Chapter 11: Weapons |
In the barracks of the Old Town district, Allen and his two companions were led through multiple checkpoints by an officer.
Inside the command post, the long table was already surrounded by seated officers.
Their military uniforms were crisp, their expressions stern. Thick dossiers and maps were spread out on the table before them.
Allen was ushered to a secondary seat at the table. Stella sat beside him, clearly somewhat terrified. Her small body was curled up in the chair, her large, azure-blue eyes darting around nervously. The tall, imposing soldiers surrounding her made her look like a little mouse that had accidentally wandered into a pride of lions.
Wen Lei's face was expressionless, one hand resting naturally at his waist, where his dagger was concealed.
Suddenly, all the officers stood up in unison, their movements synchronized, the heels of their boots clicking together crisply.
They straightened their backs, their gazes fixed on the doorway, their right hands rising—
"Seventh Legion, saluting the Kin—"
Before the words could be finished, a figure strode in.
Today he wore a well-tailored, deep blue military uniform, the collar embroidered with a golden lion's head. The scabbard of the sword at his waist gleamed brightly.
His gaze swept over the officers who were on the verge of speaking out, his brow furrowing slightly, a flash of warning in his eyes.
The officers forcibly swallowed the words they were about to say, then seamlessly transitioned:
"Kin... the nation's eagle, Stormwind's sharp blade, the esteemed Major Mathias Shaw!"
A slight upward curve touched Varian's lips. He seemed quite satisfied with this last-minute change of address.
He took the seat at the head of the table, his eyes sweeping over those present. They paused on Allen for a moment, and he gave a slight nod.
Major Mathias Shaw?
Wen Lei, who had always felt the name "Mathias" sounded somewhat familiar, leaned slightly towards Allen and whispered in a low voice, "I've heard of him. Rumor has it he is the sharp blade in Stormwind's shadow, in charge of the most cruel, ruthless, and omnipresent intelligence agency—SI:7."
His voice was soft, but loud enough for Stella beside him to hear.
The words "SI:7" were like a bucket of ice water poured over her head. Stella's little face instantly turned deathly pale.
Her large, azure-blue eyes looked fearfully at the seated "Major Shaw." Then, without a sound, she shrank her entire body behind Allen, leaving only a tuft of blue hair visible, trembling.
Suppressing a laugh, Allen asked knowingly, "So you are Major Shaw? Then who is that Shaw beside you?"
Before Varian could answer, the real Mathias Shaw spoke up first, "I am Major Shaw's cousin."
His tone was calm, his expression unchanged.
"Ohhh—" Allen drew out the tail end of that "Oh" very long. Varian vaguely felt the other was making fun of him, but couldn't quite pin it down.
He cleared his throat and put on a stern face. "Alright, let's get down to business."
An officer stood up in response, walked to a map hanging on the wall, and picked up a slender pointer.
"Gentlemen," he cleared his throat, pointing to a marked location on the map of Elwynn Forest, "Three weeks ago, the de Montmorency family was brutally massacred at their country villa near the lumber camp in Elwynn Forest."
The pointer tapped on the map, where the symbol for a manor was marked.
"Based on the on-site investigation, there were a total of seventeen victims—the head of the de Montmorency family and his wife, their five children, seven servants, and three distant relatives who happened to be staying overnight. The cause of death for all was a sharp weapon slitting their throats. The method was clean and efficient."
As the officer spoke, Varian whispered more inside information to Allen beside him,
"Because the de Montmorency family was quite marginalized in noble circles, this tragedy didn't cause much of a stir among the nobility. Stormwind's officials hastily classified it as a random act by the Red Scarf Bandits, especially since all the valuables from the villa were indeed missing."
Red Scarf Bandits?
Allen raised an eyebrow. The "red headband" mentioned by Wen Lei came to mind. It was now eight years after the opening of the Dark Portal. Stormwind wasn't fully rebuilt yet. The Stonemasons' Guild hadn't yet turned to banditry due to unpaid wages. Edwin VanCleef hadn't yet founded the Defias Brotherhood.
So where did these Red Scarf Bandits come from?
Of course, the inside story wasn't just what Varian said. At the time, Stormwind's officials closed the case with the results of 'wiping out the largest bandit group in Elwynn Forest' and 'completely strengthening domestic security patrols.' It didn't create any ripples. The de Montmorency family was just buried by the dust of history.
Until today, when this massacre case was dug up again by Varian Wrynn.
Combined with previous clues, Allen's earlier conclusion was overturned. Varian believed it wasn't that the de Montmorency family had colluded with Horde remnants, but rather that a Horde remnant hiding within Stormwind's borders was responsible for this tragedy.
The shift in the perpetrator from Red Scarf Bandits to Horde remnants instantly changed the importance of this massacre case. The Stormwind nobility were now all uneasy.
After all, bandits could be wiped out easily, but the Horde orcs... they had truly conquered Stormwind.
That terrifying memory was still branded in the heart of every Stormwind resident: burning houses, corpses everywhere, green-skinned demons waving battle axes and roaring as they charged through the city gates...
King Varian's discovery was a slap in the face to those nobles of the Regency Council who still saw him as a child. Varian himself also wanted to use this case to seize back the power that was rightfully his.
Thus, the de Montmorency Massacre Special Investigation Team was formed.
After hearing the whole story, that gentle yet hollow female voice sounded in Allen's ear:
「Side Quest: The Mystery of de Montmorency (Completed)」
「Reward: 5 Dexterity Attribute Points Distributed」
「Reward: 1 Random Low-Level Spell Being Drawn…」
「…」
「Draw Successful. Congratulations, you have successfully obtained the spell: 【Tasha's Hideous Laughter】」
Spell Details:
Spell Level: 1st-level
Effect: Choose a creature you can see within range. If the creature can be affected by the spell, everything becomes hilariously funny to it, causing it to break into fits of uncontrollable laughter.
This spell has no effect on creatures with an Intelligence of 4 or lower.
Note: 「Laughter, too, is yours to command.」
Allen stared at the panel, falling silent.
What kind of lousy spell is this? Makes people laugh hysterically? What's the use? Make the opponent laugh to death during a fight? Although Allen knew that Hideous Laughter could sometimes have surprising effects, he was simply venting his feelings because he didn't draw any powerful attack spell.
「Dexterity 6」→「Dexterity 11」! (Congratulations, you now run faster than a rabbit.)
...Alright then, at least I'm more confident about escaping now.
Before he could fully digest this reward, the system's voice sounded again:
【Side Quest Unlocked】
【Side Quest Name: The Mystery of de Montmorency (Part Two)
A terrifying serial killer, the mastermind behind the de Montmorency family massacre, is hiding within Stormwind's borders. I think you should avenge them, find the killer, arrest him... or, kill him.
Quest Reward: 2 Random Low-Level Spells, 5 Free Attribute Points】
Allen took a deep breath, pulling himself back from the system interface.
Just then, he heard an officer sigh, "But where do we find the killer? There are no eyewitnesses, no clues, only a half-burned letter and an emblem of unknown origin…"
The other officers nodded one after another, their faces showing difficulty.
Eyewitnesses? Allen actually had an idea, but couldn't bring it up in front of so many people.
"I can find information about the killer."
Allen, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke, attracting everyone's attention.
Varian's eyes lit up. "Oh? What's your plan?"
"Don't worry about that…" Allen looked around. The gazes of those officers and nobles felt like needles pricking him.
These people indeed didn't look favorably upon him—an outsider who appeared out of nowhere, bewitching their king to play some kind of "make-believe," and now bragging that he could find the killer.
He beckoned to Varian.
Varian didn't mind his impropriety and leaned his ear closer.
Allen lowered his voice to a volume only the two of them could hear, "Tonight, after midnight, come find me at the inn. I have a way to find out the killer's information, characteristics, even his name."
Varian gave him a strange look.
Forget it.
I'll believe him one more time.
He straightened up and announced to everyone, "Today's meeting ends here. Everyone, return and await further instructions."
The officers looked at each other. Some wanted to say something, but seeing Varian's unyielding expression, they could only stand up, salute, and file out one by one.
As they left, many shot unfriendly glances at Allen. Their eyes clearly said: Just you wait, let's see how you'll blow your own cover.
After everyone had dispersed, Stella finally dared to peek her head out from behind Allen. She let go of Allen's sleeve, which she had been clutching tightly, and let out a long sigh of relief.
"That scared me to death…"
A few officers who had joined halfway through only then noticed that there was actually a little Gnome hiding behind Allen, and they all showed expressions of surprise.
Stella met those gazes and whoosh—she shrank back again.
-----------------
That night.
The candlelight flickered in the Pig and Whistle Inn.
Upstairs in the room, Stella was looking at Allen with a face full of admiration.
"Benefactor, you were so brave today!" She waved her little hands, stars twinkling in her azure-blue eyes. "Facing so many important people, and you could still speak without changing your expression! So amazing!"
Allen smiled but didn't speak.
Wen Lei, meanwhile, was pacing back and forth, his brow furrowed tightly.
He finally couldn't hold back and stopped, looking at Allen. "What method do you actually have to find the killer?"
Allen smiled mysteriously, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.
"You'll find out then."
Wen Lei's frown deepened, like a cat tormented by curiosity.
He paced a few more steps, then spoke again, "Did you find any other clues in Goldshire that day?"
Allen smiled without answering.
Wen Lei scratched his head and ears, restless. He kept glancing at the moonlight outside the window, then at the clock on the wall.
Finally,
Knock knock knock—
The door was gently knocked.
Allen got up to open it.
Outside stood two figures wrapped in dark cloaks: Varian Wrynn and Mathias Shaw.
"We're here," Varian said in a low voice, unable to wait as soon as he entered. "Speak, what method do you actually have?"
Allen unhurriedly closed the door and gestured for the two to sit down.
Wen Lei and Stella also gathered around. Eight eyes fixed on Allen.
Allen smiled slightly and looked at Varian.
"Do you know where the bodies of the de Montmorency family are buried?"
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