Prince Tortheldrin had silver hair that reached his waist, and he wore a gem-encrusted circlet on his forehead, signifying his status as Lord. To welcome his distinguished guests, he had specially changed into an ornate set of Highborne attire and greeted Linus and his party with great enthusiasm.
While Linus instinctively exchanged official pleasantries using noble etiquette, he took the opportunity to inconspicuously observe the demeanor of the senior Shen'dralar members present. The vibrant and healthy state of these fellow Highborne filled Linus with doubt.
This shouldn't be possible. Could the Shen'dralar have found some entirely new energy source?
"Ahem~"
A soft cough from behind interrupted Linus's wandering thoughts. He quickly composed himself and focused on responding to Tortheldrin's overly warm greetings. After a round of meaningless Highborne small talk, the two finally brought the conversation to official business.
Holding a wine glass, Tortheldrin looked at Linus with a meaningful gaze. "Mr. Starscar, since the war with the demons ended, Eldre'Thalas has not had contact with our brethren in the outside world for over 200 years. What important business brings you here today?"
Linus subconsciously glanced toward Andreas, who was seated at a distant table across from them. This split-second shift in gaze was keenly noticed by Tortheldrin.
He looks toward someone else before answering... could there be someone in this visiting party with a status higher than the Starscar family? Or perhaps...
Tortheldrin subtly followed Linus's gaze, but he didn't see anyone exchanging eye contact with the Starscar scion.
Am I overthinking things?
Andreas, buried in his food, sighed silently to himself. Linus is still not mature enough. This behavior stems from a lack of self-confidence; this kid needs much more experience.
Noticing Tortheldrin's stare and receiving no response from Andreas, Linus felt his heart tighten. He realized that his reflexive habit of seeking guidance could easily arouse suspicion.
"My apologies, Prince Tortheldrin, I was lost in thought." Effortlessly maintaining a graceful posture as he apologized, Linus explained with a smile, "Since the Sundering, we have been trying to find our kin scattered throughout the world."
"But Azeroth changed drastically during that world-spanning disaster. To re-familiarize ourselves with the new world and gain a foothold, it took us over 200 years. Only recently have we cleared the various issues surrounding our territory and headed south to find our Shen'dralar brothers lost in the Feralas wilds."
Tortheldrin gave a noncommittal nod. "I see. As the leader of the Shen'dralar, I once again express my gratitude to Mr. Starscar. However..."
Resting his face against his right hand on the armrest, Tortheldrin asked curiously, "Forgive my ignorance, but as far as I know, the one currently holding the highest authority among the Night Elves is the High Priestess of Elune."
"And that High Priestess harbors a deep prejudice against the Highborne. Mr. Starscar, if you are here representing her to recruit us, I suggest you drop the idea sooner rather than later."
Tortheldrin swirled his glass, the crimson wine swaying gently inside. "Though life in Eldre'Thalas has been meager since the war, we are unwilling to discard our dignity just to survive."
Linus's eyebrow twitched. The prince's words contained a subtle jab at the Highborne of Astranaar. If Linus were truly here representing Tyrande, he would likely be fuming by now.
Andreas, sipping his wine, had a sharp glint in his eyes. I didn't expect Eldre'Thalas, isolated for so many years, to still keep such a close watch on the outside world. It seems the Shen'dralar are not as completely self-isolated as Tortheldrin modestly claims.
"Haha~ The Prince is right."
To Tortheldrin's surprise, Linus let out a hearty laugh, seemingly unbothered. "I also have no fondness for those fellow Highborne who act submissively under the restrictions of Priestess Whisperwind. I am not here representing her."
Tortheldrin's expression turned solemn as he sat up straight. "Oh? I am all ears."
Linus smiled calmly. "I represent a hero who also participated in the Battle of the Well of Eternity—the Shadow High Priest of the emerging sect of Elune, the Umbral Shadows: Lord Andreas Moonshadow."
"Moonshadow..." Tortheldrin mused for a moment before asking, "Is he the other God-favored one of Elune mentioned in the rumors? I have indeed heard some sporadic reports about him, but..."
Looking at Linus with a half-smile, Tortheldrin asked meaningfully, "In other words, this Shadow High Priest is at odds with the rulers of Astranaar, has left to establish a new power of his own, and you are here representing him to recruit the Shen'dralar?"
"Exactly."
"Heh~ Interesting." Tortheldrin chuckled. "The Shen'dralar have been closed off within Eldre'Thalas for years; the changes occurring outside don't have much of an impact on us."
"Mr. Starscar, if you wish to persuade us to join Lord Moonshadow's camp, you must at least show a bit of decent sincerity, wouldn't you say?"
Linus had already received instructions from Andreas before entering the city. At this moment, he smiled with full confidence. "The Prince is a man of his word, and I have no wish to continue with indirect probing."
"Since the Sundering, only we Highborne know best that without the Well of Eternity as a magic source, the Highborne—accustomed to absorbing high-purity Arcane energy—have displayed symptoms of extreme maladjustment."
"The leader of the Astranaar Highborne, Dath'Remar Sunstrider, has named this symptom 'Magic Addiction'."
Linus watched Tortheldrin's expression gradually turn grave and smiled calmly. "As long as Eldre'Thalas is willing to join our camp, I promise on behalf of Lord Andreas that we can help the Shen'dralar solve the magic addiction caused by the lack of an energy source. What does the Prince think of this condition?"
...
During the banquet, after repeatedly confirming that Linus was not joking, Tortheldrin ended the welcome feast and immediately convened the senior Shen'dralar members to discuss how to respond to the recruitment.
At dawn, the drunken Highborne from Moonshadow's Rest were led to their guest rooms by attendants to rest. Linus, his face flushed from the wine, also stumbled into the room arranged for him by the Shen'dralar.
The moment he entered the room, Linus's hazy eyes instantly cleared. He bowed respectfully toward the empty space in the room.
"Lord Andreas, please issue the next set of instructions."
"Mm, you've worked hard."
A blurry shadow appeared out of nowhere in Linus's room. Andreas nodded to him with satisfaction.
"Linus, you must be very puzzled. Where did Eldre'Thalas get the magic to prevent their addiction from acting up?"
Linus nodded gravely. "Yes. Eldre'Thalas was only a secret city meant to preserve important Arcane knowledge—to put it simply, a grand library. They don't have a massive collection of artifacts like Suramar, nor is it possible for them to have obtained water from the Well of Eternity like Illidan."
"Logically speaking, they shouldn't have been able to escape the symptoms of magic addiction."
Andreas smiled noncommittally. "The answer will be revealed soon. For now, let's wait patiently. My impression of Prince Tortheldrin isn't very good; I'm afraid that fellow is not of a kind sort."