Pre-War Mobilization

Pre-War Mobilization

The two quickly rejoined the other human knights on the road. Seeing that the Dwarf had been rescued, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Following Thalmar around several more hills, they finally met the rescue party dispatched from Dun Garok's main camp. At last, the group had reached their destination.

After the knights waited for a while, a Dwarf soldier led them into the camp hall. Food and drink had already been laid out, awaiting the start of the banquet. An even taller Dwarf entered the hall with Thalmar and stood before Roderick and the others.

"Thank you all for your help. Otherwise, we would have lost Dun Garok's finest musketeer." Thalmar, standing behind him, introduced him with some embarrassment. "This is our commanding officer, Captain Darren Ironmount."

"Everything for the Alliance, and for the friendship between Dwarves and humans! I still remember how bravely you fought the Scourge. You were the ones who helped the Hillsbrad refugees in their hour of need." Roderick's response clearly delighted the Dwarves present. The hearty Dwarf soldiers immediately opened barrels of liquor to welcome their friends from afar.

"Adrian, why are Dwarf drinking cups bigger than our small ale barrels..." Arnold was already dizzy from being plied with drink.

"Uh, I can't drink anymore either." Even the ranger could not withstand the hospitable Dwarves' assault.

Amid the Dwarves' enthusiastic atmosphere, the other knights soon could not hold out. Although Antoine had a decent tolerance for alcohol, he could not endure so many Dwarves toasting him. He promptly collapsed onto the table and pretended to be drunk.

Only Roderick was still fighting on. No matter who came to toast him, Roderick drained every cup with a smile. By the time Captain Darren Ironmount had also been carried away, Roderick had become an idol worshipped by the Dwarf soldiers. Watching Roderick happily mingling with the Dwarves, the groggy Antoine thought, It seems we never got around to discussing the reinforcements...

When Arnold woke up, he found Adrian grooming the fur on Lupos's head. "Mm, where is everyone else?" The world still seemed to be swaying.

"The Dwarves unloaded the liquor and food, and they are willing to send a musketeer unit to assist us in battle. Roderick and Antoine are inventorying the supplies. The Dwarves are also willing to trade us a batch of high-quality weapons and armor." Antoine answered absentmindedly.

"Weren't we all drunk yesterday? When did Roderick settle things with the Dwarves?" Still half-drunk, Arnold asked in confusion.

"Settle what? The moment Roderick opened his mouth today, that Dwarf captain agreed. He even wants to give us extra equipment. Do you know why?"

"Th-then why?"

"Those short fellows said Knight Roderick could fight and drink, and even their captain was no match for him. So he became the person the Dwarves admired most, and everything was settled."

Faced with such flawless Dwarf logic, Arnold could only fall silent.

On the way back, even Roderick had not expected his request for Dwarf reinforcements to go so smoothly. He had no idea how those short fellows' minds worked. Trying to drink a Space Marine under the table was truly an adorable gesture.

This Dwarf reinforcement force numbered twelve, led by Thalmar. Aside from one Dwarf craftsman attached to the unit, all of them were musketeers. The wagons carried not only two sets of equipment gifted by the Dwarves, but also the black powder and spare musket parts the musketeers needed. Along the way, Adrian happily discussed the merits of bows and muskets with the Dwarves, occasionally picking up a musket to study it himself. Arnold was also boasting to Thalmar about how powerful his captain was, making the Dwarves cry out in amazement from time to time.

"What are those buildings over there?" Roderick suddenly asked, pointing at the distant watchpost. The twilight of the previous day had kept him from noticing the human fortifications in the distance.

"Naysand Watch. But there haven't been any Alliance troops stationed there for a long time. What is it?" Adrian replied, looking toward the watchtower as well. "Do you remember the abandoned watchpost east of Southshore, and this Naysand Watch? If we controlled both towers and used them to establish defensive positions, vast tracts of land along both banks of the Hillsbrad River would fall under their protection. The farmland developed there would definitely be no worse than that around Hillsbrad. We could also build a dock by the river, making it much easier to transport building materials and agricultural supplies." Roderick explained with growing excitement.

"Do you humans have such a plan? The Stormpike Guard is always short on food. If all this land were developed, it could guarantee our military grain supply. The Dwarves would also be willing to join your reclamation effort." Thalmar said excitedly after hearing this.

"The area that needs to be developed is too large, and it is so close to Tarren Mill that those refugees might not be willing to do the work. We lack funds, workers, and farmers. Most importantly, it would need the council's approval. In theory, all land west of the Hillsbrad River belongs to the Kingdom of Lordaeron." After some thought, Adrian poured cold water on Roderick's plan.

"You humans always make things so complicated." Thalmar took a gulp of ale and muttered indistinctly. Roderick remained deep in thought, seemingly unaffected by Adrian's words.

"Who can predict the future?" Roderick thought to himself, then shouted, "Pick up the pace! We will reach Eastwatch Tower and make camp before nightfall!"

"HO!"

The arrival of the Dwarf reinforcements truly raised the guards' confidence in victory by another level. Of course, the happiest people were probably the innkeepers and tavern owners in town. The generous Dwarves drank like water, leaving the liquor merchants grinning from ear to ear. Mayor Heni also personally met with Lieutenant Thalmar Stormpike and, on behalf of the Town Council, expressed thanks for the Dwarf allies' support.

"Alwyn, how is the guard training going?"

"Following the Kingdom of Lordaeron infantry manual's training schedule, they have already begun drills in marching formation and combat formations."

"How is the troops' morale? No one has been injured lately, right?"

"Morale remains high, especially after you brought back a squad of Dwarf musketeers. Ever since two men were injured by falling trees during the last logging operation, there have been no other accidents."

"How is the archers' training progressing? I heard some people want to learn musketry from the Dwarves?"

"Well, there does not seem to have been much progress. Even with Adrian watching them all day, he has not come up with any effective solution. Some people do want to learn musket shooting, but we have neither muskets nor instructors. The Dwarves will eventually leave Southshore, after all. And Adrian was furious over this. He kicked the kid who suggested practicing with muskets out of the unit." At this point, even Alwyn could not help laughing.

"I will speak to Thalmar about it. They should not sit around idle all this time. They cannot use up that much gunpowder, so they can teach everyone whenever they have time. Anyone who wants to learn can go, especially that fellow Adrian kicked out. Make sure he learns properly from the Dwarves. Also, safeguarding the gunpowder is the most important thing."

"Only Thalmar Stormpike and I have the warehouse keys, and guards watch it around the clock. Do not worry."

"Good. Prepare to summon all officers. We will hold a meeting in the barracks at noon."

"Yes."

The wooden barracks beside the training ground had only recently been built, and the room smelled of fresh timber. All the officers of the Southshore Guard were seated inside. Thalmar Stormpike also sat to one side, listening in with a curious expression.

"Today's main topic is the enemy we are about to face. Adrian will now give us a basic overview." Arnold began.

"The Murlocs spread across the vast coastal region southwest of Southshore all belong to a tribe known as the Shatterfin Murloc Tribe. At their most active, wandering Murlocs could be seen from Southshore Docks. They attack any humans and ships that appear along the coast. More than dozens of fishing boats have been destroyed by the Murlocs, and Southshore's fishermen have not dared to fish alone at sea for years."

"The Shatterfin Murlocs once attacked a fleet from the Kingdom of Stormwind, but were driven back by the escort warships at the time. Their current strength does not pose a threat to large vessels."

"Based on earlier fishermen's accounts and our scouting during this period, the Shatterfin Murloc Tribe's main composition is as follows: more than three hundred Murloc warriors; the number of Murloc spellcasters cannot be counted precisely, but should not be large; the tribe's Murloc leader remains unknown, though fishermen have reported seeing an exceptionally huge Murloc warrior."

"The Murlocs' primary weapons are harpoons and iron swords, which likely came from shipwrecks along the coast. Their weapons are badly corroded. No Murlocs have been seen wearing armor. The only threat comes from the tribe's Murloc priests and tidecallers. In addition to Lightning Bolt, the spells discovered include Frostbolt, Frost Armor, and other water-based magic."

"Does anyone have anything to add?" Roderick asked.

Antoine, who had long maintained an inconspicuous presence among the others, sat in the corner as usual. Yet now, he unexpectedly stood up.

"The Shatterfin Murloc Tribe has around thirty spellcasters. Each patrol consists of one Murloc tidecaller leading fifteen Murloc warriors. Murloc priests rarely appear along the coast. They, along with their leader, are hidden in the deep sea."

"Based on that, there is a high chance that the Shatterfin tribe's leader is a powerful spellcaster. Everyone, be prepared."

"Lastly, when fighting by the sea, these Murlocs seem capable of summoning storms. Although the scale is not large, their combat power rises significantly when they fight in wind and rain. Please take particular note of this."

Antoine truly deserved to be a mid-rank rogue from Ravenholdt Manor. He was far more capable than the others at gathering intelligence. At the very least, that last piece of information would have been difficult for ordinary people to obtain. Ignoring the others' murmurs, Roderick turned and asked, "Lieutenant Thalmar, can muskets be used in a storm?"

Thalmar had not expected to encounter such a situation. Stroking his great beard, he said, "A musket's power would be greatly reduced in a storm. Once the match is soaked through, it cannot be fired."

Seeing everyone's expressions change, the Dwarf lieutenant immediately added, "But we each carry a spare musket. If we prioritize killing the Murloc spellcasters capable of summoning storms, we can still fight."

After a round of discussion, everyone reached an agreement. The Dwarf musketeers would prioritize picking off spellcasters within the Murloc forces. The infantry would form orderly battle formations and rely on superior weapons and equipment to crush the Murlocs. The knights would be assigned among the infantry ranks as junior commanders, using their individual combat strength to break the deadlock if the battle stalled. Once Roderick saw that the discussion was nearly finished, he loudly announced, "Everyone, heed my command!"

"From this moment on, all members of the Southshore Guard are mobilized for battle. All training plans are temporarily suspended."

"Double the patrol manpower of the security force. All remaining personnel are to begin distributing weapons and equipment. During the battle, assemble in the dock district and handle the collection of spoils and transport of the wounded afterward."

"Contact the Church of the Holy Light and prepare to purchase enough cotton battle bandages for one hundred men."

"Purchase fifteen healing potions from the herbalist shop."

"Notify the Town Council that, from this moment on, no villagers are permitted to enter the Western Strand."

"May the Holy Light protect us. We knights shall press forward without fear. This battle..."

"Will be victorious!" everyone in the room shouted together.

Southshore's war machine had begun running at full force. Roderick seemed to hear the creaking of fate's gears turning beside his ears. Battle was inevitable. Only war could bring a Space Marine true peace.