Forging the "Madman"

Greymane Manor is a three-story mansion perched atop a mountain peak, with a massive watchtower looming over a sheer cliff behind it. From this tower, one can clearly overlook the entire landscape of the kingdom, making it the symbol of the Greymane Family's generations of guardianship over Gilneas.

Strolling along the long staircase, the sense of responsibility as a member of the Greymane Family flooded back into my mind, undiminished even by the memories of another person.

Looking north from the watchtower, the Greymane Wall, currently under construction, was heavily fortified. A massive amount of manpower and supplies had been gathered in one place, filling the vast plain between two great mountains.

It seems leaving by land is impossible...

As the kingdom's only prince, no matter how much of a background character Prince Liam might be, he could not simply walk through the blockade in full view of everyone, then stroll through the still-intact Dalaran territory to reach the mountains near the ruins of Alterac.

That's right, Prince Liam's goal was Ravenholdt Manor, hidden within those mountains, to seek out the world's most mysterious rogue and future leader of the Uncrowned—Jorach Ravenholdt.

It possessed the most powerful intelligence network and the most extensive connections. Though the organization was loose, its strength was formidable, and there were even rumors of deep ties to two legendary master thieves.

The reason for choosing this as the first stop on his runaway journey was that Prince Liam had already made up his mind to pursue the rogue class. And if one wanted to become a rogue, there was no better choice in all of Azeroth.

On the path to becoming stronger, Prince Liam had considered many options before choosing the rogue class. It wasn't because rogues were particularly overpowered, but primarily because there was no other choice.

As Genn's only son, Prince Liam had been trained as an elite warrior, but judging by his performance during the later Worgen crisis, Genn was clearly not a good teacher.

In this light, the path of the "warrior" was a dead end.

When the Order of the Silver Hand recruited "paladins," their requirements for faith were extremely strict; clearly, someone like him, who would "abandon" the Alliance, could not join.

Dalaran's recruitment of "mage" apprentices required innate talent. Prince Liam knew well that he had been tested for such aptitude in his youth and had been excluded early on.

"Hunter"... Prince Liam was not like Lorna, that little girl; he had no interest in playing with cats and dogs. Besides, the powerful hunters were all with the elves now. While the ranger corps were strong, the night elves' warmth was laced with arrogance, and the high elves were blatantly haughty. That was just how the long-lived races were, and with their personalities, Prince Liam felt he could never serve them.

"Warlocks" were still considered heretics at this time, the elemental path of "shamans" and the moon goddess's blessing for "druids" were not open to pure-blooded humans, and the "monk" tradition was far away in Pandaria. As for "death knights"... Prince Liam hadn't lived enough yet...

So, after much thought, the only path where he could truly excel was the "rogue" class. Besides, with Ravenholdt Manor nearby, latching onto a powerful mentor early on would only be beneficial.

However, before setting out, Prince Liam needed something for self-defense. That pair of flintlocks belonging to the Godfrey family would be a fine choice.

"Liam, what are you thinking about?"

A gentle voice came from behind. Although sudden, it did not startle Prince Liam, who was deep in thought; instead, a warmth welled up from the bottom of his heart.

"Mother, I'm not thinking of anything, just looking at the scenery."

Prince Liam smiled, looking at Mia Greymane as she walked slowly toward him—his mother, the wise queen praised by everyone in Gilneas.

"You'll have to look at this every day for the next few decades; you'll get tired of it sooner or later." Queen Mia smiled gently and straightened Prince Liam's collar. "It's getting dark, and the sea breeze is cold. Let's head back. Lord Crowley is coming for dinner in a while, and Lord Vincent Godfrey will be there too. Your father wants you to go prepare."

Queen Mia could tell her son was troubled. A fourteen-year-old boy might have his own worries, perhaps? she thought with a soft smile, deciding not to press him. She simply signaled for her son to follow, then walked down the long staircase of the watchtower.

Prince Liam was stunned by her words but didn't react, following closely behind his mother down the tower.

He knew this dinner party would likely not be simple.

Prince Liam wanted to say that the dinner was a pleasant affair for both host and guest, but unfortunately, that was not the case.

Although constrained by noble etiquette, Lord Crowley did not fly into a rage at the banquet. However, Prince Liam could still see that this powerful lord, whose territory had been largely cut off outside the wall, did not agree with his father's decision.

It wasn't because the land that originally belonged to him had shrunk—that was just a minor detail. Prince Liam could see that this iron-blooded lord would rather have his own territory serve as the front line of the war than abandon the kingdom's land and the people living there.

However, Lord Vincent Godfrey lived up to his reputation for a silver tongue. With a series of facts and arguments, he pressed the interests of the entire kingdom onto the construction of the Great Wall, not only leaving Lord Crowley speechless but also providing Genn with powerful "theoretical support."

The banquet ended on a sour note. Lord Crowley left with the reluctant little girl, Lorna, but Lord Vincent Godfrey did not leave immediately. He stayed behind to discuss something with Genn before walking out of the study alone.

Prince Liam knew how events would unfold, but his voice carried little weight, and he didn't think his eloquence could surpass that old fox, Vincent Godfrey. Still, out of concern for the situation, he waited outside the study door, only to bump straight into Lord Vincent Godfrey as he pushed the door open.

At this time, Vincent Godfrey was still absolutely loyal to the Kingdom of Gilneas. Some of his suggestions had failed to yield good results due to the gap between ideals and reality, but for some reason, Prince Liam always associated him in his mind with the undead madman he would become in the future.

"Prince Liam, not resting yet? Do you have business with your father?"

Vincent Godfrey, who looked honest and loyal, was startled to see Prince Liam guarding the door. He quickly relaxed and stepped aside, but Prince Liam's answer caught him off guard.

"No, I have business with you. I'll see you out, and we can chat on the way."

Facing his elder, the noble etiquette Prince Liam had been raised with did not allow him to be rude. He dismissed the servants following them, took the hat hanging to the side for Lord Vincent Godfrey, and the two walked side-by-side out the front door toward the stables.

Along the way, the two chatted idly. Prince Liam spoke at length, but only about trivial family matters, leaving Lord Vincent Godfrey confused. He wondered where this prince, who had always been so upright to the point of being pedantic, had learned to be so circuitous.

However, as they neared the carriage, Prince Liam finally revealed his true intent, hinting at his purpose through indirection.

"Everyone in the kingdom says you possess two very powerful flintlocks, Uncle. I've wanted to see them ever since I heard about them, but Father wouldn't let me ask you, so I had to do it myself..."

But these were not Prince Liam's true thoughts. What he really wanted to say was, A professional outlaw needs a good flintlock, doesn't he?