Chapter 318

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Chapter 318: Stormwind Keep

Today was the day to meet the king.

Jesse arrived early at Stormwind Keep, followed the guards into the palace, just as he was about to step onto the long ramp leading to the throne hall, he was directly led away into a side chamber by the palace guards.

He knew he was about to be taught the proper etiquette for meeting the king again.

Jesse sat on a beautiful dark red chair, next to a attendant he had never met before, was rapidly explaining the protocols to follow later. Before the explanation could go on for too long, there suddenly came a commotion from outside, causing the attendants nearby to look hesitant.

Jesse looked out the door and suddenly a strong man walked in quickly.

He recognized the man, stood up, and saw him glance at everyone in the room, saying, "Gentlemen, I don’t know which is scarier, these troublesome formalities or the Death Knight. Of course, I appreciate your efforts to maintain the solemn atmosphere in Stormwind Keep."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

The attendants heard the order and walked out, while two guards at the door with spears exchanged a look as the man said, "Please, the two of you also leave for now. Thank you very much for your service."

The guards nodded and left the room, closing the door behind them, leaving Jesse alone in the room.

Compared to their last meeting, Jesse noticed that Varian appeared more confident, with slightly paler skin, but still with exaggerated muscles.

Of course, he still wasn’t wearing a crown, his black hair was simply tied back, with some stray hair falling casually on his face, and no royal accessories to be seen.

Wearing a simple blue outer garment, brown trousers, and intricately carved leather boots, he looked more like a young knight who had just come from the battlefield and hastily removed his armor, rather than the ruler of the country.

"Your Majesty!"

Jesse slightly arched his back.

"Mr. Seso." Varian nodded and asked, "When was the last time we met, about six months ago, right? So much has happened in these six months, it feels like a lifetime has passed."

"Yes, it’s been about half a year!"

"Please have a seat." Varian pointed to a chair behind him, casually pulled another chair beside him and sat down, sighing, "Lord Barwald wanted me to wait for you on that chair, but it’s so uncomfortable, and I was getting impatient."

"I always follow their lead outside, but here I should be in charge, right? I mean… Jesse, can I call you Jesse?"

"Of course, Your Majesty." Jesse said, sitting down. Compared to the reserved Varian he had met at Stonewatch Keep before, this time he felt Varian’s casual demeanor was a bit unexpected.

Stormwind Keep is his home, while Stonewatch Keep houses soldiers who are willing to sacrifice their lives for him and his family. Even facing such a group of people, Jesse would surely feel unsure of where to place his hands and feet.

"By the way, how does the cloak look on me?" the king suddenly asked.

Well, that was quite unexpected.

"I’m sorry." Jesse admitted, "I burned it."

"The court mage said that cloak was fire-resistant, how could it get burned?"

"It was burned by a black dragon."

"A black dragon?" Varian touched his neck and asked, "When did you encounter a black dragon!?"

"Your Majesty, aren’t you aware of the black dragons to the north of Redridge?"

"I heard reports of Wyrmkin lurking there, trying to disrupt Lakeshire." Varian said, "So, you met a real dragon in Burning Steppes? But the letter from the Silvermoon City Ranger-General didn’t mention this."

Jesse said, "During the war, Quel’Thalas was attacked by the Red Dragonflight. Perhaps for the Ranger-General, encountering a young dragon is not as important compared to facing Teron Gorefiend…"

"That may be true." Varian said, "But even a young dragon can destroy a warship, Jesse. I’ve always hoped to battle a dragon myself, but now as a king, they won’t allow me the chance to face a dragon, not even a Wyrmkin warrior."

"Wyrmkin are also quite dangerous." Jesse said, "The Wyrmkin I encountered in Lakeshire was a female mage, Your Majesty. She has a mind-controlling magic that can make the victim think she’s a human woman and lower their guard."

Varian nodded and said, "The mage in the palace also mentioned this, and they said that the arrival of the Wyrmkin means that the black dragon intends to reach out its claws in this direction. The trouble caused by the Gnolls has finally eased a bit, but now the black dragon seems restless again, causing continuous trouble."

"But will the Wyrmkin really have magic that can influence the minds of people? I read in the book about the introduction of these so-called mixed monsters with dragon blood flowing in their bodies. I originally thought they were like the Gnolls, not very smart creatures, just much stronger."

Jesse said, "I have seen it with my own eyes, and the Wyrmkin are all transformed from ordinary people. The dragon race has transformed them into more loyal and powerful magical beings. There is no reason to make them dumber."

"So, their master is the black dragon, who must have more complex and frightening magic?" Varian asked.

"Adult black dragons not only deceive, they can even directly transform into ordinary people, and even the most powerful mages find it difficult to see through their disguises," Jesse said.

"I thought I had read many books, Jesse," Varian sighed, "but just talking to you for these two sentences makes me feel unprepared to face the threat of the black dragon."

Jesse suddenly realized that he had said too much.

Up to this point in time, the dragon race has not deeply entered the world of ordinary people, only the most experienced scholars and mages have some understanding of the dragon’s ability to transform.

However, the elves have already known that the dragon race has the ability to transform into humanoid forms, because the blue dragon that maintains magical order has deep connections with Quel’Thalas due to the presence of the Sunwell.

Since I am quite familiar with elves, it’s not too strange to know this.

The king looked at the portraits of his ancestors and asked, "If, as you say, a black dragon turned into a human and sneaked into Stormwind to cause trouble, do we have any way to fight back?"

Jesse remained silent for a moment and said, "Honestly, Your Majesty, I’m not sure either. But, black dragons do need to meet their own kind."

Varian’s eyes shifted to Jesse and nodded, saying, "You’re right. Even if we can’t see through the disguise, he can’t hide his true intentions completely… But this is not a problem we can solve by just chatting here, right? I came here to thank you for your great contribution to the safety of the kingdom, but it turned into a consultation…"

"It is our responsibility as mages, Your Majesty," Jesse said.