Dath'Remar's bold words did not stir much of a ripple in Andreas' heart.
Though Dath'Remar spoke with great resolve, Andreas had known him since the War of the Ancients and understood his character well. Unless driven to absolute desperation, Dath'Remar would not risk taking that final, irreversible step.
After seeing Dath'Remar off, Andreas, who had only recently returned to his territory, still found no time for rest.
Half an hour later, Andreas sat behind his desk in the administrative hall, listening to a report.
The Night Elf delivering the report was a classic case of "poker face." This man, with short, mint-colored hair, showed zero change in expression as he spoke. His tone remained a flat, monotonous drone, sounding very much like the automated response of a non-organic Arcane construct's intelligent program.
Leticia, who was sitting in on the meeting, had her eyes rolled nearly to the back of her head. To this day, she still found it difficult to adapt to Maclay's rigid and unimaginative work style.
"The reclamation of farmland is proceeding smoothly. We have expanded our rice paddies to the vicinity of Lake Falathim in the south."
"The selection of grassroots officials is ongoing. There are many individuals among the refugees with administrative talent. The Night Elf Resources department is currently conducting a second round of internship evaluations for them."
Turning a page in his records, Maclay continued his report in that same bland tone, indifferent to Andreas's increasingly drowsy expression.
"There has also been significant progress in the industrial sector, which you specifically mentioned, Lord. The Druids of the Talon and the Ranger scouts have discovered a large-scale iron mine near Twilight Vale to the north."
"Temporarily recruited miners are working at full capacity to extract the ore. The town's craftsmen are also operating at full throttle, forging weapons, equipment, and farming tools. In accordance with your instructions, the production ratio of weapons to farming tools is maintained at three-to-seven."
"Finally, regarding trade... the caravans traveling to and from Astranaar have encountered some minor issues recently. There are wild Furbolgs living in poverty who have resorted to highway robbery along the route. General Nawaz has already dispatched personnel to clear them out."
Maclay's report finally came to an end. Already exhausted, Andreas had nearly drifted off under the hypnotic drone of his subordinate's voice.
Under the desk, Andreas squeezed the pressure points between his thumbs and forefingers to snap himself awake. He forced a bit of energy into his voice and praised, "Well done. The reports for each sector are very detailed... though, in the future, could you perhaps add a bit of inflection to your tone?"
Maclay's reports were more sleep-inducing than the dry philosophy lectures Andreas had endured in his previous life. If he hadn't repeatedly reminded himself that he had serious business to attend to, he would have loved to simply collapse onto the desk and enjoy a long, beautiful nap.
Maclay's expression didn't change an inch. He bowed slightly and said, "My apologies, Lord. I will do my best to improve."
With a helpless wave of his hand, Andreas signaled for Maclay—who had just spent a small eternity chanting "sleep spells"—to take his leave.
Seeing Andreas's heavy eyelids, Leticia teased him with a look of schadenfreude. "Now you know how hard it is for me, right? And that was him being talkative!"
"Every day when work hours start, the administrative hall feels like someone activated a Silence spell. Aside from the sound of breathing, you can barely hear a thing."
Andreas gave the heartless girl a sharp look. "While his personality is peculiar, Maclay's work ability and attitude are absolutely flawless. You should really learn from him. If only I could blend your personality with his."
Leticia was too flighty, while Maclay was too somber. If their weaknesses could complement each other, Andreas would never have to worry about territorial management again.
It had been over two years since Moonshadow's Rest settled on the western coast of Ashenvale. The original small fishing village of barely a thousand people had grown into a settlement of over fifty thousand. Andreas's meticulous planning in every detail was the primary reason for this success.
From the appointment of officials, the founding of the Shadow of the Dark Moon sect, and the construction of the Temple of Elune, to every aspect of industry, agriculture, and military technology—everything was progressing exactly according to Andreas' blueprint.
After more than two years of adjustment, the development of Moonshadow's Rest had moved onto the right track. The rookie officials who had initially followed Andreas out of Hyjal had matured one after another. With the influx of more refugees, these officials formed the core of a busy system of grassroots evaluations and appointments.
Agriculture was handled by the Druidic orders. Dozens of non-combat Druids focused their efforts on the production of grain, fruits, and vegetables. According to Leticia's detailed reports, Feron and the others were currently attempting to capture wild boars from the Stonetalon Mountains to the south for domestication.
If they could domesticate the boars and establish large-scale farming, the residents of Moonshadow's Rest would no longer have to survive solely on a vegetarian diet supplemented by fish.
Many people, including Andreas in his past life, had misconceptions about the lifestyle of Night Elves. In Night Elf society after the War of the Ancients, while Druids held high status, they were not fanatical environmental extremists. They never forced their kin to abstain from meat, nor did they ban the harvesting of lumber.
Many buildings in the capital, were made of wood, and even Malfurion would occasionally go out to hunt animals to satisfy a craving. What the Druids opposed was unplanned, wanton deforestation and unnecessary slaughter. To satisfy the survival needs of their people, they had no intention of strictly banning hunting or logging; the law of the jungle was, after all, a part of Nature's own laws.
Ashenvale was incredibly rich in natural resources. Considering the symbolic significance of Nordrassil and Mount Hyjal, Andreas didn't believe that the Demigod-crowded Mount Hyjal was necessarily better for survival than Ashenvale.
Mount Hyjal was home to a large number of Demigods, and naturally, these Demigods had their respective kin-groups. These groups undoubtedly competed for the survival resources of the mountain. There were the wolf packs under Goldrinn, the vast flocks of birds under Aviana, the turtle hatchlings of Tortolla, and even the dryads and Keepers of the Grove descended from Cenarius.
While Mount Hyjal covered a vast area and was rich in resources, it was impossible for it to fully accommodate all the kin of these Demigods.
Take the Quilboar, the kin of Agamaggan, for example. Having lost the guidance of the brave and resolute Agamaggan, the Quilboar's behavior had deeply disappointed Cenarius. They became lazy and lacked a fighting spirit, living aimlessly day by day. Moreover, due to their terrifying reproductive rate, they frequently encroached on the territories of other Demigod kin to expand their own.
Finally losing his patience, Cenarius—hoping to reignite the Quilboars' fighting spirit—expelled them from Mount Hyjal.
However, the Quilboar seemed to have no objection to being driven away. They contentedly migrated south through Ashenvale until they reached the central wildlands... what is now the southern Barrens. In a marshy area there, they established a primitive and crude large-scale settlement.
Using the departure of the Quilboar as a catalyst, the Furbolgs—kin of the twin bear demigods Ursoc and Ursol—also evacuated Mount Hyjal in large numbers. They dispersed to various regions around the Holy Mountain, maintaining a relatively good relationship with the Night Elves.
However, as Maclay had mentioned, some Furbolgs became savage and primitive after leaving their larger tribes, becoming what the Night Elves called "wild Furbolgs," who frequently intercepted traveling merchants to steal food.
The mass departure of the Demigod kin-groups freed up a certain amount of living space for the Night Elves residing under the canopy of Nordrassil. Yet, the congested capital still made many freedom-loving Night Elves feel uncomfortable. The departure of these individuals was one of the reasons Moonshadow's Rest was able to grow so rapidly in just three short years.