As night fell, brigades of heavily armed soldiers poured into the streets, driving citizens home, warning them not to leave their homes, and setting up checkpoints at various intersections to prevent them from moving. Those who entered the city during the day because the gates were closed and could not return were concentrated in open places such as churches and squares.

Panic gripped this great city. The vast majority of people don't understand what's going on.

Fordin rushed back to the Hall of Justice and reported to Dasohan: "The investigation has been made. Before fleeing, Rivendell ordered his grain stores and bakeries to supply the citizens with plague-free food at very low prices. These reserves were quickly snapped up. In addition, the well water in the living quarters was also injected with the plague. Before I came back, about a hundred people were infected and turned into zombies. ”

Da Sohan's eyes were filled with anger, and he clenched his fists and said to the two mage advisors, "I need your magic to help me, to make sure my voice can be heard by the whole of Stratholme!" ”

"Yes, Your Excellency." The two mages nodded, and then began to prepare the spell.

In all corners of the city, people found their loved ones suddenly lying on the ground and rolling in pain, trying to get out of the house and asking for help from the paladins and priests - usually with their kind help - but now the soldiers rushed into the door, brutally cut off the heads of their affinity, and isolated them.

"Holy Light, are you crazy!"

"Ah, Father!"

Screams, cries, and screams rose in the night, and terror took over the city faster than the plague.

In desperation, a voice was heard:

"Citizens of Stratholme, I am your Guardian, Commander of the Silver Hand, Saidan Dathohhan. Now, I have very bad news for everyone. In recent years, an evil organization known as the Cult of the Damned has appeared in our realm...... Therefore, in order to prevent more people from being infected by the plague, I implore everyone to support our actions: citizens who may have eaten contaminated food or drank contaminated water, in order to avoid harming their relatives, friends and other innocent people who are not infected, please take the initiative to stand up and receive our treatment; If you have purchased or stored such food but have not yet eaten it, please contact the guards on the street and hand them over; If you find someone close to you who is infected, stay away immediately and ask for help from the soldiers. ”

"Holy Light, I swear to you that we will eradicate the cultists of the Cursed Sect once and for all, avenge the loss of your loved ones, and restore justice and light for the kingdom! Bless us with the Light! ”

After speaking, Da Sohan motioned for the two mages to cancel the spell.

"Have you sent a messenger to the royal city?"

"It's already gone." Fording replied.

……

King Terenus sat lazily on his throne, one hand propped up on his temple, and the sound of a fly buzzing in his ear was like a fly. But it wasn't a fly, it was the ministers arguing fiercely in the throne hall.

"There aren't many shelters we've spent so much money and manpower on, and the few places that may have been left have fallen to the orcs while we spoke. Do you remember that tribe back then? It almost ruined the entire Union! We should renew our call to all the nations and races of the alliance to unite and eradicate them once and for all! ”

"And what about money? What about people? We've wasted too much money on orcs over the years. Now the treasury simply cannot cope with a large battle. Sir Prick, can you conjure up gold coins? ”

"We should have killed them all in the first place. They're just a bunch of beasts that don't know how to be grateful! Locked in a cage does not allow them to be tamed in the slightest. ”

"Say something useful, Hollande, what's the use of these hindsights."

As a wise king, Terenus did not want to describe his ministers as flies, but the experience of the last month had shown him that such an argument would not have a definite result. Because these gentlemen have been debating this issue for more than a month - and still no one has come out with a decision.

It's been wasted like this again.

He has been a little lacking in energy lately, and he is always prone to sleepiness, after all, he is old, and he is no longer as energetic as he was back then, and he is still in good spirits after all-nighters. The boring rhetoric of these ministers made him want to doze off. On the contrary, it was the incident that Arthas and Uther had reported to him the other day - about an evil organization that had made him more interested.

If a qiē shun lì, his son should be back today.

Terenus had already anticipated that his victorious son would gain even greater prestige under his propaganda. Alsace will succeed him with the support and recognition of all.

He was also nurtured by his father, the deceased old king.

Just as the guards came in and told him that the prince and Lord Uther had returned.

Terenus was about to send someone to meet him, but the two came much faster than he expected. The master and apprentice hurriedly broke into the throne room, and the dust on the armor did not look at all like the victorious troops. The young prince's anxious look was further proof of this.

"Welcome back, my son!" Terenus walked down the steps to hug his son. Then he patted the old paladin Uther on the shoulder, "And you, my Lightbringer. ”

"Father," Arthas said directly, "our operation has failed. ”

Terenus had already guessed, so he nodded and motioned for them to continue.

Uther said in a deep voice, "The leader of the Cursed Sect has escaped. ”

"That's called ...... The people of Kel'thugad? ”

"Yes, Your Majesty." Uther worried, "And the threat from the Cursed Sect may be even greater than we anticipated. We may need a massive military operation to eliminate their threat once and for all. ”

"An expedition," Arthas added, "to Northrend, and defeat its evil master, the Lich King Neozu!" ”

The circular design of the throne room allowed the conversation between the three of them to be clearly captured by the other ministers. The ministers who were still discussing the orcs just now immediately burst into flames.

"Your Royal Highness, what can a lonely sect leader who has fled do? I still think our henchmen are orcs. ”

"Yes, if we let it go, this beast may be able to assemble a force of the size led by the Hammer of Destruction ten years ago, and it will be a disaster for Lordaeron!"

Arthas immediately retorted, "The orcs are now a pack of lost dogs, they do not occupy any land, and they live purely by raiding. It's just a bunch of bandits on the go. But the Cult of the Damned has researched a deadly plague that can infect everyone, turning them into mindless zombies who only obey the orders of the evil cultists! And they have mastered an evil spell that can resurrect the dead, and any of our casualties, even the bones of the tombs that have not yet been turned into clods, can increase their power. I ask you, which one is the greatest threat to the kingdom in the face of such power! ”

His merciless robbery embarrassed the ministers. Perhaps the prince had always faced them with a gentle and humble attitude, but the last time the Dreadlord confused him and failed to lead the operation to exterminate the Cursed Sect, Arthas has always had a anger in his heart that has nowhere to vent. The unwitting ministers in this hall who were there to talk were his best targets.

One of the ministers said frivolously, "I have never heard of such an evil spell. Let the dead stand up and fight? Forgive me for not having enough imagination - how do you walk with the skeleton in the tomb? Let the necromancer carry the trail in the back, like a marionette? ”

His words sparked a burst of laughter.

Arthas, whose face was flushed, snorted coldly and said loudly: "When your family is infected with the plague, turns into thoughtless zombies, and then eats your flesh and blood in one bite, I hope you can still say such ridiculous remarks!" ”

As soon as the words fell, the entire hall fell silent. Everyone looked at the righteous and bright prince in disbelief, and couldn't believe that he could utter such a vicious curse.

As soon as he finished speaking, Alsace regained his senses. He didn't know how impulsively he uttered such unseemly words. Ashamed and annoyed, he didn't want to explain, so he hurriedly said to his father, "I'm sorry for my rudeness" and fled from the place that made him angry.

……

Unlike Arthas's predicament, Archmage Antonidas returned to Daraa and succeeded in convincing the entire Council of Kenrito. Perhaps because the mages were more sensible, or because of Antonidas's high status, the Magic Kingdom began to value the organization called the Cult of the Damned, especially since its leader was from Dalaran and was a member of the Kenrito Council.

After deliberation, they decided to send some powerful mages to hunt down the traitor, so that the fallen could feel the wrath and punishment of the Magic Kingdom.

And the mention of Jiang Weihan, a traveler from another world, was also quick to understand: they were eager to see the magic of other civilizations, and what kind of strange abilities the caster that Jiang Weihan called a summoner had aroused their curiosity.

If the Kingdom of Lordaeron is unwilling to recruit this young man with extraordinary potential, Dalaran will welcome him to the Magic Kingdom.

As the appointed time came, the Archmage activated his teleportation spell and traveled to the royal city of Lordaeron to meet with King Terenus.

After a day's rest, His Royal Highness felt that he had finally returned to normal. He was sure that he would not say anything unseemly today.

The throne room once again welcomed several important guests: Antonidas, the leader of the Dalaran mage, Dalin Prodmoor, the ruler of Kul Tiras, and the Church spiritual leader Alonthos Fao, who insisted on coming despite his illness.

Once again, the ministers who attended the meeting also knew that they could not disobey the face of the future ruler of the kingdom too much, so they restrained themselves a lot. Listen to Uther explain everything about the previous few days.

"Next, let's invite another friend who has been of great help to the alliance to answer your questions." After Uther finished speaking, he took out the teleportation beacon that Jiang Weihan had given him and placed it in the center of the hall.

A burst of purple light wrapped around the beacon, and after a few breaths, the black-haired young summoner Jiang Weihan and his Judgment Angel Kyle appeared in the center of the hall:

"Honorable King Terenus, Admiral Dalin, Archbishop Fao, Archmage Antonidas, and everyone present, under Jiang Weihan, extend your blessings from Valoran!"