Sunlight pours through the opened skylight, casting light upon the arched dome of the Hearthglen Cathedral. Kristin Regan, wearing a brand-new Scarlet Crusade war cloak, stands on the altar, excited and nervous, awaiting the baptism ceremony to begin. He glances at his envious comrades below with a bit of show-off, straightening his back even more.

"Please be quiet." A robed man slowly walks up to the altar, and Regan holds his breath, recognizing him as the Grand Inquisitor who presides over the baptism ceremony for the new paladins—the long-awaited moment is about to arrive. The robed man stops in front of the podium, opens the scroll in his hand, and begins to read in a bell-like voice: "We gather here in the name of the Holy Light, to bestow our brother with strength. The glory of the Holy Light, to transform him; the power of the Holy Light, to preach to the masses; the strength of the Holy Light, to stand firm against the darkness; the wisdom of the Holy Light, to guide our brethren, forever basking in paradise." After finishing the prayer, the Grand Inquisitor closes the book, walks beside Regan, stirring excitement in his heart. He takes a deep breath, trying to focus his mind on this sacred moment.

A tall man approaches from the side, winking at Regan before asking in a serious tone: "Kristin Regan, do you accept the glory and doctrine of the Holy Light?"

"I do!" Regan's voice trembles, barely audible to himself, causing a wave of good-natured laughter from below.

"Relax, my fellow," the tall man whispers, suppressing a smile.

"Do you wish to bask in the Holy Light forever, eradicating all evil and deceit?"

"I do!"

"Do you vow to uphold justice, protect the weak from bullying, and face strong enemies without fear?"

"In the name of blood and glory, I do!" Regan answers with suppressed excitement.

The man concludes the questioning, looks at the robed man holding the codex, and the Grand Inquisitor nods, turning to face all the witnesses: "Brothers and sisters, today we will witness the glory bestowed upon the baptized by the Holy Light! Now, let us carry out the will of the Holy Light!"

Every witness raises their right hand towards Regan, a soft golden light spreading from their hands to envelop his entire body. He feels every nerve being cleansed by the light, all pains and past ailments healing, as infinite strength surges from his limbs.

He joyfully feels the powerful force capable of burning all impurities, looking up gratefully at the witnesses, while the tall man returns his smile.

"Rise, defender of Lordaeron, Kristin Regan. Welcome to the Scarlet Crusade."

...

Years later...

"Clatter, clatter!"

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A large earthenware bowl shakes incessantly, several raggedly dressed workers closely watch the hands holding the bowl, nearly squeezing water out of the few copper coins they clutch.

"Snap!" The dealer slams the bowl cover on the broken table, "Bet big, bet small, last chance! Double for big or small! Five times for a triple! Hurry up if you want to turn your luck around!"

"Big!"

"Small, seven copper coins!"

"Still big, I refuse to believe it's not!"

Everyone throws their sweaty copper coins in, urging the dealer to reveal the result. These hardworking loggers from Northshire, having completed their day's work early, have come to try their luck.

Northshire's birch trees are as renowned as Elwynn's oaks, favored by Stormwind's citizens for furniture making, which allows the clergy of Northshire Abbey to live comfortably. Meanwhile, these loggers, barely scraping by, find some extra money for entertainment. However, as the largest diocese in the Kingdom of Stormwind, Northshire lacks places like brothels or gambling dens, so they make do with their own gambling stall for fun.

"Don't rush... it's coming!" The dealer hurriedly lifts the bowl cover, about to reveal the result, but is unexpectedly interrupted by a silver coin flying towards him.

"What's the hurry? I haven't placed my bet yet!" A middle-aged man dressed as an officer coldly says as he approaches.

"Ah, Lord Veri, why bother?" The dealer, with a flattering smile, bows repeatedly, while the other gamblers lower their heads in silence; this is none other than Veri, the deputy commander of Northshire's security team. As the official in charge of the loggers, he has never shown them any kindness.

"My brothers are just showing their face here after completing the tasks assigned by the clergy. If you're short on cash, consider this our tribute to you!" The gambling logger gathers the coins on the table and hands them over.

"Hmph!" Veri snorts through his nose, not even glancing at the handful of copper coins, "Who the hell wants your tribute! I'm just itching to try my luck, is that a problem?"

"Of course, of course... whatever you say," the dealer quickly apologizes, "What would you like to bet on?"

"Triple sixes!" Veri impatiently demands, "If you can't roll it, don't bother showing your face here! Go back to chopping wood!"

"Ah?" The dealer scratches his head in dismay, finding it easy to let Veri win, but being asked for a specific roll of triple sixes is like asking for trouble. However, seeing the deputy commander's displeased face, he swallows his complaints.

With a worried expression, the dealer shakes the earthenware bowl, sets it down, and nervously glances at Veri.

"What are you waiting for, reveal it!" Veri urges loudly, reaching for the bowl impatiently.

"Snap!"

Veri's arm is firmly caught mid-air by someone. He turns angrily to see a young man in ragged clothes, his bright golden hair shining in the sunlight. As Veri looks at him, the young man smiles pleasantly.

"Mercy where mercy is due, Lord Veri. They're just hardworking men who've completed their tasks with nothing to gain but a bit of entertainment. Why take it so seriously?"

"Who the hell are you? Let me go!" Veri angrily swings his fist towards the young man, who looks at him with a hint of mockery before letting go. Unbalanced, the deputy commander falls face-first into the dirt.

"Ptui, ptui!" Veri spits out mouthfuls of mud, scrambling up and cautiously retreating a few steps from the young man.

"Ah! I recognize you, you're that newcomer... Regan!" The deputy commander squints for a moment, pointing at him, then smirks maliciously, "Don't get too cocky, kid. I'm here on orders from Marshal Black to recruit militia. Since you're so good at fighting, report to him immediately!"

Pausing, Veri's face breaks into a malicious grin, "Forgot to mention, the militia's target is the Defias Brotherhood. Hope you leave a whole corpse in the hands of those ruthless bandits! Hahaha!"

As the deputy commander walks away laughing, the young man named Regan shakes his head in disdain, picks up a logging axe, and prepares to leave. However, the surrounding gamblers pull him back.