Chapter 667: Saint Duke, Part 2

The mayor's face drained of color on the spot.

In the presence of a king, to hear one's subjects hailed as saints might flatter even a sovereign as celebrated for wisdom as Llane, but who could guarantee that envy wouldn't taint the king's heart?

Such praise was a dangerous taboo!

In times past, hanging every last gossip in the town wouldn't have elicited a single sigh of pity.

The mayor was on the verge of kneeling to beg for mercy.

Unexpectedly, King Llane simply raised his hand, his left palm up in a stopping gesture.

He paid no mind to Joseph, who had already knelt in panic, nor to the trembling mayor. Instead, he turned back to Prince Varian and said, "Son, today I'm going to teach you a lesson about the path to kingship."

"Father, I'm listening," the young prince nodded earnestly.

"To be a wise king, you must first achieve one thing — never be jealous of a subject more talented than yourself. When it comes to war, I'm far outmatched by your Uncle Anduin; he is the true deity of war in the soldiers' hearts, not I. In matters of strategy and domestic affairs, I couldn't even learn the basics from your brother Duke; under his stewardship, my people are living better lives."

Llane shrugged his shoulders, pulling a goofy face, "Well, if I were one of those foolish kings who couldn't stand to see his subjects canonized, should I have Anduin executed and Duke hanged, then let the people burn me at the stake? Oh no, before the people could lay their hands on me, the ladies of the Windrunner family would skin me alive. Ooh, that would be truly dreadful. Better I had died in Stormwind Keep."

Infected by Llane's jesting manner, and hearing his words, Anduin, the accompanying ministers, and even the royal guards all revealed relieved smiles.

They understood Llane well — he may not be the most capable, but his character was undeniably noble.

"You must trust those servants who do well by the people, understand? Like your Uncle Anduin and your brother Duke."

Varian's eyes shone with admiration, "I understand!"

Llane's actions eased the mayor's concerns, and the floodgates of conversation opened wide.

Through their words, Llane gained an even clearer picture of how effective Duke's policies were.

In the absence of immediate wartime needs, Duke had commanded Lothar to grant the army leave; over seventy percent of the soldiers were given leave to return home and assist in reconstruction.

There were only two requirements for these soldiers: one, they had to report back to the army after the next year's spring plowing, or be treated as deserters; two, they had to wear their military dog tags while working in their hometowns to let everyone know that it was the kingdom that had sent them home to help.

With the return of so many able-bodied men, reconstruction efforts accelerated.

Also, due to the bountiful harvests in the Westfall, the people wouldn't have to worry about starvation this winter. Duke's name wouldn't have become sacred in the people's hearts just for this.

Perhaps Duke's heroic fight against Nefarian was a favorite tale in this martial land. But for most commoners, it was just a story to pass the time. What truly brought smiles of happiness to their faces was a stable and prosperous life.

The worst had been expected.

In history, no mass migration had been without a heavy toll of death. The weak and the elderly, women and children, would die in a short time from hunger, cold, or disease.

Yet Duke, as a reincarnator, had turned it all around with his modern medical knowledge.

The concrete road that ran through the entirety of Elwynn Forest provided a solid foundation for transporting supplies. Before the liberation of Stormwind, Duke had already had Edwin VanCleef and Gryan Stoutmantle prepare everything.

Duke considered every aspect of living — starting with winter clothing. Azeroth had cotton, and the early arrangements in Westfall meant that by autumn of the second year after the Dark Portal, the kingdom had harvested 200,000 pounds of cotton. It wasn't an ideal number, but it was enough to ensure a relatively warm winter for most women and children.

The people of Azeroth mostly wore rough hemp clothes; in the past, they relied on fires to keep warm. When had they ever worn such warm clothing? Every person who donned what they called a "Duke cotton jacket" couldn't stop singing its praises.

In terms of food, in addition to basic black bread, Duke added a significant amount of meat. The small fishing boats, unable to venture far, were sent out early, and even in winter, they continued to bring in catches with the help of the Murlocs.

The high-fat whale meat and various fish, already frozen into blocks when brought ashore, were heavier but better preserved. They could be transported from Stormwind Harbor hundreds of kilometers away to East Elwynn Forest. The people could add a sumptuous meal to their tables for a very low price.

During the great retreat, the populace nearly lost all their possessions.

Duke couldn't just hand out money indiscriminately, as that would foster corruption and laziness. So, he implemented a work-for-relief program.

Building a house for a neighbor? There was pay for that.

Transporting food and cotton clothes for the village? There was pay for that.

Women sewing cotton clothes? There was pay for that.

Children helping to make spears? There was pay for that.

Caring for the elderly, orphans, and the sick or wounded? There was pay for that.

Soldiers on leave joining the patrol? There was pay for that.

Killing wild beasts or orc remnants? There was a bounty for that.

As long as one was willing and able to work, there was no need to worry about starving or freezing to death. Duke also set a three-year deadline to implement minimum and maximum wage laws and hanged several merchants for price gouging.

Moreover, during the winter when no work could be done, he had already allocated farmland and distributed seeds to each household for the coming year.

With the extinction of many old nobility, over ninety percent of the citizens became free men. The new nobles, ennobled for their wartime contributions, were strictly limited in the taxes they could levy.

The spirit of the nation was renewed.

This transformation wasn't limited to Goldshire. As Llane and his party traveled eastward, the sentiment was the same at the Brackwell Pumpkin Patch, at the Eastvale Logging Camp.

If there was any difference between regions, it was that in Duke's lands, the implementation of policies was even more resolute. Llane met with Daniel the caretaker of the Eastvale Logging Camp and found that this former mage had become the manager of a factory specializing in magical items.

The winter had yet to pass, but the hearts of the citizens were warm.

They looked forward to the arrival of spring.

For that would be the rebirth of a kingdom!

The late Archbishop Alonsus Faol was sanctified in the spiritual realm of the people's hearts, and Duke, in the material realm, because of him, the people were living a life beyond their wildest dreams.

Thus, his name became sacred in the hearts of the people, and from this winter forth, the Stormwind citizens began to prefix Duke's name with 'Saint'.