Chapter 56: Mortgage

"Oh, look who it is! The great elven prince, His Highness Kael'thas!" A raspy voice suddenly interrupted the frustrated prince.

"Show yourself! Who is there?" Kael'thas demanded loudly.

"Tap, tap..." A diminutive figure emerged from the shadows. It turned out to be a goblin draped in gold and jewels.

"You... you're that goblin, the one who came to collect Jaina's debts?" The prince had a good memory; he looked familiar, seemingly having met this goblin before.

"At your service, Renzik. I'm glad Your Highness remembers me," the goblin greeted warmly, followed by two accountants. Massive gemstone rings adorned his hands, flashing blindingly even in the dead of night.

Kael'thas gazed at the goblin with vigilance. He knew the goblin meant no good and certainly wanted something from him.

"Relax, relax, my prince," Prince Gallywix the goblin said leisurely. "We're all businessmen here. Mutual consent, no deception."

"What do you want?" the prince asked urgently. "I have nothing left to trade with you," he added despondently.

The goblin stepped closer, reaching up to pat the prince's elbow. "Do you remember your last contract with Lady Jaina? Using Silvermoon City and the Sunwell as collateral in exchange for her and Dalaran's rescue operation."

Kael'thas nodded blankly. The goblin said cheerfully, "As it happens, I'm also interested in that. Care to make another deal?"

"You want Silvermoon City and Sunwell?" Kael'thas asked suspiciously.

"Not quite. Right now, that place is crawling with undead. Even if goblins wanted to do business with them, we couldn't. You know how some people in this world have the most peculiar hobbies, and goblins always manage to find clients for their needs. A Silvermoon City and Sunwell overrun by undead can still fetch a decent price," the goblin said seductively.

"What do I get out of this?" Kael'thas, no longer bothering to beat around the bush, asked directly.

"I can help His Highness draft a financing agreement, using the ownership of Silvermoon City and Sunwell as collateral to secure a hefty loan of arcane crystals. The interest rate is a mere twelve percent per annum, with a thirty-year repayment term. If you manage to retake Quel'Thalas in the future and pay off the loan, you can reclaim ownership of both places."

"Hmm..." Kael'thas was left speechless. The terms were simply too generous.

"Just think about it: trading two territories already conquered by the undead for a massive pile of arcane crystals—no matter how you look at it, it's a profitable bargain. If you can retake them in the future, the money isn't impossible to pay back. If you can't retake them, those territories are meaningless to you anyway," the goblin explained the pros and cons meticulously.

"These terms... I don't know what your ultimate goal is. You'd better spell it out clearly so I can rest easy." Kael'thas was not a fool; for the goblin to offer such terms, they certainly had an ulterior motive. He was afraid of falling into a trap and regretting it later.

Renzik chuckled. "Our purpose is simply this thirty-year repayment period. No defaulting, and no paying it off early. Understand?"

Kael'thas finally felt completely at ease. The goblin intended to use a thirty-year temporary option on Silvermoon City and the Sunwell to secure greater long-term profits. He nodded and replied, "I understand. But this involves the sovereignty of Quel'Thalas, and it requires the consent of my father, the Sun King."

"Of course, of course. It's a major matter, so it must be discussed thoroughly to prevent future regrets and finger-pointing. Rather than clinging to empty notions like honor and dignity while living a hard life, it's better to exchange them for something tangible," the goblin said understandingly. Hearing this, Kael'thas felt a stir in his heart. The goblin tossed a communication crystal to the prince. "I await your good news."

As Kael'thas stood before his father's bedchamber door, the contract in his hand suddenly felt as heavy as a thousand jun.

The sight inside the room made his throat tighten—Anasterian Sunstrider slumped in a wheelchair, his once-radiant golden hair now dry and withered like straw. A tattered copy of *Chronicles of the Sunwell* lay open across the old man's lap, and his emaciated fingers mechanically stroked the printed illustration of the well water on the page.

"Father, how are you feeling today? The goblin Steamwheedle Cartel has proposed a financing agreement..." Kael'thas began, recounting the day's events to the Sun King.

Upon hearing that a massive amount of arcane crystals could be acquired, a gleam returned to the old king's eyes. But when he learned that Silvermoon City and the Sunwell were required as collateral, he suddenly began to shake violently. His twig-like hand grabbed his son's jewel-encrusted collar, the blue veins throbbing into dark lines across the back of his hand as his mana addiction flared up.

"You... make the decision..." The old king's voice sounded as though it were squeezed from a grave. "The honor of our ancestors... I have failed you... I can't go on, my mana addiction is acting up again! *Cough—*"

A fit of violent coughing interrupted him. Amidst the spasms, the Sun King's sleeve brushed against the edge of the table—

*Clang!*

The jade imperial seal of the Sunstrider dynasty tumbled to the floor, coming to a halt right against the tip of Kael'thas's boot.

Father and son froze simultaneously. The Sun King then broke into a harsh cough, his entire body convulsing as if his mana addiction had driven him completely out of his mind.

Kael'thas slowly bent down and picked up the imperial seal. The warm jade base was still stained with the cold sweat from his father's palm, and as the carved wings of the phoenix brushed against his hand, it felt strangely like a silent condemnation.

*(Is this tacit consent? Or just a coincidence?)*

Outside the window, a raven cawed suddenly—a seemingly ominous omen.

After stepping out of the chamber, the prince immediately contacted the goblin.

Renzik hurried over as well. When Kael'thas entered the parlor, the goblin was inspecting the purity of a crystal with a magnifying glass. Seeing the prince arrive, the goblin immediately broke into a smile of absolute victory.

"Well? Did His Highness the Sun King agree?"

"Mm." Kael'thas gestured slightly toward the imperial seal.

"Splendid!" Renzik signaled the accountant behind him, who hauled up a large chest and placed it on the table. When opened, it was packed to the brim with arcane crystals. "These are ready stocks, to be handed over upon signature. The rest will be provided to you successively in accordance with the contract."

Kael'thas bit his thumb directly, smearing a bead of blood across the bottom of the contract. The magical runes on the parchment instantly came to life, swimming toward the blood like countless golden tadpoles.

He suddenly felt that being a prince wasn't so bad after all—at least he still had ancestral property left to trade. The chest full of crystals gave him an unprecedented sense of security.

Before long, the convulsing Sun King in the hidden chamber also received a pouch of arcane crystals. From previously turning his nose up at arcane crystals for having insufficient purity and a foul taste, to now—when his mana addiction struck—relying on even a sliver of magic from these items to sustain himself, he eagerly untied the pouch, grabbed a handful of crystals, and began to drain their magic, a look of profound satisfaction washing over his eyes. When the crystals in his hand turned to dust and shattered, his gaze regained its sharp intelligence.

"Thank you for your hard work, my son." He stood up, smiled at Kael'thas, and affectionately patted his shoulder. "I feel much better!"

Kael'thas, however, wore a wooden expression devoid of any emotion, finally forcing out a stiff smile. "It is a son's honor to see Your Majesty well."

"Tomorrow, summon all the nobles to a meeting. We must pull ourselves together and fight to restore the glory of the Quel'dorei." The Sun King had resumed his former imposing and domineering demeanor.

"As Your Majesty commands." Seeing his father's posture, Kael'thas knew what he had to do now. He bowed deeply in formal respect, as though they were still in the royal palace of Silvermoon.

In distant Northrend, Rhonin hoisted his luggage and stepped down onto the beach. The transport ship immediately reversed, preparing to make its return. The captain waved to him, shouting, "Good luck, red-haired wizard!"

Rhonin waved back toward the ship. "Thanks! Remember to let my mentor know I've arrived safely." He silently added in his heart: *And Vereesa.* That foolish elven girl would likely go to Dalaran looking for him, and he would end up disappointing her once again.

As the transport ship sailed further away, pulling hundreds of meters out, Rhonin stood watching it, contemplating his unknown journey. Suddenly, the people on board began frantically waving at him. Touched by their enthusiasm, Rhonin waved back energetically, wondering why they all wore such terrified expressions. Then, the red-haired wizard heard heavy footsteps rapidly approaching from behind him. That was when he finally realized what kind of monster had snuck up on him.

Before he even had a chance to turn around and clearly see what was behind him, the world spun wildly. Dizzy and disoriented, he felt a massive grip clamp around his neck, and he lost consciousness. Shortly after, a towering monster hoisted him over its shoulder and quickly vanished into the freezing snowscapes of Northrend. The people on the transport ship witnessed the entire ordeal and could only return to report to Dalaran: Master Rhonin the red-haired wizard had been attacked and carried off by a monster shortly after landing in Northrend, and was presumed devoured.

When the Red Dragon Mage Krasus received the news, he even teleported to the beach where Rhonin had landed. His spell tracking failed, and he only found luggage that had been torn apart by local beasts—among which was the magical brooch he had given Rhonin, which was the only thing he could locate. He sighed, used a spell to pack the scattered belongings into a spatial pouch, and returned to Dalaran.

A few days later, when Vereesa saw Rhonin's belongings, tears streamed down her face. Suppressing her grief, she returned to Theramore to weep before her second sister, Sylvanas, spending her days depressed and heartbroken.

During a meal at Delren's house, Sylvanas brought up the incident, asking if there was any way to snap her younger sister out of it.

Delren was dumbfounded. Originally, these two lovebirds had gone through countless hardships to finally achieve a happy ending, yet in his timeline, Rhonin had kicked the bucket early? He asked Kromi, who was furiously devouring her food: "What's going on? How did Rhonin die so easily?"

"Ha, you guys don't need to worry. Rhonin is just fine!" Kromi didn't care about Rhonin at all; the joy of gorging on food was the foundation of her happiness.

Sylvanas set down her chopsticks and asked curiously, "If that red-haired guy isn't dead, why hasn't he returned to Dalaran? My little sister has been grieving over him for days!"

"Rhonin isn't dead? Quick, tell me where he is!" The door was suddenly shoved open as Vereesa, who had just been walking outside and overheard that Rhonin was alive, rushed in uncontrollably.

Onyxia hummed in dissatisfaction. "Remember your manners! How can you barge into someone else's home without knocking?"

Vereesa's face flushed red as she apologized to the black dragon, "I'm sorry, Lady Onyxia."

Sylvanas broke out in a sweat, frantically trying to fool her younger sister, "Don't listen to Kromi's nonsense. That bastard of a wizard was eaten by a monster ages ago. You should stop thinking about him."

Brushing past her second sister's obstruction, Vereesa went straight to Kromi and pleaded, "Lady Kromi, please, you must tell me the truth. Is Rhonin still alive?"

Growing annoyed under the intense gaze, Kromi turned to Delren and complained, "What kind of trouble is this? Why does everyone keep running to your house?"

Delren stroked his chin in thought for a moment before saying to Vereesa, "Don't panic yet. Sit down and listen together. Perhaps the truth isn't what you imagine. The twists of fate have turned out rather unexpected."

Hearing Delren say this, Vereesa cautiously took a seat next to Kromi, staring at her with wide, pleading eyes.

After taking a few more bites of food, Kromi finally began slowly, "I saw on the timeline that Rhonin is still alive, though his current situation isn't exactly great."

"Was he imprisoned? There are plenty of weird races around the Northrend region," Delren asked.

Kromi suddenly broke into a lewd grin. "Something like that. Oh, he's lying down right now, researching the grand endeavor of lineage-continuation with a female Vrykul who's a head and a half taller than him. She's the top warrior of her tribe, and Rhonin is just a fragile wizard. Who's on top and who's on the bottom is pretty self-explanatory."

"Cough, cough—" Delren choked, forced into a violent fit of coughing.

Onyxia wore a curious look, pondering something. She nudged Delren beside her and whispered, "Shall we try a new position tonight?"

Delren: *Facepalm!* Don't corrupt the youth!

Vereesa didn't catch on at first, but after a moment, she finally understood what Kromi meant. After all, as a High Elf over a hundred years old, even if she had never eaten pork, she had seen pigs run. Blushing with anger and shame, she burst out, "Damn Rhonin! I've been worried sick about him, and he's out there enjoying the tender comforts of some Vrykul woman!"

Taking the opportunity, Sylvanas advised, "See? That jerk of a wizard isn't worth your sympathy at all. Don't ever think about him again."

Wiping away her stray tears hastily, Vereesa hugged her second sister and said bitterly, "Fine! I'll never think of him again. What a jerk."

Delren never expected Rhonin to end up in such a situation—captured by a female Vrykul warrior to be her mountain-bandit husband! It had the legendary feel of Fan Lihua meeting Xue Dinghan. Compared to the tragic fate of dying in battle at Theramore, perhaps growing old in the icy wilderness of the North was actually a stroke of luck for him.

He winked at Kromi and then told the others, "Regarding Rhonin's situation, let's keep it to ourselves. Don't spread it around. Perhaps this was Rhonin's own choice; let's not disturb his life. That's important for him."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Vereesa, feeling utter disgust toward him now, finally let go of her emotional baggage. The elven girl dished herself a portion of food and dug in heartily, instantly casting away several days of depression. Sylvanas broke into a knowing, motherly smile. Seeing the empty food bowls, Delren couldn't help but facepalm—he wasn't going to have enough to eat again. These female dragons, and female elves...