Duke didn't know that he was being sold out by the Queen and Bolvar, a guy who seemed to be very loyal but was actually a jerk. If it worked, he would be sold out and still help others count the money.
After returning to Southshore, Duke was really busy.
He only talked a few words with the mayor of Southshore, the legendary figure Heni Mareb, and was immediately overwhelmed by a lot of things. In the temporary official residence, which was a wooden house with a living room, a dining room and two bedrooms, Duke had to face a mountain of documents and messy requests.
Obviously, Bolvar has never played the game "SimCity" and does not understand urban planning. His fiefdom has been inherited from his ancestors since ancient times. Moreover, Bolvar is a pure warrior and is not good at internal affairs. Therefore, the internal affairs are finally handed over to Duke.
Because we know that Duke has strict requirements for urban planning, we still need to obtain Duke's consent before we can proceed with the general direction.
Duke waved his hand and first used the special order from Barov to suppress Mayor Mareb.
"Your lord, Duke Barov, has given us permission to build refugee camps and related facilities anywhere in the Hillsbrad Foothills region."
Then Duke found the former civil officials of Stormwind City and, with a stroke of his pen, drew a circle around all the grasslands on both sides of the hundred-kilometer-long highway from Southshore Town to Hillsbrad Farm - well, all of this was reclaimed into farmland and he treated this place as his own home.
Duke then asked Windsor to gather people to clear out the snowmen in the mines north of the avenue. These huge humanoid creatures, more than three meters tall, were a great threat to the refugees of Stormwind.
Well, by the way, a nearby mine called Jade Mine was also accepted by Duke.
Finally, Duke met two unexpected characters, his followers Edwin VanCleef and Gryan Stoutmantle.
"Your Excellency Edmund Duke, the Sheriff of Westfall, Gryan Stoutmantle, salutes you."
Looking at the middle-aged man with gray hair parted in front of him, Duke was stunned unconsciously.
Duke had actually been keeping an eye on Gryan Stoutman. It was simple, because according to history, this guy would have risen to the position of Grand Marshal. He was one of the few grassroots heroes who had managed to climb to the top in the troubled Stormwind.
Unlike Windsor who died in history, Grian could be considered a late bloomer, and until Duke traveled through time, Grian was still doing well as a marshal.
Kyrian was born in Westfall.
According to history, he followed Lothar to retreat to Southshore when Stormwind fell, and then joined the Knights of Uther, the first generation of Paladin. At that time, he was mainly active in the holy city of Stratholme.
Later, Lordaeron was in chaos, and news came from his hometown, the West Wilderness, that the Defias Brotherhood was causing chaos. He returned to the West Wilderness alone to help his fellow villagers.
Because Stormwind did not send any aid to Westfall at that time, old man Kyrian was very angry, so he put on his armor again and called on the people of Westfall to spontaneously form the Westfall People's Army to fight against the Defias Brotherhood.
Later, the Brotherhood was destroyed, and Varian returned, and then the Northern Expedition began again.
Stoutman's People's Army also participated in the Northern Expedition and was organized into a regular army, renamed the Moonbrook Brigade. Gryan himself also returned to the military rank system and his title was promoted.
After the Northern Expedition, the old man returned to his hometown with the Western Wilderness Brigade to help rebuild the country. But soon the Cataclysm occurred again, and the remnants of the Brotherhood revived again.
In this way, through repeated struggles, Gryan Stoutmantle climbed to the position of Marshal.
Well, Duke knows that Grian is indeed a super awesome guy.
Now, the second sentence of this future marshal was:
"Your Excellency, I have talked with your follower Sir VanCleef. I think we can open up a battlefield behind enemy lines in the West Wasteland to undermine the orcs' control over the West Wasteland. In the future, we can prepare for His Majesty Wrynn's counterattack on Stormwind City."
"Poof!" Duke sprayed! He really sprayed!
He spit out the water he had just drunk in front of VanCleef and Stoutman. Even though he turned his head, he still spit out the water.
What the hell is this?
This pair of good friends who loved and hated each other in history actually told him that they wanted to join forces to open up a battlefield behind enemy lines in the western wilderness?
Hey! VanCleef! Did you know that the quest in "History" that wanted your head cut off was issued by Stoutman...
Duke kept complaining in his heart, but after thinking about it, he immediately understood Stallman's reason.
Duke pretended to be serious and took out a handkerchief to wipe the corner of his mouth: "Sorry, I'm rude. I didn't mean to laugh at you, I just happened to think of something."
VanCleef and Stoutman both bowed their heads and counted the non-existent ants on the floor, pretending not to see Duke spraying water. Duke was now a big shot with a lot of things to do, and he was able to take time out to meet them because of VanCleef's face. Stoutman, who was only a small local sheriff, did not dare to say anything, and could only keep his doubts to himself.
Duke crossed his fingers and placed them under his nose, covering half of his face. He said with a serious expression, "Please note that His Majesty Wrynn has issued an order before going to Lordaeron to seek support. In order to deal with possible further invasions by the orcs, all Stormwind troops are now reorganized and are prohibited from leaving the Hillsbrad Foothills area. Okay, I want to hear your reasons. The real reasons."
The two guys looked at each other, and Gryan Stoutmantle spoke first.
"Your Excellency, I am a native of the Westfall. I know everything about the Westfall. His Majesty the King did issue a royal decree for the people of the Westfall to seek refuge, and you, Your Excellency, have also sent ships to pick up the people of the Westfall. But in fact, there are at least nearly 10,000 people who are unwilling to leave their land. They are hiding in various mines, living temporarily on stored food. They need the support of the kingdom. The kingdom will also need their support in the future counterattack against Stormwind. Just like when Stormwind was besieged, it was the food from the Westfall that helped support Stormwind."
After Grian finished speaking, Duke turned his gaze to VanCleef: "What about you?"
"Master..." It seemed a little difficult to say, but VanCleef still said it: "When I left Stormwind, I always wanted to do more for you, Master. Not long after I arrived here, I passed the professional test of Thief. The instructor said that I am a thief genius that appears once in fifty years. So I thought that if I led a team of thieves, it might be more helpful to you, Master."
Duke sighed inwardly. Talent is talent. VanCleef was born to be a thief. But history has completely changed. The Defias Brotherhood, which was hated by everyone in history, is destined to never appear again. So it is not surprising that Stoutman followed VanCleef to join him.
Everyone knew that the Duke could recruit 10,000 private soldiers, and as long as he agreed, he could completely bypass the king's ban.
Duke thought for a moment and said, "Okay!"