Chapter 32: A Humble Welcome from the Elves

On May 1st, a month later, when Yang Hao and his companions finally arrived at the border of the Elven Forest, the visible changes between the forests were laid bare before them.

To put it in layman’s terms, the area they were leaving behind, the Monster Forest, was rather dark and gloomy, where not even the sound of birds or the rustle of the wind reached their ears. In stark contrast, the Elven Forest ahead was bathed in warm, bright hues. Birds flitted between the branches, and sunlight streamed through the canopy, casting a golden glow on the forest floor.

Elves loved sunlight and had immense magical talent. To allow sunlight to penetrate the dense leafy layers and reach the ground, they had cast a wide-range magic spell over their territory to meet this need.

It was said that the ancient trees in the Elven Forest, some thousands of years old, were capable of movement. However, having never entered the Elven Forest before, Yang Hao considered this more of a legend than fact.

Still, there were rules to be followed. 

With this in mind, Yang Hao instructed the Ling tribe and doctor Joseph’s family to behave and stand quietly behind him. 

Then, cautiously approaching the boundary between the two forests, he knelt and scooped up a handful of the Elven Forest’s brown soil. Recalling the elven etiquette he had learned, he understood that to enter the Elven Forest and the Elven Kingdom, one must first express their needs and respect to the trees nurtured by the elves at the border of their forest. If all went well, the ancient trees would respond accordingly.

But what exactly should he do?

Suddenly, a fragrant breeze swept over him. 

Startled, Yang Hao looked up and saw Teresa kneeling just like him, holding a handful of soil, playfully watching him.

“Generally speaking, we just need to inform them of our purpose for this visit,” she said. “Treat those trees as if they were people, with respect, and they will naturally reciprocate. They’re quite friendly and willing to offer much, asking only for a little in return.”

“Teresa, you know so much.”

“Of course. Although I’m just a humble nun, my family has many books with extensive information about elves. But enough about that, have you forgotten your lines?”

Teresa’s straightforward question made Yang Hao somewhat embarrassed. He nodded, admitting that it had been a long time since he learned this knowledge and it was understandable to forget some of it.

“I remember that very few officials from the Roman Empire have ever visited the Elven Forest, let alone learned elven etiquette, right? Especially considering the constant border frictions with the Church region.”

“Actually, this information was sent to me by a scholar I dispatched to the Elven Forest. I wonder how he’s doing there now.”

“Oh? It seems you trust him more than Joseph.”

“After all, he was my right-hand man. And I understand that he couldn’t rush back immediately after the sudden incident due to his crucial diplomatic activities in the Elven Kingdom. But let’s not dwell on that, let’s enter first. Who knows, maybe he too has abandoned his duties after my exile.”

The two of them bowed their heads, gazing at the handful of soil in front of them.

Teresa murmured to herself, and Yang Hao, following her lead, conveyed his intentions for the journey to the soil before him.

He took Teresa’s advice to heart, also contemplating the food issue for their group.

Once inside the Elven Forest, without permission, they were not allowed to hunt the animals there.

But now, the food supply carried by their Golem was almost depleted. If they didn’t find a way to replenish their food soon, it might be difficult for them to make it to an elven village to seek help.

Should they gather enough food in the outer Monster Forest before proceeding?

As Yang Hao pondered this, he suddenly felt something touch his spirit. Carrying the scent of leaves, it was like a kind gesture from a benevolent elder. He looked up at the illusion before him, and in the next instant, he saw nuts and ripe vines falling from a tree not far ahead.

“The elves’ tree responded to you,” the nun said.

Teresa was unfazed. Observing the pile of nuts and vines, and the astonishment of the Ling tribe and Joseph’s family behind her, muttered in surprise, “It’s allowing us to take these nuts and vines as food and water for our journey. In return, we must leave the seeds of the nuts, finding a suitable place in the Elven Forest to plant them.”

“I thought I saw an old man just now?” Yang Hao murmured uncertainly. “But when I realized it, there was nothing to be seen.”

“I didn’t see anything. Maybe it’s a sign of the elves’ fondness for you. Eh? Do you have any other requests to convey?”

“The Golem accompanying the Ling tribe will inevitably cause some damage to the land of the Elven Forest. I need to convey this apology as well.”

Yang Hao continued to earnestly communicate with the soil. After a moment, accompanied by more nuts and seeds falling, he received permission from the forest.

The forest allowed the trampling of its ground and grass by the Golem, as well as the gathering of firewood to cook food at night, and even the cutting of a very small number of trees if necessary to build shelters against the cold of the night.

As compensation, they needed to plant more nuts and ideally water the newly planted nuts slightly with the refreshing, thirst-quenching juice from the vines.

That was all.

The communication was unexpectedly quick and simple, and the requests from the other side were not excessive at all. It could even be described as the generosity of an elder towards a younger one.

Yang Hao had thought the Elven Forest would make very stringent demands. He never expected these ancient trees to be so magnanimous.

However, Yang Hao, while feeling moved, couldn’t help but think of the haughty official diplomats of the Roman Empire since its founding.

Those people probably wouldn’t interact with the elves sincerely like he did. Instead, they would arrogantly ignore the other party’s reasonable requests and barge into someone else’s territory, flaunting their meager knowledge like idiots who defecate wherever they please.

He really believed those people were capable of that. After all, the key factor in the downfall of an empire was not stupidity, but pride and arrogance. With a bit of stupidity added to that mix, nobody could save the nation.

Sigh!

He gently returned the soil in his palm to its original place and smoothed it over with his hand. Then, taking Teresa’s equally dirty hand, he signaled for everyone to collect the nuts and vines.

So they carefully followed the elves’ rules, gently placing the nuts and vines on the Golem.

As they continued their journey, sparrows and other small birds landed on the Golem’s head, chirping away. Under the golden sunlight, the hornless Ling tribe girls curiously reached out to touch the birds’ feathers, and the birds joyfully hopped around in their palms.

This place truly was wonderful.

Leading the way, Yang Hao reflected. Holding the warmth in his hand, he unconsciously spoke out, “If possible, I really wish we could live here in the future.”

“That depends on whether the Elven Kingdom is willing to accept us. But I’m quite confident about that. More importantly, I have a feeling the elves will be here soon.”

“That quickly?”

Yang Hao looked at his nun, puzzled. The nun nodded seriously, indicating this was no joke.

Elves had a longstanding connection with the Elven Forest, so the entry of any outsiders into their realm always caught their attention.

The difference lay in the treatment. Humble and courteous guests like Yang Hao and his group received warm hospitality from the elves, while arrogant representatives like those from the Roman Church only invited the elves’ arrows.

Elves preferred to greet friends with etiquette and enemies with bows and arrows. It was said that their most powerful archers, with their unique longbows, could hit an enemy’s brain from a kilometer away. Such archers were highly honored in elven society.

They were known as Masters. Since there were Master archers to welcome enemies, naturally, there should be Master diplomats to receive friends… right?

Just as Yang Hao pondered that it shouldn’t be this quick for the elves to arrive, suddenly, not even ten minutes since they entered the border, a cool breeze blew in front of them.

Before the Ling Tribe chieftain, following behind, could run up to alert the Golem to be on guard, the nun’s gentle gesture of extending her hand dismissed the chieftain’s caution.

“Welcome, friends from afar.”

Even when speaking normally, they had to engage their core muscles, producing a melodious voice as if they were singing, treating friends from afar with both mental and physical hospitality.

These tall, blonde, blue-eyed beings, whose perfection couldn’t be fully conveyed in a single word, were undoubtedly elves.

They carried ornate longbows on their backs, and the leading female stood before Yang Hao with a posture that was excessively humble for an elf.

Under Yang Hao and Teresa’s surprised gaze, the elf woman, with her head bowed, performed the highest courtesy typically reserved for their king. She knelt on one knee on the ground.

“Your Highness, the Regent of the Roman Empire… Our Fen humbly requests that you temporarily reside in the Sky Garden. We will provide all the necessary supplies for your entourage along the way and are willing to explain the purpose of this journey. Please understand that this is not a demand but a request.”

It was hard to imagine such a perfectly noble being now kneeling humbly before them, pleading for them to visit their capital.

Yang Hao turned back, receiving an affirmative look and a ‘it’s up to you’ gesture from Teresa’s eyes. He straightened his clothes and helped the elf woman rise:

“I am no longer the Regent of the Roman Empire. On this journey, I am merely a refugee seeking shelter with my companions and my… spouse. I will accompany you to the beautiful Elven capital for a temporary stay. However, I hope that on the way, you can provide us with the leisure time to fulfill the promises made to the Elven Forest.”

When dealing with elves, one must abide by their rules, naturally, the promises made to the Elven Forest could not be neglected, nor could they betray their own oaths.

Faced with Yang Hao’s sincere words, the elf woman, now standing, flashed an extremely satisfied look in her eyes.

If they could make this former Regent a colleague of Fen, then the reforms of the Elven Kingdom could be perfectly accomplished.