When Andreas followed the anxious Leticia back to the Moonsong family estate in the Noble District, the once magnificent manor had been reduced to a heap of broken ruins.
Moon Guards, having arrived upon hearing the news, were silently clearing the corpses from the wreckage with heavy hearts. Nearly all of the hundreds of servants belonging to the Moonsong family had been killed or wounded.
The few servants who had managed to survive stood dazed before the ruins. They surrounded a despondent woman sitting in a chair; even her luxurious attire could not hide the haggard, soul-crushed look on her face.
"Mother!"
Leticia suppressed her grief and threw herself into the arms of the blank-faced Felice. Hearing her daughter's call, the matriarch of the Moonsong family finally regained a flicker of consciousness.
Felice touched Leticia's cheek with a trembling hand, her lips quivering as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, nothing came out. Two trails of fresh tears flowed down the dried tear stains on her face.
As the mother and daughter wept in each other's arms, Andreas stood before the ruins, silent for a long time.
Although this outcome had not been his intention, he felt a deep sense of self-reproach for the calamity that had befallen the Moonsong family. Tichondrius must have obtained some uncertain intelligence from a certain channel, which caused him to rush directly to their door to demand answers with his subordinates.
Unfortunately, Liander's temperament had been stubborn and old-fashioned. When Tichondrius rudely demanded entry for a search, as the head of the Moonsong family, Liander naturally could not easily agree. Andreas didn't know the exact details of the tragedy, but based on the personalities and styles of both parties, it wasn't hard to deduce the sequence of events.
"Dammit!" One of the Moon Guards carried the last corpse out of the ruins, and his companion punched a nearby tree in fury. "Why did we even ask for the Burning Legion's aid? So these so-called 'Divine Envoys' could slaughter our own people?"
The man complaining appeared to be a Highborne who had received a fine education, possessing an extraordinary bearing and temperament.
Andreas curled his lip inwardly. Crocodile tears. It really is a matter of whose side you're on. When the Burning Legion was slaughtering civilians earlier, why didn't I see any of you standing up to say such things?
Most people would stand by and watch the spectacle with a smile until their own interests were threatened. Furthermore, there had always been a sharp class conflict between the Highborne and the Night Elf commoners; the latter's misfortune was often welcomed by the former.
Combined with the restrained attitude the Burning Legion had exerted in the early stages of the invasion, many Highborne truly believed they were saviors invited by the Queen to permanently secure aristocratic authority.
This Moon Guard's attitude was not an isolated case; most of the onlookers from various noble families displayed an air of righteous indignation. However, what had happened could not be undone. No matter how much they felt for their own kind now, it was too late.
With the family estate destroyed, the primary concern for the survivors was finding a suitable place to stay. After suffering multiple explosive developments in a single day, the young Leticia was clearly unable to handle so much information.
After Felice fainted from crying once more, the red-eyed girl appeared somewhat at a loss. She instinctively turned her gaze toward Andreas, hoping for his guidance.
Noticing her silent plea for help, Andreas stepped forward and patted the young girl's shoulder. "Don't panic. First, think back—does the Moonsong family have any other properties, perhaps a villa or a secondary estate?"
Given Andreas's prompt, Leticia's eyes lit up, but she quickly fell back into hesitation. "There is one, but the villa is located outside the city. It should be within the capital's defense perimeter established by the demons."
"Hmm... that's troublesome." Andreas rubbed his chin, pondering. "Would you mind staying at the home of a close friend? I believe the Sunstrider clan would be willing to lend a helping hand."
Leticia looked down. Although Felice was unconscious, her hands were still tightly clutching Leticia's waist. Shaking her head with a bitter smile, Leticia explained, "Unless there's absolutely no other way, we should find another solution. Living under someone else's roof isn't a long-term plan after all."
Andreas thought in silence for a moment. "Then there's no other choice. Either you temporarily move into the palace to seek the Queen's protection, or... the entire family leaves this place of sorrow behind and starts a new life elsewhere."
Although Queen Azshara had personally promised that no other family would dare take advantage of the situation, the Moonsong family had lost its great protector—Liander, the Queen's advisor. With only a widowed mother and a young daughter left, it would be difficult for the family to rise again before Leticia grew enough.
Relying solely on past connections and resources, Leticia lacked the confidence to stabilize the family's foundation in a short time. Rather than pinning their hopes on the Queen's verbal protection and continuing to struggle for survival in the peril-filled Zin-Azshari, it would be better to change environments and slowly find their rhythm. At least, that was what Andreas thought.
Leticia asked hesitantly, "Relocate from Zin-Azshari? But where would we go?"
"Suramar has completely sealed itself off with a barrier. Shandalar is in the far north with a freezing climate; we definitely couldn't adapt to it on such short notice."
"Cenarion... no, Cenarion's sister city, Zen-Lalar? No, wait. Eldarath is being besieged by a detachment of the Legion; it's no safer than Zin-Azshari."
"Lash'an is a typical temple city, not suitable for Highborne. Only the ever-hidden Eldre'Thalas might be a possibility. Are you suggesting we go south to find the Shen'dralar?"
Andreas knocked the girl's forehead playfully. "Why would you think that? Eldre'Thalas hasn't taken a side between the two factions yet; they're clearly fence-sitters. What point is there in seeking them out?"
"I can only give you a suggestion. Whether to take it is entirely up to you and Lady Felice." Andreas pointed toward the east of Zin-Azshari. "Though Black Rook Hold was originally just a military fortress, it serves as the headquarters for the Resistance. Many Highborne who have come from all over to fight the demons are currently living there."
"If there are no other options, I suggest you head to Black Rook Hold for refuge. I promise you, no matter what happens in the future, at least that fortress is absolutely safe."
This wasn't just Andreas talking nonsense. The seemingly safe Zin-Azshari, sitting atop the Well of Eternity, would undoubtedly become the very center of the battlefield. To banish the demons from Azeroth, destroying the Well of Eternity was the only viable method. Once the Well exploded, the resulting cataclysm would sink this capital city deep into the ocean. This was one of the primary reasons Andreas was urging Leticia to move.
"Black Rook Hold?" Leticia was hesitant. Although Andreas's proposal tempted her, her lack of experience made it difficult to decide on the spot.
Just then, the unconscious Felice slowly woke up. She stared straight at Andreas with eyes filled with the flames of vengeance. "Sir, did you say that many Highborne willing to fight the Burning Legion reside at Black Rook Hold?"
Andreas felt a chill from Felice's gaze; he had never seen such a look in the eyes of this gentle noblewoman before. "Yes, at least according to what I know."
"Mother, you're awa—"
"Very well. We shall go to Black Rook Hold!" Felice interrupted her daughter's joyful exclamation, making the decision with iron finality. She looked toward the Well of Eternity with eyes of pure hatred. "Since this city cannot provide us with the protection we deserve from the demons, we shall join the ranks of those resisting them. We will sacrifice everything the family has to destroy the Burning Legion!"