“You’ve gotten better at dancing,” Iris commented as she danced with her fiance in the center of the ballroom.

“I practiced a bit,” Lux replied.

Under everyone’s eyes, the two shared the first dance together. Back then, it was Iris guiding Lux to dance, but now, the Half-Elf was able to dance alongside her and match her movements.

“The two of them dance well together,” Maximilian stated. “I can’t help but compare him to that sickly boy Vera brought to my Tribe several years ago. Back then, he looked as fragile as a dry twig, but now, he is hailed as the strongest member of the young generation. Speaking of which, I haven’t seen Vera as of late. How is she?

Alexander emptied his wine cup first before placing it on top of the table.

“Mother’s life is no longer in danger,” Alexander answered. “However, she’s still recovering. As to when she’ll return, only time can tell.”

“I see…” Maximilian sighed. “Well, it’s good to know that she’s no longer in danger. It’s just weird to not see her here, especially since it’s her grandson’s birthday.”

The Saint of the Rowan Tribe then moved closer and said something in a very low tone that only Alexander could hear.

“I’ve found an ancient record belonging to one of the tribes near the location of the Domain of the Fallen,” Maximilian stated. “I don’t know how accurate these records are, but it seems that the Domain was created to lock up an Abyssal Duke from the Void who once attempted to conquer Elysium. The Gates are actually the seals that bound him in place.”

“Duke-Ranked Abyssal?” Alexander narrowed his eyes. “Then, is it a Saint?”

“Yes, but if the records are accurate, then his rank should’ve degenerated over the hundreds of years that he has been sealed. Maybe he’s just a Pseudo-Saint or a High-Ranker at the moment, but he is a threat nevertheless.”

“If that’s the case, then that explains why no Rankers are allowed to enter the Domain of the Fallen,” Alexander commented. “Whoever locked that Duke inside probably thought that there was no way for Initiates to survive the Deimos and Argonaut-Ranked Monsters inside the Domain of the Fallen, as well as conquer the Four Gates of the Apocalypse.”

A wry smile appeared on Maximilian’s face as he thought about the three out of four gates that had been unlocked. If the final Gate of Famine was conquered as well, then the last Gate where the Duke was sealed would also open.

“I think it’s a little too late to stop this now,” Maximilian commented. “Even if we warn the others, they will just think that we’re getting in their way from getting resources inside the Domain of the Fallen.”

Alexander nodded. “Is there anything else that you haven’t told me?”

“Yes,” Maximilian replied. “Although this is not confirmed, the records said that once the Four Gates have been opened, Low-Rankers will be able to enter the Domain of the Fallen as well.”

“…” Alexander looked calm on the surface, but this information that Maximilian shared with him would definitely break the delicate balance that had been maintained since the Domain of the Fallen had been discovered.

He and Maximilian were Saints, and both of them had Rankers belonging to their factions.

However, the number of these Rankers wouldn’t surpass the number of fingers on their hands.

Although the Six Kingdoms didn’t have Saints, they had plenty of Rankers, which would allow them to send more people to the Domain of the Fallen once the restrictions had been lifted.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Alexander asked as he looked at the Saint of the Rowan Tribe, who was looking back at him with a devilish smile on his face.

“Yes,” Maximilian replied. “I guess it’s better to tell Lux to start farming all the resources available in the Domain of the Fallen before others get them. I’ve heard from Cai that your son’s Guild has this special ability that allows him to summon his Guild Members in his current location.

“How about it? Do you feel like taking a stroll together with me inside the Domain of the Fallen? We’ll split everything 40/40/20. Both of us get 40% and your son gets 20%. Do we have a deal?”

This time, the corner of Alexander’s lips rose up as he held Maximilian’s gaze.

“Sounds fun,” Alexander commented. “Count me in.”

Maximilian grinned as he picked up his wine cup and toasted with the Headmaster of the Barbatos Academy.

Since the Domain of the Fallen was bound to be looted by the Skystead Alliance, Xynnar War Pact, and Six Kingdoms once the Gate of the Famine had been conquered, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to take everything before the others got a chance.

Since they had the ability to do it, why not do it?

Cai was now Lux’s fiance, making her part of Alexander’s family. Since they were already joined at the hips, the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy didn’t mind sharing the spoils with his future in-law.

The representatives of the Six Kingdoms, who were paying close attention to the two Saints, didn’t have any idea about what the two of them were talking about.

If only they knew that the two shameless Powerhouses were planning to loot everything inside the Domain of the Fallen, to the point that not even scraps were left behind, they would definitely latch onto them like leeches and beg them to take them with them.

—————

Right beside the Saint’s table, Cai, who was busy feeding Eiko and Fei Fei some pork chops, noticed the smiles on Alexander’s and Maximilian’s faces.

‘Gramps and Iris’s father look like bandits right now,’ Cai thought as she fed Fei Fei some pork chops. ‘Are they perhaps talking about the plan I proposed to Gramps?’

The Boar had heard her Grandpa mention in passing back in the Rowan Tribe that if he could just enter the Domain of the Fallen, he would definitely take all the treasures inside, and not leave anything behind.

Since Cai was in her Boar Form, her “I love treasure” mentality suddenly gave her a brilliant idea.

She then talked to her Grandpa about Lux’s ability to summon his Guild Members anywhere, like what he did in the Haca Dynasty when the red-headed teenager was rescuing Great General Garret’s family.

Cai thought that if it was possible for Lux to summon her Grandpa inside the Domain of the Fallen, then all the treasures inside it would belong to them without fail!

It would belong to her!

Deimos-Ranked Monsters?

Argonaut-Ranked Monsters?

In front of a Saint, all of them were just like little bugs that could be crushed under her grandpa’s foot!

Lux also needed some High-Ranked Beast Cores, as well as Monster Corpses and Monster Parts, for the upgrade of his Undead Army, so killing those strong monsters, which they avoided every time they entered the Domain of the Fallen, was also a good thing.

When Maximilian had finished listening to his Granddaughter’s story, a plan immediately came to his mind.

He knew that if he asked Lux’s father, Alexander, to come with him to “take a stroll” inside the Domain of the Fallen, the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy would definitely say yes.

Because of this, he waited until Lux’s birthday ceremony in order to share this news with Alexander, making the latter agree without a second thought.

Both Saints were laughing internally because they now had a way to one-up the Six Kingdoms, Xynnar War Pact, and Skystead Alliance, who were greedily eyeing the resources of the Domain of the Fallen.

The two Saints had long wanted to make these three factions suffer, and what better opportunity was there than taking everything they coveted, right out from under their noses.