Chapter 347: War at the Banquet Table (Part 1)

"Welcome! Welcome! Lads and lasses." He gestured for them to sit in the chairs that had been prepared.

"We are very grateful for your arrival. We were once very worried that those green-skinned brutes would destroy our homeland. By the ancestors, even if they are the lowly laborers you speak of, they are still too many! Fortunately, your arrival put an end to it all. We Wildhammer dwarves are deeply grateful."

"Hello, allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Duke Markus, currently the Deputy Commander of the Alliance, and the highest commander of this army." Duke patiently explained the situation with the Horde, everything the orcs had done, and also talked about the fate of Stormwind.

In the end, Duke decisively used Medivh's boon.

At this moment, Duke was bathed in a holy light, a kind of charisma that was very easy to accept.

"Kurdran, will you and your clan join our Alliance?"

Kurdran furrowed his brows, tugging at his beard, and once again pulled out the letter Magni had given him.

The content he had always thought was unreliable jumped off the page, mixed with Duke's explanation, and entered his imagination.

Just like today, a green tide identical to the one they faced drowned Khaz Modan.

The crude green-skinned brutes took control of the mines, scraping clean all the iron ore there.

Huge black iron warships proudly crossed the sea under the gunfire of the Kul Tiras fleet.

Letting the green disaster sweep across the entire continent.

When all the information was added to what he had seen with his own eyes, the truth of the matter made Kurdran and the other Wildhammer dwarves shudder.

"Indeed." Kurdran sighed deeply: "We Wildhammers have had many disputes with the Bronzebeard clan—this led to that terrible 'War of the Three Hammers', which is why we left Khaz Modan. But they are still our brothers, our kin."

When Kurdran said this, Duke already felt hopeful.

"These filthy green-skinned brutes, this damned Horde, first attacked our brothers, plundered their land and their millennia-old ore. Hmm, ore is the wealth and life of a dwarf. Now they come to hit us. It's all thanks to your timely reinforcements that we escaped the fate of our homeland being destroyed." At this point, Kurdran's tone changed: "Yes, I'm not too fond of your perfectly timed support. But..."

"But?" Duke raised an eyebrow.

"But the threat these filthy brutes pose to the entire world is real, and you did indeed save Aerie Peak." Kurdran's hand heavily hit the armrest of his chair: "Of course, we will join the Alliance! We must unite to exterminate these orcs, until they become pitiful creatures who can no longer pose a threat to anyone!"

He stood up, extended his hand to Duke: "Without a doubt, you will have the aid of the Wildhammers."

Duke extended his hand, then quickly gritted his teeth.

Damn, Kurdran is petty! He's using so much strength! My hand is almost crushed.

Kurdran suddenly started to chuckle: "However, dwarves hate insincerity the most. The aid of the Wildhammers is certain, but how much more we give depends on your ability."

A certain King of the Wildhammers beckoned, and a group of short-statured dwarves carrying the wine Duke had brought "huffed and puffed" as they ran up.

Ten barrels of wine were lined up in a row.

Kurdran slapped a hand on one of the barrels: "Come on, no more tricks. King to king, Marshal to Marshal. One cup each time, if you fall before me, I'll send half of the gryphon riders. If you can outdrink me, I'll take all the gryphon riders and follow you! Of course, you have the right to refuse..."

By the end, it was clearly a threat.

A vexing threat.

Duke unconsciously glanced out of the corner of his eye.

At this moment, the stars of the Kingdom of Stormwind shone brightly: Gavinrad the Dire, one of the original Five Paladins. Reginald Windsor, who would later become a Marshal. Bolvar Fordragon, who would have died in the original history, but now is certain to be promoted to Marshal after his resurrection.

Now, all the Marshals, uniformly... took a step back.

Their movements were so synchronized, as if they had practiced countless times.

Damn it! There should be some loyalty, right?

Duke's eyes were almost bulging out.

Hey, there's one who didn't step back.

Before Duke's joy had passed, he immediately realized, that person was Queen Sylvanas! Sylvanas raised her long golden eyebrows, her face clearly saying: What does your men's drinking contest have to do with me?

"Master, you can enjoy the celebration with peace of mind, I will take responsibility for bringing you back to your bedroom, ensuring that you won't do anything that would be unbecoming of the Alliance etiquette and you status." Vanessa, the little maid who had come to join the expedition this time, made a proper lady's curtsy.

But why are you wearing so many loops of rope around your waist!?

Once I get drunk, you're going to tie me up like a dumpling, aren't you?

Oh, damn it, who's the master here, you or me?

At this time, Kurdran's figure in Duke's vision began to infinitely enlarge, already larger than the size a dwarf could achieve through the [Avatar] spell.

Hmm, that's definitely a demonic level of size and pressure.

Kurdran stood up, solemnly (deceptively) pulled out Duke's hand, held it, and then stuffed it into a huge wooden barrel-shaped mug, filled with fragrant and rich wine.

"I, as the King of the Wildhammers, represent the fifty thousand brethren of Aerie Peak in thanking you. Duke! To the friendship between dwarves and humans, cheers!"

After saying a lot of thanks, it actually meant one thing—you son of a gun, drink up!

He only said this one sentence, but it was enough, the rest of the ungrateful bastards also raised their mugs: "For the Alliance!"

Alliance my ass!

I, in order to please the dwarves, poured alcohol into this sweet fruit wine that the dwarves like to drink!

Duke's face turned white.

What is self-inflicted trouble, this is it!

Why the hell did I have to mess things up!?

When Duke reluctantly raised his mug, the table demon Kurdran spoke: "I'll drink first, you take your time, but remember fairness is key."

After saying that, Kurdran, the demon, downed at least 500 milliliters of the so-called fruit wine, which was at least 50 proof, in three seconds: "Refreshing! This is damn good wine! Damn it, what I drank before was simply horse piss."

Duke... before crossing over, was just a college student, had not entered society, and was not a table warrior who had been tested by alcohol. Although his body was not bad after crossing over, a body that had not undergone special training was just average.

Suddenly, Duke had to face the demon-level Kurdran, and Duke wanted to cry.

Duke silently shed tears in his heart: "Why didn't I follow the original history and bring Lothar here? With Lothar taking the brunt, it wouldn't have been my turn."

Just as the delicious wine was about to enter his throat, a miracle happened.