Warcraft: When NPCs Have Player Panels

Chapter 39 For the Alliance

The next morning, William and Elena, carrying the supplies they had bought the day before for living in the wild, set off from Ambermill with their backpacks on.

Outside the eastern gate of Ambermill, a smooth gravel road stretches out. This road leads northeast, ending at the southern shore of Lake Lordamere. Less than five kilometers east along the shore lies the ruined Dalaran.

Following the natural disaster, the reconstruction of the ruins of Dalaran has been progressing steadily.

Heading east, workers and transport convoys could be seen everywhere along the way. Truckloads of neatly polished white stone were continuously being delivered to the Dalaran reconstruction site on the eastern shore of Lake Lordamere. The road was dusty, and the two men pulled up the hoods of their cloaks and put on black masks.

Elaine walked beside William, her eyes fixed on the passing caravans. Their destination was the ferry crossing on the western shore of Lake Lodammir, requiring them to cross the lake to reach Fenris Island. Walking would take an extremely long time, so taking a carriage was the easiest option.

Elena was quick and efficient, stopping three or four convoys in succession. But the results were all the same.

All the convoys' journeys only covered the round trip between Ambermill and the East Coast construction site; travel to the West Coast ferry terminal was not included in the route.

The reconstruction project is under tight deadlines, especially since the West Coast is sparsely populated and overrun by werewolves and wild beasts. Most importantly, the largest cemetery in Silverpine Forest, Serbercher, has been taken over by a group of free-spirited undead.

It is said that they often captured humans in that area and brought them back to the occupied old royal city.

No one was willing to take the risk of going there to their death. Even merchants were skeptical about going to those places; they didn't believe the undead had anything to trade.

After being repeatedly rebuffed, Elaine reluctantly returned to William's side.

"Boss, it's all bad news. Nobody wants to go to the ferry terminal on the west bank."

William gazed calmly at the long, gravel path that stretched to the horizon. "If no one's going there, then we'll walk across."

"Walk there?" Elena's eyes widened instantly. She pulled down her mask, pouted, and shook her head repeatedly. "That road is incredibly long. It would take at least half a day to go there and back. If we set off now, we wouldn't be back by dark even if we got to the lake and turned back!"

The Silverpine Forest is never safe after nightfall.

Werewolves, wandering undead, and wild beasts frequently appear at night, and lone travelers are likely to encounter misfortune.

William, however, didn't seem to mind. He turned to look at her, his tone teasing, "Isn't that perfect? ​​Didn't you say you're a great cook?"

"Perfect timing to give it a try. We have all the necessary food, water, and camping supplies we brought, so even spending the night outdoors won't be a problem."

"Hiss! Boss, you must be crazy!" Elena patted her chest, looking terrified. "Arugao's son will definitely not let you get away with this."

"Hard to say," William thought of the werewolf he'd encountered that day, but then immediately thought of the adventurous teams in the tavern, eager for a fight. "Adventurers desperately needing gold won't let them go either. No matter how many there are."

Seeing his confident demeanor, Elena could only slump her shoulders and helplessly reply, "Boss, you're hopeless. Sigh, what can I do? I'm your assistant. Don't blame me if I run away later."

The two of them made a special trip north to Lake Lodanmir today, and it was not without reason.

This is one of the intelligence points held by Vikara, and a key element of William's investigation in the north. Fenris Island, in the center of Lake Lodanmir, is home to the Old Kingdom's largest military fortress.

A year ago, a group of remnants of the old kingdom, still flying the banner of the Scarlet Crusade, occupied the entire island and fortress. Since then, they have taken root on the island in the lake, frequently plundering people to grow food and manufacture military equipment for them.

They are hostile to the free spirits of the dead and often go ashore to attack the spirits in the great cemetery to the west.

William's objective this time was clear. He wanted to see if he could replicate his operations at the outpost. If possible, Silverpine Forest would no longer become a danger to humanity.

After all, he himself had once been a member of the Scarlet Crusade, and the Second Legion was entirely composed of Scarlet Crusade members. They had a fundamental connection, so it was essential to contact these remnants of the Scarlet Crusade, probe their true attitude, and understand their demands and bottom lines.

If conditions permit, he hopes to reintegrate this fighting force into the kingdom and incorporate it into Lordaeron's system to prevent them from going to extremes and becoming a hidden danger in Silverpine Forest.

This is also a very important part of his investigation report.

When Elaine learned William's true identity, she was initially curious about what he planned to do. However, after learning about William's plan, she disapproved of his actions throughout and constantly criticized him.

William, with the idea of ​​listening more, thinking more, and summarizing opinions, chatted with her bit by bit to pass the time during the journey.

"Boss, I advise you not to get your hopes up too high."

"Those blood-red people are all very rigid in their thinking and cannot be reasoned with. In their eyes, everyone except the true believers of the Holy Light of humanity is problematic."

"Especially half-elfs like me, they reject me from the bottom of their hearts. Every time I encounter them in the forest, I am scrutinized and interrogated from head to toe, which is very frightening."

"Do you know what's the scariest thing? The boss?"

"Tell me about it."

"They believe that everyone is susceptible to corruption by necromancy and control by natural disasters. No matter who it is, anyone who does not meet their criteria must be purified."

"Your ideas... Boss, no offense," Elena said casually from the side, "are too idealistic, too unrealistic. If everything were as wonderful as you imagine, how could there be any conflict between people?"

William listened to her words without refuting them.

got used to.

William heard a lot of doubts along the way, but no matter what they said, he kept walking on this path.

Whether he ultimately succeeded or not, he remained on the path he believed was right. He worked silently towards this goal, and even if he never reached his ideal, William would be content as long as his actions caused even the slightest change in the world.

When he looks back on his journey in the future, and can say with a clear conscience, William believes that is his success.

The two walked side by side along the gravel road. The roadside weeds grew haphazardly and barrenly, and the distant woodland was silent except for the rustling of the wind through the grass and trees.

Sunlight streamed through the clouds, revealing a wide-open road ahead, yet the landscape was permeated with desolation.

A steady thud of hooves came from the road behind us.

Da da da.

William and Elaine turned around at the same time.

A simply decorated white carriage with a canopy was slowly approaching the two. Stacks of boxes were neatly arranged on the roof of the carriage and tied with ropes.

Four variegated horses were at the front of the carriage, their coats glossy. On the left side of the carriage was a pale gold cross emblem of the Church of Holy Light, and on the right side was the lion flag emblem of the Storm Kingdom.

The carriage approached the two of them, gradually slowed down, and finally came to a steady stop.

"Are you two going to the cathedral in Lordaeron?" the driver asked from inside the carriage. He appeared to be in his fifties, dressed in a greyish-white priest's robe with the crusader emblem of the Church of the Holy Light on his chest, and carrying a long staff with a white crystal at its tip.

Upon realizing that they were clergy from the Church of Holy Light, Elena shrank behind William and remained silent.

"Sir, we are heading north, but not to the cathedral," William said. "But we still hope you can give us a ride."

"Of course, but I'm sorry, there are no seats available. Sir and Madam, you'll have to sit in the back, is that alright?"

As he spoke, he pushed open the curtain at the front of the carriage, and William craned his neck to look inside.

There were a lot of people sitting inside...

The two on the outer edge of the front were fully armed paladins in heavy armor, shields tucked into their arms, sheathed one-handed swords clutched in their hands, leaning against the carriage wall and calmly watching him. Behind them, four more people, men and women, were squeezed together. The man and woman on the left, dressed in priestly robes, were carrying thick volumes of books, trying to keep their feet tucked in and avoid two bundles of chainmail lying on the floor. The two on the right were crammed together, their mouths agape, clutching large and small bags of luggage.

At the very back, there were several boxes that blocked the back of the carriage like a wall.

It's clear that this vehicle is indeed operating beyond its capacity.

After thanking them, William led the timid Elena to the back of the carriage. They found that at the very back, a four-seater had been created by leaving fifty centimeters of space for luggage. Currently seated there were a priest carrying a book and a paladin in chainmail.

"By the Holy Light, thank you, brothers of the Church," William responded, taking off the backpack from Elaine's back and holding it in his arms. He climbed onto the carriage, leaning against the luggage, his legs dangling outside the carriage.

The paladin tapped on the luggage chest, and the carriage began to creak and groan as it moved forward. The young priest, leaning against William, smiled and replied, "The Holy Light is with us."

"While I am grateful for your help, brother, I still want to ask how much the fare is." William, carrying his backpack, turned to talk to the priest next to him. "You must have come all the way from Stormwind. The journey must have been tiring and must have cost a lot of money. We can't let you ride for free."

"We don't want money." The young priest shook his head. "We're going to the cathedral in Lordaeron, but it just happens to be on the way."

Hearing the pastor say this, Elaine subconsciously moved closer to William and poked him with her finger, afraid that he would insist on paying for the ride.

Alani, sitting on the far right of the carriage, seemed afraid William would say more, and instead said in an excited voice, "Praise be to the Holy Light! Really, I've loved it since I was a child. My father always taught me to love the Holy Light, and only then would the Holy Light love you. So I truly love it."

The paladin on the far left laughed out loud. "The Holy Light loves each and every one of us equally, half-elf. Don't be nervous, your brothers and sisters in the church will not discriminate against you because of your race."

"Uh..." This sudden kindness startled Elena. In the past few months, she had met many people from the North. Perhaps because the kingdom had suffered a major upheaval, everyone's character had changed to varying degrees. Some were selfish and cold, others were stubborn and extreme; she had rarely encountered someone so gentle and friendly.

"Are you really from Stormwind? Is it a good place? Is it fun? Are there many people?" Elena quickly put everything else out of her mind and asked the questions she was concerned about.

"Stormwind is a magnificent city, the most beautiful city I've ever seen," the knight said with a smile. "It's full of energy, and everyone is incredibly hospitable. Once you're drawn in by their warmth, you'll find your wallet shrinking rapidly until it's completely empty."

"Wow~" Elena exclaimed, lost in thought about the city, and fell silent.

Looking at the carriage full of paladins and priests, William pondered the matter of the Holy Light. Strictly speaking, William was actually a monk trained by the Cathedral of the Holy Light in Lordaeron. After the Scarlet Crusade was established, the cathedral was converted into the Scarlet Monastery, and he joined the Scarlet Crusade. However, for various reasons, he had never been able to obtain the power of the Holy Light.

When he was injured, he prayed to the Holy Light to help heal his wounds; when he trained hard, he prayed to the Holy Light to heal his weary soul; when he had food poisoning, he prayed to the Holy Light to help heal him. The Holy Light never responded to him, and William once wondered if he had been too opportunistic.

But his sister Taylor could easily summon holy light to heal others and soothe his pain.

Does the Holy Light require talent and is selective in its application?

William sighed, deciding not to dwell on it, and casually asked, "What brings you to Lordaeron?"

The middle-aged paladin answered frankly: "To help Lordaeron resist the Scourge and fulfill the Alliance's duty."

"We came here spontaneously," the young priest continued. "We trained at Northshire Abbey for a long time. We're here to help Lordaeron clear out the Scourge forces, assist the Alliance in reclaiming the lost northern territories, and do our part."

"We heard that the Kingdom of Lordaeron has regained some organizational capacity, so we decided to go directly to the cathedral where it is located to help them."

After listening to the introduction, William felt a deep respect. This was the first time he had met an Alliance volunteer who had come all the way from the south.

"The luggage and boxes in the car are mostly potions, medical books, and food that we collected for Lordaeron in Stormwind," the priest replied. "We thought it must be difficult here, so we brought them along."

"If you need any, we can give you some when you get off the bus."

"Thank you so much. As a Lordaeron citizen, I am grateful to my brothers of the Light. Thank you for traveling so far to help us." William clutched his bag tightly, his voice trembling with emotion. If he were on the ground, he would have saluted them. "But please give it to those who need it. We can take care of ourselves."

Lordaeron has been under siege for five years, and the northern defenses have completely collapsed. The remaining local forces are simply powerless to wipe out the remnants of the calamity.

Stormwind is now the heart of the Alliance, and although their forces weren't officially dispatched, their presence here proves that the Alliance hasn't forgotten them. The humans of the south haven't forgotten them either.

When they appear in Tirisfal Glades, the news will spread and greatly encourage all the armies and civilians fighting against the Scourge.

William continued, "Thank you so much. Your presence there will inspire us all."

"For the Alliance!" The paladin waved his hand slightly, his attitude humble. "It's what we should do; we're all serving the Alliance."