met free Chapter 300 The Battle of Hillsbrad
Chapter 300 The Battle of Hillsbrad
Lorraine traveled alone to Ambermill, and the main road would inevitably pass through Southshore, Hillsbrad, and the former outpost on the outskirts of Dalaran.
Traveling on foot without a mount is truly painful.
The wide avenue is lined with streetlights, guiding the way to the main road leading to Lordaeron. This road was once a bustling, tranquil, and glorious thoroughfare. Countless goods and provisions were transported here to the capital of Lordaeron. The magical streetlights along this road still illuminate, thanks to a unique runic engraving technique from Dalaran that allows them to store magic like solar energy...
They absorb light, and the streetlights will turn on by themselves on gloomy or foggy days.
The magical streetlights welcome visitors from afar... Most of them are still intact... This road is flat and wide, making it much easier to walk on.
Lorraine hadn't walked two steps when she saw signs pointing in different directions.
The main road once led to Southshore, Tarren Mill, and the road leading to Silverpine Forest. Near the former site of Dalaran lies Hillsbrad Foothills. Beyond that is Ambermill, the former outpost of Dalaran mages... Hillsbrad Foothills is one of the last remaining free towns; they have not declared full allegiance to the Alliance or Stormwind...
Southshore, on the other hand, spared no effort in supporting and helping the people of Hillsbrad.
Provide a route to Stormwind for people living in dangerous places, promising them a stable and prosperous life behind Elwynn Forest.
In reality, General Marcus, who was in charge of the security of Stormwind and law enforcement in Elwynn Forest, understood that Elwynn Forest was not as safe as it seemed. The potential threats at the edge of Duskwood were growing, and the Night's Watch was under immense pressure.
The number of werewolves and undead in Duskwood is increasing rapidly, and people have not yet found the true source.
New bandits and tyrants, including kobolds, are also causing trouble.
Marcus once arrested the infamous gnoll leader Hogg and imprisoned him and the Defias crafts leader in Stormwind prison.
In the Westfall and the Gold Coast, the Defias rebels have seized vast swathes of land. Locals have been forced to form their own militias to fight back against the bandits. Despite Stormwind declaring the Defias illegal and arresting many of their followers, the rebels' activities continue to escalate.
Marcus once took the initiative to investigate the whereabouts of Van Cleef, the leader of the Defias, in order to seek some justice for the artisans or commoners.
However, the Queen's death greatly angered King Varian... all members of the stonemasons' guild were condemned as traitors. Little Marcus could not change anything, and by the time King Varian disappeared, Countess Katarina had taken over the suppression.
Marcus was ostracized, and what puzzled him even more was that important figures such as the league's marshal had also disappeared one after another.
The Countess and her brother declared that the Defias traitors were responsible for everything, and Stormwind was busy suppressing the rebellion, but in reality, it was all bark and no bite... The newly appointed Regent, High Duke Bolvar, was busy balancing relations with various parties and gaining the support of the King of Ironforge. He assisted Prince Anduin in managing the affairs of Stormwind, but in reality, he was in a state of chaos...
The real power behind the scenes lay with Countess Katarina and the Archbishop, among others. Had it not been for the presence of dwarven and night elf envoys, and the constant connection between the Ironforge and Stormwind metro lines, the Countess could have easily ousted Bolvar... but she didn't. Instead, she skillfully navigated the complex relationships between the various nobles, willingly serving Bolvar...
Rumors circulate that the Countess's lovers include the current Regent, Bolvar, and the Grand Duke of Fordragon...
Despite his high position, Grand Duke Bolvar lacked popular support. Stormwind was beset by internal and external troubles, and various noble factions never took him seriously, leading to a clear trend of regional separatism...
Sometimes government orders can't leave Stormwind...they need the Countess and others' approval.
Throughout the country, arrests were being carried out everywhere, banditry was rampant, and battles were frequent in the north... The undead, orcs, and the elves of Silvermoon City were expanding rapidly.
Marcus, eager to find his true king and change the lives of the people, resolutely left Stormwind and headed north to search for clues about the king's disappearance and to try to mediate the foreign war.
Marcus once lingered in Hillsbrad, a town on the edge of a precipice, but no one accepted his so-called ideal of universal harmony.
Although the mayor of Hillsbrad was only a minor nobleman, he had his own insights and ideas, and the town's councilors were convinced that they would rather die in Hillsbrad than die in this manor.
This is their home, and more importantly, this is where their wealth and status reside.
If they go elsewhere, they'll just be helpless refugees...
Having food meant having everything, and the jade mines by the sea gave the mayor and councilors considerable confidence. They consistently encouraged the Lordaeron civilians who had survived the plague and gathered in Hillsbrad to guard the area.
Having finally managed to band together and find a safe haven where they could eat and wear, most of the refugees chose to stay at Hillsbrad Manor...
They formed a militia to defend Hillsbrad.
......
After Dalaran left, Hillsbrad lost its true backer.
Ambermill, the outpost of the Dalaran mages, has fallen and become the territory of the undead.
The town of Hillsbrad is in grave danger...
The warlord of Stromgarde, hired at great expense, raised the banner of the Allied Forces, giving the people of Hillsbrad a sense of security. However, after the undead horde unleashed unintentionally by Lorraine, the sentiments of the people of Hillsbrad had subtly shifted...
"Mayor, this can't go on!"
"What's going on? Why all the shouting... are the undead attacking again?"
In the Hillsbrad Mayor's Hall, four councilors were discussing trivial matters of town life, such as fixing a toilet there or building a pigsty there... Their power was limited to this...
Horace, the clerk, rushed in and roared at the mayor... The mayor of Hillsbrad, Bonside, the de facto landowner mayor, frowned and rebuked him angrily. Only he had the right to decide the truly important matters of Hillsbrad.
“No, Mayor. Prince Garin has sent men again demanding food, and they also want 500 steel swords and 200 sets of chainmail... hay, linen, silk, water jugs, tableware, sleeping bags and blankets, they want everything…”
"We have plenty of grain, don't we? The grain in the cellar is enough to feed us for 10 years, so what's wrong with giving it to them? The blacksmith shops should work overtime to produce weapons and armor, and send more apprentices over... We have plenty of freeloaders here... Tell Prince Garin's men that we will provide logistics, but it will take a while, after all, manufacturing weapons and armor is not that simple..."
The councilors all gave the mayor a thumbs up...
He nodded frequently, his face beaming with smiles...
Half of the town councilors looked at Mayor Bonside with fawning and envious expressions.
“Mayor! The food supply is alright; ten years' worth of grain is enough for the 689 townspeople in our town. But there are three or four thousand people living in the military camp by the lake... Prince Garin's men are only carrying weapons and horses; his men alone number over a thousand... There's also a group of bandit servants who have been recruited and now require us to provide them with food. The remaining dwarves and the cavalry from Southsea Town are doing alright, but we still have to prepare a share for them.”
The clerk looked worried. "At this rate, ten years' worth of food won't last a month... They've only been here a few days and they've already eaten almost a month's worth of our food... And there's a huge amount of supplies, even worse than when the bandits came to rob us... Our own people have to stand guard for them..."
The mayor was startled upon hearing this. "Oh no! It's easy to invite a god in, but hard to send him away! They're clinging to me..."