The harbor district had been reduced to ashes.
Mayor Maleb stood amid the harbor ruins, shaking his head over and over.
The civilian casualty count was still being tallied. Countless homes and warehouses had burned to ashes, including the military supplies Illucia had prepared earlier.
A third of the town had been destroyed. Mayor Maleb looked utterly wilted, his face helpless. How much money would it take to rebuild the ruined district?
Ever since Southshore had become Lordaeron's Southern Harbor, the capital had stopped providing financial assistance. Maleb had maintained Southshore's infrastructure using local tax revenue.
In recent years, Menethil Harbor had developed rapidly on the back of the Kingdom of Stormwind's postwar recovery, becoming a major port in its own right.
To preserve Southshore's strategic position in the Alliance's maritime trade, Mayor Maleb had reduced taxes on merchants' guilds and offered all kinds of incentives, drawing the kingdoms and major families to use Southshore as a center for storing and transferring goods.
Through Mayor Maleb's efforts, Southshore had held on to its position as the Alliance's largest port. Its people had prospered through maritime trade.
Unfortunately, the local government's revenue was simply too low. Mayor Maleb had scarcely any funds at his disposal.
Now rebuilding the town would require a fortune. Maleb felt his nearly empty pockets and sank into utter despair.
After the defensive battle at Jadefire Town ended, Ellen brought back firsthand intelligence.
Sure enough, Jadefire Town's outer defenses had fallen. The Warsong Orcs army corps had broken into Southshore's hinterland, driving straight toward the settlements in front of the Lordanmere Internment Camp.
The Lordanmere Internment Camp was the second-largest internment camp in the Hillsbrad Foothills after Durnholde Keep, and it fell under the Durnholde Army Corps' jurisdiction.
Rowan received the battle report without a flicker of