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"Then, may I ask King Varian to sign a contract with me?"

When she said those words, Tennyson smiled with pure innocence.

———————————————Half a day later————————————————————

"Phew, it worked!"

Sitting in the carriage, Tannis breathed a sigh of relief as she looked at the documents in her hands. In the presence of Countess Prestor and other powerful nobles of Stormwind, King Varian officially entrusted Tannis with the task of clearing out the remaining orcs in the Redridge Mountains, and at the same time granted her the right to arm the refugees of the Redridge Mountains into a militia force.

Frankly, this outcome was better than Tannis had initially hoped, because it meant her control over the Redridge Mountains was now recognized by the high nobles of Stormwind. Even if Varian later wanted to back out, he would have to get past the Council of Nobles first. However...

"This is fantastic, Miss! With these, Ratchet City can build a stable, massive agricultural base and a transit center in the Eastern Kingdom. In the future, Booty Bay might even be overshadowed by us!"

"Ah."

Tanis responded calmly to the excited thrombus, now completely exhausted and just wanting to get some sleep.

"Miss, you don't seem to be in a good mood. Is there anything wrong?"

"I'm just a little tired. I haven't been getting enough sleep lately because I've been running around so much."

"Then leave the rest of the preparations to us, and you can get some rest."

"Ah."

Tannis nodded and leaned back on the cushions to take a nap. Gradually, she felt her consciousness sinking into an abyss.

'.....Little.....Pu.......Black.......'

Just before she was about to fall completely asleep, Tennys seemed to hear strange voices in her head.

——————————————Ratchet is under preparation——————————————————

News that Ratchet was forming a force to expel the orcs from Redridge Mountains and rebuild human towns spread like wildfire throughout Stormwind Kingdom, stirring up long-dormant undercurrents—maintaining the status quo in Redridge Mountains was not against the interests of certain individuals.

Those with direct or indirect interests in the Redridge Mountains dispatched their subordinates to gather more detailed information, both overtly and covertly, in order to formulate plans. Refugees, their hearts still burning with the desire to return home, arrived at the Ratchet recruitment point with their families to receive weapons and armor and undergo temporary combat training so they could fight their way back. A small group of merchants, carrying various goods, roamed the vicinity; clearly, these merchants planned to serve as accompanying merchants on the army's journey…

Finally, what appeared before Tannis was a group that could hardly be called an elite force, somewhere between a rabble and a ragtag army...

Seeing the resentful look in his young mistress's eyes, Bao Shuan gave a helpless explanation.

"Miss Tanis, I know your idea is to use Ratchet's elite troops to launch a surprise attack on Redridge Mountains, take a foothold first, then establish a stable trade route, and then attract civilians to come and work as laborers. But if we really execute this plan, even under the most perfect circumstances, our first batch of crops won't be able to be planted until the turn of next spring and summer..."

The resentment in Tennys' eyes faded somewhat.

"And most importantly, assuming we extend the timeline of our expansion, we don't know if other changes will occur, after all..."

After saying that, Bao Shuan brought his mouth close to Tannis's ear and whispered.

"Some of the guys who came to accept the recruitment had problems, pretty big problems."

——————————————Presto's Manor————————————————————

Countess Presto sat before her dressing table, her dark pupils fixed on the crystal ball before her, in which a black figure could be faintly seen.

"My dear sister, have you encountered any trouble in Stormwind Kingdom?"

“Something interesting just happened, and I felt I had to share it with you since we’re siblings.”

Countess Presto raised her hand, and the man opposite her instantly received the information.

"They're actually planning to build a town in the Red Ridge Mountains... Should I send troops to annihilate them, sister?"

The man's voice was utterly calm, as if Tennys and the others were nothing more than ants in his presence.

“No need. You and I both know how goblins behave. They pay us and do things for us. In the future, they might just become our ‘allies,’ just like Father’s goblins.”

Countess Presto chuckled softly.

"Therefore, it is necessary to take a brief 'check' on the combat capabilities of these potential 'future allies'."

“That’s right, brother, that’s why I came to you. There’s no need to send out a strong force, just a small number of troops that don’t attract much attention but still make them feel threatened.”

“I understand, sister.”

The shadow in the crystal ball disappeared, and Countess Presto leaned back in her chair, letting out a long breath as her pupils turned golden.

"I hope your performance satisfied me, Tennys..."

XVI. The Ambush at Red Ridge Pass

If Elwynn Forest is a treasure bestowed upon the Kingdom of Stormwind by the heavens, then Redridge Mountains are the solid ground beneath that treasure.

Although the Redridge Mountains lack the suitable climate, abundant mineral resources, inexhaustible water sources, and harbors capable of accommodating large warships of Elwynn Forest, their geographical location is extremely important to Elwynn Forest. If the Redridge Mountains fall, Elwynn Forest will be left wide open to the northwest, allowing enemies to invade at any time from this area, which is significantly higher in altitude than Elwynn Forest.

During the first orc invasion, the first breach in Stormwind Kingdom's defenses occurred in the Redridge Mountains, and since then, the Redridge Mountains have never returned to human control.

Today, a motley crew has returned to this land after humanity has been away for a long time.

'The Redridge Mountains are significantly higher in elevation than the Elwynn Forest, which is a plain. Therefore, the vegetation covering the Redridge Mountains changes from the broadleaf forests of Elwynn Forest to a mix of shrubs and trees, with some areas even dominated by shrubs. The soil is more sandy than in Elwynn Forest, and the sunlight intensity is higher. While there are few off-season rivers, the existence of the giant Stillwater Lake ensures that water resources are not scarce... Therefore, before the orc invasion, there was a fairly large town called Lakeside Town near Stillwater Lake...'

Sitting inside her armored carriage, Tannis bit her pen, looking at the climate and hydrological data of the Redridge Mountains that she had compiled from fragmented intelligence, and pondering how to develop the area.

Undoubtedly, the ruins of Lakeside Town are the best place to establish a base. Whether it is transportation, water supply or the surrounding land, it is a first-class place in the Redridge Mountains. However, there is also a tricky problem - such a good place, the orcs will definitely establish a corresponding base there. To take it back, it will definitely be a tough battle.

Suddenly, Tennyson's car lurched and came to a stop.

"what happened?"

Tennys opened the car window and looked outside.

"The road ahead is blocked by rocks caused by a landslide. People can go around it, but it is difficult for carriages to pass."

A human scout quickly answered Tennys's question.

"Really? Let me see."

Tannis closed the car window, slid her finger across the mechanical assistant, and a hidden compartment opened on the side of the armored carriage. A round-headed creature extended its wings and, amidst the curious stares of the surrounding humans, wobbled into the sky. At the same time, the mechanical assistant projected a rudimentary but roughly discernible image of the scene.

A few minutes later, Tennys's aircraft flew to the area where the rocks had fallen.

"Landslide? Ha... It seems there really is someone who doesn't want us to reach our destination smoothly."

Tannis, who could tell at a glance that the so-called 'landslide' was not a natural phenomenon at all, had a look of seriousness in her eyes. She ordered the aircraft to return while simultaneously activating the detonator.

"The hydrant has burst. Find a nearby place and set up camp as soon as possible."

“This is a trap, Miss Tanis. The enemy also wants us to set up camp. I suggest we blow up the road and continue forward.”

“I know, but those guys watching us are definitely on guard against this. Goblin engineering is good at splitting mountains and rocks, anyone who knows about it knows that.”

"Understood, I'll arrange it right away. Should we leave a loophole?"

"No need, because they will 'create the flaws' themselves."

————————————————Night falls——————————————————————

Unlike Elwynn Forest, the nights in Redridge Mountains are characterized by clear skies and bright moonlight, so much so that even without torches, humans can easily see objects twenty or thirty meters away. Therefore, Tanis and her group only lit a few campfires in key locations for illumination and to ward off wild animals. Several sentries remained hidden inside iron-clad wagons, which served as the outer defensive line, keeping watch for potential attacks.

Between the outermost carriage defense line and the second, more elaborate carriage defense line were the tents of the recruited humans. After a simple dinner, they slept in large tents in groups of twenty, with a safe distance between the tents to prevent a chain reaction in case of any unexpected events.

In the innermost circle were Tannis's armored carriage and her bodyguards. Since her great goblin was dead, Tannis's bodyguards had been replaced by two goblins who were skilled in combat and could use some common engineering weapons. Undoubtedly, although they were not as strong as the great goblin, they were more adaptable to various battle situations.

Such a defensive line should be enough to deter most attackers from launching an attack, except for the dark-skinned orc and his troops watching from the nearby mountains.

"Phew... these pinkies are pretty cautious."

Gadar Shattered Tooth surveyed the human camp below from his vantage point. As a centurion of the Blackrock orcs, he knew very well that if he led his men to force their way through, even if they managed to reach the very center, they would suffer heavy losses.

"But they also blocked their leader's escape route—by the way, sir, is it true that their leader is a little girl?"

"Of course it's true, but remember this: never hurt her. She's not from Stormwind Kingdom; she's the second-in-command of a goblin city that sold us things before."

“Those guys are no longer with us, sir.”

“I know, but they still have money, weapons, and food. Tell me, how much money are those green dwarfs willing to pay to get their second-in-command back?”

Seeing Gadar's almost drooling as he fantasized about getting a huge ransom, Kaku, who had dealt with the goblins of the Rustwater Consortium before and knew their temperament well, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately chose not to spoil his superior's fun.

Suddenly, rhythmic flashes appeared in Tannis's camp, one after another.

"Signal has arrived, sir!"

"Everyone, be careful going down the mountain, and don't make any noise! ​​Anyone who ruins this ambush, I'll skin them alive!"

———————————— Campsite ——————————————————

"The outer ring carriages have shifted abnormally; someone has secretly moved the defense line."

The burst throttle reported to Tennys.

"I know."

Tannis sat cross-legged on the cushion, and the mechanical assistant in front of her projected several images, on which red outlines were moving.

'Colluding with the orcs...it seems someone in Stormwind is profiting from the country's misfortune....'

Tennys placed her hand on the mechanical assistant, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"Let me see just how powerful these orcs, who once swept through the Eastern Kingdoms, really are!!"

17. Battles that end quickly

The piercing alarm shattered the tranquility of the night. Birds sleeping nearby were startled awake by the shrill sound, flapping their wings and flying away from the camp. The sleeping convoy members, instinctively relying on the muscle memory honed from the recent high-intensity, grueling training, grabbed their weapons, put on their shoes, and rushed out of their tents.

Then, several flares rose into the sky, illuminating the entire camp as bright as day. The attacking orcs stood dumbfounded in the tent area between the outermost and second lines of defense, their minds blank.

"We've been betrayed!!! Blackrock Orcs! Charge!!"

Gadal Shattered Tooth roared angrily, raised his battle axe high, and charged ahead towards the militia who had not yet completed their formation not far away. As a veteran orc, he knew very well that in this situation, he could not lose his morale!

“Lok'tar ogar!!!!”

The Blackrock orcs who came with Gadar collectively unleashed a deafening battle cry. Their killing intent, seemingly solidified and tinged with blood, washed over the nerves of the militiamen facing these orcs. In an instant, the horrific memories of being slaughtered by the orcs and forced to leave their homes came vividly to life in the minds of these refugees.

"Orcs! Orcs!!!"

"They're here! They've come!"

"They're going to kill us!!!"