"Your Highness, you've got the wrong person. The old man doesn't have such outstanding offspring. This is my wife's nephew. Haynie, come and thank the prince for his praise!"
Haynie Harbaugh stepped forward with a calm expression, neither humble nor arrogant, and bowed to Galen again.
Not bad, he has some poise, unfazed by favor or disgrace.
"I wonder if Haynie is interested in joining my command. My Scarlet Flame Legion is currently short of a captain. What do you think?"
Haynie's calm expression finally failed to hold, Galen's words were too much of a pleasant surprise for him.
"Your Highness, I am willing to join your army!" Without thinking too long, Haynie decided to follow Galen. Being ambitious, he had great confidence in himself and believed that he would definitely make a name for himself in the army in the future.
Moreover, with Thoras's deliberate efforts and the promotion of traveling merchants, Galen had already become quite famous.
The Hillsbrad region, closest to the Arathi Highlands, all knew that the prince of the Stromgarde kingdom had newly established a legion, and in the first month, he had fought a defense battle with the trolls, annihilating three thousand trolls with few casualties. The troll heads were dragged around the outside of the city walls by Stromgarde militia units in horse-drawn carriages.
This major event that caused a sensation in Stromgarde City, in addition to being talked about by the capital's residents, was also spread to the Hillsbrad region, and even Lordaeron, by traveling merchants, circulating in various towns' inns and taverns, and even being adapted into stories by wandering poets.
Galen never expected that one day he would also become a character in a story. If it hadn't been for upgrading to a level two main city, he would never have dared to be so blatant, because of the existence of the Bronze Dragonflight, he was afraid of being investigated.
Haynie had just finished his studies in Lordaeron a month ago. Having just graduated, he was unwilling to take a position in a great noble's house. His ideal was to achieve meritorious service and become a rising noble.
It just so happened that he learned from his aunt that the position of captain of the Southshore militia team was vacant, so he took the opportunity to visit his aunt and wanted to try it out.
In Southshore, the best he could hope for was the captain of the militia team, and in the future, he might be able to take over his uncle's position as town mayor. Now, however, there was an even better opportunity in front of him. The Scarlet Flame Legion, this newly formed legion, had already become famous after its first battle and had begun its rise. In Haynie's view, going to the Scarlet Flame Legion was a very good choice.
As for the fact that he was a Lordaeronian but joined the Stromgarde army, Haynie Harbaugh didn't think there was anything wrong with it. After all, humans were one family a thousand years ago, and in the human kingdoms, you could be a viscount lord of Lordaeron, or a baron of the Alterac kingdom. This was a generally accepted rule.
Even the nobles were like this, so there was even less of a problem with him joining the Stromgarde army.
Although Galen was excited beyond words inside, he had found a treasure, someone with a talent higher than Omar and Varrokal, whom he had easily recruited, but for the sake of the majesty of the superior, he had to appear very calm.
"This is Gandalf, a level 9 archmage, the captain of the Scarlet Flame Legion's thousand-man team. I appoint you as a squad leader in his team, commanding three hundred people."
"Thank you, Your Highness!"
Haynie raised his head in surprise when he heard Galen's appointment. This position was already very high, completely exceeding his expectations. Sure enough, his decision was right. The starting point of the Scarlet Flame Legion was already close to his limit in Southshore. After all, the captain of the Southshore militia team only commanded five hundred people.
The situation that followed can be described as everyone being happy!
Galen secretly rejoiced at getting an excellent general. Haynie felt that he was appreciated by His Highness the Prince and was directly promoted to commander of three hundred men, giving him a sense of dying for a confidant.
The old town mayor saw that Galen valued his wife's nephew and directly agreed to sell him a batch of ships at a low price.
So Galen happily ordered ten coastal-sailing freighters from the shipyard in Southshore at a low price.
The biggest winner is me, Galen!
Heh! Heh! Heh!
With the main business completed, Galen prepared to say goodbye, informing Haynie to report to them at the inn early tomorrow morning. Galen then left the old town mayor's house with Varokahl and Gandalf.
After going out, Galen asked Varrokal to take the guards to reserve rooms at the hotel, while he and Gandalf went to tour the dock area of Southshore.
Although he was touring the city, Galen was actually constantly observing Southshore's business model, absorbing experience, and at the same time reflecting on Stromgarde's lack of commercial trade.
In fact, Stromgarde also has its own port, located in the Bay of Faldir.
In the game, Galen had specifically explored the Arathi Highlands. There was a small path connecting the Bay of Faldir and Stromgarde, with only a wooden pier, and a Blackwater Raider ship was still docked there. Here, you could receive a series of missions, salvaging sunken ships, and repelling the Naga of the Spineridge tribe. This was also the first time Galen encountered the Naga in Warcraft.
After transmigrating, for Galen's safety, Thoras restricted Galen from leaving the city, but the port of Stromgarde was still accessible, so Galen had specifically gone to the Bay of Faldir to observe it.
Compared to the game, the port of the Bay of Faldir was much larger, but it could not compare to the scale of Southshore. It was generally only used for the kingdom to transport Ironforge's grain for export trade, and also for noble merchant caravans to go to Southshore to do business.
The commerce of the Stromgarde kingdom was not very developed, and Thoras did not pay much attention to commercial development. The types of goods that could be traded were also relatively few, so although the port was built in the Bay of Baradin like Southshore, it could not compete with Southshore at all.
When there is a chance in the future, I must advise my father to develop commerce. Previously, the grain yield was limited, and the profits from trade were not high, but I have already established the Hamerfall, and the grain yield in the future will double, and I can also make some delicacies to attract people.
Some of the base's items can also be used for trade. The armor replaced by the soldiers can be refurbished, and it is considered good equipment in Azeroth, as well as the goods from the Arcane Vault. Tomorrow, I will set off to Dalaran to make a name for myself.
Expanding Stromgarde is imperative, but I don't have much say in this matter, and everything depends on my father's ideas.
Perhaps I can prepare a batch of shamans to transport the Sifardil Hills in southern Stromgarde away, leaving the eastern mountains, and directly expand Stromgarde by one time. In this way, the urban area and the port can be connected, and a fresh story of Azeroth's version of Yugong Moving Mountains will be born, haha.
It's a pity that the Thandol Span is not suitable for sea ships to sail, and the Arathi Highlands are also surrounded by mountains on three sides. Only Stromgarde has suitable sea landing points, otherwise Galen would just transform Minas Tirith and be done with it. He can completely control that city and build it however he wants.
Just like that, walking and stopping, half a day passed. The sun had already set, and as night fell, the world became quiet, and stars dotted the sky.
Galen and Gandalf had already arrived at the edge of Southshore, a beach in the northwestern part of the port. In addition to coming to see the night view of the sea, he wanted to see if the murlocs of Azeroth were exactly the same as in the game.
He remembered a saying that was circulated in his previous life, the murlocs of Southshore, the bears of Tarren Mill, and the spiders of the Beryl Coast were known as the three major disasters of the Hillsbrad region.
I wonder if the murlocs are building houses on the coast in reality as well?