When Moonshadow's Rest was first founded, Maiev, under Andreas's persistent badgering, had sent her most capable assistant, Naisha, to help. Maiev herself had seen the settlement back when it was just a ragtag operation—or rather, a mere village.
Since then, Maiev had not visited Moonshadow's Rest for several hundred years. Searching for Jarod and overseeing the transformation of the Vault of the Wardens had consumed far too much of her time and energy.
It was only now, as the Warden leader followed Alfonso—the self-proclaimed secretary to the Lord—through the portal and onto the observation deck of the teleportation tower, that she realized just how much Moonshadow's Rest had transformed over the centuries.
The capital city of Astranaar, nestled within the canopy of Nordrassil, adhered to Druidic principles. Most of its structures were built from wood, and its exquisite wooden houses formed a beautiful skyline.
Moonshadow's Rest, a coastal city, was different.
The erosion from the salty sea breeze made wooden materials less suitable here. Even timber reinforced by Druids was limited by its natural properties and failed to meet the rigorous standards of the Moonshadow's Rest Housing Development Department.
The city presented before Maiev's eyes was composed of a vast array of stone buildings. Houses with gray bricks and white tiles were arranged in neat rows throughout the urban area. From the outskirts to the interior, the height of the buildings rose step by step, with the Lord's Manor and the Temple of the Dark Moon Shadow standing tall at the city's heart.
A statue of Elune, nearly a hundred meters tall and carved from a marble-like material, appeared strikingly lifelike.
From the circular colosseum near the city center, the distant sound of cheers and applause could be heard. In and out of Feathermoon Port by the coast, ships of all types flowed in an endless stream.
On the broad and clean bluestone avenues, most of the passing residents wore relaxed and confident smiles. The commercial streets were bustling with crowds and the constant cries of vendors. The overflowing vitality of this city was almost visible to Maiev's naked eye.
Even Maiev, who was usually indifferent to external matters, could not help but marvel. "...Truly remarkable. When I last came here, this was just a remote fishing village with barely a thousand people. I never expected it to reach this scale in just a few centuries."
Alfonso, with his perpetually squinted eyes, chuckled with pride. "The prosperity Moonshadow's Rest enjoys today is entirely due to the planning and guidance of our Lord. Lady Shadowsong, please follow me. My master is already awaiting your arrival at the Manor."
...
"It's been a long time, Maiev. Welcome to Moonshadow's Rest."
In the reception hall on the fifth floor of the Lord's Manor, Andreas warmly welcomed the icy Maiev. Standing behind Andreas was Naisha, Maiev's former subordinate and now the leader of Moonshadow's Rest's combat priestess unit. Upon seeing Maiev, Naisha bowed respectfully.
"Mistress."
Maiev sighed softly. "Naisha, you are no longer my subordinate. You may drop the title 'Mistress'."
Naisha shook her head with a smile, her firm expression conveying her stance to Maiev. Seeing the atmosphere grow a bit stiff, Andreas stepped in to smooth things over.
"It's just a title; no need to be concerned. Please, have a seat. Would you like something to drink?"
Maiev flicked her cloak behind her and sat on the sofa, her tone flat. "No need. Let's get straight to the point. What are your intentions in calling me here this time?"
As a gesture of politeness, Maiev removed her usual helmet, facing Andreas with her heroic and beautiful natural features. She asked with piercing eyes, "Also, that Alfonso who picked me up—he isn't just a simple secretary, is he?"
Andreas shook his head with a helpless chuckle. "You are as decisive as ever... very well, as you wish."
Regaining his composure, Andreas sat across from Maiev with a glass of red wine. "First, about Alfonso. He is nominally a member of my secretarial staff, but... his responsibilities are relatively covert. You should have some inkling of what that entails."
Maiev nodded. "He is someone who works in the shadows. I recognized that scent."
Andreas admitted it frankly. "Yes. Given the importance of intelligence, such an institution is indeed necessary. I ask for your understanding that I cannot disclose further details."
"No matter. That was merely my personal curiosity. Let us begin the main business."
...
As Alfonso had mentioned when inviting Maiev, Andreas had called her here to discuss the increasingly sharp conflict between the Highborne and the commoners in Astranaar.
It wasn't that the Highborne led by Dath'Remar were intentionally causing trouble; in fact, the reality was quite the opposite.
The lower-class citizens, who had been oppressed and enslaved by the Highborne during the era of the Night Empire, had—after centuries of adjustment and the prodding of certain individuals—completely shed their subconscious obedience and fear toward the noble class.
As the saying goes, extremes meet.
The commoners had discovered that the once-invincible Highborne were now paper tigers. Recalling the hardships they had once suffered at the hands of these nobles, they were eager to turn the tables and trample upon the Highborne, returning everything they had endured with interest.
This was true even though they knew the Highborne led by Dath'Remar were not the same group that had once oppressed them, but rather allies who had survived a cruel war alongside them.
"This is a form of twisted elf nature," Andreas said, swirling the wine in his glass with a mocking, half-smile. "It's only natural to kick a dog while it's down, especially one that once bullied you. But Maiev, you should know that the Highborne under Dath'Remar are innocent."
Maiev nodded in silence.
Of the corrupt nobles who once held power, a small portion had sunk into the sea with Azshara, while the majority had followed Xavius to join the Burning Legion, twisted into semi-demonic Satyrs. After the War of the Satyrs, that original corrupt noble class had been nearly wiped out. Those who remained, like Dath'Remar, were meritorious individuals who had understood the greater good and joined the resistance.
"It is true that the common people suffered under the nobility in the past, so resentment is to be expected. But we both know that their hatred should not have inflated to its current level. If this continues, the social strata of Astranaar will be completely torn apart, potentially recreating the irreconcilable class conflicts of the Night Empire. Only..."
Andreas let out a cold laugh. "This time, the ones holding the advantage are the commoners—or rather, the people hiding behind them, fanning the flames."
Maiev curled her lip and spoke without reservation. "You mean Tyrande Whisperwind, don't you?"
Andreas didn't speak, responding only with a knowing smile.
Maiev spoke with disdain. "The problem wasn't so severe when you were helping manage Astranaar. Ever since you left, Tyrande's clumsy administrative skills have been fully exposed.
Yet, she refuses to let go of power. To gain the approval of the lower classes, she has chosen this unorthodox path—using the distinguished Highborne as targets. By exploiting the commoners' resentment, she forcibly aligns herself with the masses to condemn the innocent Highborne."
The first leader to stand against the demons, Lord Ravencrest, had been a Highborne. It was under his call that the resistance first formed, and most of Black Rook Hold's nobility had joined him.
By the time leadership passed to Jarod, the army's numbers were massive, with commoners far outnumbering nobles, but the core of the military remained the Highborne officers from Black Rook Hold. After all, commoners received military education far inferior to that of nobles; a natural-born genius like Jarod only appeared once in millennia.
Andreas looked seriously at Maiev. "That is exactly the problem. Perhaps Tyrande has sensed the severity of the situation; in recent years, she has maintained a lower profile, and the flame-fanning has stopped. But a fire already lit is not so easily extinguished. She is clearly no longer able to control the situation she created. To avoid repeating the tragedies of the past, I believe it is necessary for us to make some preparations in advance."