Chapter 52: Spoils of Division |
Stella’s expression froze instantly.
Her big eyes rapidly filled with tears.
“R-Really?” Her voice quivered with sobs, “I’m sorry, it’s just that I’ve been eating too well these past few days… Every meal had meat, plus dessert, I… I just couldn’t control myself…”
Seeing that tears were about to fall, Allen quickly waved his hand:
“Don’t cry, don’t cry, I think it’s great! It shows you’ve been eating and sleeping well, you’re super cute chubby!”
Wen Lei watched this scene from the side, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly.
That comfort… was practically pouring oil on the fire.
But miraculously, Stella was instantly soothed.
Her face still carried teardrops, yet a smile had already bloomed again, and she even nodded vigorously: “Is that so? Mm! What my savior says is right!”
Allen looked at all the good stuff filling the room, rolling his wrists.
Now, this was the moment of dividing the spoils!
They started picking through the Spoils Room.
Stella was like a little mouse that had fallen into a rice jar, burrowing through the engineering schematics.
Her little hands flipped through one after another, muttering to herself: “This one… no good… this one… already have… this one… wow!”
She pulled out an engineering schematic, excitedly holding it above her head.
“This one! The Portable Bronze Mortar schematic! With this I can—”
“No.”
Shaw’s voice came from the doorway.
Stella’s smile froze on her face.
“That’s a Stormwind military secret.” Shaw walked over and took the schematic from her hands, “It’s registered in the armory inventory, can’t be leaked.”
Stella’s little face fell, but she quickly rallied and dove back into the pile of schematics.
“Then what about this? This should be okay, right?”
She held up another scroll, her eyes sparkling.
Engineering Schematic: Gnome Invisibility Device.
Allen leaned in to look, puzzled: “Aren’t you a Goblin engineer? Why pick a Gnome engineering schematic?”
Stella giggled. She pulled out a pen and directly drew a line through the word “Gnome” on the schematic, then neatly wrote beside it:
“Goblin”.
Allen fell silent.
So this is how your Goblin engineering works?
“What we Goblins are best at is—” Stella rolled up the schematic and stuffed it into her bosom, proudly puffing out her small chest, “—learning from everyone’s strengths!”
You’re a Gnome, damn it!
Allen didn’t say it out loud, turning instead to walk toward another row of shelves.
As a man who aspired to be a great mage—no, now he was the Royal Magic Advisor—how could he not have a proper set of gear?
There were quite a few robes on the shelves. Allen looked through them one by one, finally stopping in front of a pure white robe.
The fabric felt as smooth as flowing water to the touch. Silver runes were embroidered on the collar and cuffs, faintly shimmering with light in the dim lamplight.
Allen took it down, then picked a matching pair of gloves, also pure white, with silver runes on the back of the hands.
[Elegant Robe]
[Chest (Rare Quality)]
[Intellect +3]
[Spirit +2]
[Equip: Slightly increases casting speed]
[Elegant Gloves]
[Hands (Uncommon Quality)]
[Equip: Slightly increases casting speed]
Allen nodded in satisfaction.
Now this was more like it.
He turned around and found Wen Lei still standing before the weapon rack, her gaze gliding over the various blades without a moment’s pause.
“Wen Lei, haven’t you chosen yet?”
Wen Lei shook her head, saying nonchalantly: “Nothing I particularly want.”
Allen’s eyes landed on an object in the corner of the rack.
It was a collar.
Made of black leather, set with a row of sharp silver spikes.
He reached out and picked it up; the system panel automatically popped up.
[Spiked Collar]
[Neck (Uncommon Quality)]
[Use: Summons a Felhound]
Allen’s eyes lit up.
Summon a Felhound? That was way too strong?
Felhounds were mage-killers, demonic pets with innate magic reflection.
“Why don’t you pick this?”
He handed the collar to Wen Lei.
Wen Lei looked down at the collar, and her face instantly darkened.
The spikes, the leather texture, it… it looked like something out of a certain unmentionable…
“What are you trying to say?”
Allen blinked innocently: “What do you mean? This collar is really powerful.”
Wen Lei took the collar and scanned it.
“Where’s the power?”
Allen said seriously: “It really is powerful. But it’s not convenient to demonstrate right now; I’ll show you when I get a chance.”
Wen Lei’s brow furrowed deeper and deeper. He stared at Allen for a long moment, but eventually put the collar away.
Not long after everyone had finished picking, the door to the Spoils Room was pushed open.
Varian strode in. He had changed out of those heavy ceremonial robes, wearing a set of light casual clothes.
“All done?”
He walked straight to Allen and reached out to hook an arm around his shoulder.
Allen instinctively tried to pull away: “Your Majesty, don’t. Please have some dignity.”
Varian shot him a glare and raised a hand, punching him right on the shoulder.
“Ouch!” Allen dramatically grabbed his shoulder, “It hurts! Speaking of which, what exactly was this surprise you mentioned earlier?”
Varian gave a mysterious smile, not answering directly, instead asking:
“Allen, what are your plans next? Going back to Alterac?”
Allen’s smile faded.
Alterac.
The place he claimed to be from, the kingdom that was already in Deathwing’s grasp. Of course, he wouldn’t go back—he wasn’t really from Alterac anyway.
Although no one had entrusted him with it, the theft of Medivh’s book right under his nose left him with a nagging sense of unfinished business, like a task incomplete. And the system’s “Strange Wooden Stick” quest also pointed toward a magical capital.
“I’m not planning to go back to Alterac.”
He turned to look at Wen Lei and Stella.
“I don’t know what everyone else is planning,” Allen said, “But I’ll probably keep adventuring. In the near future, I might head to Dalaran.”
“Dalaran?”
Varian looked at Allen in surprise, “You’re going to Dalaran?”
The others were also a bit startled.
Varian immediately spoke up:
“In the near future, I have a friend who’s also going to Dalaran. If possible, could you let her follow you? With you protecting her, I’d feel most at ease.”
With that, Varian smiled knowingly, “Also, if you’re not going back to Alterac, why not just stay in Stormwind from now on?”
Then he patted Allen’s shoulder, winking as he added:
“So, the so-called surprise is… the mansion in the Garden District is almost rebuilt. It should be finished by the time you get back from Dalaran. When that happens, pick one—I’m giving it to you!”
Everyone was stunned.
“What?!”
---------
Night.
Allen lay alone on his bed in the room, staring at the ceiling.
Varian’s surprise really was giving him a house.
A mansion in the Garden District, no less.
It was clear Varian really wanted to tie him down to Stormwind.
Just the Garden District… the location wasn’t very auspicious.
In a few years, the world-ending dragon, Deathwing the Destroyer, who caused the global Cataclysm, would descend from the sky and blast the entire Garden District into ruins.
But Allen couldn’t help feeling emotional.
He was… about to have a home in Azeroth?
Ever since he’d crossed over, he’d lived in inns, slept in other people’s beds, used other people’s things. The Lion’s Pride, the Pig and Whistle, the little inn in Darkshire… every bed was just a temporary shelter.
And now, he was about to own his own house.
What a strange feeling, like… he’d finally put down roots in this unfamiliar land.
…
For the sake of that mansion, maybe… he should go kill Deathwing?