Future

"Alvin, come here."

Archbishop Faol, seated at his desk, beckoned to the prince who had just entered. His voice carried a hint of exhaustion. The arduous journey had taken its toll on the white-haired old man, yet he had forced himself to stay awake until now.

Once the boy had walked over and stood obediently by the desk, the old man picked up the cup of Goldenthorn tea at his side, took a small sip to refresh himself, and began to speak.

"Half a month ago, a large number of merchants from the Kingdom of Stormwind arrived at Southshore with refugees. The intelligence they brought is much the same as what we already knew. However, in their descriptions, those orcs are even more bloodthirsty and brutal."

"Of course, these are merely merchants of low standing within the Kingdom of Stormwind and a few minor nobles who have forgotten their honor. As for Tiffin Ellerian's father, he is the only one among them who holds a seat on the Kingdom of Stormwind's House of Nobles."

At this point, the Archbishop curled his lips into a smile. "Although Baron Miles sacrificed his daughter for that precious seat, his loyalty to the Kingdom of Stormwind is beyond question. If I am not mistaken, he should be in the royal palace of Lordaeron meeting with your father right now."

"So, what Mayor Martin said in the garden earlier was true? The Kingdom of Stormwind is asking us for aid?"

The Archbishop's words left the prince with a look of incredulous shock. In his memories, this had never happened in the game!

In the game, the Kingdom of Stormwind and the orc army fought to the death in the south, yet the humans on the continent of Lordaeron remained completely unaware, and the Kingdom of Stormwind never sent a distress signal to the human kingdoms across the sea. It was only after the fall of Stormwind City that the fleeing refugees landed at Southshore, and the humans living on the continent of Lordaeron realized the war had arrived.

Could it be that the history he was familiar with had already begun to change? If so, what was the cause of this shift? Alvin's mind was in turmoil, when suddenly, an aged face flashed through his thoughts. The boy blurted out, "Is it Dalaran?"

Archbishop Faol nodded with gratification, his eyes filled with approval as he answered the prince's question.

"Indeed. The news brought by the mage Khadgar led these merchants, who were not entirely bound to the Kingdom of Stormwind, to start seeking a way out for themselves. They are not lords with vast territories, nor are they great nobles with prominent status in the kingdom. When the retreat to Lordaeron appeared, they were the only lucky ones who could escape without bearing too much responsibility."

Regarding the revelation provided by the Archbishop, a mocking smile hung on Alvin's lips. "Those who betray their duty and their people—even if the Kingdom of Stormwind truly falls, they will have no foothold in Lordaeron."

"That is why we are able to meet the future Queen Tiffin Ellerian Wrynn today," the old man winked at the boy. "King Llane is valiant, but he also possesses considerable wisdom and seasoned methods. These fence-sitters cannot play their proper role in a fierce war, so they were sent to 'seek aid' and escort refugees, and this Baron is the key figure tasked with supervising them."

Archbishop Faol's words undisguisedly revealed his admiration for the wisdom of the King of Stormwind, though Alvin could clearly sense a trace of hidden worry within them.

"In this way, the soldiers fighting bloodily on the front lines will have no worries behind them, and the logistical burden of the front line has been shifted to the various kingdoms of the Lordaeron continent. This is a good move, but it also indicates that the situation on the front lines is not optimistic. The master of Stormwind City has already begun to pave a way out for his people."

Suddenly, the old man raised his voice sharply: "Therefore, we must be prepared and remove the unstable factors within the kingdom as soon as possible. Only then will we not have to worry about threats from the rear when facing the coming enemy."

"As for you, Alvin, my disciple," Archbishop Faol stood up, took the prince's hand, and said gently, "I will teach you how to handle the trivialities of government and the necessary knowledge of combat. Your father has already arranged your future."

"His Majesty Terenas intends for you to take over the Kingdom of Lordaeron's territories in the distant continent of Northrend once you come of age. In the far future, I can imagine you carving out your own vast lands just like the sages of our humanity, establishing a brand new kingdom that belongs to us."

The night was deep, and the moon, like a silver plate, hung high in the sky, draping a thin silver quilt over the calm lake and the quiet city by its shore.

Because Archbishop Faol had given prior notice, there was no annoying banquet that evening like the one at noon, which made Alvin breathe a sigh of relief. After finishing dinner with the Archbishop, the boy returned alone to the lodging arranged for him by the mayor.

Several days of rushing about had left Alvin, whose body was frailer than that of an ordinary child, utterly exhausted. He sank his sore limbs deep into the soft quilt, feeling the long-lost peace while pondering what the Archbishop had said to him earlier.

Northrend, a continent located in the north of Azeroth. Due to its geography, most of it is a wasteland covered in ice and snow year-round, filled with terrifying monsters that ordinary people can hardly resist. So far, only small parts of the Howling Fjord, Grizzly Hills, and Borean Tundra are suitable for human survival.

As far as Alvin knew, the Kingdom of Lordaeron had already reclaimed territory in parts of the Howling Fjord and Grizzly Hills. First, a group of fishermen and sailors who encountered a shipwreck while deep-sea fishing discovered the continent; later, the human kingdoms on the continent of Lordaeron used it as the best place to exile criminals.

After hundreds of years of darkness and chaos, the humans struggling in Northrend finally received salvation—priests who believed in the Holy Light brought them new knowledge and faith, causing the vast majority of them to become vassals of the Kingdom of Lordaeron.

Every summer, when the frozen sea and land began to thaw, the fleet of the Kingdom of Lordaeron would head north to purchase furs and rare minerals that had been stockpiled for a year from the local residents at low prices. Although the round trip from Stratholme in northern Lordaeron to Northrend took more than four months at the time, the staggering profits made countless people flock there.

In earlier times, one could see the traces of small merchants wanting to try their luck on this route, but with the rise of the North Sea pirates, this golden route gradually saw only the fleets of the Kingdom of Lordaeron and the Kingdom of Kul Tiras, along with maritime merchant groups spontaneously formed by great nobles.

If one looked at it solely from this perspective, this rich land that had not yet been developed much could be considered a treasure hidden in stone. But for Alvin, who possessed memories of his past life, the guardians protecting this treasure were a group of enemies that ordinary people could never overcome—

Ice Trolls, who were valiant and skilled in battle, appearing even more savage and cold-blooded than their man-eating kin; the offspring of the ancient bear demigod Ursoc, the tall and sturdy Furbolgs living in the Grizzly Hills; the Vrykul, ancestors of humans plagued by the Curse of Flesh; and the Dragons, who bore the gifts of the Titans and stood almost at the pinnacle of this world.

Beyond that, there was the Scourge led by the first Lich King, Ner'zhul. They would completely destroy the human civilization of Northrend. Alvin's plans certainly did not include joining the Scourge before Arthas did...