In the empty office of the Lord's Palace, Andreas held a large, translucent bottle, gently swirling it in the air. The colorless, transparent liquid inside reflected a faint radiance under the silver moonlight.
It was water from the Well of Eternity.
The vial in Andreas's hand had nothing to do with Illidan; there was no rule stating that only the Demon Hunter could secretly collect the water. Unlike Illidan's seven vials, Andreas hadn't divided his portion into many containers, but the volume in this single bottle was likely equal to five of Illidan's vials combined.
Of the seven vials Illidan had possessed, three were poured into the small lake atop Mount Hyjal. As a sacred mountain where many Demigods gathered, the lake happened to be the largest ley line nexus in northern Kalimdor. The abundant mana within the nexus catalyzed the water, and thus, the new Well of Eternity was born.
After Illidan was captured and imprisoned, the remaining four vials were confiscated by Archdruid Malfurion. Aside from Malfurion himself, no one knew where these vials were hidden.
While Malfurion was open-minded in many respects, he could not forgive the Highborne for using the Well of Eternity to summon demons and nearly destroying the entire world. However, the Archdruid was not someone like Tyrande, whose desire for power and personal bias were extreme; he would not overly persecute the "defectors" among the Highborne, like Dath'Remar, who had contributed significantly during the great war.
Still, out of a subconscious lingering estrangement, he would not take the initiative to be close with Dath'Remar either.
Storing the vial back into his spatial bag, Andreas rubbed his chin and thought, Dath'Remar is starting to seek the water of the Well of Eternity. That means he has fully grasped the method and principles Illidan used to create the new Well. At the same time...
He must have mentally prepared himself to leave, right?
...
Due to the Highborne's refusal to provide teleports for Tyrande during the Satyr War, they hadn't faced further overt oppression after the war, but the surveillance on them had become increasingly strict. Any significant arcane fluctuation within the Highborne residential area would be sensed by the Sentinels stationed in the capital, leading to immediate interrogations at their doors.
Although most Highborne forced themselves to endure this humiliation under Dath'Remar's repeated pacification, the resentment buried in their hearts over the years grew deeper and deeper, needing only a single spark to ignite.
As the leader of the Highborne, Dath'Remar saw the dissatisfaction of all his compatriots. He was also deeply hurt by the way the common populace looked at them. They were clearly allies who had participated in the Battle of the Well of Eternity together—why were they, the Highborne who had "abandoned darkness for light," the only ones forced to endure such judgmental glares?
Even the good-tempered and sensible Dath'Remar harbored grievances, let alone the other Highborne who had suffered unjust treatment for so long.
But currently, Astranaar was the only place in the world with a powerful energy source like the new Well of Eternity to satisfy the Highborne's mandatory mana requirements. With their "throats held tight" by this dependency, the Highborne truly had no choice but to swallow their pride.
To solve this dependency, Dath'Remar had been studying the principles of the new Well of Eternity ever since its birth, hoping to find an opportunity to replicate this miracle.
Unlike Andreas, a "transmigrator" with a prophetic "cheat-code," Dath'Remar and his research team had to start from scratch. Even though they were already masters of the arcane, they had to conduct their research in secret to avoid Tyrande's surveillance. It took them an immense amount of time just to decode the mechanics of the mana well.
Though these years of enduring humiliation were arduous, Dath'Remar and the others eventually reached the correct conclusion through their perseverance. However, a new problem arose.
To create a new source of mana, besides a necessary ley line nexus, the water from the original Well of Eternity was an indispensable component.
Chasing that one-in-a-ten-thousand possibility, Dath'Remar took advantage of Maiev's absence at the Broken Isles. Using his superior arcane skills to bypass the Wardens outside Illidan's prison, he slipped into the cage and spoke directly with Illidan.
Perhaps out of a desire to cause trouble for Maiev, or perhaps to prove that his own actions in creating the new Well were not wrong, Illidan shared the information he knew with Dath'Remar without reservation.
As the Archdruid's younger brother, Illidan might have a poor relationship with Malfurion due to conflicting philosophies, but the two brothers had grown up together and understood each other's habits intimately. The Demon Hunter told Dath'Remar where Malfurion was likely to hide the vials, while simultaneously encouraging him to bravely pursue the future he believed in.
Because he was too engrossed in the conversation with Illidan, Dath'Remar was discovered by patrolling Wardens at the last moment, but he had already obtained the intelligence he sought.
As Dath'Remar hurried to teleport away, he didn't see the wicked, enigmatic smile curling on Illidan's lips within the arcane prison.
...
In the Sunstrider manor, a red-haired man wearing exquisite robes asked solemnly, "Dath'Remar, have you truly decided? You must know that once the arrow is loosed, there is no turning back."
Sitting across from the red-haired man was a handsome man with brilliant golden hair. At this moment, his eyes were slightly closed, as if he were hesitating.
After a long silence, Dath'Remar opened his eyes. The previous confusion was gone, replaced only by determination.
"It is decided. However, this plan will take a long time to realize, and it involves great risk."
Looking around at the Highborne present, Dath'Remar said in a deep voice, "Everyone, I hope those who join this plan are mentally prepared. Once we decide to act, we must work together as one to achieve our ultimate goal."
The group of arcanists—those with the highest status among the Highborne—exchanged glances.
"I'm in. I've had enough of Tyrande's discrimination."
"Count me in. We were also there at the Battle of the Well. Why should we be locked in a tiny corner to amuse ourselves?"
"I also..."
"And me!"
The enthusiastic responses comforted Dath'Remar, but he also let out a sigh.
"I will say it again: please consider this carefully. Even if not for yourselves, think of your children and your families."
"If the plan is exposed, even the Archdruid—who is relatively lenient toward us—will erupt in thunderous rage. There will no longer be a place for us in Astranaar."
At the mention of children, everyone fell silent. They could fight for ideals and freedom, but they did not want their families to be dragged into the conflict.
Dath'Remar said with a gentle smile, "There is still time. Please go back and discuss this with your families first. Give me your answer once you have considered it fully."
After everyone left, Dath'Remar leaned back wearily in the chair of his secret meeting room. This hidden chamber could not be accessed by conventional means; only arcanists could reach it through teleportation.
Flash—
Just as Dath'Remar closed his eyes to recover his strength, the light of teleportation flickered in the room once more.
"Father!"
A tall blonde woman with delicate features stepped out of the portal. Wearing only a short indoor dress that fully revealed her long, shapely legs, she waved at Dath'Remar with a beaming smile.
Seeing this blonde beauty who looked more and more like his late wife, Dath'Remar's furrowed brow gradually relaxed.
"Celeste, didn't Father say I had important matters to discuss with your uncles? Why did you teleport in without permission again?"