Chapter 57: The Blood Elves Are Gone

Morning mist shrouded the port of Theramore, and the damp sea breeze swept across the docks, carrying a salty, fishy tang.

Jaina Proudmoore stood on the stone steps in front of the town hall, her golden hair fluttering slightly in the coastal wind. Her gaze swept over the elf refugees gathered in the square—survivors who had fled from Silvermoon, once the proud Quel'dorei, now dressed in rags with only exhaustion and bewilderment left in their eyes.

Their eyes were filled with uncertainty about the future and nostalgia for the past; former glory and honor seemed to have dissipated with the ashes of Silvermoon.

"Those willing to swear an oath to become citizens of Theramore," Jaina's voice carried clearly across the square through magic, "will from this day forward enjoy the rights and duties of Theramore citizens—food rations, housing allocation, employment opportunities, and free arcane gas therapy for mana addiction."

The crowd stirred, the elf refugees whispering and murmuring among themselves. Sparks of hope flickered in the eyes of some, while others appeared hesitant.

The elf commoners standing in the front row barely hesitated. One by one, they stepped forward, lowered their once-proud heads before the Theramore officials, and swore allegiance.

Their fingertips trembled slightly as they pressed them against the contract—not out of humiliation, but because they finally saw a glimmer of hope for survival. They knew that only by accepting Theramore's protection could they find a place to settle down in this turbulent era.

"I, hereby swear..." A stray ranger who had lost his left eye spoke in a raspy yet resolute voice. His face was etched with the marks of time, every wrinkle telling the story of the hardships and struggles he had endured.

"The Aramis family is willing to accept Theramore's protection..." An elderly elven woman, holding her granddaughter's hand, tremblingly signed her name. Her face was full of anxiety for the future, but even more so with expectations for her granddaughter's tomorrow.

A faint smile of relief touched the corner of Jaina's mouth. These commoner elves had come to terms with reality—compared to an illusory "noble bloodline," a loaf of bread and a roof over one's head mattered far more. They were willing to lay aside past glory, face the challenges of reality, and strive for survival.

However, the nobles at the edge of the square gathered together, their faces full of resistance. They could not accept the fact of swearing allegiance to humans, nor could they accept losing their former positions of nobility.

"Simply absurd!" Elisande of the Morningstar family lowered her voice, her silk gloves clutching her gold-inlaid cane tightly. "Ask us to swear allegiance to humans? To a race that can't even properly control magic?"

Beside her, Lady Milana covered her nose and mouth with a family-crest-embroidered handkerchief, as if the air around them carried not the sea breeze, but some nauseating stench: "I'd rather starve to death than drag out a pathetic existence in this... this slum."

Suddenly, a commotion erupted from behind.

"Latest news!" A young elven noble squeezed into the crowd, his face flushed with a sickly crimson. "Prince Kael'thas has secured another massive batch of arcane crystals! Extremely high purity! He has agreed to let us return to his banner."

The nobles instantly erupted into an uproar.

"Just as expected! His Highness has not abandoned us!"

"I knew it! The blood of the Sun King would never let his people fall to this extent!"

Elisande straightened her posture, her cane striking the ground heavily. "Everyone, what are you waiting for? Dalaran is where we truly belong!"

As if given a signal, the nobles turned around en masse, their robes billowing, and headed straight for the docks without looking back. Seeing this, a few hesitant commoners also quietly slipped away from the oath-taking queue.

Jaina's brow furrowed deeper and deeper, though she said nothing. She returned to the back office, where Dren was standing by the window, looking down at the square below.

Walking over to Dren, Jaina said with a note of dissatisfaction, "Is this your plan? We went to all this trouble to save them, and the moment Kael'thas beckons, they just run right back?"

Dren leaned against the stone pillar by the window, leisurely peeling an apple. The peel formed a long, unbroken ribbon, dangling and swaying in the air.

"Isn't it wonderful?" He took a bite of the apple, the juice trickling down the corner of his mouth. "Free screening service."

"Screening?"

"Good riddance to the half-hearted ones." Dren used his fruit knife to gesture toward the nobles boarding the ships, then shifted it toward the commoner elves remaining in the square. "The ones who stay are the ones truly willing to adapt to the new world."

Jaina stared at Dren for a long time before asking, "Your goal isn't just that, is it?"

Dren chuckled softly without offering an explanation.

Jaina's lovely eyes fixed on the man before her. After pondering for a moment, she probed tentatively, "Is your true purpose to detach these elven commoners from Kael'thas's control?"

Dren uttered an "hmm" and nodded. "I do have other objectives. Imagine this: as the royal family of a fallen nation, the number of subjects they still control determines how much leverage they can command. Subjects are sometimes just bargaining chips."

"Without the arcane gas, their mana addiction would only grow worse, eventually leading them into the darkest corruption. I'm not someone overflowing with boundless mercy, but rather than letting these innocent elven commoners ultimately become symbols of sin, it's better they become citizens of Theramore."

"Citizens of *our* Theramore!" Jaina suddenly emphasized.

"Hmph! Don't go tying yourself to Dren at every turn." With a cold snort, Onyxia stepped out from the shadows.

Dren hurriedly stepped forward to pull the jealous black dragon toward him, wrapping his arm around her slender waist and whispering close to her ear. It took a good while before he coaxed her into beaming smiles.

Jaina massaged her temples, forcibly fed several mouthfuls of public displays of affection. Protesting in dissatisfaction, she said, "Could you two please not flaunt your romance in front of me? I'm an older, unmarried woman; I can't handle this kind of scene."

Far from restraining herself, Onyxia actually leaned over and kissed Dren, looking at Jaina with a provocative gaze. "Sharing you in half—no, giving up a third wouldn't be out of the question. Human princess!"

"Never mind, I give up on you two." Jaina turned away, terrified that if she kept watching, she might blurt out something bizarre.

Suddenly, Chromie burst through a portal, following Dren's scent, and shouted loudly, "What's for dinner? Boss kept me stuck in interrogation for ages, barely managed to talk my way out. Sigh, the blood elf timeline is about to collapse."

Dren asked in bewilderment, "What happened to the blood elves?"

Chromie cast a reproachful glance at Dren. "Isn't it because you brought so many elves to Theramore? Kael'thas only has a handful of followers left; how could he possibly still call them blood elves?

And his father, the Sun King, is still alive. Plus, you provided a massive supply of crystals that cured his mana addiction. Now, Anasterian Sunstrider has officially made a comeback, leading the movement to restore the nation for the elves of Dalaran. He's boasting about fighting their way back home and reclaiming the glory of Quel'Thalas."

"Well, I honestly didn't expect things to turn out this way," Dren said sheepishly. "Will the absence of blood elves in this timeline cause any major repercussions?"

"It's fine. The original blood elves weren't all that numerous to begin with, and they were just blindly following Kael'thas because of their mana addiction. Things are much better now anyway. Besides, it hasn't caused any major trouble for the timeline," Chromie said nonchalantly.

Onyxia frowned and asked curiously, "Shorty, how come you used to panic and scream that the timeline was collapsing or that Nozdormu was going to punish you at the slightest provocation? You don't seem nearly as scared now, and you're even casually leaking timeline secrets? Aren't you afraid Nozdormu will hunt you down?"

The black dragon had spotted the crucial catch.