DOTM: Chapter 242/243

Chapter 242: Striving for Trust

Taking Windsor with them—whether he liked it or not—Ethan and the others quickly exited the Dark Iron City and returned to the surface outside Blackrock Mountain.

Although it was still dry and scorching outside, it was slightly better than the lava-scorched underground. At least the air was a little fresher...

"There's no difference between outside and inside. This damn Burning Steppes. Where are we going next?"

Logan had already slung his weapon over his back and took out a cigar to get rid of the sulfur taste in his mouth.

This battle felt somewhat barbaric. They had broken into someone else's stronghold, killed everyone, taken something valuable, and then left with swagger.

But then again, Logan didn't look anything like a dwarf, so he naturally sided with the humans.

"Who exactly are you people?"

Windsor had initially thought Ethan's group was sent by the Kingdom of Stormwind. But now, he wasn't so sure. He had some prestige within the kingdom, yet these people showed him no deference.

Could they be foreign adventurers hired by the kingdom? That was possible. If they were just mercenaries, then their only goal would be to rescue him. Whether he thanked them or what he planned to do afterward wouldn't concern them.

"My name is Ethan, a mage currently traveling," Ethan said, pointing to the others beside him. "These are my companions."

After a brief introduction, Ethan didn't explain further and simply emphasized, "We weren't sent by the Kingdom of Stormwind. We saved you for another reason."

"What reason?"

Windsor's earlier assumptions were all wrong, and things felt increasingly strange. Did these people have some hidden agenda?

"Varian Wrynn is missing. You should know that, right?"

"Of course I know."

The king had been missing for quite some time. It was after Varian Wrynn's disappearance that the Kingdom of Stormwind began to gradually fall into chaos. Sensing the hidden currents beneath the surface, Windsor had come to the Burning Steppes to lead the few stationed troops, only to be captured by the Dark Iron dwarves in a battle.

"I plan to find Varian Wrynn."

Windsor, who had been listening in silence, suddenly stood up and looked at the young man before him in shock.

He had thought these people might be trying to use him for something that would harm the kingdom, but he didn't expect such an answer.

"You know where His Majesty is now?"

From Ethan's earlier tone, it was obvious that these people weren't from Stormwind and didn't show much reverence for Varian. It was clear they weren't looking for the missing king out of loyalty or admiration.

"What exactly do you people want?"

"What I want, His Majesty King Varian Wrynn can give me, and it won't harm the Kingdom of Stormwind," Ethan said calmly. "In fact, I can help you and His Majesty eliminate the greatest threat to the kingdom."

Windsor's pupils narrowed slightly. He tried hard to control his emotions, not wanting to show any reaction. "What do you mean by that?"

"Let's not beat around the bush. Don't you already know that Countess Katrana is a black dragon?"

The reason Windsor had been unwilling to leave Blackrock Depths was because he already knew Onyxia's true identity. Without a way to prove it or sufficient evidence, he had refused to return and face death at her hands.

In the original game plot, aside from the intelligence Windsor was captured for, he also needed to obtain the tablet that could dispel the black dragon's humanoid transformation. Only with that item in hand would Windsor agree to return to Stormwind and expose the black dragon princess.

Windsor was now certain that the young man in front of him knew many things. That realization was unsettling. But perhaps the only silver lining was that this man seemed to be on their side.

"If you also want to deal with that black dragon, then we should head back to Blackrock Depths immediately."

His objective was naturally that tablet. But Ethan directly rejected the idea. "No. Right now, the most important thing is to find Varian Wrynn. His current situation isn't good."

Ethan carefully recalled the information about Varian's disappearance. The result left him confused.

In the original game, this storyline was glossed over. It was only mentioned briefly that the King of Stormwind had disappeared en route to signing a treaty. Then, in later expansions, he simply reappeared in Stormwind.

Curious about the missing details, Ethan had looked into it. At first, he thought maybe the Chinese server had skipped some story content. But he later found out that this was simply an unresolved plot hole in the official game.

However, this missing portion had been filled in by officially published novels and comics, though many details didn't align with the in-game storyline.

Because of this, Ethan had stayed in Goldshire for quite some time and even considered visiting Stormwind City.

It wasn't until he confirmed that Varian Wrynn in this world hadn't been split into two personas by Onyxia's magic that he determined the story here followed the mainline game narrative.

Not being split was a good thing. As long as the spell affecting Varian's memory was undone, they wouldn't have to deal with the awkward situation of having to orchestrate a perfect reunion or rely on convoluted methods to restore him.

"So, we need to find Varian Wrynn as soon as possible. Once we've resolved his troubles, we'll deal with the black dragon together."

Windsor didn't speak. Although he wanted to emphasize that the black dragon had already infiltrated nearly all levels of power within the Kingdom of Stormwind, he knew that without irrefutable proof, it would be nearly impossible to root her out.

Even if the king returned, it would still be difficult to fully purge her influence unless Stormwind launched a massive internal cleansing—which would affect many people.

"Getting a black dragon to reveal its true form isn't a hard problem to solve."

Only then did Windsor realize that this young man hadn't overlooked the issue—he simply didn't value the tablet.

"I have one final question."

"What is it?"

"You could've gone straight to rescue His Majesty. Why did you come to save me?"

In Ethan's explanation, Windsor wasn't a necessary part of the plan. In fact, for Ethan, he was a nonessential. The only reason he was rescued, aside from being on the way was because Ethan's group were outsiders, and bringing Windsor along would make it easier to earn trust.

"Because we're going to Theramore."

"Theramore?"

Although Jaina Proudmoore had a reputation for challenging her father, she was also a shrewd mage. Ethan's group were obvious outsiders who used a power system entirely foreign to this world. That alone could easily raise suspicion or even hostility. Ethan didn't want to make trouble for himself, and Windsor's name would help build trust.

"So, we're heading to Menethil Harbor now?"

"Yes."

After a brief rest on Blackrock Mountain, the group set out again. Windsor was still dressed in his prison garb, and his condition wasn't great. But no one wanted to remain in the Burning Steppes. All they wanted was to get out of there as quickly as possible.

From Blackrock Mountain, they followed a mountain path out of the Burning Steppes and entered the Searing Gorge... which wasn't much better. They continued northeast into the Badlands, where the environment improved somewhat. From there, they headed north. The climate became far more pleasant once they reached Loch Modan.

"This has been a miserable journey."

After traveling through such a dry and hostile environment, Ethan could smell the mix of sulfur and sweat clinging to his clothes.

Everyone, including Windsor who had become somewhat more familiar with the group ditched the clothes they had worn during the trek and burned them. Even though magic could have cleaned them, no one wanted to wear those garments again, as if getting rid of them could also purge the painful memories attached.

After changing into fresh clothes and arriving in Loch Modan, where the scenery and climate were more comfortable, they continued north. There was no need to venture into Dun Morogh and endure the shock of going from a steam bath to a freezer. Staying on course, they soon reached the Wetlands. Following the main road west at the fork, they arrived at the end of the path—Menethil Harbor.

At present, the only way to reach Theramore was by sea from Menethil Harbor. Stormwind City didn't have a proper dock yet, and the proposed multifunctional port was still just an idea. The nobles, too consumed with luxury, had no desire to fund such infrastructure.

Because of this, Ethan and the others had to take a longer route. And they also had to endure Windsor's endless chatter along the way.

Even after boarding the ship, the former marshal kept talking. But no matter how much he tried to pry, he couldn't uncover the true origins of Ethan and his companions.

Here, Ethan didn't dare casually admit they were from another world. If he revealed that, Windsor who had been chatting amicably just moments ago might draw his sword and shout "For the Alliance!" before launching a desperate attack.

After all, in this world, outsiders had left a terrible impression on the locals. Whether it was the Burning Legion or the orcs, every major threat had come from beyond this world, bringing brutal wars in their wake.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 243: Jaina

The voyage was long, far exceeding Ethan's earlier estimates. The real Azeroth was simply too vast, and the methods of transportation were primitive and inefficient. Since arriving in this world, Ethan realized that most of his time was being wasted on travel.

Now that they had finally arrived at Theramore, he wasn't even sure if he had enough time left to make it back to Stormwind City.

"I'm starting to find this journey rather dull."

Even the long-lived Loki found it unbearable to be stuck in constant transit like this, especially when the ships in this world were even worse than those in Ethan's.

"If it weren't for a black dragon waiting to be dealt with, I'd have you send me back right now."

He would rather endure the endless rocking of the Goddess of Dawn at sea than continue wasting time in this world. And with his strength steadily improving through recent training, he was beginning to feel confident enough to personally teach that arrogant black dragon a lesson.

Loki wasn't particularly interested in mounts. Even if they couldn't tame the dragon, killing a black dragon was a worthwhile endeavor. Every part of such a creature was a treasure. Loki was already thinking about crafting a new set of clothing from its hide.

"If Jaina is willing to help, perhaps we won't have to waste so much time on the return journey."

Jaina was one of the most powerful human mages in the world, but that wasn't the most important part.



What truly made her valuable was her mastery of teleportation magic. She could not only teleport herself at will, but could also perform mass teleportation, even for an entire army. This ability made Jaina Proudmoore someone that many factions hesitated to provoke.

It was also the fundamental reason why Theramore, despite being repeatedly devastated, marginalized by the Alliance, and distrusted by the Horde, still survived in this world.

Of course, Jaina herself didn't realize this. She still naively believed that she could use gentle diplomacy to unify all races into one big happy family, and she had been working toward that goal. She had even gone so far as to sacrifice her own father to prove her ideals.

Only Ethan and Windsor were aware of these things. Ethan had no interest in giving everyone a history lesson on Jaina Proudmoore's past. Windsor didn't want to speak about her either. He wasn't sure how to evaluate this powerful mage. Most humans already knew about what Jaina had done, and Windsor assumed Ethan's group was well-informed too, so he didn't bring it up.

"From this point forward, we'll need to rely on you, Marshal Windsor."

Finally, the reason Ethan had brought Windsor along began to pay off. As a Marshal of the Kingdom of Stormwind, Windsor's reputation was sufficient to ensure the group would have no trouble securing an audience with Theramore's ruler.

If they had arrived as unknown travelers, it wouldn't have been easy to meet the leader of a major faction. Jaina was, after all, the legitimate heir of Kul Tiras, one of the former Seven Human Kingdoms, and had founded Theramore with her father and the refugees of Lordaeron. She was not someone any random adventurer could just walk up to.

But having Windsor with them changed that. Even if the guards didn't immediately recognize him, they wouldn't dare dismiss a man who claimed to be a Marshal of Stormwind. They would report the matter up the chain. In a faction as well-established as Theramore, it wasn't hard to find someone who could verify Windsor's identity.

As a result, only half a day after arriving in Theramore, Ethan and the others met the famous mage who had defied her father, Jaina Proudmoore.

"It's a pleasure to welcome you to Theramore, Marshal Windsor. I heard you went missing during battle. I was worried for quite some time."

In truth, Windsor and Jaina had never seen eye to eye. Windsor was a career soldier, someone who believed in eliminating threats through force. Jaina, however, had always worked to ease racial tensions and dreamed of a world where everyone could coexist peacefully.

From the standpoint of Jaina's faction, it would have been more convenient if soldiers like Windsor disappeared. With him gone, Stormwind might have leaned more heavily toward diplomatic solutions.

Compared to Jaina's warm welcome, Windsor was far less courteous. As a Stormwind Marshal with a short temper and no fondness for Jaina, he made little effort to hide his displeasure. After exchanging a few stiff words, he simply introduced Ethan to her.

At that moment, Jaina realized that it wasn't Windsor who had come to see her—it was Ethan and his companions.

"I've come here to locate the missing King of Stormwind, Varian Wrynn."

Ethan didn't particularly like this woman either, and given his identity as an outsider, there was no telling how she might react. So, rather than waste time with pleasantries, he got straight to the point.

He wanted to know if Jaina had already found or encountered the amnesiac Varian Wrynn. If not, Ethan would have two options: track down the naga who had captured him, or go to Durotar. One path was based on the game's plot, the other on the official comic.

Originally, he had assumed that because there wasn't a lazy, pleasure-seeking king currently sitting in Stormwind, Varian had not been split into two personas. That would mean the world was following the game's narrative.

But Jaina's answer caught him by surprise.

"I have found His Majesty Varian Wrynn."

"What?"

The one who reacted the most wasn't Ethan, but Windsor. The normally stoic marshal leapt to his feet, so excited that he knocked over his chair.

No one found his behavior strange. Jaina thought it was perfectly natural, and she didn't blame Windsor for the outburst. Instead, she tried to calm him and explained that there were still unresolved issues, which was why she hadn't yet sent Varian back to Stormwind.

"What kind of issues?"

After asking, Windsor suddenly remembered what Ethan had said earlier. His Majesty was currently in trouble, and they had traveled all the way to Kalimdor precisely to help resolve it.

He turned to Ethan. "You can fix it, right?"

Ethan didn't answer right away. Instead, he asked for a detailed account of Varian's situation. Jaina made no attempt to conceal anything and explained it all in full.

Once she finished, everyone finally understood what had happened. Ethan felt the pace of events had been a bit fast, but upon reflection, it made sense.

Varian had been missing for a long time, and Ethan had wasted a lot of time on the road. The world didn't revolve around him. While he was traveling, Varian wasn't sitting around waiting to be rescued like an NPC.

Jaina recounted how she met Varian Wrynn and explained the difficulties he was facing.

The events roughly aligned with the comic storyline Ethan was familiar with, though some details were different.

Varian had indeed been captured by the naga, as in the game plot. But even with his memory clouded by Onyxia's magic, he wasn't someone who would quietly remain imprisoned. He made multiple attempts to escape and, by chance, was rescued by a passing shaman.

However, this shaman wasn't a benevolent soul. He saw potential in Varian's physical abilities and brought him to Durotar, where he forced him into gladiator training.

Eventually, Varian formed a powerful arena team with Valeera Sanguinar, a blood elf rogue, and Broll Bearmantle, a night elf druid. Together, they won tournament after tournament, and Varian became a famed gladiator known as Rogosh.

But he never forgot his goal. Despite the glory, he kept searching for a way to escape and ultimately succeeded.

After fleeing Durotar, he wandered aimlessly, trying to piece together his memories. Theramore, as the largest human city in Kalimdor, naturally became his target. That was how he encountered Jaina.

Jaina had immediately recognized him. After careful examination, she confirmed that this was indeed the missing King of Stormwind. Just as she was considering how to break the spell affecting his mind, Ethan and his group arrived.

"Where is His Majesty now?"

Just as Jaina gestured for Windsor to calm down, a middle-aged man with a powerful aura entered the room, accompanied by two elves.

Ethan looked at the man who came in first. He knew this was Varian Wrynn, often addressed as "King Varian." But he didn't look like a king right now. He looked more like a bloodstained gladiator.

"Your Majesty!"

As the Marshal of Stormwind, Windsor immediately recognized his king. Unfortunately, Varian didn't recognize him. He merely frowned slightly and stared at him for a few seconds before shifting his gaze to Jaina.

Meanwhile, Jaina was watching Ethan, noting how he showed no surprise or emotion at Varian's appearance.

(To be continued.)