"Blessed by the Eternal Sun"—beyond this phrase, Calpurnia couldn't think of any other way to describe it.
Mr. Rhodes's learning ability was simply monstrous; it had thoroughly terrified her.
A slight smile appeared at the corners of Rhodes's mouth as he replied, "Haha, perhaps it isn't the Eternal Sun watching over me, but the Great Titans."
And why wouldn't it be? If there was a blessing, it came from the Titans, not some Eternal Sun. Although the latest plot developments seemed to hint at a Sun God's appearance, that character had yet to make a formal debut.
"That's the only explanation, Lord Rhodes. I have taught you every spell I know. How you walk your path and utilize these spells in the future is up to you.
But remember, Lord Rhodes, though many learn the same spells, the power varies between casters. The spells you cast far exceed my imagination; that is not the mana capacity of a beginner. You should focus on developing it further," Calpurnia said.
She used herself as an example: a common mage's fireball might blast a tree or knock down a regular mortal soldier. But her own fireball could take down a Human Paladin or even a Druid in Great Bear form.
"I am grateful for your guidance, Lady Calpurnia," Rhodes said, nodding respectfully.
Calpurnia returned the salute and rose to leave. She would now lead the High Elves stationed with Rhodes to the continent of Kalimdor.
The next morning, the distinct, noisy roar of steam engines echoed from the distance—the Goblin airships had arrived.
Rhodes's five-day deadline was up. The Steamwheedle Cartel was clearly taking this trade very seriously, delivering the first batch of supplies right on schedule.
The airships descended, carrying a massive amount of prepared goods.
"Hello, Mr. Rhodes! We meet again. As agreed, I've brought the first shipment: enough supplies for twenty days, including food, fresh water, and medical supplies." The one trading with Rhodes was the same old Goblin, Grizby.
One had to admit, Goblins were incredibly fast. Even with food shortages across Azeroth, these little guys managed to scrounge it up.
"You are very welcome, Mr. Grizby," Rhodes stepped forward for a friendly exchange. He then ordered the Paladins and Lordaeron militias in the camp to begin moving the cargo onto the ships.
"We went to great lengths to find these resources. Some were even shipped from Stranglethorn Vale—mostly dried fish and flavored pickled seafood. Hope you like it. Now, about our trade items..." Grizby smiled and rubbed his fingers together; the meaning was unmistakable.
"You're a straightforward man, and so am I," Rhodes laughed, directly presenting about two tons of Golden Man remains and a portion of Diamond Man shards. Grizby nodded sharply and immediately inspected the goods.
"This is one-third of the payment. Once we arrive in Kalimdor, I will deliver the rest," Rhodes said with a smile. If the other party was honest, he would be too; business was built on integrity.
"A pleasure doing business, my friend. Our airships are ready. Since there are only twenty of them, we'll just need to coordinate resources from here. Actually, besides the delivery, we have another matter to discuss... such as purchasing those Space Magic Ships," Grizby said, smiling at Rhodes.
He had gathered intel on Rhodes recently and learned through certain channels about these miraculous magic ships. For Goblins in the transport business, such things were far more valuable than the two special metals. Trade Prince Gallywix had issued a direct order to obtain them by any means—starting with trade, but moving to other methods if necessary.
"Oh? Your information is quite up-to-date. Indeed, the Titan Keepers built these special Space Magic Ships for me. A single ship can hold 20,000 people. Of course, if the interior is modified, they could hold more. If used for cargo, the capacity is even greater," Rhodes said, narrowing his eyes.
Here comes the big business.
"What do you need, Lord Rhodes? Our Trade Prince is determined to have these ships. He ordered us to get at least two, and if possible, establish a long-term trade agreement," Grizby stated.
The Trade Prince's plan was to buy two first to see if they could be reverse-engineered. If they could be copied, there would be no need for further purchases. Azeroth had no intellectual property laws; if you could crack it, it was yours. However, this was Titan technology. Even with Goblin confidence in engineering, this involved magic—a Goblin weakness. If they couldn't copy it, they'd have to keep buying from Rhodes.
"Haha, certainly. I can trade two ships to you. What I need is simple. Once we arrive in Kalimdor, you Goblins must help us build a capital city and provide initial supplies. After all, my people will be starting from scratch," Rhodes proposed.
"That is a bit difficult. You know two ships aren't worth that much. Building a capital city is no joke. You'd need to pay extra—at least 200 tons of that Golden Man scrap metal. As for the magic ships, we'd want twenty. And we only handle the outer structures; we won't touch the interior," Grizby countered with a smile.
No one got a free ride from a Goblin. Building a city for 100,000 refugees was a massive undertaking.
"No, no, no, sir. You misunderstand. Regarding buildings, we Humans are quite capable of constructing our own houses. What I mean is that after we arrive, you provide us with the appropriate construction materials," Rhodes clarified.
"That's more reasonable. So, do you intend to pay with magic ships or rare metals? If we only provide materials, it'll be at least 50 tons of rare metal, or five magic ships."
"Two magic ships, or about 20 tons of rare metal, with at least 2 tons being Diamond Golem shards," Rhodes bargained. When haggling with Goblins, you had to cut their price in half and then some. Regardless, Rhodes wouldn't lose out—both items were renewable resources for him.
"You really know how to do business, Lord Rhodes. You should check your lineage; you might have Goblin ancestors," Grizby joked.
"Oh! Highly unlikely. My skin isn't green at all, I'm quite tall and my name isn't Filius Flitwick" Rhodes laughed. I'm a pure Earthling! No Goblin blood here.
"You're quite the humorist. But humor aside, business is business. We can't budge on some points. 30 tons of rare anti-magic metal—3 tons being Diamond—or three magic ships. Don't reject it yet; hear our terms.
Once you safely reach Kalimdor and find a spot, we will deliver the materials to your doorstep. We guarantee you can start building your home immediately, and we'll throw in a batch of grain as a gesture of friendship. All materials will be top-grade, no cutting corners," Grizby promised.
After a moment of feigned contemplation, Rhodes nodded with a look of "painful" resignation.
"Fine, Mr. Grizby. Your sharp negotiation skills have convinced me. I accept the price: 2 Space Magic Ships and 10 tons of rare metal. But I can only deliver once we reach Kalimdor."
"No problem! A pleasure doing business, Mr. Rhodes—or should I say, Regent Rhodes."
"A pleasure, future Trade Prince."
Rhodes shook hands with the old Goblin. If you didn't let these guys haggle, they'd feel worse than if you killed them. Besides, in business, looking pained makes the other party feel they haven't lost out. For Rhodes, this was pure profit—one cost mana, the other cost wood and system gold, which he was currently earning at a rate of 4,500 units per day.
"Haha, you have a silver tongue, Lord Rhodes. But I'm old; I'd have been thrilled to hear that in my youth. By the way, we've brought 20 magic airships, fully fueled. When do you plan to leave?" Grizby asked.
He had completed the Trade Prince's mission. If this deal went through, he would be in charge of the entire Eastern Kingdoms trade route for the Cartel. He really might be one step closer to becoming a Trade Prince.
"We leave tomorrow. I need time to pack. We depart for Kalimdor in the morning," Rhodes confirmed.
"OK. We'll stay here tonight. We'll start installing the hooks to tether your magic ships under our airships," Grizby said.
Rhodes smiled and introduced the Goblin representative to Princess Calia, Uther, and the mage Jaina. After some friendly exchange and the help of both Goblin engineers and human militia, five magic ships were successfully tethered under the airships.
Some human civilians felt flying wasn't safe and raised objections to the Princess, preferring to wait for standard ships. But Rhodes's repeated assurances of Goblin airship safety quelled their fears.
The rest of the Alliance fleet would follow in a few days under the escort of a Kul Tiran naval commander, carrying more refugees from Stromgarde and Lordaeron.
After arranging everything, Rhodes returned to his tent to rest. Calia and Uther remained to supervise the work, ensuring everything was secure for the flight.
Back in his tent, Rhodes pulled up his resource interface. From the raid on Arthas to save Uther, he had gained a massive amount of world resources. Combined with the wood and ore accumulated over several days, he could finally upgrade his Tier 3 Mage Guild.
A Tier 3 Guild added three available spells. Previously, Rhodes couldn't learn them without the Wisdom skill, but things were different now. He selected the Tier 3 Mage Guild in the system and planned to build a Lich Mausoleum tomorrow.
He needed to upgrade his troop types as soon as possible. Even if he didn't recruit them immediately, he could stockpile them for future use. He planned to put his undead forces under the command of Stronk.
Undead troops couldn't be shown in public yet. He hoped the system would drop a new city type soon—ideally a Tower or Conflux, as both had artifact shops and troop types suitable for public use.
The Tier 3 Mage Guild cost 1,000 Gold, 5 Wood, 5 Ore, and 6 of each of the four rare resources. The Lich Mausoleum required 2,000 Gold, 10 Ore, and 10 Sulfur. These two buildings completely drained his rare resources.
However, building the Mausoleum also unlocked the Hall of Darkness for summoning Dread Knights. The Hall was relatively cheap: 6,000 Gold, 10 Wood, and 10 Ore, with no rare resources required. The build order was smooth—unlike the "money-pit" Tower faction.
Once the Mage Guild was finished, Rhodes immediately entered to check the results. Three new spells appeared.