A Card

The sound of waves crashing against the reefs drifted into his ears, and the damp sea breeze, carrying a briny scent, surged into his nostrils. Everything felt so incredibly real, without a single hint of discord.

Located atop a high mountain, Greymane Manor was rendered solemn by its oak, earth, and stone structure. Even the red roses, the favorite of the people of the Kingdom of Gilneas, could not soften the manor's austere appearance. It was exceptionally quiet within the grounds; even the servants walking about moved with caution, fearing they might disturb their young master.

Liam Greymane sat on the outer wall of the manor. He withdrew his gaze from the sea, his numb expression softening as he looked down at his arm with a dazed expression.

Perched obediently on his arm was a parrot with fiery red plumage and soft, golden-yellow feathers on its belly. It pecked at an acorn held in its talons, looking perfectly at ease.

This parrot was named Coral, a gift brought by a traveling merchant when he was ten years old. Back then, Coral was still an egg, presented to the King of Gilneas, his father Genn Greymane, who then gifted it to him for his birthday.

It was said that no parrot with such pure coloring existed in the entire Eastern Kingdoms or Kalimdor, making this mysterious bird extremely rare—a gift long hailed as one of a kind.

Liam no longer doubted such claims in the slightest. Above the parrot's head, a screen of light was now clearly visible. The text on the screen did not belong to any race in Azeroth, yet he could easily discern its meaning.

[Name: Jeweled Macaw]
[Status: Creature, Loyalty 90]
[Origin: The Jade Forest, Pandaria]
[Type: Minion, Beast]
[Rarity: Common]
[Stats: Attack (1), Health (1), Mana Crystal Cost (1)]

The parrot's origins were indeed mysterious, but it was certainly not one of a kind, as its rarity was merely "Common." Clearly, white was not a color representing extreme rarity.

"Pandaria... The Jade Forest..." These terms, which he had never heard of before, appeared clearly in Liam Greymane's mind. They were memories belonging to a young man from a world called Earth. There were many such memories—stretching back to the dawn of creation hundreds of thousands of years ago, and forward to the decades ahead, when Azeroth would face its moment of life or death.

Yet, Liam was one hundred percent certain that he was not in some game world. Both he and Coral were flesh and blood, and this world was far too real.

The chaotic memories left Liam's mind increasingly muddled, and he could not yet sort them out. Fortunately, the empty, hollow feeling in his head had vanished, allowing him to finally focus and carefully consider the future of himself and this kingdom.

He flipped his palm, and a card, roughly the size of half a palm, appeared in his hand. With a golden-yellow base and silver dragon-engraved borders, the material—neither gold nor jade—made the card look incredibly luxurious, possessing a mysterious, imposing aura.

[Name: Prince Liam]
[Status: Card]
[Origin: Kingdom of Gilneas]
[Type: Minion]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Stats: Attack (?), Health (?), Mana Crystal Cost (5)]
[Ability: Grant a minion with a Mana Crystal cost of (1) a special ability, allowing it to transform into a random Legendary minion and gain most of that Legendary minion's abilities.]

"This color must be the truly unique one. Prince Liam... is that me?"

Staring at the orange gem embedded in the center of the card, Liam pondered silently. Ever since he had picked up this card, his memories had been in a state of turmoil. He had sat blankly on the wall for an entire afternoon, and only as the sun began to sink did he finally regain a shred of his senses.

"Eighteen years left? I'll be thirty-two by then; that's not exactly dying young..." Liam shook his head with a bitter smile, unsure whether to feel relieved or saddened by his future.

In his memories, the 28th year of the Dark Portal—eighteen years from now—was when the Kingdom of Gilneas would be attacked by the Forsaken, with the capital city falling into enemy hands for a time. In that timeline, he had fought at the front lines during the battle to retake the city, leading the people of Gilneas to repel the invaders, only to die on the spot while shielding his father from a poisoned arrow.

Because of that battle, his father, who had practiced isolationism, transformed from a conservative dove into a radical hawk. He joined the Alliance, became one of its sharpest blades, and engaged in numerous stalemates with Sylvanas.

"To still be this weak after a dozen years, unable to protect my own country and subjects! Is it destined that a good prince can only end up like this?"

Liam thought of Arthas. Both were princes of human kingdoms, both deeply loved their people, both shouldered heavy burdens in times of crisis, and both could only sigh at their lack of strength when faced with a great enemy. How similar it all was!

The only difference was that Arthas was born in the Kingdom of Lordaeron, the most powerful of the Alliance—a classic, wealthy, and handsome prince—while he, Liam, was born in Gilneas, a kingdom squeezed from all sides and forced out of the Alliance. He was a "sewer prince" who would remain unknown if not for his "sacrifice for the country."

But the current Liam would not walk that old path again!

If, at the moment he stood before the gates of Strathlome, Arthas had seen the future decades later just as he had, would he still have chosen to burn the city and walk a path of self-destruction to the very end?

"But there is one thing different about us." A smile touched the corner of Liam's mouth as he thought of Arthas, who was born in the same year as him.

"I still have over a decade. As long as I am strong enough, the kingdom won't need to rely on the power of the worgen to defend the Greymane Wall... No, that's not right! The Greymane Wall, like the Biting Reef, is a shackle choking the kingdom. It suppresses the wolf-like nature hidden in the blood of the Gilnean people! My father is like this, Uncle Darius Crowley is like this, I am like this, and even... Uncle Vincent Godfrey is actually the same..."

Thinking of the "betrayal" of Vincent Godfrey, Liam felt a wave of melancholy.

Genn Greymane, Vincent Godfrey, and Darius Crowley were like the iron triangle of the Kingdom of Gilneas. The two lords, one civil and one military, assisted his father, and their strength was certainly not at the bottom of the Seven Kingdoms... No, it should be the Six Kingdoms now.

It was a pity that Vincent Godfrey and Darius Crowley, both equally talented, were like two extremes that could not tolerate each other. This was one of the triggers for the tragedy that would befall Gilneas.

Vincent Godfrey was like the "humanity" King Genn displayed outwardly: calm, conservative, self-restrained, firmly adhering to human supremacy, and acting aggressively toward other races.

Darius Crowley was like the "wolf-nature" King Genn hid within: wild, enterprising, and resolute, with eyes only for the interests of the people, devoid of racial or class concepts.

Such two men could never coexist by nature, much like the contradictory personality of King Genn himself. Once a disaster struck, his temperament would change drastically, and it would be impossible to reverse!

With the pressure of the Lordaeron Alliance from the outside and instability within, King Genn lacked the strength and iron-fisted power to suppress all sides... Liam realized he no longer opposed his father's policy of isolationism; on the contrary, he somewhat admired that ruthlessness.

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that the cost of building the Greymane Wall was no less than the support demanded by the Lordaeron Alliance. In the end, it was just a collection of crude internment camps and a small Watch Keep.

What the Greymane Wall truly protected was the safety of the lives of the Gilnean people. If they hadn't done this, they would have only become a buffer and cannon fodder between the Lordaeron Alliance and the Horde.

Yet, good intentions did not yield good results. The successive Scourge invasions and the Worgen Curse tore this last pure land of Gilneas apart, leaving civilians displaced and completely stripped of their homes.

Gilneas was just that kind of extreme nation.

She possessed the most formidable subjects, yet they were locked in endless infighting due to two diametrically opposed ideologies, uniting only when facing external enemies; this was the very definition of brothers feuding within their own walls.

She also held the finest geographical location and natural harbors, with the Kingdom of Lordaeron—a land of plains surrounded by vast mountains—to the north; yet Gilneas, which could have served as the greatest port on the northern continent, had lost the capital to check the Kingdom of Lordaeron because the Biting Reef prevented large ships from entering or exiting freely.

He had powerful heroes, the top three of whom were... well, only the madman Arugal remained. Liam felt a bit cowardly thinking of this; he truly couldn't be righteous about it, because what Gilneas lacked most right now was top-tier combat power, and that was the greatest tragedy of the nation of Gilneas!

In troubled times, without the deterrent of powerful combat strength, one could only become a lamb in the eyes of others!

It was a pity that Genn Greymane would only truly realize this truth more than a decade later, after losing both his son and his country, eventually transforming into the true Wolf King...

But Liam would not; he was a wolf, born as one, and though he was but a young wolf, he would never be anyone's prey!

He had originally tried his best to suppress the unwillingness in his heart, but now, having merged with the memories of another person, the wolf nature in his bones had been thoroughly ignited; he would no longer remain stagnant or allow his home and country to be destroyed in the flames of war.

Casting his gaze toward the undulating sea in the distance, Liam murmured in a low voice.

"The construction of the Greymane Wall is already irreversible, so I shall make this vast ocean my territory! Sooner or later, I will tear down that wall and lead the people of Gilneas out, and certainly not as refugees!"

[New book uploaded, seeking favorites and recommendations! Your support is the author's greatest motivation, thank you!]