Ever since the Abyssal Depths became a foul ditch, Gomu's joy of frolicking around was forcibly replaced by burying his head and sleeping soundly.
With the keen sense of smell of canine creatures, the putrid environment would stimulate them more intensely than other intelligent beings, not to mention Gomu received triple the 'pleasure'.
To ignore the surrounding stench as much as possible, Gomu gradually got used to filtering out environmental odors in his sleep, but the scent of living beings brought by Andreas and the others entering the Abyssal Depths piqued Gomu's alertness.
It also heard its mistress' command, and Gomu, possessing a certain level of intelligence, quickly connected the two events.
"Woof!"
The three-headed dog stood up from the ground, letting out a threatening growl, its three heads baring their fangs in a ferocious grin, and translucent saliva dripped from the corners of its mouths onto the ground.
A 'tiny' figure suddenly shot out from the dim sky of the Abyssal Depths, and Gomu instinctively spat out a breath attack in the direction of the moving shadow.
Red, blue, and purple breaths spewed from Gomu's three mouths, corresponding to fire, frost, and shadow attributes, respectively.
Shandris was the first to rush out of the Shadow Veil's coverage. She precisely found a very tiny gap between the three colored breaths and narrowly dodged them. At the same time, the Kal'dorei Tiya Warbow in her hand condensed a Moon Arrow and shot it towards the leftmost head.
"Roar!"
Gomu's three heads cooperated quite well; the middle head once again spewed a small stream of Frost Power, intercepting Shandris' arrow in mid-air.
To avoid alerting the nearby Helagar, Andreas had first set up Silence and Vision-Misdirection Magic Arrays near the battlefield before the fight began.
However, due to Hela's Domain suppression, the magic arrays Andreas deployed were not large, barely covering the area around the passage Gomu guarded.
Onyxia did not revert to her flashy dragon form but instead released the Black Dragon's Shadowflame through her hands.
Gomu's central ice-elemental head was targeted by the Shadowflame, which combined earth and fire attributes, while the left fire-elemental head was busy dealing with Shandris' Moon Arrows, which contained Water Power.
Seeing that her two teammates had entangled Gomu, Andreas finally emerged from the darkness, using the Holy Light Lock, taught by Velen and personalized by herself, to tightly bind Gomu's right shadow-elemental head.
"Woof woof!"
Gomu's three heads, which looked comically cute, simultaneously let out anxious cries. The other two heads tried to bite at the Holy Light chains to unseal the right head, but Onyxia and Shandris clearly wouldn't let them act as they pleased.
If Andreas hadn't wanted to capture Gomu alive, even with their strength suppressed, killing Gomu would not have been a difficult task.
Using the bound shadow-elemental head as a breakthrough, Andreas took advantage of the other two heads being busy dealing with Shandris' and Onyxia's attacks to further extend the Holy Light chains, gradually tying Gomu's three heads together.
The tightening Holy Light Lock pressed Gomu until its eyes rolled back, and a few minutes later, the three-headed dog finally collapsed to the ground with a thud, unconscious with its tongue hanging out.
"Shuala!"
The sound of intertwining chains rang out, and golden-purple chains bound Gomu layer upon layer.
Not only would this poor three-headed dog not wake up for a while, but even if it regained consciousness, it would likely be unable to move for a good period.
"Alright, let's keep going."
Andreas shrunk the Silence and Vision-Misdirection Magic Arrays, deliberately cutting off Gomu's aura to create the illusion of Gomu's death.
"No!!"
A roar that echoed throughout the Abyssal Depths rang out again, "You dare to kill my beloved pet! I will make you pay with your lives!"
"My Helagar! The enemy is in Gomu's lair, surround them! Bring the invaders before me, I will personally pass the judgment of death upon them!"
Countless Seaweed Warriors roared and charged towards Gomu's lair. Andreas shielded Onyxia and Shandris behind her, letting them handle the pincer attack from the rear.
"Dark and damp residents of the Abyssal Depths, today I shall let you witness long-lost light!"
Raising the Staff of Ganir in her hand, the tear of Elune shimmered with dazzling golden light.
With Andreas at the center, the Lights Power rapidly spread outwards, dispelling the darkness within a 500-meter radius. Most of the Helagar, accustomed to living in darkness, had their eyes flash white from the sudden burst of light.
"Ahhh!"
"My eyes! My eyes!"
A large-scale blinding effect, similar to a Solar Flare, took effect. Andreas immediately recalled the Light's Power, condensing it into a thick, long beam of light, and shot it towards the direction of the Altar.
Any Helagar touched by the golden beam of light were instantly vaporized, leaving behind only dried, foul-smelling seaweed.
"Keep up! We're heading straight for the Altar!"
Since Hela's attention had already been drawn, Onyxia no longer needed to hide.
As Shandris blocked the Helagar's path with an arrow rain, the Black Dragon Princess reverted to her true form, unleashing a fully charged Deep Breath backwards.
The puddles in the Abyssal Depths were evaporated by the Shadowflame Dragon's Breath, and high-intensity flames erupted from the cracked earth. The number of Helagar was drastically reduced in a short time.
After her successful attack, Onyxia immediately turned and flew towards the Altar. Andreas and Shandris opportunely leaped onto her back from the ground.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Shandris continued to deflect countless harpoons thrown by the Helagar from the ground with her arrows; only a small portion penetrated her blockade and hit Onyxia.
"Ugh!"
These harpoons contained a portion of Hela's Death Power, and even the Black Dragon's resilient flesh could not escape damage at the soul level.
Fortunately, Andreas used a Soul Protection Spell to tightly guard Onyxia's soul core. The Black Dragon Princess furiously flapped her wings, finally breaking through the encirclement and reaching the plaza in front of the Altar.
"Invaders! You dare to trespass into my sanctuary!"
The upper body of a female giant appeared in a pool on one side of the plaza. Her lifeless skin color and eyes full of resentment were the first things Andreas and the two others saw. She was the mistress of the Abyssal Depths — Hela, the Goddess of Death.
Judging by her size, Hela's full body should be no smaller than Odyn's; Onyxia's dragon body appeared dwarfed in comparison to her.
As a Vrykul, Hela should not have such a massive physique; she must have deliberately inflated herself to this size, referencing the physique of the Titan Keepers.
"Kneel! Pray to your Death Queen! I will make you my most loyal servants in place of Gomu!"
The oppressive aura from Hela significantly reduced Onyxia's wing-flapping frequency. Her two giant hands seized the opportunity to close in on Auni, attempting to grasp the 'little dragon' in her hands.
"Get lost!"
Andreas, on Onyxia's back, swung the Staff of Ganir in mid-air, unleashing a Holy Light Blade that simultaneously cut wounds into Hela's palms.
"Insignificant Mortal, how dare you resist the gift from the Goddess of Death!"
What flowed from Hela's wounds was not blood, but a vaporized black aura.
Hela changed her open palm into a fist and angrily smashed it towards the Black Dragon in the air.
"Oww!"
Utilizing the time Andreas bought, Onyxia unleashed a Shadowflame breath at Hela, using offense as defense to force back her opponent's attack.
Andreas and Shandris simultaneously and telepathically leaped from Onyxia's back. As Shandris shot arrows in mid-air, Andreas gave the Black Dragon Princess her next instruction: "Auni! Those miscellaneous fish behind you are your responsibility. Be careful not to get hit by too many attacks at once!"
"As for you, Hela, Goddess of Death, let us have some fun with you."
Although Odyn could not yet leave Valhalla with his true body, he could see the battle in the Abyssal Depths through his "left eye."
Odyn's left eye was not blinded by others; he gouged it out himself, transforming it into two ravens, Hugin and Munin, which could peer into all corners of Azeroth.
At this moment, Hugin and Munin soared high above the Abyssal Depths, allowing Odyn to witness the battle within through their vision.
The progress of the battle was more optimistic than Odyn had imagined, but Andreas and the other two, suppressed by the Abyssal Depths' power, found it difficult to truly harm Hela.
Odyn stroked his chin, puzzled, "Why didn't Andreas use that special energy that broke my winged helmet earlier? Could it be…"
Coincidentally, Odyn was not the only one observing the battle in the Abyssal Depths.
Bwonsamdi, hiding in the rift between the Abyssal Depths and the real world, also sat cross-legged in mid-air, watching the battle with great interest.
"Hehe~ Andreas is indeed powerful. Even under the enemy's domain suppression, he can still force Hela into a frantic state."
Before receiving Andreas' signal, Bwonsamdi didn't need to do anything. He gloated as he watched Hela gradually slide into the abyss.
Under Andreas' tactic of feigned weakness, Hela was somewhat overwhelmed by the two Mortals' aggressive assaults, but with the death power of the Abyssal Depths, she did not suffer too much damage.
Most of the wounds emitting black smoke were superficial, and she would recover completely after a short rest once the battle concluded.
Having roughly understood Andreas and Shandris' strength and attack patterns, a cruel smile appeared on Hela's face.
"Is that all?"
"Mortals, I admit you might be formidable in the material world, but this is my domain, my world!"
Hela raised her hands high, and foul green liquid gathered into a sphere between them.
"Poor fools deceived by Odyn's promises, you will all become my tools for revenge against him! Submit to the God of Death!"
Countless green water projectiles shot out from the water sphere in Hela's hands. Andreas hastily called Shandris to his side, and the Staff of Ganir struck the ground of the plaza, raising a golden holy light barrier.
"Sizzle~"
The water spheres hit the barrier, emitting an unpleasant sound. The continuous attacks seemed to be corroding the shining holy light barrier.
"Hahaha! Die!"
The wildly laughing Hela didn't notice the smile on Andreas' lips within the barrier, which was gradually obscured by the green water. She continued to incite the foul liquid of the Abyssal Depths to surge towards the golden eggshell in the center of the plaza.
In her joyful mood, Hela, on a whim, summoned a wave to crash down. All the ground creatures around the plaza were swept away by the wave, including Hela's own Helagar warriors.
Onyxia, however, dodged the wave's impact by virtue of her flight, but Hela, confident that she had killed Andreas and Shandris, quickly turned her attention to the large flying lizard.
"Hmm?"
Hela saw amusement and pity in Onyxia's eyes, and a sudden sense of alarm rose in her heart.
The wave gradually receded. Although the holy light barrier's glow had weakened considerably, Andreas and Shandris were still unharmed.
Andreas put his arm around Shandris' waist and activated Shadowmeld, narrowly dodging Hela's follow-up attack. The two reappeared from the other side of the plaza.
As Andreas emerged from the shadow space, he shouted, "Bwonsamdi! It's your turn!"
"Yes, yes~ No problem, that's the deal we made."
This sniveling voice suddenly appearing sent a chill down Hela's spine, "Bwonsamdi?!"
Although the Death loa Bwonsamdi's power was inferior to hers, the timing of his appearance made Hela's hair stand on end. She finally realized something was wrong.
Centered around Andreas, a pure Soul Domain spread out within a fifty-meter radius. In this area, Hela's domain suppression had no effect.
Shandris sneered as she took out the Tidestone from her chest, "You had a lot of fun playing with that disgusting water just now? This kind of repulsive thing, you should enjoy it yourself!"
"Splash!"
Hela lost control of the surrounding water. A towering wave rose, even larger than the one Hela had summoned earlier.
"No!"
The briefly drained seawater exposed Hela's lower body, which she had desperately tried to conceal.
Amidst Hela's terrified and mortified cries, her writhing tentacles from the waist down were revealed to everyone present.
"Boom!"
Slammed onto the plaza by the green seawater she had relied on, Hela was in a rather disheveled state, her octopus-like tentacles flailing wildly, attempting to stabilize her body.
"Roar!"
Onyxia, having recovered her full strength, let out a satisfying deep breath onto the plaza. Hela, temporarily unable to move, couldn't help but scream under the scorching Shadowflame.
Her thick tentacles thrashed about menacingly. Shandris controlled the surrounding water, trapping Hela in a water prison, preventing her from moving freely.
Andreas, who had been closing his eyes to gather strength, finally completed his preparations. A gigantic gray guillotine formed by Chaos Power appeared above Hela's head.
"Sever!"
Although the terrified Hela desperately tried to break free from Shandris' restraints, her momentary underestimation had led her to suffer heavy injuries from Onyxia's attack. It was now impossible for her to exert force under the Tidestone's control.
"Ahhh!!!"
The guillotine formed by Chaos Power sliced through Hela's body without hindrance. In her final struggle, Hela barely avoided being beheaded, but her body was still cut in half from the waist down.
Dense black mist seeped from her severed wounds. Bwonsamdi finally appeared officially, leisurely absorbing the scattered black mist with a look of contentment.
"Rumble!"
As Hela's life force gradually weakened, a golden pillar of light suddenly descended from above the Abyssal Depths.
Odyn was the first to emerge from the pillar of light, followed closely by Eyir and Heimdall with the Einherjar Warriors.
Seeing the unfriendly look in Odyn's single eye directed at him, Bwonsamdi wisely vanished from the spot, allowing Hela to sustain her last vestiges of life with her remaining death power.
Odyn withdrew his warning gaze from Bwonsamdi, looking at the dying Hela with an expressionless face, a fleeting complex emotion appearing in his single eye.
As Hela's life came to an end, Loken and Hela's seal on Valhalla was completely shattered.
Odyn's immediate arrival in the Abyssal Depths caught Bwonsamdi, Shandris, and the others by surprise. Just as Onyxia was about to complain, Andreas reached out and pressed her shoulder.
Shaking his head at Onyxia, who had returned to her human form, Andreas whispered, "Let's leave the last moments to them. Our mission is complete."
Shandris and Onyxia were unaware of the history of animosity between Hela and Odyn. Persuaded by Andreas, the two walked together towards the direction of Gomu's lair.
"Come on, let's collect our spoils. That girl Leticia should be very happy this time."
The trio of Andreas did not know what Odyn and Hela discussed in the end, nor were they interested in prying into the private affairs of others.
When Hela finally completely vanished, the stench covering the Abyssal Depths was cleared. Although the gloom of the Soul World could still be felt, it was much better than the previous corruption and decay.
Odyn seemed to be in a bad mood. After standing silently in place for a while, he returned to Valhalla alone, leaving Ael and Heimdall to lead the Valarjar Einherjar Warriors to clean up Hela's remaining forces.
As agreed, half of the souls Hela imprisoned in the Abyssal Depths were taken away by Bwonsamdi. The strength of the Death loa should increase with this harvest.
Due to Odyn's previous warning gaze, most of the souls Bwonsamdi took were weak individuals whose will to resist had already been, or was about to be, extinguished by Hela.
The powerful souls who still maintained an unyielding will were left behind by him. Bwonsamdi did not want to fall out with Odyn over this matter.
The transaction was completed smoothly, and Bwonsamdi happily returned loaded with a large number of souls.
Andreas used Soul Magic to modify the memories of the unconscious Gomu.
Hela was dead, and retaining memories related to her was not good for the still-living Gomu, so Andreas simply deleted all of them.
Replacing Gomu's owner with Leticia, Andreas also fabricated a segment of memories related to the Moonshadow Family.
The Three-Headed Hound, waking up groggily, was much more docile than before. If Andreas hadn't stopped it, the stupid dog would have almost given him a slobbery face wash with its three heads.
Handing the half of the souls remaining after Bwonsamdi's selection over to Ael, the Valkyr Leader, the trio of Andreas returned to Valhalla, bathed in light, under her guidance.
Finally leaving the gloomy Abyssal Depths, Shandris first raised her hand and smelled herself.
...A scent of seaweed.
Onyxia also uncomfortably tugged at the revealing clothing made of dragon scales on her body. "I want to go take a proper bath first."
Ael smiled and said, "That is proper. Please follow me."
"Before attending the Celebration Banquet, the three of you should bathe and change clothes, washing away the smell of the battlefield and wholeheartedly immersing yourselves in the grand feast."
...When the trio changed into celebration attire styled after Norse Mythology and met Odyn again, the chief administrator had already restrained his previous emotions, greeting the arrival of Andreas and the others with a hearty smile on his face.
"Haha! Our heroes have arrived! Raise your glasses!"
"Oh!"
At Odyn's call, all the Einherjar Warriors present simultaneously raised the large wooden cups in their hands.
"Come! To celebrate the purification of the Abyssal Depths, today we must not let our heroes walk out of the Mead Hall standing! Cheers!"
Relying on her Dragon race's formidable physique, Onyxia accepted every challenge, quickly drawing cheers and shouts from the Einherjar Warriors.
Andreas helped Shandris block a lot of drinks. While dealing with the drinking challenges from the Einherjar Warriors, he subtly directed his gaze toward the smiling Odyn on the throne.
'Celebrating the purification of the Abyssal Depths rather than Hela's death? Sure enough, Odyn must still feel a bit uncomfortable.'
Tens of thousands of years of confinement must have smoothed out much of Odyn's bad temper, and it should also make him reflect on his rash actions back then.
It was precisely because he forcefully transformed Hela into a Valkyr that a series of subsequent events occurred.
If Odyn and Hela hadn't fallen out, Loken, that weakling, would never have been able to scheme against the powerful chief administrator without the help of an insider who understood Odyn. The chaos in Ulduar might not have happened, and Tyr would not have lost his life because of it.
Regardless of his inner thoughts, Odyn showed no trace of emotion on the surface, seemingly completely immersed in the joy of victory.
Andreas would not be foolish enough to run over and poke at someone else's sore spot. It was enough to know some things; speaking them out loud was the behavior of an emotionally unintelligent younger brother.
Learning that Andreas had modified Gomu's memories, Odyn was quite moved and asked for him, wanting to domesticate Gomu in the Eternal Hunting Grounds, but Andreas politely refused.
When he learned that Andreas planned to take Gomu back and give him to his adopted daughter, Odyn's eyes showed a momentary flicker of distraction, and he didn't bring up the topic again afterward.
After an excessively enthusiastic Celebration Banquet, a large number of Einherjar Warriors lay sprawled across the Mead Hall, and even Heimdall had crawled under a table at some point.
These Einherjar Warriors were not all drunk; a large portion of them had been knocked out during drunken brawls.
"Hic!"
Andreas hiccuped drunkenly, swaying unsteadily on his feet, his hands still wildly flailing in the form of improvised attacks.
"Come, who else wants to try my Drunken Fist?"
"Sigh~"
Shandris slapped her forehead in embarrassment, while Odyn bent over laughing on the throne.
At least half of the Einherjar Warriors present, including Heimdall, had been knocked down by Andreas. It was said this was a custom of Valhalla's banquets.
Since warriors who died in Valhalla would resurrect anyway, they naturally acted recklessly during the feast.
It is said that due to the Vrykul's faith in Odyn, this custom gradually spread to the mortal realm of Stormheim, where their feasts often resulted in deaths. Consequently, most Vrykul who died were guided by the Valkyr to Valhalla.
Onyxia was also completely intoxicated, but at least she didn't act crazy from the alcohol. She merely unconsciously revealed her dragon tail and horns, transforming into a half-dragon, half-human Dragon Girl.
"I... I want more, hic~"
"Yes, yes~"
Shandris patted Onyxia's flushed face. To make a physically strong Dragon and a Demigod this drunk, the fine wine of Valhalla truly deserved to be called "Divine Wine."
Under the interested gaze of Odyn and Ael, Shandris dragged her two drunken companions, one in each hand, toward the guest rooms.
"Hoo~"
In the Mead Hall, which had returned to silence, only two people remained sober. Odyn drank the last cup of wine and exhaled a mouthful of alcohol fumes.
"Ael, do you hate me?"
The golden wings behind Ael moved slightly, and then she shook her head and said, "No. Hela simply made her own choice, and she paid the price for that choice."
"I will neither approve nor oppose her decision. Perhaps this was her fate."
"Fate, huh..."
Odyn looked at the sky outside Valhalla, whose light would never fade, and let out a long sigh. "Perhaps. This matter is finally over, and we should look toward the future."
"Yes."
...A hangover was not a good experience. When Andreas woke up the next day, his brain was throbbing with pain.
"…What happened yesterday? I didn't do anything outrageous, did I?"
Shandris, who was helping her husband dress, rolled her eyes upon hearing this. "Nothing outrageous, no, except for beating down half of Valhalla. Odyn was even clapping and cheering for you."
"Uh..."
Enduring his headache, Andreas tried to search his memory, but found nothing. He shook his head with a wry smile. "I can't participate in Valhalla's celebrations again next time. What a disaster."
"Hoo~ Hoo~"
Onyxia, sprawled across the adjacent bed, was still sound asleep in her half-dragon, half-human state, her dragon tail unconsciously sweeping back and forth.
"Sometimes I really envy this fellow's single-mindedness."
Andreas reluctantly stood up from the bed, still stumbling slightly even with Shandris' support.
Throwing a handful of gold coins onto Onyxia's head, the Black Dragon Princess finally woke up groggily.
"Take Gomu and go bid farewell to Odyn. It's time for us to go home... Seriously, what kind of rotgut is this? Even a Demigod gets drunk?"
Escorted by the Valkyr, Andreas and his two companions, along with Gomu, jumped into the energy vortex near the entrance to Valhalla.
Through this vortex, which functions like a portal, Andreas and the others could reach any magical node within the Broken Isles.
"Boom!"
The three people and one dog landed on the outskirts of Suramar, startling the workers who were brewing Arcane wine in a nearby winery.
With the reopening of Suramar, Elisande moved most of the city's factories to the outskirts, which were previously occupied by Withered and Fal'dorei Spider-people.
The winery was also part of the outward-bound industries; the picturesque outskirts of Suramar were more suitable for producing high-quality Arcane wine than the cramped urban area.
With the help of the fruit from the Miracle Tree Arkandor, the residents of Suramar had escaped the torment of Mana Addiction, but Arcane wine, a specialty of Suramar, was still being produced normally.
Since there was no longer the danger of Mana Addiction, the Arcane content in the Arcane wine was reduced, and it began to be produced more to satisfy culinary desires.
This winery belonged to the Moon County family. After being reported by the winery manager, Andreas and his two companions were quickly teleported to the Nightborne Tower to meet Elisande.
Elisande looked up at Gomu, who had horns on his head and a cute, goofy appearance, and asked with a strange expression, "...Speaker Moonshadow, this dog?"
"Don't mind it," Andreas waved his hand. "This is a gift I brought for my family. Let's get to business first."
"Is Suramar ready to send troops? The remaining Helagar in Mistsong Harbor are still numerous. It would be best to have air support."
Elisande refocused her attention, which had been diverted by Gomu, and nodded solemnly, "Everything is ready; we can depart at any time."
As early as when he returned from Ulduar, Andreas had asked Maiev to greet Elisande, and the Second Flying Fleet was also docked directly in Suramar Harbor.
Although Hela was dead, the festering wounds she left behind would not automatically disappear.
Odyn's Einherjar Warriors primarily focused on clearing the Abyssal Depths, a subspace. Relying solely on the Vrykul of Stormheim would make it difficult to completely clear out the remaining Seaweed People in Mistsong Harbor.
Andreas nodded in satisfaction, "Very good. I won't participate in this battle; I'll leave it entirely to you."
"Yes!"
...When Andreas and his group teleported back to Astranaar, news of Suramar's large-scale troop deployment arrived.
Many Druids from Valsharah and Tauren from Highmountain also joined the battle, launching an attack on Mistsong Harbor, which was still covered in dense fog, with artillery support from the flying fleet.
The ghost ship fleet, led by the Naglfar, was also docked in Mistsong Harbor. The Seaweed People, unaware of Hela's death, fought back fiercely, engaging in a back-and-forth struggle with the allied forces due to their vast numbers. It seemed that a victor would not be decided anytime soon.
This small-scale war no longer interested Andreas; it was merely a training exercise for Suramar and the Druids of Valsharah.
The tall Gomu was exceptionally conspicuous, attracting many Astranaar residents' attention when he was brought back to Moonshadow Manor.
Leticia, who was overseeing training at the Sentinel camp, learned of her family's return and immediately handed over the remaining training tasks to Daelin, rushing home.
"Ah! It's a big doggy!"
The moment she saw Gomu, Leticia seemed to suddenly regress to childhood, pouncing into Gomu's soft fur.
Although Gomu's memory had been wiped, a primal repulsion to the stench of the Abyssal Depths still lingered deep within his soul.
The clean and tidy Astranaar invigorated Gomu. When his owner, whose image was etched into his memory by Andreas, pounced on him, Gomu joyfully gave Leticia a triple slobber bath.
"Ew!"
Aurora's face showed disgust, but Leticia, the person involved, still wore a cheerful smile.
"Alright, let them play."
Andreas took the wide-eyed little Sirius from Celeste's arms, and incidentally, kissed Celeste on the cheek.
"Son, did you miss Daddy?"
The little one gesticulated, expressing his happiness, and also reached out to pull his dad's hair.
"Papa! Pappy!"
"Ouch, ouch, ouch! Be gentle."
The "Beast Tamer" Leticia quickly became familiar with Gomu. The girl happily rode the three-headed hound for a stroll outside the city.
Andreas wasn't worried that Gomu would cause a commotion; Leticia brought her animal companions out on the streets every now and then, and the residents of Astranaar were long accustomed to it. Now it was just a different species.
After the journey to Stormheim, Azeroth entered a relatively long period of peace.
During this time, Andreas stayed in Astranaar, accompanying his son's growth and, incidentally, handling official duties on behalf of Tyrande and Malfurion, who were both in seclusion.
The battle in Stormheim progressed very smoothly. Although the Helagar were numerous and held a home-field advantage in Mistsong Harbor, under the baptism of artillery, which brought all life to equality, they merely held on for a little longer.
As the ghost fleet was completely sunk, Mistsong Harbor lost its long-range support for ground troops, and soon its forces collapsed like a landslide.
At this opportune moment, Valhalla also finished clearing up the aftermath in the Abyssal Depths. As the Einherjar Warriors descended from the sky, the morale of the Vrykul was greatly boosted, and they quickly tore through Mistsong Harbor's defenses.
Compared to the situation in Stormheim, Andreas paid more attention to the news from Dalaran.
After long-term reconnaissance by scouts dispatched by Prisim, one scout finally discovered the identity of the mysterious person who met with Antonidas — Meryl Winterwind, the first Lich in Azeroth's history.
For short-lived races, Meryl's existence was still recorded, but because the old Lich lived in seclusion for many years, no one in modern times could identify him by his appearance.
But it was different for the long-lived Night Elves. Prisim's scouts could firmly remember the appearances of all important figures in Azeroth's history, and Meryl Winterwind was naturally no exception.
Dalaran had a small satellite town called Ambermill, located at the border with Silverpine Forest.
Many mages who retired from Dalaran chose to spend the rest of their lives here, and Antonidas was no exception.
The scout discovered Antonidas and Meryl Winterwind meeting in Ambermill and confirmed his identity after multiple investigations.
Since Alodi returned the Guardian's power and passed away peacefully, Meryl Winterwind retired from the Tirisifal Council, and there had been no news of him for many years.
When Medivh, possessed by Sargeras, tricked and ambushed members of the Tirisifal Council in the tower, Meryl also did not appear. Many people thought he had long since ended his own life, unable to bear the prolonged undead existence.
Unlike the Night Elves' immortality, the undead cannot perceive all the beauty in the world. Unless one has an exceptionally firm will or a strong obsession with something, it is difficult to endure such a monotonous life over thousands of years.
And Meryl happened to be one of these few people.
The Keepers of Tirisifal had been proven by history to no longer be suitable for the current era, but Meryl believed the Council still had a reason to exist.
Andreas had no objections to this point.
Without the Tirisifal Council secretly restraining and hunting demons, who knows if that group of mages, prone to self-destruction, would once again leave Azeroth riddled with holes.
In previous years, Azeroth had too many internal and external troubles. Except for a few with ulterior motives, most mages did not focus their research on demon summoning.
After Antonidas retired, the young Jaina did not possess the same powerful deterrent as the old mage, and some high-ranking mages in Dalaran began to stir, preparing to secretly conduct forbidden Arcane spell experiments not permitted by Dalaran law.
"Rebuilding the Tirisifal Council, eh?" Andreas stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Aurora, you make a trip to Ambermill first and convey my message to Antonidas and Meryl."
"Tell them that the Night Elves are very interested in the original purpose of the Tirisifal Council's establishment, and we are willing to send some mages to assist in the Council's reconstruction, however..."
Andreas narrowed his eyes and said, "I hope the Council's mages will not make the same foolish mistakes again, stay away from politics, and maintain the purity of the concept of hunting demons and upholding Arcane order."
The Tirisifal Council has gradually developed a bad habit amid the changes of the ages.
For years the councilors have hidden behind the scenes to maintain peace on Azeroth, and this cloud-shifting, rain-making power makes them reluctant to let it go.
Generations of council members have ventured farther and deeper into meddling with the internal affairs of various nations.
Although not a direct cause, the Council's ideological split with Aegwynn led to a complete break, indirectly allowing the headstrong Aegwynn to become possessed by Sargeras.
If Aegwynn had not fallen out with the Council and retired in seclusion, the elite mages within the Council would eventually have noticed her changed behavior, and many of the later events might never have occurred.
No nation's leader is willing to hand the fate of their country over to outsiders, and the Council's meddlesome interference has bred resentment among the realms.
Since the Council's collapse, no nation has discussed rebuilding it, fearing that the notorious mage organization would repeat its old mistakes.
Dalaran is the magical hub of humanity, and even in retirement Antonidas still wields great influence there.
Meryl's choice to make him the first target of persuasion was wise; after all, Meryl is a founding member of the Arathor Empire's first mage order, highly respected among human mages, and Antonidas holds him in high regard.
In fact, Meryl did sway Antonidas, but the aged, seasoned archmage did not agree outright.
Having once been a national leader himself, Antonidas knows the Council's bad habits all too well, and before discussing a solution he could not simply dig a pit for his prized apprentice Jaina.
Meryl also opposed the politicization of the Council, but his ideas were not embraced by the increasingly bloated upper echelons, which is one reason he withdrew in disappointment.
When Aurora, representing the Night Elves, traveled to Ambermill, she "coincidentally" discovered Meryl Winterwind and called his name aloud, finally putting the Council's reconstruction on the right track.
As the unrivaled dominant race among Azeroth's Mortals, the Night Elves' influence far surpasses that of any former Dalaran leader.
Through Aurora's liaison, Sun King Kael'thas learned of the matter and sent Archmage Romances to Ambermill to discuss rebuilding the Council.
All four sides first reached consensus: the rebuilt Council must no longer interfere in the politics of any nation.
As long as that condition is met, participating nations may grant green lights for council members to hunt demons and fallen mages entering their realms.
Under Andreas' watch, news of the Council's reconstruction finally spread.
Every nation with mages joined the discussion, even the Zandalari Trolls who have recently become active in international affairs.
Rastakhan seemed to have figured it out: since he could not pull the Night Elves down from the top alone, he would forge alliances with other nations that dislike the Night Elves.
However, because the Night Republic under Andreas' rule has always acted cleanly and rarely meddles in other nations' affairs, the Night Elves enjoy a fairly good reputation across Azeroth… at least far better than the infamous trolls.
Rastakhan isn't in a hurry; with the loa extending his lifespan, he still has plenty of time to sow his seeds.
Even if his generation fails, he can entrust hope to his daughter Talanji, whose descendants will eventually return the Zandalari to Azeroth's throne—a lifelong obsession of his.
But Rastakhan miscalculated one thing—human nature.
Not all Zandalari Trolls want to stir up Azeroth's turmoil to seize power; Princess Talanji, for instance, has no such ambition.
Though she disagrees with some of her father's ideas, Talanji shares his view on opening up to the outside world.
With father and daughter pushing, the Zandalari abandoned their old habit of playing only with themselves and began actively participating in international affairs, inserting themselves into this Council reconstruction.
Coincidentally, Gilneas and Quel'Thalas—both fond of isolation—also changed course and joined the discussion on rebuilding the Council.
Because the various races of Azeroth hold differing opinions on the reconstruction rules, Andreas, via Aurora, suggested to Meryl that they gather all representatives for a direct debate.
Considering the geography and demands of each faction, Meryl ultimately chose the Azsuna region of the Broken Isles as the meeting site.
Azsuna is technically unclaimed land; although many Night Elf spirits reside there, the Night Republic has never formally asserted ownership over this broken territory.
The local host, Prince Farodith, welcomed the international conference with enthusiasm.
At Prince Farodith's sincere request, Shandris used a Tidestone to raise the old Nalath Academy from the sea, and the Night Elves hurriedly cleaned and repaired the academy's interior.
Andreas did not attend in person—after all, he is not a mage—and was represented by Celeste and Elisande, with Aurora accompanying them.
Each nation also sent its own mage leaders, and the summit of Azeroth's mages convened at the former site of the Nalath Academy.
Hosted by former Council member Meryl Winterwind and Prince Farodith, the otherwise quarrelsome conference managed to proceed smoothly.
Races without mage lineages, such as Tauren and Orcs, also sent representatives under the banner of cooperating nations to observe.
The conference lasted a full half-month before concluding, with all parties finally reaching a hard-won agreement.
Rebuilding the Council means preserving its original functions, limiting member nations' abuse of Arcane magic, and having council members hunt demons that infiltrate Azeroth.
Simultaneously, all nations issued a united warning, strictly prohibiting the Council from ever again interfering in internal affairs.
Should any council member repeat such behavior, regardless of their race, they will be expelled and handed over to their own race or nation for punishment according to their laws, with severe penalties.
Meryl Winterwind initially wanted to restart the Council's headquarters in Dalaran, but this request was unanimously opposed by all member nations outside Dalaran.
This is one of the Council's irregular practices: as a neutral international body, placing its headquarters in a member nation clearly suggests collusion and hidden agendas, undermining true impartiality.
Meryl wished to keep the old headquarters, full of memories, but everyone else objected; finally, Elisande proposed a compromise.
Using the power of the eye of amanthul, she extracted the mage tower from Dalaran and, under the stunned gaze of Dalaran's mages, transported the entire tower across the sea to re-establish it at the former Nalath Academy site.
This display of strength silenced many unruly mage representatives, and the heated arguments quieted.
Celeste stood at the head table on the top floor of the Council's headquarters, hands on the table, scanning the assembled mage delegates.
"Now the headquarters issue is resolved. The Council will be stationed in the unclaimed land of Azsuna. Who supports, who opposes?"
Meryl's stiff undead face twitched, thinking, 'You moved the mage tower right in front of everyone; who dares still oppose…'