Gryan Stoutmantle

For two full months, Stormwind City sent no troops, nor did Westbrook Garrison, leaving Moonbrook to fall completely and Westfall in total chaos.

When almost everyone had lost hope, 59-year-old Gryan Stoutmantle stepped forward.

Just as he had done when leading his squad in the Order of the Silver Hand, he used a level of perseverance and speed unimaginable to ordinary men to assemble a guard force composed of local farmers, retired veterans, and volunteers who had come to support the cause in their own names.

This was the People's Militia, an army built by the people, to protect the people themselves.

Old Gryan, much like the Holy Light he had believed in his entire life, shone upon those nearly desperate refugees, uniting everyone and preparing them for a life-or-death struggle against the organization known as the Defias.

In reality, those bandits were nothing more than a rabble. The People's Militia led by Old Gryan successfully held the final stronghold, Sentinel Hill, and dealt the Defias bandits a heavy blow. Ultimately, he hoped that a small detachment he dispatched would successfully kill the leader of the Defias Brotherhood, VanCleef.

Yes, the Defias Brotherhood, which had spread throughout Westfall and infiltrated Elwynn Forest, Duskwood, Stranglethorn Vale, and even Stormwind City, had finally met a truly formidable enemy: Old Gryan.

This was Old Gryan.

This was Gryan Stoutmantle.

This was the man whom Old Saldean respected.

However, all of the above was nonsense.

Shawn knew very well that as the leader of the People's Militia and the Marshal of Sentinel Hill, Gryan Stoutmantle had no reason to appear at the Saldean Farm.

To patrol for security?

Westfall was vast, and Gryan only had about three hundred men under his command; could he really patrol the whole area?

To raise supplies?

Stormwind City provided Old Gryan with absolutely no resources. While he accepted any form of help, he could not offer payment, meaning he had no money to purchase food or supplies. The soldiers at Sentinel Hill were all suffering from hunger and inner torment.

Then what was it for?

Shawn suddenly felt a sense of foreboding.

"Dad, what exactly did Marshal Gryan Stoutmantle come here for?" Shawn interrupted Old Saldean, who was rambling on.

"Oh? Did I not mention it?" Old Saldean looked puzzled. Seeing Shawn nod affirmatively, he suddenly realized, "Oh, oh! A big thing happened yesterday! I don't know why, but the Kobolds in the Jangolode Mine and the Murlocs on the Gold Coast started fighting! I heard the Kobolds ambushed the Murlocs, causing heavy casualties, but the Kobolds lost many of their own as well. That is why Marshal Gryan Stoutmantle brought his troops to patrol."

Shawn nodded absentmindedly.

So that was it!

Sentinel Hill was located in the center of Westfall, the Jangolode Mine was in the northwest, and the Gold Coast was a stretch of coastline along the northern part of Westfall.

If Old Gryan wanted to investigate the movements of the Kobolds and Murlocs, he would indeed pass through these scattered northern farms. Coming to the Saldean Farm was perfectly reasonable.

Old Saldean was full of joy. "By the way, I told you last time that I would be going to Goldshire in a couple of days. I'll take you with me then and introduce you to the engineer in Goldshire as an apprentice to learn about Engineering. Now the opportunity has come! After Marshal Gryan patrols the Jangolode Mine and the Gold Coast, he is going to Goldshire to order a large batch of weapons and armor. I plan to go along with them; it will be safer that way, and you should come with me!"

Hearing Old Saldean's words, Shawn's mind began to race.

Ever since he had heard about this, Shawn had been making plans.

He currently had a few good items: a Fine Iron Dagger, a Kobold Shaman Wizard Staff, and a Dalaran Wizard Robe. Although they were all of common white quality, they were quite decent. Aside from the Fine Iron Dagger, Shawn had no use for the other two items, so he intended to sell them in exchange for things he actually needed.

This required a trip to a densely populated town, and Goldshire, being the closest, was the perfect choice.

He had originally intended to go with Old Saldean, but having the chance to travel with Gryan Stoutmantle was naturally even better. Not only would his safety be guaranteed, but if the opportunity arose, he could get to know Gryan Stoutmantle and build a good relationship with him—that would be even better.

One had to know that whether on Earth or in Azeroth, connections were the most important resource.

Shawn was very happy.

However, not long after, Shawn's face turned pale, and his entire demeanor shifted.

The moment he saw Gryan Stoutmantle, the Marshal led Shawn into the warehouse and pointed at the three ore carts he had scavenged from the Kobolds, his tone icy cold.

"Shawn? How did you get these three ore carts?"

"If I said I just happened to find them, or that these three carts had been in this warehouse the whole time, would you believe me, My Lord?" Shawn wore an innocent expression, his small eyes brightened, and he raised his two... no, his two small hands.

Gryan Stoutmantle stared at Shawn for a few moments before shaking his head. "I do not. You little rascal, did you think that by hiding the ore carts in the warehouse, no one would see you? I have an eyewitness!"

An eyewitness?

Shawn was stunned.

Had someone actually seen what he did yesterday? That was impossible; he had been very careful. Besides, it was already dark when he returned. What kind of person with nothing better to do would come to the warehouse and see him?

Unless...

Wait, did Gryan Stoutmantle have his own people at the Saldean Farm?

Shawn looked at Gryan Stoutmantle suspiciously. Seeing the Marshal's half-smile, his heart skipped a beat, and he realized the truth in an instant.

This old fox was bluffing him!

This guy didn't have an eyewitness at all!

Shawn quickly put on a look of panic and waved his hands repeatedly. "How could that be, how could that be! I took the Shredder out to log wood yesterday, but I couldn't find any suitable timber, so I came back at night. I didn't see any ore carts at all! It's so strange, where could these three carts have come from? It's a total mystery!"

The most convincing lies are nine parts truth and one part falsehood. In a string of words, if most are true and only one is false, one can deceive others.

Shawn admitted directly that he had taken the Shredder out yesterday, as that was something he couldn't hide—anyone could find out with a simple question. And he was a novice, a child, so it was perfectly normal for him to wander around and fail to find suitable wood!

Shawn couldn't help but praise himself for his own wit.

However, Gryan Stoutmantle pulled a piece of ore slag from somewhere and held it out in front of Shawn. "You little rascal, you admit you drove the Shredder out yesterday, right? Then how do you explain this, which I found on the Shredder?"