On Azeroth Continent, where people mostly traveled on foot and communicated by shouting, the media was underdeveloped, and marketing in World of Warcraft was still at a rudimentary stage, generally lacking in creativity.
At 8,888 gold coins a night, the ultra-luxurious Chieftain Suite caused a sensation in Lunarfall as soon as it was unveiled, steering the public conversation.
Everyone was curious. They all wanted to see what the Chieftain Suite looked like and whether some sucker would be willing to stay there.
Adventurers came in an endless stream to have a look.
The tavern in the garrison inn was always packed, and all kinds of food and drink sold exceptionally well. Hogger, who was in charge of the inn, couldn't stop grinning. The other workshops in the garrison benefited too, with sales soaring.
Then Robbie rolled out a gratitude promotion at just the right time, offering a free trial stay in the Chieftain Suite.
Naturally, not just anyone could stay for free in the Legendary ultra-luxurious Chieftain Suite.
Robbie had added some particularly stringent conditions.
"Outstanding looks, a pretty face, a good figure, round hooves, and a pointed tail.
Has fought the Iron Horde directly.
Has a particularly famous master.
Believes in the Holy Light.
Female."
That was right. It was tailor-made for Yrel.
With a final interview to screen the applicants, nothing could go wrong.
Yrel, that little hoofed girl, also loved joining in the fun. Just as Robbie expected, she came to sign up in high spirits. After a series of "backroom maneuvers," she won a voucher for a free one-day stay in the Chieftain Suite, an experience worth 8,888 gold coins.
Next, just as Robbie expected, Yrel, spoiled by the many hotel owners in Lunarfall, lived up to expectations. Once she moved in, she refused to leave.
Robbie didn't have Hogger throw her out. He continued to treat her to fine food and drink.
On the third day, seeing that the time was about right, Hogger, who had long since grown impatient, took special care to sharpen every tooth. Full of confidence and armed to the teeth, he went to demand the room payment.
Robbie sat in his room, sipping morning dew wine as he leisurely waited for news of Hogger's triumphant return.
By Robbie's analysis, the main reason Yrel could freeload was that she was Prophet Velen's disciple. Even a lavish meal cost only a few gold coins at most, and there was no need to offend the great Draenei leader over such a small sum.
But things were different now. Yrel owed tens of thousands of gold coins in room charges, which was no small matter. Even if Prophet Velen intervened, she would still be in the wrong.
Once Hogger captured Yrel, Robbie would go "rescue" her. One would play the bad guy and the other the good guy. If they handled it right, they ought to be able to coax the secret of the fiftieth person out of her.
Suddenly, however, Robbie had a premonition, his heart pounding for no apparent reason.
Something wasn't right. He had overlooked some detail.
That was right. Adventurers came in all sorts, and not all of them would necessarily show Prophet Velen respect.
Yrel had freeloaded throughout Lunarfall Camp and never encountered any trouble. Velen's name alone probably wasn't enough; she must have had something else to rely on.
The sign reading "Yrel and Hogger not allowed" appeared in Robbie's mind again, as if wreathed in endless resentment. The hotel owners had been unwilling to accept it, yet helpless to do anything.
Recalling what Vanessa had said, Robbie remembered that Yrel seemed to have lived quite comfortably in the Iron Horde's cell, and her fighting ability hadn't suffered in the slightest.
Something was wrong, very wrong. There had to be something he hadn't thought through.
Growing anxious, Robbie hurriedly pushed open the window and looked toward the inn.
Fortunately, there were no sounds of fighting, which meant there was still a chance to salvage the situation.
He was about to go out and call Hogger back when the door opened. Hogger pushed his way in, completely unharmed, and Robbie felt a little relieved.
Hogger stood leaning against the door, his face gentle and kind, his eyes lowered submissively and a broad smile on his face. He was as docile as the flattened mane on his back.
The sight was so jarring that Robbie broke out in goosebumps.
"Hogger, did everything go smoothly? You... what's wrong with you?"
Hogger gave a "gentle" smile. "The poor little girl didn't want to leave. How could I bring myself to chase her out? We're running a business here. Driving away a customer would be terrible, bad luck. Besides, you know I never hit women."
The unfamiliar tone and contemptible gentleness made Robbie's scalp crawl. He examined Hogger closely. "Where are your Lava Fury Fist Weapons? And where's your wallet?"
Hogger looked adorably guileless and said unconcernedly, "Little Yrel's just a young girl, and it's not easy for her to be out on her own. How could she get by without a weapon that suits her? So I gave her the fist weapons. Yrel also said she was a little short on cash, so we should help her if we can. The most important thing between people is friendship."
Yrel was a Paladin. What did she want fist weapons for?
Robbie was feeling distinctly unwell as he stared at this unfamiliar Hogger.
Are you still Hogger, the vicious Gnoll who made a living sapping people in Elwynn Forest?
Are you still the Hogger whose very name made people tremble, who cast a shadow over countless adventurers' hearts and lurked in the depths of their nightmares?
Could that Naaru be impersonating him?
It was terrifying. Robbie had never seen anything like it. He scratched his head and hurriedly leafed through a book for information.
"Oh my, your room is so dusty. I'll clean it up for you."
"Oh my, so many of your clothes are dirty. I'll wash them for you. Don't mention it; it's what I should do."
Hogger bustled about, as industrious as a loyal Kobold.
In an ancient tome, Robbie found a relevant record.
The eight traditional virtues of Paladins—humility, honesty, mercy, valor, justice, sacrifice, honor, and spirit—corresponded to eight different skills.
Unfortunately, as times changed, and especially as versions changed, many skills were either altered or removed from Paladins' skill books.
Mercy was a skill used by ancient Draenei Paladins. When used properly, it could make an opponent feel merciful. Even the most vicious person would temporarily become a saint.
The skill had no effect on those with kind intentions; they would merely have done a good deed. But once the skill's duration ended, those with evil intentions would feel tremendous resentment.
The stronger the evil intentions, the greater the resentment.
If too much resentment built up in an evil person's heart, they would be very likely to go around committing evil to vent their anger. That was why the skill had been discarded.
So that was it. Robbie took a deep breath.
Yrel had relied on that skill to eat heartily and stay in excellent health in the Iron Horde's cell, then freeload without a hitch in Lunarfall Camp.
Mercy could be cast repeatedly on a target and could also be cast in secret, so Yrel was already in an invincible position.
Dispelling the skill wasn't difficult. The first way was to wait for its duration to end, whereupon it would wear off automatically.
The second method was...
Robbie tried casting Cleanse on Hogger, who was bustling about without complaint.
Cleanse purified a friendly target, removing all poison, disease, and magic effects. It was one of a Paladin's skills.
"What happened? What's wrong with me? My fist weapons, my wallet... heavens, why am I mopping the floor?" As Hogger let out a series of wails, his memories gradually grew clear.
Hogger's eyes immediately bulged wide. He hurled the mop in his hand against the wall, and every hair in the mane on his back stood on end. His face twisted into a terrifying grimace, and he let out an earthshaking roar.
That was the true face of Hogger, the most terrifying Gnoll in Elwynn Forest.
"Draenei little hoof, I, Hogger, swear by the skies of Elwynn Forest that you and I cannot both live under the same sky!" Hogger was truly furious. He leaped through the window, smashing it to pieces, and charged toward the inn's Chieftain Suite.
Worried that something might happen, Robbie hurried after him.
Outside the inn, Yrel was fully armed and had already been waiting for some time. Facing Hogger, who had come storming over to settle accounts, she was full of confidence and completely unafraid.
"Looks like I didn't teach you a good enough lesson, little Gnoll. Repent for your crimes. Mercy Technique!"
Hogger fell victim to it again. The viciousness vanished from his eyes, and the mane on his back lay flat and smooth.
"Cleanse!" Robbie hurriedly dispelled the magic on Hogger.
Yrel glanced at Robbie without taking him seriously and said with a smile, "I see. The little Gnoll's quite clever, bringing a companion. Do you think that's enough to defeat me? Mass Mercy!"
The power of the Holy Light swept over Robbie and Hogger.
"Mass Cleanse!"
Before Mass Mercy could take effect, Robbie dispelled the magic almost simultaneously.
Yrel was somewhat surprised and studied Robbie carefully.
Mastery of a skill was divided into six realms: Entry, Proficiency, Mastery, Transcendence, No-Move, and Deification. Being able to cast Mass Cleanse counted as touching the threshold of Transcendence.
Transcendence was not a realm one could reach through hard work alone; it depended more on talent.
Yrel was Prophet Velen's disciple, so her talent was naturally exceptional. With Velen's patient instruction on top of that, it was only natural that she had mastered Mercy at the Transcendence realm.
From Yrel's expression, Robbie knew the little hoofed girl had misunderstood.
In fact, Robbie had merely condensed three Cleanse runes, allowing him to cast Cleanse on three targets at once. It had nothing to do with the Transcendence realm.
Discipline Paladins and Faith Paladins followed different paths, and their standards for skill mastery were different too.
"Interesting. I've finally run into an opponent who poses a bit of a challenge."
Yrel's expression grew serious.
Yrel in this world was not much different from her counterpart in the game. When she escaped the Iron Horde, she was still only an apprentice, a raw recruit who had never killed anyone.
People's excellence and confidence emerged through comparison.
When Yrel came to Lunarfall Camp and first encountered adventurers from the world of Azeroth, especially those noble-born commanders who had "dinged" their way up with gold coins, she found them all arrogant and contemptuous of everyone else, yet lacking both strength and experience.
Only then did Yrel discover that she was actually quite outstanding. Her confidence immediately soared, and she began her journey of tricking people out of food and drink and taking small advantages. That bunch of weaklings in Lunarfall couldn't do a thing about her.
Having fallen victim twice in a row, Hogger grew cautious and quietly took a step back.
Robbie knew Hogger's nature very well. At a time like this, he could only step up himself.
"Yrel, we're not here to fight. As the saying goes, you pay for your drinks and pay for your room. Even the most shameless adventurer has to follow that rule. You've stayed in the Chieftain Suite for several days without paying, and that's very inappropriate."
"I don't have any money," Yrel said shamelessly.
"Then don't blame us for playing rough." Robbie looked Yrel over with ill intent and said with a smile, "Have you ever heard of paying with your body?"
"That's right, paying with your body!" Hogger chimed in. "That's our Gnoll custom."
A Gnoll actually knew about paying with one's body? Robbie immediately gained a new respect for Hogger.
"I heard eating Draenei flesh can make you immortal," Hogger said viciously.
Well, Robbie thought, pressing a hand to his forehead and sighing, Hogger was still the same old Hogger.