"*Sob sob*... May the Light bless us."
"It's Lord Uther, the great Uther the Lightbringer."
"My Lord, are you here to save us?" Dozens of civilians knelt on the ground, looking excitedly at Uther and the Paladins present.
Upon seeing Uther, these civilians immediately felt they were saved and that hope had returned. This was the famous lightbringer, and all those present were Paladins.
The surrounding Paladins looked at one another, not knowing how to respond. Strictly speaking, they were just a group of defeated soldiers now, though they had found an organization and at least had a goal to move toward, whereas these civilians had no goal at all.
Rhodes turned to glance at Uther. To be honest, these civilians were complete burdens, total dead weight. In times of war, the most unfortunate and miserable ones were always these civilians.
But if one were to truly suggest leaving them behind, the Paladins present couldn't do it, and the Female Mage couldn't do it either.
Uther, a believer in the Light, couldn't do it, and as a modern person, Rhodes couldn't do it either.
"Let's take them with us, Rhodes," Uther said, looking at Rhodes.
"I understand, but you must be prepared. We don't have much food or supplies on our end. It would be best if we could obtain support from the Alliance," Rhodes said.
If the Alliance couldn't provide supplies, then this group wouldn't even make it to sea; they would have to disband within half a month at most.
"There will always be a way. Follow us!" Uther's voice was resolute, carrying an unquestionable power. "We will protect you as we head to Southshore. There are ships there, and there is hope!"
"May the Light bless you, My Lord."
"Thank you for taking us in, Sir Knight."
"I beg of you, Lord Paladins, and Lord Uther, my family is in a town dozens of kilometers away. Please, go and save my family.
It's currently besieged by the undead and needs your rescue. My son is only five years old."
Some expressed gratitude, while others pleaded for help. This disaster had swept through almost all of Lordaeron, and many people were forced to separate from their families.
Everyone saw hope when they saw Uther, but traveling far away for a rescue was nearly impossible. Uther, Rhodes, and the others didn't have the time or the leisure for it.
Ultimately, Rhodes, Uther, and the Paladins present chose to ignore them. They could accept the civilians here, but they could no longer head to distant places for rescues.
Some civilians whose homes were far away began to curse and vent their anger, blaming the great Paladins and the great lightbringer for being unwilling to save them.
But they were helpless. Eventually, the anger turned back into bitter pleading, but no matter how they begged, the outcome would not change. They had only one choice: either follow the group or leave.
At a time like this, Rhodes couldn't allow small matters to delay the main force's movements.
"You executioners! You are unworthy of being Paladins! You don't deserve the Light's favor at all, to just stand by and watch people die!" someone cursed.
Most people joined the group, while a few stubborn ones insisted on heading far away to find their families, stepping onto a path of no return.
That day, the group only traveled about a dozen kilometers. At noon, the Female Mage cast a teleportation spell to return to Southshore with several wounded and personal letters from Uther and Rhodes to inform Princess Calia of the situation.
On Rhodes and Uther's side, the rescued civilians joined the group with immense gratitude, but this was only the beginning.
The following days became a repeating cycle of rescue and marching. They advanced along the roads, constantly encountering refugees pursued by undead squads or survivors shivering in ruins.
Every time they encountered them, Uther stepped forward without hesitation. The Silver Hand Knights tore through the undead with fearless courage and holy power, and then took in these civilians.
The group expanded rapidly like a rolling snowball. New people joined every day, and every day people pleaded for rescue. Rhodes saw Uther grow more exhausted by the day.
Almost every day, he had to refuse dozens of civilians who came to beg for the rescue of their families. This caused the lightbringer's heart immense pain.
Uther tightly gripped his silver hand warhammer, cursing Arthas and the Lich King behind him countless times in his heart.
Among those who joined the group, there were quite a few retired soldiers from Lordaeron; these people were quickly organized into the ranks.
"Don't be in so much pain, Lord Uther. Sometimes you must make a choice. This disaster has swept through all of Lordaeron; we cannot save everyone.
Now we must reach Southshore as soon as possible to rendezvous with Princess Calia, then obtain help from the Alliance to cross west to the Kalimdor Continent," Rhodes intended to comfort the lightbringer.
One cannot have a bleeding heart in troubled times! Rhodes was truly worried that Uther might suddenly come to him and say he wanted to stay and fight here, to protect the civilians and establish a shelter.
"I know the situation, child. I fought in the Second War; I know the cruelty of war," Uther said with a bitter smile, as if seeing through Rhodes's thoughts.
He did indeed have the urge to stay, but he knew it was a wrong decision. It would be no different from staying in Andorhal to save civilians and gather members of the Order.
As long as the undead knew he was here, Arthas would lead a massive army to find them. The civilians following him would have only one path: death. The only hope was to take these people to Southshore and board ships for Kalimdor.
"It's good that you understand, Lord Uther. However, we must pick up the pace." With civilians dragging them down, the marching speed would decrease significantly.
But the good news was that that fellow Arthas was already heading to QuelThalas with the urn. At least the main undead army wouldn't come; otherwise, Rhodes wouldn't have agreed to rescue the civilians.
"I understand. Some of these refugees brought horses, so our speed will increase slightly. We can let the elderly, the weak, the women, and the children ride them," Uther said.
On the third day, they rescued dozens of farmers from an abandoned mill besieged by the undead. The Paladins joined forces to eliminate the undead there and saved the farmers.
They also obtained some wheat from the abandoned mill, which at least solved the food problem for the group.
On the fourth day, a small Lordaeron Militia squad that had retreated from the direction of Westweald joined them, bringing hellish news from further north.
It should be called the Western Plaguelands now. But the good news was that Lights Hope Chapel had not yet fallen, and a large number of Silver Hand members were still holding their ground.
Some Paladins suggested heading to Lights Hope Chapel, but Rhodes and Uther rejected it immediately. Lights Hope Chapel would be fine.
A vast number of Paladin heroic spirits rested there; even Arthas wouldn't dare provoke that place lightly.
On the fifth day, they encountered a larger group of refugees at a crossroads, consisting of several dilapidated carriages. Among them were even a few surviving low-level Priests whose weak Holy Light became a force to soothe people's hearts.
On the sixth day, they defeated an undead patrol (led by a Cult of the Damned member) attempting to ambush them near a burnt-out outpost, rescuing over a hundred women and children hiding in a cave.
On the seventh day, the exhausted but determined group, after repelling a sizable pursuit of mixed Ghouls and Abominations, finally saw the outline of Southshore on the distant horizon—a symbol of the sea and hope.
At this point, eight days had passed since Rhodes and the others set out to rescue Uther. Because the civilians slowed the group down, they only just reached their destination.
When the massive refugee group (whose numbers had surged to over three thousand) appeared stumbling within the sight of Southshore's outer sentries, it caused a huge sensation.
The ragged, emaciated crowd was like an endless scar winding along the road leading to the town.
And walking at the very front of the group, that iconic armor—though covered in dust, it still shone with an unyielding light—and that silver hand warhammer, symbolizing protection and justice, made the guard on the watchtower cry out in disbelief: "The lightbringer! It's Lord Uther! They're still alive! They brought back—Heavens, he brought back so many civilians!"
The news spread through all of Southshore like wildfire.
When Rhodes, Uther, and the scarred but still upright Silver Hand Knights arrived at the town entrance with the massive, hopeful, and tragic crowd of over three thousand refugees behind them, the entire town boiled with excitement.
Princess Calia, surrounded by Lady Proudmoore and the Priests, came out to meet them with tears in her eyes.
"Lord Uther, and Rhodes, it's so good to see you."
The haze of Arthas's betrayal and the despair of the capital's fall were slightly diluted at this moment by the miracle of Uther's survival and the return of a large number of survivors.
Cries of survival after the disaster, shouts of gratitude toward the Paladins, confused prayers for the future, and prayers for the last princess of The Menethil Family erupted from the crowd.
Uther looked at the scene before him, devastated yet full of life—the exhausted Knights, the princess who survived the disaster, Rhodes who had fought by his side all the way, and the more than three thousand pairs of tear-filled eyes behind him that placed their hope in them. A heavy sense of responsibility and a rekindled fighting spirit outweighed all the sorrow and fatigue.
He raised the silver hand warhammer high. Holy Light burst from the hammer's head, gently sprinkling over the weary crowd and dispelling the haze of despair.
His voice was no longer hoarse, but filled with a rock-like firmness that echoed over the bustling port of Southshore: "People of Lordaeron! The Light has not abandoned us! As long as the fire of life has not been extinguished, hope lives on! We have survived, and we have come here!
This is not the end; it is a new beginning! We will head to the Kalimdor Continent.
For the fallen, for the living, and for the future of Lordaeron, we will surely rebuild our home!"
"Lord Uther! Rhodes! Thank the Light, you've returned safely! And with so many of our fellow citizens—" Calia's voice choked up as she looked at the dense, seemingly endless crowd before her. She was both relieved for the rescued and weighed down by the heavy pressure of how to settle them.
Southshore itself was not large, and with the sudden influx of thousands of refugees, resources immediately became strained.
"Princess, I have fulfilled my mission." Uther knelt on one knee, his voice steady but unable to hide his exhaustion. "We have brought back the last embers of the Silver Hand and the unyielding people of Lordaeron, but the current predicament—"
The Princess already had tens of thousands of people here; adding those he had brought along made the situation quite dire!
"I know, Lord Uther. Please, rise." Calia helped him up. "We are doing our best to settle everyone. Kul Tiras has provided some aid, but the gap in food, medicine, and clean drinking water is too large. Furthermore, the ships available at the port—" She looked worriedly at the anchored fleet. Transporting so many people across the Great Sea would require an astronomical amount of logistical supplies.
Rhodes looked around and saw the makeshift tent area packed with people. The cries of children and the moans of the injured were constant.
"Princess, the priority is to stabilize people's hearts and organize self-help production. Among the refugees we brought are farmers, craftsmen, and even retired soldiers. We can organize them to clear debris, reinforce defenses, and try farming or fishing in nearby safe areas. At the same time, we must seek more powerful external aid as soon as possible," Rhodes said.
Calia nodded. "You're right, Rhodes. I need your and Lord Uther's help."
Over these few days, she had gradually transformed from a sheltered princess into the leader and backbone of this nation. Previously, she had never participated in any political affairs and had no idea how to manage a country or appease the populace.
If it weren't for the help of Rhodes and Jaina, along with the assistance of some local officials, she wouldn't have known what to do at all.
After exchanging a few more words, the group arrived at the makeshift headquarters.
"Everyone, our top priority now is to quickly find logistical supplies. Otherwise, our resources here won't last ten days," Princess Calia stated.
"Let's see where we can find logistical supplies. The situation for the various races of the Alliance isn't looking too good right now either."
"Even if the dwarves of Ironforge and Stormwind City are willing to help, it would take a month or two for their supplies to be transported here."
"I even doubt if they have received news that Lordaeron has fallen. Gilneas has already isolated itself behind high walls."
"Perhaps we could ask Quel'Thalas for help. The High Elves have always been wealthy."
"Those elves won't help us; at most, they'll treat us as refugees. During the Second War, they only sent a symbolic force."
The crowd began to argue amongst themselves. Some suggested seeking help from Stormwind City and Ironforge, some suggested the High Elves, and others suggested waiting for rescue from Dalaran or Stromgarde.
"Actually, I have an idea. We might be able to find someone to buy supplies from. I know of a group of creatures from whom you can buy anything, as long as you have money," Rhodes spoke up from where he stood to the side.
"Regent Rhodes, you're not talking about goblins, are you? But we don't have that much capital right now," a Lordaeron noble asked.
After all, they were an extremely greedy race, yet they controlled various resources. In some aspects, particularly engineering and manufacturing, they were once ahead of humans.
Goblins engaged in all sorts of commercial activities throughout Azeroth: arms dealing, human trafficking, mineral trading, and food trading. As long as there was money to be made, these little green guys would do anything.
Their most famous saying was, 'Time is money, my friend.' Humans occasionally traded with goblins, but they didn't interact with them much.
Humans generally disliked these little guys because during the First and Second Wars, they had also traded with the orcs. These fellows would do anything as long as you paid them.
"Regent Rhodes, do you have some kind of plan?" Princess Calia asked.
Currently, it seemed that only goblins could help them gather resources in a short amount of time.
"Don't worry, all the funds for the transactions will be provided by the Titan Keeper. The Guardian has already promised me that he will help us humans migrate west to Kalimdor," Rhodes said with a smile.
After acquiring the Manufactory, he had gained not just troop types, but also two scarce resources: gold and diamonds. Diamond Golems were creatures even taller than Gold Golems, reaching a height of six meters, with superior defense, health, and melee combat capabilities.
Rhodes and Uther's group had been on the road for eight days, and the unit dwellings had refreshed. Rhodes now had a total of 9 Gold Golems, 4 Diamond Golems, 12 Iron Golems, and 12 Stone Golems.
As for the wild dwellings, the Refugee Camp had refreshed a group of fodder goblins. These fodder troops' combat power was even inferior to Skeleton Soldiers, so Rhodes threw them directly into the skeleton transformation field without a second thought.
The real key lay with the Gold Golems and Diamond Golems. Besides being used for combat, these two could actually serve a much greater purpose—one far exceeding their combat utility.
Previously, Gold Golems were quite precious, so Rhodes hadn't experimented. Now it didn't matter. Rhodes had conducted an experiment on the road: he had two Gold Golems attack each other and directly tear off one of the other's arms.
The arms of these Gold Golems were made of a special metal mixed with a large amount of gold. Although it couldn't be used to top up the system, it remained fully intact after being torn off.
The Gold Golem would lose 10 health points. Rhodes then ordered the Gold Golem to continue the attack, tearing off all four limbs of one Gold Golem, reducing its health to a measly 10 points.
Rhodes's Healing magic, with the bonus of 8 Power, could restore over 50 health points. Thus, Rhodes made a bold hypothesis and used Healing magic to repair the Gold Golem whose limbs had been removed.
Then, a miraculous scene occurred: the Gold Golem with the torn-off limbs was perfectly restored to life, while the removed limbs were also perfectly preserved. This metal containing a large amount of gold would be of great use.
Furthermore, this special metal contained more than just ordinary gold; it also contained a magical substance with extremely high magic resistance. It would be excellent for casting items or for engineering.
The same applied to the other unit, the Diamond Golems. One must realize that Diamond Golems were far more valuable than Gold Golems. After all, diamonds were a rare gemstone. Although they could be synthesized, current goblin technology hadn't reached that level yet. Both of these resources were extremely valuable.
The subsequent operation was simple: by consuming some mana, Rhodes could obtain a steady stream of gold and diamonds. Besides this, Rhodes's Gold Sack could also provide a large amount of loose gold, the quality of which was even better than the gold produced by the Gold Golems.
Now, as long as he could find goblins, and as long as they had goods, Rhodes had the money to buy them. Goblins could even travel freely between Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms.
Don't think these little guys were simple; the zeppelin technology they possessed was far superior to that of humans. These little guys had established a safe flight path, traveling back and forth between the two continents through the sky.
After the Horde was established in the future, the goblin zeppelins from Undercity could go straight to the Horde's main city, Orgrimmar. Moreover, these little guys' military capabilities were also very strong.
In Rhodes's eyes, these greedy little guys were living suckers. Anyway, as long as he spent some mana, he could get a steady stream of diamonds and magical metal containing lots of gold. Trading them for resources and other things was simply too good a deal.
"Lord Rhodes, if that's the case, then that's wonderful. I really want to meet the Titan Keeper in person to express my gratitude," Princess Calia said.
The Titan Keeper had really been a huge help. Paying for the logistical supplies, medicine, food, clothing, and shelter for so many people—it was an astronomical sum!
"You're welcome, Princess Calia. The Titan Keeper said that since he was the one who suggested the humans migrate west, he will take responsibility to the end.
After this war is over, the great Titan Keeper will meet with you," Rhodes said with a smile.
The Third War should be enough to bring out a Titan. When the time comes, he would use a Titan Giant to pose as the Guardian.
"Regent Rhodes, I remember there's a goblin port near Southshore. These guys sometimes provide zeppelin services, sell engineering creations, and even some magical potions. If you need, I can take you there to have a look," Renault Mograine said to Rhodes.
He, his father, and his brother had lived in Southshore since childhood and knew the area very well. A group of goblins lived at a nearby port.
"Then there's no time to lose. Renault, take me to find these goblins immediately. Don't worry about anything else," Rhodes said with a nod.
"Then I'll leave it to you, Rhodes. Be careful, and I entrust the people of Lordaeron to you," Princess Calia said.
"Don't worry, Princess. I guarantee I'll bring back enough supplies. Let's go, Renault. You lead the way; we'll take a flying mount."
Nodding to the Princess, Rhodes directly summoned a gryphon and then took off with Renault, heading toward the goblins' location.
With the help of the flying mount, Rhodes reached the destination in just a few dozen minutes.
It was a crude little shop with only two goblins stationed inside.
"Welcome! Time is money, my friend. Is there anything you need?"
"Hello, little guys. I have big business to do with you. I want to see your highest-ranking official," Rhodes said.