Despite having transmigrated for several years, Gale was encountering the Old Gods for the first time. These old schemers always caused trouble in the shadows, and all races had fallen victim to their machinations. After transmigrating, Gale had always been wary of them, but he didn't expect to establish contact so early.
This time, Gale did not intend to expose his strength, lest he be targeted by Yogg-Saron. His current condition was not good, and Yogg-Saron would certainly not easily allow him to lift the curse.
Therefore, he planned to sell weapons to the Tauren, a large quantity of weapons, to support the Tauren in their war against the Crypt Fiends.
If the Tauren couldn't win, he could also help them find reinforcements.
There was only one objective: to defeat the Crypt Fiends without revealing himself.
Soon, they arrived at Andu Talla, and the Kaldorei were overjoyed to see Gale.
"The Lord has returned!"
"Gale has returned!"
Navoli and others, who were patrolling the streets, immediately ran over and prostrated themselves before Gale. "Welcome back, Master!"
The caravan leader looked at the excited Kaldorei in astonishment, not expecting this Lord to have such prestige.
Gale waved his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet.
"My compatriots, it is thanks to your efforts over the past three years that Andu Talla has developed into what it is today."
Andu Talla now had the scale of a city. Besides the Kaldorei, there were many other races.
Tauren and Bearfolk made up the majority, and there were also some humans among them; it was a mystery how they had traveled so far.
As he spoke, Antalia arrived with the officials. "Lord..."
Gale waved his hand. "Enough, let's skip the pleasantries for now."
He gestured towards the caravan leader. "Our neighbors, the Tauren of Highmountain, are facing an invasion by a group of spiders."
This statement caused an uproar.
The Tauren were enraged; they had only left to earn some money, and their homeland had been invaded.
"Damn spiders!"
"Bugs! When I return, I will crush you."
The Bearfolk, however, had strange expressions, as if they had thought of something.
Gale: "This war came suddenly and inexplicably. As neighbors, we adhere to the principle that if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold, and we must do our best to help the Tauren escape the vortex of war."
The Tauren were deeply moved. "Thank you, Lord."
"You have earned the friendship of the Tauren."
"May the Earth Mother protect you!"
The Bearfolk also smiled. They had come to Andu Talla after hearing that Gale and Ursol had become friends. Now it seemed that Ursol had not misjudged him.
"Antalia, you will liaise with the Tauren regarding material procurement. If we don't have what they need, we will purchase it from other places. According to the Tauren's requirements, dispatch the artisans from the Forging Factory and produce weapons at full capacity. We cannot let the Tauren face the spiders empty-handed."
"Understood!" Antalia immediately accepted the order.
The Tauren were moved to tears. "Lord, you are truly a good person."
Maiev, on the side, was struggling to suppress a smile. Gale was deceiving people again. After talking for so long, he hadn't mentioned any discounts. Selling weapons to the Tauren at the original price, and the Tauren still had to thank him.
This scoundrel!
Gale: How can I call this deceiving people? Business naturally needs to be profitable, otherwise who would do it? I didn't sell weapons to the Tauren at an inflated price at this time; I'm already very conscientious.
Antalia left with the caravan leader, discussing the types and quantities of supplies as they went. The Tauren population was not very large, only a little over a thousand people. However, their size was enormous; one Tauren's appetite could feed ten Kaldorei, so a thousand Tauren were equivalent to an entire expeditionary legion.
Fortunately, the Tauren still had some stored food, and Antalia still had some time to gather more.
Over the past three years, many farms had been opened around Andu Talla, managed by Mages who had just graduated from Nathalas Academy. The grain produced always had a surplus each year, which Antalia stored in granaries. With Arcane protection, the grain could be stored for a very long time. Now, this grain was enough for the Tauren for three or four months.
Near Salmon Creek in Black Rook Hold, there were many farms. Every year, a large amount of surplus grain was made into wine and transported to Sin'dorei for sale. The remaining grain would be transported to Black Rook Hold for storage. Antalia could purchase a batch locally, which could also sustain the Tauren for two or three months.
There were also numerous farms near Nathalas Academy. These farms belonged to minor nobles. They had purchased Troll slaves, and the grain produced each year was also abundant. As long as it could be bought, it would be enough to feed the Tauren for over half a year.
Compared to food, the Tauren's weapons were the real challenge. Their massive bodies meant that the weapons they used also became much larger. Coupled with the difference in their body structure, the weapon's center of gravity would also change. Artisans would need extensive testing to create weapons suitable for the Tauren.
And what was most lacking now was time. The later the weapons were delivered, the greater the losses for the Tauren.
However, this vexing problem was quickly resolved by the artisans. Because they were not making epic weapons and it was an urgent rush job, the artisans suggested making spears. Oak was used for the spear shafts, combined with spearheads made of refined iron. Given the strength of the Tauren, they didn't need to be very sharp to become deadly weapons.
This plan was approved by Antalia and the caravan leader, and the artisans worked overtime, producing a thousand refined iron spears and ten thousand refined iron arrows in less than ten days.
Every Tauren was an excellent hunter. As long as they had a continuous supply of arrows and room to maneuver, they could kite all the spiders to death.
The caravan leader returned loaded with goods, leaving behind only a large amount of gold coins and furs. The Tauren didn't have much money; most of their gold coins were earned from Andu Talla, and now they had all been returned, not to mention a large amount of high-quality furs also paid.
Kana also went with them. Gale needed first-hand intelligence on the Crypt Fiends, and Kana was the obvious choice for this task.
Some Tauren mercenaries spontaneously recruited Kaldorei and Bearfolk mercenaries, offering unique Tauren amulets as rewards. They formed dozens of small teams, a total of over three hundred people.
These mercenaries then departed, and Andu Talla became quiet.
Gale also understood the situation of the Kaldorei Empire and sent letters to Prince Farodis, Yue Nu, and Metri, telling them to continue lying low.
Then, he sent someone to summon Rielly back.
He had promised to make weapons for Rielly but had stayed in the Emerald Dream for three years. Now that he was out, he naturally had to fulfill that promise.
Also, Salador, Luden, and Antalia's weapons were all crafted during the waiting period for Kana's message.
Antalia was currently very busy, and she had already crafted an epic staff for herself, so she was set aside for now. Salador and Luden did not yet have weapons, so their weapons were crafted first.
Upon receiving this news, both of them appeared before Gale immediately. Luden, leveraging the advantage of Flash, secured the first slot.