Chapter 7: Varian Wrynn |
Allen was quite concerned about whether he had managed to save that letter.
Wen Lei, as if she had anticipated this, handed him the nearly incinerated scraps of paper.
"The content is mostly burned away, only this salutation remains..."
Allen took it. Only a moldy, blackened corner of the letter remained, on which elegant cursive script was barely legible:
"To Monsieur de Montmorency..."
[Side Quest Unlocked]
[Side Quest Name: The Mystery of de Montmorency
A strange letter, a strange emblem, a strange curse. Secrets lie within. Attempt to unravel the mystery of the de Montmorency family.
Quest Reward: 1 Random Low-Level Spell, 5 Agility Attribute Points]
What could be confirmed now was that the eerie rainy night incident at the Lion's Pride was definitely connected to the wraiths summoned by this letter.
But what about the six drenched children seen that night? And the tempting whispers that were heard?
Allen began to ponder, his hand unconsciously reaching out towards the group.
The others didn't understand what Allen reaching out meant, and they all turned to look at his attendant, Uncle Wen Lei.
Wen Lei's brow twitched almost imperceptibly, then she coughed. "What is it?"
"Give me paper and a pen."
Seeing Allen order her around so naturally, a faint chill emanated from beneath Wen Lei's expressionless face. Nevertheless, she turned and rummaged through her pack, pulling out a stack of blank parchment and a dip pen, which she handed over.
With a few casual strokes, Allen sketched a vertical-pupil eye weeping tears, appearing exceptionally sinister. The eye seemed to possess a bizarre vitality, staring straight out from the paper at anyone looking.
"Do you recognize this mark? This was the emblem stamped on the envelope."
The crowd gathered to examine it for a moment, then shook their heads one after another, indicating they had never seen this emblem before.
Farley, however, seemed to recall something.
"Although I haven't seen this emblem, I have heard of the de Montmorency surname. They are nobles from Stormwind. But they are quite reclusive and don't appear in public much."
Wen Lei had a different discovery. "Although only a corner remains, this letter bears very clear traces of necromantic magic."
Seeing she couldn't be of much help here, Stella, in the blink of an eye, scurried downstairs, off to who-knows-what.
After a few more words, Farley found a random excuse to send his staff away. Rubbing his hands together, he looked somewhat awkwardly at Allen.
"Well, esteemed Mr. Prestor, while I am extremely grateful that you lifted the curse on the inn... this... but your subordinate's arrow nearly set the inn on fire... this... this is so..."
Farley looked at Allen. Allen could only widen his eyes innocently and look at Wen Lei.
Wen Lei was still meticulously studying the eye Allen had drawn. Casually, she took out a small pouch.
A jingling, clinking sound. Just hearing the crisp noise from within made Farley's eyes light up.
"So... so good! What a great shot! Hero! Warrior! Excellent! Thank you for saving the Lion's Pride!"
Farley took the small pouch, gave it a heft that seemed to gauge the approximate amount, then left the room contentedly, taking Allen's gaze with him.
How much money was in there?
Noticing Allen's look, Wen Lei suddenly spoke up. "Let's be frank. I'm here specifically to investigate these matters. If possible, I'd like you to accompany me to Stormwind. I need your cooperation to help me continue the investigation."
Allen thought it over. Although he had triggered the related quest and needed to investigate this matter, helping so enthusiastically without any reason would seem suspicious too, wouldn't it?
Don't misunderstand, it's not because he's greedy for money. This is just to give himself a superficially reasonable and unsuspicious motive for action.
So he raised his hand, rubbing his thumb and forefinger together, then held up a hand showing five fingers. "Five..."
Before he could finish, Wen Lei decisively agreed to his demand. "Five gold it is. This one gold coin is the deposit. Upon completion, I'll give you the remaining four."
Allen was stunned. Five gold coins? But I was originally going to say fifty silver coins?
Even so, he unhesitatingly caught the single gold coin Wen Lei tossed towards him. The golden coin traced a perfect arc through the air, landing steadily in his palm. The heavy, substantial feel made Allen's heart leap with joy.
He blurted out, "Deal!"
---------------
A carriage traveled down a tree-lined avenue, surrounded by tranquil forests and the clear chirping of orioles.
Inside the carriage, Allen looked at Stella, who was staring at him with her large, bright blue eyes, and voiced a soul-searching question.
"Why is she here?"
Wen Lei spoke as if it were the most natural thing. "Innkeeper Farley found me, saying this little gnome is very reliable and might be helpful for our investigation."
Stella nodded vigorously beside them, her shockingly blue hair swaying with the motion. She clutched a bulging canvas bag to her chest, from which came constant clinking and clanging, filled with who-knows-how-many engineering gadgets.
Wen Lei continued, "I took a look at her engineering contraptions. They are indeed quite varied and might come in handy. Besides, she doesn't want payment, just room and board covered, so I brought her along."
Isn't this clearly Innkeeper Farley, unable to tolerate this freeloading blue-haired gnome any longer, kicking the burden over to you?
But since it wasn't his money being spent, Allen had nothing to say. He even had to put on an expression that said, "Good, you did well."
Seeing Allen's agreement, Stella immediately performed a standard kneeling bow. "Benefactor, I won't let you down!"
Although the carriage compartment Wen Lei booked was spacious and Stella's frame was petite, such an exaggerated movement still made things seem a bit cramped. Stella wobbled unsteadily, looking almost as if she were kissing Allen's boots.
Under Wen Lei's amused gaze, a somewhat embarrassed Allen hurriedly helped her up. "Uh, don't do that so readily next time."
Stella lifted her small face, eyes brimming with tears.
He really is so different from other noble young masters.
Not knowing what else to say, Allen simply drew back the curtain and leaned his head out the carriage window.
Then, his breath caught.
Stormwind had arrived.
Ahead, a magnificent city sprawled between mountain ranges. White walls encircled the entire city, and massive gates stood open, welcoming travelers from all directions.
At the very top were the spires of Stormwind Keep, golden decorations gleaming in the sunlight. Below the keep, buildings of various districts stood row upon row, tiles of different colors forming a warm, continuous sea.
As majestic as in the game, yet different, because everything was brand new. Many buildings still had scaffolding erected, with craftsmen bustling about on them like ants.
This was a city reborn from the ashes.
The carriage soon passed through the gates of the Valley of Heroes.
Here, there was one place distinctly different from the World of Warcraft game...
It was empty. The memorial statues of the five Sons of Lothar were not yet here.
Because now, it was 8 years after the opening of the Dark Portal.
This was information Allen had probed for on his very first day after transmigrating here, during that dinner at the Lion's Pride.
In the current timeline, the Sons of Lothar had not yet embarked on their expedition to Outland, had not yet sacrificed themselves, so naturally, no statues stood here.
The Second War had just ended. Stormwind was just being rebuilt from ruins. The Valley of Heroes might not even be called by that name yet.
The Third War had not yet erupted. The Scourge had not run rampant. Lordaeron and the northern kingdoms had not fallen. Dalaran had not been crushed into dust and mud by the defiler Archimonde. The high elves' Quel'Thalas had not yet been breached by the Scourge army.
Logically speaking, present-day Stormwind was the safest place for the next several years.
Of course, only relatively speaking. Later, in the World of Warcraft "Cataclysm" expansion, the world-destroying dragon Deathwing would destroy nearly half of Stormwind, and the entire Park district would be ruined and rebuilt.
So, to survive, the best plan was to obediently lay low in Stormwind, and definitely not buy property in the Park district. After defeating the Lich King Arthas in the "Wrath of the Lich King" expansion, just quietly move to the countryside for a while...
But, was this really what he wanted?
Amidst a whirlwind of thoughts, the carriage passed through the city gates, entered the stone-paved streets of Old Town, and finally stopped before a three-story building.
The Pig and Whistle Inn.
The inn's sign depicted a grinning pink pig, with a horn-blowing sentry standing on its back. Warm light spilled from the inn's windows, accompanied by the sounds of voices and clinking cups.
After retrieving their luggage and entering the inn, Wen Lei had just finished ordering. Hearing the long list of dishes Wen Lei recited—honey-roasted squab, onion and cheese bisque, charcoal-grilled lionfish, herb bread pudding—Stella's eyes began to sparkle, and she stuck out her little tongue to lick the drool that had started to flow.
Before the food arrived, a loud BANG! from the neighboring table drew Allen's attention.
Thump!
He turned to look. At the next table sat a boy of about ten or so years old, with unruly black hair. His features were youthful but already hinted at a resolute outline. His eyes burned with angry flames, and he seemed like a furious little lion.
He angrily complained to another young man beside him:
"Damn it, they clearly treat me like a child, don't take me seriously at all."
The young man beside him was slightly older, with short brown hair and a gentle face. He was helplessly pressing the boy's shoulder, whispering words of consolation.
Allen's heart stirred. The boy's face, that angry and proud demeanor, reminded him of a name.
Varian Wrynn.
King of Stormwind, Lion of Humanity, High King of the Alliance.
And now, he was just a boy who had lost his father not long ago, forced to sit in the corner of the Regency Council meetings as an observer.