Mr. Seth remained as polite as ever.
To be honest, sometimes this level of politeness was exactly what felt strange.
Under normal circumstances, close friends would not speak with such a sense of distance.
Was the reason Mr. Seth spoke this way because he still did not trust her enough?
After Seth led her to the banquet hall, the host and guest took their seats.
Seth began to introduce the dishes for today’s banquet to Liuli.
To be honest, Liuli did not really understand much of the introduction.
In her eyes, wasn’t this just a meal made of various leaf combinations?
Although there was quite a bit of food from the outside world, Liuli was actually quite reluctant to trust the chefs of the Elf Race.
If, as Seth said, they did not have much experience hosting foreign guests, could they really prepare food from other races well?
‘Whatever. Just as I deduced before, the key to such a banquet is exchanging opinions. What we eat isn’t actually important. If the food is bad, I can just have a late-night snack after the banquet ends.’
“Princess Liuli, is the food not to your taste?”
“No, Lady Fei, the dishes are excellent. I am just not quite used to them…”
Truthfully, Liuli could sense the effort the chefs had put into preparing today’s banquet.
However, sometimes a difference in taste could not be compensated for by effort alone.
“Is that so? Don’t listen to Seth. These chefs are actually making food from other races for the first time.”
“But, logically speaking, there are quite a few elves who go to the outside world. Shouldn’t food be something that spreads easily along with the movement of people?”
It wasn’t that the food of the Elf Race was necessarily bad, but if travelers encountered delicious food, they would surely bring it back with them, wouldn’t they?
“I am embarrassed to say this, but the vast majority of elves who leave are not very willing to return here. Compared to the vast world they experience outside, life within the Elf Race is a bit too boring. Therefore, if the Elf Race is truly facing a problem, that problem can only be an aging population.”
“But that isn’t a problem I can solve. Or to put it another way, it isn’t a problem you or I can solve. The essence of an aging population is that young people feel their hometown has no appeal and cannot retain them. Generally, in this situation, instead of asking others for help, it is better to try and change yourselves to find a way to increase that appeal.”
“I understand the logic, but that fellow Seth won’t cooperate. He keeps saying things like ‘The Ancestral Law cannot be changed, the Ancestral Law cannot be changed.’ Those elders are even worse. Every time they see children trying to bring back fresh technology, they glare and blow their whiskers, saying vulgar things about ‘trivial skills’ or ‘playing to the gallery.’ Originally, some children were willing to bring back knowledge, but after being treated like that once or twice, absolutely no one wants to come back anymore.”
“So, what is your meaning, Lady Fei?”
“I don’t know if you are willing to help me change all this, Princess Liuli. I think that with your help, changing everything would be a simple matter, wouldn’t it?”
“Does Mr. Seth know about this?”
“He is unaware. If he knew, I’m afraid he wouldn’t agree to any of it.”
‘Good grief, so this is what she was waiting for.’ Liuli was suddenly a bit speechless.
From the sound of it, the Queen wanted her help to do these things.
Put positively, it was solving the existing problems of the Elf Race to avoid a brain drain.
Put negatively, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a coup.
However, there was one question: why did Fei dare to say these things to her?
She didn’t believe that Fei, as the Queen, would dare to say such treasonous things to someone she had just met.
Wasn’t she afraid Liuli would report her?
The only logical reason was that Seth was actually aware, or perhaps even authorized it.
As for why Lady Fei said Mr. Seth wouldn’t agree, Mr. Seth likely had some difficulties of his own.
Regardless, such a matter was far too serious and important.
It was certainly not a decision that could be made lightly at a banquet.
‘If I really agree, I would undoubtedly be binding my fate deeply to the Elf Race. Do I really dare to make that decision?’
Therefore, before making a choice, Liuli felt it was necessary to discuss it with Serveyia.
This was not something she could decide on a whim.
“I understand. However, I need to consider it…”
“Of course. In fact, you don’t need to be in too much of a hurry, Princess Liuli. Just give me an answer before you leave.”
‘The more I think about this, the stranger it gets.’
She even allowed Liuli to go back and think it over.
If she were really plotting something, why would she give Liuli this buffer time?
‘She really isn’t afraid I’ll snitch. If I used the excuse of needing to consider it just to go report her, how would she respond?’
After Lady Fei left, the banquet continued. There was nothing else particularly noteworthy afterward.
It began to feel like a regular banquet in the truest sense.
……
“Little Fox, what did the Queen say to you at the banquet today?”
After the banquet ended, King Seth arranged accommodations for Liuli, and a maid led them there.
Once they reached their room, Serveyia asked the question.
“Well, Lady Fei wants me to intervene in the internal affairs of the Elf Race.”
Liuli thought for a moment and told Serveyia about the situation.
“I find it a bit strange, so I haven’t decided to agree yet.”
“A wise choice. In fact, Fei is not Seth’s only wife. Although she is the primary wife, she is not the most favored one. Moreover, her status is precarious because she hasn’t given birth to an heir for a long time. That’s likely why she’s seeking outside help.”
“But, Serveyia, didn’t you say before that the Elf Race can use the World Tree to obtain children? Is there a difference between the two?”
“There is no difference, but the World Tree is not the water of the Mother-and-Son River; results aren’t guaranteed just because you ask. In fact, while the natural reproductive capacity of the Elf Race is already on the lower end, the children brought by the World Tree are even fewer than those obtained through natural reproduction. The habits of the World Tree are unpredictable. Sometimes, it simply refuses to grant a child, and there is nothing anyone can do.”
“Wait, Serveyia, how do you know all this? Logically, this shouldn’t be information an ordinary person would know.”
“Aili told me, of course. Besides, while this information sounds explosive, you can get these details from basically any elf if you bother to ask.”
“Fine. In that case, Serveyia, do you think Seth knows about this?”
“It doesn’t matter if he knows. With Seth’s soft-eared personality, he’ll agree to anything as long as his spouse whispers in his ear.”
“If that’s the case, how has the Elf Race managed to survive stably?”
If a Sovereign truly lacked his own opinions and was easily influenced by others as Serveyia described, then such a ruler was definitely not a wise one—he might even be a fool.
“If even the Elf King has no opinions of his own, how are decisions made?”
“That is thanks to an excellent Institution. In fact, the Elf King is not the one who makes the final decisions. The decision-making body is actually the Council of Elders, which is composed of various elders. Seth is merely one of the members.”
“Hearing that, if the Elf Race can exist stably for so long without any major upheaval, it seems the Council of Elders isn’t exactly stubborn or obstinate. In that case, why not make some changes to attract more young elves back home?”
“What kind of changes do you think should be made to attract them home, Little Fox?”
“Well, make some changes that benefit young people? Make things a bit more vibrant?”
“But if you do that, what will happen to the elderly elves who have always lived here? If the changes are too drastic, wouldn’t that be a form of torture for the elderly?”
“Uh…”
“In truth, the brain drain isn’t really a problem. No matter how far the young elves wander from home, because of their Resonance with the World Tree, the vast majority will periodically return to the elven territory. Once they grow old, almost everyone returns to settle in their hometown. So, based on my understanding, Fei simply wants to use your hand to solidify her status. Of course, the end result will likely leave her disappointed.”
“Then, what should I do?”
“That depends on you, Little Fox. If you want to experience what it’s like to participate in politics, you can certainly join in. Just remember not to overpromise when you agree. That way, if you truly can’t do it later, you won’t leave yourself open to criticism. Of course, if you don’t want to get involved in these troubles, just refuse directly.”
“But she told me so much. Will she really allow me to refuse?”
In Liuli’s view, Fei certainly wouldn’t tell her these things for no reason. How could she let Liuli know everything and then just walk away?
“There’s no reason why she wouldn’t. You are the Princess of St. Leia, Little Fox. Even King Seth has to show you some respect, let alone Fei. Besides, even if she is dissatisfied, what can she do? She wouldn’t dare snitch to the Elf King. Not to mention, with Principal Kaili here, I doubt she would dare to try anything.”
Serveyia appeared quite casual at this moment, telling her not to worry in a single sentence.
But how could it be that easy? This was someone else’s territory, after all.
Even with many people protecting her, Liuli still felt a bit worried.