Chapter 808

Chapter 808: The Boss of Gadgetzan

A few goblin guards led them through Gadgetzan’s gates. They crossed several narrow streets under the dim glow of yellow streetlights before finally arriving at a square, towering building surrounded by smokestacks and pipes, like a factory.

This was the Gadgetzan Water Company headquarters. The temperature here felt even hotter than on other streets.

Inside the tall building, the goblins placed them in a narrow waiting room. The air grew even more stifling—hot and so humid it felt hard to breathe.

After two months at sea to Steamwheedle Port, crossing a desert, and now waiting in this steamy place, the heat itself didn’t bother Jesse much. But the sticky dampness was unbearable.

Feeling sweaty and foul, Jesse took off his cloak and loosened his outer robe.

Greed had already tossed his sand-caked cloak aside. Vereesa’s face flushed red from the heat. She loosened her collar and fanned herself with a leather scroll. Soon the sour smell of sweat filled the small room.

Molofeel remained the calmest. Standing behind Jesse with an indifferent expression, the female demon—who should have given off the most unpleasant odor—was surprisingly the freshest one there.

Vereesa kept glancing at the succubus, her expression helpless. The flames in the demon’s eyes seemed to bake the room even hotter.

"Jesse," the dwarf gestured toward the sword at Jesse’s waist. "Time for your treasure to do its work."

Jesse understood immediately. He drew his sword and pointed it at a nearby table, chanting: "Ward, Tika, Celtic!"

Shards of ice instantly burst from the table, interlocking with sharp cracks. They quickly formed a spiky, ice-cream-cone-shaped tower. Frosty mist flowed across the table’s surface in the sweltering room.

Greed stared at the tower. "Just looking at it cools me down."

Vereesa exhaled and nodded. "If you learned nothing else at the Wizard’s Sanctum, this spell alone made those years worthwhile."

Jesse shot her an annoyed look. The elf couldn’t hide a smirk.

As the room cooled slightly, no one felt like speaking.

Outside, the occasional clatter of goblin boots in the hallway only deepened the silence.

Yet within that silence, Jesse sensed something else. Beneath the turning gears, hissing steam, and distant footsteps, lay a low, rumbling noise.

Listening carefully, Jesse recognized it—the voice of elements. Fire. Were the boiler flames in the Gadgetzan Water Company factory speaking?

He couldn’t understand their words. His grasp of elemental language remained weak, and the surrounding chaos made it harder. But he knew he could sense the fire element’s presence here.

As he focused on the flames’ voices, he stopped hearing them with his ears. Instead, his mind perceived their muffled roar—like the vengeful spirits’ wails he’d heard before unleashing the Hand of Gul’dan at the Dark Portal.

*Thud.* The metallic door swung open, jolting him back. A goblin entered, dressed in a white shirt with gold-trimmed shoulder pads and black boots patterned with gold. A heavily made-up female assistant followed him.

This goblin’s skin was a pale, yellowish green. His eyebrows grew wildly upward like an old cat’s whiskers, far longer than the sparse hairs on nearby guards.

He scanned the room, his gaze lingering on the dark-haired demon behind Jesse. Twitching his enormous hooked nose, he adjusted the monocle over his right eye. "Mr. Jesse Seso, Lady Vereesa Windrunner, and Mr. Greed Thunderfist—heroes who saved the Alliance of Lordaeron! Welcome to Gadgetzan! I am Malin Noggenfogger. Most call me Big Boss Malin Noggenfogger. A clumsy Common translation, that title. I dislike it intensely. So, address me as Mr. Noggenfogger, Dr. Noggenfogger, or simply Noggenfogger. All are acceptable."

"You know us, Noggenfogger," said Greed.

Noggenfogger raised his chin. "Naturally. Your names reached my office long ago. Forgive my staff’s ignorance—they protect company interests, never meaning offense. I’ve reprimanded them thoroughly. Offending Gadgetzan’s honored guests, however motivated, is unacceptable."

Noggenfogger paid little attention to Jesse, his gaze drifting repeatedly toward Molofeel. *At least he doesn’t recognize me. Jack Slovakia has nothing to do with Jesse Seso.*

"So we don’t pay?" Vereesa asked.

Noggenfogger waved a dismissive hand. "Absolutely not! Gadgetzan Water Company never hinders desert travelers. Survival in Tanaris is hard enough—our very purpose is helping good folk endure this desert. My guard detained you only fearing you were sand bandit spies. Many wish this company bankrupt these days. Infiltrators spread chaos, undermining honest livelihoods… forcing vigilance."

"Understandable," Greed conceded.

"Thus, a simple misunderstanding," Noggenfogger concluded. "Enjoy your stay in Gadgetzan. Should you require assistance, I’ll gladly oblige… Then we might consider ourselves friends, yes?"

“We actually had a favor to ask of you,” Greed said. “Are there any airships to Everlook from Gadgetzan? Where are they?”

“Of course, the airship tower is by the walls north of town,” Noggenfogger pointed north and said, “An airship arrives in Gadgetzan tomorrow morning and leaves for Everlook by evening. The trip won’t take more than a week, everyone, if that’s what you wanted to know… Ah, silly me! To make up for the trouble, I’ll pay for your tickets to Everlook myself, as an apology!”

“What about the return trip?” Jesse asked.

“Same for the return; I’ll give each of you a card soon!” Noggenfogger smiled.

Just then, Vereesa looked up sharply toward Jesse, and he caught her gaze. He glanced at Molofeel, who just smiled back silently.

Though none spoke, Jesse knew they all felt Noggenfogger had set this up to make them owe him a favor.

There was no proof, and the grinning goblin didn’t ask for anything, but his kindness seemed fake—especially for a goblin to be so giving.

“None of us have flown on an airship; anything we should know?” Jesse asked.

“Best stay in the cabin and don’t wander on deck mid-flight,” Noggenfogger said, holding up a finger. “Other than that, not much to worry about. You can find a viewing deck at the back to enjoy Kalimdor’s sights and have a smooth trip. If you went overland to Everlook, it’d take at least half a year. I’m not lying—surviving the trip is doubtful! Compared to that, airships are safe, comfy, and quick…”

“The Steamwheedle Cartel’s airships have a bad name on other continents, Mr. Noggenfogger,” Vereesa said.

Noggenfogger chuckled awkwardly. “That’s old news, Mrs. Vereesa Windrunner. I know the Orcs hurt Quel’Thalas, but we only trade with them; they buy our ships and airships, we take their money… Beyond skin color, we share nothing with the Horde.”

Vereesa replied, “No point talking about that; I meant the airships’ safety.”

Noggenfogger nodded respectfully, rubbing his hands. “You can trust the airships’ safety. Like I said, they’re battle-tested—steady between Kul Tiras cannons and swift against Gryphon Rider strikes… So far, only one was downed by a Centaur Priest’s storm, and no other big accidents. Even that was from outside causes, not the airship.”

When Greed heard Gryphon Riders mentioned, he grunted unhappily. “What counts as a serious accident?” Jesse asked.

“Three or more deaths, or one death plus five or more bad injuries,” Noggenfogger answered flatly. “We changed routes to skip problem spots like over the Centaur Tribe, Thunder Lizards, harpies, and Wind Rider areas. Safety’s much better now, with no more big disasters.”

“What about the swamps?” Jesse asked.

Dustwallow Marsh was the land behind Tidefury Cove where the “Clever Traveler” first landed in Kalimdor. Deep in that swamp lay Onyxia’s real lair, full of black dragonlets and hatchlings.

Next to swamp dangers, what threat were Thunder Lizards?

“To dodge Centaur land, our airships fly over the marsh’s north. Any issue, Mr. Seso?” Noggenfogger said. “Nothing flies there.”

“Nothing that flies?” Jesse asked doubtfully.

“Airships have flown there for years with no deadly trouble. But sometimes Wind Riders chase us from Stone Forest to near the marsh,” Noggenfogger said helplessly.

Jesse thought Onyxia’s lair was likely in the marsh’s south, which might be why airships never met a black dragon.

Probably, the black dragon didn’t want other dragon race finding her hideout, so she wouldn’t attack harmless goblins passing nearby—another reason goblins missed her.

“We need a place to stay tonight, Mr. Noggenfogger,” Greed said. “No problem, right?”

“Of course for honored guests like you,” the goblin replied.