Outer Reaches…
"You're finally back, Lux," Gaap said with a smile. "How was your family reunion?"
"It went well, Master," Lux replied. "We can now go to the Crystal Palace to talk to their Steward. Did Cethus already make the preparations?"
Gaap nodded. "He returned here yesterday and set the coordinates to one of the Strongholds near the Capital City of the Crystal Dragons. However, he didn't stay for long and went to Rex Lapis to meet his other Grandma, Faustina. It seems that he needed to report to her that he had successfully become a Ranker or something."
Lux smirked due to how filial Cethus was. Because of his two exceptional grandmothers, the Dragon Born was able to walk unhindered in both Karshvar Draconis and the Crystal Palace.
"Well then, shall we go now?" Gaap asked as he finished drinking his tea. "The sooner we talk to the Steward, the better."
The Half-Elf nodded his head in agreement and followed his Master to the teleportation gate.
Truth be told, he was feeling slightly anxious about meeting Lady Augustina, who was the Steward of the Crystal Palace.
Although she was Cethus' grandmother, he couldn't be as calm and collected as the arrogant Dragon Born. After all, he was going to meet a Supreme.
Perhaps, noticing his anxiety, Gaap only patted his shoulders and gave him a reassuring smile.
"Don't be so tense," Gaap stated. "Even if she doesn't agree, we can always just wander around and look for a place that we can call our home."
Lux smiled and felt less anxious about meeting the Steward of the Crystal Palace. He once asked Keoza if he knew Lady Augustina, but the Dragon Token remained silent, no matter how much the Half-Elf asked about the Crystal Palace.
It was as if Keoza had gone into hibernation and didn't want to bother answering Lux's inquiries.
When the Half-Elf and the Halfling entered the teleportation gate, they were welcomed by dozens of armed Dragon Borns, who seemed to be waiting for their arrival.
To Lux's surprise, the one at the very front was a very familiar-looking Dragon Born, who was looking at him with a very big smile on his face.
The smile was so wide that Lux felt as if his liver was itching—more especially so when he was reminded that it was coming from a Saint who had waited for him for nearly a month at the entrance of the Gate of the Fallen.
"H-Hello, Uncle Piccoro," Lux greeted the Dragon Born with a smile.
Piccoro didn't reply. Instead, he walked towards the Half-Elf in a steady pace, with the same smile plastered on his face.
When he was only a meter away from the red-headed teenager, he reached out his arm and grabbed Lux's robes, lifting him high up in the air with one hand.
"You brat, how dare you make me wait at the entrance of the Gate of the Fallen for a very long time?!" Piccoro roared in anger, making all the Rankers that had come to welcome Lux and Gaap snicker. "Also, who are you calling Uncle? I have no recollection of having a bastard like you as my nephew!"
Piccoro was one of the highest-ranking nobles of the Crystal Palace, and only a handful of individuals could make the hot-tempered Dragon Born rein in his anger.
Lux, who received Piccoro's anger, as well as flying spittle, could only hang helplessly as the Dragon Born continued to spout a litany of curses.
Although he was being berated, the Dragon Born looked and sounded cute, at least compared to the curses that he received from his Grandmaster, Hereswith.
After the Half-Elf's face was drenched by Piccoro's spittle, Lux calmly wiped his face with a handkerchief, which made the Saint even angrier.
Just as he was about to shake Lux's body to oblivion, an amused voice resounded in the sky, which made the Dragon Born cease all hostilities.
"Piccoro, bring him here to the Palace," Lady Augustina ordered. "I want to have a proper talk with him."
Piccoro glared at the Half-Elf before putting him back down on the ground. "Follow me!"
He didn't even bother to wait for Lux's reply before turning around to fly in the sky.
Lux summoned his mount, Jed, and helped his Master, Gaap, to mount him as well.
The Thunder Warg King then flew high in the air and followed the Dragon Born, who flew at a steady pace, not leaving them behind.
The other Rankers just watched them from a distance.
Since Piccoro was the one to personally pick up Lux from the teleportation gate, they no longer needed to escort him to the Crystal Palace, where their Steward was waiting for him.
After traveling for half an hour, Lux noticed something shining in the distance. As they came closer to it, he realized that he was staring at a structure that looked as if it was made from crystal.
Lux had seen many things, but he had never seen something like this in his lifetime.
"It has been a while since I've been to the Crystal Palace," Gaap commented from behind Lux. "It looks just as majestic as I remembered it."
The Crystal Palace was a palace literally made up of crystals.
However, these crystals were a bit special.
It was made from the Dragon Breath of a Supreme-Ranked Crystal Dragon, creating a nearly invincible stronghold that wouldn't break even if it was hit by a full-powered blow from a Supreme.
Similar to Lux's Guild Headquarters, the Crystal Palace was located in the middle of a Mountain.
At its base was the Capital City of Rex Zariza, which served as the main city of those that belonged to the Crystal Palace.
As Lux, Gaap, and Piccoro approached the airspace of the capital, the Half-Elf frowned because he could feel the power of a being that far outclassed a Saint.
His Dragon King's Aura was domineering, but he mostly reigned it inside his body.
This aura, however, was radiating so intensely, like an invisible sun, making beads of sweat form on Lux's forehead.
A few minutes later, Piccoro descended from the sky. The Half-Elf followed suit and guided Jed to land at the entrance of the Palace, where several individuals were waiting for them.
"Welcome to the Crystal Palace, Lux."
Aur, who looked as handsome as ever, greeted Lux with a smile that made the Half-Elf wonder if he was looking at the same person.
The Dragon Prince that he had met in the past wasn't this friendly, which made the Half-Elf feel as if something was out of place.
"Hello, Your Highness," Lux bowed respectfully at the Dragon Prince, which made Piccoro nod his head in approval. "It's a pleasure to see you again."
Aur eyed the Half-Elf before shaking his head.
"There is no need for formalities between us," Aur stated. "I know that you've come here to discuss an important matter with Lady Augustina. She is already waiting for you in the throne room. Please, follow me."
Lux took a deep breath before following the Dragon Prince inside the Crystal Palace. Now that he had arrived in their territory, he needed to do his best to be as polite and respectful as possible in order to create a good impression.
What he didn't know was that the moment he had arrived in the territory of the Crystal Palace, Lady Augustina had already been observing his every move.
'So this is the person you chose, Your Majesty,' Lady Augustina thought as she leaned back on her throne. 'I look forward to meeting him personally.'
She had heard many things about Lux through her grandson, Cethus, and wondered if he was just exaggerating or telling her the truth.
But after sensing the Dragon Token in Lux's possession and feeling a familiar aura inside it, the Steward of the Crystal Palace smiled in her heart.
She knew that after many years of separation, she would finally get a chance to talk to her true Master, whom she believed to be the only rightful King of the Dragon Race.
