The Rise of the Black Plain

"In normal situations, since it is only the Black Plain, we should accept such a request. But at the end of the day, this is still an attempt at independence. So, we will have to inform His Majesty before we decide on any action." That middle-aged man standing in front of Nelson said this quickly.

"So, we should prepare all the official documentation and communiqués?" One of the people in that room asked.

Hearing that, the same man from before answered such a question. "No. Although there is nothing to indicate that His Majesty will reconsider such a request, I believe that he will not accept it immediately."

Nelson then agreed with his associate. "Yes, His Majesty will probably try to understand what gave that young man the confidence to seek that. After all, he would be the leader of an independent state that would already be 'born' as the weakest and most impoverished in our region..."

"Exactly!" The other man said before finally turning away and looking in the direction of a royal guard standing there, someone who worked with the administrative division of the royal family. "I believe His Majesty will order an investigation as soon as this information reaches him."

"With that in mind, we should prepare a team to judge that place and investigate if there is anything new or suspicious, anything that has made such a request for independence possible."

"Then make those preparations while I will deliver this news to His Majesty's team. That way, as soon as he gives the order, we will be ready to act!"

"All right!" That royal guard firmly said before leaving that office and heading towards the place where he could resolve such a matter.

Forming an investigative group was not difficult for an organization of the size of the royal family. However, because this organization already ran numerous operations concurrently, each mission needed to be accurately recorded in order for headquarters to maintain control over such matters.

There had to be a system for such situations. There was a need for rules to be followed so that people didn't suddenly vanish, missions got out of hand, or subordinates began acting independently.

Because of this bureaucracy, organizing an investigation group could take several days, even considering urgent situations.

But to maximize the speed of this, that middle-aged man had already stepped forward so that a group of royal guards would be ready to leave for the Black Plain as soon as possible.

Anyway, after that guard left that place, Nelson was silent for a moment until he finally asked that man in front of him. "If there is nothing new in the Black Plain, do you think that place will be recognized as an independent state by His Majesty?"

"I mean, even if His Majesty doesn't care about such a place, will he agree to decrease the area of his territory?"

Hearing this doubt from Nelson, that middle-aged man closed his eyes for a moment while shaking his head from side to side. "I don't know. I personally don't know his Majesty, and all I know is that my predecessors always said that the former kings would not be against such a separation."

"Even if losing the Black Plain meant losing a significant portion of the Brown Kingdom's territory and the entire coast of our state, they were not opposed to the idea."

"That territory had always been dead weight, a place that doesn't earn us taxes and very rarely do good seeds appear there. And as long as the royal family kept the Maritime City, several of His Majesty's predecessors would be willing to accept that..."

"Really?" Nelson asked.

"Well, that's what I heard from my predecessors... Hahaha, but since I didn't meet any of those kings, then I can only make conjectures regarding what I heard." That person laughed as he remembered some stories.

"But that has substantiation in one fact reported in the royal family history book!"

"Oh?"

"Believe me. I once had the opportunity to read the Great Brown Genealogical Tree!"

"In this book, there is a passage where it recounts something related to this. There it says that the great-great-grandfather of His Majesty's great-grandfather once offered the ruler of the Black Plain of that time the independence of such a region. But that person refused..."

...

While those subordinates of the royal family were talking about the past of the Brown Kingdom, in one of the most luxurious parts of the royal palace, there was a large hall in an elliptical shape.

In one half of the ellipse was an elevated area, from where a small five-step staircase faced the other half.

On this elevated part, several flags hung in the air symmetrically around the ellipse, each carrying the Brown family symbol, which looked like an utterly brown dragon's claw.

At the same time as this, there was a large diamond throne on that elevated part, right where the focus of the ellipse would be.

On the opposite side of the elevated part, there was a series of hexagonal pilasters glowed in a dark golden color. But there was almost nothing in this part of that hall since only two people were in this place at the present moment.

Of these two people, one was an old man wearing a golden suit, who still had a few strands of brown hair on his head. As for the other, he was an old man with a beard and white hair, using a sizeable golden cane for support.

These two were the two strongest people in the local royal family. The supreme elder, London, level 58, the person who seemed to be the oldest here, and King Brown, level 59, the younger one who had not lost all the color of his hair...

"How is young Diana?" The old supreme elder asked while he had a gentle smile on his face and looked anxiously at his nephew.

Diana Brown was none other than the daughter of King Brown, the second person in the succession of this royal house. Beyond her was her younger brother, Raynard Brown, the current successor to the royal crown.

Upon hearing the supreme elder's question, Thomas, King Brown, smiled and said. "Hehe, little Diana is fine. I hear that she is doing very well in the Holy Sect and has even become a disciple of one of the elders of that Flaming Empire organization!"

"Oh? Is that true?"

"Yes. She has even reached level 55, even though she is only 60-years-old!" The king said in satisfaction.

"That's truly amazing!"

"Maybe young Diana has a chance of becoming a Spiritual Emperor in the future!" London cheerfully said, just before he remembered something and regained his composure. "By the way, when will she come to visit us? It's almost 11 years since we last saw her..."

"Well, it shouldn't take long. Diana has never been away for more than 15 years, so I guess we can expect a visit soon..." The king commented, while at the same time, he had a fearful expression on his face.

Seeing this, London readily understood what the problem was. "Are you worried that she will find out about Albert's death, Thomas?"

"Yes, sort of. The way little Diana is, upon finding out that the person who once saved her life in the past died in our 'backyard', she will spare no effort to find out the truth..." The king said while clenching his fists in concern.

At that time, Albert Stuart was still a Spiritual General. But although weak, he had saved the life of the Brown Kingdom princess in a situation where Diana would have died if he had not risked his own life for her!

Diana had always been a person who favored her own. Furthermore, as she was already mature enough to have gratitude, she had never forgotten that action of young Stuart's father.

So, she had helped Albert in many ways, opening doors for a young subordinate to raise levels quickly, having in less than 50 years reached level 51 because of it.

But beyond that, the foremost help she had given him was the appointment of Albert as the future sovereign of one of the free territories of the Brown Kingdom. 

Albert was only one of the Brown family's lower-ranking Generals at the time, and, although very promising, he would have to fight for a few more centuries before being given such a chance.

But still, he had received such an opportunity from that young woman, something that could finally reward him for all he had done in the past.

Anyway, after hearing the king's concerns, the supreme elder sighed briefly, understanding the matter. "Ah, I just hope young Diana doesn't find out about our involvement in that matter..."