The future Marshal Wendesol, currently Lothar's personal soldier, is older than Kadaga, sporting short brown hair and a 'Van Dyke' style beard, dressed in standard Stormwind plate armor with a blue lion-embroidered battle robe.
Upon hearing Kadaga's shout, he looked around the crowd somewhat bewilderedly before barely spotting Kadaga jumping up and down, his head occasionally appearing above the human wall.
He approached, letting the guards bring Kadaga inside, curiously looking at his drawn beard, but still leading them to the Throne Hall.
Stormwind Fortress is built from white stones, though not luxurious, it is quite grand and majestic.
Su Ming silently followed behind Kadaga, watching his hurried steps.
King Laine was assassinated by Garona, and as everyone knows, Garona had always resided in Karazhan and had good relations with Kadaga.
Now, even if Kadaga wants to leave, he can't; he must explain the situation. Although Wendesol trusts Kadaga, the facts are clear.
The strangely colored female assassin claimed to have important business to report to the King not long ago. Trusting Medivh, King Laine met with the former captive Garona. Initially, she spoke of the Shadow Council and intelligence about a race called the Beastman, then proceeded to discuss issues regarding Medivh.
But before she could disclose what problems Medivh had, she screamed in pain and suddenly burst forth, inflicting a wound on Laine with the twin daggers in her hands, then vanished and escaped.
Those daggers, known as the thief assassination divine artifact 'King Slayer', one named Pain, the other Grief. It's clear without thinking: King Laine is now gravely poisoned, unlikely to see the sun rise.
The Dark Gate is currently in 'trial operation' phase; the Beastmen sent a minimal number of scouts and laborers to verify the stability of the gateway, hiding in the Dark Swamp.
Being mixed blood, Garona was merely one of the lowest experimental subjects, accidentally caught by a patrol and then requested by Medivh to Karazhan, serving as both a maid and an experiment subject.
Infiltrating human forces to gather intelligence was Gul'dan's plan; unfortunately, Garona didn't know that Medivh had been replaced by Sargeras at that time, which Gul'dan didn't mention.
The Cursed Land, known as the Dark Swamp at present, transformed into a Gobi Desert due to the Beastmen's mass invasion, chopping down trees, draining water supplies, alongside future warfires.
From any angle, Su Ming felt a strong visual recall of starting by chopping trees.
He pondered deeply, not just King Laine, but the timelines of Karazhan's resident deaths were also advanced; Moros didn't die in the Banquet Hall, but in the Shadow Tower, something seemed off.
Has the timeline been altered? Azeroth's time manipulators are none other than the Bronze Dragons or Eternal Dragons. His arrival and interference indeed caught their attention, all within the plan.
Following Kadaga into Stormwind Fortress, Su Ming maintained a blank expression, endlessly analyzing in his head.
The Throne Hall was brightly illuminated. King Laine lay on the ground beside the throne's steps, with dark green blood flowing from his abdomen; no one dared to move him.
Archbishop Faol and Beneditas' divine light repeatedly shone, akin to camera flashes at a crime scene.
However, the poison employed by the Half-Beastman assassins was sourced from plant and animal toxins in Draenor, indefinable and unsolvable in Azeroth.
Currently, Stormwind has no profession capable of detoxification.
The Night Elves are residing in Mount Hyjal, in a secluded state; Stormwind can't find a single Druid, let alone a Paladin, as Archbishop Faol hasn't invented the profession yet; Martial Monks are in Pandaria under isolation unless Old Chen can be met traveling outside.
Therefore, despite two Archbishops and several Priests rotating through various healing divine skills, King Laine's condition visibly worsens, as he clutches the hand of a bald middle-aged man, seemingly delivering his last will.
Su Ming glanced around the Throne Hall, spotting a lavishly dressed woman holding a black-haired boy, speaking between sobs.
The boy's eyes were filled with sorrow and unmistakable hatred.
It appears this is the future King Wa, as this is the third year of the Dark Gate; King Wa is thirteen, six years older than Lordaeron's Prince Arthas and seven years older than Kul Tiras's Princess Jaina.
Lothar made room for the Queen and Prince to approach the King; the bald middle-aged man looked inquisitively at Archbishop Faol, who simply shook his head while catching his breath amidst casting spells.
The time that the Priests could delay was limited.
Lothar bowed slightly in farewell to the King. In the ensuing days, before Valian matures enough to shoulder monarchy, he will serve as Stormwind's Regent King, striving to ensure Stormwind Kingdom's stable progression, honoring the King's heavy trust.
He was King Laine's best friend, as was Medivh.
Medivh's father, Nelas Elan, was once the court Great Mage; Sir Lothar's father was naturally aristocracy, and they had been childhood companions of Laine.
But now, Medivh has evidently betrayed Laine; his guaranteed woman became an assassin, and Lothar must demand an explanation from him!
"Wendesol! Gather Iron Horse Brotherhood elites, prepare the Griffins." Sir Lothar drew the Treasure Sword, shouting with murderous intent: "We will go to Karazhan to find that woman and make Medivh and her pay the price."
"Sir Lothar, sir, listen to me."
Kadaga hurriedly moved closer, but Lothar did not give him a friendly face, rather he looked at him suspiciously. As a seasoned warrior, he could feel that the stranger behind Kadaga was remarkably strong.
"Why have you come, young mage? Have you come to seek information for your honorless master?" He pointed his sword at Kadaga, maintaining a safe distance.
Kadaga had two painted mustaches on his face, which made him look quite deranged.
"No, Sir Lothar, I've come to inform you of an urgent situation, Medivh has been possessed by a demon, he is no longer himself."
Lothar squinted at him for a moment, then looked at Deathstroke behind him, slowly lowered his sword, appearing to believe Kadaga's words. After all, Kadaga's eyes were clear, and someone like him wouldn't lie.
The knight sighed: "You're too late, the King has been assassinated, and the backer for the assassin is Medivh."
"Are you saying... the assassin is Garona?" Kadaga was incredulous; although he hadn't known the peculiar woman for long, he could see she wasn't really a bad person.
Though Garona enjoyed playing pranks on herself, like sneaking behind him and stuffing fireworks into his pockets, she actually cared for him.
Recalling Deathstroke's previous teachings and Medivh and Garona's strange relationship, Kadaga quickly put aside his surprise.
Indeed, since Medivh was impersonated by a demon, Garona could be too; everything is a lie.
So, before Lothar could say anything further, Kadaga continued: "I understand now, I once heard her mention the orc organizations of the Shadow Council and Shadow Moon Council, those Otherworld creatures are backed by demons, she could be under control."
"The demon issue can be discussed later. I ask you, where is your corrupted Great Mage, the friend who betrayed the King?" Seeing Wendesol run over to report that the army was assembled, Lothar wanted answers from Kadaga.
Kadaga didn't immediately answer; he didn't know where Medivh was, so he turned his head to look at Deathstroke: "I don't know... teacher, do you?"
Su Ming, who had been standing with his arms crossed as a bystander, waved, indicating for Kadaga to step back, and he stepped forward to meet Lothar's gaze.
He was taller, stronger, and younger than Lothar, who wore full gold plate armor.
Of course, what he said surprised Lothar even more: "I am Kadaga's teacher, Supreme Mage Deathstroke. You can ask me any question, but of course, for a fee."
"A fee?" Lothar squinted his eyes.
"A fee?" Kadaga's eyes widened.
Su Ming simply winked his single eye at Lothar, naturally answering: "Isn't this to be expected? Kadaga is a citizen of the Dalaran Kingdom, and I come from the Magic Sanctuary of Kama Taiji. We are not mages of the Stormwind Kingdom. Now that you need our help, a price is reasonable."
"But teacher..." Kadaga wanted to argue more, but Su Ming interrupted him directly with a punch to the head.
Covering his head, he squatted down, gritting his teeth in pain. Deathstroke merely smiled at Lothar: "So, sir, do you need to hire services? Let me tell you this; Medivh's strength is like that of a magic apprentice in front of me."
Lothar furrowed his brow, unable to believe this person was a mage; the punch Deathstroke delivered to Kadaga just now, in terms of strength, skill, and speed, showcased a formidable warrior.
To cause pain without causing severe harm is something most people cannot do.
Lothar pondered for a moment, if Medivh was indeed possessed by a demon, then action was necessary. Whether the Supreme Mage is truly a mage no longer mattered; he was the only one who knew where Medivh was right now.
"What do you want?" Lothar decided, time was of the essence; the Stormwind Kingdom had the resources to pay a mercenary.
"You have a good relationship with my student, and he likes King Laine quite a bit, so I'll give you a discount, a flat rate of 500 silk pouches, and I'll take care of Medivh for you." Su Ming rubbed his chin, spoke some polite words, then unceremoniously extended a hand.
Lothar's mouth twitched slightly; he had dealt with countless hunters and mercenaries, but demanding payment in silk pouches was a first.
But as Stormwind City is the capital of the Stormwind Kingdom, it lacks no tailors, and silk, being a favored fabric, is abundant in the city.
500 silk pouches at the market value of around 1000 gold is merely the price of a fine horse, and spending the cost of a horse to eliminate a top-tier mage and his potential threats is clearly a lucrative deal.
It seemed like quite a significant discount.
Lothar couldn't help but feel goodwill towards Deathstroke, thinking the latter had symbolically charged only a minor fee while the information and assistance were worth far more.
So he donned his helmet, extended his fist to collide with Su Ming's, signifying the agreement: "The Stormwind Kingdom thanks you for your help, let us set forth now."
And at that moment, griffins' wing beats echoed from the garden, just a wall away from the Throne Hall.