After finishing the things he needed to do, Lux went to look for his father, Alexander, to talk about something important.
Just like he assumed, Alexander was inside his office, dealing with some documents that needed his immediate attention.
Standing beside him was Alicia, who was always ready to assist. Although the Half-Elf didn't know if the beautiful secretary was able to gain some breakthroughs in her relationship with his stepfather, Alicia had gained his, Vera's, and Iris' approval long ago.
Alexander gave Lux a brief glance before shifting his attention back to the documents he was reading.
"Do you need something?" Alexander asked as he continued to do his work.
"Yes," Lux replied. "If possible, I was hoping that Father will forbid Iris from joining the future expedition for the Gate of Famine."
"Okay," Alexander answered in a heartbeat, making Lux think that he had misheard him.
Alicia, who saw the Half-Elf's dumbfounded expression, suppressed a giggle before giving Lux a serious gaze.
"The last Gate that will unseal the Fifth and Final Gate of the Sacred Dungeon will undoubtedly be very difficult," Alicia stated. "Because of this, the Headmaster never had the intention to let Iris join, knowing how dangerous the expedition would be. Even if you didn't come here to make a request, Iris would still not be allowed to join the expedition to conquer the Gate of Famine."
Lux breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that his father also knew how dangerous the last mission would be.
The silver-haired man, whom Lux believed to be a High-Ranking Noble from the Abyssal World, was making him feel restless. The Half-Elf didn't know if the Abyssal Noble would make an appearance again, so he deemed that the last gate should be off-limits to his fiance, whom he didn't want to get hurt.
"The rulers of the Six Kingdoms talked to me yesterday, and all of them wished to start the next expedition as soon as possible," Alexander commented as he took another document from the pile beside him.
"I told them that you will take a break from going to the Sacred Dungeon for a month or two due to a mission that I have personally given you. It seems that all of them are getting itchy to clear the last dungeon with your help."
Lux snorted because he had already expected this outcome. After what happened in the Gate of Conquest, he was certain that all of the previous representatives had received a fair share of nagging from their superiors because they didn't follow their orders to stick with Lux until the end.
The Half-Elf couldn't blame them though. Having 2,000 Stats points deducted from their current stats was something that most people didn't want to receive as a penalty.
However, there was another problem that concerned him, and he needed his father's influence in order to prevent any problems from escalating.
"Father, about the Vahan Empire," Lux said with a solemn look on his face. "I have a feeling that they will try to get rid of me after the Sacred Dungeon has been cleared."
Alexander paused what he was doing to look at the Half-Elf, who was looking back at him with a steady gaze.
"Emperor Andreas has always been an ambitious person," Alexander replied. "The Xynnar War Pact, as well as the Six Kingdoms, have prepared themselves for a full-scale war many years ago, but for some reason, the Skystead Alliance hasn't made any moves. According to the spies we have planted in the Vahan Empire, Emperor Andreas seemed to be looking for something... but to this day, they still have no idea what it is.
"However, one thing is certain. They are using all of their resources to ensure that the Sacred Dungeon will be conquered. I have a feeling that when the seal of the Fifth Gate is opened, Rankers will be allowed to enter the Domain of the Fallen."
Lux's eyes widened in shock after hearing his stepfather's words. The Domain of the Fallen was a trove filled with treasures that they still hadn't had the chance to explore.
The reason for this was simple. The Monsters that guarded these treasures were all Deimos and Argonaut Ranked Monsters.
A Deimos-Ranked monster could only be defeated by a team of Rankers. Even Lux didn't dare to fight Deimos-Ranked Monsters with the forces he currently had.
This was why, when they entered the Domain of the Fallen, he had chosen the route that would allow them to steer clear of these powerful monsters, who would only treat them as bite-sized snacks.
If Rankers were allowed to enter the Domain of the Fallen, then the treasures, Monsters, and other resources inside it would definitely be taken by the different Factions, who would treat the Domain as their exclusive farming area.
"Two months," Alexander stated. "A week after your birthday, you will head inside the Domain of the Fallen to clear the Gate of Famine. I will not allow you to venture in until then. Do I make myself clear?"
Lux blinked once then twice after hearing his father's words. So many things were happening around him that he had already forgotten about his birthday.
"Judging by the look on your face, it looks like you forgot about it," Alicia commented from the side and gave the Half-Elf a teasing smile. "That won't do. Iris has been pestering me to prepare a birthday party for you, so you'd better not kick the bucket until after that, okay?"
"Of course," Lux replied. "I'm still young. How can I possibly kick the bucket? I have many things that I need to do. There is also the issue with my Guild..."
Alexander and Alicia looked at the Half-Elf who was currently the Guildmaster of the only Mythical Guild in the world.
To this day, they still had no idea how Lux did it, but since he was part of the family, they would protect his secret to the grave.
"There is also one thing I need to ask you," Alexander said with a frown. "Is there something wrong with Mother? It has been a long time since the incident back in the Vahan Empire. She should be better by now, no?"
This time, it was Lux's turn to sigh.
He had also been feeling anxious as of late because his grandma was still inside Blackfire and was wrapped inside a silver cocoon.
Lux would always check her condition, but for some reason, Vera seemed to be in a state of hibernation. In truth, the Half-Elf was worried that the backlash she received when she saved him in the Vahan Empire was more serious than he thought.
Because of this, he didn't dare to forcefully awaken his Grandma because she might receive another backlash, and this time, it might end her life for good.
"Grandma is still inside Blackfire," Lux replied. "As to when she will wake up. I don't really know."
Alexander lightly tapped his table with a finger as if deep in thought.
Alicia, who was also on good terms with Vera, already considered the old lady to be her mother-in-law. Because of this, she was also worried about her condition. But, seeing Lux's helpless expression, she knew that there was nothing any of them could do aside from wait for Vera to awaken on her own.
Alexander once again took a document from the side of his table and returned to do his duties as the Headmaster of the Academy.
"You can leave now, Lux," Alexander stated. "Also, since you will be going to the Rowan Tribe with Cai and Iris, make sure to prepare a gift for Cai's family members. Maximilian likes Rare Ores, so if you have some in your possess..."
Alexander wasn't able to finish his words because he sensed a subtle fluctuation of magical energy in front of him.
When he raised his head, he saw the Half-Elf holding two Draconium Ores in each hand, which made him narrow his eyes.
"How many do you have?" Alexander asked.
"A lot," Lux replied.
"I need a hundred."
"Okay."
Alicia's body subconsciously shuddered after the exchange between the two because she was quite familiar with the Rare Metal in Lux's hands.
Draconium Ores could easily fetch millions in Auction Houses--that was how rare it was. In fact, it was so rare that it would only appear in auction houses once every six to ten years.
Since Lux could easily give his Stepfather a hundred of them without batting an eye, it meant that he had more in his possession.
"Give Maximilian a dozen, and I'm sure he'll be over the moon for it," Alicia said with a sweet smile on her face. "Who knows? He might even arrange for you to marry..."
Alicia didn't finish what she was going to say and simply smirked at the Half-Elf, who suddenly felt goosebumps all over his body.
Lux didn't know what Alicia was thinking, but he had a feeling that it was certainly not good!
