The shopkeeper, Anna, hearing Andreas's unexpected request, had a flicker of surprise in her eyes.
"While such requests were rare in the past, we can certainly craft it. But... are you certain you want a Shadow-attribute staff? With material this precious, once it's forged, it cannot be altered again."
Andreas let out a small sigh of relief. "As long as it can be done. I'll leave it to you then, Shopkeeper Anna. I want the Shadow attribute."
Anna nodded with a smile. "Very well, it's settled. Additionally, regarding the appearance of the staff, do you have any specific requirements?"
"None. I'll leave the design to you; as long as it's functional, it's fine."
...
After paying the deposit, Andreas stepped out of the shop and stretched comfortably.
"As expected of the Night Elf Empire with its advanced arcane civilization. I'll have the finished product by tomorrow evening. One more thing checked off the list."
Just then, a commotion from the crowd not far from the shop caught Andreas's attention.
"Hey, you're not joking, are you?"
"It's absolutely true. That mad dragon is flying this way."
"Then we'd better flee quickly! With Black Rook Hold's current defensive strength, there's no chance of winning a fight against the Black Dragon King!"
"Don't panic yet. Let's see what the temporary Lord has to say. Perhaps he's just passing through."
Hearing the worried discussion of the crowd, a look of realization flashed in Andreas's eyes.
It seems Rhonin has taken action. The battlefield at the Zin-Azshari front is about to get even more lively.
Sure enough, when Andreas returned to the Moonsong family's new home, Leticia was pacing anxiously in the hall, holding a letter.
"Ah! You're finally back." Seeing Andreas stroll leisurely through the door, Leticia said with a hint of reproach, "The temporary Lord, Aurora, asked me to give this letter to you. It was sent from the front lines."
Aurora Ravencrest was the widow of the late Lord Ravencrest and the mother of Illysanna. She was currently serving as the temporary Lady of Black Rook Hold.
Without a word, Andreas tore open the letter and skimmed the contents.
"Hmph~ He fell for it after all."
The letter was from Malfurion, primarily detailing the actions of Rhonin and Broxigar. Following the suggestion Andreas had given, they had successfully lured Neltharion toward Zin-Azshari.
If Neltharion were in his normal state, he certainly wouldn't have been fooled by such an unfounded trick. However, the Black Dragon King was currently suffering immense agony from his body tearing apart, making it difficult for him to calmly discern the truth of the intelligence. Under the brainwashing and temptation of the Old God N'Zoth, the Black Dragon King's mind was a mess, leaving only the obsession to reclaim the Dragon Soul and sweep across the world.
Upon learning that the Dragon Soul had been taken by thieves to Zin-Azshari, Neltharion immediately roared and shifted his direction, flying straight toward the capital of the Night Elf Empire.
At midnight, almost everyone in Black Rook Hold witnessed a massive black dragon soaring over the city. The sharp-eyed Andreas even spotted the crudely fixed giant nails and metal plates on Neltharion's body—crude stabilization devices ensuring his body wouldn't continue to collapse... at least for the time being.
Crumpling the letter and using shadow energy to reduce it to ash, Andreas looked at Leticia and said, "Leticia, after I get the finished staff tomorrow afternoon, I'll head straight for Highmountain."
"What about you? Will you stay in Black Rook Hold or return to the front-line camp? Personally, I suggest..."
"No need to say it," Leticia said stubbornly. "I'm going back to the front lines!"
Andreas was silent for a moment, then sighed and tapped the girl's forehead lightly. "Fine, have it your way. I hope you won't regret it later."
...
Anna's staff shop, which claimed a history of over 2,000 years, was highly efficient. When Andreas went to collect the finished product the following evening, Shopkeeper Anna immediately placed the completed staff in his hands.
The carefully carved Branch of G'Hanir had completely changed its form. The staff was about 1.8 meters long, which was a perfect fit for Andreas, who stood just over two meters tall.
Whether by coincidence or design, the head of the wooden staff was shaped like a crow with its head tilted back and beak open. A deep purple crystal floated just above the beak, rotating on its own.
Andreas was quite satisfied with the design. He paid the remaining balance and left the shop under Anna's warm farewell.
Leticia was still at home; she would eventually head to the mage tower to teleport back to the front-line camp on her own. Having no more concerns in Black Rook Hold for now, Andreas secured his staff and, enveloped in a shroud of dark purple mist, transformed into a golden eagle and took flight into the high sky.
...
Flash!
When Leticia returned to the teleportation area of the military camp, several upright-walking "bears" arrived from afar via teleportation magic at almost the same time.
"Blegh—"
One of the black-and-white "bear-men" had just stepped out of the teleportation circle when he immediately leaped outside the tent with an agility that belied his stout body, leaning over to vomit on the grass.
"Um..." Leticia looked confusedly at the Highborne mage presiding over the circle. "Excuse me, where did these bear-men come from?"
"Ahem... Miss, we are not bear-men. We are Pandaren." The previously vomiting individual with a goatee finally caught his breath. He rubbed his aching head and said with a wry smile, "Apologies for showing you such an unseemly side. Teleportation magic is indeed convenient, but that nauseating feeling during the process always... blegh—"
Recalling the experience, the Pandaren gagged again. Leticia was a bit startled by his reaction and quickly took a step back.
"Old Lei, you're scaring the child."
A helpless female voice came from behind the self-proclaimed Pandaren. It was a beautiful Night Elf woman with blue hair tied in a ponytail. She wore leather armor that had clearly been patched many times, looking as though she had just experienced a series of fierce battles. Her entire being radiated a feminine heroic aura that Leticia had never seen in her Highborne peers.
This woman, valiant yet charming, smiled and crouched down in front of Leticia to comfort her. "Don't worry. The Pandaren are reinforcements who have come to help us defeat the Burning Legion. Don't be fooled by their bear-like appearance; they are actually very mild-tempered."
"Ah, right. I forgot to introduce myself." The blue-haired woman stood up and offered her bandaged right hand to Leticia. "I am Shandris. Shandris Feathermoon, a novice priestess of the Sisterhood of Elune. Little sister, why are you alone in the military camp? Have you been separated from your family?"
As Leticia took Shandris' hand, she thoughtfully repeated the name twice in her mind. "Shandris... Shandris!" The girl gasped, covering her mouth in surprise. "You are the Shandris that Andreas always talks about? How could you be..."
Noticing the disheveled appearance of Shandris and her companions, Leticia politely bit back the rest of her sentence.
Shandris looked down at her own outfit and gave a bitter smile. "It's a long story. Do you know Andreas? Does that mean he has also successfully returned from his mission?"
"Oh ho!" A boisterous female voice came from behind Shandris. Then, a tall woman, also in leather armor, unceremoniously draped herself over Shandris, poking her head over her shoulder and asking with a gossipy look, "Is the legendary childhood friend about to appear? Where is he?"
Shandris irritably jabbed an elbow into Reinella's toned stomach. "If you don't speak, no one will think you're a mute!"