Accompanying Leticia to her gathering of young companions served a dual purpose. In addition to achieving the primary objective of directly contacting Dath'Remar, Andreas managed to gather a significant amount of interesting and useful intelligence from the conversations of these noble young ladies.
Though these girls were still young, they hailed from the major Highborne families. Growing up in such environments, they had naturally overheard various secrets from their elders that were inaccessible to outsiders. These snippets of information inevitably became the primary topics of discussion during their gatherings.
Among the news was the mention of a certain Demon Hunter who had recently attempted to force his way through the city gates.
In the end, Illidan had failed to charge into the city successfully. The staggering displays of power by Archimonde when he intervened had given him quite a shock. Although Illidan knew that the terrifying Fel ray was not aimed at him, his guilty conscience led him to weigh the risks and eventually choose to retreat.
Illidan's ability to come and go as he pleased had caused the Moon Guards stationed at the gate to lose face entirely. Captain Drelsen, who was on duty at the time, was ruthlessly berated by the Moon Guard Commander-in-Chief afterward. That Commander-in-Chief happened to be the father of one of the girls attending the gathering.
When Dath'Remar returned to the parlor carrying Celece—the host of today's gathering—the little one was rubbing her eyes in a daze, having just awakened from a sweet dream. Celece had no memory of being hypnotized by Andreas. Upon returning to the room, the little girl immediately cheered and pounced toward him again, completely ignoring the complex look in her father's eyes as he stood by the door.
As the moon outside the window gradually sank, the weekly gathering drew to a close. By the time the sisters were disbanding to head home, Dath'Remar had already departed for the outskirts of the city to carry out the mission he had personally requested from the Queen.
After an enjoyable party, the post-excitement exhaustion hit Leticia. She dozed off against the soft cushions of her arcane sedan. On the return journey, the Queen had already concluded her procession, and the royal guards along the road were nowhere to be seen.
Andreas stared blankly toward the Well of Eternity through the small window. The pillars of Fel light rising from the vicinity of the portal were exceptionally conspicuous.
A scene devoid of any aesthetic... what exactly is Queen Azshara planning? She couldn't possibly believe the nonsense Sargeras fabricated, could she?
Though he had never spoken directly with Azshara, the brief encounter earlier had left a deep impression. The Queen's majestic and wise gaze did not suggest she was a woman easily fooled. Azshara certainly had her own designs in her cooperation with the Burning Legion, but Andreas had yet to figure out what her ultimate goal was.
Forget it. I'll just be patient for now—at least until my injuries are fully healed.
Andreas turned his head to look at the sleeping Leticia. While waiting for news from Dath'Remar, I'll try to establish limited contact with Liander. This advisor seems to have many grievances regarding the Burning Legion as well. Perhaps...
...
As the saying goes, plans cannot keep up with changes.
When Leticia's arcane sedan arrived back at the Moonsong estate, the sight of Liander standing at the gate beside a familiar, elegantly dressed woman immediately caught Andreas' attention.
I remember her.
Andreas narrowed his eyes at the strikingly beautiful and seductive tall woman. Wasn't she one of the handmaidens following behind Queen Azshara? She seemed to hold the highest status among them, being qualified to communicate directly with the Queen. Could it be...
A name flashed through his mind, but Andreas maintained his disguise as an ordinary crow without showing any emotion.
Vashj? What is she doing at the Moonsong estate?
Thud~
The slight vibration of the sedan landing woke Leticia from her shallow sleep. The girl rubbed her eyes and looked out the window.
"Eh?"
Upon seeing her father and the head handmaiden, Leticia's groggy mind snapped awake. "Father, and... Lady Vashj?"
As I thought...
Just as Andreas reached this realization, Liander and Vashj simultaneously turned their gazes toward Leticia, who had just stepped out of the sedan. More accurately, they turned their gaze toward the crow on her shoulder.
Feeling the scrutinizing eyes of the two, Andreas felt a jolt of alarm. He suddenly had a bad premonition, but to avoid alerting them, he struggled to remain composed.
"Caw?"
Liander frowned at the crow's harsh cry. Then, he asked Vashj in a tone that was gentle yet elegant, "Lady Vashj, let me confirm one last time. Did the Queen truly name this crow specifically as the one she wishes to see?"
Andreas: "!!!"
A look of confusion was also present in Vashj's eyes. She couldn't see anything special about this seemingly ordinary crow, but the Queen's orders were not for her to question.
"Indeed. The audience is set for tomorrow evening. The Queen has specifically granted permission for the crow's owner, Miss Leticia, to enter the palace as well."
Liander nodded and turned his gaze toward his daughter, whose face was filled with shock and suspicion.
"Leticia, you heard her. You must not be impolite when entering the palace tomorrow. In a moment, I will teach you some court etiquette; you must learn it as quickly as possible."
With her brain unable to process the speed of these developments, Leticia's eyes were filled with confusion. She instinctively nodded and replied, "I understand, Father."
...
After some tidying up and listening to Liander's explanation, Leticia finally regained some clarity after bathing and changing her clothes. She reached out and poked Andreas' crow body, muttering to herself in bewilderment, "What is so special about you? Why does the Queen suddenly want to see you?"
Andreas couldn't give a clear answer to that question either, though he suspected it was related to that accidental encounter earlier. He hesitated for a moment, wondering whether to reveal his true identity to the girl before him, but ultimately decided against it.
Never mind. I'll likely be exposed tomorrow anyway. There's no need to add to her worries before we even enter the palace.
...
"What did you say?! A lead?"
Tichondrius grabbed a low-ranking Nathrezim before him and demanded, "Explain the details clearly!"
The Nathrezim struggled to speak. "Yes... a commoner child along the street couldn't endure the torture and, on his deathbed, spoke of a scene he accidentally witnessed."
"He said the crow wasn't killed after being shot down; instead, it fell into a passing arcane sedan."
"An arcane sedan? The automated transport used by the Highborne?"
Having calmed down, Tichondrius released the Dreadlord. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully and asked, "Have you found out who that sedan belongs to?"
"Yes. After interrogating the mortals in the commercial district and cross-referencing repeatedly, it has been confirmed that the owner of that sedan is a Highborne girl named Leticia Moonsong."