The official members of Defias were all very familiar with their leader's horn, and the thought of fleeing vanished instantly—a crushing defeat, coupled with the loss of their leader and close comrade, meant they would face the most severe punishment.
The thieves, who were originally going to abandon Bakir, rushed up and dragged him to the back, then sent several to surround and attack the poisoned duke.
Vishak had no time to pick up his Warhammer; he could only draw his sword from his waist and swing it wildly as if drunk. He took two more blows to his arm, but somehow managed to cut through several of the thieves' weapons. Finally, the soldiers behind him caught up and covered his retreat as they fought off several thieves.
Seeing the enemy retreat, the Duke could no longer hold on. His vision went black, and he collapsed to the ground, groaning, "Give me the antidote..."
Bakir's dagger must have been infused with a toxin that causes weakness and paralysis. Given his physical condition, he should be able to recover on his own after half a day of rest, but there's no time for that now.
The guards beside him took out several bottles of medicine and poured them into the Duke's mouth all at once. The sour taste was nauseating, but the effect was remarkable. The Duke's mind cleared up considerably, and his strength was rapidly returning.
At this moment, the scattered private soldiers who had chased across the bridge all retreated. The Duke struggled to his feet and shouted, "Stop! Why are you retreating!"
Without the Duke as their leader, these guys, each with their own agendas, were naturally not going to fight to the death. When they encountered Sophia's well-prepared City Guards at the bridgehead on the other side, they knew they were not to be trifled with after a brief engagement, so they all retreated.
In fact, Sophia had to create a gap in the defensive line to force the retreating thieves to retreat, which was a good opportunity to attack, but unfortunately, these private soldiers didn't know how to seize it.
A captain of the Earl's guard stepped forward and said evasively, "Your Grace, something terrible has happened! Marshal Windsor is guarding the opposite bridge, and Defias' reinforcements have arrived!"
The Duke had naturally heard the horn earlier, and he quickly looked up at the opposite bank. In the dim moonlight, scattered firelight filled the entire bridgehead on the opposite bank, and the firelight stretched along the Canal upstream and downstream as if there was no end.
Did Defias's landing forces arrive so quickly? And in greater numbers than expected.
The Duke was extremely shocked and furious. Judging by the timeline, unless the enemy troops encountered no resistance after landing, it was impossible for them to have marched here so quickly. What were the port's City Guards doing?
He had no choice but to issue the retreat order, "Everyone back down and prepare to hold the bridgehead in the Dwarf District!"
The Stormwind City Guard has a force of over 7,000 men, divided into twelve battalions. They are mainly responsible for maintaining order within the city. Two battalions are stationed at the port and the city gate, two important locations, while the other eight battalions are distributed across the remaining areas, barely able to control their respective territories.
As soon as the battle began tonight, Sophia's two battalions created fire and chaos at the Old Barracks, successfully holding back the other three battalions that were resting at headquarters. As a result, the City Guards in the port did not receive timely assistance and were quickly decimated by the fierce artillery fire of the Defias fleet.
The City Guard commander Jonathan, was in a difficult position. He had very few troops at his disposal. The city gates were of utmost importance, and the two battalions stationed there could not be moved lightly. The two battalions at the port had been decimated, two battalions under Sophia's command had mutinied, and the three battalions scattered in other districts could not be quickly assembled.
When he received the report that the port had been captured, all he could mobilize were three battalions of over 1,600 men from the Old Barracks who had just extinguished a fire and were exhausted.
According to scouts, Defias's landing force definitely exceeded seven thousand. Jonathan had no confidence to launch a proactive attack. He could only gather his scattered troops while arranging for his various units to quickly reinforce the main intersections around the port, hoping to block the enemy and launch a counterattack after reinforcements arrived.
The Goldshire outside the city has a garrison of one and a half battalions, and they should have received the news by now and are on their way to provide support.
The Seventh Legion has five battalions stationed at Westbrook Garrison. Including the time for relaying messages and marching, it will take at least three days to reach Stormwind City. Only if they can hold out until then can the safety of Stormwind City be guaranteed.
However, Defias' main force did not appear at any intersection. It was not until long after a deafening explosion that Jonathan received the battle report from the front: the enemy had actually blown up a remote city wall on the northeast side and had all rushed into the Church District!
This was unbelievable to him; as the commander-in-chief of the City Guard, Jonathan knew best the sturdiness of the city's Stone Walls.
Given the power of explosives in the world today, the amount of gunpowder needed to blast a breach in a section of a city wall would be astronomical, making it virtually impossible to achieve on a rushed battlefield.
But faced with the reality, Jonathan had no choice but to reissue orders to pursue the enemy forces in the Church District. However, they soon encountered obstacles: Defias had already captured the City Guard's fortifications in the Church District.
The Church District was under Sophia's jurisdiction; this traitor must have used some means to replace the garrison there.
Feeling completely led by the nose by the enemy, Jonathan glanced worriedly at the spire of Stormwind Keep in the night sky to the north. If the enemy really possessed the secret weapon to destroy the city walls, the fortress might not be able to hold out.
Meanwhile, on the stone bridge between the Church District and the Dwarf District, VanCleef and Windsor, who should have been mortal enemies, finally met.
As a sign of respect, VanCleef pulled down his bright red mask, revealing his entire face.
This Warcraft legend looks like a young man in his thirties, much younger than his actual age. Beneath his gloomy eyes is a sculpted, straight nose, and a vertical scar on his left cheek extends to the corner of his mouth, making it seem as if a smile has been painted on him. Coupled with his cold gaze, he seems to be constantly mocking the world.
The old marshal was somewhat unaccustomed to dealing with such an ally. After a few dry pleasantries, he said, "Chairman VanCleef, I always abide by our Covenant, and I hope you will as well."
"Of course," VanCleef had already seen the looted gates on the shore. According to his agreement with the Marshal, Defias should not harm civilians. "War always involves the bloodshed of the innocent; it is unavoidable, but I will restrain my men."
"Besides," he continued, "We'll soon be the masters of Stormwind City, why should we fight over our own things?"
The arrogant declaration was spoken in a calm tone, as if it were an unshakeable fact. Hearing this, the surrounding bandit leaders' eyes blazed with fanaticism, and they shouted in unison, "Victory belongs to the Brotherhood!"
The slogans quickly spread throughout the army, and the simultaneous shouts of thousands of people rippled across the water, making the noble private soldiers guarding the opposite bridge even more terrified.
Marshal Windsor's face turned ashen. He had never considered usurping the kingdom's power, and his agreement with VanCleef was merely to join forces to breach Tempest Keep and then kill the Black Dragon Princess, the source of all evil.
In the process, the Defias Brotherhood inevitably plunder some property and kill a number of nobles who had grudges against them. The old marshal was mentally prepared for this—great undertakings always require some sacrifices.
But upon hearing the other party's treasonous declaration, he, still loyal to the Wrynn royal family, could no longer tolerate it. "You are delusional, VanCleef! The people of Stormwind City will never pledge allegiance to an executioner like you!"
"This has nothing to do with the executioner. Varian has just as much blood on his hands as I do, yet you still kneel before him," VanCleef scoffed, putting his mask back on. "He only wears the crown because he has a father of noble blood, doesn't he?"
"So you knew all along," the old marshal glared angrily, "Then you should also know that with your lowly birth, you are incapable of ruling this country!"
"Listen to how unreasonable your words are! Why do you value birth so much? If people's achievements were defined solely by some meaningless bloodline, I wouldn't be the leader of the Brotherhood, and you wouldn't be the Marshal of the Kingdom. I, like you, have gotten to where I am today through my own hard work, not some bullshit bloodline!"
That makes sense, Unas nodded repeatedly as he listened, thinking to himself that this famous boss in the game had a lot of new-age ideas.
The old marshal could not accept this explanation. "So, you've been completely deceiving me all along. Our Covenant is over!"
"I've never believed in any Covenant," VanCleef said coldly.
The old marshal was furious. He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, but Sophia quickly grabbed his arm. Their rear was now completely surrounded by the newly arrived Defias army, and their front was blocked by the nobles' private army on the other side of the bridge. They were caught between two fires, and acting rashly would only bring trouble upon themselves.
Unas tried to smooth things over, interjecting, "Forget Covenant. We have the same goal now: to join forces and break through the fortress. Then, we can each settle our scores, avenge our grudges, and pursue our own ideals."
He already sympathized with the Stonemasons' Guild's plight and had a good impression of VanCleef, a tragic historical figure, so his words sounded harsh to Windsor and Sophia.
"Hey, so it turns out the old marshal has some sensible people among his men." VanCleef glanced at Unas curiously; after all, not many people dared to speak so openly to their superiors.
He is not my subordinate.
Although he disagreed with the Paladin's words, the old marshal had regained his ability to think: VanCleef's crazy ideals were impossible to realize. Even if the city was currently empty and he could gain some advantage, when the Seventh Legion and the Royal Fleet returned, he would still be nothing but a stray dog.
Sophia glanced at the Marshal, knowing he had calmed down, and said, "Since Edwin has made such a bold statement, let me see your strength. This is just a small test."
She pointed to the bridgehead on the opposite bank, where the nobles' private armies were standing by in battle. Her apparent intention was to test Defias's mettle, but in reality, she just didn't want to Charge for VanCleef.
VanCleef didn't take it seriously, just waved his hand, and a moment later, accompanied by the heavy sound of wheels, a row of dark metal cylinders emerged from the crowd—they had actually brought the naval cannons.
"If I weren't waiting for them, I wouldn't have wasted so much time talking to you."
Under the leader's instructions, the Goblin engineers immediately fixed the twelve naval cannons in place, loaded them with ammunition, and fired a salvo without hesitation.
The deafening roar of the cannons proved to be a powerful weapon for attacking fortified positions. Several shells struck the bridgehead on the opposite bank, and amidst the flying bricks and stones, half of the entire roof collapsed.
Although it did not cause many actual casualties, it brought the morale of the noble private army to its lowest point. Before the second volley even began, some people had already started to flee.
The ship's cannons roared, spewing out ammunition. The private soldiers trembled with fear. They had neither the means to retaliate nor the ability to launch a preemptive strike, and they lacked the morale to continue holding their ground.
Duke Vishak knew the situation was hopeless and could only order a retreat. His private soldiers braved the barrage of cannon fire and fled swiftly into the streets and alleys of the Dwarf District.
Defias recaptured the bridgehead without losing a single soldier, prompting the bandit leaders to burst into loud laughter.
"These are the lackeys kept by the nobles?"
Don't insult dogs; they'll bark a few times before running away!
"Brothers, charge with me! Their armor looks pretty good, it'll definitely fetch a price!"
The old marshal and Sophia both looked grim, but they had nothing to say. They could only step aside and watch VanCleef lead Defias's army past, chasing after the defeated and fleeing bastards.
Unas, oblivious to the situation, offered a comforting remark. "Don't be too discouraged. Perhaps we won't even need to lift a finger; VanCleef and the Black Dragon Princess will fight to the death, saving us some energy."
Sophia glared at him fiercely. "Don't joke around at a time like this. There are still two thousand elite Royal Guards in the fortress. Although Defias' forces outnumber them several times, breaking through the fortress will still be quite difficult. I don't know where VanCleef's confidence comes from."
"Cooperating with these villains was my biggest mistake," the old marshal said solemnly. "Unas Knight n't entirely joking. How could the Black Dragon, who has painstakingly built up his power in the city for so long, tolerate Defias reaping her rewards? No matter what trump cards VanCleef has, a conflict between them is inevitable. We must wait for that opportunity!"
What he didn't say was that there were actually many forces in the city that hadn't been mobilized—the mercenaries who were stationed in several taverns in the Trade District, the Church Guard Knight in the Cathedral, the students and teachers of the Military Academy in the Old Town, the Mage Academy in the Mage District, and the Bronzebeard Guard in the Dwarf District.
The chaotic situation tonight has left these relatively independent forces focused only on self-preservation, temporarily retreating to their respective territories. Defias has also wisely refrained from provoking them. However, once the situation becomes clearer and someone steps forward to rally these forces, VanCleef will have no chance.
As an open traitor, the old marshal had no hope of unifying these forces. What he feared most was that the Black Dragon Princess would become that person, which was not impossible given the Countess's network of connections and prestige.
What he didn't know was that the Black Dragon Princess, whom he was so worried about, wasn't even in the city.
Beneath a cliff somewhere north of Stormwind City lies a beach that still retains its pristine appearance, with dense reefs along the shore and treacherous mountains that are inaccessible to ordinary people.
Tonight, several figures suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The noblewoman at the head of the group rubbed the gemstone Ring on her finger a few times, and a dozen boxes appeared out of thin air on the beach.
The people around him opened the boxes one by one, instantly halving the surrounding darkness—the boxes were full of various gold nuggets and gems, which still glittered under the faint starlight.
The sea breeze at night made their robes flutter, and the group stood still for a full quarter of an hour.
"Why haven't we arrived yet?" The Black Dragon Princess's displeased voice sent chills down one's spine.
One of his men cautiously replied, "It should be soon; the agreed time has arrived."
Before the words were even finished, unusual ripples appeared on the distant sea, and several ferocious heads emerged from the water before rapidly swimming towards the shore.
As the water became shallower, the newcomers revealed their full, beast-like form: several strong male Naga surrounded a slightly petite female six-armed Naga, swimming ashore to face the group on the shore.
"Sara Tides, the people and ransom you requested are here."
The Countess gestured to one of her men to open the pack on her back, exposing the unconscious female Naga to the air. She appeared unharmed, as if she were simply asleep.
Sara Tides, the leader of the Tides tribe, saw her daughter safe and sound, and a hint of joy appeared in her eyes. "Countess, you truly kept your promise."
She let out a whistling sound, and two more Naga emerged from the distant sea, holding a human male who was bound hand and foot.
Upon seeing the man's face and confirming that he was the one she wanted, the Countess was overjoyed and said, "It was a pleasure doing business with you, Tides Chieftain. I have another business deal I'd like to discuss with you. Rest assured, I will certainly not treat you unfairly."