"Okay, but I need your help to mark three locations for me."
Arthas' eyes lit up; finding them himself would certainly be difficult, as the ancient continent and the post-modern continent were not the same, and the geographical environment also differed.
What might be a mountainous region now could become an ocean, a basin, or even a plain in the future.
The names and appellations were also different, making it hard for them to understand which place he meant. He could only describe easily recognizable landmarks, and perhaps then they would know.
Otherwise, it would be like talking past each other: I say Haidilao is cheap, and you say the people at Haidilao are not cheap.
It seemed he sensed their arrogance; they would find him and immediately bring him back to claim credit and rewards. How could the great queen be kept waiting?
This was disrespect! This was blasphemy!
And indeed, if Azshara, before she became a naga, were to give him the opportunity to blaspheme her, he certainly wouldn't be polite. He would have to blaspheme her fiercely, to let her know what a grand slam meant.
"Believe me, even if the two of you teamed up, you wouldn't defeat me."
"Heh heh, anyway, you're just here to find me; there's no mention of how long it should take. Coming with me for a trip won't hurt."
"Besides, I also need your help. Once we anchor the locations, we can leave. What do you say? Cooperation, or war?"
A threat?
The Kaldorei would never accept any threats. They were the most excellent, intelligent, and beautiful race in Azeroth.
Unless the opponent was a Demigod!
Hmm? Was the Ximen Chuixue in front of him a Demigod?
Well then, occasionally compromising with a Demigod wasn't impossible, and it wasn't shameful!
Elisande looked at Vashj. She was a Grand Magister and the Countess of Suramar, that was true, but when it came to making real decisions, it still depended on the queen's most favored Handmaiden.
Vashj hesitated for a moment, not agreeing easily.
"How long will it take?"
"Not long. One is the Temple of Ahn'Qiraj near Uldum, another is the Temple of Ulduar to the north, and the last is Ny'alotha."
"First, we'll go to the first two places. The last one, Ny'alotha, is an elemental plane-like existence. I suspect it should be near your capital, Zin-Azshari, which would be a good chance to meet your queen."
Arthas wasn't sure exactly where N'Zoth was sealed, only that it was in the Nazjatar area. Each of these places was comparable in size to two or three modern provinces, and searching for it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
It was better to anchor two known locations first. Even if he couldn't find N'Zoth's sealing place in the end, it would at least be enough.
"Okay, but I need to remind you that both of those places have powerful presences, and even the Kaldorei Empire has not ventured there."
As the Chief Handmaiden, Vashj was not unfamiliar with these two places.
There weren't many places that could make Azshara, in her prime, wary. To the west, Mount Hyjal, the origin of the Dark trolls, housed a large number of Wild Demigods. Many Demigods working together would undoubtedly lead to a mutually destructive battle with the Kaldorei Empire.
To the south, Uldum was a Titan facility. They had attempted to explore it, but it was far away, and the iron constructs there were not to be trifled with, which is why the operation was shelved.
Azshara had a premonition that provoking the Guardian there could very likely lead to the demise of the entire Empire.
Before understanding the situation, it was better not to go.
And Azshara knew very well why that area had turned into a desert: an idiotic fellow named Lei Shen to the south, allied with the trolls, wanted to attack the Kaldorei Empire. He detoured through Uldum, intending to seize the powerful energy within.
As a result, he was blasted to death, and hundreds of thousands of troops vanished in a puff of smoke. That single blast turned the lush green forest into a barren, arid desert.
A path to self-destruction!
To the north, with the Titan facility of Ulduar, the threat level here was even greater than Uldum. Neither the Titan Guardians nor their armies of iron constructs were something the Kaldorei Empire could provoke.
Don't ask why she knew; it was because they had fought a battle and suffered a crushing defeat.
There was also another place, the dragon Isles, which was also not a place they could set foot in. There were too many dragons there, and dragonkin armies, whose strength was stronger than, not weaker than, the Kaldorei Empire.
A few minutes later, the arcane node-based teleportation array lit up.
Arthas and his party had already arrived at an outpost about two hundred miles from Uldum, where a small team was stationed for surveillance.
"Esteemed Lady Vashj, Countess Elisande, Captain Olit of the Thirty-Second Squad of the Second Legion awaits your command."
A night elf male knelt on the ground, speaking flattering words in the most humble tone.
Within the Empire, the hierarchy was orderly. Commoners had to bow to nobles and were not allowed to clash with them; everything was based on the nobles' standards.
Subordinates had to obey superiors, and insubordination often resulted in severe punishment.
These were the rules.
"Rise. Have there been any unusual movements at the southern facility?"
Vashj clasped her hands in front of her lower abdomen, her tone filled with endless coldness. Her haughty demeanor was her true self.
Her politeness to Arthas was not because he was the target of the mission, but only because of his Demigod realm and strength.
Some Demigods were weak, not very powerful in combat, but became Demigods by chance after living for a long time.
Such Demigods, if they died, simply died, because no followers would try to resurrect them.
This referred to the two giant conch Demigods in Vashj'ir.
This arrogance, instead of causing resentment, made Olit even more fanatical.
If he pleased Vashj, she would naturally speak well of them before the queen.
"Alright, you all continue to be vigilant and ensure the safety of the outpost. For Azshara!"
"For Azshara!"
Their conversation ended, both sides concluding with praise for the queen.
It was somewhat like religious fanaticism, integrating admiration for a certain person into daily conversation. Even if there wasn't much respect in their hearts, over time, they would be brainwashed.
After receiving instructions, Sinestra reverted to her dragon form. Her colossal size and overwhelming aura made the small team feel as if they were facing a formidable enemy.
Arthas leaped onto her, riding on her neck, treating her as a mount. Yes, a literal mount, or perhaps a subconscious mount, as he had ridden her before.
A dragon Aspect?
The dragon queen also possessed the power of guardianship bestowed by the Titans, though not much. Calling her a dragon Aspect was also acceptable.
Vashj and Elisande were both a little surprised. How proud were dragons?
Let alone riding on their heads, even communicating with them gave a sense of indifference; that arrogance stemmed from the strength of their race.
They had both dealt with dragons and knew their power and character.
It was precisely because of this understanding that they were particularly surprised to see Arthas riding on the head of an adult dragon.
Was this reasonable?
Yes, it was reasonable!