Gamble for Azeroth 10 (Patreon)

Stratholme's interior was exactly as silent and smelly as he remembered it. The military had moved inside, but three hundred people meant nothing to the ruins of a city.

Prince Arthas' purge had been thorough. Arvis shook his head in distaste, wondering if the prince had already been turned into a death knight back then. It certainly would make sense. Destroy a city before bringing the army to Northrend…

It made sense.

As he moved, he ignored the exact nature of the prince’s fate. It hardly mattered.

An empty city meant that he could move among the buildings easily without alerting anyone. He didn’t even need to use any of the tricks he developed, which showed that the garrison was more focused on keeping the peasants out than on defending themselves against a potential undead attack from the city.

Currently, there were no undead inside, but they didn’t have Bloom to ensure that. He moved, using the shortcuts that he had discovered his miserable time. The irony wasn't lost on him.

Soon, he reached the area that had been converted into a temporary garrison. A few sets of inns that had been converted into a garrison, and a guardhouse. Not a bad choice, as they were mostly intact. They were also sufficiently close to the main gate in case of an attack.

As he approached, he frowned. The garrison was supposed to have three hundred people, but the number of guards on the walls was barely eighty. Too few, even if they were being conservative and operating in three shifts instead of two.

Curious, he approached the garrison from behind. A little jump over a courtyard wall they were using as a residence, and he grabbed a discarded helmet and a cloak, and started walking normally. He knew that with most of the soldiers already on the walls, he could avoid attention.

Especially since he knew who would act curious and who would ignore others.

He found the first sign of trouble at the guardhouse. Eight soldiers stood guard outside the building, armed and alert, their posture carrying a rigid tension. It would have been a mere curiosity, but he could read their body language.

They were more concerned about what was inside.

Curious, he used his Sensor mana trick. It wasn’t perfect, but it was enough to sense what was going on. He was surprised to sense the presence of almost eighty people in the guardhouse, mostly in the basement, packed tightly.

Considering that real estate was not exactly in short supply, he realized what was going on. It was a prison. The question was for whom.

He could have killed eight guards without making too much commotion, but it was just an idle thought. He had about a dozen better ways, the simplest being to walk to the back of the building, climb to the second floor with ease, and enter from there.

He was ready to rip the door from the inside, but luckily, they left it unlocked. A basic oversight, one that he didn’t expect from the camp commander. He disliked the man, but he couldn’t exactly call him incompetent.

The people were in the basement, so he sneaked down, using his mana sensor twice to make sure he didn’t come across anyone until he arrived at the basement. There, he saw two more guards. Both sergeants who firmly belonged to Garithos’ faction, looking far calmer than the ones outside. They were also playing cards.

Arvis glanced around and saw about sixty guards, gagged, chained, and packed into cells. The identities were surprising. Allerton, four of the six priests that had been assigned to the guard force, and, most interestingly, Commander Halford.

He wondered what had happened for them to end up like this.

He stepped around the corner, moving fast. When the two noticed his approach, he was already standing next to the first one, burying his fist into his solar plexus. Not with anything close to full force, as he didn't want to kill the man, but with enough power to fold him. He crumpled with a wheezing sound; the air driven from his lungs.

The second sergeant was faster, reaching for his sword. Arvis caught his wrist, squeezed just enough to make the man's fingers go numb, and delivered a precise tap to the side of his head.

The guard's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed. He was alive, and with four priests locked, he didn’t worry about him potentially dying.

He directly went to the cell Allerton was in, who looked worse for wear, with his robes torn, a bruise covering the left side of his face. He was the closest thing he had to a friend. He caught his gaze, and saw Allerton nod at him with a relieved expression, then gesture toward the commander with another nod.

Arvis caught the suggestion. Allerton didn’t want to be singled out at this moment. Understandable. He moved toward Commander Halford, curious how he had ended up like this. Halford was a career officer, a peasant who rose despite not being a genius warrior who earned knighthood. He was competent enough to run a garrison and cautious enough to avoid making enemies.

Not the kind of man that he expected to find locked in a cell.

He looked up as Arvis approached. His face was swollen, one eye blackened, his lip split. Someone had worked him over, though it was likely out of anger rather than torture. He reached through the bars of the cell and pulled the commander’s gag. Then, he removed his helmet. “Long time no see, Commander,” he said.

"Arvis?" Halford croaked. "Light preserve us. Where did you—"

"Lord Godwyn," Arvis corrected. His voice was calm, but insistent, knowing that a man like Halford would catch the implication. He wasn’t there as part of his command, but as an independent lord.

Halford blinked, processing the correction through a moment of confusion, but then he nodded, showing that he accepted it without any further implication. "Lord Godwyn. My apologies for not greeting you properly, then.”

“Under the circumstances, I can find myself forgiving you,” he said.

"How are you here? You were … absent."

Smart man, Arvis thought. Someone lacking discernment might have reflexively blamed him for deserting. It wouldn’t be a big problem, but seeing the commander showing some awareness.

Someone who could follow clues was very important in his situation.

"I left because I had visions from the light, warning me about a great danger," Arvis corrected, speaking just loud enough. “How did you end up in the cell?"

Halford's jaw tightened. "Yesterday, a rider arrived from the south. Commander Renault, carrying orders from that bastard Garithos,” he said. Something else that sounded deliberate.

“Go ahead, Commander. Garithos might be family, but if he is harming people, I’ll take his head before anyone else,” he declared. He could see that Halford’s anger was not faked, which meant his loving uncle had done something truly remarkable, even by his standards.

He paused, working moisture into his dry mouth. "No civilians were to be admitted to any garrison without prior authorization from the Grand Marshal's office. All resources were to be preserved for military operations, and garrisons needed to be ready for mobilization. Refugee management was declared a non-military concern, left to Silver Hand Paladins."

"Ah, that would do it," Arvis said. He knew his uncle well enough to understand what he was going for. He was making a bid for the empty throne. That much, he wouldn’t have cared, but his ploy was equally apparent.

Maintain military assets under his command while also stretching the resources of Silver Hand paladins who wouldn’t just abandon the refugees to their fate. He had no doubt that Garithos would take the army and retreat further south toward the Arathi highlands, let the others deal with the undead, and then swoop down to collect rewards.

"I refused to bar the gates against women and children while we sat safely, waiting for evacuation." His voice carried the quiet fury of a man who had been punished for doing the right thing. "Renault relieved me of command."

Arvis looked at the other cells. "And the others?"

"Anyone who sided with me,” Halford's voice went flat. "The man is a thug in officer's insignia."

Arvis nodded as he examined the cell more carefully. The bars were iron, set into stone, designed to hold unruly soldiers during peacetime disciplinary actions.

"Commander, I need to ask you something, and I need an honest answer." He met Halford's eyes through the bars. "If I get you out of here, what do you intend to do?"

"Take back my command. Open the gates. Feed those people."

"Under whose authority?"

Halford hesitated. "Under... the King's authority. I'm a commissioned officer of Lordaeron—"

“How would you enter the service of House Godwyn?” he said, not one to miss the opportunity. “That way, even if things go badly and Lordaeron somehow establishes back, you will have a legal argument to defend yourself.”

He looked at him pointedly. Halford looked surprised at his insistence. “As long as I can help the people.”

“Perfect,” Arvis said. He could see most soldiers looking at him dismissively, their perspective still from the days he served as a captain who was willing to be bullied by the common soldiers.

“The two here don’t have the keys. If you can go and steal the keys from Renaut’s residence—“

He didn’t answer. He just chuckled, reached the bars. He paused a moment to give a perfect pose and ripped them from their place. It was good that others were gagged, as it meant their gasps were muffled.

Halford stared as he repeated the same for the chains.

"Light above," he breathed.

“I might have been underselling my capabilities somewhat, Commander,” he said cheekily, aware that it was the one chance to change their impression. Not reacting to their bullying stopped being pathetic when he had the strength to shatter their skulls with a casual blow.

He didn’t have it back then, but he had no reason to reveal that fact.

Arvis moved to Allerton’s cell and repeated the process, then the others did. Luckily, most soldiers were merely tied down rather than chained. Two of them grabbed the discarded weapons of the sergeants he took down and cut the arms of the others.

“Healers, start healing them. Allerton, to me,” Arvis ordered, not missing the perfect time to exert his authority. Halford caught on to what he was doing, but he simply nodded, still in shock.

Halford stepped through the gap on unsteady legs, bracing himself against the wall. His expression had shifted from shock to something more complex, the look of a career officer reassessing every assumption he'd made about the young captain he had ignored.

He walked to Halford, while Allerton stumbled toward them. He kept his voice low to give them an explanation. "If I ever revealed my potential, my uncle would have had me killed,” he explained, a declaration that was far more believable after said uncle casually ordered the death of thousands. The fact that it was a bald-faced lie didn’t matter, especially since the truth was far more absurd. “A powerless heir is an inconvenience. One with enough talent to rival legends is a threat to be killed in the cradle."

“You are done hiding,” Halford said.

“I have to,” Arvis declared. “Hiding like a coward when the world burns is not my way.”

Arvis met his gaze steadily. "I'm done hiding."

Halford looked at the twisted bars, then at Arvis. "What do you need from us?"

"I need Stratholme. Not the ruins, but the garrison. The walls, the soldiers, the supplies. It's the strongest defensive position in the region, and it's currently being wasted by a thug following orders from a man who doesn't care if every civilian in Lordaeron dies. From this point, it’ll belong to House Godwyn, and it’ll be open to all refugees. The military can play games with others. We focus on saving lives."

Halford was quick to catch his implication. He knelt and declared his fealty.

Arvis expected the other soldiers to need some time, maybe some prodding. He was wrong. They knelt at once, declaring their fealty as well. He didn’t know if it was his timing, his show of strength, or Charisma tipping the scales, but he certainly wasn’t complaining.

[Feat Achieved! Recruit five priests

+1x Silver Advantage Random Gacha ticket]

[Feat Achieved! Recruit a mage

+1x Silver Advantage Random Gacha ticket]

[Feat Achieved! Recruit two hundred and fifty followers

+1x Silver Advantage Random Gacha ticket]

“Halford. From this day, you are the Commander of the House Godwyn army,” he said. “Arrange them while I go and bring some weapons.” He looked hesitant. “We can take Stratholme bloodlessly if we are armed,” he reminded.

“You’re right … my Lord,” he declared, then he turned to lead the operation.

Arvis was glad for the tickets. He wasn’t surprised to not receive any reward for recruiting an army. The same happened with the militia. Only after their organization was complete, he receive his reward.

He wasn’t exactly desperate for another ticket.

Instead, he climbed the stairs, using his sensor ability to make sure their commotion went unnoticed. Luckily, the basement was deep enough that it went unnoticed.

Even as he climbed to the second floor, he started activating the tickets.

[Select one!]

[Allowance]

{Uncommon Trait: Whichever city you are currently living in, you get the equivalent of 2x the daily minimum wage for that city/country either deposited into your account or transported into your wallet every single day.

[Gust]

{Common Ability: Allows you to conjure and control winds strong enough to injure and knock grown men off their feet.}

Both of them were useless, but allowance was especially so. A handful of copper would mean nothing. Meanwhile, Gust would at least come in useful if he was dealing with some ranged attackers, especially if he was fighting in Blight and unable to use Bloom.

He activated the second ticket.

[Select one!]

[Tactical Trenchcoat]

{Common Item: A rather cool-looking, exceptionally durable and tough yet comfortable trench coat. In addition, all pockets on the trenchcoat are 10x bigger on the inside than they should otherwise be, allowing you to store more things.}

[Strong Legs]

{Uncommon Trait: Your legs are stronger and tougher than average, slightly enhancing your speed and increasing the power behind your kicks substantially.}

Without even blinking, he picked the second reward. Having extra storage space would be convenient, no doubt, but considering how critical mobility was to Water Breathing, the choice was obvious.

With it, he could finally pull the Third Form effectively if needed.

[Select one!]

[Farming]

{Common Skill: You have extensive farming knowledge and skills that can compete with the most experienced of farmers, including how to maintain a farm, care for livestock, know how to maintain soil, etc.}

[Magic Scroll Blizzard]

{Common Item: A magical scroll that, when invoked, calls on a fierce 1km wide blizzard centered on the user that does not affect them that lasts for 30 minutes. Restock Timer: 8 hours.}

Against any other enemy, a magic scroll that could be used every eight hours would have been an excellent tool, but against undead, it was worse than useless. Comparatively, farming was far more valuable, especially since he was about to be responsible for feeding thousands of people.

The more he knew about farming, the more efficiently he could use Bloom to feed people. He doubted that it would be enough to feed thousands, but it might still be critical to prevent starvation.

Much better than trying to use frost against the undead.

Altogether, he couldn’t say he was particularly impressed by the rewards, but that didn’t bother him. Instead, he climbed out of the window, circled around to find the room that they were using as the armory, and knocked down the two guards with the same ease.

From there, it took four trips to arm everyone with swords.

[Feat Achieved! Take the first steps towards a proper army

+1x Gold Advantage Random Gacha ticket]

[Select one!]

[Sharingan]

{Elite Item: Naruto - A pair of Sharingan plucked freshly from a Sasuke Uchiha who just unlocked them, stored in a special fluid that ensures they don't degrade. If you find a skilled enough doctor, you can have them implanted.}

[Rally]

{Rare Ability: Allows you to give a rousing cry that bolsters your allies, giving them the courage of a lion and endless motivation that would turn even a chef into a fearless warrior who can take down a soldier.}

He picked Rally. It didn’t take much thought. He had no idea what kind of item a Sharingan was, why they came in pairs, nor why he would want to implant them. Considering they were designated as elite items, he would have taken the risk if the other reward was something he could go without.

But, a way to bolster the courage of his men was too important to take such a risk. Even in ordinary battles, courage could be the difference between victory and loss. When he was facing against undead, and the most people he was commanding didn’t even hold weapons before…

He switched abilities for the first time, instinctively realizing it would take five minutes to replace, a break where both abilities would be unusable. He was also glad that he had Sensor, which meant his mana detection was there to handle.

Roots could have been useful, but not as much as emboldening. He was about to pull what essentially was a coup, and morale would pay off.

“We’re ready,” Arvis declared once every soldier was healed.

“Should we try to get armor as well?” Allerton asked.

Halford shook his head. “Not worth the risk. We’ll just send a guard to Renault to inform him that I’m ready to follow his wishes. He’ll come to gloat.” He looked at Arvis while he suggested, no doubt trying to see if he would refuse a ‘dishonorable’ idea.

Arvis didn’t find it weird. A lot of knights would refuse it. Some paladins would actually relieve Halford of his command just for suggesting it.

“Good plan,” Arvis approved. “But they have eight guards at the door, and one of them might ask questions. We can just take them down silently, put on their armor, and visit Renault in his office.”

“It’ll work better, especially since he’ll be in the dining hall with the other captains.”

“Really?” he asked.

“Yeah. Renault likes to feast with the captains.”

“Ah, Garithos style,” Arvis replied. Not that there was anything wrong with dining with the officers as an event under normal times, but feasting when there was a disaster…

He sighed. No wonder Lordaeron collapsed that quickly.

Taking down the guards at the door was easy. Arvis helped Halford and another guard climb down from the second-floor window. Allerton cast a spell to dampen the sound. Attacked from both sides, the eight guards didn’t even have the chance to pull their swords before they were taken down and dragged inside.

Three of them waited outside in case someone walked to check them, but it was safe.

Five minutes later, eight more guards joined them, all armored, while the rest of them were ready to follow.

It was time for a coup.