"All for this?!"
In Northvale, Eastern Plaguelands, even the composed Duke Shelenehoff couldn't hide his bewilderment as he looked at the object before them.
As a Paladin specialized in Holy arts, he was currently casting spells on Arator, who had just emerged from the water, to cleanse any potential viruses or diseases. Simultaneously, he stared intently at the tattered banner Arator had retrieved.
He wasn't the only one. Even Arator himself found it hard to believe that after the toy hammer, the second item Miller had sent them across half the world to find was this rag hidden beneath stagnant, filthy water. If the toy hammer had some theoretical combat value, this banner wasn't even fit to be a floor rag, let alone a mop head.
Amy and Shadowbreaker cast several spells on the banner, attempting to dispel any possible curses or plagues, but their efforts revealed nothing. It was just a piece of junk cloth.
Shelenehoff could hardly believe his eyes. He wondered if the Shadowbreaker before him was still the same confident, perhaps even slightly arrogant, and powerful noble he once knew. If he was, how could he abandon the comforts of the high world to come to this desolate, life-extinguishing wasteland for something so utterly meaningless?
Shadowbreaker himself was internally questioning his own sanity: What am I actually doing?
All five of them carried Hearthstones, not to mention having an Archmage like Amy in the group. Returning home was a matter of seconds. But getting here had been an ordeal, involving the constant danger of bypassing strongholds occupied by terrifying Scourge undead.
After an Argent Dawn guard draped a blanket over Arator, the group mounted their horses and returned to Light's Hope Chapel.
Inside a tent, the five sat around a campfire, staring at the two items placed to the side. No one spoke; a heavy silence fell over them as they struggled to find the words to justify their mission.
Finally, Li Li broke the silence. "According to Miller, to save this world... we're still missing one final painting."
Shelenehoff asked, "Can you... tell me more about this 'Miller'? What kind of person is he?"
The five looked at one another until their gazes eventually settled on Amy.
Amy flushed slightly. "He is the owner of a net cafe."
Shelenehoff had already heard a general description of the establishment from Lord Tyrosus, which saved Amy a lot of explaining.
"He... is a very good person. Kind-hearted, friendly to everyone around him, and always helping others. It's just..."
Shelenehoff prompted, "Just what?"
Amy replied, "It's just that he often does things that are... very difficult to understand."
Eligor Dawnbringer, who had been listening nearby, chimed in, "Oh? Like what?"
"For example," Amy said, "when he was building a new house, he had the workers build a ring of fortifications and dig a massive basement first. We didn't understand why, but in the end... a black dragon arrived and attacked us. Those fortifications and the basement protected all the workers."
"It was as if he knew beforehand that the black dragon would come..."
Li Li added, "Exactly! When Uncle and I came back from the Deadmines and told him about it, he wasn't surprised at all. It was as if he had expected the place to be wiped out long ago."
Chen nodded. "Indeed. Not long after I met him, I gave him some Noggenfogger Elixirs before leaving. He claimed he had never seen such a thing, yet he knew exactly that they could shrink a person or turn them into other strange forms."
Shadowbreaker contributed, "Now that you mention it... before that black dragon came, he played that Monster Hunter game constantly and kept demonstrating it to others, encouraging them to play too. But since we defeated the dragon, he's hardly touched it. It's as if fighting the dragon in the game... was just practice for the real thing."
Eligor looked surprised. "From the way you're describing him... the man sounds like a prophet."
Arator spoke up, "You're not wrong. I get that feeling sometimes too. Do you remember last time? My aunt came to the net cafe and scolded me relentlessly. I was in despair, thinking she would definitely take me back to Dalaran. But after she played a game with Miller for a while, her attitude completely changed. She remained tight-lipped about their conversation, not breathing a word of it."
Shadowbreaker added, "True... that day, when your aunt fired an arrow at the black dragon's head from the rafters of Stormwind Keep at the critical moment, she shocked us all. Afterward, she left quietly without a word, but I distinctly heard her say to Mathias, 'That kid told me to come.'"
Eligor joked, "Your aunt... she didn't fall for this Miller, did she?"
All five eyes widened as they stared at Eligor.
Eligor shrugged. "What? It's a logical deduction. You all call him 'Miller,' so he must be older. And the other person is an aunt, so she's not young either. I haven't heard you mention an uncle... I assumed she was a widow..."
Shadowbreaker said flatly, "Miller is only twenty. This kid's uncle is Rhonin. His elven aunt is indeed not young—whether she's in her dozens or over a hundred, you'll have to ask her yourself next time."
Eligor's eyes bulged and he immediately shut his mouth. Shelenehoff scratched his head awkwardly.
Chen said, "This time, he spoke a lot of cryptic things to me and Old Sha. I believe he definitely knows what's going to happen next!"
Shadowbreaker paused. "Old... Old Sha?"
Chen laughed. "Pandaren like calling people that. Children get double names, like 'Li Li.' Young people get 'Little' in front of their names—I used to be 'Little Chen.' When you get older, you naturally become 'Old Chen.' Haha!"
Amy steered the conversation back. "I didn't want to say it at first, but I didn't realize you all felt the same way."
Shelenehoff nodded slowly. "If that's the case... then I think this mission is worth seeing through. From what I've heard, the other strange things Miller said or did eventually came true."
Eligor frowned. "But... the place where that painting is kept won't be easy to enter."
"That's why I'm here," Shadowbreaker said. "I'm not clear on the current situation in Stratholme. I don't know if the five of us can infiltrate it."
He looked at his four teammates. "If it were just Chen and me, it would be easier. These three young friends are a bit inexperienced in real combat. To put it bluntly... they haven't killed enough people in this chaotic world. And as you know, those zealots of the Scarlet Crusade are no more merciful than the Scourge. Being human, they understand us even better than the undead do. It's a pity we don't have a powerful rogue with us; otherwise, we could have one person slip in and bring the painting out."
Shelenehoff offered, "I can send some men with you."
Eligor disagreed immediately. "Duke, that won't work. Significant military actions must be approved by Tyrosus. That has always been our protocol. Furthermore, whether our target is the Scarlet Crusade or the Scourge inside, a large-scale frontal assault would cause both sides to view us as enemies. Frankly, with the Argent Dawn's current strength, we cannot—and must not—provoke a war against two enemies at once."
Shelenehoff knew his colleague was right. He also understood the unspoken implication: it was better to let these five conduct a raid. Since they weren't part of the Argent Dawn, they wouldn't bring trouble back to the organization, and they might be able to create a distraction and secure the painting unnoticed.
"I think I know where the painting you're looking for is," Shelenehoff said.
The five turned to him in surprise. "The Scourge wouldn't keep such a thing. It can only be in the area of Stratholme occupied by the Scarlet Crusade."
"According to our intelligence, there are two paths in their bastion. One leads to the armory, housing various weapons and munitions. The other leads to the chapel. In front of the chapel is a corridor with several rooms containing archives very important to them, guarded by Archivist Galford. He is a master; not just any rogue can handle him."
Hearing this, Shadowbreaker couldn't help but wonder: Was the fact that I would bring them to Light's Hope Chapel also part of Miller's plan?
He knew a banner was submerged in water and a hammer was hidden in a tomb, yet he didn't specify where the painting was inside Stratholme. But before I even asked, the good-hearted Shelenehoff gave us the answer. Does he really possess some sort of prophetic vision?!
Noticing Shadowbreaker was lost in thought, Chen said, "We should rest early today and set out before dawn. I asked the commanders; it takes at least half a day to get to Stratholme from here, and we need to avoid various Scourge outposts along the way."
Shelenehoff agreed. "I suggest you temporarily bind your Hearthstones here. Since your party has an Archmage, you don't need Hearthstones to return to Stormwind. If you encounter difficulties or danger during the battle, returning here will allow us to provide immediate assistance."
Eligor added, "His suggestion is sound. No one knows the Scourge and the Scarlet Crusade better than we do. If anything goes wrong—whether it's wounds, poison, or disease—no one is better equipped to help."
Chen looked at the hammer and the tattered banner. "Alright, we'll follow your advice. We'll leave our packs and these two items in your care for now."
Shelenehoff nodded. "Don't worry. Leave them to us."