"Don't you know that the Orcs once brought disaster to Kingdom of Stormwind?" Robbie asked curiously. "Just over ten years ago, the Orcs killed King Llane and destroyed Stormwind City."
"Of course I know, but the lords of Stormwind City all worship Orcs." The short man rubbed his hands together, his eyes gleaming with piety. "They say Orcs bring us hope and a future. Lord Grom is a great Orcs, unlike those Evil Orcs. He's so kind and benevolent. Wow, I admire him so much!"
Robbie was completely bewildered. What was all this? A bunch of hopeless lunatics?
Another way to gather information is by listening to people's discussions.
The gamblers in the casino were clearly Orcs Cult, and the main topics of their discussions were news about Grommash Hellscream and his Warsong Horde. Most of them genuinely admired and worshipped the Orcs.
"I've saved up twelve gold coins."
"That's way too bad. Hurry home, sell the old house, and support the great Grom Hellscream."
"This is my parents' savings accumulated over many years, intended for their retirement. Unfortunately, I'm not good at gambling."
"It's alright, just find a reliable person to bet against, and make him intentionally lose..."
"Saving money to get married? All you think about is getting married, you have no ambition whatsoever. Joining the Orcs Cult you shouldn't be thinking about getting married, you should hurry up and take out all your money to support the great old man Grom."
"What? Your father is critically ill and needs money to save his life? Let me tell you, donating the money to the Orcs Cult is true filial piety."
My God, what kind of Orcs Cult this? This is clearly a money-grabbing cult! Robbie is going crazy.
How can Stormwind City allow such a sect to harm its people?
Robbie glanced at the Black Cat, Black Cat gave a helpless look and said in a tone detached from time:
"The greatest achievement of the great King Varian was that he personally created the Horde. Although he was not the leader, he contributed greatly to the establishment of the Horde. It can be said that without King Varian, there would be no Horde."
Robbie nodded. He understood what the Black Cat meant. After the Orcs were defeated, King Terenas insisted on establishing Orcs internment camp. The other five of the Seven Human Kingdoms disagreed due to financial considerations and voted to exterminate the Orcs to solve the problem once and for all.
Only King Varian, the ruler of a kingdom destroyed by the Orcs, stood firmly by King Terenas' side without hesitation, Steadfast Terenas's resolve and leading to the establishment of the Orcs internment camp.
King Varian was like a naive child, completely unaware of right and wrong.
If King Terenas was the one who created the Horde, then King Varian was the biggest accomplice. To the Orcs, King Varian's act of repaying evil with kindness was like that of a great saint, deserving to be torn apart and eaten by Thrall.
But in the eyes of the people of Kingdom of Stormwind, especially those whose loved ones had been brutally murdered by the Orcs, they wished they could tear Varian apart piece by piece, seeing him as an incorrigibly foolish King.
No matter how many great achievements Varian had in his life, he never solved the Orcs, a major threat, until his death. The orcs caused endless trouble, and even many years after his death, the Horde remained an enemy of the Alliance, harming the people of Stormwind City.
He was absolutely not a qualified King; he was a sinner against humanity.
The Black Cat's ears twitched, and it said with a hint of sarcasm:
"Humanity's greatest original sin is its pride, and King Varian is no exception. He absolutely refuses to believe he has done anything wrong. Unwilling to change his own mind, he can only try to change the people's minds to gain acceptance for his wrongdoings. The maintenance costs of the Internment Camps are substantial, and the Warsong Clan's military expenditures are also considerable. It is under these circumstances that the Orcs Cult came into being."
I see.
Robbie finally understood that the so-called Orcs Cult was established to whitewash the Orcs and forcibly change the minds of the Kingdom of Stormwind's people in order to prove King Varian's greatness.
Unfortunately, King Varian was still unaware of the gravity of his mistake.
This explains why Grom Hellscream's Warsong Clan was able to hold out in the wilderness for so long without supplies or reinforcements; his allies were in Stormwind City.
Robbie's expression was a bit off, which caught the attention of the bearded Top.
"Young man, come with me," Top gestured to Robbie.
What does this mean? Robbie isn't afraid of these gamblers' amateurish skills, and he's not afraid even if they swarm him.
Robbie gave a disdainful smile and followed Top out of the casino.
In the dark alley behind the tavern, Top puffed on his pipe for a long time before finally looking up. "Your name is Robbie, right? Do you think we're stupid for donating our hard-earned money to the Orcs who once harmed us?"
Robbie looked at him coldly. "This is basic morality; it's obvious who's a friend and who's an enemy."
Top gave Robbie a serious look, revealing a pitying expression:
"It's clear you're different from Margaret's other cousins. You don't have the aura of blood on you, but you're more terrifying than those desperate criminals who live on the edge. Your eyes are filled with utter contempt for life, like those dragons. As long as you believe it's right, you don't care about killing anyone."
As expected of a seasoned veteran, he has a keen eye for talent.
"We laborers, with our hard work, are indeed not as knowledgeable as you. Everyone has independent thoughts and their own ability to think. The Orcs Cult has not forced anyone to join. We trust our own judgment. Please do as you see fit."
Why are you thinking of leaving so easily? It's not that simple.
Robbie's face darkened, and he grabbed Top's shoulder:
"Wait, wait until you finish speaking before you leave. I'm asking you, how many followers does the Orcs Cult have?"
Top felt like his bones were about to break, and he answered nervously, "After the Orcs internment camp in Lordaeron was established, the Orcs Cult began to flourish, with the aim of supporting the great Orcs. There are followers of the Orcs Cult in Stormwind City, Ironforge, and Teldrassil. It's not just popular among the lower classes; the nobles are even more devout than we are."
Good heavens, how could this be? Things are much more serious than we imagined.
"Don't you know who will ultimately get the money you donate?"
Robbie gritted his teeth and said, "This money will feed those Orcs and the beasts that destroy Stormwind City. I bet you have relatives who died at the hands of Orcs. Don't you hate them?"
"My father, mother, brother, two sisters, and my three sons were all torn apart and eaten by the Orcs! Wait!" Top quickly calmed his anger, muttering incantations with a pious expression.
"We should not repay evil with evil, but choose to forgive the Orcs. They have only been misled. We should treat a great and intelligent race with kindness. We must restrain our anger. Long live the great Orcs!"
"This is clearly brainwashing," Robbie said helplessly. "One day, you'll be eaten by the Orcs too."
The Black Cat beside him replied, "You're right. Twenty-three years Dark Portal opened, in the perpetually unrepaired Northwatch Hold of Theramore, human Top was eaten by three Orcs for seven whole days before finally breathing his last."
Top shook his head firmly. "No, our mentor taught us that Orcs are a kind and loving race. They are morally upright, pure in nature, and friends of humans."
He was utterly hopeless, so Robbie decided not to bother with him.
"Young man, your heart is filled with hatred for Orcs, which is wrong. Look, even though my entire family was eaten by Orcs, I should still love them. After all, it wasn't out of Orcs' nature, but because they drank Demon Blood. You must learn to forgive and be compassionate. One day, you will sing praises to the Orcs with me."
"If it's not for a cruel purpose, why drink Demon Blood? Is it because you're thirsty?" Robbie retorted, then turned and left, leaving Top looking conflicted.
Robbie felt there was no need to waste time on any one person.
The Black Cat caught up with Robbie and landed on his shoulder. "You can't change the mind of a stubborn person, but that's not the worst part!"
"What's even scarier?" Robbie asked.
"What's more terrifying than these sleeping fools are those clever people who pretend to be asleep."