Azeroth: Starting with Eagle Eye in the Necropolis.

But Arthas's actions were far too outrageous and he had to accept the punishment he deserved. Her Majesty the Queen swayed slightly. With Rhodes' current power, that day might come very soon, and when it did, could she accept it?

Rhodes came to the Queen's side, helped the somewhat agitated Calia up, and whispered in her ear.

"what happened to you?"

“I’m fine, Rhodes. I was just thinking about some things,” Galiya said.

Everyone must be held accountable for the crimes they commit, Arthas. Perhaps death and eternal end are a form of redemption for you.

“The people are still waiting for their queen. Go, Calia. Don’t think too much. You are the queen of Lordaeron now,” Rhodes said, nodding to the queen.

Jialiya nodded, adjusted her mindset, and with an incredibly confident and warm smile on her lips, she slowly raised her hand, gesturing for everyone to rise, and came before them.

"My people! The people of Lordaeron?" Her voice, carried by magic, echoed clearly in everyone's ears.

"Please rise! The future of Lordaeron does not depend on me alone, but on the collective efforts of each and every one of us!"

Today's coronation is not the end, but a new beginning for our kingdom! Let us join hands and build a stronger, more prosperous, and more hopeful Kingdom of Lordaeron!

Galiya's gaze swept across the VIP section, finally meeting Rhodes's eyes, and then they both nodded.

"At the same time, I would also like to thank our allies—Stormwind, Ironforge, Gnomeregan, Darnassus, Quel'Thalas, Theramore, and our new Draenei friends who have joined our family!"

It is your support that has allowed Lordaeron to be reborn! The unity of the Alliance is our strongest backing in the face of any challenge!

For the Alliance!

"For the Alliance!"

King Varian rose first, placing his right hand on his chest to greet the new queen, and the other leaders followed suit. Her Majesty the Queen had now officially entered the highest ranks of the Alliance.

The King of Lordaeron is the true ruler of the Alliance.

The main part of the coronation ceremony concluded amidst thunderous applause and cheers, followed by a grand military parade and citywide celebrations.

The atmosphere in Lordaeron's capital square was reignited. As Queen Calia's declaration "For the Alliance" resounded through the sky, the deep and majestic bugle call replaced the celebratory music, marking the start of the military parade.

At the end of the square, the main road leading to the palace, the "Path of Holy Light," has been cleared.

The crowd was politely guided by the royal guards to both sides of the street, craning their necks in anticipation. Leaders and envoys from various countries in the VIP section also sat upright, ready to inspect this Lordaeron military force that had been reborn from the ruins and was built with Rhodes's help.

The first to enter the plaza were the Royal Infantry Legion of Lordaeron.

They wore brand-new blue and white armor, with the emblem of Lordaeron engraved on their breastplates and their shoulder armor painted in the deep blue that symbolized royalty. The soldiers marched in perfect unison, their steel boots striking the stone slabs with a powerful, resounding echo, like the beating of war drums.

This unit was specially trained by Rhodes, and even the training methods were based on some military training methods from before the time travel. They were trained not for fighting, but for marching in formation.

This unit's debut was truly impressive.

Their appearance immediately drew enthusiastic cheers from the people, which was the most direct manifestation of the kingdom's restoration of order and military strength.

"Their steps are steady, and their morale is high." King Varian said to Anduin beside him in a low voice, "Rhodes and Uther deserve much credit for rebuilding such a legion in such a short time."

Rhodes was always on the move, so Varian didn't believe that this well-organized army was trained by Rhodes.

Following closely behind the infantry were the archers of Lordaeron, a mixed formation of archers and musketeers. Rhodes had specifically asked the night elves to take charge of the archer units.

Rhodes even had the idea of ​​having Maiev train Lordaeron's assassin forces, hoping to establish an organization similar to Stormwind's MI7.

As for the Druid class, Rhodes had tried it before, but humans simply couldn't comprehend the power of the Druid.

Next, the earth began to tremble slightly, and accompanied by heavy footsteps and the rumble of metal scraping together, the Knights of the Silver Hand made their appearance.

The Knights of the Silver Hand won cheers from the crowd as soon as they appeared. No introduction or praise was needed; everyone knew of their achievements.

The leader in charge of the team was Uther, the Grand Master of the Knights of the Silver Hand.

The paladins rode their imposing Lordaeron warhorses, both riders and horses clad in heavy armor. This armor was not merely thick; it was entirely crafted from wear-resistant metal provided by Rhodes, resembling mobile fortresses. All the paladins summoned holy light, adorning themselves with a dazzling golden sheen.

Standing on the high platform, Rhodes even had the illusion of seeing a Gold Saint.

However, what truly moved the leaders in the VIP seats was the special formation that followed closely behind, an army that made its grand entrance last after the Knights of the Silver Hand.

This is Rhodes' private army, which has appeared on the battlefield many times and made great achievements. Rhodes' invincible troops also participated in the ceremony as part of the parade.

Compared to ordinary human troops, Rhodes's Heroes of Might and Magic troops are far more powerful, each one an extraordinary being.

What first catches the eye is not the traditional flesh and blood, but a neat and uniform formation that gleams with the cold light of metal—an army of constructs composed of Iron Men, Gold Men, and Diamond Men.

At the forefront are the largest number of iron golems, forged from refined iron. They are burly, solidly structured, possess strong magic resistance, as well as considerable defense and melee combat ability. Their only drawback is their slow speed.

Following closely behind are the even rarer golden figures, which reflect a dazzling golden luster in the sunlight, like a golden legion.

The diamond figures, which appeared last, drew gasps of amazement. These structures seemed to be carved from a single, enormous diamond, crystal clear yet exuding a hardness far exceeding that of steel.

Sunlight shines through their bodies, refracting into a dazzling array of colors, a breathtaking sight.

"What a creation this is!" King Magni Bronzebeard suddenly stood up from his seat. As the King of Forging, he could sense the exquisite craftsmanship and powerful technology contained in these metal structures better than anyone else.

"These are no ordinary magical puppets! Their structure... is so perfect, so stable! Where did Rhodes get these treasures from?"

Gerbin Mekkatorque, the master craftsman, excitedly pushed up his engineering glasses. His dwarf nature fueled his fervor for such inventions: "Incredible energy circuits! Look at their joint designs, how ingenious! This has surpassed the current engineering capabilities of dwarves and gnomes!"

One of them was a top-notch engineering master, and the other was the best blacksmith in Azeroth. They were also the only two people who had never seen the army of Rhodes constructs.

After the construct formation passed, the sky suddenly lit up, and the sacred fire phoenixes danced in the sky. Their huge bodies were burning with inextinguishable golden flames, and their long tail feathers scattered holy sparks in the air.

Wherever it passed, people felt a sense of warmth and peace, as if they had been blessed by holy light.

Immediately afterwards, a chilling pressure descended from the sky. A massive shadow enveloped part of the plaza, and accompanied by the powerful flapping of wings, several black dragons appeared in the air!

Their bodies were enormous, their black scales gleaming oily in the sunlight, and their crimson eyes burned with raging flames. Unlike the black dragons native to Azeroth, these black dragons from Rhodes' command were virtually immune to magic resistance.

After the black dragon's intimidating appearance, Rhodes's core spellcasting power was revealed—a mixed formation of four elemental troops and magical elements.

The previously featured elements—Holy Ice Crystal, Lightning, Sun, and Earth—have reappeared, but this time in greater numbers and with a larger formation.

Among these four elements, there are some even more bizarre elements—magical elements.

Finally, what brought the military parade to its ultimate climax were two beams of sacred light descending upon the mortal world.

Archangels of Light descended from the heavens, and the five Archangels of Light spread their wings, illuminating almost the entire Lordaeron.

Rhodes also has a stunning Tier 7 unit, the Titan, that hasn't been revealed yet; it's not the right time to bring these out.

After the military parade, the Queen announced something important.

"In the name of House Menethil, and by the authority of Queen Calia Menethil of Lordaeron, I hereby solemnly declare:"

In view of His Excellency Rhodes's immortal achievements in the restoration of Lordaeron, his unparalleled courage, wisdom and strength, and his outstanding contributions to the unity and security of the Alliance as Regent and Grand Marshal of the Alliance, he is hereby granted the right to rule the Kingdom in partnership with the Queen and may exercise the authority of the King when necessary!

In recognition of his achievements and to entrust him with the crucial responsibility of guarding the eastern seas of the Alliance and maintaining the connection between Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms… the city of Theramore and its surrounding directly controlled territories are hereby granted to Prince Rhodes as his hereditary fiefdom!

Chapter 321 A New Vow, Not a King, Yet Better Than a King

When Queen Calia's clear and firm voice echoed across the square through magic, announcing that Rhodes would "rule the kingdom with the Queen and, when necessary, exercise the authority of the King," time seemed to freeze for a moment.

A moment of deathly silence followed by an eruption of uproar; the granting of a fiefdom, and the fiefdom being Theramore—there was no problem with that; Rhodes had rendered such a great service to the kingdom.

It could even be said that Rhodes, the founder of the new kingdom, received a rather small fiefdom, but the idea of ​​co-ruling with the queen was quite significant.

The cheers and excitement from the previous military parade seemed to be frozen by an invisible ice. In the square, countless people stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with disbelief. The seats for the nobility erupted in an instant.

No one expected that the newly crowned queen would grant Rhodes such enormous power. This was beyond what could be described as being below the queen; he was on equal footing with her.

"Wha...what? Rule alongside the Queen?!"

"Acting as king?! This, how is this possible! When has Lordaeron ever had such a precedent!"

"Doesn't this mean that Marshal Rhodes... possesses power equal to that of the King? And even, under certain circumstances, power equal to that of the Queen?"

"The bloodline of the Menethil royal family... Is this... is this a move to hand over half the kingdom?"

"If the Queen's orders and Prince Rhodes' orders are different, then whose orders should be obeyed?"

Astonishment, confusion, anxiety, and even a hint of fear spread rapidly among the nobles. Despite Rhodes's outstanding achievements and undeniable power, the terms "co-rule" and "acting as king" still exceeded the bottom line for many of the old nobles.

This means that Rhodes is no longer just a regent or marshal; he has legally become another de facto monarch of Lordaeron!

Even Rhodes himself was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected Calia to trust him so much. But to be fair, the reason Lordaeron was able to be restored was entirely due to his own efforts.

Without me, Lordaeron would still be fragmented, let alone elect a queen.

In the VIP section, the leaders of the alliance countries reacted even more strongly. Although they tried their best to maintain diplomatic etiquette, their momentary loss of composure and the ensuing somber atmosphere could not be concealed.

Of course, aside from the newly joined Draenei and Night Elves, these two races are long-lived and generally don't want to get involved in mortal affairs. They don't care who the king is, as long as he is a follower of the Holy Light. For the Night Elves, it's even simpler, since Rhodes is Cenarius's disciple.

Varian Wrynn paused slightly in his wine glass, his gaze suddenly shooting towards Rhodes and Calia on the platform, his brows furrowing tightly.

As a traditional monarch and the King of Stormwind, he understood better than anyone the symbolic meaning and actual weight of "royal authority."

This was not merely an honor, but a supreme power. To allow someone who was not of royal blood to share this power was, in his view, almost heretical.

Calia...do you know what you're doing? You're personally supporting someone who has the same rights as you.

However, the Naaru's blessing and the Queen's offspring gave Varian a new understanding: it seemed that the Queen wanted to win over Rhodes, and the father of the child in his womb was probably Rhodes.

Kael'thas Sunstrider clapped generously and even gave Rhodes a thumbs up. The reason why the Blood Elves returned to the Alliance was because of Rhodes. If it weren't for Rhodes, the Blood Elves might have already left the Alliance and gone it alone.

Rhodes was his most important ally. Let alone becoming a prince and queen to rule together, even if Rhodes declared that he wanted to become the king of Lordaeron, or even the king of all human kingdoms, and repeat the great feats of Emperor Thoradin, Kael'thas would support him without reservation. This is the trust that Kael'thas had for his ally.

General Dalyn Proudmoore was initially taken aback, then his expression turned somewhat grim.

He glanced at his daughter Jaina, whose eyes were shining and who seemed happy for Rhodes, and then at the excessively young figure on the platform.

As a father, he was pleased to see his daughter's beloved man wield such power; but as the ruler of Kul Tiras, the appearance of a "co-ruler" with such immense power and control of a powerful non-human army in a neighboring country made him feel a strong threat, especially since this man had a close relationship with his daughter, and the two even had plans to get married.

His relationship with the Queen of Lordaeron is now common knowledge. Jaina is even willing to follow him. It seems that he will have to hand over the position of commander of Kul Tiras to his youngest son when he returns. He can't just hand over his legacy to someone else.

If he didn't have a son, that would be fine, but besides his eldest son who died, he also had a younger son.

We must quickly train our youngest son so that he can stand on his own. As for our daughter, well, once she's married, she's gone; there's no going back.

The best thing to do is to get Rhodes to provide me with more space magic ships and medical tents, and to get some good stuff from him.

Magni Bronzebeard and Gelbin Mekkatorque, the dwarves, did not object. This was an internal matter for humans and had little to do with them, the dwarves and gnomes.

Magni Bronzebeard was now more concerned with something else: his fellow Dark Iron dwarves in Blackrock Mountain were not behaving themselves.

On the high platform, Uther and Alexandros, though already aware of some of the details, were still deeply moved by the Queen's formal and public announcement. They looked at Rhodes, their eyes filled with complex emotions—support, expectation, and a hint of unease. This power was both a tremendous trust and a heavy burden.

They understood the complex relationship between Rhodes and the Queen, and that Rhodes' efforts were crucial in restoring the Kingdom of Lordaeron to its former glory.

At this moment, some of the old nobles of Lordaeron wanted to voice their opposition.

Some of Lordaeron's old nobles, though outwardly respectful to Rhodes, harbored unease and envy towards the unprecedented privilege of "co-ruling with the Queen" and "exercising the king's authority."