The entire hall fell silent.
The elven nobles who had been brimming with superiority earlier all lowered their heads in shame, wishing they could find a hole to crawl into.
Valerius was deathly pale, his body swaying on the verge of collapse.
He knew he was finished.
The Queen's words were a warning not just to him, but to everyone. And he had become the one singled out, nailed to the Elves' pillar of shame.
Fendona stood to one side, dumbstruck.
This... how had things turned around so quickly?
She stole a glance at Lin Mo beside her and discovered that he wasn't the least bit nervous about the trouble he'd caused. Instead, he enthusiastically raised his glass, took another sip, and even nodded from time to time.
His expression seemed to say: Well said, Your Majesty! That's the way! Give them a few more!
Her words rang out with force, leaving the entire hall utterly silent.
Ellari slowly swept her gaze over the ashamed faces. Finally, she closed her eyes wearily. When she opened them again, her thunderous authority had faded, leaving only a profound helplessness.
She turned to Lin Mo, her pale blue eyes full of apology and sincerity.
"Master Lin Mo." The Queen bowed slightly.
"Please forgive my people's rudeness."
"For their words and actions just now, I offer my sincerest apologies to you and the great nation behind you."
Lin Mo hurriedly put down his glass and waved a hand, wearing an expression that all but declared how magnanimous he was.
"Oh, Her Majesty the Queen, there's no need for that. No need at all."
"I was a little impulsive myself just now. Please don't take it to heart."
He did feel a measure of admiration for the Queen.
She really knew how to seize an opportunity and make an example of someone! A crafty old fox with a thousand years of experience, indeed.
Not only had she publicly reprimanded the unruly nobles and established an image of herself as open-minded and decisive, but she'd also done him a favor in the process.
Her political finesse was leagues beyond that of the politicians who bickered on television every day.
"No." Ellari shook her head and said earnestly,
"You did nothing wrong. Compared with all that insincere flattery, I appreciate your genuine willingness to speak frankly far more."
"Your words may have been harsh, but they rang like an alarm bell, waking those of us stubbornly immersed in past glory."
She paused, a trace of weariness and earnest pleading appearing on her face.
"To be honest, Master Lin Mo, the situation facing us Elves is far more dire than you imagine."
Ellari waved a hand, dismissing the uninvolved attendants and most of the nobles.
Soon, only the Queen, Lin Mo, Fendona, and a few seemingly high-ranking elven Elders remained in the vast banquet hall.
The atmosphere grew somber.
"The Demon Clan's offensives grow fiercer with every wave."
"They use the resources they seize to grow stronger every day."
"Meanwhile, our defensive lines and resources shrink with each passing day. As they grow stronger and we grow weaker, I'm afraid..."
The Queen's voice was low and sorrowful.
"Our population has fallen by eighty percent over centuries of war."
"Every adult Elf must go to the battlefield."
"Our magic and archery seem so feeble against the Demon Clan's endless armies."
"We can kill a thousand of them, ten thousand, but a hundred thousand more will come. A million."
"We cannot hold out much longer."
By the end, even this Queen, who had lived for thousands of years and always carried herself with regal grace, had a tremor in her voice.
Lin Mo fell silent.
He could feel the crushing weight of that despair.
This was no performance. It was the truest cry of anguish from a people on the brink of extinction.
A people with tens of thousands of years of heritage now hung by a thread.
"The Compound Bows and Repeating Crossbows have indeed given us a chance to survive, and we are deeply grateful." Ellari's gaze returned to Lin Mo, filled with hope.
"But, Master Lin Mo, that is not enough."
"We need more help."
"We need the help of you and the great nation behind you!"
Here it comes!
Lin Mo's heart stirred.
The World Tree seed-I've got a chance!
Yet he betrayed none of that on his face. Instead, he looked troubled, furrowing his brow and pondering for a moment.
"Her Majesty the Queen, I understand how you feel, and I deeply sympathize with what your people have suffered."
He spoke slowly, his tone grave.
"But... this is no small matter."
"It is no longer something I can decide on my own."
"This concerns diplomatic relations between two worlds and civilizations. I am merely a representative."
He could actually have agreed right then and there, but that wouldn't fit the persona he had established in this other world.
If he agreed on the spot, he would practically be giving himself away: I'm someone important. Come take me hostage!
He had no desire to see those consequences.
To be safe, it was better to maintain the image of a low-ranking messenger.
A flicker of disappointment crossed Ellari's face at his words, but she still nodded.
"I was presumptuous. Even so, I hope you can convey our request. Whether it succeeds or not, we will be grateful to you."
Lin Mo smiled slightly.
"I will convey Her Majesty the Queen's request and sincerity exactly as you have expressed them."
"Rest assured, my homeland never hesitates to extend a helping hand to true friends."
At his words, Ellari smiled, her hope rekindled.
"It is getting late, and you must be weary after your long journey. Shall we discuss this further tomorrow?"
Lin Mo had no objection and readily agreed.
Ellari turned to Fendona and instructed her,
"Fendona, please take Master Lin Mo to Moonlight's End to rest."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Fendona bowed.
Lin Mo also stood and placed a hand over his chest in a bow.
"Then, Her Majesty the Queen, I will see you tomorrow."
"Until tomorrow, Master Lin Mo." Ellari responded with a smile.
Only after leaving the banquet hall did Fendona let out a long breath, patting her ample chest, still visibly shaken.
"You scared me half to death, Master Lin Mo! For a moment, I thought Her Majesty the Queen was going to throw you off the World Tree!"
Lin Mo smiled and said confidently,
"She wouldn't. I don't believe your Queen would be so shortsighted."
"And didn't you notice? That was simply her plan to kill three birds with one stone."
Fendona froze for a moment, then asked in confusion,
"Sorry, I don't understand."
Lin Mo said,
"Your Queen allowed the Elder to challenge me because she wanted to test whether I and the nation behind me would be easy to push around, so she could secure greater benefits in our future cooperation."
"If we proved difficult to push around, she could still use the opportunity to reprimand and rein in your hidebound nobles, then earn some goodwill with me."
Fendona's lips parted slightly after she heard his explanation.
"Was it really that complicated?"
Lin Mo smiled.
"That's how politicians are. Everything is about interests."
Following the branches with his gaze, he caught sight of the sky and couldn't help saying,
"There are actually two moons up there! One is so white and so big."
Fendona glanced at the sky in puzzlement. After waiting a long time without hearing Lin Mo comment on the other moon, she asked curiously,
"What about the other one?"
"The other one is naturally also so white and so big!" Surprised, Lin Mo turned to look at her, his expression seeming to ask whether she was an idiot.
Fendona: "..."
Before you continue