Chapter 358: All You Need Is a Plant Metropolis in Fear of Extinction

"You lie! I can see the truth in your eyes! So you were genuinely planning on declaring war on Verdant Spire and burning our homes to ash?!"

"Sukoshi dake. Just a little bit, I swear! But it was all because of love. Please try to understand my feelings and forgive me for my intrusive thoughts!"

"Goodness gracious, this is exactly why I isolate myself from the rest of the world and avoid forming close relationships with other rulers. You are all absolutely deranged and I cannot trust any of you."

"Uh, actually, doing that kind of isolation and avoiding people makes you more of a target, not less. But come on, Elara-chan! I said I am sorry already, and I meant it sincerely. I love you now, truly. That was before, back when I did not know you properly and thought you were a type of... advanced monkey that had learned how to walk upright and wear clothes."

"What...? You thought I was a recently evolved animal from the jungle? You thought the queen of the Amazons was some kind of clever ape that had figured out how to rule a tribe?"

"Before, yes. It was BEFORE. But I was clearly wrong about you, and I admit my mistake openly. Please believe me when I say that I regret my previous ignorance and judgment."

"...I am not talking to you for the rest of today, Sakura. And do not try to engage with me, too."

"Ehhhh?! After Benjamin, you are the most important person in my life right now, so please do not abandon me over a small misunderstanding about your evolutionary origins! I need you, Elara-chan!"

Then Violette, who had been watching the whole ridiculous exchange from behind with growing amusement, finally burst out laughing at their banter, her deep feminine voice echoing through the forest around them.

"Ahaha! Hahaha! Sakura, you are absolutely nothing like the person you were five millennia ago!" She laughed far too much, her shoulders shaking and her eyes watering.

So much so, Sakura and Elara both went red with embarrassment at being observed so thoroughly.

Violette continued, after calming down; "If this is what Benjamin can do to a prideful fox beast queen, turning her into a playful and silly woman who bickers with friends over monkey comments, then please sign me up for whatever he is offering. I want some of that transformation too."

"What did you just call me, you overgrown serpent?! What’s wrong with being a little arrogant?" Sakura shook her fists at the tall woman, her fox ears flattening against her head with irritation, as her tail puffed.

They soon reached the entrance of the Living Forest, which was guarded by several Amazon guards stationed at the boundary, including Aria and Heka, both of whom bowed respectfully as the queens passed by.

In this forest, which was slightly separated from Verdant Spire itself and existed as its own distinct territory, there were different varieties of plant life and flowers and crops growing in abundance everywhere one looked.

Some of these species existed nowhere else in the entire world, unique and irreplaceable, and some had only ever existed within these borders since the moment Irina first created them.

But the most iconic and surprising thing about the Living Forest was not the rare plants or the beautiful flowers and magical crops.

"Is that little Elara! The little queen has come to visit us!"

"Wow! Queen Elara, it has been decades since we last saw your face here! Children, gather around and greet the Queen of the Amazons properly!"

"Good day to you, Queen Elara!! We are so happy to see you again after so long!"

It is as you thought:

The plant life there were alive in the truest sense of the word — physically and consciously alive.

And while there were treants and dryads living there as well, forming the upper class of this botanical society, approximately ninety-eight percent of the plants in the forest were alive and aware, very capable of movement, speech and interaction with visitors.

They moved around constantly, bustling about their daily business, and watching them was like watching a small civilization made entirely of leaves, vines, petals, and roots.

They were led around by a beautiful, green-skinned, clothless woman who seemed fused with leaves and vines into her very flesh, her body a seamless blend of humanoid form and plant matter.

The place even had luxury sites like extravagant bars, beautifully manicured gardens and comfortable lounging areas, which the citizens of the Living Forest had created specifically to make Irina like them more and appreciate their efforts.

They had learned long ago that Irina could be temperamental, and they did whatever they could to keep her pleased.

Lest she got bored with them and decided to cut them all down, starting over from nothing.

The queens were enjoying themselves immensely, being silly and playful, drinking golden sap directly from the tree sources, meeting civilized insect monsters who wore tiny clothes and spoke in buzzing voices.

They even ended up playing with vines and trees like feral children who had never been taught proper manners.

Especially that tiny, petite fairy queen Titania, who loved playing like a child whenever she was given the opportunity; climbing, swinging and laughing without any concern for dignity.

They had decided to take a break from their wandering and exploring at one nice parlor that had been made by treants—those rare and remarkable trees with arms and legs that could move and speak—carved directly into the trunk of an enormous ancient tree.

It was a lounging station with comfortable seating and a view of the surrounding forest that took the breath away.

There, on a small stage at the front of the parlor, some lilies nervously hopped into position, their petals trembling with anxiety.

And soon they began to sing together in a choir, their voices harmonizing in a way never before heard in the secular world outside this forest.

The music was most soothing, a gentle and ethereal melody that seemed to wash away stress and worry, and replace it with peace, as the queens slowly dipped their finely brewed wine and let the sounds wash over them.

Actually, these plant life citizens were deeply paranoid about their existence and their future.

They terribly believed that Elara intended to destroy the Living Forest someday and replace the vacant land with something else, perhaps a military training ground or an expansion of the main village.

This was just paranoia on their part, born from insecurity and a long memory of Irina’s unpredictable temper.

But they were doing their absolute best to impress the queen and turn their home into a proper metropolis, just in case.

The queens were sitting on soft extravagant couches now, surrounded by pillows everywhere, sinking into the comfort as they sipped their drinks and listened to the music.

Violette already knew the plant civilization well from her previous visits in ancient times, so what made her day truly special was not the sights or the sounds, but how happy Titania, Sakura, and "young" Elara were being.

Their joy was infectious, their laughter like music of its own.

She started speaking, her voice warm and low: "You guys, seeing all of this happiness and watching you enjoy yourselves so much is making me a bit nervous, honestly. I am not used to being around people who are so openly joyful.

"But hey, setting aside my nervousness, it is also great to see that all of you are pregnant. That is wonderful news, and I am very happy for each and every one of you."

Sakura smiled devilishly, her amber eyes glinting with mischief.

She reached over to pull Titania’s cheek playfully, stretching the soft skin between her fingers.

"ALL of us, Violette-chan? I think you might be slightly mistaken about that particular detail. Perhaps you should take a closer look before making such bold claims about the entire group."