"By invitation?"
Mitler did not voice the question. Although he knew it was just an imperial power play, being treated so "politely" by the Order Grand Monarch still made Mitler feel a little giddy.
Then, he immediately understood what the Order Grand Monarch meant by "by invitation." Setting aside the invitation sent to the civilization itself, the Interastral Peace Corporation had sent out invitations to every [Emissary]-level powerhouse in the cosmos from a "non-absolutely hostile faction" they could contact.
The Monarch...
He was indeed powerful enough to be "near-divine," but his existence had not yet transcended the material universe. Therefore, he had also received an invitation from the IPC, one that was separate from the invitation sent to the Sacred Empire.
"..."
At this moment, Mitler desperately wanted to throttle the person responsible for this task. But after some careful consideration, he realized he didn't dare. To deliver invitations of this scale without missing a single one would inevitably involve the power of the Imaginary Tree. And within the IPC, the only ones capable of this were the "Chairman" and their ultimate boss, "Qlipoth, the Astral God of Preservation."
Qlipoth's power permeated the universe. He could, of course, transmit the "invitation" information to all recipients through the [Path of Preservation].
The problem was, the "invitation" transmitted purely via the Path was sent directly into the hands of the Sacred Empire's Monarch. At the same time, the Imperial Ministry of Foreign Affairs also received an official invitation from the IPC... which was why Little Zi and the Monarch had come together. After all, if you send two invitations, you naturally have to prepare two priceless "welcoming gifts."
"Mr. Mitler."
"Have you encountered some difficulty?"
As Mitler was fuming in silence, the Monarch's words roused him again. The Order Grand Monarch before him was indeed cordial and kind, but he would never dare to actually make the Monarch wait here.
"No!" Mitler immediately replied. "The conference is ready."
"We can begin as soon as you arrive... The other attendees have all arrived early or were already stationed on the [Great Attractor Substrate]. They had no intention of arriving before you."
In truth, not all the attendees had arrived. But that didn't matter. Although Mitler hadn't fully recovered his usual slick demeanor, the first thing he did upon snapping back to his senses was to broadcast the news that "the Monarch of the Sacred Empire has arrived at the Great Attractor Substrate" to all the recipients who had yet to arrive.
Whether they were already en route, about to depart, or still weighing their options, none of them could possibly remain seated after receiving this news. Mitler believed that no Emissary in the cosmos would consider themselves more "noble" than the two words "The Monarch."
Even the final supplementary explanation was a small, calculated move on Mitler's part.
"Is that so."
Mitler could not see the Monarch's expression. In fact, including the Imperial Apostles, no one in the vast spaceport besides Little Zi and Shesha dared to look directly at the Monarch. Their gazes and senses all stopped at the ground before him.
"I originally had a small matter I wished to ask of you," the Monarch said. "Now it seems it has become an imposition."
"Not at all! Not at all!"
Mitler was more than savvy enough to recognize polite talk. Forget a minor Emissary like himself; even the Grand Monarchs of other factions would likely have few opportunities to be of service to the Order Grand Monarch. This "small matter" the Monarch spoke of was a pure political gift, a transaction of favors.
"Please, speak freely! Whatever you need, just give the order!"
"..."
A peculiar silence seemed to stretch on for an eternity, though it might have just been Mitler's imagination.
"The other factions are waiting. Wouldn't this be inappropriate?"
"It's no problem!" Mitler insisted. "The conference can be delayed a little."
Mitler felt a pressure from the Monarch that went beyond "pure power." In just a few simple exchanges, he had been forced to pick a side. He was still the "Amber Lord's" Emissary, but if it came to a dispute of internal interests, he would now have to factor in the Sacred Empire.
Such skill...
Mitler secretly glanced at the guards beside him. The "Grand Artisan" of [The Architects] had shown a clear tendency to support the Sacred Empire on many occasions. Now, the reason was probably obvious: that thick-browed fellow had likely already "defected to the Empire"!
"Oh?" The Monarch glanced at Little Zi beside him.
"My wife is very interested in the [Great Attractor Substrate]."
"I hear it has the most developed shopping center in the entire universe. The editorial department of the Galactic Fashion Guide is located here... And there are many civilizations rarely seen in the Empire that have branch offices on the [Great Attractor Substrate]."
The reason the Monarch stated was simple, but its implications were profound.
"Mr. Mitler," he continued. "For the upcoming peace conference, if your presence is not required for the entire duration... I wonder if you could indulge our small request?"
"..."
"I would be delighted!"
A "personal friendship" and the "possibility of establishing diplomatic relations."
The astute Mitler immediately read between the lines.
The Sacred Empire's territory was vast, and their advanced jump technology meant they rarely established "embassies" within the territory of other powers. If he could help "strengthen the friendship between the Interastral Peace Corporation and the Sacred Empire," it would be a huge boost to his own standing within the corporation. It would also represent a further expansion of the IPC's influence—the Empire's internal trade system had nothing to do with "Credits."
"Little Zi." The Monarch looked at the bright sunshine beside him.
"Eh? Little Bai, you're not coming with?" she asked. "For something like a peace conference, can't we just let Snakey go?"
Shesha was the Empire's Grand Steward; his status was more than sufficient to represent Little Zi, the actual recipient of the invitation, at the conference.
"Why don't we all go to the meeting first, and then trouble His Excellency Mitler after it's over?"
"No." The Monarch shook his head with a smile. "Snakey probably isn't too interested in the Galactic Fashion Guide... although I believe he has anonymously modeled for them a few times."
"The relevant files are in 'Library 22-1722-13-3'."
"..."
Snakey's little secret was unknowingly exposed by the Monarch to the Chief Diplomat.
"Besides, we probably can't attend the meeting together, because... my meeting isn't 'here'."
"..."
"Them?" Little Zi raised a slender finger and poked gently toward the dome of the spaceport above.
"Yes. They've almost all arrived," the Monarch said, making no effort to be discreet about the Astral Gods.
"And..." Little Bai's gaze swept casually across the sea of stars. "Cheche has already discovered your plan and is on her way here along the fault ripples. She should arrive in about five minutes."
"After that—" Little Bai shrugged, not finishing the sentence.
"Sigh." Little Zi sighed softly. "Alright, it looks like I'll have to hurry. If I get caught up with her, there'll be no fun to be had."
She turned to Mitler, who had been bowing his head deeply this entire time.
"Your Excellency Mitler," she said. "I'll be in your care for the time being."
"Please, rest assured!" Mitler replied, still deferential, without a hint of dissatisfaction.
"Shesha."
"Your subordinate is here." A mental wave that was almost imperceptible sounded in their minds. Shesha stepped forward, quickly arriving at the Monarch's side.
"Most of Them pay little attention to the material universe," the Monarch instructed. "But the impact of this matter has become a tangible threat to the Imaginary Tree... The high and mighty Astral Gods must now consider whether their own fates (Paths) can weather this 'great tide' unscathed."
The Empire needed no intelligence from the IPC; they had long known the full story behind this so-called "Interastral Peace Conference." In fact, the Empire was a direct participant in the relevant events. Other major powers, including the IPC, had only heard the "retelling" from their respective Astral Gods.
"I will handle the Astral Gods."
"The Empire will likely be the main force... After all, what is commonplace for us is something other civilizations avoid like the plague."
"You know how to play this to our advantage."
The Monarch's methods were a mix of the orthodox and the unorthodox. When it came to pure intrigue, Shesha was equally outstanding.
"Although this is our 'responsibility,' it is also the 'responsibility' of all cosmic civilizations. It's time for those who have lived in comfort for too long to feel the terror of the 'abyss'."
"This subordinate understands!"
Mitler's reverent expression remained fixed on his face. As Little Zi left the Monarch's side, she gently nudged his flank with her arm. Though she didn't know what they were discussing, she had clearly noticed Little Bai and Snakey's private conversation.
"..."
"Have fun."
A nail driven in isn't always useful. But to prepare for a rainy day, one must always drive it in first.
"I'll go scout ahead," Little Zi said. "After the meeting is over, you have to take me for a proper tour!"
For an "empire under one family" like theirs, work and life could very well be considered the same thing.
"Of course."
---o---
The Interastral Peace Conference venue.
The conference hall, further optimized with spatial compression technology, had an absurdly large seating capacity. The attendance of over nine thousand civilizations was a testament to the vastness of the universe, especially since every invited civilization was a hegemon in its own star sector.
But in the eyes of the top-tier civilizations, the presence of these mid-level civilizations was more to showcase the terrifying influence of the [Interastral Peace Corporation].
At the very center of the hall, around a massive, ring-shaped table, sat the top-tier powers invited to the conference. There was no pretense of fairness here; every one of the 48 seats at the central table was backed (or had once been backed) by a true Astral God.
The representatives of the major powers had mostly arrived. Even the few who had not originally planned to attend had changed their minds upon hearing of the "Monarch's" arrival.
Of course, even without seeing the Monarch in person, the presence of a Grand Monarch from the Sacred Empire was enough to silence everyone.
Entering last, alongside the host of the conference, the "Chairman" of the Interastral Peace Corporation, was Shesha.
With Shesha's appearance, the reactions from the major powers around the central table were markedly different. The most conspicuous were the three factions of "Immortality," "Abundance," and "The Hunt."
The [Dragonkin], who were usually hard to find, had been invited to this conference. Their emissary was a [Psionic Photon Dragonkin] named "Galaxy," one of the only two remaining [Emissaries] of the Dragonkin. He was not here representing himself, but a [Psionic Void Dragonkin] named "Oromis Messiah."
"Galaxy" showed clear goodwill toward Shesha's appearance.
As for "Abundance" and "The Hunt," one looked on with hatred, while the other's expression was difficult to describe.
The story behind this was already widely known throughout the universe. The retainers of Yaoshi, the Astral God of Abundance, the [Elixir Seekers], searched the vast cosmos for traces of their god and her blessings.
It should be noted that in a strict alignment classification, "Yaoshi" would be categorized as "Chaotic Good." She was the nurturer of all beings, the god of paradise, aiming to make life flourish and grant blessings to the thirsty and the lost. The attributes of the [Path of Abundance] were all beautiful: vision, selflessness, altruism, healing.
But!
Not all races could accept Yaoshi's power. "Long-life species" were already rare. The tribulations faced by "immortal species" were even more taboo. The blessings bestowed by Yaoshi granted mortal life the power of "immortality," and they became her retainers, the [People of Abundance].
But physical immortality did not equate to spiritual eternity. The [People of Abundance], if not mentally strong enough, would gradually go insane over their long lives, eventually becoming beings known as [Abominations]. The power that Yaoshi had bestowed equally became the beginning of many disasters.
Yaoshi was powerful, but her power was not infinite. She could not answer the call of every soul across the distant universe. Those who yearned for "Abundance" but had not yet met Yaoshi to obtain eternal life became another branch of her retainers: the [Elixir Seekers].
These [Elixir Seekers] set their sights on the [Dragonkin].
The [Path of Immortality] also granted eternal life, and it was an immortality without spiritual abnormalities. Whether it was to "digest" it for themselves or to "sacrifice" it to Yaoshi, the vast numbers of [Elixir Seekers] scoured the cosmos for information on the [Dragonkin]. In the process, they actually discovered a lone Dragonkin: a young [Dream Emerald Dragonkin] who had transformed into a humanoid race was attacked by the [Elixir Seekers]. This Dragonkin, only 1500 years old, was not even at the "Moon-busting class" and could not even withstand the firepower of a standard battleship.
During his escape, his parents, the [Faerie Dragonkin], and his "grandparents," the [Void Dragonkin], appeared one after another... and they all fell into a pre-set ambush by the [Elixir Seekers].
It was not until the [Emissary of Immortality], the [Void Dragon · Oromis Messiah], intervened that this disastrous chain of rescue attempts was finally brought to an end.