The World Tree, bestowed with the blessings of the Dragonkings, was ultimately named Nordrassil by Archdruid Malfurion, meaning "Crown of the Heavens."
With Nordrassil absorbing the Arcane energy radiating from the New Well of Eternity, the final hidden danger of guiding the Burning Legion back to Azeroth was eliminated. Malfurion and Tyrande finally breathed a long sigh of relief.
But the matter did not end there.
Just as Malfurion and Tyrande were agonizing over how to deal with Illidan, who had committed such a grave error, Maiev suddenly burst into the council chamber in a state of agitation.
Looking at the letter of resignation Maiev handed over, Malfurion's expression became complicated.
"Is that so? So he truly left after all."
The letter was left by Jarod Shadowsong. This commander, who had exhausted his efforts leading the coalition to defeat the Burning Legion, had finally chosen—after a period of internal struggle—to hide his fame and merit and retreat into the wilderness.
In the letter, Jarod mentioned his reasons for leaving. With the war over, the number of soldiers who survived the War of the Ancients was quite large. Considering that they were entering a long period of peaceful development, streamlining the military was imperative.
Jarod did not want to personally witness the soldiers who had fought side-by-side with him through life and death being discharged; on the other hand, he feared that officers might use back-door connections to plead their cases to him. Jarod was undoubtedly a genius in military matters, but he lacked confidence in his interpersonal skills. He feared that in a moment of soft-heartedness, he might agree to a subordinate's request, thereby affecting the overall post-war peace and reconstruction.
Andreas leaned against the council chamber door with his arms crossed, watching the three frowning figures inside. He was not surprised by Jarod's choice. Given Jarod's personality, this was only a matter of time.
With Jarod—one of the three pillars of the Night Elves—suddenly gone, the heavy burden of leading the entire race fell solely on the shoulders of Malfurion and Tyrande.
Maiev already had a short temper, and Jarod's departure without a word made her even more furious. She redirected her anger over Jarod's departure toward the culprit who triggered the entire chain of events—Illidan. Maiev stubbornly demanded that Malfurion and Tyrande punish Illidan severely, ideally executing him on the spot.
Andreas, watching from the sidelines, was left speechless. Maiev's combat abilities were indeed outstanding, and she possessed considerable charisma in the eyes of some, but her emotional intelligence was really...
Demanding they execute Illidan right in front of his biological brother and his childhood sweetheart? What are you thinking...
The good-natured Malfurion merely looked troubled, but Tyrande grew increasingly dissatisfied with Maiev's aggressiveness. A conflict was on the verge of exploding.
"Mentor, Lady Maiev."
To avoid unnecessary bickering, Andreas finally spoke up to offer a suggestion. "While Illidan acted without permission, fortunately, his actions did not lead to irreversible and dire consequences."
"Death is too severe, but a light punishment won't serve as a warning. Why not sentence him to exile?"
Malfurion's eyes lit up. "Exile?"
"Yes. Exile Illidan from the core territories of the Night Elves and forbid him from returning for a thousand years. What do you three think?"
"No!"
Just as Tyrande and Malfurion were lowering their heads in thought, Maiev was the first to object sharply. "If Illidan acts recklessly again during his exile, who will take responsibility?"
"You can tell from Illidan's attitude that he has no intention of reflecting on his actions. For someone so unrepentant, only a death sentence can sever his wicked thoughts!"
Malfurion and Tyrande were prepared to use the "exit" Andreas provided to agree, but they hadn't expected Maiev, the leader of the combat priestesses, to be so ruthless and stubborn.
Anger flared on Tyrande's face. She was now the High Priestess of Elune; strictly speaking, Maiev was her subordinate. Having a subordinate show such a lack of respect made the new High Priestess feel lose face, not to mention that the person Maiev was demanding to be executed was her own childhood friend.
"Tyrande."
Malfurion, who knew Tyrande well, pressed a hand on her shoulder and shook his head gently. "Stay calm. Our race is currently in a state of reconstruction; we cannot afford to waste time and energy on internal strife."
"Hmph!"
Malfurion frowned and considered for a while before finally compromising. "Fine, let us both take a step back."
"Imprison Illidan permanently. High Priestess Maiev shall serve as the Warden, and he is never to be released until he sincerely repents."
Tyrande felt dissatisfied with Malfurion's decision. "Mal..."
"Then it's settled!"
Maiev cut off Tyrande before she could speak, her voice decisive. "I will personally oversee Illidan. But I do not believe he will ever admit to or repent for his crimes."
...
Under Maiev's intense emotional pressure, Illidan was ordered into permanent imprisonment by Malfurion and Tyrande. Maiev led a group of combat priestesses to serve as wardens, a unit she named the Wardens.
Although the mild-mannered Malfurion eventually chose to yield, Maiev's aggressive attitude undoubtedly displeased both him and Tyrande. They used this opportunity to move the hot-tempered Maiev away from the center of power. Having the impartial Maiev establish the Wardens to manage the Night Elves' penal system was, in the long run, a decision that favored the post-war theme of peaceful development.
To maintain order after the war, streamlining the military was only a matter of time. The only question was who would play the "bad cop" role. Malfurion was currently leading the Druids to solve the problem of high-yield grain seeds, which concerned the livelihoods of countless Night Elf commoners.
The heavy task of disarmament was handed to Tyrande. To prevent the inexperienced Tyrande from being too radical, Malfurion assigned the mature and steady Andreas as her deputy.
In any case, Andreas' mutated nature power couldn't help with crop research anyway.
As expected, when Tyrande publicly announced the disarmament order, it immediately caused an uproar throughout the army. While most Night Elves who had joined temporarily expressed understanding and were willing to cooperate with the Sisterhood of Elune to return to civilian life, a portion of the Highborne officers showed strong resistance.
The units under these Highborne officers were the private armies of their respective families. In the era of the Night Elf Empire, as long as one did not harbor rebellious intent, it was legal for nobles to maintain private troops.
Tyrande's attempt at comprehensive disarmament was equivalent to cutting flesh from their bodies. The Highborne, already resentful because they were forbidden from approaching the New Well of Eternity, reacted with immediate and fierce backlash upon hearing the order.
Tyrande was no soft-hearted person. Although she was not yet as hardened and stubborn as the version Andreas remembered, there is a saying that "as the boy is, so is the man"... or in this case, eight thousand years. Her style of doing things was already showing its signs.
The new High Priestess of the Moon ignored the Highborne's objections. She first won over a large number of common soldiers from the lower classes, using absolute numerical superiority to pressure the Highborne officers.
During this process, Andreas repeatedly urged both sides to remain calm, but Tyrande had no intention of yielding a single inch, continuing to employ "maximum pressure" tactics.
Out of necessity, Andreas could only find Dath'Remar, requesting this Highborne with an excellent sense of the big picture to persuade the officers to yield. Dath'Remar also understood that post-war disarmament was inevitable. Under a brand-new social order, allowing nobles to continue controlling private armies was indeed inappropriate.
With Dath'Remar's mediation, the resentful noble officers finally softened and obediently handed over their private troops.
Tyrande was clearly in a good mood when she left victoriously. Her first display of authority had gone smoothly, further consolidating her power as the High Priestess of the Moon.
However, the triumphant Tyrande clearly failed to notice the hateful glares the Highborne cast at her back. The conflict had been planted; as for when it would erupt... no one knew.
"Sigh~"
Andreas turned to look at the resentful Highborne and scratched his head helplessly. "Her handling of things isn't meticulous at all. In the end, I'm the one who has to help clean up the mess."