Stormwind City Will Never Fall!

"Damn it!"

Shawn glared fiercely at Old Grian, an urge to throttle him rising in his chest.

However, considering this was Old Grian's turf, crawling with his soldiers, he held back. Besides, even without his gear or holy sword, the man was at least a powerful mid-tier Paladin, perhaps even high-tier. In such close quarters, a duel would be a guaranteed loss—he didn't have a shred of a chance—so he decided to let it slide.

There would be plenty of opportunities later; one day, he would make Old Grian kneel and beg for mercy!

Shawn used this bit of mental gymnastics to soothe himself before diving into the real business.

After hearing Shawn out, Old Grian's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "What? What did you say? King Varian split in two? The Black Dragon Princess is wreaking havoc in Stormwind City? Even the Regent, Bolvar Fordragon, has been deceived? Come on, are you serious?"

Shawn rolled his eyes. "No, it's fake."

Old Grian quickly offered a sycophantic smile. "Hey now, I wouldn't doubt you, Shawn. Everything you say is right, absolutely right. I believe you, okay? But this is bad, really bad. If something happens to Stormwind City, we're all finished!"

Shawn sneered. "Old Grian, are you really that cowardly? A little thing like this scares you?"

"A little thing?!"

Old Grian shouted, "You call this a little thing? Do you have any idea what this means? Of the seven human kingdoms, Lordaeron is gone, Kul Tiras is down to Lady Jaina, Gilneas has closed its borders, Dalaran is a ruin, Alterac is nothing but a bunch of destitute nobles, and Stromgarde has withdrawn from the Alliance. Stormwind City is the last pillar of humanity! If Stormwind City falls, humanity is finished!"

Shawn waited for Old Grian to finish his outburst before saying quietly, "It's not as bleak as you think. Have you forgotten the slogan? Stormwind City never falls! Trust me, Stormwind City won't fall, and humanity won't either. Old Grian, I am going to Stormwind City to find Prince Anduin. I will wake Bolvar Fordragon up, I will go to Theramore to ask Lady Jaina for help, I will find the missing Marshal Reginald Windsor, I will ensure the true King Varian returns, I will eliminate Onyxia, and I will..."

Shawn took a deep breath and said solemnly, "I will save Stormwind City!"

Never before had Shawn felt so righteous, so heroic; it was as if a pure white halo hovered above his head, his entire being radiating a holy light.

At this moment, he wasn't a mage or a commander, but a...

Charlatan!

Yet, in reality, Shawn wasn't the charlatan here—there was one standing right in front of him, a Paladin who could radiate light and manifest a halo at any given moment.

So, regarding Shawn's grand declaration, Old Grian merely rolled his eyes, not taking it to heart at all.

However, the path Shawn laid out was indeed viable. Old Grian pondered for a moment before saying, "Shawn, if you are truly determined to do this, you must be careful. I will personally oversee the construction of the Mage Tower, and I will station men at Saldean Farm. I cannot go to Stormwind City with you."

Shawn laughed. "Of course you can't go to Stormwind City; the Defias Brotherhood still needs you to deal with them. Westfall can't afford to lose you. Don't worry about Saldean Farm, either; I'll leave the Harvest Watchers and the domesticated sow, 'Princess,' behind. With them there, the farm's safety is guaranteed. I only hope that when I return, you haven't swallowed my share of the profits from the Jangolode Mine."

Old Grian patted Shawn on the shoulder, saying gravely, "Then you had better come back in one piece, or your share really will belong to me!"

Shawn laughed heartily. "Don't you worry. I, Shawn, have only just arrived in this world of Azeroth; I'm not planning on leaving anytime soon!"

With that, Shawn turned, vaulted onto the sow, waved back at Old Grian, and kicked his heels into the pig's belly. The domesticated sow bolted toward Saldean Farm.

Behind him, Old Grian stood with a solemn expression, giving Shawn a standard knight's salute and muttering to himself.

"Stormwind City never falls, and you'd better stay alive too, Shawn!"

Shawn certainly didn't want to say goodbye so soon. He decided to wade into these muddy waters because he knew the major shifts of the coming years. He knew King Varian was not destined to die, that Onyxia was doomed, and that Stormwind City would ultimately stand firm.

Adding flowers to a brocade is never as good as sending charcoal in the snow. By befriending King Varian and Prince Anduin when they were at their lowest and most vulnerable, he would reap endless benefits for his future journey in Stormwind City.

Shawn wasn't a merchant—merchants would ignore all law and morality for double the profit. Shawn didn't just see the potential gains; he genuinely liked King Varian and Prince Anduin, and he truly loathed that Black Dragon Princess!

Therefore, he was willing to give it a try. As long as he was careful, there shouldn't be any real danger.

Over the past few days, the Golem Factory had produced a few more Harvest Watchers. Shawn left all of them with Old Saldean and handed the domesticated sow over as well, claiming he was heading to the Tower of Azora in Elwynn Forest to study under Theocritus for a while. He didn't tell Old Saldean the truth.

He was afraid of making the old man worry.

After settling everything, Shawn took Vanessa and Rick and set off on the road to Stormwind City.

They had two brown horses; Rick rode one, while Shawn and Vanessa shared the other.

Nestled in Shawn's arms, Vanessa felt a sense of peace and warmth she had never known before. Her father, Edwin VanCleef, had been completely consumed by hatred and had never known how to care for or cherish his daughter. Vanessa had been independent since she was a child and had never experienced the feeling of relying on someone else.

Shawn was the first person to make her feel this way.

Departing from Saldean Farm, they passed Furlbrow Pumpkin Farm, went by Jason Farm, crossed through Westbrook Garrison, and stayed the night in Goldshire. By the next morning, the three of them arrived at Stormwind City.

Standing before the gates of Stormwind City, looking up at the magnificent, towering walls, the sturdy and heavy gates, and the five renowned hero statues visible through the entrance, a sense of longing welled up within him.

Yes, perhaps compared to the skyscrapers and sprawling cities of Earth, Stormwind City seemed small and crude. But it was precisely this rustic texture that gave Shawn a sense of weathered history and an enduring, heroic spirit.

Rick looked at the Stormwind City he hadn't seen in years—the city he and his companions had rebuilt with their own hands—and took a deep breath, followed by a long, heavy sigh.

People change, things change, and everything is gone.

Vanessa nestled in Shawn's arms, looking at the Stormwind City she had seen as a small child but had no memory of. She thought to herself that this was her father's greatest pride, and also the pride he had wanted most to destroy.

After a long silence, Shawn suddenly laughed aloud: "Stormwind City, I have arrived!"