With the surprise Magni mentioned still on his mind, Unas rushed back to the Dark Iron Camp like a swallow, where he was treated like a hero.
Although it was already night and no one lined up to welcome him, every Dark Iron soldier who saw him saluted him—defeating Bronzebeard King had greatly increased his prestige among the Dark Iron Dwarves.
Unas returned the greetings one by one, which took a little time before he was brought before Rendaen by the king's guards.
"Knight Unas, you have done a great service. The matter of letting Moira escape is hereby forgiven, and no one will pursue it further."
Thank you, Your Majesty.
Rendaen paused for a moment before tentatively asking, "How is Magni's mood?"
Unas knew what he wanted to hear. "Somewhat frustrated, but very grateful for His Majesty's help."
"Hmph," Rendaen sneered, "You were the one who came up with the idea, weren't you? I don't believe that Bronzebeard Dwarves Stonebrain could come up with such a... incompetent excuse."
"Well, I did offer some suggestions," Unas could only tell the truth.
Rendaen wasn't angry. "I heard you and he have a pretty good relationship?"
"..." Unask for the purpose of Rendaen's question, trying to Unas it, "A week ago, he and I were strangers. After our duel, our relationship has become much closer, but not yet harmonious."
"Is that so?" Rendaen thought for a moment and said, "You'll be escorting human refugees back to Kingdom of Stormwind, which will inevitably take you through Ironforge. I have a task for you."
"Your Majesty, please give your orders."
"I hereby appoint you as my envoy to Ironforge to sign a more formal diplomatic treaty."
Unas was startled; he was to be appointed as a peace ambassador. This task could be easy or troublesome, depending on the circumstances. He cautiously declined, saying, "Your Majesty, it might not be appropriate for me to represent the Dark Iron Dwarves."
"There's nothing wrong with it. You are the person in Blackrock Depths most closely associated with Magni, and you've even defeated him. All the Bronzebeard Dwarves bow down before you. This position can only be held by you."
That makes sense. If we rashly send a Dark Iron Dwarves to Ironforge as an ambassador, it could very well backfire due to old grudges.
"If you can complete this task, along with your military achievements in this battle," Rendaen continued, "I will truly bestow upon you the lands and reparations ceded by Bronzebeard. This is the best reward you can receive, and you know what that means."
Unas knew, of course, that this meant he would become the Highlord of the Dark Iron Kingdom in terms of territory, after Rendaen.
In name, Bronzebeard's cession of territory and reparations were glorified as a gift to the Paladins, but Unas dared not hope to actually receive this fortune.
His fiefdom Firewatch Ridge, was already on the border of Searing Gorge. If he were to receive the 60 li of land ceded by Bronzebeard, along with the small unclaimed buffer zone in the middle, and connect them all together, he would instantly become Highlord with a territory of over 200 li!
Although this land is barren and desolate, its strategic location is extremely important. It is the only land route for trade between Bronzebeard and Dark Iron. Once the two sides open up trade, it will undoubtedly become a trading center. If managed properly, it can make a fortune just from collecting tolls.
Of course, everything has its advantages and disadvantages. If Unas accepts this gift, he will act as a buffer between Bronzebeard and the Dark Iron. Once war breaks out, everything could be wiped out in an instant.
"Knight Unas, what's your decision?"
The Paladin, who had been lost in thought, snapped out of it and exclaimed, "Thank you for your trust, Your Majesty! I will certainly fulfill my mission!"
"Haha, then I'll leave it to you." Rendaen nodded in satisfaction.
Emerging from the king's command post, Unas was still somewhat incredulous that Rendaen had given him such a great benefit.
His human identity was somewhat advantageous. The racial divide meant he was destined to never gain the true trust of either side, but it also allowed him to act as a buffer between the Dwarf tribes from a relatively neutral standpoint.
Moreover, for his own benefit, he had to do everything in his power to maintain peace between the two sides, and Rendaen's move showed considerable sincerity.
This incident further convinced Unas of his suspicions: Rendaen was determined to make peace with the Bronzebeard Clan.
Once the Dark Iron King's bottom line was understood, establishing formal diplomatic relations became a simple matter.
Over the next few days, Unas was extremely busy. He traveled all over his future territory, choosing a site for his castle. To operate a trading center, strong military protection was indispensable. Bandits and rebels threatened the future trade routes and needed to be dealt with promptly.
To this end, he paid a high price to keep the Nadal Mercenary Company hired by Rendaen. The small Horde of the Ogre Lincoln and the Orcs girl Keira had wanted to stay and settle down. Rendaen also supported two thousand-man squads to help suppress the bandits. The various forces were integrated and formed the initial territory army.
After negotiations with several neighboring Dark Iron lords, they reached Covenant of mutual support and cooperation—the prosperity of border trade would naturally benefit them as well, and everyone would get a share of the profits.
He also left the wounded King Kong behind, ordering the giant beast to temporarily obey the Ogre Lincoln's commands, patrolling and eliminating any enemies who dared to invade his territory.
With security temporarily secured, Unas urgently summoned Frank, who remained in Shadowforge City, ordering him to send a large number of craftsmen and logistical supplies to prepare for the construction of the castle.
The castle was chosen to be located on a narrow hill, very close to the previous border, a location that should be acceptable to both sides.
After all the arrangements were made, three days had passed. Unas immediately set off to catch up with the Stormwind refugees who had gone ahead.
Three days ago, the refugees, led by Luther, entered Dun Morogh with the Bronzebeard Army. With Magni's help, they should have no trouble getting there.
The border patrol in Dun Morogh had all witnessed the duel, so they naturally dared not stop the human Paladins. Unas crossed the border smoothly and traveled at full speed for two days before finally catching up with the human group, who were resting, at a place called Frozen Stone Farm.
The Dun Morogh Plateau has a cold climate and is covered in snow all year round. It is located in the central part of the plateau and is in the coldest winter, with biting north winds and snowflakes cutting into your face.
Although warm clothing had been prepared for the refugees, the drastic climate change from the Searing Gorge to this location still caused many to fall ill.
Fortunately, Magni received the news and promptly sent medicine and Priest, alleviating the hardships of the journey.
Upon hearing Luther's report, Unas immediately rushed to the wounded soldiers' camp and cast blessings, Cleanse, and Holy Light on all the patients.
Under the amplifying effect of the Holy Book, most of the patients were almost cured, and those with severe conditions were greatly relieved. This made the people, who already regarded the Warden as a savior, worship him even more like a god.
"By the Holy Light, thanks to Your Excellency's timely intervention," Luther said, his face showing exhaustion and lingering fear, "Otherwise, someone might have died of illness."
Unas patted him on the shoulder, "You've worked hard these past few days, get some rest. With me here, the journey ahead will be much easier."