"I do have a great many things I'm curious about too, and would like to talk them over with Your Excellency the Elf Queen. But I've left the arrangements of the itinerary all to Gladys. This isn't the Owl Dragon Empire, after all……" Zhao Chen shrugged, looking as though there was nothing he could arrange either.
The Flame Elf Queen waved her hand, looking aggrieved as well. "I know. It's all those old fellows, every one of them cautious to a fault. The talks have to be finished before the two sides' leaders are allowed to meet privately. Sigh…… For now there seems to be no way round it. Then once our two sides have finished discussing the alliance, we'll talk of some other things." The Flame Elf Queen looked at Zhao Chen.
"No problem; I'm at your service any time," Zhao Chen said with a smile.
Perhaps the high elves over there had noticed the Flame Elf Queen talking with Zhao Chen.
The Flame Elf Queen curled her lip and walked back into the crowd of elves.
Very soon the space elevator passed through the atmosphere.
The clouds and mist around them were already above their heads.
Zhao Chen could see the scene within this Moon-God Planet.
It was magnificent!
Somewhat as Zhao Chen had imagined, but different in places too.
What was the same was that this place truly was full of every kind of vegetation, much of it vegetation Zhao Chen had never seen, and of enormous size.
From far off, for example, Zhao Chen could see a giant tree several thousand meters tall, towering at the far end.
And on that giant tree a great many things could be seen dotted about;
dimly it could be made out that they were city clusters, one after another.
"That's the Moon-God Planet's largest city cluster, which is also called the Moon-God Tree. From afar it's a great tree, but in every part of the great tree cities of different sizes have been built. Later, the place of our meeting is in the largest city of the city cluster, on the highest crown of that Moon-God Tree. It's a very beautiful city," Gladys explained beside Zhao Chen.
Zhao Chen nodded.
He looked in other directions.
Wherever the eye fell, in the main it was either trees and plants or ocean; besides those, other landforms were hard to see.
"Because the planet's interior has been transformed, and ecological-control technology is used, it's always spring on the Moon-God Planet, with no natural disasters of any kind. At the same time, no industrial installation or industrial mining of any kind may be built on the Moon-God Planet. It counts too as a kind of repayment to the Moon-God Planet for the early years. At first, to get off the Moon-God Planet and step into the interstellar age, the elves mined nearly all of the Moon-God Planet's resources. And with every kind of industry built on the Moon-God Planet besides, it did the Moon-God Planet enormous pollution. So, after stepping into the interstellar age and entering the Sacred Elf Empire, with technological power enough, we began to rebuild our home. And so there came to be the Moon-God Planet of now." Gladys looked at the scene before her with reverence in her eyes.
Suddenly Zhao Chen saw some kind of animal racing through the air in the distance; Zhao Chen fixed his eyes on it far off, and only then made out what it was.
It was some kind of flying animal, very beautiful, something between a bird and a dragon, with lovely feathers, and yet not without grandeur.
And on the backs of these animals, elves were actually standing.
These elves were like knights of the sky, riding these animals soaring through the air, and striking all sorts of poses.
"Besides every kind of plant, we elves love some gentle, beautiful animals too. We try to tame them and make them our friends. The animal called the elf dragon-bird is the most beloved kind of all," Gladys explained attentively for Zhao Chen.
It had to be said, on this Moon-God Planet,
compared with the elements of technology, there were more of these elements of nature.
It was hard to think this was an interstellar empire that already had sixth-grade cosmic technological civilization.
Very soon
the space elevator stopped descending.
Around them surfaced a platform like a lotus pond.
"This way, please." Gladys led the way for Zhao Chen ahead.
The Radiant Elf King explained beside him, "Because of the Moon-God Planet's special nature, there is only this one space elevator on the Moon-God Planet. And there's still some distance from here to our Moon-God Tree. For a space elevator isn't suited to being built on the Moon-God Tree."
"Then how are we to get to the Moon-God Tree next?" Zhao Chen asked curiously.
The Radiant Elf King pointed beside the platform at some interstellar shuttles long since made ready, and a few huge bird-like creatures, and said, "Normally, no technological flying device may be used within the Moon-God Planet. But you are a guest from afar, after all. So the High Council has specially approved that you and your mission may ride the interstellar shuttles we've prepared for you over to the Moon-God Tree."
Gladys made to lead Zhao Chen and the Owl Dragon mission.
But Zhao Chen did not move; he stood where he was.
"Are those few coming with us on the shuttles?" Zhao Chen asked.
"No; we ride these bird mounts," the Radiant Elf King said, pointing at those bird-like animals.
Zhao Chen smiled slightly and said, "In that case, I'll do as the locals do myself, and ride these bird-like creatures along with you all. But my mission members may not be suited to it; I'll trouble you all to look after them, and have them ride the shuttles."
"Ah?" Gladys was taken aback and looked at Zhao Chen in surprise.
The other Elf Sovereigns wore the same look as well; only the Flame Elf Queen, on the contrary, looked very interested.
"This… Your Excellency the Owl Dragon Emperor, these bird mounts look very gentle, but truly riding on them makes great demands on the body. The least slip and one may fall. Even among us elves, children not yet grown aren't allowed to ride these bird mounts without training. Won't you perhaps……" The Radiant Elf King tried to talk him out of it.
"Since I've come to the Sacred Elf Empire, I came meaning to experience your country's culture and scenery. How could I miss so fine a chance? Don't worry about my safety. Let's arrange it so." Zhao Chen looked at Panther-Girl and the others. "You all ride the shuttles."
With that, before anyone could talk him out of it, Zhao Chen walked toward the bird mounts standing some way off.
Panther-Girl sighed; she knew her Majesty's temper: what he decided would not change.
She wanted to go with His Majesty too, but since His Majesty wanted them to ride the shuttles, and had given the word expressly, it was not for them to refuse.
Likely he was worried for their lives.
As for His Majesty's own life:
after all these years together, Panther-Girl, if anything, worried least about that.
Never mind in the environment of the cosmos; merely on this planet, never mind anyone threatening His Majesty's safety:
His Majesty was the greatest threat on this planet.
"Yes; please take care, Your Majesty." Panther-Girl saluted slightly, then looked at Gladys beside her. "Miss Gladys, His Majesty's safety is in your hands."
With that, Panther-Girl led the mission members off toward where the shuttles were berthed.
This turn, if anything, caught these elves quite off guard.
This… wasn't it rather strange?
It was wholly unlike the leaders of other universes' civilizations who had come before.
Those leaders, emperors and kings, never mind whether they held themselves very high: their safety alone on their travels meant crowds upon crowds of people following them.
Whatever held any danger, those subordinates would step up one after another to talk them out of it.
But this Owl Dragon Emperor, never mind having none of those airs, and on the contrary his subordinates seemed not very concerned about their own Majesty's safety.
This……
But since he had now decided it,
it seemed not for them to talk him out of it.
"Gladys, go with this Owl Dragon Emperor. Be sure of his safety. Remember to pick him a gentle bird mount," the Radiant Elf King did not forget to remind her.
"Then I'll ride a mount with the Owl Dragon Emperor," the Flame Elf Queen volunteered.
Seeing the Flame Elf Queen volunteer,
the Radiant Elf King thought a moment and agreed after all, but reminded her, "You're not to ride your own mount. Choose a suitable one. Take great care of the Owl Dragon Emperor's safety!"
At the last the Radiant Elf King did not forget one more reminder.
Not allowed to ride her own mount, the Flame Elf Queen curled her lip, but agreed aloud all the same.
Then they hurried after Zhao Chen.
"These are all your mounts?" Zhao Chen looked at the few dozen wholly different mounts before him, with astonishment in his eyes.
These mounts differed in size and in shape.
Some large ones were like a small T1 warship, like whales flying in the air.
And some small ones were like pegasi, able to carry only one rider.
"Your Excellency the Owl Dragon Emperor, this way, please. If you wish to try our mounts, I think this one suits very well. It can carry up to five, and the riding is very pleasant." Gladys had by now come to Zhao Chen's side, recommending to him a mount shaped like a fish.
Only this fish had feathers.
There were no seats of any kind on it.
This Zhao Chen did not find strange, for when he had looked from the space elevator before, he had found that those elves stood on their mounts, not sat.
Zhao Chen glanced at the mount Gladys suggested, shook his head slightly, and looked at the others.
"Is there anything different about those few mounts?" Zhao Chen looked at several mounts lined up together some way off; on them they wore some kind of pattern woven of plants, like a fleet crest.
"Those have owners. That green mount like a flowered butterfly, for example, is the Emerald Elf King's mount. And the pure white one like a flood-dragon is the Radiant Elf King's mount. The few beside them are the mounts of those High Council members. Commonly a mount with an owner may be ridden only by its own master, and isn't lent out," Gladys explained.
Zhao Chen nodded in understanding; it was the same principle as not lending out one's car.
And these elves commonly had a very high 'spiritual fastidiousness'; he could not speak for the others, but that Emerald Elf King would certainly never allow him, an outsider, to stand on his mount.
But Zhao Chen's gaze was caught by a crimson mount.
It was a very beautiful huge red bird, its outspread wings fully a hundred meters and more across!
Very beautiful!
Had he needed a word to describe it, in Zhao Chen's mind there was only the Vermilion Bird.
Even as Zhao Chen gazed at it, he could feel the temperature rising.
"Can I have that one?" Zhao Chen pointed straight at the huge red bird and asked.
"Ah? That one? That's the Flame Elf Queen's mount; this may……" Seeing the mount Zhao Chen was pointing at, Gladys hesitated somewhat.
But very soon a glad voice came from beside them. "Of course there's no problem. Since it's Your Excellency the Owl Dragon Emperor's own choice, how could we, as hosts, fail to satisfy our guest?" the Flame Elf Queen said suddenly beside them.
Only now did Zhao Chen notice that under the huge red bird's neck hung a crest pendant made of red plants; only before, it had been hidden by the thick feathers, and Zhao Chen had not noticed it.
"This mount is too dangerous in flight. Let Your Excellency the Owl Dragon Emperor choose another," the Radiant Elf King stepped forward at this point to object.
He had never expected that, among so many mounts, this Owl Dragon Emperor would pick out this one of all things.
The Flame Elf Queen beside him looked at him with a sly gaze, as though saying: I haven't broken your requirement.
It's what he himself asked for; I can hardly refuse him, can I?
"Or… Your Excellency the Emperor, ride this one of mine." At the last the Radiant Elf King got out one sentence, but in his eyes one could see he was torn.
One could see that in truth he too had a spiritual fastidiousness in this matter, and likely did not wish Zhao Chen, an outsider, to ride his mount.
"No need; since the Flame Elf Queen doesn't mind, her mount it is. Then I'll trouble the Flame Elf Queen." Zhao Chen looked at the Flame Elf Queen with a smile.
"You're welcome. Come on up." As she spoke, the Flame Elf Queen gave one leap and stood right on the back of that huge red bird.
He had heard before that elves were light of body and very nimble, a leap of a few meters no problem at all, and in the forest they could move through the trees like monkeys.
"Need a hand?" The Flame Elf Queen, on the huge red bird's back, looked at Zhao Chen and raised an eyebrow.
The lass was trying to goad him.
"No need."
Zhao Chen, not holding back either, bent his knees slightly and leaped straight up.
Not so graceful in movement as the elves, but he landed steady on the huge red bird's back.
The huge red bird seemed displeased at a stranger on its back; it gave a cry and began flapping its wings.
"Sorry; Little Red doesn't much like outsiders either." The Flame Elf Queen crouched and began to soothe the mount beneath her.
"Maybe we just don't know each other well yet; once we do, it'll be fine," Zhao Chen said with a smile.
Under the Flame Elf Queen's soothing, the huge red bird calmed down somewhat.
But Zhao Chen could feel a trace of its displeasure.
At this point Gladys's figure appeared on the huge red bird's back as well.
Gladys looked at the Flame Elf Queen and bowed slightly. "It was the Lord Radiant Elf King who told me to come up and look after the Owl Dragon Emperor's safety."
By the look of it, they were still worried this huge red bird would get up to some mischief.