章 274: Chapter 274: By the Way The threat of the Horde had not disappeared.
The Alliance and the Horde were like two beasts locked in a deadly struggle, forced to momentarily cease fighting due to the weather, each nursing their own wounds.
The Stormwind refugees stranded in the Hillsbrad Foothills had received a batch of crucial summer grain, but it was not enough. Duke Marcus made another trip to the Barov family.
Duke Marcus did not meet with Duke Barov. The Duke had gone to Alterac, and unexpectedly, Duchess Illucia Barov agreed to the request to purchase grain in his stead.
"No problem, the people of Stormwind have made an outstanding contribution to resisting the Horde, and it's only right for the Barov family to help. How about ten thousand tons of this year's wheat? At the previous price."
This time, Duke Marcus was surprised.
The 5,000 tons from before had been sold at a 30% markup. Now, at the previous price, it seemed the Barov family was still making a hefty profit. But times had changed. The battle at Southshore had made the entire northern continent realize the imminent threat of the orcs.
Those terrifying green-skinned beasts wanted to slaughter all of humanity in the world.
As a result, all things related to people's livelihood were skyrocketing in price. Even though the Alliance had proven their ability to defeat the Horde invasion with a resounding victory, the kingdoms still enacted numerous policies to suppress the soaring prices, but the most crucial grain prices still increased by more than 2.5 times.
Selling at the previous price was not a pitfall, but a huge discount!
Duke Marcus was moved: "This is truly... I thank you on behalf of the people of Stormwind."
"You're welcome. Helping the people of Stormwind is helping the Alliance, and helping us in Alterac." The Duchess showed a kind smile: "By the way, I heard that your private army's equipment is still insufficient. Is there any way the Barov family can help?"
Under the state of war, weapons, food, and manpower—all war-related things—were soaring in price.
Duke Marcus's luxury goods business had already stagnated. If it wasn't for gathering weapons and equipment before the full-scale war, Duke Marcus's so-called private army would probably have to arm the militia with sharpened bamboo spears, which were essentially glorified bamboo sticks...
Of course, everyone was short on weapons, especially after losing their own territory. Even though Duke Marcus had set up blacksmith shops in the refugee camps north of Southshore, the workers and raw materials were still extremely scarce.
These things, the Barov family did not lack.
"I'll be honest, both the Kingdom of Stormwind and my private army need them. May I ask, what do I need to give in return, Lady Illucia?" Duke Marcus asked politely.
"As a testament to the friendship between the Barov and Marcus families, these small gifts are not worth mentioning. If I must say what I personally hope to gain, would you mind teaching my daughter Jandice the secrets of [Multiple Casting], Duke Marcus?"
Duke Marcus was taken aback, then laughed.
The best way for nobles to deepen their connections is through marriage.
Duchess Illucia was very clever.
If it were the Duke from before, he would have been a perfect match for a duke's daughter. Now, as the rising star in the Lordaeron Alliance, the Alliance's vice-commander, and the hero who saved five kings and won the Battle of Southshore, the Duke was practically a synonym for miracles.
Among the many princesses, including Princess Calia of Lordaeron, it seemed that they could be chosen by the Duke.
Proposing a marriage alliance now would only result in humiliation for the Barov family.
On the other hand, the Barov family urgently needed to find a reliable ally. Alterac was too weak; even when entering a state of war, the entire Alterac had just over 30,000 troops, including 20,000 peasant soldiers. These farmers who had just left the fields were of poor quality in terms of morale and training.
Setting aside the ambitious Lordaeron, the homeless Kingdom of Stormwind was a relatively ideal partner. Perhaps the Stormwind refugees would be near Southshore for a while, but as long as the Seven Human Kingdoms still existed and the Alliance remained, the Kingdom of Stormwind would not dare to risk the condemnation of the world and covet Alterac's land.
Under a policy that almost amounted to a roundabout salvation, the Barov family proposed that Jandice should become the Duke's apprentice.
In Azeroth, though there was no saying such as "a day as a teacher, a lifetime as a father," the relationship between teacher and student was still a very important one. Betraying or killing a teacher, unless for the greater good of the nation or the survival of the world, would be regarded as a disgrace by the entire human kingdom. Even with a righteous cause, it was not an honorable thing to do.
This was why, in the original history, when Khadgar killed Medivh for the sake of the world, he was still criticized by many.
The Duke pondered for a moment: "I am currently bearing the responsibilities of the Alliance's vice-commander, and I may not have much time to teach Miss Jandice..."
At this point, Duchess Illucia was so nervous that her heart seemed to leap into her throat. Relationships were like this; if they didn't progress, they regressed. To maintain a relationship in equilibrium was a difficult thing. Moreover, the Kingdom of Stormwind had already regained its footing, and it was the weaker Barov family that needed the help of the Duke and the Kingdom of Stormwind in case of a possible threat from the orcs.
The Duke and the Kingdom of Stormwind could now completely ignore Alterac and the Barov family. Not getting along with the Barovs would neither benefit nor harm the Duke. Considering the annihilation of the Barov family in the 'future,' the Duke didn't really have the necessity to save this family with a terrible reputation.
It was at this moment that the faces of Illucia and Jandice from the Scholomance in their undead forms surfaced in the Duke's mind, overlapping with the current Illucia.
Somehow, the Duke felt a sudden sympathy for the Barov family. He had been struggling for so long just to avoid becoming a ghoul.
The Duke could almost see the future Jandice Barov, standing among a group of undead mages, waiting alone for the Lich King's call to summon her to the Scourge's holy land, even though her family was not far away.
Meanwhile, Lady Illucia was crazily dissecting one corpse after another. At that time, she was no longer the elegant and beautiful mistress of the Barov family; in her madness, the soulless zombies were her only friends...
Since the First War, too many kingdoms and families had been destroyed in the consecutive wars. The Duke wasn't a savior; he couldn't save everyone.
However, since this tragedy was unfolding right before his eyes, he decided to save them anyway.
With that thought, the Duke changed his tone: "However, if the Barov family doesn't mind, I am willing to discuss the mysteries of magic with Miss Jandice."
It was only at this moment that Duchess Illucia truly let out a sigh of relief.
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