Stormsong Valley

"General, someone at the inn in Freehold spotted a black-haired youth and a girl who looks like a young lady of noble birth. This is the detailed intelligence just compiled."

Cyrus walked from the deck into the captain's quarters and handed the latest report to Daelin.

Daelin Proudmoore read the military report word for word, his expression gradually relaxing as his eyes scanned the text. Ever since receiving news of Jaina's disappearance, Daelin had felt a fire burning in his chest. Although he knew she had been taken by someone she recognized, he had been constantly worried; this was the first time he truly felt at ease.

The efficiency of the Proudmoore Admiralty was high. Upon receiving news of Jaina's disappearance, Daelin had immediately contacted Antonidas in Dalaran through special channels and learned of Liam's identity. He hadn't been certain before, but now, based on the descriptions collected by the intelligence department, Daelin was ten-tenths sure that Liam was that unremarkable little prince from Gilneas who always hid behind Genn Greymane.

"Not only did you withdraw from the Alliance, but you also set your sights on my daughter. Genn, you old dog, it seems your ambition truly knows no bounds!"

Technically, Kul Tiras was a multi-ethnic kingdom, and many of its people had Gilnean blood; the two nations were close, so their relationship should have been good. Unfortunately, Kul Tiras guarded its own traditions jealously and refused to share them easily, which greatly annoyed King Genn, who was suffering from the threat of the Biting Reef. Furthermore, Daelin and Genn had had a very unpleasant falling out after the Second War regarding the succession of the Alterac Kingdom, which directly led to the current cold relations between the two houses.

As for Liam, he was simply carrying the burden of his father's sins and was immediately categorized by the Admiral as being in the "hostile camp." Coupled with some less-than-wholesome speculation from Antonidas, Jaina's overprotective father naturally viewed Liam as a dissolute "pig"—a pig that had the audacity to covet his own freshly grown "tender cabbage." It was simply unforgivable!

"Take a team of men you trust and bring Jaina back. Remember, do not let word of this leak out." Daelin put down the report and instructed Cyrus. "Also, take Tandred with you. Tell that girl it's my order for her to come home immediately. And as for that boy, have him expelled; he is not to set foot on Kul Tiras soil ever again."

Though Daelin's words were harsh, Cyrus caught the subtext and knew full well that Daelin was telling him not to harm the "kidnapper." This piqued Cyrus's immense curiosity about Liam. However, as a man close to the leadership, Cyrus would never pry into such matters; he promptly agreed and prepared to set out to find them.

"Before you leave, have someone draft an official document. Tell that so-called 'Freehold' that from this moment on, the Proudmoore Admiralty is blockading the port. They won't be allowed to set sail for a single day until they hand over the culprit who attacked Jaina!"

A fierce glint flashed in Daelin's eyes. The news of his daughter's safety could not quell his rage; instead, it only strengthened the resolve of this typically iron-fisted commander to strike down the pirates.

"Sigh... I wonder how this will all end..."

Cyrus thought to himself as he saluted Daelin behind the desk. He knew that once his superior had made up his mind, he would never change it. He could only accept the order and leave to do what a soldier must.

Two days later, in Stormsong Valley, northwest of Brennadam.

Standing under a tree by the lakeshore, Liam stared blankly at the shimmering expanse of the great lake before him, a thousand curses screaming in his heart!

"This is Deadwash... this is clearly a massive lake, for heaven's sake!"

Liam felt profound sorrow, a sensation akin to vomiting blood. Searching for a cave in a mud-filled swamp was an entirely different matter than searching the bottom of a vast lake.

The treasure that he had planned to acquire with ease now seemed destined to take much more time than anticipated.

In truth, Liam had noticed something amiss the moment he entered Stormsong Valley. The thorns that once covered the southern hills and the hideous gashes dug by the Quillboar had vanished, replaced by lush farmland and streams formed by melting snow from the mountains.

Moreover, while staying in Brennadam, he had been asked if he wanted to take a boat to Daelin's Gate.

As expected, shortly after leaving Brennadam, Liam encountered the great lake. The boundless water stretched for a hundred miles, connecting Daelin's Gate on the west coast to the inland town of Brennadam, confirming the ominous premonition Liam had felt.

In reality, Liam's previous assumptions had been a bit naive; if it hadn't been covered by the lake, such a treasure would have been discovered long ago. It was only the massive geological disaster caused by Deathwing later on that caused the terrain to shift dramatically, sending the lake water pouring into the deep underground home of the Quillboar and driving them to the surface. The natural lake and the vast farmland were then transformed into two massive, hundred-mile-long swamps.

"Sigh... this is a good thing, at least. It proves this treasure hasn't been targeted by so many treasure hunters yet. As long as I find the exact location, digging it up shouldn't be too difficult."

Liam could only try his best to console himself before turning around to dive into the intense work of treasure hunting.

Fortunately, he clearly remembered that the treasure was located in a cave within a small hill in the future. While the hill certainly didn't exist yet, there happened to be two small islands in the lake.

According to Liam's guess, the island to the west should be where the treasure hunters would gather—the town known as Deadwash. And the one to the east, if all went well, should be the location of the treasure.

Thus, Liam set up a simple tent on the eastern island with Jaina and Flynn, those two "brats," and settled in.

Liam's method of exploring for the treasure was quite simple: whenever he spotted a suspicious location, he would casually toss a card down and wait for the results.

Over the years, Liam had accumulated a large number of cards. Cards of the caliber of [Zola the Gorgon], which he had used previously, exceeded his current strength limit and were therefore rare; Liam only had two, and one had already been consumed as a "ferry."

However, low-tier Murloc cards like [Sir Finley Mrrgglton] were produced in staggering numbers. Liam currently had at least forty of them, and he didn't feel a shred of heartache tossing them away. Using them to scout the path was a fitting end for such cannon fodder.