Chapter 266: The Pride of Silvermoon

Nina was the first to wear the sacred emblem bearing the character “吴,” and gradually, all the wolfpeople followed her lead. On the surface, at least, it appeared that the entire clan had joined the Xuanyuan Church, though whether they truly believed was another matter.

Nina, along with three hundred selected wolfmen, dyed their fur and joined the 13th Mercenary Group under the alias Anna Williams. She became deputy commander and head of the first division, responsible for patrolling Orgrimmar’s northern territories, cracking down on smugglers and unauthorized mercenaries or adventurers entering the lands. Several unlucky mercenaries who saw things they shouldn’t have were hanged along the border as a warning. This revived the infamous reputation of The Hangman Tagraedi. With his elevated status and backing from Esola City officials and, notably, the higher-ranked Marquis Osaga, mercenaries and adventurers now avoided Orgrimmar’s northern mountains. In fact, taverns in Esola now warned newcomers that the greatest taboo here was entering the northern wastelands or the Tecks Mountains.

Ram resumed the busy work of procuring materials and selling products. It was clear that the Osaga Chamber of Commerce, under the marquis’s instructions, offered her favorable prices, allowing her more time to focus on smuggling.

Wu Qingsong and Ram focused on developing new smuggling routes, aiming to minimize interactions with groups under Dark Moon’s control. However, given the current circumstances, neither side had severed ties. They still operated as allies, keeping the relationship steady.

Throughout their exchanges, their contacts kept them informed of the latest developments. Ram gathered more intel from her dealings with northern smugglers.

News of the Sentalus Legion’s defeat in the Tecks Mountains and the disappearance of two elven nobles had spread across the continent. Reportedly, Sentalus then sent over twenty thousand troops to the eastern slopes of the Tecks Mountains to search for clues, only to be led northward by countless sightings and signs left by the undead army, bringing them directly onto Mesthebes territory.

This incursion quickly sparked resentment from the people of Mesthebes and the traditionalist factions, with skirmishes breaking out between small groups. One Sentalus unit remained entrenched in the western Mesthebes desert, while a Yagatian legion stationed itself in nearby forests, resulting in a tense standoff.

Tensions flared once more among the Padamia elite, with open conflict escalating. 

Known for its hardline stance, the Sentalus family had already suffered multiple family deaths, losses to its legion, and even the assassination of three high-ranking members, sparking a fierce backlash.

According to intelligence from Dark Moon, they had done much to fan the flames in this conflict, and Mysterious Moon believed that, given the Duke’s character, this matter was far from over.

This forced Wu Qingsong to send more hound soldiers to patrol the eastern part of his territory, checking for any Sentalus agents or unfamiliar faces entering the Esola region. 

The findings were less than encouraging. Several elite mercenary groups had begun appearing in Port City, east of Esora and closer to the incident site. Harold took Angus on a scouting trip and confirmed that, if these troops weren’t directly from Sentalus’ regular forces, they were at least seasoned mercenaries in their service.

As a result, the Silvermoon Wolf Clan’s movements were restricted to their small valley, now heavily guarded with hidden sentries. 

Wu Qingsong also dispatched nearly all available hound soldiers to reinforce the eastern line, leaving Orgrimmar’s security to the wolfmen.

Fortunately, perhaps because Nina and her team did a thorough job with the cleanup, or maybe due to some unforeseen change in the imperial capital, these people gradually began leaving the central region of the Tecks Mountains after more than a month of investigation.

Dark Moon’s latest reports indicated that relations between Sentalus and Yagata deteriorated badly. There had been several serious clashes between their forces within the Mesthebes Duchy. Both sides were amassing troops and supplies at their border. A full-scale war seemed imminent.

In this situation, the truth might no longer matter.

“Will they really go to war?” Daryl couldn’t help but ask.

“It’s unlikely,” Harold shook his head. “War might have already broken out if this were in the southern or northern provinces. But their territories are near the capital, and the royal family and other powerful figures won’t allow two major factions to clash so close to it. They may remain in a long-term standoff, or there might be some skirmishes in remote, sparsely populated places like Mesthebes where the elven elite aren’t involved. But full-scale war? Impossible. If Sentalus and Yagata go to war, it would mean the empire’s split, and those legendary mages in seclusion would never allow that.”

Nina and Ram both nodded.

Wu Qingsong agreed with this view. It was similar to the era he came from. 

Those legendary mages were like human nuclear warheads. Their overwhelming power made it impossible for great nations to wage war against each other directly. Regional conflicts, local wars, and proxy battles might be unavoidable, but true wars between major powers would never happen.

“It doesn’t matter what they do. What matters is that we seize every opportunity to grow our strength,” Wu Qingsong said.

Daryl couldn’t help but glance at Nina.

The Xuanyuan Church’s efforts to preach among the Silvermoon Wolf Clan had made little progress, and naturally, no wolfgirls had qualified to join the Beastfolk Sisterhood.

In contrast, more and more girls from Orgrimmar’s lower classes—mostly rabbitfolk and ratfolk—began to unlock their potential under Wu Qingsong’s guidance. However, most developed only support-based abilities due to their limited natural strength. This did help boost overall capabilities but didn’t directly impact their combat power.

Morin and Alice were frustrated and even a bit anxious. 

Morin’s sermons barely resonated with any of the wolfkins, and Alice’s holy light had little impact on them, especially compared to Nina’s silver moonlight, which they had already witnessed. As a result, they struggled to achieve the effect they had hoped for.

“These wolfpeople are too proud,” Harold remarked to Wu Qingsong after attending one of the sermons. “Unlike the ratfolk and rabbitfolk, who lived hopeless lives before coming to Orgrimmar and now feel as if they’re in paradise, the Silvermoon wolfpeople have always lived with freedom, even a sense of superiority. Although life here may not be harder than before, now they feel stifled, hiding in the valley and depending on Orgrimmar. Many feel they’re at the mercy of others, and some young wolves think it’s humiliating. They’re powerful wolves yet must live under the protection of houndmen, treading carefully every day without freedom. Having to share a god with ratfolk and rabbitfolk is an insult to them. Given all this, how could they possibly accept faith in Xuanyuan?”

“So, what do you think we should do?” Wu Qingsong asked.

Harold simply looked at him, shook his head slightly, and said nothing.