Kiana’s face twitched as she lightly tapped Qiweiya’s head. “Lady Qiweiya, are these truly the noble and beautiful elves we imagine?”
Qiweiya, looking somewhat disbelieving herself, laughed awkwardly. “Ahaha… I suppose so?”
Bellara, trailing behind them, wore a confused expression, utterly convinced that everything about her race was perfectly wonderful.
The treehouses were quaint, certainly. Yet, what in the world were those vines that wrapped around and even *moved* the treehouses? And for goodness sake, stop twisting!
Mei’s face darkened. “Are these vines growing cucumbers? And those bumpy ones, are they bitter gourds? Why do you only cultivate such plants?”
Bellara clapped her hands. “Oh! Those are for export. Apparently, people on the continent think the shapes and lengths we grow are quite good… I’m not entirely sure what they mean by that, though. But these plants are easy for us to cultivate, so why not earn some money?”
Qiweiya wiped her eyes, feigning deep emotion. “How dedicated! You must have made many contributions to your race!”
With expressions of profound agreement, the two held hands. Mei’s temple throbbed. “Lady Qiweiya, can you not be a little serious? This is hardly a moment for such sentiments!”
Qiweiya pulled her hand back, wiping it on her clothes. “Now, now~ it’s nothing really. Mei, you’re just too serious, which is why you don’t fit in. Come on, give us a smile!”
Mei slapped away Qiweiya’s hand, which had been trying to pinch her cheek. “Lady Qiweiya! We’re almost before the Elf Queen. Please, be a little more dignified!”
Qiweiya clicked her tongue in boredom. “How dull~ We’re here to help them, aren’t we? Why should I be nervous? Mei, you still haven’t truly matured!”
As she spoke, Qiweiya strode into a wooden palace bathed in a faint green luminescence. Mei’s mouth opened, then closed, ultimately following in silence. Kiana and Bronya exchanged a look, as if reaching some unspoken decision.
Inside the palace, elf elders and officials stood aligned on both sides, elders on the inner rows, officials on the outer. At the far end, directly opposite the entrance, the wall bore the symbol of the Goddess of Life’s faith: a lush Eternal Tree, the sacred tree worshipped by the elves.
Beneath this colossal symbol stood the Elf Queen’s throne, carved from a branch of the Eternal Tree—the main trunk of the Tree of Life—by the elves’ progenitor, the intermediate deity Xin Falian. Seated upon it now was a small loli, delicate as carved jade, with golden hair and red eyes, dressed in a pink Lolita gown and wearing a small pink fascinator tilted on the left side of her head.
This small loli watched Qiweiya with a smirk of unmistakable sarcasm.
Qiweiya was not one to engage in a prolonged staring contest. She placed her hands on her hips. “Hey! Long time no see, little Millennium Loli Queen~ Isn’t it surprisingly satisfying to see me walk in so respectfully? Little Loli Yuebi~”
The Elf Queen, Yuebi, was so incensed she nearly leaped from her throne. “Qiweiya, you’re still as unexpectedly sharp-tongued as ever~ It seems no matter how many years pass! You, the God of Unreliability, never change!”
Qiweiya cast a peculiar glance at the elves lining both sides, then leaned in conspiratorially. “Hey~ are you talking to me like this, enduring such humiliation, all for your so-called queenly dignity? Oh, don’t worry~ you don’t actually possess any ‘dignity,’ you know~ It’s useless~”
Yuebi’s eyelids twitched. “Do you have to infuriate me like this every time we meet? You just can’t be comfortable without annoying me, can you!”
Qiweiya was about to speak when she saw some of the younger elders on either side lose their composure, leaping out to berate her.
“How dare you speak to our Elf Queen like that, you unknown deity who appeared from who-knows-where!”
“Our elf race could slaughter a whole host of gods like you without even breaking a sweat!”
Ignoring the dozen or so insults from the elders, Qiweiya calmly and with great interest remarked to Yuebi, “Look at your elders, they’ve spoiled you to the high heavens~ Even I, a god, am incredibly envious~ *sniffle sniffle*”
Yuebi’s face turned ashen, and she slammed her hand on the armrest. “You imbeciles! Do you even know which god you’re insulting?!”
The elders flinched at Yuebi’s outburst but quickly regained their swagger. “Your Majesty, there’s no need to fear. We have at least ten divine-level powerhouses. We could overwhelm her even by sheer numbers.”
Qiweiya adopted a terrified expression, hugging her shoulders tightly. “Gasp! Ten divine-level experts! I’m so scared~ Don’t spank me (இωஇ) I’m really afraid of pain! Waaah~”
The elder grew even more smug. “So, little one, if you obediently kneel and apologize to Her Majesty, we might consider pardoning you.”
“Enough! Bolt, from now on, you will be a teacher at the Elf Academy. You are no longer fit to be an elder.”
Bolt asked in disbelief, “Why? Your Majesty, is it because of this unknown deity? If so, I refuse to accept this!”
Yuebi rubbed her forehead. “Do you know this individual’s identity?”
Bolt held his head high. “Isn’t she just some obscure deity? I’ve never even heard of her!”
Yuebi waved her hand, and an emerald green light coiled around Bolt. “Say no more! This is a being whom even the Elf Progenitor must kneel and pay respects to. How dare you criticize her!”
Seeing his pale face, Yuebi knew he had more or less guessed, and slowly continued, “Her name is Qiweiya, the Primal Blizzard. She is an Origin God who existed since the dawn of creation, and the strongest god, holding the divine offices of the Goddess of Judgment and the Goddess of Ice and Snow!”
Yuebi helplessly gazed at the terrifyingly silent palace, then waved her hand. “Guards! Take Bolt away!”
Qiweiya, who had smiled throughout, only grew slightly serious after seeing the elf elder named Bolt being led away. “Yuebi, your people are truly as doting towards you as they were in the past.”
Yuebi gave Qiweiya a complex look. “You’ve changed. You’ve become more mature than before… and a little colder.”
Qiweiya shook her head. “I’ve never changed, you know~ I’m still me. It’s just that I’ve seen too much of the world, and thus, I understand its darker side better.”
Yuebi stared into Qiweiya’s eyes for a long moment before letting out a relieved sigh. “Indeed, you’re still you. It’s truly good that you haven’t changed.”
Qiweiya tilted her head. “While I’m not sure what you mean… I can tell you with absolute certainty that in this world, I am the only one who remains eternally unchanged!”
Yuebi walked over to her and gestured, measuring. “Indeed, eternally unchanged~ Still under 1.6 meters, as always!”
Qiweiya’s eye twitched. “So you can only use my height to console your own, which just barely hit 1.6 meters? Truly, you haven’t improved at all!”
Yuebi returned to her throne, her expression turning serious. “Alright! No more idle chatter! Bellara mentioned that you intend to help our elf race rescue the captured elves, is that correct?”
“That’s right~ After all, I’ve just finished adjusting the human laws. I certainly don’t want elves and humans to start fighting at such a crucial moment.”
Yuebi sighed with envy. “Humans truly captivate you… I don’t understand why a race, apart from their strong learning ability, holds such value that an Origin God like you has favored them since ancient times.”
Qiweiya gazed wistfully through the palace walls towards the Human Empire. “After all, they are the race that carries my hopes. As for me~ apart from them, there’s not much left in this world worth cherishing!”
Yuebi stomped her foot in vexation. “You’re still the same! Why are you so unwilling to cast your gaze upon other races? Oh! Except for that b*tch, the Demon Race!”
Sensing something odd, Qiweiya quickly interrupted. “Hey, hey! We’re talking about your people right now! Don’t bring up other matters. I’ve decided to bring my Valkyries to rescue your elf kin. What do you think? One word: deal? Or no deal?”
Yuebi opened her mouth, then closed it, finally sighing in resignation. “Rescue them then… Only you can save them most quickly and safely in that perilous Human Empire. However, I hope you go and return as soon as possible. Our elf race is on the verge of attacking the humans… You know, I can no longer suppress the common folk’s demands.”
Qiweiya nodded firmly. “While I cannot guarantee that every single one will be brought back completely unharmed, I can assure you the rate of harm will not exceed ten percent.”
With that, she vanished from Yuebi’s sight. The elders in the palace exchanged glances, none knowing how to comfort their Queen, who had suddenly fallen into a melancholic state.
Yuebi let out a faint sigh. “So, Qiweiya… you’re still that idiot, aren’t you~”