(2-in-1 Chapter)

As the most important and largest city in the north of the human world, Stratholme is like a pearl in the mountains.

According to the architecture of modern urban planning, the location of Stratholme is very unreasonable. It is neither a transportation hub nor a regional radiation center, with inconvenient logistics and narrow development prospects, which can not play a leading role in driving local economic development.

But yes, if you want to be mixed up in this world of Azeroth, which is stared at and guarded by aliens, avengers, cults, ancient remnants, and destroyers of destiny every day, let modern urban planning and architecture go aside, and building a city is the first priority to be able to resist beatings.

When he came to Stratholme before, Carlos was just a little baron, and he had no qualifications or position to care about Stratholme's urban defense, so he happily went on a tour with his sister Elothia to enjoy the city.

Now, as a rescuer brought in from the Kingdom of Lordaeron, Carlos can say with certainty that Terenus has been pitted.

King Terenus of the Kingdom of Lordaeron. His Majesty Minecil II was pitted.

The strongest human kingdom in the Lordaeron continent, the wise and benevolent and wise king of the kingdom of Lordaeron, Terenus. His Majesty Minethil II was pitted by his own people.

You're kidding me, aren't you?

Carlos saw that there were more than 2,000 soldiers in the city of Stratholme in bright armor and bright robes at the grand welcome ceremony. Now it's the slack season again, look at the people who followed their army north to find a chance to make money, and look at the rich villages with surplus food along the way.

Carlos felt that Stratholme would be able to arm an army of 10,000 men if he wanted to, close to the city of Stratholme and the county of Talon.

Although there is a big gap between new soldiers and veterans, peasant soldiers and professional soldiers, as long as they follow the principle of building high walls and accumulating grain, they will never be wasted

policy, why can't the Trolls of Zuaman in the north go south?

What's more, you don't have no professional soldiers in the city of Stratholme?

You beg me so thanklessly. What the hell is it that we are going north for the Alterac Legion?

A grand welcome ceremony, a sumptuous dinner, and a young and beautiful maid.

Carlos was a paladin, not a vagent, and did not restrain his soldiers. As they relaxed, he stayed at the venue to chat and fart with the nobles of Stratholme, talking about official black words.

The local nobleman of Stratholme: "Praise the great king of the kingdom of Alterac, handsome, dashing, majestic and majestic. His Majesty Barov. Praise be to the bright, great, wise and merciful Terenus. His Majesty Minecil II. For the sake of the long-standing traditional friendship between the Kingdom of Lordaeron and the Kingdom of Alterac, let's toast this toast! ”

(What I'm saying is polite words, let's make it clear first, uncle, you and the boss of the Sprinkle family, King Tai, are of the same grade, I set the tone first, don't go too far with your young people.) ）

Carlos: "To the great, wise and merciful Terenus. Invited by His Majesty Minecil II. This king came to the rescue at night, lest he miss the lives of all of you here. You are all the Coalition Cities, the pillars of the kingdom of Lordaeron. Now it is coming as scheduled, fortunately, fortunately. ”

(It was your boss who begged the king to come, well, you begged me, and I came.) I'm here to save your dogs' lives. Everyone is a person with status and status, and they are all people who mix in the alliance. See for yourselves. ）

Aha

After the laughter of the occasion, continue to talk nonsense.

Local nobleman B of Stratholme City: "The remnants of the trolls in the north are arrogant, and the local defense is lax, but fortunately His Majesty King Carlos is rushing to help, but the Stratholm region is safe, and the alliance is also lucky." ”

(Believe it or not.) Anyway, our Stratholm defense is lax, His Majesty Terenus believes in this, we Stratholme can't do anything with trolls, everyone believes it, everyone is a person who works for the Alliance. You believe it too, Card King. ）

Carlos: "The country is in turmoil, the tribes are raging, and fortunately Anduin. Marshal Lothar held high the banner of righteousness, and the seven kingdoms worked together to fight against the orcs. Naturally, this king should also contribute to the alliance. ”

Aha......

Don't say anything after laughing, have another drink.

Everyone knows that these official black words are meaningless, but even if they go through the formalities, they are still inevitable.

A night of conversation, encountered embarrassment everyone hahaha, reached a tacit understanding everyone hahaha, decided to skim the topic everyone hahaha, some of the words are really incisive, everyone hahaha, and finally want to end, everyone hahahahaha.

Shinji Ikari, a well-known anthropologist and expert scholar on adolescent autism, once suggested to a young girl with facial nerve necrosis: If you don't know what kind of expression to use to face different people, just smile.

Carlos felt that what he said was really incisive, hahaha overnight, and finally scratched his head, fortunately his advanced diplomatic rhetoric skills pointed out the advanced, otherwise he would probably miss the information hidden between the lines.

Once upon a time, Carlos had the idea that Alterac was intriguing and that it was really a dirty country. When I was a child, I even had the idea of simply going to the kingdom of Lordaeron to develop. When he got older and saw more, Carlos was not calm.

Whether it's Alterac, Gilneis, Lordaeron or Kurtilas, they're all birdlike. The king seeks fame and stability, the nobles seek fame and wealth, and the people seek a three-meal to keep warm, and they are sheltered from wind and rain. There are no lofty ideals, no great beliefs, and the human race is all vulgar and unbearable.

Carlos was in a state of confusion and couldn't get a drop of water for two days in a row. When the hunger was gone, and the body began to rebel, Carlos suddenly realized, is there something wrong with vulgarity? That's right! I can't even be satisfied with material security, so I can't talk about the fullness of the spiritual world.

Since then, Carlos has untied a knot in his heart, and he no longer bothered with any mental cleanliness, regardless of whether the process is correct or not, and ensure that the result is good. It is precisely because selfishness is the norm that generosity is too much praised by people on the moral altar.

With this understanding, and referring to the conversation of the night, Carlos has a more reliable speculation.

All the nobles of the Stratholme region united to deceive, or rather mislead, their king, Terenus.

First of all, we need to popularize some knowledge.

The kingdom of Lordaeron is made up of many nobles, large and small. Some of these nobles were aristocrats from the time of the Alaço Empire. Some were high-ranking citizens of the year, and some were new nobles canonized by the Minahir family. The entire kingdom of Lordaeron is composed of these complex guys to form the upper ruling class.

For example, a large area of land near the Silver Pine Forest in Lordaeron City is the territory of the Minahir family, and the royal family of Lordaeron has absolute dominance.

For example, Fort Hearth, known as the Western Plaguelands, is known as the Western Plaguelands, with the exception of Andorhar, which is a town authorized by Terenus. The rest of the land belonged to the pioneers of the Alatho Empire, and these guys simply chose to join the kingdom of Lordaeron.

In the case of the Stratholme region, the ingredients are more complex. However, it can still be considered a dependency of the Kingdom of Lordaeron by and large.

When you understand this, you will find that within the vast kingdom of Lordaeron, there are both princes and members, that is, there are appointed officials of the county system, and there are local snake forces who listen to the tune and do not listen to the propaganda.

It is clear that the various forces in the Stratholme region are not willing to deal with the threat from the trolls alone. So exaggerated to King Terenus, to the Alliance Commander Anduin. Lothar reported the situation.

In the Hillbride Hills region to the south, the main forces of the alliance are in a tight situation. The Stratholme region, which is the main grain producer, is particularly important, and neither Terenus nor Lothar dares to cause chaos in the backyard of the Alliance. If there was chaos in the Stratholme area, the Coalition's stalemate strategy in the Hillbride Hills would be largely bankrupt.

Because the food output of the fireplace fort and the silver pine forest alone cannot meet the needs of human beings.

Therefore, Terenus would rather be fooled and ask Carlos to go north and nip the threat of trolls in the cradle stage.

"What a dirty and beautiful world." Carlos couldn't help but sigh lightly.

"Huh? What did you suddenly feel? Tulayan asked, puzzled.

"When you're older. When you become a great nobleman, you will understand. Carlos looked at Tulayan with the eyes of a child.

"Hey, are you reminding me that I should address you as His Majesty?" Tulayan asked dissatisfied.

"Please don't. Adoration and fear are both emotions that are furthest from understanding. Sedan. Teacher Da Sohan has fallen to his knees in power. Your Majesty Shut Up, I have few friends now, don't be disgusted with me. Carlos was impressed.

When Tulayan heard Carlos say this, he immediately rejoiced, a king himself admitted that he did not have many friends, and you are counted as one. It's an incredible honor.

"Carlos, tell me about it, you said a lot of high-sounding clichés in one night, and I don't know what to call at all." Tulayan pleaded with a bitter face.

"It's negotiated, and the rest is the details." Carlos said.

"Huh!?"

"We help. They contributed money, food and materials, and the bottom line was that the city of Stratholm was not broken, and if the county of Talon could be safe, there would be another thanks. Carlos explained.

"You're not kidding me, are you? His Majesty Terenus has recruited several conscriptions, all of them are men drawn from the city of Lordaeron and the Valley of the Hearth, and there are not many conscripts in the Stratholme area, if they want, they can arm a large army at any time, just to hold Stratholme? As Lothar's lieutenant, Tulayan knew a lot of inside information about the alliance and was stunned by Carlos's words.

"Is it strange?"

"Strange."

"The Stratholme area is a county system."

"I don't understand."

"The garrison is a regular army for His Majesty Terenus."

"And then."

"After the Battle of Hillbride began, did Stratholme send a force of five thousand men to the frontal battlefield?"

"Yes, it seems that His Majesty Terenus has asked for at least seven thousand more troops in the Stratholme area afterwards. But then less than 5,000 people came in pieces. Marshal Lothar was very upset about this. ”

"Don't you understand?"

"I don't understand, you hurry up."

No longer selling off, Carlos gave his answer.

"The Stratholme people ate empty pay."

"Huh? What the! ”

"Be quiet."

"Empty salary? What do you mean! ”

"Earlier, Stratholme had a regular army. Then they were transferred. Conscription, they also recruited farmers. And then what, train new soldiers, they don't train at all. Now the whole of Stratholme is estimated to be able to fight with the 2,000 honor guards we see today. ”

“……”

Tulayan's mouth opened and closed. Open and closed, wanting to say something but feeling speechless.

"The two thousand people I met today, only the more than 1,000 people in the front row are like that, and the guys standing in the back are all rookies who have just put down their hoes, if it weren't for their good eyes, they would have seen this. I'm not going to open my mouth tonight. Carlos snorted.

"How do you tell?" Tulayan asked, puzzled.

"Remember how long it took us to watch the troops?" Carlos walked the path of temptation.

"In less than ten minutes." Tulayan recalled, not quite sure.

"Anyone who has participated in queue training, who will not be lazy and save effort. Guy who can't even keep a ten-minute honor guard, don't you tell me what a rookie is? Carlos pushed his eyes that didn't exist, "There is only one truth, it's not that the nobles of Stratholme are greedy for life and afraid of death, but that they are making up for their previous short-sightedness." ”

After listening to it, Tulayan thought about it and understood.

Trolls have been suppressed by the High Elves for many years. It's long gone. Although the Confederacy fought bloody battles with the tribes in the Hillbride Hill Hills, the Stratholme region, like a large rear, was still a peaceful place of singing and dancing, and the sub-nobles had no real sense of war at all. In the past, it was the busy farming season, and in order to rush the harvest, the huge Stratholme area dragged the alliance for three months in order to replenish the strength of 2,000 men. I'm afraid it's a couple of months to finish work and train for two months, and then go to war.

Afterwards, the nobles enjoyed the compensation given by Terenus after the conscription. Thinking that I am the rear anyway, why should I continue to train the army in a hurry? Now the Union is at war. The cost of training soldiers is much more expensive than in peacetime, take your time.

If you think about it this way, everything makes sense, including Marshal Lothar's strange instructions not to quarrel with Carlocchi, including Carlos's thousands of miles along the way, including the decision to get the troops stuck in the pass at the first time. Including the doubts about the scattered trolls wandering south along the way, no one cleared them.

Not to mention the problem of relying only on the militia to defend the huge Stratholm area, let's just say that such a large Stratholm city is actually defended by only 2,000 soldiers, and it is estimated that there will be no one after the guards of the city wall are arranged.

"I'll report this truthfully to Marshal Lothar." After listening to this, Tulayan said with a cold face.

"You're going to die a terrible death." Carlos rested his chin in his hand. Said indifferently.

"How dare they hurt me? Hurt a paladin? The only lieutenant to hurt the generalissimo of the Alliance, Lothar? This is Stratholm City, and don't forget, the headquarters of our Silver Hand Paladins is located in Stratholme Cathedral! It was as if Tulayan had heard some great joke, and his words were high and his expression was intense.

"Where do you want to go, they are still waiting for us to be saviors, how can they kill you, I mean you go to them to complain, you will be scolded to death by Marshal Lothar, such a dead mage is very miserable." Carlos explained.

"Aha!?" Tulayan was not convinced.

"You know no, Tulayan, after becoming king, I discovered something."

"You say."

"Accountability is something that should be done after victory or defeat."

"You're right."

"You're right, but you're not thinking about it."

“……”

Tulayan finds himself caught up in Carlos's linguistic trap.

But Carlos was right, he couldn't rub sand in his eyes.

"I can all tell, you can't guess something as an uncle of Tyrenus and Lothar? Everybody doesn't talk about it. I've thought a lot about why Lordaeron asked Alterac for help, why Tyrenus didn't send his own troops, he should definitely have more than that bit of power in his hands. Through today, I kind of get it. ”

"Understand what?" Tulayan still doesn't understand.

"The rescue of Stratholm can't be done by the army within the Kingdom of Lordaeron, at least not by the people of the Silver Pines Forest or the Fireplace."

"Well, it seems to make sense."

Tulayan tasted something.

"I, the people of Lordaeron City and the Valley of the Hearth, for the alliance in the Hillsbride region and the tribe of the orcs ogres are fighting in the dark, you people of Stratholme eat and drink all day and soak the girls? I guess the people born in Hearthvale are better, and if you let the people near Lordaeron City come, it will be a lot of fun. Unlike the compromise of interests between the aristocracy, the love and hate of the people at the bottom is actually unreasonable. Carlos finished and stretched.

"So what are you going to do? About trolls. Tulayan also stretched, ready to ask one last question before going to bed.

"Guard, the elves are not in a hurry, we are in a hurry." Carlos replied.

"Then I'll go to sleep, there are a lot of people, you are the coach, I will cooperate with you." Tulayan nodded.

"Hey, the paladin can't help but want to, so many tender little girls, why don't you go find one?" Carlos teased.

"There is only one goddess of mine!" Tulayan righteously refused.

"Hey, I'll teach you a spell, and the next time you say it to Aurelia, it might work." Carlos said maliciously.

“！！！” Tulayan hurriedly asked, "What is it?" ”

"You open your five fingers, then retract your middle and ring fingers, and place your palms outwards in front of your chest. Be careful to keep smiling while chanting mantras. ”

"Why is it so awkward?" Tulayan muttered, "What's this spell for?" ”

"I've heard that it can increase friendship."

"Oh, then you can say it."

Carlos took two deep breaths and held back a smile.

"The spell is very simple, just five sounds, but you have to pronounce and pronounce the words clearly."

"Oh, oh, you say it." Tulayan, a simple young man, has the courage to try anything that will help him on the path of love.

The spell was that Carlos pinched his thigh with his fingers and said, "Nicole Nicone! ”

"I'm going to sleep." Tulayan turned away with a blank face. (To be continued......)

PS: 6 chapters in arrears, it's still within the scope of ability, and there will be fewer broken things after the holiday, just 6 chapters, and it's over in a week. Appropriate~~