In the dim and damp mines of death in the western wilderness, this time of year has become more terrifying and eerie than ever.

Because, now here, there is no more popularity, no sound, and no light, not long ago, a large group of iron men in white armor, shouting all kinds of slogans, went straight to attack the ...... They hacked and brutally killed everything they could see!

After that, it didn't take long for everything to calm down, and the Death Mine became a veritable new place of death...... Here, too, only death remains......

Vanessa? Van Cleef carefully slipped out of a pile of slag, she didn't dare to make too much noise, she was worried, afraid that those evil tin men were not far away, those people must be bad guys, right? It's a very bad, very bad kind......

Vanessa hid in the slag because her father forcibly covered her with a pile of planks and minecarts before the battle began. At that time, he also told her many times that she would never be allowed to come out until the noise outside was over.

Vanessa listened to her father and stayed quietly in the pile of slag, even though there were many screams and weapons clashing at the beginning of the battle, and even though she didn't dare to move more when she saw her father being captured by a group of vicious tin men...... She was terrified......

It wasn't until a long, long time later, knowing that it was beginning to be quiet outside, that she carefully pulled it out of the slag heap when she knew it was beginning to be too hungry to stand it.

Vanessa didn't know what was going on here, or why it was the way it was...... With great difficulty, she began to stumble out of the pit with the light of the ash fire, which had not yet been completely extinguished...... Even if there were many wounds on her body that were cut by sharp rocks, she didn't notice it......

When she finally ran outside the pit and saw the clear sky, it was already nearly dusk.

Outside the entire mine, there was not a single living person......

Here, there are all kinds of corpses......

Countless black-pressed crows are gathering high in the sky, stopping on the eaves and among the branches, they ...... Get ready for a carnival feast......

Now, Vanessa looked around blankly, and she couldn't see any living people here...... There were no uncles and aunts from the past, and there were no more vicious tin men who had just rushed in, so she stayed at the entrance of the mine in a daze, and stood there for a long time......

Vanessa...... I want dad ......."

Eventually, for some reason, she began to follow the trail of the Iron-Armored Man when she left, taking her small, fragile steps, and following with determination......

She didn't know why she was doing it...... She always felt that maybe, if she followed the footsteps of these tin men as they left, she would find her father, her father Edwin......

The days just go by day by day......

Vanessa still stubbornly and resolutely walked in the direction of the trail of the villains' departure......

When she was hungry, she went to the fields or houses to steal some food...... When she was thirsty, she went to the creek or the jungle to drink some dew...... She was too tired to walk, so she went to sleep in the haystacks that the peasants had stacked in the fields, and when she had slept enough, she set out again on the road that seemed to never end......

During this period, she was chased by the vicious dogs of the farmers on the side of the road......

I was also chased and beaten by some bad boys with sticks and stones......

I was also lucky enough to ride the carriage of a certain silent businessman......

Of course, there were also some kind uncles and aunts who gave her food and wanted to take her in......

However, the little girl Vanessa stubbornly refuses, and she must follow the path that the Tin Men have walked, catch up with them, and find her father Edwin before the traces are completely gone......

Finally, she didn't know how many days it had passed, and she finally followed the trail to a huge and tall and majestic city...... It's just that now, there is a majestic rain in the sky, and the traces on the original ground can no longer be found.

Vanessa knew that she had lost all chance of finding her father, so she had to let the cold rain drench her thin body, and then she began to walk in a daze towards the huge outline of the city ahead......

Vanessa was about to take shelter from the rain in the huge gate hole, but ...... She was so frightened that there were two scoundrels in tin armor guarding there, so she hesitated, and curled up in the cold rain so cowardly that she didn't dare to lean forward.

"Hey, head! Look, over there, it seems like there's a little girl? ”

One of the sharp-eyed Stormwind soldiers soon spotted Vanessa in the distance, so he began to ask the captain of the guard squad who was standing guard with him in the gate cave with him.

"Humph! You have nothing to do when you're idle, do you? It's nothing more than a little beggar, there are so many outside of Stormwind, you don't have to pay attention to her! ”

The leader of the squad glanced in the direction pointed by his soldiers, and then stopped paying attention, there are too many little beggars like this outside of Stormwind City, where can they manage it? These are things that only kings and nobles should worry about!

Besides, instead of wasting money and materials for disaster relief, it is better to give him a drink! Such beggars and outcasts, what use do they have for the Stormwind Kingdom? Dead and pull down!

Finally, after she could no longer stand the bone-chilling rain, and saw that the two villains didn't seem to want to pay much attention to herself, Vanessa carefully walked forward step by step, and she found that there was a small corner next to the gate hole that would not be caught by the rain.

So, she waited until she got close to the two iron-clad villains, and when she saw that the other party really didn't want to pay attention to herself, she hurriedly walked to the corner of the wall far away from them and squatted down, and now, here, she would no longer be drenched by the rain.

It's just that Vanessa still feels very cold...... She desperately needed a good rest, and if there was a cup of hot water here, it would be great......

It's a pity that no one cares about her life or death here, and there is no Edwin father to take care of her, so she can only curl up her thin body tightly, curl up under the foot of the rainless city wall, put her hands in front of her mouth, and breathe softly.

I don't know why, maybe I'm hungry? Or are you tired? Vanessa felt that her eyelids were starting to get heavier and heavier, and she seemed to want to sleep here......

……

At the same time, outside the square of the Cathedral of Light in Stormwind City, although today is not a good day for worship or any important celebrations and festivals, although it is still raining cold and drizzle in the sky, but now, inside and out, it is full of citizens from all walks of life in Stormwind City.

The reason why they are squeezing here with great interest is because, today, here, they are going to execute a thug they hate to the bone - Edwin? Van Cleef! He is the thug who led the Masons Guild riot in the past, and now the leader of the Brotherhood of Defia, and now the most wanted criminal in Stormwind!

Earlier today, the citizens unexpectedly found a news on the bulletin board that their great King Varian had personally led his troops to capture the Mine of Death without a sound, and at the same time captured Van Cleeff, the culprit who single-handedly created the Brotherhood of Phidia!

Finally, this evil Van Cliffe, who is about to be executed here in the square of the cathedral, on this newly erected execution platform! And like this kind of important event that has a lively to see, the idle Storm City residents, they will definitely not miss it!

Therefore, the citizens of Stormwind, as long as they have nothing important on their hands, have braved the cold rain that fell from the sky, and gathered here with extraordinary enthusiasm, just to see the excitement of that thug, that Van Cleef, being pushed to the guillotine!

"Lord Duke Berval...... Why don't you tell me about His Majesty's private expedition to the Mines of Death? ”

Katrana? Countess Presto was now standing under the eaves of the church gate behind the execution table, and when she saw Van Cleef, who had been bound and was being kicked by the executioner, but still stubbornly did not want to kneel, she smiled and whispered to Duke Boval, who was standing next to her, in a slightly coquettish tone.

At this point, Katrana? Although Presto was smiling on her face, she was already scolding in her heart!

This fool Van Cleef, and his Phidia Brotherhood, but she Katrana struggled to lay out a good move! But now, just like this, inexplicably deposed by that Varian king?

Or...... Could it be that he Varian saw something about her Katrana's identity? That's why you deliberately hide yourself? Let's cut first? Countess Catlana narrowed her eyes slightly, and began to think crankily.

All this, is it a coincidence? Or is it specifically targeted?

If it's really the kind of result she doesn't want to see, then it will really be a big trouble for her in the future! It's not good, the hard work she has put in Stormwind City for so many years is very likely to come to naught, in case, the situation is really bad to that point, it will be the last thing she wants to see.

"Oh! No, dear Catlana, you must believe me, I have not deceived you in any way! I don't even know about this! ”

Seeing that the countess beside him was a little angry, Boval quickly explained in a panic that he really didn't know about this!

"I have already asked the king's royal guard commander before, and he said that at that time, His Majesty the king was indeed preparing to go out of the city to hunt and relax, so he brought less than two hundred royal guards and cavalry."

"It's just that when His Majesty wandered outside the city, and I don't know why, His Majesty suddenly began to get upset, and then, in a fit of anger, he directly led the soldiers who were stationed south of Shining Gold Town and went straight to the Western Wilderness...... At that time, they didn't even have time to send someone back to report! ”

In Boward's opinion, His Majesty the King really had a temporary idea this time, and not only did Bolval not know about this matter, but at that time, none of the noble members of the entire kingdom's parliament and other people in Stormwind City even knew about it!

"Okay, it seems that I really misunderstood you, so let's do it, another day, I'll treat you to lunch again, and I should make amends."

Hearing the explanation, Katrana nodded slightly, then shifted her gaze, frowning and continuing to look at Van Cleef, who was still cursing and cursing with the executioner.

The more she looked at each other, the more angry Countess Catlana felt!

Van Cleef, this bastard is such an idiot! How could it be so easy to be caught by Varian's army? How could their Defia Brotherhood dare to go toe-to-toe with the regular legions of Stormwind?

The countess really wanted to drag the other party's head and ask: This is obviously something that can't be beaten, won't you run away in advance? Drill into the mountains below the mines, and will he Varian send an army to search for you all over the mountains? You're just so desperate to stay in the mines? Now it's okay, catch the turtle in the urn, it's not too easy to catch you!

"Dear Katrana, where does it need another day? Why don't we ...... tonight."

Just as Boval was about to talk to the countess about something ambiguous, King Varian and the bishop of the Cathedral of Light in Stormwind City, Benedictas, and the two royal guards behind them, and the two solemn walked out of the cathedral.

Frightened, Berval quickly stopped his words about to flirt with the countess, and stood up straight, pretending to be serious, and looked at the high platform in front of him without squinting.

After the sound of heavy footsteps with his armor touching the ground, King Varian came to the gate of the cathedral and stood under the eaves with the nobles, then he nodded slightly to Bishop Benedictas who was beside him, and then, with a slight bow of his head, he braved the drizzle and walked towards the wooden platform that had been erected.

"Bergall, you say...... Is it really good for this Van Cleef to be directly decapitated like this? No need to interrogate for a few days or a trial? ”

Katrana didn't know what the hell was going on, and it seemed that she wanted to fight for it again.

She didn't want this chess piece to be so useful, so she killed it inexplicably. She needs to try it and see if there's room for a turnaround? As long as this Van Cleef doesn't have to die now, she has 10,000 ways to get the other party out of prison!

"Alas...... I also know that this matter is a bit rushed...... However, it is better to end the matter as soon as possible! Don't mention everything before, so you don't have to worry about it again......"

Boval sighed, he understood what Countess Catlana meant, thinking that her idea was to straighten things out of the Masons' Guild first, and then execute this Van Cleef when the kingdom was on the moral high ground.

Merely...... In his opinion Bolval, there was no way to delve into this matter. Once you dig deeper, it will be embarrassing for the Stormwind Kingdom in the end...... Therefore, it is better to catch the other party now, and go down directly with a knife, and it will be a hundred!

This is already the best solution for the Stormwind Kingdom that he Boval has thought of so far!

Fortunately, His Majesty the King was witty and didn't even say hello, and directly led his troops to arrest the other party. Otherwise, once the normal process is followed, I am afraid that he has not waited for the troops to be dispatched, and after this Van Cleef heard the news, he would probably have been ready to evacuate with his manpower, right?

"Hey...... It's a shame......"

Seeing that there was no room for turn, Katrana sighed softly again, and for a moment, her expression seemed a little sluggish, and her whole person was sad.

"That's right, it's a bit of a pity to kill this person!"

Boval nodded in agreement, as if he had misunderstood what the countess really meant.

"Edwin? Van Cleef is a great engineer, and the planning and layout of our Stormwind City is from his hand! ”

"We all saw that under his leadership and efforts, the leader of the Stonemasons' Guild, the Stonemasons Guild gathered a large number of people to start the construction of the new Stormwind City...... The majestic city in front of them, in the hands of their group of genius stonemasons, showed Stormwind City, showing the majestic momentum and majestic demeanor that our Stormwind Kingdom should have......"

Bolval looked at Van Cleef on the high platform and sighed deeply.

No one can question this! In the field of stonemason engineering, he Edwin? Van Cleef is indeed a genius really...... Now, he died in such an indishonorable way...... It's a shame. ”

The Duke of Berval spoke so eloquently that Catlana next to him couldn't stop laughing and crying for a while.

What she meant just now was actually saying: This Van Cleef is a good pawn that she has cultivated with great difficulty, and now she is dead like this, it is a pity to waste her efforts! What does it have to do with whether he is a genius or not? How could she care about what the other party had achieved in the field of stonemasonry? What's the matter with her? Ha! Really, where are you Bolvar? It's unreasonable!

"Edwin? Van Cleef, poor lost lamb, may the light ......"

Archbishop Benedictas finally walked up to Van Cleef as Catlana and Boval murmured quietly.

Looking at the handsome black-haired man in front of him who was unwilling to kneel, Benedictas also sighed, and when he was about to read out the quotations from his holy light book as if he were about to do a routine business, the other party spat a mouthful of bloody thick phlegm into his face.

"Ahh Get out of the way, old thing! Lao Tzu doesn't believe in the hypocrisy of your aristocrats! You, ah......"

When Van Cleef, who was full of disdain, was about to say something, the two executioners behind him kicked him in the back and the crook of his leg so desperately that he had to stop his words and get down on one knee in aggrieved.

"Okay...... Now, then, ask for the mercy of the Light, lost child......"

Since the other party is so faceless now, and Bishop Benedictas doesn't want to do any more entanglement here, he decided that the process can be shortened and speeded up a little.

Therefore, he didn't care about wiping the saliva from his face, so he let the rain wash it away, but stepped forward and made some routine gestures to Van Cleef, and then cast a holy light spell on the other party's body to purify and expel the undead, to ensure that the other party would not be transformed into an undead after death, and then, he nodded to the two executioners, and walked down the high platform with a slightly embarrassed face, and returned to the eaves of the cathedral gate with a dark face.

"Edwin? Van Cleef! Do you have anything else to say now? This is your last chance! ”

King Varian pressed the hilt of his sword at his waist and took two steps forward, letting the icy rain that was beginning to grow heavier and heavier drench her cloak and daw, and she looked at Van Cleef, who was half-kneeling on the high platform, and began to ask in a loud voice.

"Humph! If you want to kill, you will kill! And what is there to say to you filthy aristocrats? Phew! ”

Even though he was half-kneeling on the ground by the two executioners behind him, Van Cleef still looked at Varian in front of him with a mocking look on his face, His Majesty the so-called King of the Stormwind Kingdom.

"Don't you feel the slightest repentance for your crimes?!"

Continuing to blush, Varian glared at Van Cleef, who was still unrepentant at the end of his death, and he raised the volume of his voice to continue questioning.

If it weren't for the fact that the other party had gone too far, if it weren't for the fact that they had killed his Queen Tiffany, and if it weren't for the fact that the damage their Brotherhood had done to the Stormwind Kingdom was too great, he Varian really didn't want to do this point of undying in front of him!

"Hahaha...... It's the funniest joke I've ever heard in my life! ”

Van Cleef laughed maniacally for a moment, then retorted loudly, first looking around at the crowd of onlookers and the magnificent city that their stonemasons' guild had worked so hard to build.

"Before you say this hypocritically, please look at the beautiful city around you, and please keep your eyes open! This is the Stormwind City that our Stonemasons' Union has condensed with all their efforts! Look at it, it's so splendid, it's so magnificent......"

"But! Look at these people around you, look at yourselves! ”

Van Cleef gradually accentuated his tone, staring at King Varian in front of him with fierce eyes.

"When you are filled with the joy of returning home, when you sit on those stone benches and admire the beautiful fountain gardens, when you walk down the cobblestone streets and enjoy the beautiful scenery of Stormwind, have you ever wondered who did all the heavy lifting for you? Who has worked so hard to do all this for you? And who built you a new home and didn't get the slightest return? ”

"Huh? Why, you don't dare to speak? ”

Van Cleef looked mockingly at the blue-faced King of the Stormwind Kingdom, and then glanced at the crowd that was beginning to become silent before he began to laugh out loud.

"Hahaha...... Are you dumb now? That's right! We did it all! It's what our stonemasons will do! So, I can't see at all, where is the crime you keep saying against me? And who can tell me where our crimes are? ”

Van Cleef was like a beast, with bloodthirsty eyes, he scanned the high-ranking and nobles of the kingdom who stood in front of the church door without flinching.

"While you nobles of Stormwind were disregarding and indifferent to expel us, while you so-called citizens were eating dinner in warm houses, we, the artisans, and our families, were banished from this city built by our own hands!"

"What are you doing when we are facing hunger and the threat of prey in the wilderness, dying in the cold and mud, women and children dying constantly? Have you repented again?! ”

Van Cleef exerted the last of his strength, and at once he shook off the two executioners while they were stunned, and then stood up directly, and without any other movements, he just stood on the high platform and looked down at King Varian in the distance.

"So! I can tell you for sure! I don't regret what I did! I will not repent to the Light! Because, I don't believe in it! ”

"I will not admit any of the crimes you have imposed on me! I will not ask for the hypocritical mercy of your aristocracy! I only firmly believe that justice will be done one day! It's all going to pay off! ”

"Come on! Now, please cut off this head of mine! I firmly believe that one day, the hungry and cold people who have been oppressed by you will finally step on my blood and pull you filthy nobles from your hypocritical throne! Continue to be proud, I firmly believe that my death is not the end, but only the beginning! Aha......"

Van Cleef just stood where he was, in the midst of the rain that was beginning to become heavy, so presumptuously, without hesitation, and laughed so wildly, so unscrupulously, so unscrupulously......

And after Van Cleeff's words were finished, the nobles he questioned also began to stir up, and they exchanged their true feelings or pretended to whisper......

Perhaps, among them, there were indeed many enlightened people who sympathized with the stonemasons' unions...... It's just that the current Stormwind City is a bloody maelstrom, and everything is not something that can be easily changed by three or two people.

"You ......"

Bastard!

King Varian forcibly suppressed the anger in his heart, and also forcibly suppressed his urge to step forward and slash the other party to death, and after gasping for breath a few times, he looked coldly at the unbridled laughing figure in the heavy rain.

According to what the other party said, should the Stormwind Kingdom be blamed for everything, and he should be blamed for the king and these nobles? What kind of logic is this? The failure to pay them the wages of the Masons' Guild in time was the incompetence of the king, and he Varian admitted this!

However, before the king could personally intervene in parliament and mediate with the nobles, their masons launched an armed rebellion and stoned to death his beloved Queen Tiffin! Could it be that everything they did at that time was right?

After two more breaths, Varian closed his eyes, his face darkened, and without saying a word, he turned around and walked back to the cathedral.

He knew that it would be a mess that would never be sorted out and could not be determined...... It's just that from today onwards, everything will be over...... For this matter, he believes that time will dilute everything...... Perhaps, from now on, this matter will never be mentioned again, again.

"Your Majesty...... What does this mean exactly? ”

After seeing that Varian didn't say anything and walked directly into the cathedral, Duke Boval was a little confused. What does your majesty mean by this? Is this Van Cleef to kill or not to kill? You're giving me a good idea!

"Huh! Bolval, you're hopeless! Forget it, since you don't want to bear this infamy, then, this kind of thing, it's up to me, a woman, to do it now......"

Katrana? Presto shook his head and smiled, stunned Bolval, who was annoyed by Van Cleef's words and His Majesty's reaction.

"Executioner, listen to me...... Execute! ”

The countess put on a spell shield to protect herself from the rain, took a few steps forward into the rain curtain, and shouted coldly at the executioners on the high platform.

Originally, she Katrana didn't want this Van Cleef to die so easily. However, now, after hearing what the other party had just said, she suddenly thought of a brilliant idea, which seemed to ...... This useless Van Cleve, if she dies directly now, it will be even more beneficial to her next plans! In that case, it's better to ask him to die quickly.

Click!

Under the majestic heavy rain, with the piercing grinding sound when the guillotine slid down, a handsome head with black hair rolled down quietly......

Now, the executioners don't even have to deal with the splatters of blood, because the rain has begun to wash them away...... Tomorrow after the weather is fine, there will be no trace here in the square of the Cathedral of Light...... It will still be as solemn as ever......

While the heads are rolling down, in the rain that no one can see, Katrana? The corners of Countess Presto's mouth curled into a smug curve, and no one knew what the hell she was trying to do with it......

At the end of the twentieth winter of the Dark Gate, the Brotherhood of Defia, which had ravaged the Stormwind Kingdom for a long time, was finally declared to have been completely suppressed! Bandit leader Edwin? Van Cleef had been beheaded in front of the square of the Cathedral of Light in Stormwind, in a torrential rain, in a magnificent city built by their stonemasons' guild......

……

"Hey! Hurry up, you lazy people! Hang this Van Cleeff's head on it! Say you, hurry up! ”

When Vanessa was trembling and about to fall asleep, she suddenly heard a noise from the cave in the city gate next to her, and at this moment, she immediately woke her up, and when she shivered, and looked up with difficulty in confusion, she didn't want to, but let her see that scene that she could not forget in her life......

Her Beloved Vanessa's father, her loving Edwin father, was put in a wooden cage and hung up by those tin villains?

"Nope! Father!!! ”

Finally, at this moment, the stubborn Vanessa collapsed, she never expected it to be like this...... These days, when she followed through a lot of hardships, she finally let her see such a terrible scene in front of her?

At last, she began to burst out with the little strength that had been left in her body, tormented by hunger, cold, and exhaustion, and cried out loudly and threw herself at the stake where her father's head hung from it......

"Stop!"

One of the gate guards grabbed Vanessa's thin arm and grabbed her tightly.

"Let go of me! Let me go! Not ......"

Vanessa still wanted to struggle, but unfortunately, her strength seemed so insignificant in the hands of the soldiers......

"Haha! Brethren, we're really going to get rich! Look, this is the remnant of Van Cleef! Did you hear that? What did she just shout? Father? Ha ha! Great! ”

The little girl who was struggling despite the crying and screaming of the captain stepped forward and grabbed Vanessa's dirty face directly, and then began to carefully compare it with Van Cleve's head hanging from the stake.

"It looks very similar, look at the hair, and the eyes! That's right, it must be his cub! Let's go, brethren, let's take her and get the reward!" Tonight's wine money can be regarded as a fall, hahaha! ”

The captain of the gate guard, overjoyed, carried the crying little girl to his shoulders at once, and ignored Vanessa's wet, dirty hands and feet kicking and beating him, and he just wantonly beckoned his companions to go with him to receive the reward.

It was a lucky day for them! Even he didn't expect that in this cold and rainy day, they guarding the city gate would still be able to encounter the windfall sent by Baba?

"Hey! And who? I think...... You must be one of those very bad, very bad bad guys, right? ”

When the captain of the guard rearranged the men standing guard and was about to carry the little girl to turn around and walk into Stormwind City, in the rain outside the city, another little girl's voice was heard.

The voice in the rain curtain is little Annie.

She had just separated from Brian today, and had teleported north several times directly from the Valley of Thorns before she could barely find this Rausch Stormwind City that the bearded dwarf uncle was talking about!

In Little Annie's opinion, that bearded dwarf must not be able to distinguish between southeast and northwest, this Stormwind City, obviously in the northwest direction, okay? It caused her to teleport wrong several times, and she ran a lot of wrong roads to find here.

What annoyed Anne was that when she teleported here, it was raining so hard that she was drenched in the soup at once!

But before Anne could cast a spell to block out the rain and dry her clothes, she was at the city gate to see something that made her even more upset - a few strong human soldiers, who were actually bullying a little girl about her own age? So, little Anne thinks that these people must be bad people, right? It must be, right?

"Haha, there's another one! This must be an accomplice too! Arrest her, and go with her to her and receive her reward. ”

When he saw a little girl walking out of the rain again, he was very happy with the captain of the city gate guard. Today is really good, it's a double happiness! Look, they easily caught the two remnants of Van Cleef's cubs at once, and after today, they are really going to get rich!

"Laugh what a laugh! Isn't that funny? As soon as I see you, I know you're one of those very bad bad guys! So ......"

When little Annie was still hesitating whether to make a move, or how to punish them, she didn't expect that the villain on the opposite side would send two soldiers and draw a bright knife, and still want to come and arrest herself? Ha! That's great! Then they must be bad guys, right!

"Flame ......"

The soldiers, still unaware of the arrival of death, rushed into the rain in ecstasy.

When all they could think about was the glittering bounty they had received, they seemed to faintly hear the little girl in the heavy rain, who seemed to be shouting something in her crisp voice, and then, when they saw the red light flashing in front of them, they knew nothing......