Chapter 160 Alvin

After a long exchange of mutual flattery and probing, Alvin finally revealed his purpose.

“Recently, we eliminated a camp of rebels located in the mountains on the eastern side of Norwei, just north of Elmons. Some items we discovered there suggest that the bug invasion of Esola might be connected to them. Consequently, Lord Osaga has ordered me to investigate Esola to see if we can find anything they left behind. More importantly, we need to check if any of their remnants still lurk and plot further schemes. I’ve been aware of your esteemed reputation since my time in Norwei, and Lord Osaga has praised your contributions to Esola’s defense, so I took the liberty of coming here,” Alvin said, casually spinning his wine glass, a smile directed at Wu Qingsong. “I’ve inspected Esola’s defense forces. Frankly, they’re all incompentent. We cannot count on them. As this territory belongs to Lord Riniconia, without solid evidence, my men and I cannot justifiably intrude. Our current orders confine us to the border area between Norwei and Esola. For this mission, I’m hoping for your ample support.”

“You can count on me, my lord,” Wu Qingsong responded, a bit relieved, yet not entirely sold on Alvin’s words. “I owe a great debt to Lord Osaga and have long wished for an opportunity to serve him directly. Your concerns are mine as well. Please, do not hesitate to ask, I shall do everything within my power to help.”

“Hahaha, truly, your reputation precedes you. Now, I’m relieved,” Alvin laughed heartily, clinking his glass with Wu Qingsong’s enthusiastically.

Following that, Alvin showered Orgrimmar with praise and began asking about more details. Clearly, he had spent the day observing the town and noticed its many unique features.

Wu Qingsong had to skillfully steer the conversation away. After the banquet concluded, he quickly sought out Ram, instructing her to discreetly secure anything that needed to be kept secret. The temple was temporarily closed, and all religious activities, including those of the Beastgirl Sisterhood, were paused.

“Make sure to be discreet. We don’t want to alert them.”

“Do you want me to listen in on their conversations?” Ram asked.

If Xeila were here, it would be easier. Alvin seemed like a competent warrior, but likely not as strong as Nina. With Xeila’s skills, she could easily infiltrate Alvin’s room to find out his true purpose. The main issue with Ram’s illusions was that they would be discovered if someone got too close. While this posed little risk around inept merchant stewards, the chance of exposure was too high around real experts.

For now, Alvin didn’t seem hostile towards them. Perhaps his visit genuinely concerned investigating the Norwei rebels?

Given the situation, Wu Qingsong decided it was best not to alarm anyone prematurely.

“No, let’s just watch for now,” he said.

After all, they had carefully collected the spoons and cups used by Alvin. If the situation escalated to a point where secrecy was no longer possible, Wu Qingsong was prepared to resort to making him fall ill or even die in an accident.

Thus, all of Orgrimmar moved with caution that night.

The next morning, as expected, Alvin expressed his desire to explore Orgrimmar.

Wu Qingsong couldn’t help but be thankful for his foresight. Given their statuses, he found no plausible reason to decline. He readily accepted Alvin’s request with enthusiasm and personally led him toward the inner city, offering explanations along the way.

Alvin seemed to have no intentions of spying or nitpicking. He was simply taking in the sights. However, after they visited the armor workshop, he suddenly asked, “I heard you have a competent assistant, Miss Ram. How come I haven’t seen her since last evening? Surely it’s not such a coincidence that she’s just absent?”

“Hehe,” Wu Qingsong was momentarily startled, then replied. “She caught a cold the day before and is currently resting.”

“Is that so?” Alvin sighed. “That’s truly a pity. I hope she recovers quickly.”

He then expressed a desire to observe the training of the Thirteenth Mercenary Group. Wu Qingsong gave Beck a sign to make arrangements and then led him to the training field. The training continued as usual, just without the parts involving incendiary bottles.

Alvin praised the soldiers of the Thirteenth Mercenary Group and then suggested he would like to see a sparring match within the group, which was somewhat renowned in Esola. Wu Qingsong hesitated briefly but agreed.

“However, they’ll need a bit of time to prepare. How does tomorrow afternoon sound, my lord?”

“That would be excellent,” Alvin responded cheerfully. “I’m really looking forward to it.”

For Wu Qingsong, dealing with this situation was agonizing. Soon, Alvin proposed visiting the Elmons Mine in Esola, famous for its wealth.

Wu Qingsong glanced at Harold.

“Esteemed lord, the mine has been closed since the insectoid infestation and has not reopened,” Harold stepped up and spoke with a modest demeanor.

“It hasn’t reopened?” Alvin looked surprised. “It’s been over a year, right? Lord Tagraedi, can you truly stand by and watch such wealth stay untouched?”

“It’s mainly a manpower issue,” Wu Qingsong replied. “As you’ve seen, my forces are limited, and there’s barely enough labor for the workshops and farms. And…”

“Ah, you should have said something about your difficulties earlier!” Alvin exclaimed with a look of sympathy. “This kind of issue is really not a big problem at all.”

“My Lord…” Wu Qingsong attempted to steer the conversation when Alvin signaled to one of his attendants to step forward.

“My Lord?”

“Convey my order immediately. Tell Baldwin to prepare two thousand, no, make that three thousand strong slaves, and have them sent here as quickly as possible.”

“My Lord, this…” Wu Qingsong found himself speechless.

“It’s a small matter,” Alvin reassured him warmly, patting his shoulder. “Rest assured, they will all be sturdy slaves, definitely capable of getting the mine operational again within a month. Your generous hospitality and help with this matter warrant this modest gesture of mine as a token of my gratitude.”

“That’s excessively generous, Lord,” Wu Qingsong managed to say.

“If you don’t accept it, it’s like looking down on me,” Alvin joked. “Don’t worry, they’re all gifts, with no hidden intentions. Well, after such a long walk, I’m a bit tired. Tagraedi, isn’t it time for some of your exquisite wines? Hahaha!”

Wu Qingsong scrutinized his expression, wondering what Alvin was really planning. Was this act spontaneous or carefully premeditated?

Three thousand slaves? How many among them could be spies?

He couldn’t possibly accept such a “gift.” However, Alvin effortlessly diverted the topic, embarking on lively discussions about women, wines, culinary delights from different regions, hunting, and the like, as if embodying the lifestyle of a carefree noble.

“After all this is settled, you must visit Norwei,” he told Wu Qingsong. “I’ll show you my collection, truly exceptional items that you can’t even see in the capital.”