Chapter 380 A Variable Has Appeared [Part 2]

Murphy's law states that anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.

When people think that things couldn't possibly get any worse, it would get worse.

Lux wanted to slap himself silly for raising a flag for himself, which happened just minutes after Ishtar died.

The rowdy Tavern descended into silence the moment the Dwarf appeared.

The green-haired Dwarf was wearing the coat of arms of the Gweliven Royal Family, indicating that she was one of the personal guards of the Royal.

For most people, this was the highest form of honor, and to some, their uniform was a symbol of power and prestige because only the best would be able to wear the uniform that the green-haired Dwarf was wearing.

"Um, I think you have misunderstood something here," Lux replied. "I am not a suspicious person."

"That is what suspicious people always say," the green-haired Dwarf commented. "Also, even though I've had the opportunity to see Humans in the past, I've never seen one that has ventured this far within our Kingdom. In my eyes, you are the most suspicious people that I have come across, so you better stop spouting nonsense and answer my question."

The Dwarves in the Tavern looked at Lux and his friends with vigilance. Just like the green-haired Dwarf said, having Humans this deep in their territory was not a common occurrence.

Although they didn't make it too obvious earlier, they were quite wary of Lux, and his friends, because they were all Foreigners.

(A/N: Just in case you all forgot, Foreigners is the term Elysians used to describe Solaians.)

Just as Lux was about to take something out of his storage ring, the green-haired lady's grip on his shoulder tightened, making Lux cry out in pain.

"Don't do anything stupid," the green-haired Dwarf said icily. "This is your last warning. If you do something suspicious I'll snap your neck."

Lux wanted to rebuke the Dwarf lady, but since she was a Ranker, he decided to play it safe and just use the lifeline that was available to him.

"I am going to take a golden locket out of my storage ring," Lux said. "After you see it, you will know who I am. So, do you mind if I take it out to show you?"

The green-haired Dwarf pondered for a bit before nodding her head. However, her grip on Lux's shoulder remained firm.

The Half-Elf took out the Golden Locket of the Griffin, and showed it to the green-haired lady, who immediately frowned after seeing it.

Without asking for permission, she took the locket from Lux's hands and observed it with a critical gaze. She rolled it over in her hands, opened it, and looked at it from different angles.

After confirming that the locket was authentic, she handed it back to Lux and removed her grip from his shoulder.

"Let's talk outside," the green-haired Dwarf ordered as she made a gesture for the red-headed teenager to stand and follow her.

"Stay here," Lux said to his friends. "I'll be fine."

Cai and Keane nodded their heads. They had already sensed how strong the green-haired lady was, so they didn't do anything reckless when Lux was being held in a vice grip.

The two knew that even if they worked together alongside Lux, it would be impossible for them to beat the Ranker, who seemed to be employed by the Royal Family.

As soon as Lux stepped outside of the Tavern, a strong gust of wind blew over him, wrapped him up securely, which prevented him from moving. A second later, he found himself flying through the air at great speeds.

"Good, let's talk here," the green-haired Dwarf said after finding a suitable place to talk that was far away from the city. "First, I don't believe that you are a member of the Order of the Griffin. I've met all of their members, so I am sure that you are not one of them.

"Also, I highly doubt that His Majesty would make a Human, especially a Foreigner, part of his private force. You made one mistake, Human. Not all Dwarves, especially those who sit in high positions in this nation, know the existence of the Order of the Griffin. You can't just flash your golden locket thinking that anyone who saw it would recognize it right away."

"E-Eh? But I was told that I should just show it to the guards and members of the military if I ever needed their assistance when dealing with a difficult mission," Lux replied with a face filled with injustice.

"Fool, you are supposed to show your emblem to the secret service that would then contact the authorities to get the support you need," the green-haired Dwarf replied in an annoyed manner. "Didn't they even tell you something so basic?! Who was the one that gave you the golden locket? Was it Galileo? Was it that bastard Charles? Or that snot-faced Nevreal?"

Lux, who had been called a fool, wasn't able to defend himself from the one-sided nagging that was being hurled in his direction.

"Miss, can you calm down first?" Lux asked. "How about we talk like civilized people? Also, why are you so familiar with how the Order of the Griffin works? Are you one of its members?"

The green-haired lady suddenly stopped talking as she glared at Lux, making the latter feel that he was being stared down by a giant, when in fact, he was the one who was taller than the Dwarf, whose glaring red eyes made him feel as if he had stepped on a landmine.

A minute later, the green-haired Dwarf snorted.

"I am not a member of the Order," the green-haired dwarf replied. "But my Master is one of them. This is why I know how they do things from the shadows."

Lux had a feeling that the green-haired Dwarf wanted to become part of the Order, but lacked the qualifications to get the role. He didn't know how the King decided who got to be one of the members of his private organization, so the Half-Elf had no idea why a Ranker like the green-haired Dwarf wasn't one of its members.

"I see." Lux narrowed his gaze. He didn't know if what he was about to do was going to work, but it was worth giving it a try. "Then, since you know of my identity, isn't it about time that you release me? I am on a very important mission, you know? Your interference is making it hard for me to do my job properly."

The green-haired Dwarf once again snorted after she heard Lux's words.

"Like I said earlier, I don't recognize you as one of the members of the Order," the green-haired dwarf replied. "Now, tell me why you are here in the Wolfpine Barony, or else, I'll take you to the Mayor's Residence tied up like the pig you are."

"Sorry, but I can't tell you that. If you want to know why I am here, you should get in touch with Nevreal. He is the one that requested that I come to this place."

"Nevreal? So it's that snot-nosed old man who doesn't know when to call it quits. I see... so this is about the merit system. Now I understand your purpose for coming."

The green-haired Dwarf then smiled evilly as she approached Lux.

"You are here to get in the way of Her Highness' ascension," the green-haired Dwarf said coldly. "Since that is the case, I should deal with you right here, right now."