mtlumby2d Chapter 251 A Brief Peace
Chapter 251 A Brief Peace
Major William looked suspiciously at the lakeshore ahead, but hearing his commander's words, he didn't say anything more...
Upon receiving the letter from his old friend and former superior, General Marcus, William realized that a major battle was bound to break out in Southshore sooner or later.
Dalaran chose to remain neutral for the same reason, but Southshore cannot be abandoned!
Southshore is the most important human stronghold between the Arathi Highlands and Hillsbrad Foothills. Southshore and the dwarven outposts of Alterac Mountains echo each other, and in the past, Southshore also had many connections with Ambermill and Pyrewood Village.
Nanhai Town is constantly attracting refugees from the surrounding area...
And try to escort them to the wetlands behind the city. Those who want to go to Stormwind can go to Stormwind, and those who don't want to go to Stormwind can follow Jaina to Theramore Isles across the sea.
Stormwind keeps sending its best warriors to Southshore to protect the surviving human residents.
At the same time, to demonstrate humanity's resolve and courage, Stormwind is not hiding behind the dwarves; on the contrary, the Alliance's determination to reclaim humanity's inherent territory is unwavering. Southshore is a strategically important military location, the front line facing the undead...
The Icewind Pass expedition, which is hidden in the shadows, echoes the Wildhammer dwarf stronghold at Aer's Nest in the Hinterlands, and the tomb of Uther the Lightbringer.
Cutting through the enemy's defenses like a saw...
The enemies here include the Forsaken of Undercity and the remnants of the Scourge in the North... the ogre warlords and Syndicate bandits who seized key locations. And the missing King Varian, who never gave up on reclaiming Lordaeron and saving his fellow humans from despair amidst ruins and plague.
It was his strong determination that made him willing to travel across the ocean to discuss the future with Jaina...
The discussion revolves around relations with tribes, as well as human safety in new territories and amidst war.
Recent news reports that King Varian of Stormwind has disappeared en route to Theramore, with the Defias Brotherhood being the prime suspect. MI7 agents investigating the case have arrested numerous refugees who have infiltrated Theramore, Menethil Harbor in Wetlands, and even within Stormwind itself.
The vice-president of the Defias Brotherhood has been arrested and is being held in Stormwind Jail, and many more former members of the Stonemasons Guild are wanted...
Earlier, during King Varian's handling of the stonemasons' guild's unpaid wages dispute, the queen, who was unexpectedly leading the craftsmen in their demand, was killed by a flying stone...
The queen, who had only been helping the stonemasons claim their owed wages, died in the process. King Varian was furious, and Prince Anduin was heartbroken... All the stonemasons and laborers were condemned as traitors and collaborators...
Left with no other option but to lead the remaining members of the stonemasons' guild, Van Cleef, filled with grief and anger, formed the Defias Brotherhood, effectively creating a rebel army. They fled to various places, evading capture...
At the Countess's behest, Defias was definitively labeled a rebel...
King Varian, who had fought alongside his uncle Lothar in countless battles, harbored a deep hatred for traitors. Driven mad by the death of his wife, the berserker king Varian... ordered the ruthless punishment of the villains!
Amidst the peace and tranquility of Stormwind, bloodshed and purges erupted, and Countess Katarina and the Church of the Light experienced rapid growth.
MI7 agents searched everywhere...
By the time King Varian calmed down somewhat and prepared to handle foreign affairs, he temporarily suspended the investigation of commoners. The Countess and others, already in high positions and wielding power, knew that King Varian's disappearance was indeed inextricably linked to Defias.
However, only a few people know who is behind it all, and even those who actually participated in the kidnapping of King Vajra have long since vanished without a trace...
Nobody knows the truth, or rather, the truth doesn't matter at all.
After King Varian's disappearance, Grand Duke Bolvar became regent, assisting the young Prince Anduin... The Countess and the Archbishop of the Light directly became the decision-makers. Domestically, they issued a warrant for the arrest of Defias, suppressed the rebels, and purged the pacifists... Externally, they launched an offensive to reclaim human lands and shrink the Horde's territory as much as possible.
This joint operation between Southshore and Stromgarde was orchestrated by Archmage Ansrem of the Kirin Tor and Countess Katarina. Most of the nobles within the Alliance currently support the new war.
The whereabouts of General Marcus Jonathan, the only staunch former High Commander of Stormwind's defenses, are unknown; some say he has appeared in the north...
Some people even said he ran away with Dalaran...
The latest intelligence indicates that Marcus did indeed write several letters to his friends, colleagues, and former subordinates before going to the Chapel of Light, explaining the current situation and expressing his vain hope for peace...
Major William wanted to tell General Marcus that his predictions had come true, and the conflict between the Horde and the Alliance was now irreversible...
War is the only option...
The good news is that humanity has achieved a temporary victory, at least halting Undercity's continued offensive towards Hillsbrad Foothills.
......
"The Forsaken in the Tarren Mill direction have been harassing us less lately; they've been holding back. I feel that the force by the lake isn't Undercity's main force. They might be bait or scouts... The real danger is still in Hammerfall and Hinterlands... or Alterac Valley and Icewind Pass! There's a road there that leads directly to the Western Plaguelands, which is currently part of the Three Stations of Chaos."
Major William shared his concerns with the young marshal.
Marshal Garin waved his hand hastily before he could finish speaking...
"Sigh, Major. Have you ever seen a decoy force deploy such powerful units as Death Knights? As far as I know, even the Lich King wouldn't easily send Death Knights into battle. Death Knights are usually the ones commanding an army; they're the undead's natural commanders. Look, this time we killed at least three and captured one. This is a truly great victory, at least three thousand enemy casualties..."
Garin raised three fingers on his right hand, then gave himself and his troops a big thumbs-up with his left hand!
He pressed his right hand against the knight's holy sword and patted the scabbard!
"The Stormpike dwarves aren't even as tall as my sword sheath. They can't even handle the wild beasts in the valley. I've heard that if it weren't for the Night Elf archers and priests sent by Stormwind to reinforce them, they would have been driven out of the valley by the Frostwolf orcs in wolf skins long ago!"
After the marshal finished speaking, the dwarves patrolling the mountains, who were responsible for guarding and operating the cannons, looked displeased. Although they were not from the Stormpike dwarf tribe, and most of the patrolling dwarves belonged to the Bronzebeard dwarves, the internal strife among the dwarves was not to be mentioned, but being mocked by a young human knight with hardly any beard was even more distasteful.
This is a blatant insult...
If it weren't for the fact that the other party was currently the highest-ranking commander of the allied forces, the dwarf sergeant would have really wanted to pull out his musket and shoot the blond boy in the fair face...
Major William looked embarrassed; the people of Stromgarde were always so arrogant and boastful...
They did indeed frequently clash with the dwarves in the past, so they always took the lead and stole the limelight, whether in the old alliance or the new alliance now... This shows that Stromgarde desperately wanted honor and status; they had been dormant for too long.
William sighed, "Marshal, I am only suggesting that you go and greet the Stormpike camp as soon as possible. The orcs will definitely come to support or harass us! Also, the people of Hillsbrad should retreat to the rear. Don't be reluctant to abandon your fields and houses."
"No, no. We must not abandon the manor. The seeds are all growing well this year, and the fruit in the orchard is ready for harvest. If it weren't for the sudden attack by the undead, we would still be busy harvesting the grain."
Before he could finish speaking, the Hillsbrad militia captain couldn't help but protest. He had initially been quite pleased, but upon hearing Major William of Southshore order a retreat, he disagreed...
After defeating the undead, Hillsbrad finally gained a brief period of peace.
They could finally resume production and harvest their food. It was harvest season, and if they didn't harvest quickly, the Syndicate and the surrounding bandits might come and steal it... They also couldn't sell it to the dwarves...
Upon hearing Major William's order to retreat to Southshore, to Stormwind's territory... they were unwilling to leave the last piece of land in Lordaeron that could still be cultivated and produced.
The farmer put down his hoe, overcame his fear, and picked up a weapon precisely to protect the fruits of his labor. The mayor's orders alone wouldn't have motivated them to fight the evil, terrifying undead monsters.
In order to get help, the mayor collected a lot of supplies from everyone...
Garin and William's troops were both regular troops, and they weren't working for free...
The land deeds for Hillsbrad have long been lost, and ownership of Tarren Mill and the entire Alterac Mountains is unclear. After the fall of Lordaeron, the remaining population rarely reached the size of the town of Hillsbrad.
The people here are forming patrol teams to protect their homes while also organizing production, diligently planting crops and fruits, and raising livestock, hoping to return to their former lives...
Unfortunately, they are situated on the edge of Silverpine Forest, between Southshore and Ambermill... between Fenice Wolf Isle and Alterac Ridge, a location destined to be a focal point of contention for territory...
Not to mention the seaside mines, the hillside estates, the orchards in the woods, the granaries...
Not to mention Stromgarde, even the nearby Syndicate bandits sometimes come to rob them... Forming a resistance to fight the undead and bandits was a last resort... They could only try their best to unite...