The meeting with the Fairy Queen was more ordinary than I had imagined.
Ignoring the numerous wood carvings and flowers around the room that were trying so hard to create a luxurious atmosphere, this meeting was just a replica of the meeting with the flower fairy. It didn't even feel as warm and considerate as the puppet maids that Yao had brought to serve me.
Okay, this kind of comparison is just too unfair.
Of course, it would be too hasty to conclude that the fairies have no idea how to entertain guests.
They simply lack experience in hosting outsiders.
Across from me, the fairy queen, wearing a small crown, sat obediently in her seat, her head slightly bowed, which would have been submerged in her cup if not to prevent the crown from slipping. Layers of semi-transparent, almost chiffon-like gauze robe flowed out, slender ribbons unfurling like butterfly wings behind her, revealing two delicate, bare feet. In her hand, a silver spoon gently stirred the tea in her cup, stirring up the uneasy atmosphere that slowly spread throughout the newly added flowerbed.
As for these flowerbeds, which are said to be carefully arranged by flower fairies... even with just a rough sense of their surroundings, I discovered dozens or even hundreds of magical reactions, and the number is still increasing, with faint sounds of communication coming from time to time.
I smiled silently, shifted to a more comfortable position, sat cross-legged on the soft cashmere blanket, and casually tossed the large bowl of wild fruits in front of me into my mouth as if they were tiny candies, savoring the honey-like flavor that quickly spread across my tongue.
The Sacred Tree Stronghold truly lives up to its reputation as one of the wealthiest cities on this continent. Years of exchanges with other cities in various fields have allowed it to accumulate a wealth of resources. Even the goods it uses to exchange with fairies to offset employment fees are of the highest quality and rarest kind.
For example, the cushions used to entertain me at this time are said to be produced on a plateau in the west, a rare find even in the second richest and most luxurious port city.
But that has nothing to do with the meeting we are having now.
After I was invited here, aside from the initial greetings and introductions—the Fairy Queen's self-introduction was even fainter than the chirping of insects; if I hadn't been reminded by the Flower Fairy earlier and cast a spell on my ear, I probably wouldn't have heard a single word—and after being told to act as I pleased, a silent stillness has persisted until now. Although I don't understand why the Fairy Queen has been constantly fiddling with the tea set in her hands, judging from the Flower Fairy beside her constantly winking and making faces, practically begging to kiss her until she's sweating profusely, this seems to be a very rare phenomenon.
"I'm sorry," the flower fairy finally whispered in my ear, "it seems that this is the first time the Queen has had such an intimate meeting with a complete stranger. She's probably still a little unaccustomed to it."
"I didn't feel anything was wrong."
This wasn't something I forced myself to say; at least, I was quite amused watching the flower fairy anxiously while I ate my snacks: "However, since there's something to say, I hope your queen can relax a bit. Otherwise, even if a great opportunity is presented to her, failing to smoothly develop any topic will cause it to be missed."
The flower fairy spread her hands: "Regarding this, I can only tell you that, after all, there aren't many people who need the Queen's personal audience over the years. Apart from the city lord nearby, only a few distinguished guests might have the opportunity to receive her. More often than not, our Queen only needs to maintain constant communication with the Sacred Tree." As she spoke, she added in a very low voice, "Of course, communication with the Sacred Tree focuses more on spiritual connection than on words that can be faked."
In other words, is there a slight possibility that the Fairy Queen in front of us is a shut-in or socially anxious?
I couldn't help but look at the little queen in front of me with a strange gaze again, and then I noticed that the hand that was stirring was shaking even more violently, and even the ripples spreading on the surface of the tea were no longer even.
“I think, why don’t you act as the go-between?” I looked at the flower fairy who was staring at her queen with great confusion, trying to make my eyes seem more sincere. “If you were to mediate, maybe your queen’s symptoms could improve, wouldn’t you say?”
"Who's the mouthpiece?!"
Although the flower fairy said that, she still paused for a moment before flapping her wings and flying to the fairy queen's side.
After a few quiet whispers, it was quite obvious that the little queen sitting opposite me relaxed her tightly furrowed brows, as if she had finally taken a breath. She glanced at me and then quickly looked away, before nodding gently and whispering something else.
"...The Queen has agreed."
The flower fairy who flew back looked puzzled, but still faithfully fulfilled her duty: "Then she wanted to know your opinion on the fairy race."
What kind of question is this right off the bat?
I couldn't figure out their approach for a moment, so I could only copy down the answer sheet based on the existing one: "Is it a treasure bestowed by heaven and earth, a miracle born from the joint birth of life and probability?"
"...Hey! Why did you copy my answer again! Say it again!" The flower fairy, who had been stunned for a second, quickly reacted and grabbed my hair with some annoyance. "And it was even a rhetorical question!"
I shrugged: "Then all I can say is, I don't know."
"What's the meaning?"
“Literal meaning. My understanding of the fairy race is limited to descriptions in books and my interactions with you. Conclusions drawn without a long period of time spent together and understanding will mostly lead to misjudgments, which is obviously not a cautious and rigorous approach,” I said. “For a mage, maintaining caution and reverence towards all phenomena and principles at all times is one of the important virtues.”
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