Chapter 2

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Chapter 002: A Foreign Worker’s Understanding of Red Dragon

In the late morning, around 10 o’clock, with the sun not yet fully risen, small boats carrying stones and wood were everywhere on the canal. Workers were reinforcing the canal banks. Jesse slipped past on a temporary wooden bridge set up for work.

Ahead was the Mage Quarter, a district located southwest of Stormwind, besides the dwarf and eastern districts, known for being well-preserved. From afar, one could see the location of the Stormwind portal in the game – the Wizard’s Sanctum.

Treetops and rooftops pierced the sky, towering over the city, echoing the spires being built and restored at the northern end of the city, towards the royal residence and the high tower of Stormwind Keep.

Rumors among the citizens said that the Mage Quarter remained undamaged because the mages had left numerous terrifying curses and magical traps to prevent the Orcs and Ogres from rampaging inside.

But Jesse couldn’t help thinking that if the mages had such powerful magic to set up a barrier preventing the Ogre army from entering, Stormwind wouldn’t have fallen.

The leader of the Ogre tribe that conquered Stormwind was known as Korgal. He wasn’t the typical savage Ogre as many perceived. Back on Draenor, he had shown his intelligence and knowledge, mastering magic and even possessing the ability to foresee events.

A wise Ogre like him would not overlook a treasure trove filled with historical knowledge and magical artifacts. It must have been his orders that saved this area from complete destruction.

Jesse easily walked through the shade of trees and narrow alleys covered by eaves, passed by a few quaint shops and houses, and arrived at the grassy area leading to the spiral staircase to Wizard’s Sanctum.

The earthy smell, the scent of paper always lingered in the air, the heavy damp weather set off the atmosphere of the campus.

Along the way, there were young people who looked like mages wearing light purple or blue robes glancing this way from time to time. Jesse looked at his outfit – a linen shirt paired with rolled-up trousers, no different from the workers repairing bridges outside, truly standing out in this academy with a strong atmosphere from the people around.

However, he didn’t feel anything odd. Did everyone here wear silk clothes and hold magic or rune books when they first walked in?

After asking some apprentices reading by the roadside, he found out about Eden Malin’s residence. Upon arrival, he found several young people of similar age already standing at the door.

These guys were all dressed appropriately, with an air of bookishness, clearly looking like they hadn’t done much work.

In comparison, due to his long hours working in the trade district and near Cathedral Square, either venturing into Elwynn Forest, even in this relatively humid area, the sun had reddened his skin and deepened the lines on his hands.

Coupled with his slim build, this type of body shape that was popular in the 21st century wasn’t well-received here.

Typically, those who could enter magic schools for study mostly came from well-off families who never worried about food and clothing.

Learning magic wasn’t a path that would show quick results. Usually, families preferred their children to learn skills that would bring visible benefits.

Without a doubt, most magic institutions in the alliance are influenced by the relationships and investments of nobles and merchants, which also disrupts the chances for ordinary families to enter. Jesse deeply felt this during his time in Lordaeron.

When he was very young, he intended to become an apprentice at the Royal Academy of Arcane Arts in Lordaeron’s royal castle. His parents were willing to support him, but it seemed that this magic institution was not meant for someone like him, a commoner. He was turned away several times.

As for the magical city of Dalaran, located on the southern shore of Lake Lordamere… Even though Dalaran welcomed all humans and elves interested in magic, by the time Jesse reached school age, the Dark Portal had already opened.

There were rumors that orc warships were nearing Hillsbrad Foothills, and some scouts had already infiltrated the vast forests to the south of Dalaran.

With his father called back and his mother needing to tend to the farm, a child barely over 10 years old embarked on a long journey alone, crossing the entire Silverpine Forest from Tirisfal Glades to Tirisfal. It was a journey that might require three heads to navigate.

By the time the war was over, he was almost 18 years old.

Approaching the doorstep of the mage Malin’s house, he faintly heard voices inside but couldn’t make out what they were saying, wanting to eavesdrop and prepare but unable to hear clearly.

The wooden door suddenly swung open, startling Jesse, and a young man walked out with a disappointed look on his face, as if the interview had not gone smoothly.

"Next." A middle-aged man’s deep voice came from inside.

Jesse looked at the people beside him, and the others waiting also stared at him, but no one responded to Malin’s call.

"Where are they?"

"They are here, Mr. Malin."

Jesse glanced at the timid onlookers around him, replied, and then turned to walk into the house and closed the door tightly behind him.

"Please call me Master Malin."

As Eden Malin spoke, he looked up. He appeared to be around forty to fifty years old, with a head of brown-gray hair showing signs of balding, and a deliberately kept beard extending to his chest, looking a bit unkempt.

"Yes, Master Malin," Jesse respectfully called out, then sat down on a nearby chair.

Malin glanced at him, twirled the gryphon feather pen in his hand, and asked, "What is your name?"

"Jesse Seso."

"I haven’t heard of that surname before."

"I’m from out of town, I come from Lordaeron."

"But your accent doesn’t sound like someone from the royal city of Menethil either."

"My mother is from Brill, I spend most of my time with her."

"Which town?"

"Brill, a town in the north of Lordaeron."

"Ah… Brill, Brill, I’m not used to your pronunciation. I know Brill, it’s a beautiful place, its town center looks like a small church, very impressive."

Jesse could tell that Eden Malin didn’t really care about the church-like town center or if Brill was beautiful, he just said these things expressionlessly out of habitual politeness.

"Where did you graduate from? The Academy of Arcane Arts in Menethil, or the university in Stratholme? Have you been to Dalaran?"

"I… ahem." Jesse cleared his throat and said, "I only studied at the church school in Lordaeron."

"Ah."

Malin put down his pen, placed his hands on the table, and looked at Jesse.

Jesse was used to this kind of attitude, and he felt unsure about this interview.

"So why did you apply for this assistant position if you don’t quite meet my requirements?"

"For money," Jesse replied.

"Very honest, sir…" Malin glanced at his notebook, "Mr. Seso."

"But I prefer someone with basic knowledge for effective communication. Working here may involve complex situations. It’s not about discriminating against your background. I respect your dedication to the rebuilding of Stormwind."

"You can ask me a few questions, Master," Jesse said. "I believe I can handle this job."

"Okay," the mage glanced over to the nearby bookshelf and said, "Let’s talk about ‘Kirin Tor’, you should know what ‘Kirin Tor’ is, right."

"What aspect should we discuss?"

"Just talk casually, or introduce the concept of ‘Kirin Tor’."

After saying that, Eden Malin leaned back in his chair, looking prepared to watch the show.

"Got it." Jesse took a deep breath and said, "Kirin Tor is the mage council of Dalaran, managed by a committee of six people, and is one of the most powerful elite wizard groups in the world. Historically, Kirin Tor used to be an organization far from ordinary politics, but later became the ruling body of Dalaran. Kirin Tor has maintained a friendly alliance with Silvermoon City of Quel’Thalas for over 2000 years, and there have been elven members in the committee such as Kael’thas Sunstrider, the blood elves…"

"Wait."

Malin interrupted Jesse’s lengthy explanation, furrowing his brow, pondering for a moment.

"Has Prince Kael’thas already left the six-person council of the Kirin Tor? When did this happen? And what are blood elves, are you referring to the Sin’dorei? ‘Sin’ does mean blood in Thalassian, and ‘dorei’ originally refers to noble blood descendants. It can also be translated as blood elves, but that’s not the intended meaning. Actually, I’m not sure where you came across this information from which translator’s work…"

Jesse realized he had accidentally mentioned some things that hadn’t happened yet, but luckily the old mage had managed to cover it up.

"Speaking of it, has the Kirin Tor been around for over two thousand years? I didn’t realize the Kirin Tor existed when Dalaran was established." Malin stood up, walked to the bookshelf, and pulled out a purple book marked with the Eye of Arcane symbol.

"Hmm… The Kirin Tor indeed was an organization formed in the early days of Dalaran’s establishment."

He nodded, shook the book in his hand, and asked, "Have you read this book, ‘The History of Kirin Tor and Dalaran’?"

"I have read some," Jesse said firmly, although it was his first time hearing about this book.

Malin placed the book back in its original position, coughed, then walked back to the desk, sat down, pondered for a moment, and immediately asked, "Let’s talk about dragons. I’m very interested in dragons. For example, do you think dragons are real? Or are they just legends unleashed by Orcs to intimidate the Alliance armies?"

"Dragons definitely exist," Jesse said. "Many people have mentioned Red Dragons raiding and causing chaos along the coast of Hillsbrad Foothills."

"You are from Lordaeron, right? Have you seen Red Dragons with your own eyes?" Malin asked. "Did you come here following the refugees from Stormwind?"

Jesse replied, "I haven’t seen them with my own eyes, but I have seen some wreckage of ships destroyed by Red Dragons."

"Red Dragons are evil and ferocious," Malin nodded. "It’s best not to see them with your own eyes."

Jesse knew that the Red Dragon, despite being a scary magical beast, was also a protector of life, led by Queen Alexstrasza who safeguarded all creatures in Azeroth.

The proud Red Dragons became slaves and mounts for the Orcs because Alexstrasza was captured by the Orcs using an ancient evil artifact, called the Demon Soul, that controlled all dragon kings’ powers.

The Orcs used the Queen’s suffering to compel the Red Dragons to fight for them. To this day, the Red Dragon Queen remains suppressed by this terrifying artifact in the distant swamps of the abandoned dwarf city, Grim Batol.

Jesse was unsure of Malin’s intentions when he questioned whether the Red Dragons were evil or if Malin was testing Jesse’s understanding of dragonkind.

"Um, Master."

Jesse cautiously spoke up. Malin’s eyes widened slightly, lips parting in anticipation, confirming Jesse’s judgment.

"The Red Dragons fighting for the Orcs seem to have other reasons. Before the Dark Portal, Red Dragons rarely attacked humans or elven towns… they mostly stayed out of conflicts."

"So, Mr. Seso, what do you think causes the Red Dragons’ aggression?" Malin eagerly inquired, his excitement palpable between the lines.

The Demon Soul wasn’t something an ordinary citizen should know about. Even many elite mages in the Kirin Tor believed it was just an ancient legend.

Jesse absolutely could not say the exaggerated forbidden knowledge, so he just shook his head.

The mage wrote something in his notebook, then said, "Mr. Seso, thank you very much for visiting. We have been talking for a while, let’s stop here."

Up until leaving Eden Malin’s door, Jesse felt a moment of confusion.

If he told the mage more about his understanding of the Red Dragon, he might easily secure the assistant position. But to do so, he would have to take a big risk and let others know he had knowledge that someone of his identity and age shouldn’t have.

If it were just a normal friend or a passerby who found out, it would be fine, as most people know some rural legends that are often distorted. Ordinary people wouldn’t find it strange, but the other person is a mage.

Jesse breathed a sigh of relief, reminding himself not to show off too much. If others found out he could foresee the future, it wouldn’t end well.

Thinking about this, he worried that the Bronze Dragon clan, which controlled time, might suddenly appear beside him and use some strange magic to crush him.

After making sure that no time crisis had been triggered, he wandered around Mage Quarter for a while. The garden’s surroundings and peaceful atmosphere helped calm his mood.

As for the interview this time, they didn’t talk about the salary, the job content, or much about Jesse’s abilities, so it was likely not successful.

Just stay calm and don’t desire things that don’t belong to you too much.

Since he already came, might as well try to find a job somewhere else. Sending out resumes can lead to something, even if it’s just a temporary job. In this situation, he’s not being picky.

When the two tailors heard that he wasn’t there to buy clothes but to find work, they immediately became unfriendly and kicked him out. The boss of one of the tailor shops was even from Darrowshire, and his attitude was even worse than Duncan’s shop, not giving any help to a fellow countryman.

At that moment, a tavern sign in the alley caught his attention.

"The Slaughtered Lamb."