The Rise of the Black Plain

"But, Minos, would those be your only regrets?" Dana questioned him.

"No. I intend to have an extensive and powerful family. So not being able to have more children would be a shame." Minos replied.

Ella couldn't help but comment, smiling. "But that wouldn't be a regret because it can happen in our state. After all, your last child will also be the child of a princess, potentially the child of the future queen!

If you are lucky and she is female, your lineage will continue to exist, and there will be many descendants of yours in the Spiritual World."

The other women in the area smiled, indicating that this really could happen, and Minos' comment was wrong.

He looked at that guide and said. "It wouldn't be the same... Anyway, forget about those dreams and come back to reality. How long will it take me to get to the capital from where we are?"

Those women didn't pursue the subject, even though practically everyone there wanted to tell him that he was the one who should wake up to reality.

Dana then said. "Two weeks if battles and parades do not delay you."

"Hmm, I shouldn't be too late now." Minos said in a low voice, considering that the closer to the capital he got, the fewer women seemed interested in challenging him.

At the same time, he didn't have much else to negotiate in cities ahead, for what he and the Black Plain needed, he had already made agreements to supply such demands.

Of course, more resources would always come in handy for an emerging force, but one had to be careful not to try to swallow more than one's stomach could hold!

Minos had no urgency to get more stuff in this place, so to avoid taking the situation to a higher level, he would no longer pursue business in this state.

At most, he would continue to collect resources from the women who dared to test their luck with him.

But as that group finished having their meal amidst the conversations among the many women there, one of the lookouts in Dana's group shouted. "A group is approaching us rapidly from the south."

"Could it be some rival family?" Someone in that group asked as she tightened her fingers on the dagger of her weapon.

The Flowers Kingdom was not a place without competition among the local forces. After all, these organizations were practically shaped by blood ties, and every family had its problems and intrigues.

That was even more true for a large organization with as many resources and members as the local royalty and nobility.

So there were conflicts between internal powers in this state.

However, these conflicts were generally not as severe as one might find, for example, in the ancient northern region of the Central Continent.

However, one of the women in Dana's group then said. "It's probably some fool wanting to challenge Minos."

This woman was not entirely wrong, but she was not right either.

Minos realized this when he saw some faces he already knew.

"Your Majesty Minos Stuart, I return to you with news of your grandfather, Oswald Coleman." The woman who had promised Minos to investigate Oswald's whereabouts said this aloud when she saw him.

Minos clenched his fists upon hearing that and asked. "Where is he? What is his situation?"

The other women in the surrounding area relaxed as they realized that this newly arrived group was not composed of their direct competitors and calmed down.

Meanwhile, the woman Minos had defeated earlier said to him. "Oswald Coleman still has his manhood, but his situation is not good. He is in the middle of a challenge and probably won't win."

"Where is he?" Minos insisted.

"He's north of here, in the northernmost city in the kingdom, Sosa. If you leave now, you can reach him in about a week's journey...

I advise you to run. The woman with whom he is disputing is not famous for her patience."

"If she castrates Oswald, I will rip her head off," Minos said as he prepared to leave, making all the women in the surrounding area feel bad at his comment.

In this place, despite the rights and duties that everyone involved in a competition had, nothing gave the one challenged the right to kill a challenger. What's more, if a foreign man was not in the midst of a challenge, they could not even raise their hands against warriors from the kingdom or could be punished by the royal family.

But still, none of those women wanted to rebuke Minos, knowing that he had his reasons for his threat and was quite powerful.

He then looked at Ella, indicating that woman to lead the way.

"Ulva, you will be free of your responsibilities to me if my grandfather is in Sosa. So until I verify that, you must accompany us." Minos said to that woman who was already prepared to do that.

"I know..."

"Then let's go. There is no reason for us to delay any longer." He said as he flew off in a northerly direction, not even bothering to say goodbye to the previous group.

"Will he be able to achieve that goal?" Dana asked her advisors.

"Probably not..."

"Hmm, and it will be better that way." Another woman said. "If he doesn't arrive in time, he will have to beat two princesses to be able to free Harold and Oswald.

In that case, it will be impossible for him to escape even if he can beat the Third Princess!"

"We could slow him down a bit on his journey..."

But Dana didn't like this suggestion and said. "If he can save his grandfather by his own strength, we should not stop him. His journey will be hard and rushed enough, so hindering him now would totally take away his chances."

"But..."

"No buts. A warrior should not enter disputes where the victory is already decided before the start of the match. There is no point in doing that. We would accomplish nothing but disgrace to our own names." Dana said firmly.

Some warriors would rather die than have an undeserved victory. To them, a battle was something sacred that should be respected to the fullest, especially when it came to challenges.

Fighting in wars was different, but in controlled tournaments, challenges with rules, a victory would only be satisfactory to genuine warriors if it came through their own powers or abilities.

Many female warriors in this state thought so, and this high-ranking noblewoman in the royal succession could not help but deter those less committed to the hour from hindering Minos.

The two women beside the Spiritual Sage of the Eastern Empire saw this and were pleased, soon leaving the area to accompany Minos.

"I have a feeling he won't make it in time..." The level 86 woman said to her fellow travelers, seeing that the queen's plans were going as planned.

At the same time, another woman used what looked like a colored crystal to communicate with the most powerful expert in this state.

"Your Majesty, Minos should arrive in the capital in no more than a month. He is currently going after Oswald, who is under Chelsea's challenge."

"Oh? Is everything on schedule? Or is there something I don't know?" A voice came from that colorful item that pulsed with the sound waves.

"No, Your Majesty, everything is as planned."

"Perfect. Let him finish his days of freedom as he wishes. My daughters are already waiting for him." A satisfied voice ended that connection.