"… Is he really the previous Dragon King's Brother?"
"Yes. Where did you find his corpse?"
"… Lady Augustina, would you believe me if I said we found him inside a cave on this floating island?"
"…"
The Half-Elf could feel beads of sweat starting to form in his forehead as the Steward of the Crystal Palace looked at him with a steady gaze.
"I-It's true! My Fiance found the well-preserved body of a Golden Dragon in a cave when she was looking for treasures on this island," Lux replied. "In fact, the body was so well-preserved that people would think that the Golden Dragon was just sleeping. But, he was really dead when we found him."
Lady Augustina could tell that Lux wasn't lying. Since that was the case, what he said had to be true. She then shifted her attention on the Ancient Dracolich, who was looking down on them in arrogance.
"Understood," Lady Augustina said with a complicated look on her face. "The majority of the previous King's family died in the Abyssal Wars. However, there are still a few of them that remain. They also have loyal retainers that might recognize his face, so be extra careful.
"Dragons don't like to have their dead bodies desecrated by Necromancers. If someone asks you where you found the Dragon Corpse, tell them that you discovered it on an ancient battlefield, or something."
Lux nodded his head in understanding. He didn't really know that the Dragon Corpse that Cai found when she was exploring the Floating Island with Fei Fei belonged to a member of the previous Royal Family.
"Um, Your Excellency, do you think the current Dragon King will recognize him?" Lux asked.
Lady Augustina smiled and looked at the Half-Elf in amusement. "What do you think?"
"I think, I will unsummon him now."
"Good idea."
The Half-Elf hurriedly un-summoned the Dracolich, who was now starting to attract the attention of his Guild Members.
"I'm going back, Lux," Lady Augustina said. "Remember. Don't summon your Dracolich anywhere near those from Karshvar Draconis and the Crystal Palace, unless it is absolutely necessary. Any Necromancer who revives dead Dragons, or Dragon Borns, are frowned upon by our race."
After saying those words, Lady Augustina disappeared and returned to the Royal Palace. She sincerely hoped that Lux would listen to her advice for his own good.
When the Supreme was no longer around, he looked at his Soul Book in order to read the additional information about Avernus.
Ancient Dracolich
Hell Bringer
Rating: SSR+++
Rank: Demigod World Boss (Sealed)
Current Rank: Empyrean World Boss
Note: Currently, Avernus is only of the Empyrean Rank because your Rank is not high enough to be able to command it at higher levels. Once you become a B-Ranker, Avernus will evolve into a Calamity-Ranked World Boss.
Its Demigod Rank will only be unsealed once you become an S-Ranker.
Lux pondered for a bit as he read the requirements for Avernus' evolution. It reminded him of his Covenant member, Shax.
Back then, he was unable to command Shax because his rank was too low to contain its power.
'It's a good thing that Avernus isn't like Shax,' Lux thought. 'He will be one of my Trump Cards against the Divine Army of Light.'
Dragons were inherently stronger than Humans, and a Dragon that was also an Empyrean-Ranked World Boss was more than enough to contend against Saints.
After fully understanding what Avernus was capable of, the Half-Elf decided to find Eiko, who was currently being taught by Lilian how to awaken her true powers.
The Baby Slime had always wanted to become strong. However, after the Abyssal incident, her determination only became stronger.
Because of this, Lux agreed to let the Wicked Queen Slime teach her the things she needed to know to awaken her bloodline.
A few minutes later, he found the two inside the Nursery, where the Slime Eggs were kept.
When Lilian discovered that Lux was raising slimes inside his Guild Headquarters, her impression of him improved slightly.
However, when Eiko took her to Leaf Village, which was now called Leaf Town, the Wicked Queen Slime thought that she had seen Paradise.
Nearly all the dwarves in Leaf Town had a Slime as their Beast Companion.
Because of this, Lilian had become more cordial to Lux, and no longer looked down on him.
The Half-Elf couldn't help but smile when he saw Lilian talking to Eiko, while other Baby Slimes were resting on her lap, shoulders, and head.
If one didn't know that she was actually a Calamity-Ranked Monster, one might think that she was just a beautiful lady, who had a fondness for Baby Slimes.
Since Eiko had a very strong connection to Lux, she immediately sensed his presence and looked in his direction.
"Pa!" Eiko called out to him before jumping into his embrace.
"Good girl," Lux said as he patted Eiko's head, making the Baby Slime giggle.
Lilian shook her head helplessly before making a gesture for Lux to come closer.
"Have you thought about the thing I told you about?" Lilian asked.
"… Can you give me a little more time?" Lux replied. "At least, until I finish my mission in Agartha."
Lilian frowned before reluctantly nodding her head.
"Fine." Lilian narrowed her eyes. "But, the longer you delay this, the longer it will take for Eiko to unlock her true potential."
The Half-Elf sighed internally before looking at the Baby Slime in his embrace.
Lilian told him that Eiko's over dependence on him was preventing her from truly becoming a powerhouse.
If he really wanted Eiko to be strong, they should separate for a period of time, so that the Baby Slime could be more independent, and sharpen her survival instincts.
Truth be told, he didn't want Eiko to go on an adventure alone. But, Lilian assured him that she would observe the Baby Slime from a safe distance, and come to her rescue if her life was truly in danger.
Naturally, he and Iris talked about this as well, and although she was worried about Eiko, she also believed that Lilian was right.
"Greenhouse flowers may bloom with precision, but wildflowers dance to the rhythm of nature's heart," Iris had said back then. "Unlike greenhouse flowers, wildflowers are resilient. When it storms, they brave through the winds and pouring rain. When it snows, their roots nap under the earth and return the following spring. They're never truly defeated.
"I am like Eiko. Well protected by Father, You, and my Guild. I have never truly faced hardships before the Abyssal Incident. Because of this, I convinced Father to allow me to travel more in Elysium, in order to brave the dangers and become truly strong. I no longer want to be a Greenhouse Flower, who cannot face the dangers of the world on my own."
Deep inside, Lux understood that Eiko was strong enough to become independent for a period of time.
He was just reluctant to part with her because she had been with him ever since the Baby Slime was born.
'After Agartha, I will let you play on your own for a while,' Lux thought as he patted the Baby Slime in his arms. 'I'll have King Leoric accompany you from afar as an added protection.'
After playing with Eiko for a while, Lux left the nursery and decided to take a stroll in the town at the base of the mountain.
He had named this town, Edea and, after a few months, it was finally taking shape. If not for the fact that several structures were damaged when the Saints from the Divine Army of Light had attacked the floating island, the construction work would have been completed faster.
Bentley, who was making sure that everything was in order, told Lux that they were nearing the completion of their project.
Once they were done, they would assist him in building their Gyrocopter Army, which had been temporarily put on hold until the town's construction was finished.
"The Satyrs and the Succubi can live here once it is finished," Lux muttered.
Lux's goal was to turn the floating island into a flying fortress that could travel anywhere in Elysium.
They could only stay a year inside the territory of the Crystal Palace, so because of this, he was on a tight schedule.
Once they left the protection of Lady Augustina, he would finally settle things with the Divine Army of Light, and show them that he was no push over.
As he was returning to the Guild Headquarters, he saw his Master standing near the teleportation gate waiting for him.
"Lux, there is something that I need to tell you," Gaap said in a solemn tone. "Do you have a moment?"
It was very rare for his Master to have this kind of expression, and it made Lux wonder if something bad happened.
Seeing his Disciple's expression, Gaap chuckled and motioned for the Half-Elf to take his hand.
Lux obeyed and a second later, they found themselves standing on the outskirts of the Necromancer's Ancestral Lands.
"Master, why are we here?" Lux asked. "Do you need something in the Ancestral Lands?"
"No," Gaap replied. "I just brought you here to give you something."
Gaap took the necklace that hung on his neck off. It was a chain that had a ring hanging from its center, which had the symbol of Memento Mori.
"You already know that my Master, Hereswith, once belonged to Memento Mori," Gaap said as he looked at the ring fondly. "But, after pursuing her passion to become a Heaven's Necromancer, she was excommunicated from the organization and wandered Elysium alone."
Gaap smiled as if he recalled those memories that were very precious to him.
"Every member of Memento Mori, passes this ring to their Disciple once they have completed their training," Gaap stated. "Just like my Master, I am not a member of Memento Mori. Make no mistake, I hate them as well, but not as much as I hate the Divine Army of Light.
"We might not have been together for a long time, but I have nothing more to teach you. That's why, it's time for you to inherit your Grandmaster's Legacy, so accept this ring. Just remember this, we are not part of Memento Mori. But, I'm sure that they are already aware of your existence.
"Although I can't say for certain, I believe that they will not harm you. So, keep this necklace as a good luck charm, so that our Master's Legacy will remain."
The Halfling handed the necklace to Lux with a smile.
"Master, are you going somewhere?" Lux asked. He didn't accept the necklace right away because he felt that the moment he did, Gaap would disappear in his life.
"I'm just going to go sightseeing in Elysium," Gaap replied. "I've been running with Master all my life, then I got trapped in Zangrila. I haven't had the chance to see the world, and enjoy its beauty and wonders. You are already strong enough to protect yourself, so I don't need to worry about your safety. Don't worry, I promise to visit you from time to time."
The Half-Elf and the Halfling stared at each as if trying to read each other's minds.
After a few minutes of silence, Lux reluctantly took the necklace off his Master's hands.
"Thank you, Master," Lux said. "I'll keep it safe."
"Mmm." Gaap nodded. "Now, let me tell you the function of my Master's ring. It allows you to teleport to the Ancestral Lands. Not only that, it can also…"
Gaap told Lux the special abilities of the ring that he had passed onto him.
When the Halfling was sure that his Disciple fully understood how to use his gift, he smiled and patted his waist.
"Well then, I will be going now," Gaap said. "I don't really like saying goodbyes, so let's part here, Lux. Make sure to keep yourself safe, okay?"
Lux nodded. "I will, Master. Enjoy your travels, and be safe always."
Gaap smirked before waving his hand to create a portal in front of him. However, before he entered the portal, he turned back to say something very important to his disciple.
"You told me once that your reason for coming to Elysium is to find a way to save your world, Solais, correct?" Gaap asked.
"Yes, Master," Lux replied.
"Then, listen well. Look for the Pillars of Eternity," Gaap stated. "Once you find them all, you will find the solution to your problem. Goodluck Lux, and I pray that you will succeed in your endeavor."
Without another word, the Halfling entered the portal, leaving Lux behind, with his Master's Token in his Disciple's hand.
