Taking Windsor with them—whether he liked it or not—Ethan and the others quickly exited the Dark Iron City and returned to the surface outside Blackrock Mountain.
Although it was still dry and scorching outside, it was slightly better than the lava-scorched underground. At least the air was a little fresher...
"There's no difference between outside and inside. This damn Burning Steppes. Where are we going next?"
Logan had already slung his weapon over his back and took out a cigar to get rid of the sulfur taste in his mouth.
This battle felt somewhat barbaric. They had broken into someone else's stronghold, killed everyone, taken something valuable, and then left with swagger.
But then again, Logan didn't look anything like a dwarf, so he naturally sided with the humans.
"Who exactly are you people?"
Windsor had initially thought Ethan's group was sent by the Kingdom of Stormwind. But now, he wasn't so sure. He had some prestige within the kingdom, yet these people showed him no deference.
Could they be foreign adventurers hired by the kingdom? That was possible. If they were just mercenaries, then their only goal would be to rescue him. Whether he thanked them or what he planned to do afterward wouldn't concern them.
"My name is Ethan, a mage currently traveling," Ethan said, pointing to the others beside him. "These are my companions."
After a brief introduction, Ethan didn't explain further and simply emphasized, "We weren't sent by the Kingdom of Stormwind. We saved you for another reason."
"What reason?"
Windsor's earlier assumptions were all wrong, and things felt increasingly strange. Did these people have some hidden agenda?
"Varian Wrynn is missing. You should know that, right?"
"Of course I know."
The king had been missing for quite some time. It was after Varian Wrynn's disappearance that the Kingdom of Stormwind began to gradually fall into chaos. Sensing the hidden currents beneath the surface, Windsor had come to the Burning Steppes to lead the few stationed troops, only to be captured by the Dark Iron dwarves in a battle.
"I plan to find Varian Wrynn."
Windsor, who had been listening in silence, suddenly stood up and looked at the young man before him in shock.
He had thought these people might be trying to use him for something that would harm the kingdom, but he didn't expect such an answer.
"You know where His Majesty is now?"
From Ethan's earlier tone, it was obvious that these people weren't from Stormwind and didn't show much reverence for Varian. It was clear they weren't looking for the missing king out of loyalty or admiration.
"What exactly do you people want?"
"What I want, His Majesty King Varian Wrynn can give me, and it won't harm the Kingdom of Stormwind," Ethan said calmly. "In fact, I can help you and His Majesty eliminate the greatest threat to the kingdom."
Windsor's pupils narrowed slightly. He tried hard to control his emotions, not wanting to show any reaction. "What do you mean by that?"
"Let's not beat around the bush. Don't you already know that Countess Katrana is a black dragon?"
The reason Windsor had been unwilling to leave Blackrock Depths was because he already knew Onyxia's true identity. Without a way to prove it or sufficient evidence, he had refused to return and face death at her hands.
In the original game plot, aside from the intelligence Windsor was captured for, he also needed to obtain the tablet that could dispel the black dragon's humanoid transformation. Only with that item in hand would Windsor agree to return to Stormwind and expose the black dragon princess.
Windsor was now certain that the young man in front of him knew many things. That realization was unsettling. But perhaps the only silver lining was that this man seemed to be on their side.
"If you also want to deal with that black dragon, then we should head back to Blackrock Depths immediately."
His objective was naturally that tablet. But Ethan directly rejected the idea. "No. Right now, the most important thing is to find Varian Wrynn. His current situation isn't good."
Ethan carefully recalled the information about Varian's disappearance. The result left him confused.
In the original game, this storyline was glossed over. It was only mentioned briefly that the King of Stormwind had disappeared en route to signing a treaty. Then, in later expansions, he simply reappeared in Stormwind.
Curious about the missing details, Ethan had looked into it. At first, he thought maybe the Chinese server had skipped some story content. But he later found out that this was simply an unresolved plot hole in the official game.
However, this missing portion had been filled in by officially published novels and comics, though many details didn't align with the in-game storyline.
Because of this, Ethan had stayed in Goldshire for quite some time and even considered visiting Stormwind City.
It wasn't until he confirmed that Varian Wrynn in this world hadn't been split into two personas by Onyxia's magic that he determined the story here followed the mainline game narrative.
Not being split was a good thing. As long as the spell affecting Varian's memory was undone, they wouldn't have to deal with the awkward situation of having to orchestrate a perfect reunion or rely on convoluted methods to restore him.
"So, we need to find Varian Wrynn as soon as possible. Once we've resolved his troubles, we'll deal with the black dragon together."
Windsor didn't speak. Although he wanted to emphasize that the black dragon had already infiltrated nearly all levels of power within the Kingdom of Stormwind, he knew that without irrefutable proof, it would be nearly impossible to root her out.
Even if the king returned, it would still be difficult to fully purge her influence unless Stormwind launched a massive internal cleansing—which would affect many people.
"Getting a black dragon to reveal its true form isn't a hard problem to solve."
Only then did Windsor realize that this young man hadn't overlooked the issue—he simply didn't value the tablet.
"I have one final question."
"What is it?"
"You could've gone straight to rescue His Majesty. Why did you come to save me?"
In Ethan's explanation, Windsor wasn't a necessary part of the plan. In fact, for Ethan, he was a nonessential. The only reason he was rescued, aside from being on the way was because Ethan's group were outsiders, and bringing Windsor along would make it easier to earn trust.
"Because we're going to Theramore."
"Theramore?"
Although Jaina Proudmoore had a reputation for challenging her father, she was also a shrewd mage. Ethan's group were obvious outsiders who used a power system entirely foreign to this world. That alone could easily raise suspicion or even hostility. Ethan didn't want to make trouble for himself, and Windsor's name would help build trust.
"So, we're heading to Menethil Harbor now?"
"Yes."
After a brief rest on Blackrock Mountain, the group set out again. Windsor was still dressed in his prison garb, and his condition wasn't great. But no one wanted to remain in the Burning Steppes. All they wanted was to get out of there as quickly as possible.
From Blackrock Mountain, they followed a mountain path out of the Burning Steppes and entered the Searing Gorge... which wasn't much better. They continued northeast into the Badlands, where the environment improved somewhat. From there, they headed north. The climate became far more pleasant once they reached Loch Modan.
"This has been a miserable journey."
After traveling through such a dry and hostile environment, Ethan could smell the mix of sulfur and sweat clinging to his clothes.
Everyone, including Windsor who had become somewhat more familiar with the group ditched the clothes they had worn during the trek and burned them. Even though magic could have cleaned them, no one wanted to wear those garments again, as if getting rid of them could also purge the painful memories attached.
After changing into fresh clothes and arriving in Loch Modan, where the scenery and climate were more comfortable, they continued north. There was no need to venture into Dun Morogh and endure the shock of going from a steam bath to a freezer. Staying on course, they soon reached the Wetlands. Following the main road west at the fork, they arrived at the end of the path—Menethil Harbor.
At present, the only way to reach Theramore was by sea from Menethil Harbor. Stormwind City didn't have a proper dock yet, and the proposed multifunctional port was still just an idea. The nobles, too consumed with luxury, had no desire to fund such infrastructure.
Because of this, Ethan and the others had to take a longer route. And they also had to endure Windsor's endless chatter along the way.
Even after boarding the ship, the former marshal kept talking. But no matter how much he tried to pry, he couldn't uncover the true origins of Ethan and his companions.
Here, Ethan didn't dare casually admit they were from another world. If he revealed that, Windsor who had been chatting amicably just moments ago might draw his sword and shout "For the Alliance!" before launching a desperate attack.
After all, in this world, outsiders had left a terrible impression on the locals. Whether it was the Burning Legion or the orcs, every major threat had come from beyond this world, bringing brutal wars in their wake.
(To be continued.)
***
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