One day in April of the twenty-second year after the Dark Gate was opened, Diego and his party finally arrived at Sentinel Ridge.

In the endless Western Wilderness, a place like Sentinel Ridge with a few hills is really rare, even if these hills are not as high as that. But it was this terrain advantage that allowed the defenders here to withstand the attacks of the Brotherhood of Defia.

On the hillside, there are a number of fortifications, especially the stone watchtower at the highest point of the hillside, which can be seen even from a distance.

When it comes to Sentinel Ridge, we can't help but talk about Grian? Stallman, a respectable veteran, was once a member of the glorious Silver Hand Paladins. All the while, this paladin was proud of his group, all the way to Uther? After the Lightbringer was killed in battle, and the Silver Hand split into the Scarlet Crusaders and the Silver Dawn, he was disheartened by the power struggle within the leadership, and he left the north and returned to his homeland.

By the time the Defia brothers appeared in the Wild West, Old Greon had been back to his hometown of Mooncreek for several years. Old Glion had not spoken to anyone about most of his life and the glory that had long since passed. He just wants to live the second half of his life quietly.

But the Defia thugs colluded with goblins, gnolls, and kobolds to rob merchants, steal gold mines, raid farms, and even take over Moonstream, the trading center of the Wild West, after Stormwind's garrison withdrew. The locals were forced to flee their hometown, and the old mayor was assassinated by members of this bandit group. The nobles of Stormwind seem to have abandoned the Wild West. Not a single soldier was sent for several months, until the fall of Yuexi Town.

When almost everyone was desperate, the old Grian, who would have celebrated his sixtieth birthday in another year, stood up. Just like when he led the squad in the Silver Hand Holy Knights. With perseverance and speed unimaginable to ordinary people, he assembled a guard of local farmers, retired veterans, and herdsmen. After consulting with everyone, he named it the People's Army - an army built for the people themselves. Old Grian shone like a holy light on the refugees who were on the verge of despair, uniting them all to fight to the death against the Brotherhood of Defia. In fact, the thieves were a rabble, and the People's Army, led by the talented old Grian, managed to hold this last stronghold and dealt a heavy blow to the Difia thieves.

But. Sentinel Ridge soon got into trouble, because Grian? Todman is a good man at leading his troops into battle. But without any material assistance, he could not do anything about the plight of the refugees who lacked food and clothing.

When Diego and his party arrived at Sentinel Ridge, it was dusk, and they rounded the hillside below the watchtower. Came to the camp to the south. What came into their eyes was a valley surrounded by several hillsides.

The valley is home to thousands of refugees. Some artisans are working around the clock to build houses to give them as much a place to live as possible. But this is almost a drop in the bucket, because the people in this camp are all helping, but both wood and stone are in short supply, and at the end of the day, they can't build a few houses, and more refugees have to sleep on the slopes between the valleys. There were no tents, and some didn't even have a blanket to cover themselves overnight. If it weren't for April, the temperature in the south would have risen. I'm afraid someone has already froze to death.

The camp was in ruins. Seeing the arrival of Diego and his party, people were also expressionless and indifferent. This sudden catastrophe shows no end in sight, and even the strongest have lost hope. Everyone looked yellow and thin, and looked like a group of skeletons from a distance.

"Bogard, let's get ready to give them food." Diego couldn't help but say. Look at these hungry people who seem to be dying in the next moment. He felt a pang of discomfort in his heart.

"You can't do that yet, sir." Bogard hurriedly persuaded. "If we start distributing food now, there won't be enough people to maintain order, and it will be a disaster if there is a stampede in a crowded crowd."

"The manpower will be available right away." Masrae said suddenly, pointing to the hillside to the north.

Diego looked up in the direction of the watchtower, where a group of people was approaching the convoy.

At the head was a veteran in plate armor, with gray hair, and probably in his sixties. He was dressed in gray steel plate armor, which looked to be some years old, the trim of the armor had been worn out, and the cowhide liner had been cracked, and although it had been repaired many times, the pits and slashes left by various weapons on the armor all spoke of the glory and splendor of its owner.

Behind the veterans was a group of militiamen dressed in a patchwork of various armors. Among them were old men in their sixties and teenagers in their fifteens or sixteens. They carried weapons such as pitchforks, scythes, and kitchen knives, and only a few held swords, but judging by the style and wear of those swords, they should have been antiques made during the Orc Wars.

They stopped in front of Diego.

"Praise the Light." The veteran at the front of the line made a church salute, indicating that he was, at least once a clergyman.

"Eternal life and eternity." Diego hurriedly responded, he judged his identity when he first saw this veteran, but he still had to pretend to see him for the first time, "Your Excellency the Paladin, I wonder if I have the honor to know your honorable name?" ”

"Your Excellency, Greon? Stallman salutes you! May the Light be with you. The veteran also saw his noble status from the badge on Diego's chest, and replied politely. It has to be said that he mistakenly thought that this young nobleman had also come to help the People's Army, because there had been some adventurers who had volunteered to join the People's Army to resist the attack of the Brotherhood of Difia, but it was the first time he had encountered a nobleman - still a viscount - to join.

"Diego? Aznar salutes you and pays tribute to your strength. Diego saluted respectfully. This veteran deserves respect—and if it weren't for him, the entire Wild West would have fallen to the Brotherhood of Defia.

"I beg your pardon, sir. I don't want to say that what I did was for the glory of the king, especially after the kingdom's army abandoned here. The veteran said stubbornly, looking like he had become disillusioned with Stormwind.

"I think there's something wrong with this, you probably don't know what's going on in Stormwind, and I promise you wouldn't have said that if you had."

"Oh? Is there anything else I don't know? ”

"I think so. I'll tell you where it happened. But it will have to be after my people get food. ”

"Your people?" Stallman asked, a little confused, to know. Mooncreek was previously the domain of the royal family, and no one had ever dared to claim sovereignty over it

"Yes, as the lord of Yuexi Town, it is completely in accordance with the law for me to say this." Diego said. He turned around and got from Bart? Leibi took his lordship papers, stamped with the seals of the king and the senate.

Stallman took the paper from his hand and looked at it a few times, and even with his vast experience and discernment, he could not find anything to fault with it.

Finally, he closed the paperwork and returned it with respectful hands. He finally realized that he had gotten something wrong.

"I don't know how you got this territory. But I think the person who chose the fief for you must not have a good heart for you. Stallman said bluntly, "No one dares to take over this mess now, especially after the fall of Mooncreek and the gold mines." ”

"So here I am. To tell you the truth, I'm here to solve the troubles, not to collect taxes, and I'm sure this place won't be able to collect a few copper plates right now. Diego said, pointing to the ruined camp, sympathy and sorrow written across his face.

Stallman was silent for a moment.

"I think you'll be a good lord." He spoke. As a resident of this land, he could not resist the orders of this lord. Even if he's a paladin. Because this is the right of the lords under the laws of the kingdom. In the history of Azeroth, such things are not uncommon, even Uther? Paladins as great as the Lightbringer, when his prince Arthas announced the removal of his command, he could only obey orders and depart.

"Allow me to hand over to you the command of the KPA." Stallman said in a low voice, although he didn't know if this nobleman had the ability, he decided to do it, because now was not the time to fight for power, and he had never forgotten why he left the silver hand. But behind him, the militia all showed anxious looks, to be honest, they didn't have a good impression of this nobleman, you know, if it wasn't for Stormwind City's brain-dead withdrawal of the garrison legion, Yuexi Town would not have fallen to this point.

"Your Excellency, you can't do this!"

"You can't leave us alone!"

“……”

They talked and talked, but Stallman was determined, he shook his head, and said:

"I will not leave, I will continue to fight with you as an ordinary soldier."

"No, you won't just be an ordinary soldier, because your rights won't be limited to that," Diego said sincerely, looking at him, he turned his head to look at all the militiamen, "I will now issue my first decree as Lord of Moonstream, and that is to appoint the Paladin Grian?" His Excellency Stallman is the sheriff of the town of Moon Creek and continues to command all the militia. ”

Everyone, including Stallman himself, was stunned, and after a moment a burst of cheers erupted from among the militia.

"This appointment is fantastic."

"yes, that's it."

"It's the right decision, who better to lead us than Lord Grian."

"I swear, my lord, that you will benefit from this wise decision today."

The militia couldn't have been more in favor of the decision. In their eyes at this moment, this young lord didn't look so hateful anymore.

Diego smiled. In his vision, the future Moon Creek Leader will have two armies, one is the militia, led by Grian? Stallman leads and is in charge of the security of the territory, while Harry? The convoy led by Bogard, which would be his personal private army, was specifically responsible for fighting.

If the appointment had merely cheered the militiamen, almost all of them drooled when bundles of oak spears and shiny leather armor coated with maintenance oil were removed from the wagons and stacked in front of them. If it weren't for Old Grian's stern eyes, they would have already pounced on it.

"Okay, gentlemen, why are you still stunned, these weapons and equipment are yours." Diego said generously. That's what he bought these things for, to keep them to lay eggs.

The militiamen let out a burst of cheers and swarmed up. They put on the leather armor with the coat of arms of the Diego family, and then took up their spears and held them in their hands. Before they knew it, they had developed some identification with the new lord.

In fact, not only spears, Diego also bought some battle axes and swords, but the use of these weapons required some skills that could only be mastered through training, and he did not intend to distribute them this time, but intended to award them as a reward to the militia who showed their bravery, in any army, heroic deeds need to be rewarded, and empty praise does not always work.

"If we had these things in that battle a few days ago, the casualties wouldn't have been so great." Looking at the elated militiamen, Stallman said with emotion.

"Wounded?" Diego was keenly aware of this, and it seemed that it hadn't been long since the last battle ended.

"We lost more than a dozen of the most valiant lads, and in addition to that, the same number of wounded." Stallman said sadly, he is not a holy knight who is good at healing, but a punishment knight who focuses on combat, and he can only watch and do nothing about the injured children.

"I think we might be able to help." Diego smiled and said. He turned his head and looked at the gnolla shaman, "Van Gore, go to the wounded barracks and take a look, your help is needed there." ”

"Well, my Lord of the Peace, I think you need to send someone to bring him there." Diego turned his head and said to Stallman, "On top of that, you'll need to arrange for people to maintain order and distribute food to the refugees. ”

"Grain?"

"Not just food, but also tents, blankets and stuff."

"Your Excellency, allow me to pay you my deepest respect. I have never seen a lord as generous as you spend his own money to give money to his subjects before he has received a single copper plate in taxes. Stallman was finally impressed by Diego's sincerity. He suddenly felt that the future of Moonstream Town was no longer so bleak.

The efficiency of the militia was quick, and after a while, the refugees from the entire camp were notified. People lined up in long lines in front of the wagons distributing food, receiving them in turn.

Each of the refugees who received the food would bow to the lord on the hillside in the distance, and they could not be more grateful to the lord who had brought light in the midst of despair, and many even wiped tears while muttering, "Thank you, merciful lord, for your generosity is as great as the light......

"The Light has never forsaken us, and He is always with us!" Some devout believers have even begun to pray.

"That's right, isn't this generous lord he sent to save us? Look at his guards, how fierce and strong! Many people agreed that in their opinion, this strong lord himself was not weak, and the leather armor he wore and the musket behind his back showed the strength of this nobleman.

"It's time for the thugs of the Brotherhood of Defia, who do all kinds of evil, to crack their teeth and cut off their right hands. Use their blood to atone for their sins! "Some have realized that the time for revenge is coming. They excitedly announced to everyone around them.

Diego stood quietly on the hillside, talking to Stallman about a recent incident in Stormwind as he watched the simple and contented people. Diego felt very satisfied. He knew that he had succeeded in bringing hope to the refugees and igniting a fire in their hearts, and that it might not be long before the flames of revenge would erupt and burn the Defiya thugs to ashes. (To be continued) Gentleman's Gathering Hall Azeroth Adventure Guide

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