Liam had told Jorach where Garona was without holding anything back because Garona was Duke Jorach's benefactor. Liam didn't think revealing her whereabouts to the duke was a mistake. Besides, although he'd suspected as much before, since Jorach trusted Shaw, Liam naturally wouldn't go against the wishes of the man who was about to become his teacher.
Matthias Shaw... Liam knew that although the man looked young, he was already thirty. He had just taken over SI:7 from his grandmother and become the spymaster of the newly established Stormwind City. Having only just taken charge of SI:7, he still seemed a little green, nothing like the seasoned operator he'd later become, who never let his emotions show.
As for the grudge between him and Garona... people in the same line of work were natural rivals. What's more, Garona had assassinated the old king in Stormwind City, which was under his grandmother's watch. The fault lay with the old king for trusting Garona, but SI:7 was still responsible for failing to provide adequate security within its jurisdiction.
Parsonia Shaw, Matthias's grandmother, had always held a grudge over it. Her decision to retire early and return home to live out her days after helping Varian Wrynn rebuild Stormwind had also had something to do with the old king's assassination.
Matthias Shaw had left for the north while Stormwind was still in the midst of reconstruction for two reasons. First, he needed to escort the last group of Kingdom of Stormwind refugees south. Second, he wanted to bring the little girl with him—his childhood friend Edwin VanCleef's daughter—and leave her at Ravenholdt Manor.
Stormwind was already rife with undercurrents. Edwin had been swept up in them, and Matthias couldn't extricate himself either. That was why, at his old friend's request, Matthias had brought seven-year-old Vanessa along this time and asked the organization to take her in.
Before Liam and the others arrived, Duke Jorach had made it clear that he refused. Matthias had been left at a loss, but now Liam seemed to have presented him with a generous gift, giving the spymaster a perfect way in.
"Since this falls under Stormwind City's jurisdiction, this could be tricky..."
Shaw rubbed his nearly hairless chin, murmuring as he cast a sidelong glance at Duke Jorach.
As a fellow rogue, how could Duke Jorach fail to guess what Shaw was thinking? The man was making a blatant "deal." Jorach would have to take Vanessa in before Shaw would agree to look after Garona. Otherwise, Shaw would certainly stay out of it.
Duke Jorach really wanted to refuse outright, but now that he knew where his benefactor was, he couldn't simply stand by. He could only grit his teeth and accept.
"I haven't personally taken on an apprentice in years. Here's what we'll do: the three of you can be registered under me for now. Farad will teach you the basic skills. If you pass the assessment, I'll teach you more advanced assassin techniques myself."
Duke Jorach was yielding strategically. Although he'd agreed to take them on as apprentices, he hadn't promised that he would personally teach them. Shaw had gotten what he wanted, so he naturally had no objections. Liam did, but the two "big shots" selectively ignored him. As for Wilton, Jorach's little demonstration had already left him stunned. He had no mind to be picky.
The remaining little girl, Vanessa VanCleef, had no rights to speak of. She could only follow the leadership's decision.
Overall, Liam was extremely dissatisfied with his first meeting with Matthias Shaw. In Shaw's eyes, this "brat" obviously had no standing to speak to him as an equal. Even after Liam had used the information he brought to successfully get little Vanessa into Ravenholdt Manor, Shaw never once thought to thank him.
Well, to put it plainly, that was what Liam was most unhappy about. He'd finally met a "big shot" who would one day stand alongside his father, Genn Greymane, as one of the Alliance's two leading figures, yet he hadn't managed to squeeze a single benefit out of him. Liam felt utterly ashamed, as if he'd disgraced his title of "Great Prophet" and brought shame on all transmigrators.
But at present, Shaw had no desires beyond getting SI:7 fully organized. Even if Liam spilled all the dirty secrets in Stormwind, Liam doubted it would do Shaw any good. Besides, in his view, Shaw simply wasn't capable of handling them.
Just look at all the trouble that later erupted in Stormwind. SI:7 had prevented none of it; they'd spent most of their time cleaning up afterward. That made it clear that Shaw still didn't have a firm enough grasp on SI:7.
That situation wouldn't truly improve for more than a decade. By then, Liam figured he wouldn't need to cling to SI:7's big shot for support anymore. If anything, it would be the other way around.
With a sense of regret, Liam and the others completed a simple initiation ceremony, presided over by Duke Jorach and witnessed by Matthias Shaw. The two boys and the little girl officially became members of Ravenholdt Manor that day and began their studies.
Matthias Shaw slipped away without a trace the next day. His destination was unknown.
Liam, Wilton, and Vanessa, meanwhile, learned the manor's rules and regulations under Farad's guidance, then officially began their lives as rogue apprentices.
Apprenticeship and initiation were the two most important stages that every professional had to pass through. They determined whether a person had the talent to keep advancing in the profession until they officially became a professional. Many of the soldiers and guards Liam had met before were at one of these two stages, and most never managed to advance any further in their entire lives.
Once someone was fortunate enough to become a full-fledged professional, advancing from low rank to mid rank and then high rank was no great challenge. Even a low-ranking rogue without exceptional talent could usually reach high rank by gaining experience over the years. That was also why almost no low- or mid-ranking druids could be found wandering around. Most of them only had to sleep once and would somehow advance when they woke up.
But for most people, that was where it ended. Few could take the next step, grasp the true meaning of their profession, and cross the threshold into the Heroic rank, let alone become Epic, Legendary, or even demigod-level heroes. Each of them was a renowned figure, one in tens of millions.
Liam looked forward to it, though his "temporary" teacher, Farad, had no idea that his unreliable "temporary" apprentice had such lofty ambitions.
Farad, the black dragon hidden within Ravenholdt Manor, seemed perfectly ordinary to Liam: just a stern, middle-aged man with plain features. Farad spared no effort in teaching them, but differences in talent inevitably caused their progress to diverge...
Before you continue