Chapter 196: Heart of Radiance

"Why?" Lothar was puzzled. In his view, as the highest military commander of the kingdom, he should be with his soldiers.

"The Seven Kingdoms need a reason for unified cooperation." Duke's answer made everyone suddenly realize.

Yes, the Arathi Empire.

Kin, origin, and clan, especially in the face of a great enemy, these are the best reasons for unity. Besides, there is no deep hatred between the seven human kingdoms. It was indeed unkind to abandon the heirs of King Thoradin, but they never crossed swords.

So, Lothar's identity as a descendant of Thoradin was important.

"Your Majesty, I..." Anduin also found it difficult to deal with such a sensitive issue.

"No worries, after all, it was your ancestors who gave the throne to my ancestors. From the outsiders' perspective, it indeed seems like usurpation. However, in matters concerning all of humanity, even the entire Azeroth world, such trivial matters can be ignored. Bolvar can handle the training of the troops."

After some thought, Anduin nodded.

In the end, Llane, Anduin, and Bolvar were all very honorable people. Without the constraints of those annoying noble forces, they could display their full strength.

"Bolvar, then training the troops, my queen, and Varian will be left to you." Llane didn't have many capable men left, some nobles in high positions had either turned into demons or been slaughtered by them.

This position was equivalent to that of a chancellor, definitely a high-ranking one.

"I will obey your command, Your Majesty." Bolvar bowed deeply.

Llane turned to Duke, took a deep breath, and raised his hand. An attendant handed him a small spoon of melted wax, and another attendant handed him a document. He poured the wax onto the document.

Then, Llane took the royal seal from his pocket and pressed it firmly onto the wax.

This is...

Duke glanced at it, and he saw his own name.

King Llane turned to Duke with a smile, "Duke Marcus, please kneel."

"Yes."

Well, the boss is issuing IOUs, so I'll kneel.

"Duke Marcus, in gratitude for your great achievements and in recognition of your loyalty, bravery, and wisdom, I now grant you the title of Duke of Karazhan in the Kingdom of Stormwind, allowing you to have twice the private soldiers of a regular duke. Your territory includes the following areas: from Eastvale Logging Camp in the north, to Karazhan on the Deadwind Pass in the south, from Mistsmantle Estate in the west, to the Crossroads in the east. I also know that many places are located in the occupied areas attacked by the orcs, but I believe that one day, the Kingdom of Stormwind will reclaim this beautiful and fertile land."

What was thought to be the end turned out not to be.

"Appoint you as the supreme commander of the Stormwind navy, overseeing all naval vessels, and allowing you to recruit no more than one-fifth of the total naval force from other races and incorporate them into the navy."

Duke was moved by this. The private soldiers of the Stormwind nobility had strict limits at every level. Dukes were not allowed more than 5,000 men; twice that number would be 10,000. This was a legitimate, completely above-board force.

As for the territory... no one knew better than Duke how powerful the Stormwind Kingdom would become later. In 'history,' other human kingdoms either perished or declined, while Stormwind City became the greatest benchmark for humanity.

The Stormwind City that absorbed a large number of refugees from the north grew its army at a rate even more exaggerated than the Scourge that would come later.

Although the Darkshire and the Eastvale Logging Camp, as well as other rich lands in Elwynn Forest, were indeed excellent territories, it was the position of Grand Admiral of the Stormwind navy that truly handed the entire maritime power and related benefits of the kingdom to Duke.

Everyone knew that with Stormwind's territory almost entirely occupied, and the complete destruction of Westfall merely a matter of time, the kingdom's survival depended on Duke. Yet, King Llane's courage to go to such lengths was rare in this world.

Without any hesitation, Duke bowed his head, "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty."

King Llane smiled and sighed in the end, "What grace? If it weren't for you, even if Stormwind hadn't been completely wiped out, we would have probably only been able to evacuate tens of thousands of people at most. I might have even died in Stormwind City. I feel unbearably guilty for making these empty promises."

"Your Majesty, you have done very well," Anduin and the other ministers comforted King Llane one after another.

"Sigh, the settlement of nearly six hundred thousand soldiers and civilians is a headache just to think about. And we have nothing left. If it doesn't work out, we'll have to ask other countries to take in our people."

That's right! No money! No food!

How would they make it through?

Anduin and the others exchanged helpless glances.

In critical moments, they only thought about saving lives as their top priority. Now that the people were saved, they were dumbfounded, as eating, drinking, and daily necessities could not be neglected. If there were only tens of thousands of people, they might have been able to beg other kingdoms for help. But here, there were six hundred thousand people!

The thought alone was utterly terrifying.

During the escape, they brought almost nothing except weapons.

Even if Duke Faren, who was originally in charge of domestic affairs, hadn't perished, he would likely have died of shock on the spot.

"Duke, could you please go to Alterac, Southshore, and Dalaran to negotiate with the leaders of those countries? And our national treasury is gone. I don't know if you could lend some money to the kingdom in your personal capacity..." King Llane's face flushed red as he spoke.

On one hand, he really had no one else left to rely on. Bolvar and the others were indeed righteous knights, but they were not skilled in diplomacy. And now, with Stormwind appearing like beggars seeking aid, it would be strange if the other countries treated them kindly.

On the other hand, the very thought of a king having to borrow money from a duke was utterly humiliating. Yet, Duke was the wealthiest person present.

"Your Majesty, please do not worry about the treasury," Duke said, snapping his fingers. Two burly male naga emerged from the water, carrying a huge chest.

The royal guards took the chest, opened it, and a burst of gold light nearly blinded the eyes of the poor souls like King Llane.

Gold bars! So many gold bars!

These gold bars, engraved with the emblem of a lion, were undoubtedly used as currency within the Kingdom of Stormwind.

"What are these...?" King Llane stammered.

"Your Majesty, have you forgotten? When the nobles tried to escape and encountered the Bloodsail Buccaneers, they left behind a large amount of wealth as they turned their ships to flee. My murlocs picked them up."

King Llane suddenly remembered that those nobles had indeed abandoned a large number of ships in their haste to escape. He had not expected that Duke's murlocs would pick up these treasures.

"Thank you, Duke. With this money, we can at least ensure that our people will not starve to death." King Llane breathed a sigh of relief, his face filled with gratitude.

Duke nodded and said, "Your Majesty, I will leave for Alterac, Southshore, and Dalaran immediately to negotiate with their leaders. The sooner we can secure aid, the better."

"Thank you, Duke. I can't express my gratitude enough." King Llane bowed deeply to Duke, not caring about his own dignity as a king.

Duke returned the bow, and then, without further delay, summoned his murlocs and naga to set off on his journey to seek help for the kingdom.

With Duke gone, King Llane and the remaining ministers were left to address the many challenges that lay ahead. They needed to settle the hundreds of thousands of people, distribute food and supplies, and plan their next steps in the face of adversity.

But even with these daunting tasks before them, a glimmer of hope remained in the hearts of King Llane and his people. For they knew that as long as they stood united, they would eventually overcome the darkness that threatened their kingdom.