"Thoras, the current patriarch of the Trollbane family, invites Emperor Thoradin's bloodline to return to Arathi and reclaim Stromgarde!"
Galen watched, dismayed, as his father knelt on one knee, offering his king's sword to Lothar, the descendant of Emperor Thoradin.
Is my father insane?
Despite his own disastrous attempts at political maneuvering, Galen understood human nature.
Similarly, Lordaeron had been the dominant power among the seven human kingdoms for millennia. Would Lordaeron truly respect Lothar as emperor and support the re-establishment of the Arathi Empire?
Even if the Menethil family agreed, their own nobles would never accept it. Many of those nobles had migrated north, leaving the Thoradin bloodline in impoverished Stromgarde, and had essentially ignored them. These nobles became the founders of Lordaeron's powerful houses. How would they fare under Lothar's rule?
And that was just the immediate future. Look at Llane's current awkward position – a significant social blunder.
"Descendants of the Arathor, warriors!" Lothar said, quickly helping Thoras to his feet. "I am no longer your emperor. Our ancestor moved south to Elwynn and supported the Wrynn family's ascension to the throne. We never intended to continue the Arathor Empire!"
"The Arathor Empire is history. Don't dwell on the past. We face a strikingly similar situation today: a common and powerful enemy. If we unite, the glory we achieve will surpass that of our ancestors!"
Galen approved of Lothar's words. As the saying went, "Give me time, and my ancestors, I will surpass them!"
Lothar's statement set a different tone, reassuring the human kings that he had no desire to restore the Arathor Empire.
Galen knew his own future would eclipse the achievements of the Arathor name, transcending the confines of a human empire. He had no interest in finding someone to be loyal to.
He also understood the frustration of the original timeline's Galen. He held the Trollbane family's throne, its people, and its land, yet instead of ensuring their well-being, he selflessly supported Lordaeron's vision for the alliance. No wonder his own son betrayed him.
Tsk tsk tsk, Galen thought. He was fortunate to have such a dedicated son, one who tirelessly strengthened Stromgarde's military and international influence, and who guided Thoras' decisions. Where could you find a young man like that?
Lothar's kind words eased Thoras' desire to relinquish control. Lothar then brought Llane forward to express his gratitude for Stromgarde's strong support of Stormwind. Stromgarde had sent troops to defend the city and naval fleets to transport supplies and evacuate civilians, helping them overcome their difficulties.
Galen added that one thousand tons of grain were ready for transport to the Stormwind camp in Southshore, and that the Arathi Highlands could also shelter some refugees, as Southshore was not entirely safe.
King Llane, moved to tears, swore a blood oath with Thoras: no matter what happened to Stromgarde in the future, Stormwind would stand with them!
Oh ho! Galen thought. In addition to the Dark Iron Dwarves, my great alliance now has another voting seat in Stormwind. Should I bring Cairne over and invite the Tauren to join the alliance? Then I could secretly control it!
Militarily unifying Azeroth is impossible. The Night Elves alone would make me fail. That's why I've remained low-key, even after obtaining the Heart of Origin. Too many powerful figures have failed to take on Azeroth.
If I can't defeat the Azeroth Allied Forces, I'll join them and become their most influential voice!
Galen was adaptable, adjusting his strategic goals to the situation.
In the days leading up to Terenas' conference, Thoras took Galen to visit several of his old friends among the human nations.
Galen got to meet the various rulers in advance.
Terenas was a longtime friend of Thoras, and the two shared a close personal relationship. Thoras was the first to answer his call for a meeting.
During their conversation, Terenas probed Thoras about his meeting with Lothar. When he learned that Lothar had no ambitions to rebuild the Arathor Empire, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Galen sensed that Terenas was a kind elder and an excellent king. However, Galen also saw that this king harbored grand ambitions. His leadership in forming the alliance was not without the desire to become its leader and subtly unify the kingdoms.
Terenas was the purest king among the seven human kingdoms, a skilled politician, unlike Thoras, who ruled in a warrior-like manner.
Galen also met Genn Greymane, a bear of a man with strong features and a thick beard. Genn was the ruler of Gilneas, and extremely shrewd. He was accompanied by Darius Crowley, the Grand Lord of Gilneas, and Vincent Godfrey, a senior official.
The old wolf king Genn and his father were isolationists, developing the Kingdom of Gilneas to its peak without accepting any outside help. Such people are either extremely arrogant or stubbornly unyielding. Moreover, Gilneas's two senior officials later rebelled against Genn. Galen was not particularly interested in them and had no desire to befriend them.
However, Galen was impressed with the Prince of Gilneas. He might befriend him if the opportunity arose, but the boy was probably younger than Arthas. He was still too young, so that could wait.
Galen was more interested in Daelin Proudmoore. He was a friend of Lothar and Thoras, and a king who could fight like his father.
At this stage, Daelin was living the dream: a noble status, rule over a powerful navy, and both a son and a daughter. In addition to the queen, he also had a high elf lover and a mixed-race illegitimate daughter.
Galen was envious.
Daelin brought his son Derek to the Lordaeron conference. Galen was happy to see his old friend and exchanged ideas with Derek for a long time. Derek was amazed by Galen's strength. Galen had been a high-level mage when they met outside Dalaran a few years ago, but in just over three years, he had reached the epic realm?
It's annoying to think that I'm twenty-three, three years older than Galen, and he has already surpassed me!
Galen gave Derek an updated version of his trigger-type return scroll, replacing it with Gandalf's secret recipe: a life-saving combination of a Little Invincible Potion and a Teleportation Scepter. He told Derek it was a magical life-saving tool worth 100,000 gold coins.
He deliberately emphasized '100,000 gold coins' to test Derek's character.
And Galen named this tool: Invincible Hearthstone!