Saving Azeroth (By Stealing the Black Dragon Princess) - 28

Chapter 28: Various Reactions

Soft magical radiance streamed from Theramore City Hall's dome, illuminating the oak table inlaid with Kul Tiras anchor emblems. Jaina Proudmoore sat at the head position, fingertips rhythmically tapping the polished wood, gaze shifting between Rhonin's furrowed brow and worried expression.

"Jaina." Rhonin's red hair looked like burning flames under the magical lamps. He adjusted his chest badge, the parchment report rustling in hand. "According to Dalaran Kirin Tor's arcane retrospection..." His voice carried barely concealed suspicion. "The site detected energy release equivalent to one hundred thirty-two arcane annihilation bombs—you insist this was simple black dragon infighting?"

"You seem to underestimate that old dragon's obsession." Jaina's lips curved in a perfectly measured bitter smile, fingertips unconsciously rubbing her coin pouch's edge. "When he discovered his beloved daughter was selling fertilizer—forgive my vulgarity—that confrontation was far more spectacular than any number of annihilation bombs. The Blackwing Fertilizer, popular throughout the kingdoms now, was her creation."

Rhonin's quill suddenly stopped at the "energy anomaly" notation.

Hum—

The Dalaran representative's gaze glazed momentarily. That coin pouch Jaina carried was now stored in his spatial inventory—a "gift" from earlier.

"Indeed..." He rubbed his temples, pen tip unconsciously crossing out "anomaly" and changing it to "known black dragon energy signature." "Deathwing's recent erratic actions do suggest instability..."

Jaina timely handed over a steaming teacup. Un'Goro Crater's specialty golden tea leaves unfurled at the cup's bottom like blooming flowers.

"Latest intelligence shows Nefarian also participated in this conflict." Her blue eyes held smiles as elusive as Shimmering Flats mirages. "Perhaps the Black Dragonflight is undergoing... power reorganization?"

Rhonin had already removed his glasses, wearily pinching his nose bridge. "Dalaran's Three Principles—no interference in internal affairs, no taking sides, no..." His gaze hesitated, the second half becoming a resigned sigh. "...no questioning obviously reasonable explanations."

Seagulls outside suddenly took startled flight with panicked cries.

Jaina watched Rhonin stamp the violet seal at the report's end, thinking she had finally used favors and subtle influence to appease Dalaran's concerns.

Beneath Wyrmrest Temple's ancient dome, the Eternal Flame burned quietly in massive bronze braziers, projecting the five Dragon Aspects' shadows onto circular walls embedded with Titan runes that pulsed with faint light.

Alexstrasza—the Life-Binder, Red Dragon Queen—stood at the round table's center, palm suspending a flickering life flame. That flame should have been blazing golden-red with vitality, yet now was wrapped in wisps of shadow like polluted blood vessels.

"His life is ebbing away." Her voice was low and sorrowful, echoing in every temple corner.

Blue Dragon King Malygos's projection first solidified, arcane energy forming restless arcs around his form. "Magical monitoring networks show the Dustwallow Marsh explosion reached epic-level energy output!" His fingers traced the air with agitation, displaying a holographic image—that crater blasted into scorched earth. "Destruction of this scale demands investigating the caster!"

Ysera's ethereal projection emerged from the Emerald Dream. The Green Dragon Queen's eyes remained half-closed, dream dandelions entwined in her hair tips. "Deathwing's aura... has dimmed significantly." She murmured softly, as if still sleepwalking. "Such a tragedy. He once possessed the most beautiful scales..."

Bronze Dragon King Nozdormu's image remained constantly blurred, time streams forming distorted vortexes around him like water circling a drain. He did not speak, only lightly flicking sand grains with fingertips, observing countless possible timelines.

Alexstrasza surveyed the assembled dragons, disappointment deepening in her amber eyes. "He was once our brother." She emphasized with barely controlled emotion. "Even fallen, even utterly mad—now he lies dying, yet we lack even the courage to inquire about his fate?"

Malygos slammed the table violently, arcane energy exploding in visible ripples. "Of course we should intervene! Magical abuse on this scale must be—"

The Red Dragon Queen coldly interrupted. "Human informants report he was the one who bombed Dustwallow Marsh himself."

The Blue Dragon King's voice stopped abruptly.

The temple fell into eerie, uncomfortable silence.

Malygos's dragon eyes contracted slightly, arcane energy deflating like a punctured balloon. He slowly returned to his seat, clearing his throat with forced dignity. "Oh... never mind then."

Ysera laughed softly, dandelions entwined at her fingertips suddenly turning to ash. "The current him—scales cracked, lava overflowing, like chewed volcanic rock... truly inelegant."

Nozdormu finally spoke, his voice seeming to come from distant space-time's end. "There are disturbances in the timeline." His penetrating gaze swept the dragons. "This version of the Black Dragon father-daughter conflict... is too perfect. Too convenient. But there is no better explanation available. The timeline is actively blocking my observation."

Alexstrasza's fingertips unconsciously scored burn marks into the table. "So you do not believe it?"

The Bronze Dragon King's figure began dissipating into golden mist. "I will see for myself."

The Red Dragon Queen sighed deeply, waving to dismiss the council. After the other Dragon Aspects' projections successively vanished, she stood alone before the Eternal Flame, watching that increasingly feeble life spark.

"Neltharion..." She softly called that forgotten name with ancient sadness. "What kind of existence have you provoked?"

Golden sand seas of the Caverns of Time flowed through Nozdormu's claws like liquid light, billions of timeline reflections flickering in his omniscient pupils. His dragon claw hovered over a certain critical branch—where the Dustwallow Marsh explosion's truth should clearly display, yet was shrouded in an eerie golden mist.

"Chromie."

The Bronze Dragon King's voice made the entire cavern's temporal sand tremble slightly with divine authority.

Chromie, hiding behind stalagmites, secretly eating honey bread, nearly choked. She frantically stuffed the pocket watch into her skirt pocket, wiping bread crumbs from her guilty lips. "Present! You called, great guardian?"

Nozdormu did not turn around, his dragon tail lightly sweeping—temporal sand condensing into a three-dimensional projection of the explosion site.

"Explain." He pointed to where the mist was thickest. "Why does this critical timestream segment... smell like Titan interference?"

Chromie's small hand secretly reached for her waist—where Azeroth's gifted lucky coin was carefully pinned.

Hum!

The instant the coin flipped at her fingertips, the entire Caverns of Time flooded with soft, warm light. Nozdormu's dragon scales radiated gentle golden halos, even his perpetually furrowed brow unconsciously relaxing.

"Actually~" Chromie bounced closer with feigned innocence, coin spinning in her palm. "Just a family drama! Deathwing thought his daughter selling fertilizer was shameful; the daughter thought Dad was too old-fashioned and controlling, and they fought—"

Nozdormu's claw pointed at the projection with renewed focus. "And these anomalies?"

The mist parted momentarily, vaguely revealing twelve metallic streams of light.

Chromie immediately raised the coin high, runes bursting with blinding golden light. "Dragon breath embers! Look at this trajectory—such a standard black dragon breath scatter pattern!"

—The lies transformed into reality under the coin's blessing.

Nozdormu's pupils dilated slightly. Under the coin's influence, he saw:

Onyxia's dragon wings stirring violent storms (actually explosion shockwaves)

Deathwing's elementium armor "naturally peeling" (actually armor-piercing round penetrations)

The Bronze Dragon King suddenly shook his head, temporal sand sliding from his claws.

"Strange..." He muttered in confusion. "Indeed matches known black dragon energy characteristics..."

Chromie seized the opportunity to slap the coin on the sand table emphatically. "And think about it~" She blinked her wide, innocent eyes. "If outsiders could truly severely wound Deathwing, there should have been space-time paradox alerts, correct?"

—The perfect argument.

Nozdormu's proudest temporal monitoring mechanism now became the lie's best corroboration. He slowly nodded, his dragon tail unconsciously coiling around the coin to rub it. "You are right..."

Chromie snatched back the coin lightning-fast. "So this case is closed?"

The instant the Bronze Dragon King nodded in agreement, Chromie had already bounced toward the exit with suspicious speed. Only after passing three temporal rifts did she collapse on grass, panting heavily. "Azeroth's coin... too absurdly powerful?!"

She wiped cold sweat with her sleeve. "Done! He now firmly believes Deathwing destroyed his daughter's business, then got beaten and crippled by his own child! Very melodramatic, but apparently very believable."

Dustwallow Marsh's morning mist had not yet dispersed when a gilded airship roared across the sky, its tail exhaust colored smoke dragging an ostentatious trajectory over the sea. The hull's side bore fluorescent-painted words "Baron Revilgaz" in enormous letters, each letter encrusted with reflective crystals that caught sunlight.

Before the cabin door fully opened, a green-skinned figure impatiently jumped down—

Splat!

Goblin Baron Revilgaz face-planted in scorched earth, gem-studded belt buckle flying off, clanging and rolling into the explosion crater.

"My limited edition 'Bloodsail Buccaneers Memorial Edition' belt buckle!!!" He wailed while crawling up, gold-rimmed monocle askew. Without bothering to straighten it, he directly grabbed the nearest goblin accountant by the collar. "Where is our fertilizer?! Where is our production line?! Where is our money tree?!"

The accountant tremblingly pointed to the nearby crater with shaking finger. "All, all there, boss..."

Revilgaz stiffly turned to look at that nearly hundred-meter-diameter charred abyss. The surrounding once-prosperous fertilizer workshop, stockpiled materials, even transport ships docked at the pier—all utterly gone.

His lips trembled twice, then suddenly—

"AHHH—!!!"

A heart-wrenching scream startled all birds within a five-mile radius.

When Deren and Chromie arrived following the sound, they saw Revilgaz kneeling at the crater's edge, scrabbling through scorched earth with his bare hands, desperately trying to find anything salvageable. The heels of his custom crocodile leather boots had melted from residual heat, his premium silk shirt was covered in black ash, and his carefully groomed mohawk was singed into ridiculous curls.

"Calm down!" Deren jogged over. "The business can continue!"

"Continue?!" Revilgaz whipped around, jumping three feet high, grabbing Deren's collar, spittle spraying his face. "Do you know how much advertising I invested in the 'Black Dragon High-Yield Fertilizer' brand?! Eastern Kingdoms Agricultural Report front page! Stormwind Harvest Festival naming rights! Even forest trolls ordered our products! Now it's all gone!!!"

Chromie stood on her tiptoes, poking the goblin baron's elbow. "But what if..." She mysteriously lowered her voice. "Theramore provides a new venue, Nefarian supplies discounted sulfur, and Lady Jaina provides political guarantees?"

Revilgaz's crying stopped abruptly.

His eyeballs visibly transformed into coin shapes. "Elaborate?"

Deren seized the chance to break free, wiping spittle from his face with disgust. "Lady Jaina just signed a cooperation agreement. Theramore's east coast old shipyard can be converted to a new workshop facility, and—"

"And no taxes for three years!" Chromie rushed to add enthusiastically.

The goblin baron's ears literally perked up. "Tax-free?!"

"More!" Deren pulled a parchment scroll from his breast. "Blackrock Mountain's volcanic sulfur—Nefarian is willing to supply long-term at ten percent below market price."

Revilgaz's breathing became rapid and wheezing. He snatched the contract, his monocle flashing complex accounting formulas across its surface. Suddenly, he looked up sharply with renewed suspicion. "Wait... what if Deathwing returns for revenge?"

Onyxia's voice drifted from behind. "Then tell him—"

She had somehow already materialized behind everyone, fingertips casually flipping the lucky coin. Sunlight refracted a blinding beam from the coin's surface, directly dazzling the goblin's sensitive eyes.

"His children will beat him up again."

Revilgaz's pupils were instantly filled with the coin's hypnotic gleam. He grinned maniacally, revealing a mouthful of gold teeth. "Brilliant! This is brilliant business strategy!"

He turned, madly waving at subordinates on the airship. "Quick! Signal the board! Additional investment required! I want to build Theramore's fertilizer factory into the largest in all Azeroth—"

Before finishing, Jaina's pointed cough suddenly came from the distance.

The goblin baron's volume immediately plummeted. "—the most environmentally friendly fertilizer production base."