Translator: SumTLMan
At the moment Jack’s voice ceased, a gentle breeze brushed across the cheek, and at the same time, Angel heard the voice of Gentle Wind Uranos through the wind.
Gentle Wind Uranos conveyed a few words to Angel through the wind.
It was also an invitation for Angel to meet and indicated that Abundant Graleme was also nearby.
Presumably, after Gentle Wind Uranos watched the Drama Shadow Box, he had made a decision and called Highness Abundant over from the Green Wilderness, probably preparing to give Angel a response.
Thinking of this, Angel nodded to Jack: “Okay, I’ll go now.”
Returning to the palace at the summit, this time Angel only brought the dozy Toby inside, while Dangros stayed outside the palace gate, chatting with Arnoldo, Cupid, and others.
Upon entering the palace, the first thing Angel saw was a lush tree silhouette standing amidst the clouds and mist.
It was a flourishing apple tree, which didn’t seem unusual from afar, but upon closer inspection, one would discover that the tree trunk was surrounded by glowing green mist, as if the trunk was clad in green armor.
Moreover, the fruits it bore were not ordinary; they shone with a golden glow, emitting an enticing sweet fragrance, even the sleepy Toby was captivated by the aroma, his eyes wide open, staring intently at the few Golden Apples hanging from the treetops.
Hearing footsteps behind, the apple tree… moved.
The apple tree turned around, revealing the deep features on its trunk, casting an inquisitive gaze towards Angel.
As Angel and the apple tree locked gazes, Gentle Wind Uranos, who sat with great presence on the high throne, stood up, left the throne, and stepped down the stairs, positioning himself between Angel and the apple tree.
Gentle Wind Uranos smiled warmly at Angel and introduced the identity of the apple tree: “This is Highness Abundant of the Green Wilderness.”
After the introduction, Gentle Wind Uranos manipulated the wind to transform the surrounding clouds into cloud cushions and sat down.
Abundant Graleme, initially focusing on Angel to take a closer look, was drawn instead by Gentle Wind Uranos’ actions.
When it conversed with Gentle Wind Uranos, the latter was always seated on the throne.
However, upon Angel’s arrival, he immediately descended from his throne, his accumulated dignity evaporating instantly, and sat down on equal footing with Angel.
This clearly meant something significant to Abundant Graleme.
Gentle Wind Uranos was signaling to it the great respect and importance he placed on Angel.
Given Gentle Wind Uranos’ evident stance, even subtly hinting at it, Abundant Graleme naturally would not act pretentiously, and the look towards Angel became more tender.
“I heard from Sage Camus that you have been at the Forbidden Peak these past few days, did you find anything?”
Gentle Wind Uranos seemed to be engaging in pleasantries, yet Angel noticed that its address towards him lacked the formal “Mister,” opting instead for a direct “you.” This wasn’t a sign of disrespect from Gentle Wind Uranos towards Angel; rather, it was an attempt to bridge the distance and foster a closer relationship by being informal in its address. After all, consistently using “Mister” could sound somewhat distant.
From just a mode of address, Angel could approximately infer Gentle Wind Uranos’ subsequent response, which was likely not confrontational and probably took Mr. Magu’s advice into consideration.
Angel’s mind was bustling with thoughts, yet his expression remained unchanged: “Yes, these past few days, I have been utterly engrossed in Mr. Feng’s paintings, which have been greatly enlightening. However, there is one painting that leaves me puzzled, and I would like to hear Gentle Wind’s perspective on it.”
“No problem, once this is over, we’ll head there together.”
After a brief exchange, the pleasantries concluded, and Gentle Wind Uranos shifted the conversation to the main topic, sharing its thoughts on the Drama Shadow Box trilogy it had watched over the past two days.
It spoke in great detail, touching upon almost every part of the trilogy.
Moreover, whenever it discussed a part of the trilogy, Gentle Wind Uranos would exchange views with Highness Graleme, expressing their opinions to each other.
This was not simply a “review” but rather, through the expression of opinions, a way for it to convey attitudes and exchange values with Angel.
In the first part, —Humans and Civilization—, Highness Graleme didn’t express much, acting more like an observer analyzing the rise of human history calmly and its pros and cons. Gentle Wind Uranos, on the other hand, showed high praise, repeatedly stating that this was the most intriguing chapter of the trilogy for it. It didn’t evaluate humanity from the standpoint of an elemental creature; instead, it empathized with humans, marveling at the rise of human civilization and even attempting to replicate human civilization among elemental creatures.
From the exchange of views on the first part, Angel could sense the starkly different personalities and thoughts of Highness Graleme and Gentle Wind Uranos.
This was precisely what Gentle Wind Uranos intended to show through the exchange, demonstrating attitudes through communication.
In the second part, —The World of Wizards World—, both Highness Graleme and Gentle Wind Uranos were quite indifferent. It wasn’t that they were uninterested in a broader extraordinary world, but this part clearly showed the demands wizards placed on elemental creatures. Even though Angel described the relationship between wizards and elemental creatures as a mutually beneficial “partnership,” it remained a human perspective. As creatures with a high value for freedom, neither Gentle Wind Uranos nor Highness Graleme were convinced.
However, Gentle Wind Uranos, while also disliking the so-called “elemental partnership,” expressed its rational thoughts in objective language.
Coexisting with humans, especially powerful ones, without wanting to be eradicated, inevitably involves a survival cost. From the human viewpoint, elemental creatures are considered alien, and humans have a tradition of never being harmonious with aliens.
Becoming an elemental partner to humans is a form of “cost.”
At least, to Gentle Wind Uranos, this cost seemed relatively cost-effective because wizards, no matter how perverse their character, rarely kill their elemental partners without reason.
Elemental creatures in the Wizarding World can survive as long as they don’t act recklessly. Thus, despite Gentle Wind Uranos’ relatively objective stance, it didn’t outright reject the idea, even if it didn’t agree.
Highness Graleme, on the other hand, remained silent, its disapproval quite evident.
Angel also shared some of his views, not speaking on behalf of humans but objectively discussing the basic principles of how human wizards treat elemental creatures. Angel’s perspective largely cited the eccentric and autocratic dark wizards as examples.
After all, humans vary widely, and they will encounter different humans in the future. Speaking too highly now could lead to contradictions later.
In Angel’s view, many wizards indeed treat elemental creatures as pets or “tools.” However, it is undeniable that the majority of wizards have a very intimate relationship with their elemental companions, as understanding and bonding with these creatures can greatly facilitate the practice of elemental abilities. Even if a wizard considers an elemental creature as a mere tool, they would not readily damage this “tool.”
Even if one day the elemental creature becomes less useful to the wizard, a typical wizard, due to the long-term relationship, would still treat the elemental creature with great friendliness and intimacy. At worst, they would allow the elemental creature to leave, rather than resorting to abandoning or harming it once it is no longer of use, which is a rarity.
Most importantly, the relationship between wizards and elemental creatures is fundamentally “mutually beneficial.” Wizards gain shortcuts in their practice of elemental abilities from their elemental companions, while the elemental creatures can grow rapidly with the resources provided by the wizards, much faster than they would mature in the Tidal Realm on their own.
Therefore, the act of seeking and giving is mutual, and the elemental creatures might even gain more from this relationship.
Of course, this does not excuse the humans, as many humans capture elemental companions through “hunting.” This forced contract signing is indeed frightening from the perspective of the elemental creatures. Thus, Angel understands the displeasures of Gentle Wind Uranos and Abundant Graleme.
His wish to have Savage Grottoes stationed in the Tidal Realm and to sign reciprocal agreements with the elemental creatures there is precisely to address this issue.
If elemental creatures actively sign contracts with humans, choosing to become a wizard’s companion, this is naturally better than being forcibly captured. Moreover, the bonds would thus be deepened, minimizing the chances of tragedy.
After listening to Angel’s views, Gentle Wind Uranos and Abundant Graleme remained silent for a long time.
The content Angel spoke of essentially supplements and extends the third part of the series, —The Future Possibilities of the Tidal Realm—.
Gentle Wind Uranos does not know what Abundant Graleme thinks, but it is somewhat tempted.
It is not that Angel persuaded it with words, but it is thinking more realistically.
Considering the situation described in the third part, the Tidal Realm will inevitably open up in the future. Rather than facing humans in conflict then, it would be better to accept Angel’s suggestion and maintain independence through this alliance.
This might seem like appeasement, and indeed it is. When the other is strong and they are weak, compromise is the best survival strategy under absolute disadvantage.
Moreover, Angel clarified that this is a mutually beneficial arrangement. Although Gentle Wind Uranos is temporarily skeptical, as they have not yet encountered many humans and lack more examples, if it truly is as Angel described, it may not be so hard to accept.
Perhaps many elemental sprites or elemental creatures that have been stuck in their development for a long time would indeed wish to become a wizard’s elemental companion to seek their own advancement. Just as human characters vary, elemental creatures, as intelligent life forms, also have diverse ecologies and personalities. There probably won’t be a shortage of elemental creatures willing to accept wizards.
Gentle Wind Uranos is genuinely tempted, but it has not yet made its final decision, choosing to follow the majority and visit the Fire Domain to meet Mr. Magu and the visitors from Savage Grottoes before deciding.
Since their perspectives had already been exchanged earlier, there wasn’t much left to discuss about the third part, —The Future Possibilities of the Tidal Realm—. However, both monarchs still expressed some current attitudes.
Gentle Wind Uranos and Abundant Graleme are both filled with concerns about the future situation of the Tidal Realm, with slight differences in personal emotions.
Although Gentle Wind Uranos is worried, it also harbors some expectations, as it truly appreciates the splendid civilization built by humans. Once the Tidal Realm opens up, not only will humans flood in, but it can also leave to witness a more vast and glorious world.
Abundant Graleme, on the other hand, is more worried with little expectation. However, as a neutral pacifist, even if worried, it, like Gentle Wind Uranos, does not wish to confront the powerful civilization of wizards. With the inevitable mutual opening of the two worlds, cooperating with Savage Grottoes indeed seems like the only choice.
Thus, although Abundant Graleme’s views differ somewhat from those of Gentle Wind Uranos, it also agrees to meet Mr. Magu and negotiate with the visitors from Savage Grottoes in the future.
After confirming the thoughts of the two monarchs, Angel felt much more at ease. The elemental creatures he encountered were mostly simple, and although there were some exceptions, it did not hinder his appreciation for elemental creatures. Naturally, resolving issues without war was the best outcome.
Next, they discussed some topics not mentioned in the Drama Shadow Box, such as the distribution of human world factions, the diversity among wizards, and some vast planes beyond the Wizarding World.
After satisfying their curiosity, the conversation came to an end.
Abundant Graleme bid farewell to Angel and Gentle Wind Uranos, preparing to leave.
Before leaving, Abundant Graleme left behind two golden apples, one for Angel and one for Toby, who had been staring at the golden apple all afternoon and had drooled all over the floor.
The effect of the golden apple was similar to Jack’s magic beans, replenishing nature energy, but the energy from the golden apple was more abundant and of a higher quality, and most importantly, it was delicious.
Toby quickly finished his golden apple and then silently shifted his gaze to the one in Angel’s hand.
The golden apple was not of much help to Angel, but seeing Toby’s enjoyment, he gave his portion to Toby as well.
“This is just a golden apple grown from a seed of my avatar. If you like it, you can come to Green Wilderness. Then, you can try the golden apples from my main body.” After making the invitation, Abundant Graleme did not stay any longer and bid farewell to everyone before leaving Wind Island.
Now, only Angel and Gentle Wind Uranos were left in the palace.
Angel finally had the opportunity to ask Gentle Wind Uranos for information related to Feng.
Gentle Wind Uranos knew a lot, especially about Feng’s life details, which were quite rich. However, these were not what Angel wanted to know. He was most eager to find out what kind of scheme Feng had set up in the Tidal Realm and what the so-called treasure Feng had left behind was.