Although the Scourge did not invade the area, the current Arathi Highlands are still desolate. The land is barren, with very little flat land available for cultivation in the rolling hills, and only a few small plains that are fairly flat can barely be cultivated, but the yield on these lands is so poor that it is difficult to feed a third of the region's population.

There were few pedestrians on the road, and Diego and his party walked east along the main road for a morning, but they did not meet a few travelers. Arathi is not at peace these days, solo or a few people are rare, and people are afraid of what will happen to them, and they prefer to stay at home rather than travel far unless necessary. If they really have to go out, they will also wait until the people on the same road have saved up enough, and find a long way out under the protection of the patrol.

In fact, many years ago, Arathi was not like this, and during the reign of King Solas Torbain, Riptide was not a top power, but no one dared to mess with it in the entire Northlands, and the king himself was notoriously tough. During the Second Orc War, at the critical juncture of the Alterac Kingdom's betrayal of the Alliance, Solas Thorbain personally led the army at the first time, attacked the Alterac Royal City, overthrew Perinord's rule, and finally turned the tide of the war in one fell swoop.

At that time, the Arathi were notoriously strong and fearless, like their Iron Fist badges, united, determined, and unstoppable, and King Solas Torbairn sent his nephew Danas Torbairn to lead nearly half of the kingdom's army through the Dark Gate with the Alliance to the Orc's homeland.

But everything changed after the old king was assassinated by his own son, Garin Tolbain, in collusion with the Syndicate and the Stonefist ogre. This incompetent man who killed his father and the king seized the rule of the kingdom, but he was completely incapable of protecting and governing the country. As a result of this plot with the tiger, the Syndicate and the Stonefist Ogre took the opportunity to break through the thousand-year-old royal city of Rapids, driving the prince out of the royal capital before he could be crowned, and he was struggling to survive in a narrow valley of refuge.

"Garin Tolbairn? That's a joke! At the mention of this prince, Huffman couldn't help but laugh, it seems that this prince's reputation is not very good in the entire human world, "He has never been on the battlefield, and many people even doubt that he can afford to lift a noble stabbing sword even if it is used for façade!" ”

"Won't it?" Masrae said in disbelief that most of the human nobles he had seen had been powerful, far stronger than ordinary civilians, and the weakest of them could play decently with a bayonet sword.

"You'll know when you see it!" Hefman didn't argue with him, but laughed and rode forward, to the front outpost.

At that moment, riding on the back of the tall Kodo beast, he could see farther than the others, Diegor grabbed the reins and shouted.

"Whip of the Storm, on alert!"

"Alert!" Several squad leaders followed the order loudly.

The well-trained soldiers quickly stopped, formed a defensive array, and were engrossed in watch, but most of them only raised their shields, but did not take off their tomahawks, after all, they were only on alert now.

"It seems to be a squad of cavalry." Masrae stepped on the saddle of his Kodomon and looked into the distance, the Night Elves' balance far beyond the average human level.

Diego casts an eagle eye spell on himself.

He saw a group of cavalry galloping towards him, led by a middle-aged man with blond hair dressed in white armor trimmed with red trim, a battle robe depicting a falcon with wings spread on his chest, and a shield hanging from the saddle with a red fist painted on it.

"It's the White Falcon Cavalry at Fort Riptide." Diego breathed a sigh of relief and whispered. The cavalrymen were not wearing helmets, and they didn't look like they were about to attack.

From a distance, he saw Huffman with a few men coming up to him, and the two sides stopped to say something.

After a few minutes, the cavalry remained where they were, while their officers, together with Huffman, rode their horses toward Diego.

"This is Lieutenant Varocar, who has been entrusted with the policing of the road by Prince Karin Tolbairn." Coming to the front, Huffman was the first to introduce.

"Salute to you, Your Excellency, to your glory and prestige!" Vacarol hurriedly jumped off his horse and gave Diego the most respectful courtesy, which is usually done to an archbishop.

Three months have passed since that miracle, and the story of Saint Diego has spread throughout the North, and in fact, there are already many devout believers on pilgrimage to the Arathi, not only among them, but also some inspired syndicates. The story of the sworn enemies who had been fighting each other in harmony and embarking on the pilgrimage together had become part of the miracle itself.

"Salute to you too, praise the Light, may the Light be with you!" Diego said very strikingly. Although he was reluctant, he learned this set of etiquette when the archbishop received the faithful, but he did not expect to use it now.

"Praise forever!" The blessed Varocal almost jumped for joy, and he stepped on his horse with joy, "Allow me to lead the way for you!" ”

"Thank you very much!" Diego resisted the urge to roll his eyes and smiled. Can I still go wrong on this big road?

It has to be said that Lieutenant Varrokar is not a funny and talkative person, his mouth is far inferior to his sword-wielding skills, and even a little clumsy, he still keeps introducing the scenery along the way to Diego, and from time to time he grins and makes a few happy smirks.

Diego couldn't help but sigh in his heart, in this chaotic and difficult time, people are more and more eager for the Holy Light to bring them spiritual sustenance and a stable life. He secretly made up his mind that he would not only do his best to help these people, but also inspire their fighting spirit and take up arms to protect their homeland.

As they walked and talked, they came to the fork in the road that led to Fort Riptide.

"Please go this way, Your Excellency!" Varocal said with a slightly ugly face. He did not turn towards the city, but walked straight east.

"Don't we live in the city today?" Masrae asked, somewhat surprised.

"No, Prince Garin will meet you in the Valley of Refuge," Varocal pursed, undisguised disdain for his sovereign, "He doesn't think we can guarantee his safety at Fort Riptide!" ”

"Isn't Riptide Castle out of your control?" Masrae broke the casserole and asked in the end, Diego on the side was about to commit embarrassment, and among the people present, I am afraid that only this alien elf did not know the current situation of Riptide Castle, is this simply a slap in the face of Hongguoguo!

"Part of it, to be exact!" The lieutenant said with a pale face, for a soldier, the loss of the royal city is simply a great shame, "Captain Niès, with her troops, is still stationed in the cemetery and the lower city, guarding the tombs of the kings of the past. ”

"Is it an order from His Royal Highness the Prince?" Diego felt as if he had changed some of his thoughts about the coward. But in the next second, this view was moved back.

"Not really!" A young white falcon cavalry couldn't help but interject, "That coward can't wait for everyone to stay in front of him to feel safe, so he won't let people take back the royal city, Captain Niaise disobeyed the order to go back, and that coward also relieved Captain Niaise from his position for this reason, but to be honest, who among the brothers still takes his orders seriously?" ”

"Shut up, Walker!" Lieutenant Valocar said angrily, but he didn't seem to mean to punish the young man.

The atmosphere fell into an awkward silence, and the team walked in silence for half an afternoon until they reached the entrance to the Valley of Refuge.