Reforged Chapter 31: Marshal of the Future

At this point in time, Reginald Windsor was just an ordinary young soldier, a knight-in-training, not much different from the thousands of inexperienced fighters under Anduin Lothar who hadn't truly experienced war and could be killed instantly by an orc's axe.

Even in the future, Reginald would not be an extraordinary warrior. He could handle ordinary strong opponents, but when faced with the likes of several Horde chieftains, or even real renowned heroes, he would be instantly defeated.

He didn't possess outstanding leadership abilities, and in the World of Warcraft game Duke had played before his crossover, Reginald hadn't achieved any significant feats. His promotions seemed more like a result of accumulating seniority.

Yet, it was this very Reginald Windsor who became a Marshal and was posthumously honored as a hero by the people, soldiers, and players alike.

Why?

It was due to his unwavering loyalty to Stormwind and the largest human kingdom on this continent.

This story takes place decades into the future. One day, the king of Stormwind mysteriously vanished, and Windsor noticed strange changes in the nobles of Stormwind City – they became increasingly indulgent in pleasure and no longer cared about the lands of the Stormwind Kingdom beyond the city walls.

This directly led to the people of various regions being forced to fend for themselves. In Westfall, Gryan Stoutmantle formed the People's Militia; while in Duskwood, Lord Ello Ebonlocke established his Night Watch, independently protecting the people of Darkshire.

When the Blackrock orcs in the north of Lakeshire, within the Burning Steppes, pressed closer, and rumors of black dragons emerged, Windsor could no longer sit idly by. He remembered his mission, volunteered to go to the Burning Steppes, and led the Alliance forces against the Blackrock orcs and the black dragon threat.

However, the influential Lady Katrana Prestor in the council vehemently opposed his proposal, and her influence even swayed Regent Lord Bolvar Fordragon's decision. After breaking ties with Lady Prestor, Windsor arrived alone at the Alliance camp in the Burning Steppes (in effect, he was exiled from Stormwind) and directed the battle against the Blackrock orcs.

From that point on, Stormwind never sent any reinforcements to the Burning Steppes, and Marshal Windsor was eventually captured by the Dark Iron dwarves in an ambush. In prison, he pondered the cause and effect of everything. After connecting all the dots, he discovered that the biggest suspicion was on Lady Katrana Prestor, who had mysteriously appeared in Stormwind City shortly before the king's disappearance.

But he had no evidence.

When we found Marshal Windsor in the Dark Iron prison, he refused to leave and cursed Lord Bolvar Fordragon as a complete fool. In fact, now that he had sorted everything out, being in the Dark Iron prison was ironically safe. He wasn't afraid of death, but he feared that he wouldn't be able to expose the black dragon's plot before his demise.

When Duke and the other players discovered a mysterious note in Blackrock Depths and delivered it to Marshal Windsor, he became excited. He saw hope, found evidence, and believed that this was the key to breaking the mystery. He asked the players to retrieve the two stone tablets, escaped the sunless prison, and headed to Stormwind City to expose the true identity of Lady Katrana Prestor for the sake of Stormwind Kingdom and the Alliance.

Stepping into Stormwind City, witnessed by the five great heroes of the Second War, he earned the trust of his old friend. Along the way, all the soldiers knelt on one knee to pay him tribute.

He entered Stormwind Keep and used the tablets he acquired from the Dark Iron dwarves to expose the true identity of Lady Katrana Prestor—Onyxia, the black dragon princess. Enraged, the black dragon dealt Marshal Windsor a fatal blow before flying away.

Duke Reginald Baradin II single-handedly defeated the surrounding human-shaped black dragon guards but was unable to save Marshal Windsor's life. A hero, he faced his fate with a smile, unafraid.

Recalling the heart-wrenching "history" in the game, Duke couldn't help but feel melancholic and lost in thought.

Glancing out the window, it seemed the first rays of morning light had barely grazed Duke's hair. Though it had only been a few days since he had crossed over, Duke felt that time had been spent in constant tension and unease.

Duke suddenly smiled.

He had thought that hearing the names Stormwind City, Karazhan, and the Dark Portal in the Warcraft movie, along with the memorable lines, would bring him happiness and contentment.

For in countless days and nights, he had measured every inch of this land with the feet of a cheeky mage named "Little Devil Feifei."

Even though time had flown, and the once number one game in the world could no longer keep up with the times, ridiculed as outdated by younger players, he was still infatuated with it.

In his dreams, she was the one he saw.

When sleep eluded him, he would log into the game, mount his favorite white gryphon, fly into the sky, and gaze down at the beautiful continent.

He had once thought that the poor box office performance of the Warcraft movie would prevent any sequels. Not only did he buy ten or twenty movie tickets himself, but he also organized his old friends to watch it together.

Because she had accompanied him through such long and beautiful times...

He had once thought that this was the best way to protect her.

"But now, I've found a better way to protect her," Duke whispered to himself.

Looking up at the rising sun, Duke knew full well that he was powerless against Sargeras, who had already acquired Medivh's body and immense Guardian powers.

Even if all the forces on the continent were combined, it still might not be enough.

The opening of the Dark Portal was irreversible.

Sunlight fell on Duke's face, warm and gentle, as he once again felt the pulse of destiny.

The sun would inevitably rise day after day, and all he could grasp was the course of fate after the Dark Portal opened...

With that, Duke took a deep breath, raised the list in his hand, and pointed to Reginald Windsor's name: "Hello, Captain Garcia, I want him."

"Him?" Garcia's expression was a bit strange. Of course, the strangeness stemmed from Duke's reaction when he saw Windsor's name.

"Is there a problem?" Duke asked back.

"Uh, since his name is on the list, it means that Lord Lothar believes he is a reliable and capable young man. I have no problem with that, I'm just curious about why you would choose him?"

Charlatan Duke smiled and said, "Because I sensed the bond of fate!"