After receiving the report, the entire Stormwind was immediately put on high alert. The Dreadlords clearly wouldn't just hide in Stormwind Keep; they not only wanted to assassinate the Alliance's leaders and King, but also intended to cause chaos throughout Stormwind.
Among them, the most deeply hidden was undoubtedly SI:7.
SI:7's spymaster, Matthias Shaw, and a large group of his subordinates had been replaced by the Dreadlord Detheroc, which meant the Dreadlords had control over Stormwind's 'eye' and 'arm'.
As a long-established Stormwind intelligence organization, SI:7's informants were spread throughout Azeroth, and those agents, spies, and special operatives were almost the entire source of Stormwind's intelligence.
If SI:7 were truly infiltrated by the Dreadlords, for a considerable period in the future, Stormwind, and even the entire Alliance, would be led by the nose by the Burning Legion.
Originally, the Alliance and Horde combined could only barely resist the Burning Legion's invasion. If incorrect intelligence were to emerge again, it was clear that Azeroth would ultimately face a tragic defeat.
Therefore, after Arthas and Varian explained Matthias Shaw's situation, Varian returned to Stormwind Keep to stabilize the situation and was about to thoroughly investigate SI:7 when he received news of Arthas's independent action.
When Varian and the Stormwind guards arrived at SI:7's stronghold, a large hole had been forcibly chiseled into the wall of the SI:7 fortress, and the corpse of a Dreadlord, sprawled on the ground outside and slowly dissipating into ash, was quite shocking.
A crowd of onlookers had already gathered, but a Holy Light barrier blocked their path, preventing them from entering the dangerous area.
From the large damaged hole in the wall, demons burning with golden flames constantly fled in a panic, but their lives were quickly consumed by the Holy Light, turning into a pile of ashes scattered across the ground.
Arthas held the Ashbringer in one hand and a massive head in the other. The Dreadlord's face was filled with surprise and fear, as if he was the one truly terrified.
Varian let out a helpless sigh, but his heart was filled with a special sense of satisfaction, like a long-lost item had returned to his side.
However, Arthas causing such a commotion was truly unexpected by Varian. Now that many Stormwind residents had witnessed this scene, explaining it afterward would be troublesome.
But no matter what, eliminating Detheroc was better than keeping this cancerous growth in Stormwind. Even if Varian had known their true nature beforehand, truthfully, Stormwind currently lacked the strength to resolve such a problem.
Arthas did not reveal his face. Aside from his flowing golden hair, Arthas's face was still covered by a golden faceplate formed of Holy Light, and his palm-colored cloak was damaged in the recent chaotic battle, revealing the blue and gold armor beneath.
"Ashbringer..."
Anduin murmured, his gaze drawn to the holy sword. He was one of those who had seen Tirion wield the Ashbringer to purge evil, but even in Tirion's hands, the Ashbringer had never emitted such dazzling light. Anduin looked at this Holy Light and seemed to feel that it was truth, it was righteousness.
For some reason, Anduin unconsciously looked at his mentor, Velen. This Draenei Prophet, weathered by years and experienced in a tumultuous fate, briefly clenched his staff.
Anduin was certain that the movement he saw was not an illusion. Prophet Velen must have sensed something to react, but he controlled his emotions very well. Aside from the sudden intuition of Anduin, no one noticed Velen's abnormality.
After noticing this, he turned his gaze to the other Alliance leaders, but this time there were no new micro-expressions or small movements worth analyzing. Tyrande and Muradin were mostly confused.
Only Tirion's expression left Anduin somewhat puzzled. The Highlord's expression was very complex, and the meticulous Anduin could almost feel the varied emotions of surprise, nostalgia, sorrow, and emotion emanating from Tirion.
Moreover, in addition to the performance of the Alliance leaders present, when Anduin focused his attention again on Arthas, who was still clearing the remaining demons, he looked at the back wielding the holy sword, and somehow a sense of familiarity and sadness welled up in his heart.
When he recovered from the sudden burst of emotion, the demons had all been eliminated, and the Holy Light barrier began to gradually dissipate. Only then did Anduin feel something wet and cold on his face. He reached up and wiped his face, discovering that it was his own tears.
Extreme confusion and bewilderment quickly occupied Anduin's mind: Why was that knight's back so familiar? Why did the aura emanating from him make him feel so calm and sad, even causing him to shed tears unconsciously?
He immediately integrated the information he had gathered. His father and Tirion's expressions both showed clear nostalgia, and he himself felt a sense of familiarity with this back, indicating that this knight was either someone all three of them knew, or someone very much like someone they knew.
But... Anduin really couldn't think of anyone who would simultaneously know the Highlord of the Argent Crusade, the King of Stormwind, and also make him feel familiar, while also being a powerful paladin capable of slaying Dreadlords and many other demons...
Wait?!
As if by a divine hand, Anduin suddenly thought of someone who almost perfectly fit the above conditions, and if it were that person, Tirion's reaction would be entirely understandable.
Thinking of this, Anduin could barely control his curiosity. He carefully observed something he had previously overlooked: the armor on his body.
In fact, perhaps all the guards present could feel a slight sense of incongruity, because although the mysterious knight's armor style was very similar to the current standard armor, in reality, it was completely different.
Anduin, who had some understanding of history and insider information, was certain that it was the standard armor from the Lordaeron period, but compared to the equipment of ordinary soldiers, the other party's was clearly more exquisite and magnificent, and the magical runes occasionally appearing on the armor indicated that this set of armor had impressive defensive capabilities.
His father, to commemorate the Kingdom of Lordaeron that had vanished into history and his own childhood, had specifically ordered that some elements of Lordaeron be incorporated into the current standard armor of Stormwind, so there would be some similarities between the two.
The clues in his mind were completely sorted out at this moment. Anduin was almost on the verge of identifying the mysterious knight, but the doubts and confusion were not completely eliminated, because if it truly was the person he suspected, then the other party's appearance was completely without warning, without reason.
Whether the answer was correct, Anduin knew that he just needed to ask his father; he certainly wouldn't hide it from him. But just as he stepped forward to prepare to approach, he was stopped by a somewhat withered hand.
"Prophet?"