Fighting bloody battles during the day, maintaining military equipment at night, and enjoying a beer by the campfire, if there was also music from the Hearthstone Tavern, that would be the most pleasant life.
After a night of conversation, Arthas discovered that the ranger-general, who was both agile and heroic, wasn't as cold as she appeared.
Perhaps 'outwardly cold, inwardly warm' would be a more fitting description.
As for why it wasn't 'outwardly relaxed, inwardly tense,' that was because he hadn't tried it yet.
From Sylvanas, he also learned about past history and why his convenient brother-in-law was still alive.
During the Second Orcish War, an orc clan obtained an artifact that could enslave dragons. But when they tried to use it to enslave the Red Dragon Queen, they were horrified to find it didn't work!
Feeling insulted, the Red Dragon Queen directly slaughtered the entire clan of orcs, showing these green-skinned monsters what it meant for the Age of Dragons to come and go!
It was fortunate that the dragons had other matters to attend to at the time and no leisure to bother with these orcs; otherwise, the entire Horde would have suffered annihilation.
Ultimately, it was the Alliance expeditionary force that entered the Dark Portal and shattered it, bringing an end to the war.
During this time, her sister Alleria also lost contact. It was precisely because she lost a loved one that Sylvanas agreed to jointly fight these disgusting greenskins.
The only regrettable thing was that although Sylvanas was tipsy, her mind was still very clear, so trying anything after drinking was unlikely.
The night passed without incident.
The next day, the group headed to the camp.
Uther was waiting early at the camp entrance. He was the prince's mentor, but more importantly, he was a subject, and he had to show sufficient respect to the crown prince.
Loyalty, this was also a virtue of a paladin.
"Ah, Prince Arthas, it gladdens my heart to see you once more. Word of your deeds has already reached Lordaeron, and I must say, you have done the Light proud. You carry yourself as a true paladin of the Silver Hand.
I've already sent two of our best knights to negotiate with the orc leaders; they should be back soon."
No sooner had he spoken than the guards outside let two horses in.
Uther looked at the two riderless warhorses, and his benevolent expression suddenly changed.
"Damn it, these orcs simply don't understand surrender."
Arthas said dismissively,
"Then these orcs must die!"
Uther, who had been brainwashed by the Holy Light, was displeased to hear this, once again turning into the most annoying 'holier-than-thou' type.
"Remember, Arthas, we are paladins. Vengeance is not our creed. If we let our fervor turn into a thirst for blood, then what difference would there be between us and these orcs?"
Arthas was most annoyed by this kind of talk. He was the first paladin; if Uther hadn't been the most suitable, he wouldn't have been his mentor.
This was because, no matter what, Uther would never overshadow his lord, nor would he dare or harbor any disloyal intentions.
"Understood. Whether orcs are guilty or not, only the Holy Light knows. What we need to do is send them to meet the Holy Light."
"If the Holy Light can forgive them, they will naturally be reborn. If the Holy Light cannot pardon them, then they deserve to die.
We can't let the Holy Light do all the work!"
These words left Uther speechless. Something seemed off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it at the moment.
"Alright, Your Highness, this time you will be in command. I will guard the camp to prevent an orc surprise attack."
"This is King Terenas' intention, and mine as well. It's also a graduation exam."
At this moment, the quest panel updated, still without many hints.
On the dark map panel, glowing circles occasionally marked the final destination.
Sylvanas stood with her arms crossed, a posture that made her fair and ample chest even more prominent.
"Heh heh, a graduation assessment? How interesting."
"In that case, I won't accompany you. I'll assist with the defense in the camp."
This was also what Uther hoped for, not wanting to rely too much on others, to maintain a pure assessment.
How could Arthas let her go? Besides wanting to stay with a famous hero, he also coveted her body.
A hot-blooded young man, if he didn't desire this or that, might as well be a eunuch.
"No, we should be together. The masters of these orcs have already made their move."
"Although I am not a mage, as a commander, I know the three major factors that determine war: food, generals, and soldiers."
"The masters behind the orcs are causing a plague in the north, creating an army of the dead as soldiers."
"The dead don't need food, but we do, so they chose the grain-producing regions of the north."
"Generals! Powerful creatures need to arrive through a portal. Looking across the Eastern Kingdoms, where is the most powerful energy source?"
At these words, Sylvanas immediately reacted, blurting out,
"The Sunwell!"
Snap! Arthas snapped his fingers, placing his right hand on her shoulder, and said earnestly,
"So this isn't over. I need your help."
"Although I don't want to admit it, those old fogies in Silvermoon City won't believe this explanation unless faced with absolute facts."
"When countless armies arrive at Silvermoon City, even the most powerful magic won't be able to stop them."
He was gently leading her on; how could he let Sylvanas leave?
Even if they had to die, they would die together.
Sylvanas, usually very sensitive, actually accepted, suddenly thinking of a strange fatalistic notion.
Perhaps they would have to fight side-by-side for a very, very long time. This feeling was hard to describe, but at least it was better than becoming a banshee and being enslaved.
"Alright, wherever you go, I'll go. Let's kill all those bastards!"
Uther was about to say something else, but saw the captain beside the prince subtly shake his head at him.
Because it was a test, Uther would not participate in decisions, only remain at the camp.
Falric, the captain of the prince's guard, who was the boss of the tank-downing hall hated by countless players, whispered,
"Lord Uther, you shouldn't say any more. Can't you see that the prince is very fond of that elf?"
Uther wanted to say that he was not a sycophant, but would saying so hurt him too much?
"Captain, you should be protecting Arthas, not gossiping here!"
Arthas's idea was simple: with Uther defending the camp, he would just charge through with his soldiers.
'Main Quest: Defeat the Blackrock Clan orcs in the mountains, collect evidence of The Burning Legion's invasion, pass the paladin assessment.'
'Quest Reward: Camp mode unlocked.'
Mobilizing soldiers, this time again only infantry. The mountainous terrain was not suitable for cavalry deployment, or perhaps they had been reassigned elsewhere.
After organizing the troops, the group set off again.
Arthas and Sylvanas advanced side by side, and under the sunlight, they looked very much like a married couple.