With the unexpected addition of four new family members and the danger of the place they were heading next, Andreas asked Aurora and Leticia to return to Anathiss first to help the one large and three small Mana Sabers settle into their new home.
Andreas himself took Shandris and Celeste to Watcher's Isle in southern Azsuna. There, they boarded a warship of the First Naval Fleet that had been prepared long ago and set sail south toward the island of Zandalar.
Andreas hadn't originally intended to depart with such fanfare on a warship, but considering the terrible relationship between the Zandalari Trolls and the Night Elves, he ultimately adopted the joint suggestion of Shandris and Celeste as a precaution.
Although Zandalar has three relatively independent regions, the core area controlled by the Zandalari Trolls is only Zuldazar. The Nazmir marshes to the north are the territory of the Blood Trolls, while the Vol'dun jungle to the west has been the home of the Sethrak and Vulpera for generations.
Unlike his previous accidental detour, this trip to Zandalar had a specific purpose; it was impossible to land in Nazmir and fight his way through.
"We will sail around the island. We come with goodwill, so we will land openly and honestly at the port south of Zuldazar."
The person responsible for transporting Andreas' trio was Commodore Darian Starseeker of the First Naval Fleet. Hearing the route Andreas chose, his brow immediately furrowed.
"Lord Andreas, please forgive my bluntness."
Darian was a naval officer trained within the Moonshadow's Rest system, and his attitude toward Andreas was extremely respectful.
"It's fine, Commodore Darian. Speak your mind."
"Yes, forgive my rudeness."
Darian drew a circle around Zandalar on the sea chart. "After thousands of years of development, the Zandalari Trolls have built a navy with considerable combat power. They frequently patrol the waters around the island."
"If we sail near the island so brazenly, we are likely to encounter the Zandalari Navy. If a conflict arises..."
The last time Andreas accidentally drifted to Zandalar, it happened to be during a violent storm. In that kind of weather, no fool would send ships out to patrol.
But this time was different. The sea was calm, and Zandalar's patrol fleets were likely conducting routine patrols around the island. Darian's concern was not without merit.
"If we encounter a Zandalari patrol ship, I will try to reason with them. If they really won't listen..."
Andreas raised an eyebrow and said, "You know what I mean. Just don't be too heavy-handed."
The navy of the Night Elf Republic was no longer what it used to be. The Second Fleet was far from Moonshadow's Rest's shipyards and R&D departments, so it hadn't yet replaced all its vessels with the latest models.
However, the headquarters of the First Naval Fleet was located at Feathermoon Stronghold in Moonshadow's Rest. All the latest naval weaponry and equipment were first issued to the First Fleet.
The fleet escorting Andreas to Zandalar consisted of only five ships, but these warships all had all-metal hulls.
The ships had completely abandoned traditional sail power. They were powered by arcane reactors and driven by propellers buried deep beneath the hull.
The Moonlit Blade-class warships were 185 meters long with a full load displacement of 14,000 tons. The core citadel area was reinforced by enchanters, possessing incredible strength.
The hull's weapon systems utilized a centerline layout, featuring five triple-mounted 155mm arcane cannons, four 128mm secondary guns, and a dazzling array of other small-caliber secondary batteries.
By Earth's naval standards, these five ships were only light cruiser class.
However, Andreas never intended to build battleships that consumed massive amounts of steel and manpower all at once. Considering the potential issues of an embassy to Zandalar, highly mobile light cruisers were actually a perfect fit.
Even if they were just light cruisers, Andreas believed this First Fleet detachment was not something the Zandalari Trolls' sailing ships could handle... The Age of Discovery sounds blood-pumping, but in reality, life at sea is very tedious.
The Moonlit Blade-class ships were warships through and through. It was impossible to have many of the entertainment features that civilian ships favored.
Fortunately, it wasn't the first time Shandris and Celeste had been to sea. This was a voyage for official business, so they could endure this bit of boredom.
Following the sea chart, the fleet first arrived at Nazmir. They continued south along the eastern coast of the marshland. En route, they were unexpectedly attacked by Blood Troll spear-throwers near the Nazwatha pyramid.
Andreas suspected these lunatics had no idea what these large metal blocks floating on the sea were. Having grown arrogant in Nazmir, they thought they were invincible under the protection of Ghuun.
Against these fools who dared to initiate a provocation, Andreas naturally wouldn't be polite.
Under Commodore Darian's command, the five warships slowed down simultaneously and turned their turrets to open fire on the jumping Blood Trolls.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The sound of arcane cannons wasn't as loud as gunpowder weapons, but the sudden series of blasts still gave the Blood Trolls on the shore a fright.
The subsequent high-explosive shells immediately sent these primitive people flying. After two rounds of main battery salvos, only a handful of Blood Trolls were left standing near Nazwatha.
They looked up in a daze, surrounded by the mangled corpses of their kin. The blood-soaked ground perfectly matched the symbolism of the Blood God Ghuun.
"Ignore them, continue the voyage."
The few Blood Trolls who luckily survived were clearly terrified out of their wits. Commodore Darian didn't want to waste shells and immediately ordered the anchors raised to proceed.
Coincidentally, this scene was witnessed in its entirety by Krag'wa, the frog loa south of Nazwatha.
"Not good, not good at all."
The honest Krag'wa looked grim. After a while, he looked down at the troll priest at his feet.
"Naduuri, go and convey this news to your people first. I suspect these large metal blocks come with ill intent."
"Yes, venerable Krag'wa."
..."An Iron Fleet?"
At the Golden Throne atop Dazaralor, the current Zandalari God-King Pharaoh found it somewhat hard to believe. The report from Krag'wa's high priest Naduuri sounded like a fairy tale.
The members of the Zanchuli Council lacked Pharaoh's composure, and two of them immediately burst out laughing.
"Naduuri, has your mind gone fuzzy or are your eyes failing you? How could iron possibly float on the sea?"
Naduuri retorted angrily, "I wasn't the only one who saw it; the loa Krag'wa saw it with his own eyes as well! Do you dare doubt the judgment of a loa?"
"This... perhaps Krag'wa saw wrong?"
"Enough!"
The leader of the Zanchuli Council, Prophet Tatanrai, waved his hand to stop the councilors' questioning.
"Whether it is true or not, it is necessary for us to heighten our vigilance."
God-King Pharaoh asked, "Prophet, have you foreseen a disaster?"
As soon as Pharaoh spoke, the members of the Zanchuli Council all fell silent, and everyone looked toward Prophet Tatanrai.
"Not exactly."
Tatanrai said with some confusion, "The future I've foreseen is rather vague. It's unclear whether it's a blessing or a curse. In short, we had best treat this intelligence with caution."
Pharaoh bowed his head in thought. "Prophet, this fleet has not disguised its sailing route. They are likely to land south of Zuldazar."
"Please make a trip to the Port of Zandalar personally to ascertain their true intentions. I need the help of your wisdom."
Tatanrai bowed respectfully. "As you wish, Your Majesty."