"This is the Skull of Gul'dan!" Hogger jumped up and shouted.
The Brotherhood's officers glanced over, all of them expressing their contempt.
How many people on the Azeroth Continent hadn't heard of the famous Skull of Gul'dan?
As the first Warlock in World of Warcraft, and probably the most evil and powerful one as well, Gul'dan had personally defeated few powerful opponents while he was alive, apart from devising a series of schemes that could be considered brilliant.
After he died, he became more valuable instead.
The powerful Skull of Gul'dan became a famous magical artifact that everyone fought over. Some people remained alive after they died, becoming more popular in death than in life, and Comrade Gul'dan was one of them. The Skull of Gul'dan changed hands several times, and its final owner was none other than the Demon Hunter Illidan.
Illidan fell at the Black Temple, and the legendary skull disappeared without a trace.
However, not every Orc skull was called the Skull of Gul'dan.
In the Iron Horde's prison, Robbie had seen the human disguised as Gul'dan with his own eyes, and he couldn't help doubting where this Orc skull had come from. Of course, whether the skull belonged to Gul'dan or not, it had to be handed over to the commander to deal with.
Carefully cradling the Orc skull, Robbie knocked on the commander's bedroom door.
A pile of gold coins lay before Vanessa. The girl was beaming as she counted them one by one, and she seemed to be in a very good mood.
"Robbie, well done."
Vanessa put away the gold coins, smiling radiantly. "You saved me a fortune. When the Argent Crusade came looking for trouble, I couldn't intervene myself. I originally planned to pay a powerful Draenei knight a high price to help, but you settled it with ease. It proves that this commander has an excellent eye for talent."
As expected of the commander. Even while praising a subordinate, she didn't forget to boast about herself.
A powerful Draenei Paladin? Which one was it this time? Could it be Uncle Mardela? He was a righteous and noble figure, but Robbie had a poor impression of him.
After all, being ambushed from behind wasn't a pleasant memory.
Vanessa took the Orc skull, which was full of Fel, and absentmindedly set it aside. Then she announced loudly, "Robbie Capor, I hereby appoint you acting commander of the garrison."
Acting commander?
Robbie thought to himself that the Infinite Dragonflight's envoy had said today would be a pivotal day in his life. Could it have been referring to the position of acting commander?
But Robbie wasn't prepared for this sudden show of trust, either physically or mentally.
Robbie didn't think helping resolve a few matters qualified him for the position, elevating him above all the Brotherhood's officers in one leap.
After all, outstanding ability was a double-edged sword, and it wasn't always a good thing. Often, the more capable someone was, the more suspicious those above them became.
"Commander, please reconsider. I'm afraid I'm not up to the job."
After careful consideration, Robbie decided to decline.
Vanessa seemed to see through Robbie's concerns and said with a smile:
"You don't need to worry. I trust you one hundred percent. Across countless future timelines, you've never let me down."
There was a lot of information in those words.
"Countless future timelines"—could it be the Infinite Dragonflight?
Like the Bronze Dragonflight, the Infinite Dragonflight had control over the Azeroth Continent's timelines and could see the future. It seemed the commander had an extraordinary relationship with the Infinite Dragonflight.
Robbie couldn't help feeling puzzled.
Vanessa stood up, her big eyes watery, looking adorable and cute.
"Don't worry, I'll give you a raise."
This wasn't about wages at all. Wait, could he really get a raise?
"All right, actually, the main reason is that there's no one else suitable."
Vanessa lowered her eyes slightly, looking a little disappointed. "Look at those guys in the Brotherhood. How many of them even look human? You may be unreliable and often disappeared back in the Deadmines, but you're all I've got."
That reason was convincing enough.
Ogres, Goblins, murlocs, and the like would look out of place as acting commander, no matter how one looked at it. Although the Brotherhood also had two humans and the worgen General Ripheart, wasn't there a saying about the workplace? You didn't have to be outstanding; you only had to be better than your coworkers.
But was it really all right to put someone down like that? Robbie couldn't stay calm anymore.
"I don't mind becoming acting commander, but I have to know why." What puzzled Robbie was why Vanessa needed an acting commander.
"Take a look at this." Vanessa handed him a confidential SI:7 dispatch.
It was an investigation report on Frostwall in Frostfire Ridge, mainly concerning Med'an.
Robbie opened the dispatch with a puzzled look.
World of Warcraft held bloodlines above all else. It was practically impossible for a nobody to rise to the top; Gul'dan was one of the few exceptions, while most heroes came from illustrious backgrounds.
Med'an's parents were both major figures with resounding reputations. His father was Medivh, one of the central figures throughout the Warcraft series and the Guardian who had opened the Dark Portal.
His mother was the famous half-Orc assassin Garona, who had both Orc and Draenei blood. She had successfully assassinated King Llane of Stormwind City and was also one of the important figures who had shaped history.
Med'an's master was Meryl Winterstorm, an undead human mage who had lived for over a thousand years and was one of the founders of the new Council of Tirisfal. His grandmother was Magna Aegwynn, the most powerful human mage in Azeroth's history and a Guardian who had likewise lived for over a thousand years.
Because Medivh's birth was connected to the Dark Titan Sargeras, Med'an possessed the Dark Titan's genes and harbored tremendous potential.
When Med'an was just starting out, he saved Prince Anduin of Stormwind City and became his close friend, forming an inseparable bond with him. He drove back Cho'gall, the founder of Twilight's Hammer, and received his father's power at Karazhan. He was a textbook official savior.
Thrall had paid a hefty sum to bring Med'an to Frostfire Ridge, intending for him to serve as a trump card against the Iron Horde.
Unfortunately, Thrall hadn't anticipated that Med'an, having found success at a young age, would be somewhat arrogant and dismissive of everyone else. As soon as he entered Frostfire Ridge, he made a high-profile announcement to the Horde's adventurers:
"Draenor, all the equipment is mine,
all the mounts are mine.
All the female ogres are mine.
All the female Orcs are mine too.
You are mine as well."
This caused an uproar in the Horde. What were the adventurers risking their lives and fighting tooth and nail for? World peace?
The dispatch recorded that Med'an had built an enormous garrison at Frostwall, fully half the size of Orgrimmar. It had a luxurious palace, vast estates, wine cellars, a dairy farm, and volcanic hot springs that made people green with envy.
Vanessa's garrison exceeded the permitted size, but compared with Med'an's, it was nothing. This was no longer a secret on the Alliance side. Med'an's extravagantly luxurious estate-garrison had become a topic of casual conversation among the Alliance, inspiring envy, jealousy, and resentment.
The dispatch also recorded that ever since Med'an's garrison had been completed, he had never left it, staying cooped up inside the whole time.
As it turned out, Med'an's high-profile behavior had brought pressure down on him from all sides.
The biggest problem was Med'an's equipment.
His magnificent Guardian set was said to be the only legendary-grade set on the Azeroth Continent. Add to that the famous legendary weapon in his hand, Atiesh, Greatstaff of the Guardian, commonly known as the chicken-leg staff, and it was enough to make countless adventurers green with envy.
Khadgar also had one of these staffs. According to his personal bodyguard, Cordana Felsong, Khadgar's was a high-quality imitation worth very little, while the real chicken-leg staff was in Med'an's hands.
Med'an was a walking treasure trove. Of course, the Horde's adventurers were cowed by Thrall's authority, and the Alliance's adventurers didn't dare go too far because of Med'an's relationship with Prince Anduin. However, there were neutral guilds on the Azeroth Continent.
Neutral guilds accepted all kinds of people. Whether they were Alliance or Horde, Centaurs or ogres, even Dreadlords and Ooze could join a neutral guild as long as they were strong enough.
The three largest neutral guilds on the Azeroth Continent all had prominent financial backers behind them. They were the Booty Bay Anglers Association, the Gadgetzan Apothecary Society, and the Stonetalon Mountains Wyvern Hatchery.
Booty Bay and Gadgetzan controlled the most important shipping routes between Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms, as well as vital transport routes by sea and land. Naturally, they made enormous profits.
The financial backer behind the Stonetalon Mountains Wyvern Hatchery was Doras, the female Orc who managed Orgrimmar's Wyverns. In year six of the Dark Portal, Doomhammer assembled an Orc army to attack Lordaeron, but Gul'dan fled on the eve of battle, taking half the army with him to search for the Tomb of Sargeras at sea.
Doras was one of them. A storm separated her from the fleet at sea, and after countless hardships, she finally landed in Kalimdor. She later entered the Stonetalon Mountains and devoted herself to taming Wyverns.
By the time Thrall led the Orcs into Kalimdor, Doras's family had monopolized the entire continent's flight business. They later got involved in the Horde's mount business, controlling the trade in Orc war wolves, Troll raptors, and Tauren kodos. They maliciously drove up prices and shorted the market, amassing an immense fortune.
After flying mounts became available, in particular, Doras's family made a killing from Wyverns alone. She became the richest person in Kalimdor, even wealthier than Trade Prince Gallywix. Every successive Horde warchief had to defer to her.
The neutral guilds feared neither the Alliance nor the Horde and dared to take on any job.
Legend had it that the largest bounty in history had appeared on the black market, and its target was Med'an.
The SI:7 dispatch reported that elite teams from the three neutral guilds were constantly lying in ambush outside Med'an's garrison, waiting for him to come out so they could strike.
The three great neutral guilds were relatively easy to deal with, since they didn't dare openly attack the garrison.
The Iron Horde cared about no such thing. Shadowmoon Valley was peaceful now, leaving adventurers with nothing to do. The main reason was that the bulk of Ner'zhul's Shadowmoon Clan had long since been transferred away and secretly stationed in Frostfire Ridge. Together with Gul'dan's Shadow Council, they attacked Med'an's garrison at set times and locations three times a day, morning, noon, and evening, and occasionally launched a night raid as well.
Ever since entering Draenor, Med'an had been living in misery and had scarcely had a good night's sleep.
After reading the SI:7 dispatch, Robbie understood why Vanessa needed an acting commander.
Vanessa possessed the Fangs of the Father, legendary weapons that countless rogues dreamed of obtaining. If that secret got out, the number of rogues in the garrison would surpass that of Ravenholdt Manor in minutes. The thought alone sent a chill down his spine.