Two days later, the construction of the base camp's infrastructure officially commenced, with buildings rapidly rising from the ground. The construction crew, comprised of Mages, Shamans, and Druids, worked with exceptional speed. Shamans were a profession that had originated from the Orcs.
By communing with natural elements to cast spells, they could act as Mages, serve as healers, or imbue their weapons to fight in close combat—making them effectively versatile. Had the requirements not been so stringent, allowing for a larger number of Orc Shamans, the Alliance would have faced a much harder fight.
After concluding his arrangements, Azshara, Jaina, and Sylvanas also crossed through the portal to arrive in Pandaria, this entirely uncharted continent. Even for Azshara, it was a highly novel experience. She had rarely set foot on this southern expanse; to her, exploring the world was far less meaningful than researching the Well of Eternity.
This arrival marked her very first time stepping onto this land. Most importantly, she was here with Arthas, which mattered above all else. Coming here alone would be called inspecting territory, but coming with her sisters made it a family outing, which felt entirely different.
In the past, she had exhausted herself trying to expand her borders; now, she could simply lounge at home while her husband took care of everything. This life was simply too comfortable, causing her to let out a soft hum of satisfaction.
"The scenery here is quite lovely. An occasional vacation here wouldn't be bad at all."
Azshara stretched languidly. Since adapting to life as a housewife, she had increasingly shed the rigid posture of a Queen; in the past, she would never have made such a casual gesture. It was no wonder people said marriage was a magical process that altered both men and women.
The morning mist drifted like fine gauze across the bamboo canopies of the Jade Forest, rolling over the dew-kissed mossy stone steps. Ancient, gnarled trees twisted across the mountains, their new leaves gleaming with a jade luster. Streams wound through the woods, their bubbling murmurs mingling with the songs of spiritual birds, while the air carried the sweet fragrance of bamboo and floral nectar.
It was hard to believe this place was a hidden paradise, though strictly speaking, it fell somewhat short of a true ideal land. Azshara was right—it was fine for an occasional vacation, but the environment would certainly fall below standard for long-term residence.
The unique environment of the Jade Forest was perfect for a reclusive life, possessing the precise tranquility and leisurely detachment suited for a quiet existence. As a resort location, it was excellent, but it truly wasn't ideal for a permanent home. One couldn't quite articulate why, but the intuition simply screamed that it wasn't the right fit.
"It is indeed nice, and a brief stay would be acceptable. The scenery is beautiful, but it lacks the warmth of a proper home; I don't particularly favor it. These stalks of bamboo are quite nice, though. I might consider transplanting some back; they give me a sense of serenity that is highly suited for a ranger."
Sylvanas's baby bump had begun to show clearly. Where she had previously looked slender, she now increasingly resembled an expectant mother. Paired with a ranger's characteristically lean and delicate frame, it always made one worry whether the weight might strain her waist.
Elegant and aloof, her breathtakingly beautiful face carried a faint, radiant glow of impending motherhood. While becoming a parent was undoubtedly a daunting prospect, actually reaching this stage brought an indescribably wondrous sensation. Nurturing a new life—a child of her own whom she would raise from infancy to adulthood—evoked an entirely unprecedented feeling.
Blood Elves universally favored arcane magical energy. Benefiting from the Sunwell, every newborn Blood Elf was a natural Mage. Among them, the rangers were a highly specific offshoot; during conflicts with the trolls, the presence of frontline warriors was an absolute necessity.
However, the natural physical build of the Blood Elves did not support them acting as traditional heavy warriors. Their slender frames were better suited for elusive guerrilla skirmishes, which led to the inception of the ranger profession. They had a low dependence on raw magic yet could still utilize it, and much like their distant Night Elf cousins, they possessed a deep affinity for nature.
This was precisely why Sylvanas found the lush Jade Forest acceptable, though only to a degree. Thanks to the dense groves, bamboo—a plant that had never appeared outside of Pandaria and had never been transplanted by any creature—struck her as exceptionally novel upon her first encounter.
Jaina was currently six months pregnant and considered herself the most fortunate of all. Back in Stratholme, she hadn't walked away, and Arthas hadn't chosen to purge the city; instead, he had saved the citizens under the banner of purification. Whatever the underlying truth, he had ultimately rescued many subjects and defeated the Dreadlord, which was the finest possible outcome.
Although monogamy was the prevailing tradition in the kingdom, it clearly didn't apply to Arthas. While she was reluctant to share her husband with other women, she was powerless to alter the reality.
To see childhood sweethearts achieve a fulfilling conclusion was the greatest fortune of all. Requesting anything further would merely be bad form.
"Husband, you mentioned last time that you came to look for materials. Did you find them?"
Jaina remained the most practical one. After all, she assisted in managing Lordaeron in her capacity as Queen, making her highly perceptive regarding major affairs. Back when Arthas went to deal with the Burning Legion and altered the timeline, causing him to be absent from the Battle of Mount Hyjal, it was she who led the Alliance forces to hold the line, subsequently forming a friendship with Tyrande.
She possessed both capability and beauty. If there was anything left to be dissatisfied with, it remained entirely unknown.
"I found them; I managed to locate them just yesterday. There was a high-tier beast guarding them, but I secured them with minimal effort. Shandris will return to Ashenvale to transport the materials and prepare the ritual, which will still take some time. We can take this opportunity to vacation here for a while. Once everything is ready, we'll head over to witness the resurrection ritual of the Wild Gods. To be frank, I've never seen it either."
Arthas shrugged. The high-tier beast he mentioned would typically require an army of over ten thousand regular troops to hunt down, alongside sustaining notable casualties to subdue. Yet before him, it was entirely inconsequential; he had neutralized it effortlessly—perhaps not completely casually, but certainly without a shred of pressure.
"I haven't witnessed a demigod's resurrection ritual either," Tyrande noted, her tone reflecting nostalgia. "Despite spending so much time at Mount Hyjal, the Kaldorei never managed to find a definitive method to resurrect the demigods. Only the demigods themselves understood the process, leaving us with only a superficial understanding. Following their fall during the War of the Ancients, much of that heritage was lost."
"If you hadn't entered the Emerald Dream to meet with them and brought back the methodology, we would still be searching indefinitely for a way to restore them. Furthermore, many of the demigods' descendants have lost their way, regressing significantly in terms of civilization to become beasts incapable of communication. It truly is a profound tragedy."
Tyrande spoke with a sigh. She was a devout follower of the Moon Goddess Elune and served as the High Priestess. Toward the Wild Gods, she felt familiarity and closeness, but not worship. The Moon Goddess was a true deity, whereas demigods had only stepped halfway into the divine realm; who would choose a pistol over a machine gun?
Azshara cast a brief glance at Tyrande. During the ancient era, she had invited Tyrande into the Eternal Palace to serve as her handmaiden. That was during the zenith of the Kaldorei Empire, yet Tyrande had actually dared to refuse her!
Back then, no one dared to defy her; all the Highborne wished for nothing more than to kneel and kiss her feet. What a joke—that level of devotion was something only her husband was qualified to enjoy.
"Don't you have Druids?" Azshara scoffed mockingly. "Their favorite pastime is sleeping and diving into the Emerald Dream. After all these millennia, they couldn't find a single solution? They couldn't even establish contact with those beasts?"
In her perception, the Wild Gods were essentially beasts. Aside from a select few like Aviana who possessed a humanoid form, the others always appeared in native animal shapes. Malorne was a stag, Agamaggan was a boar, the Ursoc brothers were bears, and there were giant wolves and the like. The troll side was even more crowded with animals: devilsaurs, raptors, pterrordax, frogs, sharks, spiders—all animals.
Given that Azshara was stronger than these demigods—with even Malorne, the strongest among them, being no match for her—her dismissive attitude was entirely expected.
Faced with Azshara's taunts, Tyrande remained entirely serene, as though nothing could break her composure, save for sharing a bed.
"That falls under the purview of the Cenarion Circle. I do not interfere; I only govern the Sisterhood of Elune."
This reason was entirely sound. In truth, the Night Elves operated under two distinct systems: the Sisterhood of Elune and the Cenarion Circle composed of Druids. Each managed different affairs and frequently collaborated, often creating the false impression to outsiders that everything was under Tyrande's singular leadership.
Seeing Tyrande remain entirely unbothered, Azshara found it utterly dull. A shrieking, agitated Tyrande would be far more entertaining; this overly proper demeanor was quite frustrating.
"Ahem, alright, Azshara, stop trying to provoke her. I'll let you experience my severity tonight!"
Arthas felt it necessary to step in and say a few words. This Queen was perfect in every way, from her head down to her delicate feet, but her personality was somewhat proud and aloof. This simply wouldn't do; it was detrimental to the harmony of the harem.
"Hmph, you can let me experience your severity right now if you want. Why wait until tonight?"
Queen Azshara refused to back down, though her tone softened considerably. She still had to heed her husband's words; after all these millennia, Arthas was the only man who had ever captured her heart.
"You heartless man, you didn't come to find me for ten thousand years, and the moment you return, you snap at me. Now that you have power and your wings have hardened, you know how to bully your wife, don't you!"
Turning the tables—since she couldn't get a rise out of Tyrande, she would badger her husband instead; there was always an approach that worked.
"Ahem, why don't we board the airship for a tour? Speaking of which, there are still many places in Pandaria we haven't visited. This is the Jade Forest, which is also where Shandris just made landfall. I heard there's a place called the Valley of the Four Winds that specializes in producing all kinds of exquisite food. Let's go take a look."
Arthas knew he was in the wrong. Although it hadn't been his intention, the sequence of events could be altered, but the passage of time remained absolute. It wasn't just Azshara who had waited ten thousand years; Tyrande and the Red Dragon Queen had endured the same long wait.
"I agree with Azshara," Tyrande chimed in uniquely. "You must compensate us. How you do so is up to you, but if it isn't sufficiently surprising, we won't let you off easily!"
Tyrande rarely joined in on such matters; her style was consistently detached. Had they not married the same man, she wouldn't have much interaction with Azshara at all, as the two were on entirely different wavelengths. Now that their relationship was unalterable, she sought to mend it as much as possible.
Whether it was Tyrande leaving Arthas or Azshara leaving him, neither scenario was possible. The days ahead were long, and letting the relationship grow too strained wouldn't look good for anyone.
Only Jaina stood to the side, covering her mouth as she giggled. She wasn't particularly fond of her husband seeking out more women. Now look—he had run into a wall, hadn't he? Let's see if he dared to be so flirtatious in the future!
Hmph, he even had a daughter now, which put him ahead of everyone else!
It had to be said that Tyrande possessed a rarely encountered high fertility; it had only taken a few encounters to succeed. While the others were all on their first pregnancy, Tyrande was already on her second, putting her a step firmly in the lead.
While they were bickering, the Black Dragon Princess Onyxia was continuously yawning. The dragon race couldn't compare to humans; they typically preferred to sleep and hibernate when idle, and now that she was pregnant, she remained in a constant state of slumber. Her energy was flagging a bit, and she was starting to feel drowsy again.
She shot a subtle glance at the two elders beside her, noting that the Red Dragon Queen Alexstrasza and the Green Dragon Queen Ysera weren't participating in these harem antics at all. At this point, they were already standing with their eyes closed, fast asleep. This truly was quite a skill—sleeping while standing up?
"Then let's go view the scenery from the airship. Call me when we arrive; I'm exhausted. I have no idea how much longer it'll take to give birth to this child. Sigh, it's such a grueling process. You only know how to leave offspring everywhere, with zero inkling of how hard it is for us women. Hehe, we require compensation as well! Bad husband, I'm going to sleep now."
Onyxia blinked her eyes. Her words seemed like a complaint, but they were actually intended to extricate her husband from the awkward situation. When a man had many women and wives, the greatest pitfall was favoritism. Azshara was clearly pushing in that direction; she wouldn't stop her, but she wouldn't make things difficult for her husband either, so she simply spoke up to redirect the conversation.
Claiming she was going to sleep was merely a pre-arranged signal between the two. Who would actually go to sleep at a time like this? Even if one intended to sleep, there was no need to state it so explicitly.
"Ahem, alright, I need to give this some thought; I require some time. Let's go, let's go board the airship and look at the scenery. Bring Li Li along—she's the finest chef, so if we decide to have a picnic later, we won't go hungry."
外斯(Arthas) cast a grateful glance at Onyxia. This Black Dragon Princess hadn't been pampered in vain; she knew how to help him, which proved she was an excellent wife.
Azshara wanted to say something more, but her handmaiden Vashj gave her sleeve a gentle tug, shaking her head to signal her to drop the matter.
This left Azshara somewhat annoyed. A handmaiden—even the head handmaiden—shouldn't dare to defy her!
Seeing her mistress grow angry, Vashj couldn't help but feel a twinge of sorrow in her heart. She seemingly shared a husband with her mistress, yet she remained a servant in essence. Before Azshara, she would always be a handmaiden, fundamentally unable to attain equal status. Even though she was currently pregnant, was she not still a handmaiden?
Though feeling deeply wronged internally, she still spoke up to smooth things over.
"Mistress, if you press further, Master will grow angry. You've witnessed his anger before; it's best to know when to stop and make gradual progress. The days ahead are long, and there's no need to force everything at once. Triggering a backlash and damaging the relationship wouldn't be good."
Hearing this, Azshara found the advice reasonable. She disdained engaging in harem politics; even if she disliked sharing, the reality stood plainly before her, and playing dumb wouldn't change it. She could afford to disregard the others—even her sisters—but she absolutely could not afford to disregard her husband and partner, who was her everything.