The interstellar fleet's speed slowed by degrees; a distance that at normal speed might have taken ten minutes
took near half an hour to sail now.
At the last, very near the Moon-God Planet, most of the Emperor's Guard Fleet's warships, and most of the warships of the Elf Sovereigns' fleets that had come along, berthed at the interstellar anchorage in the outer area under the lead of pilot ships.
The fleet Zhao Chen was with shrank all at once to thirty ships.
Only these thirty warships were T6 warships throughout!
The thirty warships and the two Elf Sovereigns' starships sailed down the empty lane; on either side of the lane hovered warships, some with very splendid hull paint.
Then light-projecting devices were seen to be cast out one after another, forming lights of every color along the lane, giving an effect of exquisite beauty.
This was the welcoming ceremony the Sacred Elf Empire had prepared for the arrival of Zhao Chen, the Owl Dragon Emperor.
Next, naturally, they sailed toward the Moon-Guard Starport,
the most lavish starport in the Sacred Elf Empire, and also the only starport outside the Moon-God Planet that connected to the Moon-God Planet.
That showed well enough how special it was.
Under guidance, the Owl Dragon Empire's warships were led one by one to starport berths.
And Zhao Chen's own ship was naturally assigned a special interstellar berth.
One could see with the naked eye that this berth was unlike the other starport berths; it was not something so simple as a place to moor a starship.
Gladys had explained:
this was a starport berth set aside especially for receiving important guests; even the Elf Sovereigns' own ships would not berth here.
Before this, the guests received had all been the flagships of visiting fleets from other universes' civilizations.
It had been over a hundred years since this starport berth was last used.
Through the porthole Zhao Chen could see the own ships of the two Elf Sovereigns who had come along, berthed right in the neighboring starport berths.
These two Elf Sovereigns' ships were easy to tell apart.
For one had hull paint all in green, with no few plant patterns to be seen as well; that, naturally, was the Emerald Elf King's own ship.
And the other was painted all in red; its hull too had some plant patterns.
But commonly they were weapons entwined with red plants, a bow and arrow wound about with red thorns, for instance,
giving a feeling at once graceful and imposing.
That, naturally, was that Flame Elf Queen's own ship.
Zhao Chen had learned something of these two Elf Sovereigns' ships from Gladys too, and had searched out some material on this universe's network as well.
They belonged to a quasi-T7-grade warship, very few in number,
called the Moon-God Shadow-class Heavy Interstellar Battleship.
And these Elf Sovereigns' own ships had been refitted on that basis, according to each Elf Sovereign's needs, not only in outward appearance but in some internal modules too.
As for how many of this warship there were in all, there was no detailed information.
Some said there were only ten-odd.
But others said the Sacred Elf Empire had fully a hundred and more of this warship.
These figures remained to be verified.
But in all likelihood this warship must be the Sacred Elf Empire's strongest warship now.
He wondered whether he would have the chance to go aboard this warship and see it for himself.
"Report: the starship has finished berthing. The gangway bridge is docking," Xiong Lulu reported beside him.
Gladys looked at once at Zhao Chen.
"Prepare to go into port. Once we're in port, I'll trouble Miss Gladys to take charge of the arrangements." Zhao Chen looked at Gladys beside him.
Gladys said at once, "Let Your Majesty the Owl Dragon Emperor rest easy. Everything to follow has been arranged. I guarantee you a fine journey!"
"Mm." Zhao Chen nodded, then glanced at Xiong Lulu beside him. "I'll leave the fleet to you. If anything important comes up, contact me."
"Yes," Xiong Lulu answered.
Zhao Chen turned and walked toward the bridge doors, and at the same time the people of a certain department, long since ready, followed quickly.
Panther-Girl stood behind Zhao Chen with several guards, and after them came diplomats in the Owl Dragon civil-service style of uniform.
These people made up Zhao Chen's 'diplomatic mission' this time.
Gladys led the way at Zhao Chen's side,
now and then pointing out some of the Moon-God Planet's special features as well.
Very soon Zhao Chen had come to the gangway bridge where the starship docked with the starport.
The whole gangway bridge was laid out very naturally and gracefully, with flowers even, and these flowers were no ornament; they were real.
"This way, please." Gladys walked in front, leading the way for Zhao Chen.
Zhao Chen and the others walked slowly onto the corridor.
The corridor was very long, near several hundred meters.
But in the corridor there were floating platforms; standing on one, one could move toward the other end of the corridor.
From a long way off, Zhao Chen could see the crowd waiting to receive them on the platform opposite.
At a glance, there were at least near a thousand people come to receive them.
From that one could see that the Sacred Elf Empire opposite, proud in character though it was, at least took this visit of the Owl Dragon Empire's mission very seriously.
Very soon Zhao Chen and the others had crossed the whole corridor.
As Zhao Chen stepped down from the corridor's steps,
some kind of music rang out all around, and at the same time in the air flew some little creatures like fireflies or butterflies, dancing lightly to the music.
It had to be said the scene truly had a natural beauty.
Then singing rang out all around as well; not recorded singing, but singing performed live.
Zhao Chen could see, on either side of the receiving party, elves like a choir, singing.
Zhao Chen had learned something of it before: among the elves, besides loving nature and plants, being somewhat proud, and pursuing the life of the spirit, they loved music.
Among the elves, music held a place wholly out of the ordinary.
On every solemn occasion, music of every kind would appear.
At this point several elves in wholly different styles of dress came slowly toward Zhao Chen.
Gladys at this point stepped aside too, her head slightly bowed.
One could see the standing of these several who came was out of the ordinary.
Among them were people Zhao Chen knew:
Mansfield, the Emerald Elf King, his expression cold, looking as though he cared for nothing;
Salaman, the Flame Elf Queen, with curiosity and boundless energy in her red eyes.
From the moment Zhao Chen set foot here, the Flame Elf Queen's gaze had been fixed on Zhao Chen, sizing him up.
Were it not so special an occasion, she would likely long since have come up to talk with Zhao Chen about all the things she was curious about.
Besides these, there were three other elves who looked to be of very noble standing.
When these five stood before Zhao Chen,
one of them, who looked the oldest, an elf with the looks of an old man, stepped forward, saluted Zhao Chen, and said with a smile, "Honored Excellency the Owl Dragon Emperor, welcome. I am Gustav, the Radiant Elf King of the Sacred Elf Empire."
Zhao Chen smiled and returned the courtesy with the Owl Dragon Empire's form.
"It's a great honor to come to your country," Zhao Chen said with a smile.
This Radiant Elf King, Zhao Chen had naturally learned about when looking into material on the Sacred Elf Empire.
The Radiant Elf King was, if not the strongest or highest-placed of the five Elf Sovereigns, certainly the most honored in standing.
For he came of the light elves.
Whatever the light elves' present strength, no one would dare show the light elves the least disrespect.
For when the elves were still only on the Moon-God Planet, it was the light elves who led the elves into the interstellar age.
The first interstellar fighter to sail into interstellar space had been developed and built by light-elf scientists.
When the Sacred Elf Empire was founded, the first to be acknowledged as an Elf Sovereign had been an Elf Sovereign of the light elves!
So from then on the light elves' standing in the Sacred Elf Empire was as good as settled.
All along, the other Elf Sovereigns might change among several elf races.
But the one thing that never changed was that the light elves always held a seat.
And this Radiant Elf King before him was also the oldest of the present five Elf Sovereigns, and so naturally the most revered.
This time, too, he was the Elf King charged with the reception of the Owl Dragon Emperor's visit.
It was said, too, that it was at the Radiant Elf King's request that the Emerald Elf King had been willing to come out with the Flame Elf Queen back then to receive the Owl Dragon mission's fleet.
Only this Radiant Elf King could make that Emerald Elf King do as he was told.
The Radiant Elf King turned aside and pointed out the four beside him.
"Your Excellency the Owl Dragon Emperor, let me introduce them to you. These two you've already met: the Emerald Elf King, Mansfield, and the Flame Elf Queen, Salaman. These two are representatives of the High Council: Andrew and Calemony."
The four looked at Zhao Chen, and saluted him one by one.
The latter two were members of the High Council.
Zhao Chen had learned some information on them too.
The High Council was the Sacred Elf Empire's body for discussing the Empire's affairs, commonly some sixty-odd in number.
They were commonly the leading figures of every elf race, and among these sixty-odd, the leaders of some great clans naturally became something like leaders within the High Council as well.
These two before him were of that kind:
one from the earth elves, the other from the gale elves.
Both elf races were great clans in the Sacred Elf Empire.
"You've come a long way this time; you must be weary. The banquet is set for tomorrow, true. But for now the few of us have prepared a banquet especially to welcome you and wash off the dust of the road," the Radiant Elf King said with a smile.
As an elder, a senior, he was quite kindly in his manner toward Zhao Chen.
Zhao Chen naturally had no need to refuse the invitation,
and accepted it.
After that, led by these several of the Sacred Elf Empire's upper levels, Zhao Chen stepped into this Moon-Guard Starport.
This banquet of welcome was held in the most lavish restaurant in the starport.
Only once the meal was over would they ride the space elevator down into this Moon-God Planet.
Much of the food at the banquet Zhao Chen had never seen, but most of it was vegetarian.
But before Zhao Chen there were a few meat dishes.
Likely, thinking Zhao Chen's diet might differ from theirs, they had prepared these few especially.
Zhao Chen had never eaten these foods, and found some novelty in them.
But only novelty; in flavor they truly fell short of the Owl Dragon Empire's ingredients,
even the fruits and vegetables and the like.
Perhaps because the ingredients Zhao Chen ate were all grown by T6 Purple-Gold Eden-class Starships,
they far surpassed ingredients of this kind.
But if he took the seeds of these special fruits and vegetables of the Sacred Elf Empire back to the Owl Dragon Empire, and bred and grew them with the growing environment and technology aboard the Purple-Gold Eden-class Starships,
Zhao Chen was confident he could breed the very finest of these fruits and vegetables!
At this point an idea popped into Zhao Chen's head.
The elves of the Sacred Elf Empire lived chiefly on fruits and vegetables.
Above all the high elves: they commonly took pride in eating the highest-quality fruit they could get, and fruit was a best-selling good among them.
Then if he grew these plants and fruits to their very best, and sold them to these high elves of the Sacred Elf Empire,
on one hand it could bring the two sides closer, and on the other he could earn some 'foreign exchange.'
These high elves looked every one of them to be very rich; for food they liked, they would surely be willing to spend a little money.
Thinking so, Zhao Chen's gaze on these high elves grew all the more 'benevolent.'
It made those Elf Sovereigns and high elves feel, in spite of themselves, that something was odd.
Why was this Emperor of the Owl Dragon Empire's gaze somewhat strange?
Could it be some custom of theirs?
When dining, he liked to look at others like that?
Zhao Chen naturally did not know these high elves had come to misunderstand him.
When this fine meal had been enjoyed,
Zhao Chen and the others truly made ready to enter the Moon-God Planet.
Because the Moon-God Planet held a wholly special meaning for the elves, no craft of any kind was allowed to fly outside the Moon-God Planet's atmosphere.
Even flying within the planet was held to very high requirements,
all to keep this planet as nearly as possible in its most original, natural state.
Any technology at all might change this Moon-God Planet's air.
It was somewhat like the most extreme of pilgrims, with this planet their holy land.
Very soon Zhao Chen and the others had boarded the space elevator.
He admired the wonderful scenery outside the space elevator's floor-to-ceiling window; it had to be said this planet truly was beautiful, everything with the charm of nature.
"Your Excellency the Owl Dragon Emperor."
A soft voice came from beside him.
Zhao Chen looked over; it was, of all people, the Flame Elf Queen.
At this point Zhao Chen noticed too that the others nearby, chatting, were paying them no attention.
As for the other members of the Owl Dragon mission and the elves' attendants, they naturally stood some way off, and would not disturb them.
"Your Excellency the Flame Elf Queen, is there something?" Zhao Chen looked at this Flame Elf Queen.
He had some liking for this Elf Queen, but, limited by the setting, they had never had a proper talk.
"It's like this. I'm very interested in your Owl Dragon Empire's warships, and in your fighting with Order. Back on the starship, you said too that you'd be willing to talk about it. I wonder whether we could fix a time." The Flame Elf Queen looked at Zhao Chen hopefully.
Was this Elf Queen so direct?