Chapter 476: Public Opinion
The Windrunner sisters truly lived up to their reputation as lifelong rivals.
Even in their competition for Alaric, neither was willing to back down, each pulling out all the stops and generously offering "benefits" in their own way, making for an entertaining spectacle.
That said, they were still reliable allies—at least, that was Alaric's belief.
Since the last council meeting, the Silvermoon Council had remained silent, giving Alaric no feedback whatsoever.
Whether his proposal would be accepted or if the council would continue to adhere to tradition, he received no clear response.
This silence made it clear to him what kind of political landscape Quel'Thalas was dealing with.
Even though he had debated fiercely in the council chamber, rendering his opponents speechless, there remained a faction that stood by Dar'Khan's views.
These individuals preferred to cower within the walls of Silvermoon rather than seize the golden opportunity before them and eliminate their ancient enemy in one fell swoop.
Most of these people were mages. The self-serving nature of spellcasters had been ingrained in high elves since the days of the ancient Night Elf Empire.
While there were always some who dedicated themselves to Azeroth's defense, the majority cared only about their own research, unwilling to leave their secluded mage towers.
To make matters worse, the high elves as a race revered magic, and many of their ruling elite were mages themselves.
They inherited the obstinacy of spellcasters and their tendency to avoid unnecessary trouble.
While they were certainly loyal to their people and willing to make sacrifices in times of crisis, under current circumstances, their reluctance to act was hardly surprising.
Fortunately, Alaric had managed to convince a portion of the high elves.
As it stood, the Silvermoon Council was still deadlocked between two opposing views, unable to reach a decision.
Alaric knew that now was the time to give them a push—to provide the true decision-makers with a reason to support his plan.
And that push would come from the Windrunner sisters, Alleria and Sylvanas.
As mentioned before, the Windrunner family had long commanded the Farstriders, making them highly respected among high elven rangers.
Though their influence meant little among the mage-dominated upper echelons, it held significant sway among the common people.
After all, even in a society where nearly everyone was a magic apprentice, only a rare few ever became full-fledged mages.
Following Alaric's instructions, the sisters discreetly spread word of the council's debates through their Farstrider subordinates.
Unlike the lofty and aloof mages, the rangers mingled freely with the common folk.
As a result, rumors quickly spread outward from Silvermoon, circulating in taverns, marketplaces, and beyond.
At this moment, one could not help but marvel at the deep-seated enmity between trolls and high elves.
Thanks to their long lifespans, high elves had a direct ancestral memory of the wars against the trolls.
Though Quel'Thalas had stood for nearly seven thousand years, only a few generations had passed.
Nearly every high elven family had lost loved ones in those dark times, and their hatred for trolls was deeply ingrained.
While the high elven leadership sought to avoid war to protect their slow-growing population, they could not suppress the commoners' thirst for vengeance.
When word spread that there was now a chance to join their allies in wiping out the Amani trolls, excitement was palpable.
But when people learned that some council members still opposed war and insisted on merely fortifying the magical barriers, outrage erupted.
This sentiment was especially strong among those living on the borders.
Quel'Thalas was not a vast nation, nor was its population particularly large. As a result, news spread rapidly throughout the kingdom.
Before long, complaints against the high elven leadership's policies became widespread—practically an uproar.
Unlike human kingdoms, where a king ruled through nobles and commoners were expected to obey their lords, Quel'Thalas functioned more like an early modern society.
The common folk were not so subservient to the aristocracy, and nobles did not command blind obedience.
In short, it was a society where everyone was relatively equal. The nobility and leadership were simply more respected and wielded greater political power.
Because of this, high elven citizens were unafraid to voice their opinions.
As rumors continued to escalate, protests began to emerge at the Sunstrider royal court.
Border residents arrived to petition the king, while rangers confronted nobles on the roads to argue their case.
Though no physical conflicts had broken out yet, the growing public pressure was undeniable.
In the past, the king and the Silvermoon Council had occasionally sought public opinion, but never before had the common folk so overwhelmingly and spontaneously voiced their demands to their rulers.
Even the Windrunner sisters had not anticipated that politics could be manipulated this way.
"I never expected this, little brother Sandor. Your plan… actually worked this well."
After another day of covert operations, Sylvanas returned home and found Alaric lounging in the Windrunner estate, engrossed in his studies of arcane constructs.
Her expression was complicated as she spoke.
"I never imagined that mere rumors could accomplish all this."
"It was just a matter of guiding the situation," Alaric replied nonchalantly, shrugging as he disassembled a construct's hand joint.
"After all, for the high elven commoners, righteousness was always on our side. In the past, they simply never had the full picture."
"That's still terrifying," Sylvanas muttered in disbelief. "I never realized the Windrunner family's influence ran this deep.
If we'd known earlier, those insufferable mage lords wouldn't have… ah, I didn't mean you."
Alaric waved off the remark. "No worries. I know what most mages are like.
Honestly, if I were in their position, I might have made the same choice. The only difference is… I've chosen to stand with you."
At his words—especially the phrase stand with you—Sylvanas froze for a moment, then smiled warmly.
Suddenly, she stepped closer to Alaric, crouching down so that their eyes met. Brushing aside a few stray strands of his dark hair, she murmured,
"You've got some nerve, speaking to your elder sister like that."
Just as Alaric wondered what she was planning, Sylvanas flipped gracefully backward, landing nimbly a few steps away.
The next moment, a sharp thunk echoed in the room.
An arrow struck the very spot she had just occupied.
Footsteps approached from the doorway.
Alleria's figure emerged.
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