[Low-Tier Attendant]

If Liam were truly a greenhorn mage or a sheltered young noble, he might have been moved by the boy's display. However, the Liam of today would not take just anyone in so easily. Furthermore, the word "attendant" from young Vailton Barov sparked a daring idea in Liam's mind; if it proved feasible, it would be a tremendous boon for his future development.

"Since you claim you wish to be my attendant, then let me see your sincerity."

Liam's response caught the boy off guard, but he gritted his teeth and bowed deeply to Liam, performing the etiquette of a knight's squire serving his master with meticulous, seamless precision.

Seeing the boy commit to the role, Liam cast his gaze upon him.

As he focused his attention, a panel clearly manifested before the boy, directly confirming his current status—Liam's second follower to date.

[Name: Low-level Attendant (Vailton)]
[Status: Biological, Loyalty 30]
[Origin: Caer Darrow Island]
[Type: Follower]
[Rarity: White]
[Attributes: Attack (1), Health (2), Mana Crystal Cost (1)]

Seeing the data on the panel, Liam narrowed his eyes. It was clear the boy's surrender was not genuine; the loyalty rating of 30 pointed that out plainly.

However, while such loyalty was low, it proved the boy possessed at least some sincerity. As long as Liam kept his own footing, he had no fear of a treacherous servant. Moreover, the boy looked to be only eleven or twelve, even younger than Liam, and his frame was frail; he posed no threat to Liam whatsoever.

The most important point was that Liam had already guessed the boy's identity. Given the boy's thirst for power, as long as Liam used the right methods, he had no doubt the boy would follow him "devotedly"... at least on the surface. As for his true thoughts, that was entirely irrelevant.

"Vailton Barov... Has the infighting within the Barov Family reached such a point? Using the hands of an enemy to eliminate one's own brother—that is truly the style of the Barovs..."

Liam rapidly searched through the relevant information in his other set of memories.

The Barov Family, belonging to the Alterac Kingdom, was once a wealthy clan that controlled vast lands east of the Alterac Mountains. Brill, Tarren Mill, Caer Darrow, Southshore... these places were all their fiefdoms, and their wealth was comparable to the Alterac royal family.

This massive clan possessed the bloodline of the Arathi. For generations, the family had resided in an ancient Arathi fortress on Caer Darrow Island in the middle of Lake Darrowmere, preserving their ancient and noble lineage on that island.

Four years ago, the betrayal of the Alterac Kingdom completely altered the family's fate. The rebel forces repeatedly harassed the Kingdom of Dalaran's troops in the Hillsbrad area, even laying siege to Dalaran at one point. Unfortunately, the good times did not last; the rebels entrenched in Dalaran were quickly routed, and the remnants of the Alterac Kingdom fled to the Barov Family's territory on Lake Darrowmere.

The Barov Family made a decisive choice then, standing firmly on the side of the Alliance of Lordaeron. They coordinated with the elven fleet from Silvermoon City to break through the blockade of orcish forces attempting to seal off Lake Darrowmere, handing the rebels over to the Alliance of Lordaeron.

Consequently, the perceptive Barov Family received forgiveness from the Kingdom of Dalaran, while simultaneously becoming the mortal enemies of the current thief organization known as the Syndicate, who were composed of traitors from the Alterac Kingdom.

However, after the war, King Terenas Menethil of the Kingdom of Lordaeron liquidated the Barov Family, the remnants of Alterac. He stripped them of their rule over Brill, Tarren Mill, and Southshore, directly repurposing these lands as the base for the orcish prison, Durnholde Keep.

Forced by the circumstances, the Barov Family could only accept this in silence, but driven by their greed for land and wealth, they turned completely against the Kingdom of Lordaeron.

The Barov Family was currently at this very point of decline, and with family members still locked in such relentless infighting, their eventual destruction had become an inevitability.

Looking at the boy before him, Liam felt a flicker of sympathy. After all, they were all living under the shadow of the powerful Kingdom of Lordaeron. Gilneas could rely on its geographical advantage to build a wall and cut ties with the Alliance of Lordaeron forever, but the Barov Family's territory did not have such a luxury. They could only watch helplessly as vast tracts of land were carved away, all while struggling to cope with the internal daggers of their own kin.

Political figures are adept at making choices between gains and losses. Just as when the Kingdom of Gilneas faced the invasion of the Forsaken, Genn resolutely chose to reveal his worgen identity to win over the people of Gilneas—most of whom had already been transformed—while neglecting the radical "human supremacist" noble faction represented by Godfrey.

Yet, Liam could not fathom what was going on in the mind of that senile, muddled king of Lordaeron! Keeping hundreds of thousands of prisoners of war by his side—did he not understand the danger of nursing a viper in his bosom? For the sake of this mess, he offended allies who had stood by him, only to end up fostering a mortal enemy! Aside from demonstrating raw power, Liam could see no benefit in such a choice.

The Kingdom of Lordaeron was indeed at the peak of its strength at this point in time, overshadowing all surrounding nations. But such glory could not last. Once it began to decline, it would be the perfect opportunity for various factions to rise and carve out a place for themselves in the chaotic times.

The Lich King was already ravaging the Northlands, his momentum established, and was currently purging the "little spiders" entrenched underground. Deathwing had already infiltrated the human alliance, his influence deep-rooted and unshakable. The orcs were gathering their strength, waiting for an outstanding leader to emerge so they could strike back.

Liam had no desire to cross swords with these titans for the time being, nor did he have the capability. He only wanted to build a strong foundation first and protect the people of the Kingdom of Gilneas.

If he had the spare capacity, he wouldn't mind helping the civilians of various nations under the shadow of war. As for those nobles who only served to drag him down, he was sorry—though Liam was born among them, he had no interest in their kind. Their land and assets, however... those were worth considering. After all, once war broke out, housing refugees would be a massive drain on resources. Liam could not unilaterally increase the burden on Gilneas; he had to seek out sources of wealth elsewhere.

And the wealth accumulated over a thousand years by the insatiably greedy Barov Family was, in Liam's eyes, the greatest source of wealth of all.