A network of Canals and bridges, rows of shops, neat and sturdy white Stone Walls, and winding roads—this is Unas's overall impression of Stormwind City.
The city's design appears to have defense as its primary concern, with Canals cutting the city into fragments of varying sizes, which are then connected by narrow bridges and archways.
This made each area relatively independent. Even if the enemy breached the city gates, they could only occupy the city by breaking through a series of strong defensive lines composed of bridges and gates.
There was no time to waste. That afternoon, Unas and the Dwarf captain changed into linen clothes and mingled with the Dwarf caravan transporting goods. The reason for hiding their identities was that a Paladin Lordaeron had suddenly arrived was too conspicuous and might hinder their subsequent actions.
After leaving the Dwarf District, I traveled through most of Stormwind City, delivering goods to various weapon shops along the way and buying some daily necessities along the way.
In stark contrast to the Dwarf District, the streets were deserted and quiet, with a few guards standing watch at each intersection, and the occasional passerby seemed to be in a hurry.
The shops along the roadside were all tightly closed; only by knocking and greeting the customers would the shop owners cautiously open the door for them.
Although martial law was in effect, everyone still needed to make a living, so commercial activities did not completely stop; people simply chose to trade behind closed doors.
Unas stood out somewhat among the group of Dwarves, but the guards and Dwarves were all old acquaintances, and it was common for Dwarves to hire human porters, so he was not harassed.
They passed a tavern along the way, where the Dwarf caravans usually stopped for a drink to quench their thirst, and today was no exception.
The owner warmly greeted his regular customers. Unas looked around. The tavern wasn't large, but it was already quite busy with customers, many of whom were drunk and talking loudly and recklessly. He took the opportunity to eavesdrop on their conversation for a while.
Most of the complaints were about the current situation. Martial law had a great impact on everyone's livelihood, and everyone hoped it would end soon. However, people were surprisingly tolerant of the Defias Brotherhood had instigated all of this, and most of the curses were directed at the nobles.
Some even loudly expressed their hope that the Defias Brotherhood kill more of the despicable nobles, but were immediately silenced by their companions.
Unas knew why the Stormwind City leadership was so unpopular, and he actually felt sympathy for Edwin VanCleef, the leader of Defias.
The Stonemasons' Guild poured their hearts and souls into rebuilding Stormwind City, but due to the machinations of the Black Dragon Princess, the kingdom's government refused to pay the workers' wages. Stonemasons leader VanCleef refused the bribes from the nobles offering him personal promotions and led the workers in an armed protest to demand their unpaid wages, which resulted in a brutal crackdown by Stormwind City.
During the riot, Varian's queen was mistakenly killed, and there was no possibility of reconciliation between the two sides. The stonemasons had no choice but to flee to the Westfall and form the Defias Brotherhood. There, they gradually grew and expanded, and their influence even extended to Elwynn and Duskwood. However, due to the absorption of many real criminals, this originally "righteous" organization quickly degenerated and became synonymous with burning, killing, and looting.
With the king gone missing and the city vulnerable, they seized the opportunity to launch a massive revenge campaign. During the day, things were alright, but at night, Defias' assassins and SI:7 agents would engage in several life-or-death battles in the darkness.
Unas eavesdropped in the tavern and found that most commoners didn't take it seriously. From the beginning, Defias's assassination attempt was only aimed at nobles. Ordinary people were already dissatisfied with the high and mighty lords, and the death of a few nobles actually made them feel gratified.
Apart from that, no other important news was heard. Unas was slightly disappointed and secretly instructed the convoy to change their return route to pass through the Central City Prison.
He had run the Stockade before, but didn't have a strong impression of this low-level five-player dungeon, so he wanted to observe the specific terrain.
The closer they got to the prison, the stricter the checks became. Fortunately, they passed through smoothly. According to regulations, passersby were not allowed to linger at the prison gate, so Unas could only catch a quick glance as he passed by.
Similar to the game, Central City Prison is located at a bend in a Canal. The main gate is a towering stone watchtower with archers guarding all four arrow slits. Several breastworks and barricades are set up outside the gate, making it heavily fortified.
There weren't many guards at the gate, and their armor and weapons were somewhat dirty and disheveled. Their eyes also looked rather listless. Three officers stood by the gate, shouting loudly to the passing Dwarves, "The warden is urgently recruiting guards; pay double..."
No one paid them any attention. The artisans of the Dwarf District generally did not get involved in human affairs. The group quickly passed through an archway and soon returned to the gray Dwarf District.
Unas and Gude broke away from the delivery party and returned to the Ambassador's Hall in Ironforge, where a sumptuous dinner awaited them in Aoge-Leishan.
The two recounted everything they had seen and heard along the way, and the ambassador answered all their questions in detail, providing Unas with a great deal of information.
Most importantly, the city's actual military strength is crucial. Stormwind Keep is said to have three thousand Royal Guards, but this has always been insufficient. The king takes some with him when he goes on trips, so now there should only be a little over two thousand. This is the city's most elite force.
The City Guard was said to number 10,000, but in reality there were only 7,000. They were mainly responsible for maintaining order inside and outside the city, and were mostly old and weak, so their combat effectiveness was not strong.
Most of the able-bodied young soldiers were selected for the Alliance's most elite Seventh Legion, but the Seventh Legion has been divided into two routes, north and south, to search for Varian's whereabouts along the kingdom's coast and cannot be recalled in the short term.
Finally, there were the nobles' private armies, which numbered two or three thousand in total. Their fighting strength should not be weak, but they lacked unified command and were disorganized. Moreover, it would be a joke to expect them to defend the city.
The cowardly nobles concentrated all their private military forces at Tempest Keep, and even abused their power to recruit bodyguards from the army.
The fortress was overcrowded, while the rest of the city was short-staffed. To guard against Defias' assassins, the City Guards had to disperse their forces throughout the city.
The guards and patrols that Unas saw at every intersection were almost the entirety of the City Guard; now, the City Guard commander couldn't even muster a single reserve force.
Under these circumstances, the warden could not get any reinforcements. Faced with increasingly difficult-to-resist prisoners, he could only issue his own recruitment order, hoping to temporarily replenish his forces, which led to the scene in front of the prison today.
With curfew in effect, Unas didn't venture out again. He returned to his room to think alone. He considered many things, the simplest and most direct being to storm Stormwind Keep, challenge the Black Dragon Princess to a duel, and force her to reveal her true form.
However, this requires precise intelligence support. The Black Dragon has painstakingly cultivated her position in the upper echelons of Stormwind City for so long, and she certainly won't easily reveal her true identity. If her hiding place in the fortress cannot be found, she will face a large number of human soldiers, inevitably causing unnecessary casualties.
The best strategy is to wait for Master Omar to arrive, then find a way to lure the Countess out, and have the Archmage expose her disguise. At that point, she will naturally become the enemy of the city.
The best bait right now is Marshal Windsor, who has a certain reputation and knows the identity of the Black Dragon. The Jailer is recruiting soldiers, so this may be an opportunity to rescue the marshal.
The morning sunlight could not penetrate the perpetual gray fog of the Dwarf District, making everything appear blurry and unreal. It was only when the clanging of blacksmithing gradually rose that people were awakened from their reverie, and another busy day began.
Unas had decided to rescue Marshal Windsor first, so he rudely disturbed Aoge-Leishan early in the morning, but he didn't expect that the ambassador's eyes were red and swollen, and he didn't seem to have slept well either.
What happened?
"The mine shafts were attacked, and the subway train back last night was intercepted. Mr. Steelgrip escaped alone in a single minecart at dawn, suffering several sword wounds, and fell unconscious as soon as he reached the platform."
Unas asked in surprise, "Could it be the Naga again?"
"It can only be them," the Dwarf nodded. "We'll know when Mr. Steelgrip wakes up. I've already sent someone to the Cathedral to fetch the Priest."
"No need to wait any longer, take me to see him quickly, I know healing magic."
The two hurried to the room where the Gnomes technician was being housed. A Dwarf who looked like Doctor was examining the injury of the Steelgrip by the bedside. Without saying a word, Unas stepped forward and cast Holy Light.
Now his spells have been greatly enhanced by the Holy Book. Although it's only a level one Holy Light, it's still more effective than the healing of a regular Priest. The wound from the Steelgrip wasn't deep, and he woke up quickly.
The Dwarf Doctor served tea and water, and after tidying up the place, he was sent away by Aoge-Leishan. Before the two could ask any questions, Steelgrip spoke up, "It's the Naga. A large group of them came this time. They claim to be the Tides tribe. I was deliberately sent back to deliver a message. They demand the release of Nora Tidemist, the female Naga we captured, or they will destroy the entire mine."
"Those filthy, hideous monsters?" the Dwarf ambassador roared in fury. "They will pay for this!"
Unas asked, "The Tides tribe? Judging from the surname, this Nora Tidemist seems to be of high status?"
The Gnomes replied, "It must be, otherwise the Naga wouldn't have launched such a large-scale attack."
"No matter who it is, we will not accept coercion from any bandits," the Dwarf ambassador waved his hand excitedly. "I will immediately write a letter to the Gryphon Riders to take back to Ironforge. As long as Magni Majesty Magni is determined to send troops, the tiny Naga Horde is no match for us!"
The Gnomes chimed in agreement, "We've been constantly harassed by sporadic Naga attacks, it's incredibly annoying! We're helpless as soon as they escape into the sea, and now they dare to brazenly enter the tunnel—it's the perfect opportunity to annihilate them!"
Unas rubbed his hands together. "Is there anything I can help with?"
"No need!" the ambassador waved his hand. "The Warriors of Bronzebeard can wipe them out in no time. Sir Knight, you came to see me so early in the morning, you must have something important to discuss. I can't delay your business."
Unas, who actually didn't want to go into the dark tunnels to kill the Naga, said casually, "Then, I'd like to go to the Central City Prison."
Holding identification documents signed by the Dwarf ambassador, Unas and the men of Gude Graystone donned heavy armor, carried weapons, and disguised themselves as a group of mercenaries from Ironforge, making their way unimpeded to the prison gates.
To their astonishment, the recruitment office, which had previously been deserted, now had long queues, keeping the recruiting officers extremely busy.
The Jailer Thelwater also personally inspected the new recruits. He had mixed feelings. After the recruitment notice was issued yesterday, only a few people applied, and he was somewhat desperate. Today, so many people suddenly came, which made him worried.
In these extraordinary times, Defias's spies are everywhere, and the Jailer would never have risked recruiting soldiers from outside if he had no other choice.
Fortunately, the group in front of them had a letter of recommendation written by a reputable nobleman, which eased the Jailer's mind somewhat, allowing him to greet the next, somewhat strange group of people.
The mercenary group consisted of ten Dwarves and one human. The documents were fine, and it was extremely rare for Defias's spies to be among the Dwarves, but the human's presence among them was quite conspicuous.
"We heard Stormwind City has been a bit turbulent lately, so we came here to see if there's any business. Oh, you asked about this human? We're thinking of coming to human territory to make a living, so we need a human guide. Don't worry, he's absolutely reliable!"
The dwarf Dwarf roared in a loud voice, speaking an awkward Common; he looked every bit like a country bumpkin from some backwater.
The warden felt a slight contempt, but he didn't care if the man was a country bumpkin or not, as long as he was useful. If he were a real spy, he wouldn't be so conspicuous among the Dwarves.
After carefully examining the person's identification documents, no errors or omissions could be found, although his appearance with black hair and black eyes was somewhat unusual.
Thelwater nodded and began to bargain, "Your demand of 20 Gold Coins per week is too expensive..."
Gude pretended to argue with the other party for a few minutes, and finally both sides made some concessions before an agreement was reached.
The Dwarf squad temporarily became the Jailer's subordinates. Unas and Gude obeyed their temporary superiors' orders and led the Dwarf Warriors to the Canal in front of the prison to wait.
The team that had been recruited before them was standing nearby; it appeared to be a small mercenary group composed entirely of humans, numbering about thirty.
Unas stepped forward to greet him, hoping to extract some information, but was rebuffed and couldn't even get the other person's name.
This group of people seemed to have a grudge against someone; they were all expressionless and had cold eyes. The leader was a bald, muscular man who gave Unas a few curt replies and then fell silent, so Unas had no choice but to walk away.
Back in the group, Unas whispered to Gude, "There might be something wrong with these mercenaries."
What's the problem?
"Inhuman."
"But you just saw the warden; he was very thorough in his checks. There shouldn't be any major problems."
"I hope so," Unas sighed. "Perhaps the warden sees it as a display of military discipline, but I have a feeling something's off about these people."
"..." The Dwarf captain looked over there carefully a few times, but didn't notice anything unusual. He could only think to himself that the Paladin was being too sensitive.
People have a herd mentality. Seeing two strong mercenary groups join the Jailer ranks, the onlookers became more active. The jailer carefully selected more people, and by noon, he had recruited more than thirty more before stopping.
The warden initially intended to scatter all the new recruits among his three squadrons, but the bald, burly man's eyes were cold and his attitude firm. "Our Blackblade Mercenary Company Brothers are used to fighting together; we can't be separated, or we're not doing this job."
The warden, feeling slighted by the perceived overbearing behavior of the guests, found himself in a difficult position. However, these mercenaries were a force he desperately needed, and they even possessed a letter of recommendation from an Earl, suggesting they might have some connections. He didn't want to offend them easily, so he could only say with a stiff face, "Since you've signed the contract, you must obey my orders, or you'll be dealt with according to military law. But considering you're new here, I'll let it go this time. Commander Barbosa, your men will guard the outer gate. As there's not enough space inside the fortress, you'll be stationed by the river."
The bald, burly man stared coldly at the Jailer, snorted, and turned to order his men to set up Tents by the river, thus obeying the order.
The Jailer secretly breathed a sigh of relief. This bastard's gaze was like a cold, venomous snake, sending chills down one's spine. But no matter how arrogant you are, I can make you a watchdog and not even let you into the prison!