The Rise of the Black Plain

Hearing Lulu's questioning, Minos sighed and said. "If I cannot intervene on behalf of your alliance against the Flaming Empire, who will do it? If I don't solve the problems on the Black Plain, we run the risk that there will be no one to maintain diplomacy between the two sides."

"Then, this is also for the sake of your states and peace!"

"Tsk!"

"You really are shameless..." Lulu turned her back on Minos, sensing that he was making excuses.

"Still, how will the situation of the Black Plain and our states look?" Rosser's representative asked Minos.

This sovereign then said. "I have become the master of the Gray Clouds Sect, but I don't have all the powers yet. It will take three years before I take over that organization completely. But, moreover, even when that happens, I will only need to follow certain rules of the Flaming Empire when I act as sect master or act within that state."

"But there are ways we can escape those responsibilities."

The problem with Minos becoming the leader of a Flaming Empire organization was that it put him, at the same time, as Harold's ally and vassal.

He had his connections to that man, which already limited him, but without taking away much of his freedom. But now, he would have a series of responsibilities with those few old ones, limiting him even more and diminishing his freedom of action.

So this could make it impossible for him to help those organizations of the four enemies of the Flaming Empire since his interests and obligations would put him in question.

Would he be impartial? Would he act in their favor, or had his goals changed?

That was the problem!

These people did not know about Minos' agreement with Harold, so to them, it seemed that such a man had suddenly joined that empire.

That's why they were so worried about this situation to the point that they even felt betrayed.

"Is that truly going to be the case?" The Blackrock representative asked, feeling things were not as simple as Minos' words.

Emperor Stuart then said. "If it wasn't, wouldn't I have already been eliminated by lightning punishment? I have signed contracts with your leaders, so you have a guarantee from heaven that I am on your side."

Lightning appeared in the skies at a distance from that area after his words, but nothing much occurred where they were talking.

Everyone there looked up at the stormy skies above Dry City and thought he must be speaking the truth, even if everyone felt uncomfortable.

"In any case, I am acting for the good of all of us. If I cannot stop Abe, who knows how much damage my state and yours will suffer? The damned Abe may very well go so far as to cause the tension between your forces and the Flaming Empire to increase so that war is inevitable!"

"Tsk! I'm doing my best here! A little understanding would be appreciated!" Minos made a disgusted expression.

Those people looked at each other, feeling that they had been a bit unfair to Minos by distrusting him.

After a few seconds of silence, with Minos looking at the ground disappointedly, the Assembly of Vogel representative asked. "But, how is that going to be? Are you going to act on both sides of the problem simultaneously? That would be like having a double spy who is known to everyone..."

"Don't worry so much about that. I won't take on all those responsibilities for three years. And even after that, I intend to bring the Gray Clouds Sect into the Black Plain Empire. So any implications will be temporary." He said, revealing his plans to these people.

"Bringing an organization from the Flaming Empire here?" Lulu asked in surprise, thinking that was not going to work out. "Emperor Edwardstone won't accept it."

"We're not sure yet..." Minos said thoughtfully. "He may not accept right away, but he may change his mind upon realizing the advantages I will offer in return."

"In any case, even if you are in trouble with this after all these words, I offer my lands to take you in. I am sure that Emperor Edwardstone will not enter the Black Plain."

Those four people looked resolutely at Minos after he said those words, trying to understand their implications.

'Is he wanting to absorb us too?'

'I don't know if this is an offer of help to us or if he is trying to act against us...'

"What does that mean, Minos?" Lulu questioned this ally. "Are you coveting our states?"

"Me?" Minos said in an offended manner. "Of course not! I'm just offering refuge in case the worst happens. But if you don't want it, that's fine too. I will keep the peace in the area somehow, so forget about it..."

After those words, he left without looking back, leaving those people with their thoughts regarding everything he had told them.

'Well, now I've planted the little seed they needed to start thinking about the possibility.' He thought about it silently, looking mysteriously to the side.

...

Meanwhile, somewhere in the Black Plain Empire...

Abe was in a temporary camp of his terrorist group in one of the most remote points of the great state of Minos.

There, he was resting from an attack he had participated in hours ago, waiting for when he would leave for his next target.

But while the mercenaries in the surrounding area were making plans together and he was eating a liquid meal, one of the Spiritual Emperors there came running up to where he was.

"Chief! Chief!"

"We just received a notification coming from the Flaming Empire!" Such a person shouted, for the first time founding a relevant notification among the crows leaving messages for them.

Often the enemies would manage to steal some of the crows they used to carry their messages and try to trick them by sending trap locations as if they were requests for help.

At other times, the soldiers of the Black Plain Army would just send messages cursing the nine generations of the families of each of these mercenaries.

But now and then, a few relevant things would pop up from allies and contractors of Abe's terrorist forces.

Today he had been surprised by something like that, so he had run while shouting at that man from the Vogel family.

"Hmm?" Abe took his attention away from the bowl of soup in his hands and looked at that 7th-stage mercenary. "What?"

"The message is from the Saints Killing Sect, an organization that is an enemy of Minos Stuart's family in the Flaming Empire."

Abe's eyes sparkled at those sweet words, and he quickly stood up from where he was, taking the paper message in one of that man's hands.

He then read it aloud for the individuals in the surrounding area to hear. "Minos Stuart is currently fighting two wars simultaneously. Take the opportunity as he acts in the Flaming Empire and the northern region to ruin his little territory!"

"Signed, Mortimer Burgess, master of the Saints Killing Sect."

When he finished reading this, Abe smiled slightly, but he was not just celebrating the good news. He soon began to think about the implications that such information carried!

...