Finally, the big day arrived.
"I hope I don't have to do this every year," Lux said as adjusted his clothes in front of the mirror. "I feel like an animal in the zoo, being stared at by tourists."
"Pa?" Eiko, who was perched on top of Lux's head, tilted her head in confusion.
"Um, a zoo is a place where exotic animals are kept in cages, Eiko."
"Okay!"
The Baby Slime nodded her head even though she didn't completely understand what her Papa was talking about.
Lux had just finished styling his hair, and repeatedly told her not to ruin it for the entire duration of the festivities.
Eiko agreed and decided to behave, simply sitting on top of Lux's head like she always did. After making sure that he looked presentable, the Half-Elf left his room and headed to the Main Event Hall.
Iris was still being assisted by Cai in her private residence, so she asked Lux to go ahead first.
It was an unspoken rule that girls took longer to dress up than men, so the Half-Elf heeded her words, and went to the Event Hall to talk to his acquaintances.
As he walked through the hallways, he noticed how busy the staff of the Academy was, and he felt sorry because they had to work so hard in order to keep the event going smoothly.
The moment he entered the Main Hall, almost everyone's heads turned in his direction.
Lux wasn't fazed by their stares and simply walked at a confident and steady pace, heading towards Gerhart and Keane. The two were wearing formal clothes, which made some of the ladies glance in their direction from time to time due to how dashing they were.
Keane, in particular, stood out the most because he had grown quite exceptional under the care of Rose, who made sure that he ate three times a day and got enough sleep.
The once-skinny swordsman was still as quiet as ever, and would only give curt responses when Gerhart spoke to him. But the way he carried himself made him look so mysterious in the eyes of others, making them want to know him better.
"So, how does it feel to be a year older?" Gerhart asked in a teasing tone.
"It feels good," Lux replied as he picked up a glass of fruit juice from the tray of one of the servers that walked past him. "I look forward to another year of working with you guys in Elysium."
Keane and Gerhart also raised their own glasses and clinked them with Lux's because both of them felt the same.
"To our growth and future success in Elysium."
"Cheers!"
The three drank from their glasses and started to make some small talk about random things.
But, that didn't last for long because Alicia came looking for Lux and dragged him away to meet the dignitaries from the Six Kingdoms.
The Half-Elf didn't resist, knowing that this was politics, and he also wanted to know how the other Kingdoms viewed him.
"I saw the sparring match the other day, and I have to say that the information we have on you is very wrong," the High-Ranker of the Barbarian Kingdom, Kavan, said with a smile. "Please, take good care of Prince Einar inside the Domain of the Fallen. The Barbarian King and I have high hopes for future collaborations between you and His Highness.
"I would also like to take this opportunity to formally give you an invitation—on behalf of His Majesty, to visit the Gesian Kingdom anytime. We will do our best to show you how we Barbarians treat our friends, so we hope you can take some time off of your busy schedule to visit us."
Lux nodded. "Einar and I are good friends, so I'll be happy to visit the Gesian Kingdom when I'm done tying up some loose ends on my part. I consider the Barbarians as my and my father's steadfast allies, so a future collaboration between us is something I look forward to as well."
Alicia, who was standing beside the red-headed teenager, nodded her head as if to confirm that the Headmaster's and Lux's statements were one and the same.
Kavan was highly satisfied with Lux's reply and Alicia's reaction because it meant that the Saint also considered them as allies. Because of this, he became warmer as he continued to chat with the Half-Elf as if they were old friends who hadn't seen each other for a very long time.
eaglesnov?1,сoМ A few minutes later, Alicia escorted Lux to meet with Zarazel, who was the Elven King's brother, as well as a permanent member of the Elven High Council.
"I believe your father has already briefed you about the guest from the Vahan Empire, correct?" Zarazel asked.
"Yes," Lux replied. "I want to know the Elves' stand in regard to this matter."
The corner of Zarazel's lips rose slightly as he eyed the Half-Elf, who everyone deemed to be the key to conquering the Gate of Famine.
"To answer your question, the Elven Kingdom decided to choose you as the temporary leader that will lead Prince Enlil and his Protectors to clear the Gate of Famine. Although the origin of the Vahan Empire's guest is unknown, we Solaians are not fazed by their background.
They might be strong in Elysium, but they can't touch us here. However, that doesn't mean that we need to antagonize them. As the leader chosen by the Six Kingdoms to lead the younger generation, make sure to show some restraint.
"Even if you are provoked, as long as they are not threatening your life or anyone around you, make sure to endure a bit and learn to suffer a little. Politics is like that. For everyone to get along, compromises must be made. Do you understand?"
"It is as you say, Your Excellency." Lux nodded. "As long as they don't touch my bottom line, I will be willing to endure some of their provocations."
"Good. You have the makings of a good statesman. This is an attitude that is befitting of a Guild Master. By the way, what's the name of your Guild?"
"Ars Goetia."
Zarazel pondered for a bit as he tried to decipher what the name meant. However, even with his knowledge, he was unable to determine what Lux's Guild symbolized.
"What language is Ars Goetia?" Zarazel asked. "Is it just words you made up, or does it have a deeper meaning?"
Lux had already prepared the answer for this question ever since he chose to use the name Ars Goetia as the Pseudonym for his guild.
"It means Parade of a Hundred Demons," Lux replied. "I intend to create a Guild that will make everyone fear its name."
"Parade of a Hundred Demons? This is indeed a domineering name." Zarazel smirked. "I'll keep my eyes and ears open for any accomplishments that your Guild will make. If there is an opportunity, you should collaborate with Prince Enlil's Guild, Noblesse, when dealing with World Bosses or High-Ranking Dungeons."
Collaboration between allied Guilds was a very common thing. The Storm Dragons Guild, which belonged to Wildgarde Stronghold, often teamed up with the members of Henrietta's and Iris' Guild, Serenity, every time there were important missions.
This allowed both Guilds to send their elite members, allowing them to have a higher chance of clearing a Dungeon or defeating strong monsters without suffering too many casualties.
"I'll seriously consider this," Lux replied. "However, does Noblesse help with large-scale wars? When I talk about large-scale wars, I mean participating in a war where millions of soldiers fight against each other."
"Large-scale wars are a bit… difficult." Zarazel frowned. "Elves don't breed as fast as Humans, so every Elven child is precious. However, as long as they are not treated as cannon fodder, and there is a higher chance of survival, we will consider it."
Zarazel wanted to ask where in Elysium this war would take place, but he decided to hold back his question.
Although there were tensions between the Skystead Alliance and the Xynnar War Pact, a war was unlikely to happen unless Emperor Andreas and the Steward of the Alliance were confident that they could win against their greatest rival.
Lux wasn't really thinking of waging a war against anyone and was merely fishing for information about how far the Elves were willing to side with him when sh*t hit the fan.
Zarazel's lukewarm answer was enough for Lux to know that he couldn't count on the Elves when it came to high-risk missions.
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