Chapter 159: Followers

Elwynn Forest, as the most fundamental territory of the Kingdom of Stormwind since its founding, has always been a treasure in the eyes of the nobility. Not only do lumbering, farming, raising pigs and sheep, and other agricultural activities provide the citizens with stable and peaceful lives, but they also bring continuous tax revenue to the nobles' lands. Moreover, Elwynn Forest is rich in high-quality copper mines and other mineral resources, making it almost synonymous with a worry-free life. If it weren't for the passage of millennia causing every inch of the forest to be granted away by successive kings, no fool would have gone to the trouble of developing the barren Redridge Mountains to the east, the perpetually dark Duskwood to the south, or the monster-infested Westfall. In the council hall, everyone's first reaction was that Duke Marcus had gone mad and instinctively wanted to veto him. Their second reaction was... it actually seemed to make some sense. What did the fate of Elwynn Forest have to do with them now? Nothing! Not at all! Even if they denied it, they couldn't change the fact that Elwynn Forest had fallen entirely into the hands of those damned greenskins. The once abundant natural resources had all become materials for raising the greenskins' offspring. Thinking of their beautiful mansions and wealthy lands falling into the hands of these barbaric beasts, every noble gritted their teeth with hatred. One of the nobles hesitantly suggested, "Wouldn't setting the forest on fire anger the druids?" A group of nobles looked at the young noble as if he were an idiot. Their own side was already in dire straits, and they were worried about the druids, who were nowhere to be found? The nobles fell silent. It was Lothar who was honest enough to ask, "What about the orc casters known as warlocks?" "I have received absolutely accurate intelligence from my mentor that the most powerful orc warlock, Gul'dan, is currently unable to participate in the battle due to certain reasons, and the same goes for the Shadow Council. Therefore, as long as you give me a gryphon, I will be safe." Lothar suddenly realized that in the battle against the orcs, the human side was almost completely suppressed, not only due to the strength of individual soldiers but also because of their lack of understanding of the orc warlocks. The Stormwind Royal Mage Corps suffered a crushing defeat in the confrontation with the Shadow Council, leaving the corps practically in name only. However, in recent days, there had been no attacks from orc warlocks. Thankfully, or else the only remaining Morningstar mage, responsible for guarding King Llane, would have had to rely on the scant three Sky Mages, which wouldn't have been a match for the Shadow Council. Lothar nodded at Llane. Llane stood up, "Alright, I approve of this plan. However, I have only one request for you, Count Marcus." "Your Majesty, please speak." Duke Marcus stood up and bowed. "You must come back alive!" Llane said solemnly, "The impending doom of the Kingdom of Stormwind is not solely your responsibility, Duke Marcus. For a 15-year-old like you, you have already done more than enough. If the fate of the kingdom is to be destroyed, I will accept it with resignation. But the reconstruction of Stormwind in the future will require the efforts of young people like you." "Shh—" It seemed that every noble drew in a sharp breath. If anyone else had been given this task, they would have at least been given a military order, something like "If the task is not completed, die for your country." But for Duke, King Llane was surprisingly lenient, even willing to bet on the early destruction of the kingdom! How much did Llane value Duke? Such favor was unheard of. Even when Medivh was alive, Llane had never been so gracious to him. But upon further thought, it seemed perfectly normal. By now, did Duke still need to prove himself? The youngest Sky Mage, the wealthy businessman, the Sea King who held the kingdom's lifeline, the hero who slayed the Demon King Sargeras, the savior of the Queen and Prince, and the great benefactor of the King - if not for the fear of having nothing left to reward him, and the objections of the nobles, Duke would already have been a higher ranked Nobel. Even so, everyone in the noble circle knew that Llane had already spoken to the only Morning Star Mage. As soon as the situation stabilized, Duke would inherit Medivh's former position in the kingdom, becoming the Chief Court Archmage of Stormwind. Duke's rise was unstoppable. Previously, when Duke hadn't returned from Karazhan, everyone was uncertain. Now, many nobles had secretly decided that if Duke's plan to stop the orcs for 10 days succeeded, they would tie him to their family's war chariot. Compared to other nobles, King Llane had a fatal weakness - his royal bloodline was too thin. Not only was he not a direct descendant of Emperor Thoradin, but Llane also had no siblings, and his only heir was Prince Varian. The Queen did not bear any more children for Llane. However, other great nobles were different. Wasn't it just a noble daughter? As long as they formed a marriage alliance with Duke, even if they lost their territory, their family could still live comfortably. If they could reclaim their territory in the future, that would be even better. Unknowingly, the nobles all set their sights on Duke. Duke was unaware of the nobles' thoughts. After thanking Llane for his concern, he prepared to set off. But upon stepping out of Stormwind Fortress, he unexpectedly discovered that a group of old friends were waiting for him. "Master Norton, I'm glad to see you're in good spirits." Yes, it was old Norton who had come, and Daniel and Itana were with him. Duke noticed that these two former magic apprentices were now wearing official Stormwind Mage robes. "Eh? You two got promoted!?" This time, Duke was genuinely surprised. Daniel grinned, "Itana said, 'If you don't rise in war, you'll perish in the flames.' I was just promoted to a First-Class Earth Mage last week. Itana was promoted two months before me and is now a Third-Class Earth Mage." Itana, with freckles all over her face, gave Duke a fairly standard lady's curtsy, her face still a bit stiff, "Master Norton said we should be able to help you now." Old Norton kindly came over and took Duke's hand, "Duke, don't refuse. This old man's bones are almost falling apart. I'm grateful to the heavens for surviving this war. These two have no future following me. Today, I'll abandon my dignity. If you don't accept them, I'll kneel here for all to see." "No, no, no." Duke knew that Norton was serious. Daniel and Itana, who came from commoner backgrounds, had already been labeled with Duke's name. If Duke didn't take them, these two really had nowhere to go. Duke turned around to face the two of them. "Okay, no more false words. The two of you will follow me from now on. I want to ask you, do you want to be my followers or my vassals?" Daniel scratched his head. "Is there a difference?" Itana lightly kicked Daniel's foot. "Of course it's followers."