The tripartite talks were brought about by Anbaixiu in a rather bizarre manner.
Love-struck fool that he was, Brandir never suspected Anbaixiu of harboring ulterior motives. From his perspective, what harm could there possibly be in letting people from the Raging Tide Kingdom meet Catherine? It wasn't as if the Silvermoon High Court and the Raging Tide Kingdom would join forces to invade the Emerald Dream Forest just because of this meeting—that would be utterly absurd.
And so, everything went smoothly.
Brandir had met with Anbaixiu at noon, and by dinnertime, he notified them to attend an evening banquet specially prepared for foreign guests.
It was not a formal occasion, but it was enough for Anbaixiu to meet with Catherine.
Deep within the verdant woods, a spacious clearing had been meticulously arranged.
Fine, soft moss blanketed the ground, yielding underfoot as plushly as the most expensive velvet carpet. Moonlight filtered through the canopy, casting dappled shadows that lent the entire venue an air of gentle tranquility.
Tables and chairs grew directly from the earth, draped in soft, sleek animal furs, looking immensely comfortable.
Despite all the druids' rules—which made them seem like extreme environmentalists to outsiders—they were entirely different from the environmentalists Anbaixiu had seen in his previous life.
They truly achieved peaceful coexistence with nature, utilizing everything in the natural world reasonably—a harmonious symbiosis rather than unilateral destruction and plunder.
The Emerald Dream Forest operated under a council system, and their doctrine held that all life was equal, a link within nature. As such, there was no hierarchy in the banquet's seating. Picturesquely arranged tables and chairs were scattered across the venue at leisure. Squirrels carried trays laden with food to the tables and guests; who knew how many of these little creatures were actually druids in disguise.
By the time Anbaixiu and Ariel arrived, however, the gathering was already bustling with activity, with few empty seats remaining.
Anbaixiu swept his gaze across the room; including Brandir, there were thirteen druids in total. Intuition told him that every single one of these thirteen druids was a legend.
And this was not even the full extent of the Emerald Dream Forest's top-tier power—the council boasted thirty Archdruids.
It was truly an ancient, storied realm, far beyond the league of a penniless place like the Raging Tide Kingdom.
Ariel followed closely in Anbaixiu's footsteps, asking, "Where do we sit?"
Her Royal Highness had grown smart by now; she deferred to Anbaixiu in everything. Leaving matters in his hands was enough—he could solve any problem.
Anbaixiu pointed a finger and said, "Do you even need to ask? We came to see the Elven Queen, so naturally we sit with her."
Following Anbaixiu's finger, Ariel saw an elegant silhouette from behind. Luminous golden hair cascaded over magnificent robes; Ariel thought the hair looked even lovelier than the exquisite patterns on the garments.
Catherine seemed to radiate light from her very being. The banquet did not lack for women, and Ariel herself was considered a rare beauty, but compared to Catherine... even compared to just the sight of her back, there was a stark, undeniable gulf.
Ariel murmured in astonishment, "So that's the Elven Queen... She's breathtaking."
"Let's go greet Her Majesty the Elven Queen."
Anbaixiu led Ariel toward her. Having not seen Catherine for several days, he actually missed her a little.
Ariel, however, hesitated to draw near; that silhouette exerted tremendous pressure on her. In truth, it wasn't just her. Everyone at the banquet subconsciously kept their distance from Catherine. Standing beside her would only make one look like a buffoon, an eyesore.
Brandir certainly wanted to sidle over, but the other Archdruids glared at him fiercely, terrified he might actually bundle up the Emerald Dream Forest and sell it away, and utterly forbade him from approaching her.
As a result, when Anbaixiu walked toward Catherine, all eyes fell upon him.
This Child of the Storm—not even pleasing to look at, dark, stout, and old—how dared he approach the Elven Queen?
Yet regardless of what anyone thought, Anbaixiu walked right up to Catherine and calmly sat down, locking eyes with Queen Catherine.
"Your Majesty Catherine, I am Mengge Grayriver of the Raging Tide Kingdom. It is an honor to meet you here."
It was a simple, direct greeting, flawless in terms of etiquette. Yet before an Elven Queen, such a modest self-introduction seemed slightly lacking in reverence.
Did this man truly feel no awe whatsoever after seeing Catherine's countenance?
That was exactly what Brandir thought. He could not comprehend how Anbaixiu could remain so composed. When he had first laid eyes on Catherine, he had stood frozen for two whole minutes.
Ariel was much the same. When she saw Catherine's face, her eyes widened, stunned by such flawless beauty.
Even as a woman herself, she failed to recover from the shock for a long time.
This was a charm transcending mere appearance and temperament, born from Catherine's purely benevolent soul and the blessings of the elven gods.
At first, Catherine hadn't recognized Anbaixiu. His Polymorph was truly impeccable; perhaps only a paladin could have detected something amiss. But the moment Anbaixiu spoke, Catherine recognized him immediately—the cadence and mannerisms were entirely those of that lich. Furthermore, he was completely immune to her charm, something only an undead creature stripped of nearly all mortal senses could achieve.
Catherine glanced at Ariel beside him. Did this guy really abduct a princess? And he had managed to disguise himself as an envoy of the Raging Tide Kingdom? This was beyond absurd.
Straining to maintain her composure, Catherine exchanged pleasantries with Anbaixiu.
Their conversation was mundane. Listening from the side, Ariel couldn't detect anything out of the ordinary. Anbaixiu merely stuck to the plan, discussing potential kingdom-level cooperation with Catherine. As always, cooperation between nations could never be finalized in a few words; they merely explored preliminary intentions.
Though the Silvermoon High Court had closed its borders for now, wasn't Catherine's visit to the Emerald Dream Forest specifically to seek allies? Although a great distance separated the Raging Tide Kingdom and the Silvermoon High Court, teleportation circles existed, so cooperation was not entirely out of the question.
Ariel listened intently. She assumed Anbaixiu must be plotting something again, just like how Brandir's attitude had drastically pivoted earlier. Surely this Elven Queen would eventually wear a shocked expression mid-conversation and get swindled by him, right?
Ariel waited in anticipation. Yet right until they finished talking, Catherine maintained her initial grace and serenity, unchanged in the slightest.
"Well then, let us leave things here for today. Speaking with Your Majesty Catherine has been my greatest honor. Here is a small gift, a token of my esteem."
Anbaixiu handed over a small box. Catherine did not decline, accepting the gift with a word of thanks. In turn, she produced a delicate small box and handed it to Anbaixiu, saying, "Courtesy demands reciprocity. These are spices from the Silvermoon High Court; I hope you will like them."
Anbaixiu accepted with a smile, then rose and took his leave.
Baffled, Ariel could only trail behind Anbaixiu.
Only after they had walked a good distance and Anbaixiu picked up some fruit to munch on did Ariel finally blurt out, "Just now... did you fail to hit your stride?"
Anbaixiu shot her a strange look. "What are you talking about? Didn't I have a pleasant chat with Queen Catherine? We've already agreed to discuss cooperation next time."
Ariel said agitatedly, "No, aren't you supposed to charm her dizzy with your tongue so she follows your every word? Just like you tricked that druid!"
Anbaixiu was speechless.
What on earth had this girl concocted in her imagination? When had his image in her mind become so ridiculous?
"Don't talk nonsense. That was standard diplomatic dialogue. Let's not spread unnecessary rumors."
Ariel assented, but immediately pressed on, "But didn't you promise that druid you'd find out what the Elven Queen likes? You didn't ask anything about that just now! Aren't you just swindling him?"
Before Anbaixiu could answer, Brandir materialized right before them.
"What did you just talk about with Catherine?" Brandir demanded in great excitement.
Expectation and jealousy mingled in his gaze. Brandir could not even speak to Catherine right now, yet Anbaixiu had conversed with her for so long, laughing and talking. Brandir wished dearly that he could have taken his place.
"Don't fret. What you wished to know, I've already uncovered," Anbaixiu comforted him.
Ariel glanced at Anbaixiu, thinking: *Just as I thought! Here it comes—he's about to whip out his swindling tricks again!*
Unaware of Ariel's inner thoughts, Brandir merely stared at Anbaixiu with an eager look.
Anbaixiu said with an unruffled expression, "From our conversation just now, I've gathered a general sense of what she loves."
Brandir urged impatiently, "Hurry up and say it! What does Catherine like?"
Anbaixiu replied, "She loves elves."
"Isn't that obvious? She's the Elven Queen!"
Brandir's face darkened with anger. He began to suspect this Child of the Storm was playing him. What was so surprising about the queen of a nation loving her own people? That wasn't what he had asked at all!
Yet Anbaixiu explained, "What I mean is, her heart belongs solely to the elven race. To her, her people stand above everything else—including love, and even including herself."
"What are you saying? Catherine would compromise herself? That's impossible!" Brandir refused to believe it.
Yet Anbaixiu said decisively, "Believe it or not, it is up to you. But I am one hundred percent certain that this Elven Queen would give up everything for the elven race, including herself. If you wish to win her favor, do not think about what you can do for Catherine—think about what you can do for the elven people."
Having said that, Anbaixiu paid Brandir no further heed and departed the banquet with Ariel.
Brandir sorely wanted to teach Anbaixiu a lesson, but the man was an envoy of the Raging Tide Kingdom, so he had no choice but to endure it. Once Anbaixiu was gone, Brandir calmed down slightly and could not help recalling the expression Anbaixiu wore while speaking. It truly hadn't looked like he was lying.
"Could it be... he was telling the truth? I should do something for the entire elven race? But what could the elves possibly need help with from a druid like me?"
Brandir sank into deep contemplation, while Anbaixiu had already escorted Ariel back to their settlement.
Ariel originally wanted to press for details about what had happened tonight, but Anbaixiu chased her out using fatigue as an excuse.
Once Anbaixiu was the only one left in the room, he opened the small box Catherine had given him. Digging his fingers into the fragrant powder, he fished out an exquisite oak ring—identical to the one Naomi wore.
Anbaixiu remarked with feeling, "The girl really has gotten a bit sharper."
Last time Naomi had visited Anbaixiu, she discovered the druids' disparate treatment: Anbaixiu had only been given a bracelet that prevented spellcasting. Naomi had reported this to Catherine, and Catherine had prepared this gift for him.
The two had never discussed how to pass items between them, yet Catherine had thought on her own to conceal the oak ring inside the box of scented powder, offering it naturally as a "reciprocal gift" when Anbaixiu presented his.
In this respect, Catherine and Anbaixiu had already developed a touch of tacit understanding; many details required no explicit words for them to naturally coordinate with one another.
Having obtained the oak ring, Anbaixiu hurriedly slipped it on, took off the bracelet, and cast a simple Mage Hand.
Mana flowed smoothly without any obstruction. Sure enough, this oak ring allowed one to cast spells freely within the Dream Barrier.
With this ring, Anbaixiu no longer needed to worry about his personal safety; if danger arose, he could make a run for it at any moment.
More importantly, possessing the ability to cast spells meant Anbaixiu could carry out his plan to enter the dream realm.
Still, there was no rush. Anbaixiu needed to wait for an opportune moment.
"Catherine, you should be heading back by now, too. Hurry up and open the 'gift' I prepared for you."
Chapter 197