With such an important task at hand, Valeera didn't state her demands immediately.
A mysterious smile hung on her face, like a fox that had stolen a chicken, postponing the time for this 'transaction'.
"Let's talk about it after the war settles down. Telling you the truth now would only disturb your mind and affect the upcoming investigation mission."
"Inhale~ Exhale~"
Having his curiosity deliberately piqued, Ael'tharion's forehead throbbed with veins. He took several deep breaths to suppress his anger.
"Hmph! I'd like to see what tricks you're playing."
His origins—this question had plagued Ael'tharion ever since he could remember.
Whenever he brought up the topic, Julian would laugh it off and change the subject.
From Valeera's words, it seemed his background was unusual, even classified as secret intelligence within the Blade of the Reverse Light.
Although he was very concerned, just as Valeera said, he needed to focus on their mission for now.
Quel'Thalas was currently facing a crisis unseen in a thousand years.
Although many in the bullet chat said the War of Quel'Thalas would end anticlimactically, who could be sure that events would unfold exactly as predicted?
One theory mentioned in a bullet chat particularly caught Ael'tharion's attention.
The butterfly effect.
Ael'tharion couldn't be bothered to ponder those complex principles.
To explain it as simply as possible, every action he, a person not mentioned in the original history, took could affect the future's trajectory. Even a small change could shift the entire situation.
The future is constantly changing, never static.
Even if, as the bullet chat said, the orcs led by Orgrim voluntarily retreated, if the traitor hidden among Quel'Thalas's high-ranking officials wasn't rooted out, the same crisis would inevitably recur in the future.
Lirath and Liressa were supposed to die in the Second War. If the traitor seized another opportunity to cause trouble next time, who would be the victim?
Julian? Valeera?
Having suffered countless discriminations and insults from the High Elves since childhood, Ael'tharion wasn't concerned about the survival of Quel'Thalas; he only cared about the people around him.
'Liressa... I hope it's not too late, otherwise Alleria will surely be heartbroken.'
Lirath, Valeera, and Ael'tharion—these three had practically grown up playing together and knew each other very well.
Julian once jokingly said that Valeera was his silly son's external thinking attachment.
This statement was a joke, but not entirely a joke.
In the Blade of the Reverse Light's internal evaluations, Valeera was not merely an executor; she would occasionally offer her insights into the current situation during missions, and they were usually spot-on.
The current Ranger General, Liressa Windrunner, was a seasoned legendary Ranger. Both her personal strength and command ability were top-notch.
Even if she couldn't defeat the Horde's legendary team, with a Ranger's powerful mobility, escaping should not be an issue.
So the question arises: under what circumstances would Liressa be unable to even escape?
Valeera's answer was clear.
"Falling into an enemy encirclement completely unprepared."
At this point in the discussion, the topic circled back.
Why would Liressa, an incredibly seasoned Ranger General, so easily fall into an encirclement?
The answer was already self-evident.
"Haaa~"
Valeera twitched her lips and drew a sharp breath: "I don't know where you got that information about Liressa being in danger, but if the intelligence is true..."
"That traitor colluding with the enemy from behind the scenes probably has grand ambitions."
The Ban'dinoriel Shield was the barrier protecting Quel'Thalas, and Liressa Windrunner, who commanded the Ranger forces, was the second line of defense.
Although Sylvanas, Liressa's successor, had also advanced to legendary status, she still had a significant gap in both experience and strength compared to her mother.
Once deprived of Liressa's protection, no one could guarantee whether a young Sylvanas could perfectly take over the heavy burden her mother left behind.
This humiliating experience of invaders besieging the city had already shaken the public's trust in the Sunstrider Royal Family. If they were to lose the Ranger General who had protected Quel'Thalas for many years... "Swish!"
Just as Valeera and Ael'tharion were discussing the traitor with grave expressions, two figures suddenly emerged from the woods on the side of Sunstrider Isle.
The first to step out was an exquisitely beautiful silver-haired female Ranger, with Lirath, who had left shortly before, following half a step behind her.
Needless to say, this valiant female Ranger was Vereesa, the third daughter of the Windrunner family.
It was strange to note that, including Lirath, members of the Windrunner family all had brilliant golden hair, yet Vereesa alone had shoulder-length silver hair.
Alleria once amusingly mentioned that when Vereesa was very young, she had tearfully suspected that she was an adopted daughter picked up by her parents.
Facts proved her childish childhood guess wrong, and this incident has since been regarded by Vereesa as an unbearable dark history—woe betide anyone who brings it up.
Members of the Windrunner family, with the exception of Lirath, who was an anomaly with a gentle disposition, were all decisive and efficient.
Without any pleasantries, Vereesa simply nodded to Valeera and Ael'tharion and immediately got to the point.
"Has the Blade of the Reverse Light made a new discovery?"
Valeera's family had always lived in the southern Eversong Forest and was quite familiar with the Windrunner family, so she already understood their customary style.
Without wasting time explaining the ins and outs, Valeera quickly straightened her face and got down to business.
"Although there's no concrete evidence yet to identify the traitor, based on the remaining clues, we've discovered a new meeting point between the traitor and the Horde."
"Here."
Unrolling a parchment map, Valeera's slender index finger pointed to a mountain peak.
"Sunscar Peak, the ancient crypt of the Amani Trolls."
...
High Elves have inhabited Eversong Forest for nearly 7,000 years.
Before that, this forest belonged to the Forest Trolls.
The current location of Silvermoon City and the Sunwell was once a sacred site for the Forest Trolls.
With their sacred land taken by invaders, the Amani Trolls naturally wouldn't stand idly by.
During the early days of Quel'Thalas's founding, the Forest Trolls launched frenzied attacks on Silvermoon City.
After Dath'Remar, two successive Sun Kings died prematurely due to years of continuous warfare.
It wasn't until Dath'Remar's great-grandson, Anasterian, ascended to power and allied with humans, severely defeating the Zandalar-backed Forest Trolls, that Quel'Thalas finally ushered in a long period of peace.
However, to the residents of southern Eversong Forest, war was never far from Quel'Thalas; only the 'noble' city dwellers in distant Silvermoon City could live in carefree indulgence.
Although the Forest Trolls suffered a crushing defeat in the great decisive battle that year, the High Elves and humans, who also sustained heavy losses, were unable to completely annihilate them.
The various Forest Troll clans that once stood united under the suzerainty of the Amani tribe had long since fallen apart.
The Forest Troll capital, ZulAman, was under constant surveillance by Ranger forces and Farstriders, and any stir would be met with a thunderous strike.
Even so, the Amani Trolls never ceased their resistance.
Ranger forces and Amani Trolls fought a back-and-forth tug-of-war in front of ZulAman for over two thousand years.
The weakened Amani Trolls dared not dream big. Before allying with the Horde, their biggest goal was to reclaim the ancient crypt that belonged to the Amani tribe.
This crypt was located within Sunscar Peak.
Sunscar Peak is the highest peak within Quel'Thalas, situated between Tranquillien, Sunstrider Isle, Farstrider Encampment, and the Sunwell Plateau.
For thousands of years, Amani Trolls frequently dispatched Rogues to infiltrate Sunscar Peak, attempting to reclaim the ancestral crypt through an inside-outside attack.
In places unknown to ordinary residents, the Rogues of the Blade of the Reverse Light had thwarted Amani schemes countless times.
As the Horde army passed through, Sunwell Plateau, Tranquillien, and Sunstrider Isle successively fell, leaving only Farstrider Encampment among the four defenses guarding Sunscar Peak.
Due to overwhelming numerical disadvantage, the Farstriders were too preoccupied to defend themselves, making the defenses of Sunscar Peak virtually nonexistent.
The Amani Trolls finally got their wish, reclaiming this ancient crypt under their control.
Departing from the southern part of Sunstrider Isle, the group of four quickly arrived at the southern entrance of Sunscar Peak, guided by Valeera.
Large numbers of fully armed Amani Trolls guarded both sides of the main road up the mountain. A frontal assault by this four-person team would undoubtedly be very difficult and might alert the enemy.
Better late than never.
As the four arrived at the foot of Sunscar Peak's southern slope, a suspicious person in a full black robe was slowly ascending the mountain, guided by Amani Trolls.
"The intelligence wasn't wrong, it truly is here."
Having spotted the target, the agile Valeera led the way, nimbly leaping through the mountains.
"This way."
Valeera was clearly not infiltrating Sunscar Peak for the first time. She expertly led the three through the mountain forest, ascending via a very rugged, uninhabited mountain path.
Half an hour later, the four rushed to the mid-slope of Sunscar Peak, the location of the Amani Crypt.
Valeera suddenly crouched low to the ground, placing a finger to her rosy lips, signaling everyone to be silent.
Intermittent voices drifted from one of the crypt caves not far away.
...Zul'jin...Ranger...encircle and kill...