Green was all courtesy, and the Gray Elf Queen returned his greeting with a reserved nod.
Green then turned to Emperor Tattle. "Your Majesty, I didn't expect us to meet again so soon. I'm afraid I can't offer you much hospitality under the circumstances."
Emperor Tattle sighed. "I didn't expect it to end so abruptly either. I thought we could at least give you some trouble, but it seems I underestimated you. You truly deserve to be called the Great Undead King."
"You flatter me." Green took the compliment in stride. "As you both know, this world is still in its Terminal Stage. It isn't kind to anyone of Calamity Rank, so I won't belabor the point. Let me be clear: I don't want a conflict with either of you, and I have no intention of expanding farther along the Northern Border. I'm willing to treat this as a misunderstanding. What do you say?"
Emperor Tattle remained expressionless. The Gray Elf Queen frowned slightly. She wasn't sure how sincere Green was, but if he meant to preserve the status quo, that would be the best outcome for the Gray Elf Tribe.
The battle had shown her the Undead Empire's strength. Her gray elf warriors were all elite fighters, but her people had always struggled to reproduce. The entire Gray Elf Tribe numbered fewer than fifty thousand. Even if everyone fit enough to fight took up arms, she could muster no more than twenty or thirty thousand troops.
Against the armies of over a hundred thousand that Green could field, she had little confidence of winning. Yet the Green Tree Tribe's presence was a thorn in her side.
Green claimed he did not intend to expand northward, but with the Green Tree Tribe's allegiance, his reach already extended deep into the