand here like idiots, come in with me. A grand welcome banquet has been prepared in the palace. Let me entertain you properly and do my best to be a good host," Princess Galiya said with a smile.

After a simple welcoming ceremony, the group was warmly led to the palace. Crowds spontaneously gathered along the streets, waving their arms and beaming with enthusiasm and anticipation. Cheers echoed throughout the area, mostly shouts of "Princess Calia!", "Welcome, Your Majesty!", and "Long live Lordaeron!"

The royal palace hall in Lordaeron was already lavishly decorated. Long tables were covered with pristine white linen tablecloths, and silver candlesticks and crystal glasses shimmered softly in the glow of the magic lamps.

The air was filled with the enticing aroma of toast, spices, and roasted meat, while court musicians played soothing and solemn music in a corner.

Princess Calia, as the hostess, naturally sat in the main seat. To her left were King Varian and Prince Anduin, while her right was reserved for Rhodes, which greatly demonstrated Rhodes' status and identity.

The Regent of Lordaeron is second only to the Queen in status.

Jaina, Fenna, Uther, Fordring, and other core members of Lordaeron, along with the nobles of Stormwind, took their seats in turn. Onyxia and Tyrion were also assigned places. Although one of them harbored ulterior motives, they both maintained proper etiquette on the surface. Rhodes had already informed them that these two ladies were dragons, and one of them was a prisoner.

At the start of the banquet, Princess Calia raised her glass in a speech: "Distinguished guests, today we gather in the reborn capital of Lordaeron, not only to welcome our friends from Stormwind, but also to witness the unity and resilience of the Alliance."

May the Holy Light bless the land beneath our feet, and may our friendship endure in our hearts. Cheers to the Alliance!

"For the Alliance!" everyone responded in unison, downing their glasses of Lordaeron red wine, instantly igniting a lively atmosphere.

"King Varian, Rhodes wrote to me earlier saying that you have acknowledged his current status in the Alliance, is that right?" Princess Calia asked with a slight smile, raising her wine glass.

Upon hearing this, the banquet fell silent, the noise abruptly ceasing as everyone awaited the Stormwind King's reply.

Upon hearing this, Varian nodded, put down his wine glass, and said, "That's right, Lord Rhodes has helped Stormwind a lot. He helped me resolve a deadly rebellion as soon as he arrived in Stormwind."

Your Highness, you may not know this, but a black dragon has infiltrated my country, disguised as a nobleman, and is attempting to steal my land. I have been kept in the dark all along, and many nobles have even been secretly controlled by this evil black dragon.

Even my beloved Queen was killed by this black dragon. It was thanks to Lord Rhodes that this evil dragon was driven away with his powerful holy light.

Varian put it very tactfully. Rhodes did indeed banish the black dragon, but now he had kept it by his side.

"An evil black dragon? How is that possible?"

"No wonder Stormwind didn't send troops north; so that's what happened?"

“I am deeply saddened by this, and I offer my condolences, King Varian,” Uther said, nodding.

The earliest record of the Black Dragon in the Alliance dates back ten years, when the princess had just come of age.

The evil Black Dragon King impersonated a nobleman of Alterac, attempting to steal Alterac's lands, and even used some kind of enchantment magic to bewitch the noble class at the time.

Finally, the mages of Lordaeron and the elven rangers of Quel'Thalas, Rhonin and Vereesa, joined forces to thwart the Black Dragon King's plot and banish him.

Unexpectedly, this Black Dragon King actually sent his daughter to infiltrate Stormwind City again. I wonder if there are still Black Dragon forces in other Alliance nations. This matter must be thoroughly investigated.

"But now all that is in the past. Lord Rhodes successfully drove away the black dragon, and I also eliminated those corrupt noble groups."

Furthermore, Lord Rhodes gifted me two Holy Light Elementals to accompany me in battle. He also took my son Varian as his apprentice and even presented him with a Holy Phoenix. He was also very generous in teaching the priests and paladins of Stormwind the spell to summon Lesser Holy Light Elementals.

Lord Rhodes's display of charisma, strength, wisdom, and martial prowess has earned my respect, and the respect of the entire Stormwind.

"The title of Grand Marshal of the Alliance is well-deserved. On behalf of Stormwind, I formally recognize Lord Rhodes as Grand Marshal of the Alliance. Whenever the Alliance needs him, the Stormwind army will be at your command." King Varian took a deep breath and said.

He had already made these announcements once before in Stormwind, but now, on the land of Lordaeron, in front of all the Knights of the Silver Hand and members of other races and nations of the Alliance, he was announcing them again, which was tantamount to complete and utter approval.

From this day forward, the title of Grand Marshal of the Rhodes Alliance will no longer be just empty words, but will be recognized by all races and nations.

Rhodes smiled slightly upon hearing this, raised his glass to Varian, and said, "Brother Varian, I didn't help you for nothing!"

King Varian's resounding words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples throughout the hall.

After a brief silence came murmurs and then even more enthusiastic applause.

Uther the Lightbringer was the first to stand up. His voice boomed, "Stormwind's approval is also Lordaeron's expectation."

Marshal Rhodes stood up during Lordaeron's darkest hour, and his courage and strength were key to bringing light back to this land.

The Knights of the Silver Hand obey the Grand Marshal's orders!

"Salute to the Grand Marshal!"

"Salute to Lord Rhodes, Vice-Commander of the Knights of the Silver Hand!"

Chapter 312 The Queen's Summoning, A Night Talk in the Palace

Princess Calia's face lit up with a genuine smile as she raised her glass once more: "Then, let us raise a glass together, to Marshal Rhodes, to the unity and future of the Alliance!"

Alexandros, standing to the side, nodded slightly. Although he didn't say much, his attitude was clear: as the holder of Ashbringer, he had always been a staunch supporter of Rhodes.

After more than a year of hard work, Rhodes finally obtained everything he wanted: his true identity.

The newly joined Draenei also attended the banquet, especially Archbishop Akama. These Draenei Holy Light troops brought new Holy Light knowledge and a new set of Holy Light theories to the Paladin and Priest troops.

They also brought news about the Naaru, allowing the paladins and priests of the Alliance to learn for the first time that such a being of holy light existed.

However, most alliance members believed that this was just a creature similar to the Holy Phoenix or the Archangel of Light, at most only slightly more advanced than the Holy Light Elemental.

Only Rhodes knows how important these beings of the Holy Light are. They are the true offspring of the Holy Light, their status equivalent to demigods, or even true gods. Of course, this is all assuming Blizzard doesn't suddenly create a Pantheon of the Holy Light and introduce an even more advanced form of beings of the Holy Light.

Rhodes thought this was very likely. Why? Because the Void forces had already produced a Void Lord, Dimonxius, who was even more advanced than the Old Gods. If that was the case, then the Holy Light forces must have a corresponding being, whose status and strength should be equivalent to that of the Titans.

"For Marshal Rhodes! For the Alliance!" This time, the cheers were even more unified and louder, filled with sincerity and anticipation.

At this moment, the position of Grand Marshal of the Rhodes Alliance was truly deserved, thanks to the joint endorsement of the Alliance's two major human kingdoms and their core military forces.

The atmosphere warmed up again, becoming even more harmonious and lively. Waiters moved among the guests, filling their glasses with fine wine and serving up carefully prepared delicacies—roasted wild boar from the heart of Lordaeron, smoked fish from Hillsbrad Foothills, rare fruits and vegetables grown in the Dalaran magical greenhouse, and spirits specially provided by the dwarves.

During the meeting, the conversation went into greater depth, with Varian, Uther, and Alexandros discussing the common threats that the eastern and western continents might face, as well as the possibility of joint military operations.

Jaina exchanged magical insights with several emissaries from Dalaran and mages from Lordaeron, occasionally whispering a few words with Terrigosa. The blue dragon's extensive magical knowledge greatly benefited these mages from Lordaeron.

Prince Anduin was very interested in Fenna's stories about the Outland, especially the strange races and creatures. Although Fenna was straightforward, she was very patient with children, and her vivid descriptions captivated Anduin.

Rhodes became another focus of the banquet, with nobles and generals from Lordaeron constantly coming to toast him, expressing their support and respect. Rhodes responded calmly and appropriately, demonstrating both the majesty of a Grand Marshal and his friendliness.

Two years have passed since he transmigrated here, and Rhodes has now integrated into the local life. He is quite adept at dealing with these nobles. In terms of interpersonal relationships, Easterners have an innate advantage.

The nobles of Lordaeron and Balben had basically been wiped out by Rhodes. When they first fled, a large number of the nobles of Lordaeron were killed by Rhodes, while some of the nobles of Stormwind died indirectly because of the Onyxia incident.

Even so, the two groups of nobles remained extremely polite to Rhodes, going to great lengths to flatter and fawn over him.

Onyxia sat quietly in her seat, sipping her red wine, seemingly oblivious to everything around her. But her gaze never left Rhodes and the Alliance nobles surrounding him. Listening to their praise of Rhodes and their visions for the Alliance's future, she felt a surge of disdain and cold mockery.

"Unity? Hope? How naive and laughable. Once my brother and my father take action, everything you cherish now will turn to ashes in the dragon's breath and shadow. Rhodes... I'll see how many people your holy light can still protect then."

Her brother should have already received the news. Will he come to save her?

Although the Black Dragon Princess attended the banquet, she was firmly restrained by two people sitting beside her: Anveena, the avatar of the Sunwell, and Tyrion Lannister of the Blue Dragonflight. Under these circumstances, even though Rhodes was dealing with those nobles, the Black Dragon Lady dared not make any rash moves.

The banquet lasted until late at night. King Varian stayed at a nearby hotel, arranged by the princess, while Rhodes was specially summoned by the princess.

“Rhodes, I would like to discuss the future of Lordaeron and… some royal matters with you privately when it is convenient for you.”

Rhodes immediately understood her meaning and nodded: "Of course, Your Highness, after the banquet, I will be at your service at any time."

Uther and Alexandros the Ashbringer were also summoned at the same time.

"Thank you for your hard work, Rhodes. You have successfully completed your mission in Stormwind." Princess Galiya spoke first.

"It wasn't hard work at all; it was all thanks to the Holy Light. This time, I was inspired by the Holy Light again, which allowed me to expose the true nature of a certain black dragon, bring her to justice, and successfully gain Stormwind's favor." Rhodes casually recounted his experiences in Stormwind.

“Every battle you have fought, every journey you have taken, is like a legend, Grand Marshal Rhodes. But there is one thing I don’t understand: why didn’t you kill that black dragon?” Alexandros asked.

Uther and the princess also cast questioning glances. Logically speaking, given Rhodes' personality, he should have just killed the black dragon princess.

Rhodes has always been fiercely opposed to evil, and whenever he encounters powerful enemies, he's always at the forefront, determined to personally eliminate them (because there are rewards! The system will report all sorts of wild resources, treasures, and special troop buildings). Why has he changed his tune this time?

"The reason I didn't kill her is because I'm making a move. The Black Dragon Legion has been threatening humanity, and I plan to use this mother dragon as bait to lure them out and then annihilate them in one fell swoop," Rhodes said with a smile.

Rhodes didn't tell everyone about his plan to rebuild the Black Dragon Legion yet. This was far too shocking for mortals. Mortal races couldn't even imagine the existence of guardian dragons. Any member of a guardian dragon was a top-tier powerhouse in the human kingdoms, except for a certain weak blue dragon (who, it's said, was defeated again in version 12.0 and needed player rescue, perfectly demonstrating that he was a weakling with a combat power of only five, even after becoming a dragon king and possessing the power of a guardian dragon).

“Those evil black dragons have indeed threatened our human survival many times, and even interfered in our internal affairs. If there is an opportunity, I am willing to lend you a hand, Rhodes,” Alexandros said.

His Ashbringer was already thirsting for blood, wishing he could drink the black dragon's blood right now.

"And don't forget the Knights of the Silver Hand, Rhodes. You are the vice-commander of the Knights of the Silver Hand, and all the paladins are your strong support," Uther said, patting his chest.

"Of course, I am aware of your support. By the way, a lot happened to me in Quel'Thalas during this trip."

Among them was Anveena, the avatar of the Sunwell. She is currently the princess of Quel'Thalas, but we have a good relationship. She is incredibly powerful; once she fully masters her power, even I am no match for her.” Rhodes briefly explained the situation in Quel'Thalas, how he helped Kael'thas rebuild the Sunwell, and the discovery of Anveena, the avatar of the Sunwell.

“It’s a good thing that the Blood Elves have regained the Sunwell. As for this embodiment of the Sunwell, she is also a member of our alliance, and it’s a good thing to be on good terms with her,” Princess Galiya said.

Uther and Alexandros also nodded.