Although Maclay, standing before Andreas, maintained his usual paralyzed expression, Andreas—who had worked with him for centuries—could see a hidden trace of worry in his eyes.
"Yes, it started half a month ago," Maclay reported in a flat tone. "Multiple ports along the western coast of Kalimdor were attacked simultaneously. The trade fleets traveling between Feralas and Ashenvale have been significantly affected as a result."
Andreas's brow furrowed deeply. "Why now of all times? Has our navy provoked the Naga recently?"
"No. For the past six months, the navy has been near Feathermoon Stronghold, familiarizing themselves with the operation of the new warships and ship-borne mortars."
The warships of Moonshadow's Rest had undergone several generations of upgrades. The ones fresh out of the shipyard now were "magically modified" three-masted galleons. Unlike traditional galleons, the primary structures of these ships, including the keel, were constructed of steel.
Although the strength of the steel itself was somewhat lacking due to the absence of high-capacity blast furnaces, the Arcanists' enchantments had brought them up to Andreas's expected durability.
The galleons measured over 60 meters in length, and after the modifications, their displacement far exceeded the original versions, reaching approximately 3,000 tons. The warship version featured two rows of twenty gun ports on each side. For weaponry, Andreas had conceived—and the craftsmen had "restored" through trial and error—120mm mortars.
Compared to other naval guns, mortars were relatively easy to construct. These high-angle fire weapons were also simple to operate, making them the most suitable practice tools for the fledgling Moonshadow's Rest navy. Choosing mortars was, to an extent, a necessity.
Andreas had originally envisioned rifling for all guns and cannons, but years of testing proved that mass production was difficult. Hand-carving rifling was extremely time-consuming; while producing a custom version was feasible, equipping an entire army by hand was nearly impossible, especially since the Night Elves lacked Earth's modern industrial foundation.
Fortunately, the one thing Night Elves had plenty of was time. What they lacked in production speed, they made up for in longevity. After consulting with the weaponsmiths, Andreas decided to prioritize rifling for muskets first, while using smoothbore, easy-to-operate mortars for the naval cannons. The 120mm mortars had a range of about 8 to 10 kilometers, which was more than enough for the current navy.
A 60-meter-long magically modified galleon was considered a medium-sized vessel, possessing significant deterrent power at sea. Andreas hadn't expected the Naga to dare launch an attack against Moonshadow's Rest while it possessed such a formidable navy.
"What is the extent of the damage at the coastal ports? Has the navy deployed?"
Maclay answered calmly, "Thanks to the scouts on the lighthouses spotting them early, the damage to the ports isn't heavy. The navy cleared the Naga near Feathermoon Stronghold and headed south three days ago to sweep the coastline. However, these Naga are very cunning. They proactively dive into the sea to avoid the warships' patrol routes, only emerging to continue their attacks once the ships have left."
Through Maclay's explanation, Andreas gained a general understanding of the current combat situation. A full-scale Naga attack on the west coast sounded terrifying, but thanks to the naval fleet's rotating coastal patrols, the Naga didn't dare face the cannon fire head-on; doing so would be pure suicide.
After Maclay left, Andreas rested his chin on his hand, falling into deep thought. "The problem lies in the Naga's intentions. Previously, aside from coming ashore at fixed times every spring, they had never launched an offensive of this scale."
Hehe~
Xal'atath's eerie laughter echoed. "The Satyrs have just been defeated, and now the Naga are starting to cause trouble. You don't think this is just a coincidence, do you?"
Andreas's expression shifted. "You mean... this is a conspiracy by N'Zoth?"
"More likely than not," Xal'atath explained leisurely. "Though that Satyr named Xavarian hid it well, I could vaguely sense the aura of the Void on him. These stray dogs seem to have found a new master after the Burning Legion left. If I'm not mistaken, it's N'Zoth."
I see.
Connecting this with certain information from the future, a realization struck Andreas. Xavius, who died and returned multiple times, was known as a "thrice-serving slave" because he had served three masters in total: first Azshara, then Sargeras, and the third... was N'Zoth.
During the War of the Ancients, Xavius was turned into a tree by Malfurion. His body died completely, but his soul survived tenaciously and won N'Zoth's favor in his despair. Currently, the Emerald Dream had not yet been invaded by Old Gods through Saronite or World Trees, and the whereabouts of Xavius's soul were unknown. However, with Xal'atath's reminder, Andreas had a general hypothesis regarding the sequential uprisings of the Satyrs and Naga.
These two forces, jumping out to cause trouble after the Burning Legion's repulse, served the same master—N'Zoth, the Corruptor.
Among the three surviving Old Gods after Y'Shaarj was crushed by Aman'Thul, the strongest was Yogg-Saron, the Beast of a Thousand Maw, imprisoned in the Forge of Wills (Ulduar). Yet, the one most capable of "lying low" was N'Zoth, despite being the weakest. This spoke volumes about his cunning and ability to judge circumstances.
Regardless of future events, the first target N'Zoth struck before the War of the Ancients was Neltharion, the Earth-Warder. The Black Dragon King's betrayal devastated the Dragonflight, leading to a humiliating performance in the War of the Ancients and forcing the Kaldorei resistance to risk damaging Azeroth's essence by detonating the Well of Eternity to banish the demons.
"So, N'Zoth is instigating his subordinates to attack the Night Elves in succession. What exactly is his goal?"
"Hmph," Xal'atath sneered. "The Satyr uprising could be seen as targeting the entire Night Elf race, but the Naga's offensive is clearly a probe aimed specifically at Moonshadow's Rest—the power established along the coast. Or rather... targeting you, its leader, Andreas Moonshadow."
Andreas narrowed his eyes slightly. "It seems my performance in recent years has attracted N'Zoth's attention..."
"Xal'atath, based on your knowledge of the Old Gods, how large a Naga force will N'Zoth send for this probe?"
Xal'atath said with some disdain, "That fellow's own power is much weaker than Yogg-Saron's. He is very cautious in his actions—you could even say he's a coward. Just take those new naval warships you haven't put into practical use yet out for a spin, and I guarantee that coward will immediately retract his claws."
The Moonshadow's Rest naval ships currently sailing were intermediate versions between cogs and galleons, using simple, crude smoothbore cannons.
Andreas pondered for a moment and then called out to Leticia in the outer office. Leticia entered with her mouth stuffed with shredded pork and green peppers that Andreas's private chef had just stir-fried—the girl was as fond of "intercepting" food as ever.
"Did ya call me?"
Andreas' eyebrow twitched as he barely suppressed the urge to give the girl a "lesson in social responsibility."
"Go find Captain Hankson for me. We've trained the troops for a thousand days for this one moment. It's time to let the new warships go out and show their worth."