Since the band trio settled into the net cafe's basement, Wayne confirmed another fact: regardless of the location or race, anyone with the title "Chieftain" after their name was bound to be wealthy, even without a fancy hat.
Thunder-Skins knew the net cafe's prices. Although they hadn't met the legendary Guardian Medivh, the care and protection they received, along with the magical experience in Stardew Valley, made them feel they had wasted far too much time at the Crossroads listening to Kil'hala's nonsense. Had they come to the net cafe sooner, they might have already started an "All-Live" tour across Azeroth.
Consequently, he pulled out a 500-gold banknote and handed it to Wayne. This currency, imprinted with the likeness of Warchief Thrall, couldn't circulate in the Alliance, but the Stormwind Bank accepted it, and the vending machines recognized it as well.
However, after the band's stunning performance, Shadowbreaker remembered something important: how exactly did these three get to Goldshire? Given their bulky luggage and lack of disguises, how could they walk the roads so openly without being spotted by patrolling guards?
The Northshire guards, Westfall Garrison, and Dughan's militia were all on excellent terms with Wayne and would have notified him of anything unusual. For these three to appear at the net cafe's doorstep undetected, they must have had help.
Shadowbreaker reminded Wayne of this because he still harbored hostility toward the Horde. He felt that even if they were musicians, their music was the "decadent sound" of the enemy, which might corrupt the fighting spirit of Alliance soldiers if heard too often. But since Wayne recommended them so highly, he didn't say much more.
"Let's all sway together~" "Sway together~ ay~"
While Snow-Falling was halfway through rehearsal, before Wayne could ask Thunder-Skins how they arrived, Raymond once again frantically "poked" Wayne out of the game.
"What the hell is it now?" Wayne snapped.
"That Hammond guy brought soldiers," Raymond reported.
"Is he obsessed? It's every other day with him..." Wayne muttered.
Wayne walked out of the net cafe entrance, and sure enough, it was Hammond Clay.
"We received a report from the citizens of Goldshire stating that you are harboring Horde members and are suspected of colluding with the enemy," Hammond said. "We need to conduct a search."
Before Wayne could speak, he added, "This involves the security of the capital. No one, including nobles, may refuse a search by the Royal Guard on the grounds of private territory."
He showed Wayne the search warrant and immediately ordered four squads of guards to surround the cafe to prevent anyone from escaping through side or back doors. Then, he personally led two squads to enter the building. These two squads included four military hounds, capable of detecting stealthed individuals and sniffing out those using food or potions to disguise their appearance.
Looking at the setup, it was clear he meant business this time.
Wayne shouted, "Wait!"
Hammond had every reason and authority to ignore Wayne, but seeing his men had the cafe surrounded and knowing rumors that King Varian intended to reward Wayne again because of the Black Dragon incident, he didn't want to burn bridges before finding concrete evidence. He halted his men in the lobby area and asked, "What? Does the Baron have further instructions?"
"I won't interfere with your official duties," Wayne said, "but can you stop annoying me? In one afternoon, my game has been interrupted over and over again. It's infuriating!"
Hammond hadn't expected such a simple request. He didn't want to waste time with this tricky cafe owner, so he readily agreed.
Wayne told Chen to watch them. "Watch them closely. If they don't find anyone and break something, make sure they pay for it in full!"
With that, he returned to his booth and put his glasses back on.
"Amy! Amy!" Wayne called out as soon as he returned to the farm.
"What's wrong?" Amy asked.
"Watch those three for me. Let them keep rehearsing, and don't let anyone disturb me."
Amy didn't know what was happening outside, but she agreed.
Hammond began leading his men through the search, floor by floor. They didn't touch the screens or glasses, but they carefully inspected the walls and tapped on them to check for hidden compartments. The upper floors were fine; even when they reached Wayne's private room and the rooftop terrace, Chen silently guided the way.
The only hitch was when they reached Snow-Falling's luxury suite. Chen asked if the Grand Marshal should take off his glasses for inspection, but Hammond quickly waved his hand and shut the door after a quick glance inside. He knew the cafe attracted powerful people, but he hadn't realized the Grand Marshal visited too.
After checking everything upstairs, only the basement remained. Chen grew anxious, as did Hammond. The former feared being caught, while the latter feared coming up empty-handed again and having to apologize to Wayne.
First was the kitchen. To ensure no one was hiding, the guards opened every cupboard. Chen decided to add fuel to the fire by holding his nose and opening a jar of brine used for soaking stinky tofu.
In an instant, the foul stench filled the air. Had their commander not been present, the guards would have bolted up the stairs immediately. But this minor setback couldn't stop Hammond, who was desperate for an achievement. He held his nose, ran out of the kitchen, and ordered his men to search every room in the basement one by one, using oil lamps for light in the dim areas.
As they approached the room where the band was staying, Tess nervously pulled on Chen's sleeve. "What do we do?"
Chen was ready to claim the three were his friends. He wasn't part of the Alliance anyway; at worst, his "Eternal Friend of Ironforge" title would be revoked and he'd be deported.
A guard knocked on the door. No one answered. He knocked harder, still no answer. Hammond told Chen to open it, but Chen said he didn't have the key.
The deputy commander didn't care anymore and gave his subordinate a look. Just as the guard was about to break down the door, it slowly opened.
A Gnome stood behind the door, smiling.
"Mr... Mr. Darkmoon?!" Hammond stammered. "What are you doing here? Guards, over here!"
Hammond's eyes immediately landed on Thunder-Skins and the others sitting in the room. He called his men to make the arrest.
Silas Darkmoon, dressed in a suit and leaning on a miniature cane, told Hammond, "These are the performers our Faire just invited. We are in the middle of a rehearsal."