Gerald, the Ambassadors of the Six Kingdoms, Skystead Alliance, as well as the Xynnar War Pact, met at the entrance of the Domain of the Fallen to discuss the contents of Lux's proposal.
"So, in exchange for allowing your own faction's brats to explore the Domain of the Fallen, and challenge the Sacred Dungeon, we no longer have to pay for the slots of that Half-Elf and his two lackeys, right?" the Ambassador from the Vahan Empire asked.
"Yes," Gerald answered. "That is what Lux told me."
"Hoh… this sure is a tempting offer, but it doesn't sit well with me," the Ambassador from the Xynnar War Pact said. "Since the Wildgarde Stronghold are our allies, wouldn't it be better if you just give those slots to us instead? That way the relationship between us and the Six Kingdoms will remain strong. Isn't that right, my friend?"
The Ambassador of the Xynnar War Pact glanced in the direction of the Ambasador of the Six Kingdoms, which was composed of the Kingdoms that belonged in Solais.
"Hahaha, our relationship has always been good," the Ambassador of the Six Kingdoms replied. "This is why I believe that you should allow us to explore the Domain first. Also, need I remind everyone here that we have already compromised a lot when we gave the larger portion of our quota to both of your factions?"
Although the Ambassador of the Six Kingdoms didn't like the fact that the Wildgarde Stronghold would monopolize Lux's slots to enter the Domain of the Fallen, he simply couldn't allow the two other factions to always get their way.
"Out of the 500 slots that were allowed to enter the Domain of the Fallen, the Six Kingdoms only took 100, giving 200 each to the Skystead Alliance and the Xynnar War Pact," the Ambassador continued. "With this, you guys have the advantage in numbers when the Domain opens for everyone in seven months time.
"Didn't you hear the Half-Elf's proposal? The Wildgarde Stronghold's monopoly will only be a one time thing, and the next sessions will be given to all of us in rotation for free. I say that this is a good opportunity to increase the number of explorers that we can send into the Dungeon. After all, the monsters inside it are very strong."
The Ambassador made sure that he said the last words firmly, reminding the two factions that they had already lost a significant number of elite teenagers inside the Domain of the Fallen.
While it was true that dying inside the Sacred Dungeon wasn't a permanent death, the trip to reach the Dungeon was a dangerous one.
In fact, it was so dangerous that sometimes, more than half of the people they sent were killed before they even reached the location of the Sacred Dungeon, and their deaths were a permanent one.
There were no second chances.
There were no Redos.
Each Faction had already lost dozens of promising members of the young generation, making them understand how merciless the Domain of the Fallen was.
A brief silence descended upon the meeting as the other Ambassadors digested the words that were said by their colleague.
"Tell me, will that Half-Elf also enter the Sacred Dungeon and try to conquer one of its gates?" one of the Rankers asked.
"... You're Aron, right?" Gerald asked the Ranker who also served as Emperor Andreas' right-hand man.
He was also the High-Ranker who had faced Vera in the Coliseum when Lux's Grandma was about to deal with the Ranker that tried to harm her grandson.
"Yes," Aron replied. "I was sent here by His Majesty to supervise the negotiations. So, will that boy, Lux, once again challenge one of the Gates in the Sacred Dungeon?"
Gerald nodded. "That is his intention."
"Good then how about we do it like this," Aron stated. "Currently, Xander, Einar Mordosk, and Vallaki Meitar are scheduled to bring our people to the Sacred Dungeon in a week's time. Why don't we bring five people from the Skystead Alliance, Xynnar War Pact, and the Six Kingdoms, to accompany Lux to clear the Dungeon he plans to challenge? That way, not only will it become easier, the chances of clearing it will also be higher, right?"
The Ambassadors and the Rankers of the other Kingdoms, who were also present in the entrance of the Domain of the Fallen all realized what Aron was suggesting.
Lux, as well as his friends, were the only people that had managed to clear two of the five gates of the Sacred Dungeon.
Since he was going to challenge them a third time, Aron believed that the Half-Elf had the confidence that he would be able to clear it.
If the Half-Elf managed to clear it with their own elites working alongside him, they would also gain the recognition of the Sacred Dungeon, allowing them to bring their own people inside it, similar to what Lux, and his friends were doing right now.
Of course, if Aron only said that only the members of the Skystead Alliance would enter alongside Lux, he would be facing harsh opposition from their counterparts.
However, since he said that they would each send five of their members to accompany Lux, that meant that all of them would gain five people that could potentially bring their own faction inside the Domain of the Fallen, without needing to wait for the Half-Elf to bring them inside.
Of course, this would only work if the Dungeon was cleared. But, Aron believed that Lux would be able to do it.
This was also the opinion of the others, making Gerald reconsider sending the Storm Dragons to explore on their own.
'If Nero's Guild also accompanied Lux, and they managed to clear one of the dungeons, that would mean that the people on our side could gain the authority to bring more people from our faction inside in the future,' Gerald thought. 'This Aron is very devious, trying to gain an advantage even in this situation, but his idea isn't bad. If everyone were to work together to clear a dungeon, I believe that our chances of success would indeed be higher.'
All the Ambassadors were smart individuals, so they already grasped what Aron was hinting at.
"I agree with this proposal." The Ambassador of the Skystead Alliance nodded. "How about the rest of you?"
"I have no objections," the Ambassador of the Xynnar War Pact replied.
"No objections from me as well," the Ambassador of the Six Kingdoms smiled, agreeing with this arrangement.
"Good, it's settled then," Aron said as he shifted his gaze towards Gerald, who was the Commander of the Stronghold that Lux was currently living in. "Tell Lux that we accept his proposal. Also, Emperor Andreas felt truly sorry for what happened back in our Empire. He told me that he was willing to compensate Lux for his traumatic experience, and give him a Silver Token that would allow him to make a Silver-Ranked Guild.
"We will also shoulder the expenses of building his Guild Headquarters, and are more than happy to have it built in one of the best locations in our Empire. Please, pass this message to him, won't you?"
Gerald smiled and nodded his head. "I will pass your message to him."
"Thank you."
"It's not a big deal."
Gerald was doing his best to keep the sneer on his face from appearing.
'A Silver Token so he can make a Silver-Ranked Guild? What a bunch of Fools,' Gerald mused. 'If you only knew what rank Lux's Guild was, you'd probably regret the farce you put on in your Empire.'
A Guild could only raise its rank if the Kingdom where the Guild was founded recognized that their performance had reached a standard where they could be promoted.
This was similar to Aina's Silver-Ranked Guild, Eternal, where Colette, Matty, and the other Dwarfs who had become Lux's friends were staying.
The Storm Dragon Guild, which Nero led, also fell under this category. They had achieved feats that gained the approval of the Kingdom that they belonged in, allowing them to get promoted.
Simply put, it was the Kings and Emperors of the World that decided whether a Guild could be promoted or not. Those they favored could be promoted without encountering any hardships, allowing them to rise above their peers in a heartbeat.
The Old Lux might have jumped at the opportunity to own a Silver-Ranked Guild, but now, the Half-Elf would only spit at the offer of the Vahan Empire.
Naturally, Gerald wouldn't say these things and only kept the friendly smile on his face as he, and the other Ambassadors wrapped up their discussions.
Three hours later, Gerald returned to the Wildgarde Stronghold and informed the Half-Elf of the agreement that all parties had decided to make for the next Dungeon expedition.
"Oh? So they plan to hitch a ride?" Lux arched an eyebrow after hearing the outcome of the negotiations. 'They also want to give me a Silver Token to create a Silver-Ranked Guild? It seems that Emperor Andreas thinks that I am very desperate to create a Guild. Good, maybe I can use this to my advantage.'
The Half-Elf didn't expect Aron to give such a daring proposal. However, since he was growing tired of dealing with the Skystead Alliance, Xynnar War Pact, as well as the Six Kingdoms, he decided to go along with what they suggested, so that they would leave him alone.
Although he could go to the Gweliven Kingdom, and Karshvar Draconis to do some exploration, he felt very restricted because he couldn't explore the places in his own backyard, which was the territory of the Xynnar War Pact in Elysium.
Vera had told him in the past that there were some interesting places to be found there, and Lux planned to check them out.
However, after getting on the bad side of the different factions, he was banned from spreading his wings in the Human kingdoms, causing him to resort to flying back to the Dwarves, where he was forced to face the Monster of Ruin, whose strength made him shudder every time he thought about it.
'This is just a one time thing,' Lux thought as he contemplated his next course of action. 'This will not change what I needed to do. But, if they think that they can leech off me, they have another thing coming to them.'
The Half-Elf wasn't someone who let others take advantage of him, so he decided to squeeze the leeches for what they were worth until they puked blood, making them understand that he wasn't a soft persimmon that they could pinch anytime they wanted.
He had already decided to enter the Gate of Conquest, which the members of the Vahan Empires had challenged last time.
If his hunch was right, he might be thrown onto the same battlefield as last time, allowing him to meet Sherlock and Watson, giving him some advantage for whatever the Dungeon would throw at him.
