Zhao Chen said nothing, but it could be taken as tacit consent to Gladys's suggestion.
"Then let's settle the itinerary ahead first. When the time comes, you'll enter the core area of the capital star system, and berth at last in the outer starport of the capital planet. In the course of berthing, a special ceremonial fleet will hold a welcoming ceremony. The whole process will be publicized openly across the Sacred Elf Empire. After that you'll go aboard our Sacred Elf Empire's largest starport, where two or three Elf Sovereigns will receive you. Those Elf Sovereigns will keep you company for a short rest in the starport, and then you'll ride a special space elevator down into our capital planet. In the end, in the imperial capital of the capital planet, you'll meet our five Elf Sovereigns and the members of the High Council. At the same time a grand welcoming banquet will be held. After the banquet you'll rest for the night at a place we've arranged. From the second day we begin discussing the matters our two sides have to talk over; the time isn't fixed, and the matters to be discussed will be confirmed on the first evening by people of both sides in contact."
In the itinerary Gladys set out after that, there was in the main no problem.
Zhao Chen nodded in understanding.
"May I ask how many people we can arrange to protect His Majesty the Emperor then?" Panther-Girl said suddenly beside them.
From their time together, Gladys knew too that this panther beast-folk woman was the Owl Dragon Empire's commander of the guard, charged with the Owl Dragon Emperor's safety.
"There's no limit on the number entering the starport. But for those riding the space elevator into the capital planet… we suggest no more than three hundred people. And for those who may accompany him to the banquet, we suggest no more than thirty. Of course, if the Owl Dragon Emperor has any special requirements, we can discuss them." Gladys looked at Zhao Chen.
There were limits on numbers, true, but no great problem.
Panther-Girl said nothing more either.
These numbers posed no great problem.
"Apart from the first item, which you need to discuss with your superiors, I have no objection to the rest," Zhao Chen said coolly.
"Very well; I'll go and settle the final itinerary now." When she had taken her leave, Gladys at once went off to one side, to a small room specially arranged for her so that she could contact her superiors.
Before long Gladys came hurrying back.
There was a relaxed look on her face; it seemed the result of the talks was good.
"I've confirmed it with the High Council. Your Emperor's Guard Fleet may sail into the imperial capital star system, but only along an appointed route, without deviating. After that, once near the capital planet, apart from your own ship and thirty escort ships, the other warships must berth at an outer interstellar anchorage some distance from the capital planet. And those thirty escort ships will stop at starship berths on the starport's outer edge; only your own ship may sail into the starport's inner berths." Gladys finished setting out the result of the talks.
Zhao Chen nodded and said in satisfaction, "That will do; go by what you've said."
"Thank you for Your Majesty's understanding. I promise your visit to the Sacred Elf Empire this time will certainly be a delightful one! Here once more, on behalf of the Sacred Elf Empire, I welcome you from afar." When she had finished with a smile, Gladys turned and left,
to begin the final preparations,
making sure the whole process would go off without a hitch.
……
On Zhao Chen's side, too, he now began settling who would go on this visit to the Sacred Elf Empire.
"Your Majesty, I'll go with you." Marshal Chitong, on the other side of the video window, volunteered of her own accord.
Zhao Chen looked at Chitong and refused outright. "For this meeting I never meant to have you come with me, Chitong. You just take charge of the Blizzard ace fleet group you brought, and stand ready."
"And me?" Xiong Lulu said hopefully beside him.
"You needn't come with me either; you'll take charge of the Emperor's Guard Fleet then, and stand ready," Zhao Chen said gravely.
One must never mean harm to others, but one must always guard against them.
Though such a thing had in theory a very low chance of happening, one could not fail to be ready.
"Then who goes with you to the Sacred Elf Empire's capital planet then?" Chitong asked.
"Panther-Girl, with a squad of guards, in charge of my safety. And besides, before we set out Lilith prepared a visiting team for me. I'll take them with me. The business of the visit and the talks can be left to them. You need only stay at your posts with an easy mind." Zhao Chen had come well prepared this time.
And though Lilith had not come, she had made every preparation for Zhao Chen.
"Get ready, all of you. This counts too as our Owl Dragon Empire's first formal contact with another universe's civilization. Don't shame our Empire," Zhao Chen said.
"Yes."
Very soon
every matter of the Owl Dragon Empire's Emperor's fleet visiting the Sacred Elf Empire had been arranged.
In the main, once they entered the Sacred Elf Empire's capital star region, arrangements had been made ahead wherever the Owl Dragon Empire's visiting Emperor's fleet passed.
The way was clear all along, and hardly any warships were to be seen.
Likely it had been arranged ahead of time.
Very soon the Owl Dragon Empire's visiting fleet was about to enter the bounds of the capital star system.
At this point the fleet's sailing speed slowed by degrees.
The great Owl Dragon Empire visiting fleet began to divide in two here as well.
The thirty thousand warships belonging to the Blizzard ace fleet group, with Marshal Chitong, berthed at an interstellar anchorage outside the capital star system.
No few interstellar transports and interstellar supply ships could be seen berthed there already, and even a few small starports.
By the look of it, this was an interstellar anchorage set aside especially for fleets from outside.
The Blizzard ace fleet group stayed here.
Gladys also passed on that the Sacred Elf Empire would supply the Owl Dragon Empire's warships, come from afar, with resources free of charge, and could even service the warships if needed.
To this, Zhao Chen said they could accept supplies of strategic materials, but only transferred onto the logistics interstellar supply ships that had come with the Owl Dragon Empire's fleet; the interstellar supply ships would then resupply the Blizzard ace fleet group's warships.
That added some steps, true, and seemed troublesome.
But this was not the Owl Dragon Empire, after all; everything needed caution and care.
Those resources and materials had first to pass the checks of the staff aboard the interstellar supply ships before they could be carried to the warships.
In fact, though, there was as yet no need to use the Sacred Elf Empire's resources and materials at all.
What actually happened was that the supplies aboard the interstellar supply ships brought along were used first to resupply the Owl Dragon warships.
After that, the Sacred Elf Empire's supplies were used to restock the interstellar supply ships, against any need.
As for the so-called servicing,
that was naturally refused.
The idea behind it was plain to every passer-by:
no more than wanting to learn more of the Owl Dragon-line warships' figures.
It was not only Zhao Chen who was interested in these Sacred Elf Empire warships; the Sacred Elf Empire's upper levels were just as interested in these Owl Dragon-line warships.
And having seen the outward form of these Owl Dragon-line warships, they were more interested still.
For no few of these warships were wholly to their taste.
Right now, for instance, around that interstellar anchorage, Zhao Chen did not need to think to know there must be who knew how many high-definition space cameras filming and watching the Owl Dragon-line warships.
Let them look.
But wanting to come aboard as well: that would not do.
After that, the number of fleet ships entering the Sacred Elf Empire's capital star system dropped sharply to only three thousand-odd.
Besides the three thousand warships of the Emperor's Guard Fleet agreed before,
the fleets of the two Elf Sovereigns who had come along sailed into this star system with only six hundred warships between them.
That showed well enough how special this capital star system was to the Elf Sovereigns.
At this moment Zhao Chen too was admiring the star system before him.
It had to be said, this star system truly was wholly different!
Had Zhao Chen not known before of the Sacred Elf Empire's special plant technology, Zhao Chen would have suspected he had come to some fantasy world.
For here every kind of enormous plant could be seen.
Some planets, for instance, grew towering trees that joined them to the moons outside the planet, forming a snowflake shape with a beauty of a different kind.
But the most eye-catching of all was a marvelous sight in the distance,
which made even Zhao Chen stand up in spite of himself.
Xiong Lulu beside him was staring, dumbfounded, even rubbing her eyes.
"Whoa… that… am I seeing things?"
In the distance could be seen
a super-gigantic tree, towering in space.
How large was it?
Zhao Chen could not describe it in any words.
He could only say this: even supergiant planets, before it, were like apples growing on a tree.
And the giant tree was dazzlingly bright too.
For in its crown nine brilliant stars could be seen.
That's right!
Stars!
And fully nine of them.
A star system could have several stars.
But this was the first time Zhao Chen had seen fully nine stars in one small star system!
For mind, star and star interfere with one another.
The least slip could bring disaster on a star system.
But these nine stars could live here in peace together.
The only possibility was that giant tree.
"That is our World Tree. It has a great many names too: the Elf Divine Tree, the Sun Divine Tree and so on. By our Empire's records, it has been there from the very beginning. Perhaps you'll wonder how in the world it came to be? I can't give you an answer. For from first to last, down to now, not one of our Empire's scholars has been able to give an answer." When Gladys looked at this World Tree, her gaze was full of reverence,
as though looking at the deity of her heart.
"I've heard before that you can build top-grade warships with this World Tree." Zhao Chen looked at Gladys.
Before, perhaps, he had had some doubt.
But now, seeing so marvelous a thing with his own eyes, he did not doubt this World Tree's power in the least.
It could keep nine stars in being.
By the look of it, these nine stars were nourishing this giant tree too.
How could such a thing be ordinary!
"There is such a saying. But I'm not one of the people in that field, so I don't know much about it." Gladys gave an answer that could be taken either way.
By the look of it, this must be no small secret of the Sacred Elf Empire's.
Zhao Chen did not press it tactlessly either.
Gladys too took the chance to change the subject.
"In truth, names like 'capital star system' and 'capital star region' are only the usual names, because in the main they're used in other civilizations' universes too. But among ourselves, we commonly call this star region of ours the Life Star Region, meaning a star region full of life, which is indeed a fact. For the Life Star Region is, beyond any doubt, the star region with the most breath of life in the whole of our Sacred Elf Empire. And the capital star system is called the Sacred Tree System. As the name says, here stands our Sacred Elf Empire's greatest Sacred Tree!"
These names were all very easy to understand, and all fitted the Sacred Elf Empire's present style well.
"And our capital planet is called the 'Moon-God Planet,'" Gladys said.
Zhao Chen and Xiong Lulu beside him both stopped short.
Xiong Lulu, surprised, asked without thinking, "The Life Star Region and the Sacred Tree System I can understand. But why is your capital planet called the Moon-God Planet?"
Zhao Chen too looked at Gladys, puzzled.
Gladys's face was quite ordinary; by the look of it, such questions were not rare.
"In truth it has to do with the elves' history. The legend goes that very long ago, when the elves formally stepped into the interstellar age, we came from a place called the Moon-God Planet. That too was the name our earliest ancestors gave their planet. As for why it was named for the Moon God: you know from before that we worship the Elf God. In truth, in our legends, the Elf God and the Moon God are one and the same. In our legends, the sun stands for life. But the moon likewise is a symbol of grace and freedom. For all plants grow quietly at night."
It dawned on Zhao Chen.
And the Moon God Gladys spoke of was in truth a kind of 'translation'; among the elves there was another name for it in writing, but very long and cumbersome.
Gladys had learned about the Owl Dragon Empire's culture, and had used the words 'Moon God.'
For on most planets of the Owl Dragon Empire, people called their own satellite the moon.
And in the Sacred Elf Empire there was a word of the same meaning.
The two corresponded.
"What a lovely name," Xiong Lulu said with a sigh.
"Thank you. Not only is its name lovely; it looks the loveliest of all the planets I've ever seen, too. When you see it, you'll surely be enchanted by it," Gladys said with full assurance.
Hearing such words, Zhao Chen and Xiong Lulu both looked forward to it,
waiting to see this Moon-God Planet's true face!