Rowan Tribe…
"I'm back, Gramps!" Cai shouted as soon as the Giant Manta Ray landed on an open field, which was surrounded by tents of all sizes.
The Rowan Tribe was a Nomadic Tribe, and they would move from place to place depending on the seasons, or if their Chief decided that it was time to go.
After hearing Cai's shout, her tribesmen gave her a warm welcome, which made the shameless boar very giddy.
"Iris, let's go to my room," Cai said. "I'll show you the treasures I collected in the Outer Reaches! Fei Fei helped me find them all."
"Da Wei!" Fei Fei smiled from the top of Cai's head, which made Iris giggle.
"Sounds good. Eiko, are you coming with me?" Iris asked as she patted the Baby Slime on her shoulder.
Eiko nodded because she also wanted to stay with Iris for the time being.
The Boar led Iris to the biggest tent, while Hector led Lux and Keane to one of the tents beside their Tribe Chief's Main Residence.
"Stay here for the time being," Hector said. "I will send someone to call for you once the preparation in the main residence is finished."
Lux and Keane nodded their heads and went inside the tent as instructed. The first person they saw when they entered the tent was a handsome young man, who was sharpening a short sword with a whetstone.
He had short green hair and eyes as blue as the sky. The Half-Elf gave Lux and Keane a brief nod of recognition before shifting his attention back to the short sword in his hands.
'Gerhart Cenele,' Lux thought. 'I forgot that he was staying here in the Rowan Tribe.'
They had seen this person in the tournament, and the latter had left a lasting impression on everyone who had witnessed his battle with the Sixth Elven Prince of the Elswyth Kingdom, Enlil Neifion.
Keane also knew of Gerhart because he had seen him when Cai brought him to the Rowan Tribe to stay for a time.
Although he didn't talk much with Gerhart, he was certain that the green-haired Half-Elf was someone that he could get along with just fine.
"Cai has returned?" Gerhart asked as he continued to sharpen his blade.
"Yes," Lux answered. "We just arrived a few minutes ago."
Gerhart then raised the short sword in his hand and gave it a critical gaze. Seeing that everything looked fine, he used a cloth to wipe its surface before sheathing it in its scabbard.
He then shifted his gaze to Lux and Keane, who were already sitting cross-legged in front of him.
"I've heard that you've gained some popularity as of late… My Daddy," Gerhart said in a teasing tone. "Xander often tells me the things that are happening in Solais and Elysium. More often than not, your name will pop up whenever we have a discussion. It seems that you've ruffled the feathers of both Solaians and Elysians alike."
The green-haired Half-Elf gazed at the red-headed teenager, who looked back at him with a troubled expression on his face.
"Just call me Lux, and I'll call you Gerhart," Lux replied. "As for gaining some popularity, this is something that is outside of my control. I'm just being carried away by the flow."
Gerhart chuckled. "Indeed. You are still too weak to fight the flow. Right now, you have no choice but to keep your head low, or else it will get hammered down by those who wish you ill."
There was a tinge of bitterness in Gerhart's words, and Lux had a feeling that the other party was talking from his own experience.
Just like him, Gerhart was a Half-Elf, but compared to the life Lux had lived, the outcast of the Elven Kingdom of Elswyth had suffered terribly at the hands of the Elves who looked down on Half-Elves and treated them like a stain to their noble lineage.
"I heard that you have founded a guild of your own," Gerhart said as if to change the topic of their discussion. "Also, for some reason, Cai decided to join it. Grandpa Maximilian was very furious when he heard that Cai left Xander's Guild without giving a proper reason.
"You'd better be careful when you meet him later. A few days ago, while we were having dinner, he mentioned in passing that he would make you take responsibility for what Cai did. He added that if you refuse, he will castrate you. Good luck, bro. Grandpa's fuse has been a bit short as of late."
Lux immediately felt constipated after hearing Gerhart's warning. After Cai had saved him, he was thinking of ways he could repay the Boar for what she did for him. In fact, he was prepared to give Cai the Legendary Artifact that Great General Sherlock had given him after he defeated Nero.
The Half-Elf knew that the shameless boar liked treasures. He was hoping that a Legendary Item was enough to repay the favor that Cai had done for him. If it still wasn't enough, he was willing to look for other treasures in order to compensate her.
This was what he had decided back in the Gate of Conquest. However, Gerhart's words made him feel like a Legendary Item would not be enough to satisfy Cai's Grandpa, Maximilian.
'Fortunately, I have some Draconium Ore with me,' Lux thought. 'Since Sir Maximilian is a Blacksmith and a Jewelsmith, I'm sure that he will be very happy to have some rare ore to play with.'
Gerhart didn't know what Lux was thinking, but after seeing how pale his face suddenly became, the green-haired Half-Elf felt as if he should stop teasing him for the time being.
"Tell me more about your Guild," Gerhart said. "What kind of Guild is it? Is it Bronze or Silver?"
"Neither," Lux replied.
Lux, who was still in a daze, casually answered Gerhart's inquiry. Fortunately, his subconscious mind kicked in at the last moment, and it helped him give a neutral answer.
However, his answer made Gerhart raise an eyebrow because if it wasn't Bronze of Silver, it could only mean one thing.
"You have a Gold-Ranked Guild?" Gerhart looked at Lux in disbelief. "No wonder Cai didn't want to leave. Xander's Guild is only of the Silver Rank. Still… You just founded a guild, and it's already Gold-Ranked? Just how did you do it?"
"Oh… I just got lucky." Lux chuckled nervously as he tried to downplay his casual answer.
Seeing that he had no intention of spilling the beans, Gerhart just nodded his head in understanding.
Everyone had their secrets, including him, so he didn't want to pry for answers. Lux was Cai's friend, and he didn't want to make things difficult for him.
It was at this moment when the flap of the tent opened, and Xander came in.
"The preparations are ready in the Tribe Chief's Tent," Xander announced. "I came to bring the three of you with me as per our Tribe Chieftain's orders. Are the three of you ready to go?"
Lux, Keane, and Gerhart exchanged glances at each other before nodding their heads.
The red-headed teenager had wanted to see Cai's Grandpa, Maximilian, because there were some questions that he needed to ask in regard to crafting Draconium Ore.
His master, Randolph, said that Draconium Ores wouldn't melt unless a special kind of fire was used.
Since Maximilian was a Saint, as well as a Blacksmith and a Jewelsmith, the Half-Elf was hoping that the Tribe Chieftain of the Rowan Tribe would be able to give him the answers that he was looking for.
