Stormwind City, the capital city of the Kingdom of Stormwind, is now in chaos. The streets, parks, and even some pavilions are crowded with nobles from Elwynn Forest, Westfall, Duskwood, and Redridge Mountains. The entourage, refugees, and city guards were constantly patrolling back and forth, working hard to maintain order.
Those nobles, large farmers, and wealthy businessmen who retreated from the Western Wilderness and returned to Stormwind City more than a month ago easily found a good place for them to live in this spacious city, and did not cause too much damage to the city. There are so many disturbances, and the Defias Republic only increases the conversation topics for the citizens after dinner.
However, in the later period, during this half-month period, when the noble refugees who fled to Stormwind City from Dusk Forest, southeastern Redridge Mountain and Elwynn Forest swarmed into Stormwind City, The city gradually began to become crowded and noisy, and the grass and trees became soldiers...
People began to worry that Stormwind City would be captured again by the orcs or the Defias Republic.
And the people of Stormwind Kingdom seem to be back to what they were twenty years ago...those endless orcs pouring out of the Dark Portal. At that time, when they were about to attack Stormwind City, there were many of them. Everyone remembers: At that time, it seemed like it is now, the whole city was crowded with people, refugees from all over the place, everyone was trying to find a boat to escape... But now, the only difference is that Even now, the nobles of Stormwind City have not used sailboats to organize a large-scale retreat. In fact, not only do they not have many boats on the dock, but more importantly, they seem to have nowhere to go by sea!
They have already started a full-scale war with the continent of Lordaeron to the north. Obviously, they cannot expect to evacuate all their troops to Nanhai Town like they did twenty years ago. The remaining places that can provide them with a retreat are Ironforge or the Endless Sea. There are obviously not many choices outside of Theramore in the west.
However, the current situation is actually not that serious!
In Stormwind City, the mood of the people is relatively stable now. The kingdom has not made many arrangements except allowing the people to take the subway that crosses the strait and half the continent freely to take refuge in Ironforge according to their own conditions. . Because most of them, including King Varian, are confident that they can defend the city, they are not as panic-stricken as those commoners or timid nobles who rush to transfer property and Things like running away to Hearthglen as a family.
"Everyone! Everyone must know the predicament our Stormwind Kingdom is facing now. So, let's talk about it now. What should we do now?!"
"So far, the bandit leader of the Defias Republic, Vanessa Van Cleef, leads about 10,000 human soldiers of the Defias Republic plus about 20,000 ogres, goblins, trolls, and jackals. As well as an army of more than 30,000 composed of fishmen and other races, they are besieging our gateway to the south of Stormwind City - Xiquan Fortress!"
"The bridge across the river fell into the hands of the enemy three days ago, and now, Grand Duke Bolvar Fordragon is leading his troops to resist with the help of the Western Spring Fortress. They currently have less than 5,000 people, and there are still quite a few They are soldiers who returned from the defeat in the Western Wilderness, so if there is no support, I am afraid they will not last long..."
At this point, King Varian's expression dimmed. The situation was too bad for the Kingdom of Stormwind. He didn't understand where the Defias Republic got so much money to bribe them. of ogres, trolls and goblins?
Could it be that the dead mines still produce gold? However, he had never heard of such a thing!
"And once our southern gateway, once the Xiquan Fortress is lost, places such as Mingjing Lake and Jinjin Town will also become a smooth road, and there will no longer be any danger to defend! At that time, the enemy may be able to directly attack the storm in less than ten days Below the city!"
"Please believe me, the situation is worse than you and I imagined!"
In the king's meeting hall of Stormwind Fortress, King Varian, known as the Ghost Wolf, the High King of the Alliance, was standing in front of his own throne in full armor at this time, looking at the kingdoms standing on both sides of the throne under the throne with piercing eyes. Senior officials, military generals, nobles and members of the Council, plus the ambassadors of the Wildhammer dwarves and night elves to Stormwind City, etc.
Ever since the rebels of the Defias Republic began to break through the Elwyn River defenses and besiege the Western Spring Fortress, Varian had been wearing armor every day and was ready to face battle at any time.
"Of course, this is just the war in the west! And we, now there are also wars in the west..."
"According to the battle report from the west, the orc Thrall, the great chief of the tribe who tore up the peace agreement without permission, is leading a group of orcs, tauren, undead, wild boars, darkspear trolls and a large number of Stranglethorn Valley trolls. The army of more than 20,000 tribes has now completely conquered Dusk Forest. It is now at the triangular intersection at the junction of Elwynn Forest, Dusk Forest and Redridge Mountain, and the 12th Legion of the Kingdom of Stormwind is stationed in Redridge Mountain under our old General Todman. And part of the security garrison at the tower on the eastern mountaintop of Elwynn Forest is fighting fiercely!"
"Although, under the excellent command of veteran general Todman, the orcs are temporarily trapped south of the triangular intersection and cannot move any further... However, according to the reports from the sentries, there are already many elite trolls or orcs from the tribe. The ship forcibly crossed the fast-flowing Elwyn River and appeared in Macron Farm, the surrounding areas of Azura's Tower, and the outskirts of Goldshire!"
"And this is the real reason why so many people in Elwynn Forest rushed into Stormwind City!"
"So far, although the battle lines are still maintained in the east and west of Elwynn Forest, the entire Elwynn Forest area, except for the North County protected by the city wall, is obviously no longer safe... …”
After explaining the general situation, Varian sighed imperceptibly again.
If it were just the rebels from the Defias Republic, the Kingdom of Stormwind would be able to deal with it with ease, but... it just so happened that at this moment, those damn orcs jumped out to join in the fun, forcing them to fight on both sides, even sending their elite soldiers The Twelve Legions were entrusted to the Redridge Mountains, which made the war at Xiquan Fortress extremely dangerous.
"So, everyone! If you have any plans or good suggestions, feel free to put them forward now!"
Finally, after all the information was explained, Varian did not go back and sit down. He just stood there and scanned everyone below with slightly squinted eyes. Although, he himself also knows that these guys who are now staying in Stormwind City may not be able to give any good advice.
Now Bolvar is defending at Xiquan Fortress, old Marshal Reginald is presiding over the defense line in Nanhai Town of the Northern Expedition and cannot return for the time being, and General Todman's Twelve Legions are dragged to the west by the orcs, plus the main coalition forces from the outside world... ...It can be said that there is basically no one in Stormwind City who can fight!
"Your Majesty the King, I would like to know even more, where are the 30,000 alliance elites we have withdrawn from Nanhai Town in the north, and when can we successfully reach Stormwind City?!"
At this time, a middle-aged man with black hair and black beard who was wearing luxurious clothes and looked like a duke with the badge on his body stood up first and asked.
"..."
"Marshal Reginald Windsor of our Northern Expeditionary Army, he had already dispatched 30,000 alliance elites to sail south on the third day after receiving the order from the alliance headquarters and me... But now, It's traveling against the wind, and our fleet is often harassed by those fishmen and Nagas, so I'm afraid it won't be too fast..."
"So, if our judgment is correct, the fleet should have arrived in the southwest waters of Dun Morogh by now, and is expected to appear within the sight of Stormwind City's lighthouse in the next eight to ten days!"
After looking at Duke Elro Aberlock who withdrew from the Dusk Forest and immediately provided information about the orc attack, King Varian thought for a while and truthfully told the approximate time when the reinforcements would arrive.
Anyway, this matter is not a secret. Most people here know it. I am afraid that everyone in the Defias Republic knows it, right? Fortunately, they were a large fleet and were not afraid of Defias' interception.
"What, Duke Elro Eberlock, are you still not satisfied after abandoning your territory, Dusk Forest, and want to abandon Stormwind City again?"
Before anyone else could speak, a Stormwind noble who didn't seem to be on good terms with Duke Elro Aberlock came out first and sneered sarcastically. Obviously, someone was very dissatisfied with Duke Eberlock's behavior of losing the entire Dusk Forest without any resistance?
"Hmph! It was obviously you idiots who abandoned my Twilight Forest first!"
"Don't forget, back then, those fools refused to fulfill their obligations to protect the kingdom, arbitrarily and unreasonably rejected my request for help, and allowed most of our farms in the Twilight Forest to fall into the hands of the undead! If it hadn't been for me The Night Watch troops are forcibly supporting me, and I am afraid that my Night Town could no longer be saved a few years ago!"
"And now, I only have a militia force of less than a thousand night watchmen under my command. Apart from organizing the people to retreat in time, what do you ask me to do to compete with tens of thousands of evil tribal beasts? It depends on you Are you a loser who wants to stay in Stormwind City and enjoy the happiness?!"
After hearing what the other party said, the grumpy Duke Elroy Aberlock protested loudly and angrily. He has never dealt with the nobles in Stormwind City, otherwise, he would not stop living here, but stick to the increasingly difficult Night Town, and stick to the territory of Twilight Forest!
However, when the tribe's army entered the Dusk Forest from Stranglethorn Valley in the south, he even lost his last territory, Night Town...
"Oh? But as far as I know... you have asked your daughter, the commander of the Night Watch, Althea Aberlock, to secretly take the subway and transfer some of the money to Hearthglen?"
At this time, another member of the Stormwind City Council came out with a sneer and mocked a certain Duke.
"Hmph! I have provided important intelligence to the Kingdom of Stormwind and contributed hundreds of elite Night Watch troops. What else do you want from me? Or, you greedy wastes will send troops to the Kingdom or donate money. Something?!”
Duke Elro Aberlock, who had a high-level title and believed that he had never owed anything to the Kingdom of Stormwind, asked the other party mercilessly. His night watchman force of nearly a thousand men, including hundreds of them, was much stronger than these useless nobles who only talk but do nothing!
"you!!"
"..."
"Enough! Please exercise restraint! Don't mention any irrelevant things now! The kingdom does not prohibit early evacuation to Hearthglen, but before the council decides to evacuate the people, anyone who can afford the high price will For the subway fare, you can leave on your own!”
Anyway, the kingdom does not reimburse the fare, and those rich guys can leave if they want. Plus, Varian is confident in holding Stormwind City, and those guys who left will have to spend a lot of money to come back. ?
"Everyone, I just want to know, besides waiting for the Northern Expeditionary Army to return south, does anyone have any better solution?"
After stopping the war of words between the dukes and counts, Varian breathed a rare sigh of relief and finally began to ask tentatively.
"I think we can ask for reinforcements from Hearthglen or the Night Elves..."
"The night elves definitely can't do it. They can't come back as fast as our Northern Expedition by boat! As for Hearthglen, they don't have many troops left. Most of them are in the Arathi Highlands..."
"Or, we can ask the warriors from the outer realm to withdraw?"
"Outland? Don't be kidding! Even if the army of Outland returns now, wait until they pass through the Dark Portal, carry the Swamp of Sorrows from the Blasted Land, and then detour westward through the Deadwind Pass into the Dusk Forest. Wait until they return to Stormwind City or reinforce Ten The Second Army Corps, that will be at least a few months away! By then, our elite Northern Expeditionary Army might have already pacified this place!"
"..."
"Then what do you think we should do?"
"What else can we do? Recruit a large number of strong militiamen, and then seize the time to train. It doesn't require them to be good at fighting, as long as they can hold Stormwind City! As long as we hold on for ten days, it will be easy to handle after our main force returns. !”
"Hmph! Stupid! If you keep waiting here, whether it is the Western Spring Fortress or the Triangle Crossing, once the situation collapses, the entire Elwynn Forest will be completely destroyed! You must know that after losing the big granary in the Western Wilderness, Elwynn Forest is the most elite area of our Kingdom of Stormwind. Once any party breaks through the defense line and floods in on a large scale... next year, our kingdom's finances will completely collapse..."
"Yeah... the tax revenue over the barren Burning Plains and the chaotic Redridge Mountains is not very good! We have three important tax areas in the Kingdom of Stormwind: Dusk Forest is no longer able to grow crops due to the influence of the evil black mist in Deadwind Pass; As for Western Wilderness, you also know...if there is another problem in Elwynn Forest, let alone taxes, we will even have a problem eating!"
"..."
"If this is the case, then we can only increase troops... and send part of the main force to reinforce Xiquan Fortress! In Stormwind City, we can only rely on some militiamen to guard it for the time being?"
"No! I object! Think about it, which one is more important, Stormwind City or Elwynn Forest? If we lose Elwynn Forest, we will have some financial problems at most. But once the enemy successfully raids Stormwind City, then our Kingdom of Stormwind will Maybe they will die! Don't forget, there are already Orc troops flowing into Elwynn Forest. Who knows how many there are? Is it a thousand? Or two thousand, or five thousand? By then, a group of militiamen and a small number of How can the elite defend Stormwind City?!"
"Yes! I am also opposed to increasing the number of troops in Xiquan Fortress! If newly recruited militiamen are sent there, I have no objection! In short, those elite city defenders and royal guards must not leave Stormwind City for even half a step!"
"..."
"But if we send some armed militiamen without any training, what's the use? I'm afraid they won't be able to enter Xiquan Fortress, and they will be directly dispersed by the Defias rebels, right?"
"makes sense……"
Just like that, in the king's meeting hall in the Stormwind Castle Fortress, a large group of Stormwind nobles, senior officials, generals, council members, etc., were chattering and quarreling with each other, without caring about the person standing on the throne. The face of King Varian is getting darker and darker.
"Okay, stop fighting!"
"With the current situation, we can only wait... I hope our reinforcements can return to Stormwind City as soon as possible! Then let's leave the meeting as it is!"
After saying that, the angry Varian waved his hand, then shook his cloak fiercely, turned around, walked off the throne, and walked directly towards the small door at the back of the hall.
In fact, he already knew that such discussions with these guys would definitely lead to no results! Now, maybe we can only wait for the return of the Northern Expeditionary Army!
Tomorrow... no, later, he will immediately try magical communication with Marshal Reginald Windsor, and convey the current situation to the old marshal to see if the other party has any good solutions?
If it doesn't work, Varian might as well give up even Hillsbrad Hills... In that case, half of the main force of the Northern Expedition can be withdrawn directly, and for the time being, only Ara will be retained as an advance base and bridgehead. High altitude is enough! In this way, maybe it can be used as a bargaining chip to win over Prince Danath Trollbane, who was born in Stromgarde?
Can
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