23. Visit Sal at night (Part 1)(1/2)
"Since the orcs crossed the sea and came to the hills more than half a month ago, those greenskins have been plundering everywhere, and they tried to besiege my castle in groups.
But with Marshal Lothar's advance arrangements, those greenskins couldn't take advantage at all.
They came three times and failed three times. The hills are their burial place! Those beasts can't even think of taking another step forward!"
On the way back to the castle, Major Edras Blackmore walked with Black.
He was riding on his horse, discussing the situation in the hills with Blake in the passionate and low tone that a commander and a veteran should have.
In this feudal country, this attitude of "equal" communication between the lord and the soldier is particularly valuable.
The major also made a special detour and took Blake to see the gallows in the castle.
A dozen captured orcs and wolf cavalry were hung on it, some were dead, some were still twitching and struggling, while a group of children beat the intruders with mud.
The soldiers around him did not stop him.
It seems that the major wants to use this method to express his position to Black in order to gain the goodwill of the "orc killer".
It's actually easy to understand.
Although Azeroth is a world where large-scale battles are quite common, in this world, individual force due to the existence of various magical powers has been elevated to a level that affects tactics and even strategy.
As long as an archmage launches a blizzard at the right time and in the right place, it is enough to destroy an army.
And an assassin, as long as he can seize the opportunity, can also influence the trend of a war.
The simplest example is the war in which the human Kingdom of Storm in the southern border of the mainland was captured two years ago.
In addition to the huge orc military strength, the main reason is that the King of Stormwind Kingdom, Llane Wrynn, was assassinated on the throne by the legendary half-orc assassin Garona in full view of the public.
That shocking assassination directly caused the morale of the Stormwind Kingdom's army to collapse, forcing Marshal Lothar to flee to northern Xinjiang with his young prince and hundreds of thousands of citizens.
Of course, the current Blake cannot be compared with the legendary assassin Garona, but the fact that he was able to gain the title of "Orc Killer" in the hills proves that he is no longer an unknown figure.
And the major has received a complete battle report.
The main reason why the Dangarok Castle guarded by those stubborn dwarves was able to successfully counterattack under the siege of the orcs and achieve a great victory was the thin and abnormal assassin in front of them.
It was he who single-handedly assassinated Halkan Skullsplitter, the chief of the Bonechewer clan, causing the Bonechewer orcs to lose their command. He cooperated with the dwarves' desperate charge and created a "small miracle".
This can almost be regarded as a replica of Garona's assassination of King Ryan. This is how assassins use their daggers to lead the war. If such a warrior can be recruited under his command, it will definitely be a sure profit for the ambitious major.
A losing trade.
"I have personally been fighting the orcs for several years. Mr. Black may not know that when I went to Khaz Modan to rescue the exiled people of the Kingdom of Stormwind, I led my knights to fight the orcs in the wetlands."
Major Blackmore observed the eyes of the orc killer, and he continued in a very contagious tone:
"I once scoffed at the stupid argument that 'orcs are not worth mentioning' that was circulated by high-level officials in various countries. I am not boasting, but I was aware of the threat of orcs very early on.
I once asked General Danas to give me an expeditionary force to go to Khaz Modan to stop the orcs from advancing. Unfortunately, I am only a lowly soldier, and it is difficult for my opinions to be heard by the higher-ups.
Moreover, there is also a lack of warriors like you, the master, who can make far-reaching statements under his command, so his words lack weight. Fortunately, the invasion of the orc cubs made the senior officials finally wake up.
Even Lord Daval Presto, who is very popular in the political circles of northern Xinjiang, has become a staunch war party, which gives us soldiers who are unwilling to bow to the orcs an opportunity to come forward."
At this point, the major's meaning was already obvious.
When he arrived at the gate of the castle, he said sincerely to Blake:
"I can't promise a bright future for a warrior like you. I can only promise you that if you step onto the battlefield with me, I will never let you down."
The major behaved quite frankly.
After the previous foreshadowing, if Black is really just an assassin with a humble background, there is a high probability that he will not refuse the recruitment of this powerful little lord.
Unfortunately, Blake is not.
He was familiar with the fate of Major Blackmore, and he also knew that working under this guy had no future at all, and there was no way he would throw himself into the mud on his own initiative.
The other identity of the pirate must also be taken into consideration.
His injuries will always heal.
His face will always be spread out, and once it attracts the attention of Kul Tiras, especially Prince Drake's father Daelin, things will become very troublesome.
The fate of the prominent Proudmoore family in the next ten years is also a big pit, and Black doesn't want to jump into it yet.
Say it again.
He is a real prince!
There is no reason for a prince from a powerful country to work for a major. Now Edras Blackmoore kneels down and asks to be vassalized under the prince. Is this a normal development?
So Blake did not answer directly, but said in a mute voice:
"You said you are of low status? Please stop joking.
Even a stranger like me knows that you are one of the most trusted generals of General Danath Trollbane and King Thoras Trollbane who are in charge of Stromgarde.
The fact that they can entrust you with such an important military location as Durnholde Castle proves that you have a bright future.
Unfortunately, I was born in Kul Tiras, and I have sworn an oath of revenge. I cannot be loyal to other lords until I complete my revenge for my compatriots who died on the sea of Khaz Modan.
But I'm here to kill orcs.
Therefore, I am willing to join your army on the battlefield!"
"That's good! This is a warrior's journey."
Hearing Blake's equally frank answer, the major could not hide his disappointment.
The assassin declined his solicitation in a subtle way, but when he heard that the orc killer was willing to join his army to fight, the major became happy again.
With the help of such an assassin who can kill the little orc chief, he will definitely make great gains in the next battle.
This is not bad for his career.
The major brought Black into the castle with a smile on his face, and told his apprentice Oridon to meet all the master's needs before heading to his office to continue handling military affairs.
"Major Blackmore is truly a hero. A person with lofty ambitions like him will definitely accomplish something great."
Walking with Auriden in the corridor of the sturdy castle, Black praised the local lord against his will.
The young sergeant will also be smiling.
He brought back the head of the orc captain and the orc decapitation sword as proof of military merit. Coupled with his mentor's "arrangement", he has been included in the list of the next batch of promotions.
Soon, he will become a second lieutenant.
And this was all due to the "Orc Killer" in front of him. Oriden was a very smart man, so he welcomed Black all the way and sent him to the prepared room to rest.
"Bang"
Just as the two of them walked out of the second floor of the castle one after another, they met a teenage girl wearing a blue skirt, blond hair, and holding a fruit basket.
She was humming a song and looked very happy. She was not affected by the clouds of war in the castle at all. She also walked with the bounce of a little girl, and almost bumped into Oridon.
He was helped by Blake, who had quick eyes and quick hands.
The little girl behaved very politely and apologized to Sergeant O'riden in a panic. The sergeant was in a good mood today and did not reprimand the girl.
Blake looked back at the girl dragging the fruit basket away. He rubbed his chin that was blocked by the face scarf and said in a hoarse tone:
"That girl is the major's servant?"
"No, Master."
Auriden, who was very observant, whispered:
"Her parents are the major's servants.
She is a lucky and smart girl named Taresha Folkston. Because her mother did a favor to the major a few years ago, Taresha was allowed to receive an education from an early age.
Unlike those farmers who know nothing, this child will have a good future in the future."
"Um."
Blake nodded and didn't ask any more questions. After returning to his room, he took off his leather armor and took a cold bath in a large wooden barrel as if to rest.
Finally, he no longer needed to sleep in the open and fight in the wilderness. The moment he lay on the comfortable bed, the pirate assassin was so happy that he almost cried.
Because it was wartime, the decoration of the castle rooms was not luxurious, but they were kept as clean as possible, and fruits and food were specially sent to them.
After resting for two hours, it was getting late. Blake opened his eyes and glanced at the dining table, only to find that the silly little fish man had eaten all the fruits.
He also secretly drank the wine that Auriden specially prepared for the master.
Now he was lying on the dining table, sound asleep, and Blake's "retired" fish-man table knife and dagger was held in the claws of the little fish-man, like a dagger.
The pirate assassin shook his head and did not disturb the pet's rest.
He put on the leather armor silently, then carefully used the whetstone to rest the blade fist, and at the same time applied poison to it.
After the night fell and the whole castle became much calmer, he secretly opened the door and sneaked into the castle, avoiding the guards.
"According to the dungeon process in my memory, there should be a secret prison underground in Durnholde Castle. Its entrance is on the side of the weapons depot on the first floor of the castle, a very small passage."
Blake's tiptoeing in the shadows is due to his intermediate shadow affinity talent, which allows him to control the shadows more delicately. The shadow clothes on his body are like flowing water, completely blocking his breath.
Sliding down from the top of the castle, he met several groups of patrolling guards on the way, but they were not alarmed at all. Blake also practiced his "stealing" skill.
Along the way, I found a bunch of copper coins and some useless gadgets in my luggage.
To be continued...