The next morning, Terenus summoned those whom he trusted to discuss the problems facing the kingdom.

Uther and Antonidas were unsurprisingly on the scene. Despite the Paladin's and Mage's distrust of each other, the leaders of the two organizations have shown courtesy to each other. Accompanying the Archmage was Gianna, who welcomed her as a Witness of Stratholme, dispelling any doubts that might arise about a Kurtilas attending an internal meeting in the kingdom of Lordaeron. In addition to this, there were some nobles and courtiers that Dinen had never had the chance to meet, so he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when he saw Arthas. The prince beckoned to him to stand beside him.

When they had taken their respective positions, the king announced the beginning. First, Dinen and Gianna recounted what they had seen, and Uther and Antonidas corroborated their words from their own perspectives. After ensuring that everyone was clear about the current state and gravity of the situation, the meeting moved to discussing specific responses.

Dineen remained silent most of the time. He left his hometown when he was almost a child, and he didn't even know as much about the kingdom as Gianna. Only when something is not safe enough will he give his advice succinctly, and these experiences have been bought by blood and tears, from those who have fought year after year in the plague lands, desperately trying to hold on to some of the past.

There is no one here who is incompetent who is purely dependent on the shadow of their ancestors, who can feel and respect the value in it, so that every time he speaks, they listen intently. Only once, when a nobleman asked him where these experiences came from, Dineen replied rudely, "It has nothing to do with you." ”

The atmosphere in the room froze. Before anyone could do so, Arthas made a reassuring gesture and picked up the conversation.

"Misery is the most important privacy of a person, Count Rednov." "I assure you," said the nobleman, "my friend, like everyone here, is eager to defend our kingdom from any evildoer, and I hope you will forgive him for his momentary rudeness." He turned his head to look to the side, "Dineen? ”

Dineen glanced at him, then lowered his gaze: "I apologize." ”

"Since you have said so, Your Highness," said the nobleman, leaning slightly, "I apologize for my abruptness. ”

Excluding this hiccup, the meeting went well. They eventually came up with a workable plan, clarified their respective responsibilities, and hurried away to carry it out. Seeing the swift action of the rulers of this kingdom, Dineen finally felt a little relieved.

But Arthas was still frowning. As soon as they walked out of the hall, away from the eyes of the others, he asked, "My father said that you will solve the orc problem in the south, and you are not going to do it on your own, are you?" ”

When the matter was mentioned at the meeting, Terenus brushed it off lightly. Others may mistakenly think that Dinen also has some kind of power, but Arthas knows otherwise. But this time he couldn't step in to help, the Silver Hand was about to go into battle, and as a newcomer, he desperately needed the approval of his fellow knights, and Stratholme was off to a good start, soothing the resentment he had had with his long absence, but it was unjustifiable to miss this group mission. Besides, no one, not even Dinen himself, would be willing to let him do this, and it was obviously much safer to clear the undead with a multitude of paladins than to deal with a thousand orcs alone.

"Since I can't take an army with me, it doesn't make a difference whether there's anyone with me or not." Dineen replied indifferently. He had faced more dangerous situations than this, and had become accustomed to the threat of death with pride and fearlessness. Death is not terrible, everything that exists must have an end. It is important not to be conquered. He will never be intimidated, shaken, or deterred by fear. They could have burned him to ashes and crushed him into the earth, but he was still his own master, and he would not be at the mercy of any will.

Arthas's expression was still very serious, and Dinen had to explain further: "It's not as dangerous as you think. The king has accepted my offer. My task is simply to convey this and ensure that the Horde leaves the Eastern Kingdom without a hitch. He even agreed, no, not against them seeking revenge against Blackmore, as long as no innocents were involved. ”

Arthas lowered his head and ran his thumb over the palm of his other hand in turn. Seeing his movements, Dineen immediately stopped, turned to face him.

"I swear to you." He looked straight into those blue eyes and said categorically. The young paladin looked at him for a moment, nodded slowly, and lowered his hand.

"I told you," his smile was a little reluctant with a hint of gloom that hadn't faded, "I deserve a fleet." ”

"Much more than that." Dineen said, and then turned back to the topic just now, "Don't worry too much, I'm not completely unprepared. I'll go find the weapon before I go. ”

Alsasson paused for a moment, then followed his words and asked, "So, you already know where you should go to find it?" ”

Dinen had never concealed his plans, and Arthas naturally knew what he had been busy with lately. Dineen pulled out a marked map from his pocket and pointed it to him: "It's around here." I'm going to rent a griffon from the dwarves. If all goes well, I'll be back in a few days. ”

"Then I'll join. It will take some time for the Silver Hand to complete its assembly. Arthas thought for a moment and asked, "Do you mind if I invite Gianna along?" ”

Dineen glanced at him in surprise: "If you think taking a girl on an adventure is the best way to pursue her, I have no opinion." ”

Arthas blushed.

"I just thought she would be interested in something like that." "When we were little," he argued, "she used to sneak with me into a nearby concentration camp to see the orcs. ”

Dineen raised an eyebrow. But considering that the two young men were constantly changing his old impressions of them, it didn't seem surprising to do so: "Well, go find her." ”

***

"Wait," said Gianna, "and again, what are you looking for?" ”

"Stumka." Arthas told her.

"Destroyer? King Soladin's sword? Gianna asked, but before they could answer, she put her hand on her forehead and spun around in place, "Oh my God, what a surprise. This weapon has been missing for so long, I didn't expect it at all...... How did you find it? ”

Arthas looked at Dineen, who replied, "I read some books." ”

Gianna's eyebrows were upside down, as if she had been greatly insulted. But Dineen was telling the truth. She could see this in his face, and her expression softened.

"I just can't believe it." "For thousands of years, countless people have tried to find King Soladin's whereabouts, but none of them have been able to do so. ”

"Someone helped me with most of the preliminary work." Dinen said.

When he first stepped into Valhalla, Odin gave him clues to the three artifacts, and if Dinen had time, he could go and get his hands on them all. But he couldn't pull away, and due to a number of other factors, Dinen finally chose to reclaim the Valagaral Sword from Hela's warriors.

This decision was purely out of pragmatism, as he needed to return to the battlefield as soon as possible. He did love them and would never forget the feeling of blood burning, but the meaning that the Viku people had given to the pair of swords didn't resonate with him. He had the same reverence and yearning as they did in another weapon that he had abandoned, and every human being knew its name and legend, and shared the same emotions as him.

Sdomka, Exterminator.

When Soladin united his human tribes to drive out the Amani trolls, the sword was a symbol of his noble deeds. Reforged from a part of the sacred relics of each clan, this sword is a symbol of human unity. When Soladin abdicated, he set out on a journey with the sword. Eventually, Sdomka and he disappeared into the forests of Tirisfa, where they were never heard from. But legends have always been passed down among generations of humans to this day. Every time children hear this story from their parents, their young hearts can still feel the heaviness and brilliance.

Although Dineen didn't even get a single glimpse of the weapon, he had done enough research before giving up, and had gone further than the others. That's why he was confident that he would be able to determine the final location with just a few sparse history books, lore collections, and old maps. Now that he lacks a weapon at his disposal, Valagar is far away, but Sdomka is within reach, and Dinen is not willing to let go of this opportunity.

"But, are you sure it's the right choice, since you just need a weapon?" After calming down, Gianna asked another question, "This is the Slayer!" Think about how many people's attention it will grab, and the hassle that comes with it can be very much. ”

"We've talked about it." "Jurisprudence," said Dinein, "it should have belonged to Sir Lothar, but ......"

He shrugged. The nations of humanity are accustomed to referring to themselves as descendants of Soladin, but this is only a rhetorical statement, a tribute to the exploits of that great hero, without whom their ancestors would most likely have exhausted their power in endless infighting and then been slaughtered by the trolls. To be honest, the only person who has truly inherited the bloodline of that legendary king is Anduin Lothar, regent of the Stormwind Kingdom and the supreme commander of the Alliance's army. In the Second Orc War, it was he who led the forces of the Alliance to drive the horde back from the frenzy of the Horde. But in the end, Lothar was tragically killed in a duel with the Horde Grand Chieftain Orgrim Doomhammer. He left no descendants, and Soladin's bloodline was severed, and no one could claim to be more qualified to have a Stumka.

"Moreover, in the eyes of many, this sword belongs to an ordinary warrior, better than to any king or prince." Alsace added.

Gianna raised her eyebrows and looked back and forth between the two of them, her face full of doubt. But in the end, she just corrected: "It's the same for the queen and the princess." ”

"You're right. Please forgive me for my mistake, Your Highness the Princess. Arthas gave an exaggerated salute, making Gianna giggle.

When they got back to business, Dineen said: "Sdomka has always been a symbol of legend and people are excited about it, especially in times of crisis. ”

Although the crisis he is about to contend with is not the crisis that most people are currently aware of, it sounds a bit regrettable. But as long as Dinen finishes dealing with the orcs, he will definitely be on the front line against the undead scourge as soon as possible. Since he dared to possess this sword, he also dared to assume the responsibility it symbolized.

"There will be some people who will do anything to get it." Gianna reminded him.

Dineen gave her a wild smile back.

"Looks like my worries are a little unnecessary." Gianna understood.

Indeed it is. Dineen often encounters people who attack him with weapon ideas. The most recent was after he had recaptured the sword of Valagarh. The pair of twin swords is a symbol of Valhalla's most powerful warriors and the culmination of the glory of the Viku people. There are countless people who want to defeat him and take the sword. Even when he returned to Valhalla, there would always be a well-drunk Valgaral warrior rushing to duel him.

And Dinen never lost.

"Well, since you two have dispelled all my doubts," Gianna asked, "when shall we depart?" ”

"Right now." Alsace said.