Capítulo 194: Chapter 194: The Ice Ship's Crew
"By the Light, how much mana does Duke have?" Even though Duke had told him earlier, Llane still couldn't quite believe it.
Beside Llane, one of the remaining Court Mages of the Morning Star rank sighed, "Your Majesty, if it were me, I might only be able to support half the area."
Llane, Anduin, and Bolvar were astonished once again.
Did this mean that Duke's mana far exceeded the level of an ordinary Morning Star mage?
Onshore, everyone gasped at the sight of the massive ice floe. They all knew that this was the ark that would carry them away.
However, would standing on it for too long freeze them to death?
It was summertime, and having an ice block to play with was refreshing, but the cold air it emitted made people somewhat hesitant.
"Everyone, make some room." Over there, Windsor was already directing Duke's private soldiers to work.
A large group of people rushed to cover the ice with heaps of hay that had been stacked on the dock. The hay not only effectively insulated the cold but also prevented people from slipping on the ice. Railings were even installed to keep people from sliding off.
The elite soldiers of Stormwind were dumbfounded.
Could this really work?
Well, it was indeed impressive and magical!
Duke walked more than 500 meters, extending the ice to 600 meters before stopping. Looking at the handful of dull, magicless mana gems in his hand, Duke couldn't help but smile bitterly. Any of these high-quality mana gems, if released, would cause the haughty mages of Dalaran to scurry over like dogs to fight for them.
A couple of these gems could buy the loyalty of a Sky Mage.
If the mana gems used tonight were to be used to buy people, they would be worth at least the price of a Morning Star mage. Hmm, Kel'Thuzad, who would later become a powerful Lich and join the Plague Lord, was of this level.
However, Duke didn't feel any regret. Human lives could never be measured by money. Saving these 50,000 elite soldiers would have a significant impact on the overall situation.
"Old Medivh, you've devoted your life to defending Stormwind. Now that I've used your wealth to save so many people, you should thank me."
Of course, Duke himself didn't have that much mana. However, after using all of Medivh's mana gems left in Karazhan, he managed to barely complete this miracle.
To prevent the ice from cracking, Duke used his unparalleled magical control to divide the ice into three layers. The top layer carried people, while the middle and bottom layers were for support.
Finally stopping, Duke waved from a distance and shouted, "Everyone, come on up!"
In the hazy night, a pale blue, brilliant light shimmered, contrasting with the blood and fire-stained Stormwind, forming a magical and unique sight.
The cold air began to condense, and the reflected light from the ice created an illusory beauty— the immense ice ship's magical allure allowed everyone to temporarily forget the loss of their capital and immerse themselves in this dreamlike reality.
Under the command of various commanders, the 50,000-strong army orderly boarded the ice ship from the dock.
Soft murmurs filled the air.
Of course, the biggest question was, how would this enormous ice ship move?
"Is Duke going to conjure giant sails out of thin air? How would he control that?" Llane whispered to Anduin.
"How would I know?" Lothar rolled his eyes.
When Duke initially proposed using an ice ship to evacuate the soldiers during a secret meeting, it sounded impressive. But in practice, no one had researched how such a large ice ship would work.
The higher-ups only knew that without these last fifty thousand elite soldiers, they wouldn't even be able to buy time. If Duke could save all these people, it would be a true gift. Even at this point, when the orc army had been decimated by a raging fire, they imagined that at worst, the ships would make a few extra trips and save as many as they could.
They agreed to Duke's plan simply because there was no better alternative.
And out of trust in Duke, no one had questioned the details.
Then, they witnessed a miraculous moment.
Duke took out a strange conch, engraved with runes, and blew into it.
Within seconds, countless bubbles appeared on the previously calm sea surface.
Something was emerging from the depths.
Although everyone was mentally prepared, they couldn't help but feel relieved upon seeing the ridiculously large eyes of the creatures.
Murlocs!
Thousands of murlocs.
They chaotically emerged from the depths, some areas packed with them while other spots were almost empty.
The naga arrived.
The burly male naga carried bundles of ropes on their shoulders, quickly crawling onto the ice.
Sharp hooks were tied to the ropes, and the male naga forcefully hammered them into the ice to secure them.
Then, Naga priestess Vara appeared, her four crystalline arms crossed and bowing deeply, her head lower than before.
"Great master, Vara Wrathscale Avis awaits your command."
Duke waved his hand: "Go!"
The male naga, wielding massive hammers, struck the connection between the ice ship and the dock. With a loud cracking noise, the ice ship finally detached from the land.
Vara pointed her two right arms toward the dark horizon and shouted in a harsh, commanding voice: "Gaolaladuwo, you lowly murlocs, for the great ocean master Duke—pull the ship!"
Like a tug of war, nearly a hundred murlocs pulled a rope, exerting all their strength. Thousands of splashes rose on the sea surface.
At first, it was very slow, but eventually, it started to feel like they were 'moving.'
In the distance, the blurred mountains and torch-like Stormwind City seemed to shift.
Everyone knew it wasn't Stormwind City or the harbor that moved, but the ice ship beneath their feet.
The shaken soldiers finally reacted.
"Whoo, whoo, whoo!" Tears streamed down the faces of the old veterans. Some of them had been born in Stormwind City, and not just them, but their fathers, grandfathers, and countless ancestors before them, had all belonged to Stormwind City.
Now, even in this honorable retreat, they couldn't suppress the sense of loss in their hearts.
Previously, their fates had been uncertain, but now that they knew they were safe, they could finally let their emotions run free.
"Whoo, whoo, whoo—" Wails of sorrow echoed through the ranks.
To have fought against the ferocious orc army, inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy, and then retreating from Stormwind City, was a myth for the soldiers of Stormwind. But for those who were not soldiers just a short while ago—militiamen, guards, and even civilians—it was a fairy tale—a magical fairy tale!
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