A Conversation with the Mayor

Southshore gradually began to wake as noon approached. Customers streamed in and out of the shops lining the streets, and the seaside town caught in the turmoil of war slowly gathered life. Although many families had moved south to escape the fighting, many residents still chose to remain here and work hard to live on.

Before long, Roderick arrived at the entrance to the Town Council hall. The guards at the door immediately straightened up when they saw him, puffing out their chests and picking up the longswords they had set aside. Their gazes held admiration, but also a trace of ingratiating eagerness.

Roderick paid no attention to the guards' laxity. After giving them a nod, he walked inside. He was soon led into an inner room by Eils Guwei, the young mayor's secretary who had announced the news at the training grounds that morning.

"Mayor Heni is working in the inner office. Please come with me," Eils introduced him calmly. A very capable young man, steady and dependable. Roderick silently assessed him, forgetting that he himself was only twenty.

After leading Roderick to the door, Eils took his leave. Just as Roderick raised his hand to knock, a deep voice sounded from within. "Roderick? Come in."

Roderick pushed the door open. The room was simply furnished: a desk, several wooden chairs, and a small bookshelf beside the fireplace against the wall. Sunlight fell through the window onto the floor, and the only sound was the scratch of a quill across paper.

"Adrian caught another Alterac brown bear. Uncle Heni, please accept it. He has cleaned the bearskin thoroughly." Roderick looked at the middle-aged man before him. His hairline had receded dramatically, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes had grown deeper. The mayor had gone bald—and weaker.

"A warm bearskin cushion will help you work better. Please don't refuse this time."

"Roderick, when did you, of all people, start teasing an old man like me? Don't tell me you're thanking me for appointing you captain. I'm not so old that I need you little brats to look after me." The middle-aged man smiled warmly at the neatly armored knight before him.

"Don't overthink it. Although you were badly wounded in the last battle, you ultimately rescued Arnold and drove back the Murloc attack. Having you take over the guard is the best choice right now. After all, you hold considerable prestige among these young people. The other councilors of Southshore would not object either, or I could not have issued the formal appointment."

Although Mayor Heni made it sound as though Roderick had accomplished some earth-shattering feat, Roderick knew perfectly well that Arnold had merely encountered a force led by a Murloc priest last time. After a bloody battle, they had still relied on the militia gathered by others to scare off the enemy. It had been nothing more than a clumsy brawl between two amateur armies.

Seeing Roderick remain silent, the middle-aged man continued at an unhurried pace. "When Arthas led the Scourge to destroy Dalaran, all the residents of Southshore, the villagers of Hillsbrad, and the apprentices who had retreated from Dalaran fled to the Stromgarde Kingdom for refuge. At the time, Sheriff Caulder sacrificed himself alongside many other brave warriors to cover everyone's retreat. Many of the town's old soldiers gave their lives. Since then, Southshore has had no choice but to rely on young people like you to form a militia and defend it." The mayor's voice grew low as he spoke.

"The Kingdom of Lordaeron has been destroyed, and Menethil's bloodline was cut off within the royal capital. After the Undead tide receded, the kingdom's remaining forces lacked a powerful leader and could only fight separately. We formed an alliance with Hillsbrad to the north and barely maintained basic order with support from the Kingdom of Stormwind and the other human kingdoms."

"Now, Southshore is the human Alliance outpost closest to the front lines. The nobles in Stormwind City are probably unwilling to come to such a dangerous place.

"Although the Undead occupying Tarren Mill occasionally harass us, they have shown no intention of advancing farther south. Therefore, the Alliance will not send precious high-ranking knights to garrison this place. Now even the Murlocs along the coast have us at our wits' end. This place is desperately short of fighting strength." "Given Southshore's dire situation, Sir Roderick Northumberland, the Town Council hereby appoints you as the new captain of the Southshore Militia Guard." Mayor Heni's solemn tone made Roderick, who had just sat down, immediately tense.

"Your father, Sir Field Northumberland, the fathers of the other young people in town, and I once fought together beneath Sir Anduin Lothar's banner. Many years have passed since the great battle beneath Blackrock Mountain. I am pleased that all of you have grown into outstanding warriors. Now, Southshore's safety rests upon your shoulders. Tell me, are you prepared?"

"Holy Light is justice. We must fight for justice!" Roderick Northumberland rose to his feet and answered loudly without hesitation.

"That does carry some of Field's old spirit. Do not disappoint those who trust you, Roderick. The battle report also said that you killed the Murloc priest with a final Holy Shock, completely shattering the Murloc force's will to fight. To become a high-ranking paladin at such a young age—Gavinrad must be very pleased as well."

Unfortunately, this question struck directly at Roderick's weakness. He was completely at a loss over his inability to sense the Holy Light. He had no idea what the future held for a paladin without the Holy Light.

"I broke through at that critical moment. Just as Deputy Commander Gavinrad said, only by walking between life and death can one understand the path of the Holy Light." Roderick tried hard to recall his past experiences.

"Deputy Commander Gavinrad took very good care of me. He was my eternal spiritual mentor on the path of knighthood. It is just a pity..." Thinking of the Order of the Silver Hand, which had already been destroyed, Roderick's voice dimmed considerably.

"Gavinrad died on the battlefield. The old friend finally had his wish fulfilled, so do not grieve too deeply, Roderick. By the way, do you have any news of the others from the order?"

"Following Sir Gavinrad's instructions back then, I was assigned to train at the base in Andorhal. I later joined the Knights of Ultimate Power led by Sir Dagran as a reserve paladin of the Silver Hand. The final news I received was that the Knights of the Justice Guard led by Viscount Magros, the Circle of Light led by Harak the Lifebringer, and Sir Dagran's Knights of Ultimate Power all went to the royal capital to provide aid. Most of them were destroyed by Arthas's Scourge. Only a small number escaped..."

"You did not take part in the final battle. Your former mentors, comrades, and the entire order died heroically. As a member of the Silver Hand, Roderick, do you still resent your uncle's actions back then?"

"Uncle Heni, an elder once said: only by staying alive can one keep contributing. Please forgive the disrespectful words I spoke in my youthful impulsiveness. I now fully understand your reasoning, and I apologize to you once again." Roderick stood and bowed deeply to the man before him.

"It is all right. I will not take it to heart. Only by staying alive can one keep contributing? Which elder said that? It sounds rather reasonable. I fear your heart is not as calm as you claim. Never mind. I promised them that I would raise all of you well, and now I have finally fulfilled that trust. As for the road ahead, you must walk it yourselves. But remember this, Roderick: do not speak lightly of meaningless sacrifice again. I have already witnessed too much sorrow hidden behind glory." How much grief was concealed beneath Mayor Heni's calm words?

"I will remember it well, Uncle Heni. Then do you have any news of Augustine? I know he is not dead, but he never returned to Southshore."

"Augustine? That boy is still holding out at a knightly order outpost northeast of Darrowshire, continuing to fight the Undead. Many knights of the Silver Hand have gathered there. But with Uther dead, I fear no one can lead the entire order. Some people have already rebuilt a new order in Lord Valdemar's territory, though you will likely have to reach the front lines to learn the details."

Amid the tide of this chaotic age, Augustine had persisted on the path he had chosen. Perhaps one day, he would reunite with his childhood companion. Roderick cleared the stray thoughts from his mind, steadied himself, and said, "Regarding the guard, I need your help..."

"Three hundred sets of standard kingdom infantry equipment? Southshore's young men spend most of their days farming and mining. They cannot train all day long. Such equipment would be more of a burden to ordinary people. I have already read the battle report from the fight against the Murloc tribe. Tell me what you really think, Roderick. Do not make this poor old man guess what you young people are plotting."

"The Southshore Guard's combat strength is severely lacking. Many of them can only stand behind the main force and shout encouragement. Even the Murlocs' weak attacks nearly broke them. We need to train real warriors, not farmers holding shields and longswords."

"I will reorganize the militia, dismiss those unsuited for combat, then recruit some brave men from around town. Together with the more capable soldiers from the existing force, the total will be kept at one hundred and twenty. Alwyn and Adrian can both serve as officers. This force will undergo strict training. Give me one month, and I can wipe out the Murloc tribe along the coast. The town docks will be completely free of Murloc harassment and able to function normally."

"One hundred and twenty men? I can ensure you receive the best equipment in the warehouse. But what about the young men being dismissed? We cannot chill their hearts, Roderick..."

"The guard will undergo a full reorganization. They can handle public security, patrols, and similar duties within town. Naturally, their pay and benefits will not compare to those of formal guards. But staying in town is safer, isn't it? And recruiting new hands will likely require the town to provide some funding. In the future, we must also repair the damaged watchtowers outside town and build a more complete defensive system for Southshore..."

"Hold on. Give me a detailed report later. As for money, the Town Council cannot offer you much help at present. I can support part of it in my personal capacity first. Right now, you need a successful military operation to prove your ability to the Town Council. Everything else will have to wait..."

Having preliminarily completed his plan, Roderick politely bid farewell to Mayor Heni Mareb and headed home. The burden in his heart had lifted. Now he needed to prepare for the evening's dinner gathering.