Both Lux and Vera stared at the towering, and majestic structure in the distance as they sat on the back of a White Hippopotamus.
They had traveled through a teleportation gate from within the Wildgarde Stronghold, and got transported at the closest relay station from their destination. Even then, they still had to travel on land for a day and on water for half a day.
But since they had Sophie, the White Hippopotamus, the length of their journey was cut in half. When compared to most boats in the water, Sophie was still faster.
As they neared their destination, Lux wasn't able to keep a sigh from escaping his lips as he looked at one of the grandest academies in Solais.
"Barbatos Academy," Lux said softly. "It has been nearly a year since we last came here to visit them. Right, grandma?"
Vera nodded. "Indeed. You were so preoccupied with training and trying to pass the entrance test to Elysium that you refused to visit your step sister. I'm sure Iris still feels bad about it. Make sure to treat her nicely this time around, okay?"
Lux scratched his cheek as he nodded his head.
Vera only had three family members in the entirety of Solais. The first one was her son, Alexander, and the second was her granddaughter, Iris. The third was Lux, of course, whom she had adopted as her grandson, making him Iris' stepbrother.
"Ah, by the way, Iris sent me a letter two months ago," Vera said with a smile. "She is asking me when you are going to see her. I only said that you are busy with your training because you failed again this year. Even so, I promised that both of us would visit her before her birthday six months from now."
"Time sure flies quickly," Lux commented. "She will be sixteen this year."
"And you will be seventeen, Lux. Should we proceed with making Iris your fiance? My son is acting stubborn about it, but if I smack his head, I'm sure that he will agree. So, would you like Iris to be your future wife?"
"Grandma, I don't think smacking the head of a Saint is a good idea. Besides, Uncle Alex only wants what is best for Iris. There are more eligible candidates aside from me that can make her happy."
Vera snorted as she ruffled Lux's hair.
"I only plan to share good things with my family," Vera stated. "Since both of my grandchildren are good, why not match them up? That way, the bonds of our family will be stronger."
"Grandma, let's talk about this when I become a Ranker."
"Nonsense. By the time you become a Ranker, a moron might have already swept Iris off her feet! I'm not going to wait that long. Besides, Iris keeps on pestering me to ensure that no flies will gather around you until she comes of age. We just need to wait for a few months. After her birthday, the two of you can get married the very next day."
Lux subconsciously gulped. He knew that his grandma was serious about pairing him and Iris together. Truth be told, Iris had told him time and time and again that she would only marry him when she grew up.
The Half-Elf found her words amusing back then, and even casually replied that he would wait for her to grow up and marry her every time. Iris took his words seriously back then and even told Vera about it.
Vera was overjoyed and even agreed to it on the spot. Lux and Iris were only twelve and eleven years old back then and, for some reason, he felt that he had shot himself on the foot when he made that promise to her.
Naturally, Alexander didn't agree to it. As Iris' father, he was very overprotective of his daughter. Even though Lux was Vera's adoptive grandson, he rejected his mother's proposal to let Iris become Lux's fiance.
"Don't worry. I'll make sure to convince that no-good-son of mine," Vera promised. "All you have to do is say yes, and we will host the wedding right away."
Lux chuckled nervously as he stared at the looming academy that was hailed as one of the best in the Western Regions of Solais.
Barbatos Academy was right at the center of six kingdoms. Most children of the nobility, as well as the members of the Royal Family, all went there to study and expand their horizons.
Just like the Wildgarde Stronghold, the Barbatos Academy had its own faction in Elysium and was based in the Regulus Empire.
The Wildgarde Stronghold's faction was stationed in the Azrael Kingdom, which was a neighbor of the Regulus Empire. Both of them were allies, and enjoyed trade, as well as other lucrative businesses between their two nations.
'I just hope Iris doesn't mention anything about marriage when we meet her,' Lux thought as he felt beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Truth be told, he didn't dislike Iris. In fact, he was very fond of her and treated her like a real sister.
As for his feelings for her, he would be lying if he said that he didn't like her. In fact, there had been times when he thought that it would be nice if she could become his fiance, but he would also remember the things that he needed to do in Elysium. With his priorities shifted a bit, he would often brush off that thought.
'Also, I'm sure that Uncle will make it difficult for the two of us to be together,' Lux sighed internally. 'Well, I don't have to worry about these things. If grandma really wants us to be together, she will turn the world upside down to make it happen. For now, I'm sure that she is holding back, in order to respect Uncle's wishes.'
When Vera adopted Lux, his uncle, Alexander, registered his name in their family tree. Their relationship was civil enough, but Lux couldn't really tell if they were close or not.
While Alexander never made any effort to make Lux feel that he was happy with the latter, he also never made any effort to keep him at arm's length.
If Lux could use a word to describe their relationship, it would definitely be "lukewarm".
Iris was the only one that could make the cold and indifferent man, who was respected and feared by many, break out into a smile.
"We're here, Lux."
Vera's words broke Lux out of his daydream as they neared the portside of the academy.
Sophie swam towards the shore, which caught the attention of several people who were present in the area.
After Lux and Vera dismounted from her back, Sophie's size shrank to only half a meter tall. This was the form that she took whenever she was in the Wildgarde Stronghold, because her original size prevented her from entering into most of the houses in the stronghold.
"Welcome to Barbatos Academy, Lady Vera," a lady who was wearing the uniform of the academy, and seemed to be in her early thirties, said as she bowed her head towards Vera.
"Alicia, have you been well?" Vera replied with a smile. "I hope my no-good son is not overworking you."
Alicia waved her hand as a tinge of redness spread across her face. "The Headmaster isn't making things difficult for me. I am happy with my current work, Lady Vera."
Alicia then shifted her gaze to Lux and grinned.
"It's good to see you again, Young Master Lux," Alicia said as he gave Lux a brief bow. "It seems that you have gotten a little taller since we last met."
Lux smirked as nodded his head in acknowledgement. "It's good to see you again, Alicia. You've gotten more beautiful since the last time I saw you."
"Keep that up, Young Master, and you will not have a hard time finding a lover," Alicia replied, "but make sure to hide your affair from Lady Iris. She will definitely throw a tantrum if she finds out that you are meeting girls behind her back."
Lux chuckled nervously because it seemed that Iris had managed to make Alicia one of her people. If he wanted to enjoy his short visit to Barbatos Academy, he'd better stay clear of the young noble ladies, who usually flirted with him whenever he visited the academy with Vera.
After seeing Lux's nervous expression, a smile appeared on Alicia's lips before shifting her gaze to Vera.
"Lady Vera, please, come with me," Alicia said respectfully. "The Headmaster has been waiting for your arrival."
Vera nodded as she held Lux's hand. The academy had many beautiful girls in it, so she decided to keep Lux by her side to ensure that no random girl would ensnare him during their visit.
After all, she was dead set on making her two grandchildren a couple. That way, she could have the best of both worlds. She wouldn't have to worry about other people trying to use Iris as a political tool in order to form connections with her son, Alexander, who was the Headmaster of the strongest military academy in the Western Regions of Solais.