Now that there was no one else in the room, neither Lothar nor Llane needed to hide their exhaustion anymore.
"Yes... Your Majesty."
Facing his King and friend's expectant question, Lothar truly wanted to say 'no,' but he knew that at such a critical moment, an ambiguous answer would only harm everyone. So, he 'cruelly' provided the answer before them. Seeing the sad expression on his friend's face, he didn't know how to comfort him for a moment.
"Then... what about our reinforcements?"
"According to Lady Aegwynn, most of the mages of the 'Council of Tirisfal' have died due to Medivh's corruption, and the remaining mages cannot offer us much help. Dalaran similarly lacks the authority to directly command most mages, so they cannot assist. Although the Elves dispatched a unit of Rangers led by the Ranger-General due to their 'pact' with the Emperor, the numbers are limited and cannot sustain a front-line battle; they can only provide support and reconnaissance. Our Dwarf friends did dispatch troops to help, but due to the long distance, it is uncertain if they can make it in time. As for the other Kingdoms, they sent fleets, saying they were willing to help us evacuate the commoners..."
"Enough! Don't say any more! Lothar!"
"Those idiots!! If the Kingdom of Stormwind falls, what do they plan to rely on to stop those bloodthirsty monsters!"
Llane was like a furious lion at this moment. He stared wide-eyed at Lothar, but then he gradually deflated, realizing that his anger was completely meaningless.
The mages choosing to remain aloof was not entirely unexpected, as the status of mages has always been extraordinary since ancient times, otherwise, the number of mage units in the major kingdoms wouldn't always be so small. As for the High Elves? Their oath was to the descendants of the Emperor, meaning Lothar. Their relationship with the Kingdom of Stormwind itself was only ordinary, and sending a ranger unit was already a surprise. The Dwarves, as always, were trustworthy, but distant water can't quench a nearby fire. What he hadn't expected was that the people of the other major kingdoms would turn a blind eye to the predicament of the Kingdom of Stormwind...
Exhausted, he sat down in his chair, looking utterly defeated as he stared at Lothar.
"My brother, roughly how long would it take for us to evacuate the populace?"
As a King, he wished to defeat those monsters, but he knew that hope was always so fragile in the face of reality, and as King, he couldn't possibly let his citizens die for his almost microscopic hope. This was the duty of a King!
His citizens provided taxes, and he, in turn, granted them protection.
"Complete evacuation would require at least four days, as most people within the Kingdom have already gathered in Stormwind City..."
Llane nodded after hearing the answer.
"Alright, go make the arrangements."
——————
Lancer, sitting in the blacksmith's shop, looked at the brand-new armor and could not feel happy, because the once bustling Stormwind City was now largely empty. Those who remained were mostly soldiers, and confusion was visible on their faces. Undoubtedly, when their King ordered the evacuation, all the commoners were stunned, as they hadn't expected their King to concede before the enemy had even arrived.
But what could Llane say?
Tell his citizens that the brutal Orcs were not only individually stronger than ordinary human soldiers but also outnumbered the entire military of the Kingdom of Stormwind by several, perhaps even ten, times?
He dared not say it, fearing that morale would instantly collapse once the truth was revealed.
But he still found a suitable reason ——————
"As the King of the Kingdom of Stormwind, I swear I will forever stand upon the walls of Stormwind City. I shall protect our home. Those savage green-skinned monsters will only destroy our home over my dead body! However ———— my citizens! The enemy is incredibly brutal, and I do not wish for you to suffer needless harm. Therefore, please evacuate temporarily!"
Everyone who was reluctant to evacuate fell silent when they heard the man, who always sat on the throne, utter those words.
Llane might not be comparable to his ancestors, but overall, he was an excellent King. The citizens of the Kingdom of Stormwind chose to believe him.
But no one knew that their King had long prepared for one thing —————— death in battle.
He was old. Rather than lingering on, he preferred to die on the battlefield. He knew that with the fall of the Kingdom of Stormwind, his citizens would become rootless nomads, possibly even absorbed by other Kingdoms, but —————— he was unwilling!!
He intended to use his own death to ignite the flame in the hearts of the survivors!
'Wait! Ten years! Twenty years from now, my son! My descendants! Will step onto this land again with Lothar's help! They will surely reclaim this land then!'
Since the current situation could not be changed, let him use his remaining broken body to pave the way for his son!!
Llane did not know that one day, his son would also make the very same choice...
——————
Above the white city walls, the battle flag of the Kingdom of Stormwind fluttered in the wind. The armored soldiers looked resolutely at the distant Elwynn Forest. They knew that the enemies attempting to conquer their home were just beyond the horizon.
At this moment, their families had already left on warships under Llane's command. They had nothing left to fear!
And ——————
Looking at the man in lion-themed armor holding a precious sword, standing atop the highest point of the city walls, their blood boiled.
They were not alone! Their King was with them!
They would ultimately be victorious!!
"For Stormwind City!!!"
No one knew which soldier first shouted this slogan, but soon, similar shouts echoed across the entire city wall.
Llane, standing at the very top, closed his eyes, listening to the cheers. He felt as if he was recalling the moment, more than twenty years ago, when he received the crown from his father...
The memory abruptly ended with the sound of the Orc war drums. He opened his eyes, looking firmly at the distant enemy, then scanned the soldiers and Generals standing beside him. During this scan, he gave Lancer an extra look and nodded almost imperceptibly.
There was no doubt that Lancer choosing to stay had exceeded everyone's expectations. Lothar had even risked revealing intelligence by telling the other party that he and the King intended to fight to the death.
But Lancer reply had been unexpected.
"Don't worry, I will naturally retreat, but before retreating, I am still your comrade. Confidently entrust your back to me! I swear it upon the spear in my hand!"
Lancer 'time' was running short, with only a little over six hours left. It was precisely for this reason that he decided to go crazy with Lothar one last time.