That powerful figure had already seen the secret report submitted by SI:7 to the Regent. The report detailed a magical anomaly in Goldshire, where two agents were injured by untraceable magic while investigating a suspicious target, though their injuries were minor. However, Matthias Shaw, the leader of SI:7, had not assigned a high priority to this report; he remained uncertain about the nature of the "magical attack" himself.
Duke Gregor began questioning Wayne about the details of the Gnoll raid.
Wayne gave a general account of the events. However, aside from the final moment where he stepped up to strike the heavily wounded Hogger with an axe, he attributed all the actual fighting to Willem's squad of seven and Jyssetta's group from the Lion's Pride Inn. He made no mention of the flashy, high-level magic.
Gregor offered no immediate judgment on Wayne's story, but he relayed the testimonies of Willem and the others back to Wayne, almost like a cross-examination.
To Wayne's surprise, the reports submitted by Willem and the soldiers were nearly identical to the story he had just fabricated. They, too, omitted any mention of magic.
In Willem's report, however, Wayne hadn't simply delivered a finishing blow to a wounded Hogger. Instead, the report claimed Wayne had first provided sanctuary for civilians and wounded soldiers, then took up an axe to single-handedly battle Hogger and the other Gnolls for "three hundred rounds." Ultimately, at the cost of heroic injuries, he had repelled Hogger's forces and saved Goldshire.
Wayne was bewildered. He didn't know why Willem would do this, and it clearly wasn't just Willem's doing. From Gregor's words, the accounts of every witness on the scene were "astonishingly consistent."
Wayne could sense that this very consistency had piqued the Duke's suspicion.
Gregor then asked some questions about Wayne's daily life. When the topic of the net cafe came up, the Duke—who was obsessed with the Royal Library—showed little interest in the "games" Wayne described. He viewed them as mere parlor tricks designed by commoners to swindle money, much like the Darkmoon Faire that visited every few months.
From the Duke's slightly arrogant tone, Wayne could tell the man didn't believe for a second that a country lad could fight Hogger as the reports described. At most, he assumed Wayne had used a burst of reckless bravado to land a lucky strike during the chaos.
What neither of them realized was that behind a screen near the back door of the room, someone had been standing in the shadows, silently listening to their conversation.
Both Wayne and Gregor were so focused on each other that they failed to sense this person casting a shadow spell on Wayne. Or rather, Wayne was completely immune to such magic; otherwise, in his currently weakened state, he might have dropped dead on the spot.
Seeing that his questions were answered and he could pry nothing more from Wayne, Gregor offered a few hollow pleasantries and prepared to leave.
Wayne quickly asked, "When can I leave this place?"
Gregor was prepared for the question. "I shall report back to the Regent Lord now. As soon as he grants permission, you may leave whenever you wish, young... Knight."
Wayne could only nod.
However, things progressed much faster than he expected. Not long after Gregor left, a maid returned to inform him that if he wished to leave, a detachment of Royal Guards would escort him back to Goldshire.
Wayne's mind was entirely on his net cafe. He had no idea what state it was in after being away for two days or if his belongings were still there. He had no desire to linger in Stormwind Keep. As for the capital city of the Alliance, he would have to find another time to explore it properly.
He immediately requested to return to Goldshire. The Royal Guards were efficient; they escorted the newly dubbed Knight out of the fortress and into a carriage, which slowly made its way out of the city and headed south.
Elsewhere, within the Cathedral of Light in the heart of Stormwind, Archbishop Benedictus—leader of the Church of the Holy Light—was holding a secret meeting with Lady Katrana Prestor.
They chose to meet in the catacombs beneath the cathedral, surrounded by the sarcophagi of former archbishops and high priests. A secret passage led from the tomb directly into the woods behind the cathedral, which was how the Lady had entered.
As the second most powerful person in the kingdom after the Regent, Benedictus actually bowed slightly when he saw the Lady.
Katrana began, "The SI:7 report says the boy can use both Holy Light and Shadow magic simultaneously."
"There must be an error in that intelligence," Benedictus replied. "I just cast Mana Burn on him, and the spell was entirely ineffective. We both know what that means: there isn't a single drop of mana in his body."
"But according to the reports from the Royal Gryphon Riders," Katrana countered, "many Gnolls at the scene did indeed die to magical attacks. Some even bore the marks of Shamanistic spells."
"My dear Lady," Benedictus said calmly, "given your power and my understanding of magic, not even one as mighty as Medivh the Guardian could master so many contradictory forms of magic—especially Shamanism, which is revered by those lowly, bloodthirsty Orcs."
"Perhaps some foolish Gnoll Shaman miscast a spell on his own comrades during the fray. We need not be overly concerned with the twenty-year-old descendant of a blacksmith. They are just Gnolls; it is not inconceivable that a squad of disciplined soldiers and professional trainers could repel them."
"Our goal is the young King, and his... predecessor... the former King who must never reappear."
Katrana nodded. "Perhaps you are right. Besides, this Gnoll attack will only strengthen that fool Bolvar's belief that my advice to withhold troops from Westfall and the Redridge Mountains is correct."
"The more chaos there is in the world, the easier it is for us to direct the course of events."
"As you wish, my Lady," Benedictus said smoothly. "However, I hear there is another pressing matter. You have likely heard that SI:7 agents believe they have found where Windsor is being held and have reported this to the Regent."
Katrana looked at Benedictus with slight surprise, not expecting him to know about a secret report just received at the Keep.
"I will ensure Bolvar does not send a single soldier into Blackrock Mountain," she said. "I will make him believe that doing so would provoke the fire elementals in the molten core. If they go on a rampage, Stormwind would be in danger of being destroyed once again."
"As long as no one goes to rescue him, that isolated Windsor will eventually die at the hands of those stupid, misguided Dark Iron dwarves. Our secrets will remain safe."
"As for SI:7... they act in shadows and have a complex network. Many of their operations are carried out without even reporting to Bolvar."
Benedictus smiled dismissively. "Then let us have our friends in Westfall stir up some noise. We shall give the SI:7 agents something to do, ensuring they don't have enough manpower to worry about whether Windsor is dead or alive."
Katrana nodded in satisfaction. "A fine idea, Archbishop. We serve the true master of this world. When his order descends, we shall all share in his glory."