The third year and second month of the Dark Portal. The earth was still frozen, and there were no signs of life waking up.
This was the most difficult time of winter. It was still winter, but almost all the food was gone.
In the northern continent of Rotterdam, corpses of people who had frozen and starved to death could be seen everywhere. Due to the cold weather, there was no need to worry about the plague. However, the hard layer of ice made everyone give up on the idea of burying their companions or neighbors.
The nobles of Rotterdam were celebrating the victory of the war in the warm castle. In Stormwind, the southernmost part of the continent, Laing was inspecting his territory with Prince William.
Yes, braving the -5 degree Celsius cold wind and light snow.
As there were still remnants of the Orcs in the depths of the Elven Forest, Laing had no choice but to bring more than 500 Royal Knights with him. Of course, there was no lack of Paladins, Priests, Hunters, Mages, and a few Rangers from the Windrunner Family.
As they passed by the graveyard outside Goldshire Town, a few frozen corpses jumped into Laing and William's sight.
"What's going on?" Andoine, who was inspecting with Laing, felt a fire burning in his chest.
Before he could get angry, his followers naturally summoned the terrified mayor of Goldshire Town.
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. We didn't know you were coming."
"Didn't know? Does that give you enough time to hide the body? "King Leon's words were laced with daggers, which made him look even more majestic.
"It's not like that, Your Majesty. Your Majesty, please take a closer look. Most of them are elderly. "The mayor, who was so scared that he wet his pants, tried to explain.
Laing took a look and found that it was indeed so.
"Before they came back to the Elven Forest, their bodies were not in good condition. Everyone advised them not to come back, but they stubbornly said that they wanted to die in their hometown. During the week of turbulence on the ship, we tried our best to take care of them. According to Sir Marcus's instructions, we kept them near the doctor or the priest. Unfortunately, they didn't make it. "
The mayor's explanation made Laing and the rest fall silent.
Hometown had a special and sacred meaning to every citizen of Stormwind.
Since the founding of the kingdom, thousands of years had passed, and many people had never left their homeland. During the days when Stormwind had fallen, even Laing himself had painfully wondered if he would ever have the chance to return to Stormwind, the land that had been passed down for generations.
In the days after the fall, perhaps he and his people were eager to restore their country. What if he died in battle, and all the warriors who were determined to restore the country died in battle? What if it dragged on for five or ten years and they still couldn't recover their country? By that time, how many people would be willing to support the restoration of Stormwind?
Laing, Andoine, and even the young William could clearly understand the desire of the citizens, especially the elderly citizens, to return to their hometown.
Laing sighed. In the cold winter weather, his sigh formed an icy mist that was incomparably clear. "Mr. Mayor, I accept your explanation. However, please take us to the place where the civilians gather. I will use my eyes to witness the results of your work and your loyalty to the kingdom and its people. "
"Of course! Of course! " The mayor wiped the beads of sweat that had started to form on his face, and hurriedly led Laing and the rest into the town.
As Goldshire Town had once been the base of the Horde's attack on Stormwind City, and had been burned down by Duque, many of the trees still looked bare even after more than a year had passed. They were either dead or had yet to grow back.
In the slightly deserted town, Laing was pleased to see many human-style houses standing tall in the town. A year and a half ago, the same place had been filled with the disgusting, dirty, and messy tents of the Horde.
"Father, many of the houses here look the same," Prince William exclaimed in surprise.
Laing was also very surprised. As the king, he had only seen reports from Duque about how many houses had been built. Regarding internal affairs reports, Laing had always looked at them with a watery eye. In Laing's impression, if a tenth of the houses could be built, it would be good if the rest of the people could have a sturdier tent.
Now, it seemed that Duque's report was completely true, without a single bit of watery information!
"Thanks to Grand Duke Marcus' new building manual, we were able to build a winter house for every household in the town before winter came, a total of 1,120 households. As long as there is a man in the family, even if he doesn't know how to build a house, under the guidance of a craftsman, a sturdy house can be built by five or six people in a month. "
Laing, Andoine, and William were all shocked.
They knew nothing about building houses, but they had seen how carpenters and stonemasons built houses in the past. It was impossible to build a house in less than half a year.
What kind of efficiency was this now?
The mayor first brought the king and the rest to the warehouse.
Many pieces of wood were stacked neatly in the warehouse. Laing noticed that there were grooves on both ends of each piece of wood. "This is …"
The mayor said, "Uh, I don't know the specifics. Mr. Van Cleve from the Brotherhood of Stonemasons explained a lot to me. He said that as long as the pillars and beams marked with a specific number are placed at a specific location on the flat ground, they can be directly lapped up, and the nails on top can be used to make the frame of the house. The house will not fall apart easily. Then, a double layer of wooden planks is prepared in advance, and a house is basically built. "
"That's it?" Andoine was stunned.
"Uh, there's no way to use the stove for heating. This can only be built by the more idle women."
"Bring me to have a look," Laing ordered.
After walking for a short while, the group arrived at a commoner's house at the edge of the town. They knocked on the door of the house, and the farmer welcomed the king and the rest in a panic.
"You don't have to kneel, stand and talk."
In this era of strict hierarchy, it was a great blessing for the commoners to not have to kneel when they saw the king. They would not dare to sit together with the king even if they were beaten to death.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," the man said in unison with his wife and three half-grown children.
"Are you a soldier on leave?" Andoine noticed the man's necklace. There was a rectangular plate on the necklace, which was the idea that Duque had come up with — the military plate. The military plate was marked with the soldier's name, place of origin, affiliation, and meritorious service.
The man immediately stood at attention in a standard military posture. "Captain Joseph Adams of the Fifth Squad of the Third Brigade of the Kingdom's Fifth Infantry Regiment salutes you, Commander Lothar."
"How was the winter?" Laing asked with a smile.
"Thank you, Saint Duque, we had a good time." Joseph's face changed almost as soon as he finished speaking.
"Saint Duque?"
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