Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 595, Section 56. You just said (loading the musket) second what? - Bonus Chapter [25]

(Bonus chapter for the "SpongeBob SquarePants in the Deep Sea" brothers [2/5])
General Stittek never expected to be so unlucky.
She led a large formation of four of the Arathi Empire's most advanced airships, laden with supplies, the Empire's most outstanding soldiers, the most devout and fanatical state priests, and some invited explorers, along with the spellcasters of "New Stromgarde".

They received cheers and blessings from the people in the capital, and the state bishops personally lit a sacred flame for the airship, praying that the flame would protect them and ensure their well-being.

On an auspicious day, Ms. Stitek's exploration fleet set sail.

Driven by a yearning and pursuit beyond the storms, and bearing a sacred mission from the emperor, they carefully and precisely navigated into the climate of the Storm Sea, drawing upon the experience accumulated by countless explorers over the past thousand years.

The first half went very smoothly.

General Stittek's expedition crossed several deadly cyclones without incident and successfully reached the outermost edge of the Storm Sea. All they needed to do was break through the last layer of storm cyclones to escape the dangerous climate and enter the wider "Old World".

They had been preparing for this for a long time, and Ms. Stiteck had been here before, so she was very experienced.

Using the energy suppression of the area around the ship by the sacred flames, they first fired special alchemical ammunition from the ship's cannons. After weakening the cyclone's energy level through a series of complex chemical reactions, they broke out in one go.

As it turned out, Ms. Stitek lived up to her reputation as the most talented explorer in the Arathi Empire. She led the airship fleet through the stormy sea without losing a single crew member.

The most seriously injured was an unlucky drunkard who accidentally wandered into a lynx's cage in a panic and was bitten by the lynx.

As the first explorer in nearly three thousand years to break through the Storm Sea and enter the Old World, she should have become a legendary figure in the entire empire. However, before Ms. Stitek could even take a good breath of the "Old World" air, a huge storm appeared without warning in the sea that should have been safe.

One second the sky was cloudless, the next the four airships were almost instantly engulfed in a terrifying thunderstorm.

The crew members were completely unable to react. Some superstitious individuals firmly believed that this was "punishment from the Old World," and that they, as people from the New World, should not have left the Storm Sea so casually.

The storms that blocked their departure were not a curse, but a protection.

Look, look! You insisted on leaving your beautiful and warm imperial homeland to search for some damn new continent, and you got struck by lightning as soon as you came out!
This is divine retribution!
The unfortunate Ms. Stiteck was operating the lookout device on the deck when she was struck by lightning. She did not die, but was knocked unconscious, which directly caused the airship fleet to lose command.

Fortunately, the Anglican priests were resilient and devout enough that they managed to stabilize the situation ahead of time amidst the chaos of the fleet.

Following the advice of the other captains, the priests immediately decided to make an emergency landing on the island below.

Flying through that unpredictable thunderstorm was too dangerous. Even though these airships were equipped with the Empire’s most advanced navigation and protection equipment, they could not withstand every bolt of lightning that struck them.

Moreover, the priests of the Church of England are heroes who can purify the soul when they open a book and open the mind when they close it. They are not afraid of the dangers brought by the storm; they are only afraid that they will not be able to fulfill the mission given to them by the sacred flame.

These fanatics became the backbone of the fleet during the most dangerous times.

They protected the sacred flames aboard the ship during the terrifying storm, making the light emanating from the four sacred braziers the only source of light in the dark storm, and the sacred flames did not disappoint the efforts of these devout followers.

The four braziers truly protected and healed the crew's fears, ultimately allowing them to make an emergency landing on the island before the storm escalated into an even more terrifying form.

The good news is that there weren't many casualties.

The bad news is that during the forced landing, an airship was pulled into the sea, causing the sacred flame to be extinguished.

The sacred flames have been extinguished!
My God, this is an ending even more terrifying than death!
The disoriented Anglican priests, still dazed from the fall, didn't even have time to heal themselves before pulling out tinderboxes to rekindle the flames.
They were attacked by a group of "Old World barbarians" who suddenly rushed out from the coast.

"do not move!"

Dale leaped onto the ship, and amidst the chaos, grabbed her sword and pressed it against the neck of the priestess whose head was still bleeding but who insisted on rekindling the extinguished holy fire basin on the ship's deck. He shouted:
"We mean no harm!"

The state pastor looked coldly at Dale, then glanced at the sword pressed against her neck. She wondered if this "old world" human was out of his mind.

You're holding a knife to my neck and then saying you meant no harm?

Are you crazy?

And most importantly, Dale chose the wrong target.

The general judged by common sense that these priests in robes were probably the leaders of this group of refugees, who were of low combat strength but high status. So he led his team to raid and subdue these priests so that he could interrogate them.

However, the common sense of the "old world" obviously cannot apply to the people of the new continent. The priests of the Holy Flame State Church are not the weaklings of the Holy Light Church who only know how to chant scriptures. Every year, the selection of the state church priests includes a "practical" subject.

A candidate pastor must defeat twelve candidates with his bare hands before he can be granted the title of full pastor.

The person that Dalyne had taken hostage was, unfortunately, a high-ranking priest.

Each gold and red holy emblem on her robe represented a victory she had won in a war of imperial expansion. There were seven such red holy emblems on the elderly woman's robe.
Thus, Dai Lin got what she asked for.

Just as the general breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the woman lower her hand, a blinding holy flame erupted before his eyes, causing Dale to squint like a flashbang.

That moment of carelessness resulted in a heavy iron fist slamming into the general's chin.

He, a legendary warrior, was blasted into the air, only to be met with a brilliant yet deadly "Holy Flame Spinning Kick" from the head of the state priest.

Dale was thrown directly from the overturned airship on the shore and crashed into the rocks. He felt that at least three of his sternums were broken.

Horse riding!
Is this woman really that good at fighting?

"For the Holy Flame! You thug, your ashes will be offered before the Throne of Fire!"

The state priest picked up the wooden spear that Dale had dropped, raised it high, and blessed it with the blazing holy fire surrounding it. Then he roared at his followers:
"The barbarians of the old world are preventing us from igniting the sacred flame! Unforgivable! Strike them down! Let them feel the punishment of the sacred flame with weapons and fists!"

"Roar!"

The disheveled Nationalist warriors immediately formed ranks on the spot, and the old sailors under Dale's command also stepped forward to fight. On this stranded beach, soldiers clashed with soldiers, and generals with generals, and the battle was quite a spectacle.

But Zhou Zhuo had already realized something was wrong.

He found a letter bearing the imperial seal in the arms of an Arathi he had rescued from the water; it was addressed to "His Majesty Anduin Lothar of the Sdomka Empire".

This is enough to prove that these people really came from the Arathi Empire in the Storm Sea, and that they really went to visit the Eastern Kingdoms in the name of that "Emperor".

Damn!

Isn't this just infighting among family members?
Zhou Zhuo clutched the damp letter and glanced towards the shore.

The good news is that both sides have experienced a shipwreck, resulting in the loss of their actual weapons. They can only fight each other with fists and rocks on the airship deck, but if they continue fighting, real blood will be drawn.

No!

A person of justice cannot turn a blind eye!
Zhou Zhuo pulled out a strange jade stone from his pocket. It was a jade golem that he had bought at a high price from the Jade Lotus Gang when he left Pandaria. He bought it specifically for self-defense.

"Hurry, hurry, as the law commands! Go!"

Old Zhou recited a Pandaria incantation and threw the jade stone in his hand.

When it landed, it emitted a stream of blue light and transformed into a ferocious jade bull. It stomped on the ground and charged towards the guys who were fighting, forcibly separating them with the force of its trampling.

Zhou Zhuo whistled to summon his Xianglong partner, Mi Shi.

This little guy is a treasure left to him by his father, a noble dragon obtained from Linfeng Island. It has beautiful purple scales and looks very noble.

However, this little guy is just a young dragon. The growth period of a flying dragon is very long. Although the panda people can live for a long time because of their detachment from worldly desires and cultivation of qi, Zhou Zhuo estimated that he would not live to see the day when Mi Shi grows up.

But the Xianglong is a very magical dragon. It has many secret techniques. It can easily control clouds and rain and change its shape at will. Therefore, when Mi Shi landed, it transformed into a giant dragon with bared teeth and claws, carrying Zhou Zhuo to the battlefield. It then used its not-yet-powerful breath to slam the ground, forcibly separating Dai Lin and the state priest.

"They're all on our side! Don't fight!" Zhou Zhuo landed and tossed the letter in his hand to the general, whose eyes were already bloodshot. The general was momentarily speechless when he saw the greeting letter written in the orthodox and elegant Arathi script.

He threw away his battle sword and shouted at the majestic priest before him, whose fists were clenched and whose body was wreathed in holy flames:
"My mistake! I was too reckless, my ally of the Arathi Empire."

"Who are your allies? Heretics!"

The Catholic pastor, however, was unmoved.

She glared at the Storm Church emblem hanging around Dalene's neck and snapped:
"How can we humans believe in these messed-up evil gods? Only the Holy Light and the Holy Flame are our salvation. You fallen people of the old world deserve to be thrown into the fire and burned to death."

"You son of a bitch!"

Dai Lin was also angry, but Zhou Zhuo managed to calm her down.

Old Zhou gestured to him that business was more important. Their expedition had come here to find evidence of the existence of the Arathi Empire, and now they had found living Arathi, which was enough to satisfy Lothar and the Empire.

"Are you a believer in the Holy Light?"

Captain Cyrus stepped forward and displayed the emblem of the Church of Holy Light in his hand. The ancient emblem and the exquisite statue of the saint finally softened the angry priestess's expression.

She extinguished the holy flame, drew a more intricate triangular emblem on her chest, and said to Captain Cyrus:

"It seems you are still blessed by the Holy Light, and you can still be saved. Thanks to the guidance of the Holy Flame, we have found our true brothers of faith after the disaster. May I ask, where do you come from?"

Cyrus glanced at Dalene, and the general nodded, indicating that he would continue the conversation.

The battle on the shore quickly attracted the attention of the others who had crash-landed on the island. As the newly awakened Lady Stitek wrapped her injured head in bandages like an Indian, and, looking sickly, led fully armed Arathi warriors, riding her majestic Imperial Lynx, she charged onto the shore. At the same time, the other two ships that had been separated from Daelin also appeared on the sea not far away.

The two expeditions thus achieved a "victorious reunion" due to a sudden storm.

To be honest, given the Arathi Empire's ridiculously high flight altitude of its airships, the two sides would have definitely missed each other without this storm.

Compared to the fanatical Anglican priests, General Stittek, an explorer, was clearly more to Dale's liking; both were true, courageous explorers.

After sharing their identities and experiences, they quickly became friends.

Especially after hearing Ms. Stittek describe the “Imperial Vision,” Dale realized that this must be some kind of religious spectacle created by Saint Diakum.

“I have met the Vigilant, a truly benevolent alien saint, who raised the possibility of your existence with Marshal Lothar. I suspect that he had already confirmed your existence at that time.”

Dale sighed and said:
"But he is a prophet. As everyone knows, prophets are riddle-makers. They never speak properly. Perhaps all of this was part of his plan."

“I’m more concerned about something else.”

Ms. Stiteck whispered:
"Does Emperor Lothar truly possess the Emperor's Sword, Stromka?"

“Well, we have more than just Stromka.”

Dailin grinned and said, as if sharing a secret:

"The spirit of the late King Thoradin, blessed by the Holy Light, has become Marshal Lothar's Guardian of Kings. When I was drinking with Lothar before, I even heard the late King tell us about the founding of Stromgarde."

He was truly a charismatic emperor.

"what?!"

The explorers from the Arathi Empire were dumbfounded.

She truly hadn't expected that the "legal system" of the new empire of the Eastern Kingdom would be so powerful. The Emperor's Sword wasn't enough; they even summoned the soul of Emperor Thoradin back from his coffin.
Oh dear, this is really troublesome.

If the two countries were to truly determine a legitimate successor in the future, the Arathi Empire would be at a significant disadvantage in this regard.

Dale seemed to realize what the formidable explorer was worried about. He fiddled with his soaking wet, unlit dwarven pipe and whispered:
"You are the true Second Arathor Empire. As for us, we are the 'Sdomka' Empire. As the name suggests, we have no direct legal succession to the Arathor Empire of more than two thousand years ago."

Although Marshal Lothar was indeed a descendant of Emperor Thoradin, Lothar did not rebuild the empire with his own bloodline.

Therefore, your emperor need not be concerned with the legitimacy between the two sides.

"What did you just say was 'second'?"

The female priest who had fought with Dale earlier was now bandaging herself, then looked at Dale coldly, a cross-shaped pistol adorned with the emblem of faith already in her hand.

There was a strong urge to blow this "barbarian's" head off at the slightest provocation.

“You cannot call our empire ‘second’. Cough cough, that’s too blasphemous! The lineage of the Thoradin Empire has never been broken. We are the legitimate continuation of the empire, we only changed our name to distinguish ourselves from the old world.”

Ms. Stiteck also corrected her seriously:
"This is a matter of national dignity, General. Please be serious!"

"Moreover, such matters cannot be discussed in words alone; the two emperors must meet and discuss them themselves."

A middle-aged pastor standing next to Ms. Stittek sighed and said:

"This is not something we servants of the Holy Flame should discuss. In fact, this meeting is not a bad thing if you can contact Marshal Lothar. We hope to have a private discussion before the formal meeting between the two sides."

Also on our ship are the current head of the Lothar family and his wife.

If Marshal Lothar wishes, he can have a conversation with his family on this island.

"Moreover, the Emperor's orders to us are to support the 'War of Light and Darkness' in Kul Tiras!"

Ms. Stielike emphasized:
"Diplomatic relations with the Stromka Empire can only be established after the victory in that war of light and darkness."

Please understand, Admiral Daelin, that the Arathi Empire is a theocratic state. For us, the desire to achieve justice through the Holy Flame far outweighs the pursuit of worldly power.

That's fantastic!

Upon hearing that these valiant Arathi were going to support the war in Kul Tiras, Daelin's eyes lit up. He said:

"We have magic stones made in Dalaran that can be used to contact the Eastern Continent. Please wait a moment while I have the mages begin preparations."

"and many more!"

The pastor suddenly called out to Dale, who had just stood up, and asked with some excitement:
"Dalaran was a city-state founded by the mages of the former Empire, wasn't it? Then is Lord Alodi, the first Guardian of Tirisfal, still alive?"

"Ok?"

Dale looked at the pastor with surprise. The pastor brushed his long blond hair aside, revealing his pointed ears, and introduced himself:
“I am a half-elf. My grandfather fought alongside Lord Alodi and learned the truth of arcane magic. His greatest regret in life was that he could not see his friend one last time before he died.”

"Lord Alodi has passed away, but I've heard that he left behind some strange legacy in Dalaran."

Dai Lin explained:
"As for old acquaintances, there was a half-elf lich named 'Merry Winterwind'."

"Yes! Master Merri Winterwind!"

The half-elf priest became even more agitated, and said in a hoarse voice, his voice slightly choked with emotion:

“His records are also in my grandfather’s notes. Ah, finally, that’s great. I can finally fulfill my family’s long-cherished wish.”

(End of this chapter)