After his short detour in Leaf Village, Lux had once again returned to the Outer Reaches in order to check on the changes that had happened while he was away.
Just like he expected, Gerhart, and Cethus were not in the Guild Headquarters. According to General Garret, the two of them said that they would undertake their own Ranker Trials and return once they had succeeded in becoming Rankers.
For Lux, this was great news because having more Rankers in the Guild would ensure that they would be able to protect their Guild, once they exposed themselves to the world.
"I had a talk with the Mayor of Pygmalion, Jorinn, and he agreed to send some workers to help build the foundations of a small town at the base of the mountain. The only downside is that the fee he asked for is quite pricey."
Garret handed Lux a scroll which listed all the resources and expenses that they would need in order to make it happen.
Aside from the town, they also planned to build a barracks within the mountain range, so that they could train their soldiers without being seen by the public.
"You didn't lie when you said that it was pricey," Lux muttered as he gazed at the price at the end of the scroll, which ended up being a whopping 350 Million Gold Coins.
Although he could be considered very rich due to the Draconium and Aenarium Ores in his possession, 300 Million Gold Coins was still an amount that made his liver itch.
With that amount of money, he could probably build five Leaf Villages, and still have money to spare.
"These are overpriced, right?" Lux asked Garret, who nodded his head in affirmation.
"It is overpriced," Garret replied. "But he insisted that this is the standard price of services done by Dragon Borns."
Lux pondered for a bit because he understood how Dragon Borns prided themselves in being superior to others.
Having Cethus around was more than enough to make everyone in the Guild Headquarters know how highly Dragon Borns thought of themselves.
"Although we can shoulder this amount, it is best if we ask others to build it," Lux said after careful consideration. "I guess I will have to rely on them this time as well."
Using the artifact that Bentley had left him, Lux contacted the leader of the Game-Shin Impact Merchant Guild, Bentley, and asked if they had experience in building a town.
"Of course we have experience in building towns and cities," Bentley replied. "We built the City of Constad, and it is also called the Windy City. The breeze there is very refreshing, you should come and visit when you have time. I'll treat you to some apple cider vinegar."
"When I have time, I'll make sure to visit," Lux commented. "So, how much will it cost to build a town?"
"Hmm… that really depends. I have seen your location before, but where do you want to build it exactly, and how big is this town that you want to build?"
"I want it to be built at the base of the mountain, as to how big it is, I also don't have any idea. Also, I want you guys to build a barracks for soldiers as well. Can you give me an estimate on how much all of this will cost?"
Bentley didn't reply right away. It seemed that he was doing some mental calculations for how much he would charge Lux for this big project.
"I will be honest with you, at the very least, it will cost you 200 Million Gold Coins minimum," Bentley replied. "The price can go up as well because this is just a rough estimate. But, I don't think it will go above 400 Million."
After hearing Bentley's reply, Lux made the decision then and there and hired the Merchant Group to build the town, and the barracks that they needed.
Since they were the ones that built their Castle, he was certain of the quality of their work. Even Garret didn't have any objections.
After living inside the Guild Headquarters of Heaven's Gate, he realized how much care was given in order to create the Stronghold of the one and only Mythical Guild in the world.
An hour later, a Giant Blue Dragon with four wings arrived at the Outer Reaches.
When the Dragon finally landed near the base of the mountain, a little girl wearing a red-riding hood attired jumped off from it and ran towards Lux with her arms spread wide.
"I'm here, Eiko!" Glee shouted happily as she ran towards her comrade who liked to make things go boom as well.
"Glee!" Eiko jumped off Lux's head and flew towards the little Elf with a big smile on her face.
Glee caught Eiko mid-air and both of them rubbed their cheeks against each other, like Bomber Girls that had reunited after a long time.
Lux and Bentley both smiled after seeing this scene.
"Welcome back, Bentley," Lux stretched his hand for a handshake.
"It's good to do business with you again, Lux," Bentley shook the Half-Elf's hand before looking at the castle on the mountain that they had made several months ago.
"It seems that your Guild has gained a lot of members since the last time we were here," Bentley commented.
"Many things have happened," Lux replied. "Now, let's talk about business."
Bentley nodded. "Of course."
The two then discussed the design of the town that they were going to build. After hearing what Lux wanted, Bentley wrote a few things on a scroll, and showed the Half-Elf the rough design of the city.
Lux asked it to be modified a bit. The two continued to go through rough designs of the town for two hours, until they finally made something that both of them were in agreement with.
"How long will the construction take?" Lux asked.
"If we bring all able-bodied builders from our Guild, I think it will be finished in four to six months," Bentley replied. "Also, before we start, you will need to give me 200 Million Gold Coins as a down payment. The town you have in mind is bigger than I expected, so I will need that much money in order to purchase the raw materials needed for the construction."
Lux nodded. "Do you accept Draconium Ore as payment?"
"Of course," Bentley replied. "Ah! Before I forget, there will be an auction in one of the biggest cities near my hometown. If you don't mind, I can auction your Draconium Ores in bulk, so that you will have bigger returns. Of course, I will take 5% commission for the overall sales."
"That's fine. Even if the Auction House and you take a commission, the returns will be worth it," Lux stated. "I will be leaving the Outer Reaches for a period of time. I don't know how long it will be, but if you have other concerns, don't hesitate to coordinate with my secretary, Emma."
The Half-Elf then pointed at the pretty Dwarf who was talking to the members of the Game-Shin Impact Guild and trying to get to know them better.
"Understood," Bentley replied. "I promise that I will not disappoint your trust in us. Our customer's satisfaction is our top priority."
"I look forward to seeing the completion of this project as well," Lux stated.
While the Half-Elf and the Merchant Leader were talking, an old Half-Ling stood on the top of the mountain with a mischievous smile on his face.
In his hand was a palm-sized Earth Turtle.
"Go, and merge with this floating island," Gaap ordered.
The Earth Turtle nodded and jumped off his hand and merged with the ground beside Gaap's feet.
This was the same Earth Turtle that Antero had defeated, and ate when Gaap had summoned him inside the Gate of Famine.
The Old Half-Ling planned to give Lux a pleasant surprise when they returned from the Ancestral Ground after he became a Ranker.
"Master, I wish you were here," Gaap said softly as he remembered his kind, yet very tomboyish, Master, who often got into trouble when she was still alive due to her hot temper.
It had been many years since his Master died in order to save him, and even now, Gaap still missed her terribly.
"Divine Army of Light," Gaap muttered with contempt. "Sooner or later, I will have my revenge."
For the time being, the Old Half-Ling set aside his goal of revenge in order to teach Lux the ways of the Necromancer.
After he had imparted all of his knowledge to his Disciple, he would settle old scores with the organization that hunted Necromancers, as well as those who possessed powerful Dark Magic, whom they called Heretics.
They had been a thorn inside Gaap's chest for the past couple of years, and his hatred for them was greater than his hatred for the Guild of Memento Mori.
"The word Revenge is too mean, it is better to call it Returning the Favor."
That was one of the words that Gaap's master often said to him when she was still alive.
"Don't worry, Master," Gaap vowed. "Before I turn to ashes, and join you in the afterlife, I swear that I will be returning the favor to them."
A deadly glint flashed within the depths of the old Half-Ling's eyes.
Clearly, his heart, which had grown old and vengeful, still carried a flame that would remain until the day he had properly returned the favor to those that pushed his kind, and beloved Master, to her doom.
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