The Rise of the Black Plain

When the person in the 'void' looked in the direction of those three newcomers, he immediately identified two as people from the Quinn family's imperial guard.

As enemies of both this man's organization from the Eastern Empire and the organization of the person in the 'void,' the two 9th-stage individuals in the vicinity of Dry City did not like the arrival of such people.

'Why? What's going on? Have they found out our plans?' The Spiritual Sage, who had just sent Abe away, put one of his hands on the weapon he had at his waist.

Two of the three people who had just arrived in that region through a wormhole were Spiritual Sages, one level 81 and one level 82. The third individual was a high-level Spiritual Saint, the mercenary who had delivered Grant's letter to the imperial family of the Western Empire.

After the princess' orders, her men acted quickly and did their best to verify Grant's situation through that mercenary. Then, when they received approval from the emperor himself to take that man back to the empire's capital, these men left for this place, finally arriving this afternoon.

Because of the level of these individuals, that Spiritual Sage of the Eastern Empire was a bit agitated, with one of his hands on his weapon, just in case something came up.

Unlike Harold, those two individuals, a man and a woman, could kill him if they tried!

On the other hand, while the observers who were already in the area earlier were looking toward those groups, the two 9th-stage individuals soon realized that they were being watched.

"It seems that there are Spiritual Sages in the surrounding area..." One of them commented with a surprised expression, as she did not expect to find people with such high cultivation in the vicinity of this place.

She and her companion from the Western Empire were not fools who did not know anything about what had been happening in the Black Plain Empire recently. But the news circulating in the high ranks of forces outside the northern region and the information from that mercenary did not speak of more than one Spiritual Sage in this state.

"Hmm, one of them seems to be an old acquaintance..." The level 81 individual commented as he looked in the direction of the man from the Eastern Empire. "Serena, that one is a subordinate of the Trevisani family. I once fought him when we participated in the Continental Tournament 200 years ago."

The Continental Tournament was not exactly a normal competition, like those for young prodigies to show themselves to the world and become something else with its prizes. Instead, it was an event where the major organizations of this world bet on 'horses,' in other words, candidates.

Competitors in this tournament were indeed awarded prizes, but the biggest winners were those who bet on the right 'horses.'

Once, one of these winners obtained a majestic prize that the legends said that because of it, such a family obtained a Divine-grade medicine!

"Oh? Is that true?" The leader of that group, who was there for Grant, asked her companion while the mercenary between the two looked at the level 81 person with admiration.

'Continental Tournament?'

Gulp!

'Incredible!'

That level 81 man nodded in agreement to the blonde woman beside him. "Yeah, I wouldn't mistake that. He caused me a lot of trouble back then... But it seems that in the end, I outgrew him." He smiled as he considered the difference between the two.

"Alvin, what are you doing here? Is the Eastern Empire plotting on the Black Plain?" That level 81 man asked, as his voice vibrated through space, reaching only the ears of that level 80 man.

"Toby, you bastard. What are you doing here? Is the Western Empire thinking of getting involved with the Black Plain?" That man finally recognized his opponent from years ago, still on guard against possible attacks.

Toby then said aloud, with a confident smile on his face. "Tell me this, will you answer us now, or will we have to act?"

That fellow who had saved Abe countless times made a horrible expression, looking in the direction of those who were the de facto enemies of his forces.

'Damn it!'

'The Emperor wants me to continue working with Abe. So I can't leave my post or die at the hands of these bastards!' He thought.

"I'm just observing the area. What? Can't I? Emperor Stuart is quite talented, so it's only natural that my sovereign would want to know about Minos Stuart's progress through reliable sources." He said, not to mention his real motives there, but also not to draw the attention of the person in the 'void,' who was watching him, waiting for mistakes.

"Observing?" Toby heard that and clenched his fists, feeling there was no sense in anyone doing such a thing. "Cut the nonsense, Alvin. If you don't speak the truth for good, I'll rip it out..."

This man was saying when suddenly the blonde woman next to him put one of her snow-white hands on one of his shoulders. "Don't be hasty. Our mission here is not to fight the empire's enemies but to rescue Grant Yates."

"But..."

"No, Toby, back off." She ordered in a louder tone. "We don't know this person's purposes, and someone else in the area is even stronger than you."

This man had already sensed that the second Spiritual Sage was not weak. Still, due to the capabilities of this individual in the 'void,' even he was not sure how strong or where exactly he was.

"If this person is allied with Alvin or even decides to join him in an eventual battle between us, we would not be able to fulfill our purpose here." She added while holding her companion.

"I'm sorry, I got carried away." He said as he understood that woman's point but was still curious about Alvin's presence there. 'What does such an imperial family want? Are they trying to get in our way regarding Grant?'

'That can't be. There must be something deeper behind it!'

"Haha, sorry about that, friend from the Eastern Empire..." That woman said as she smiled and gestured toward the level 80 man. "We are indeed enemies, but we are not here today to fight against your state. I imagine that is true for you as well, right?"

That man did not want to fight such people and promptly followed that woman's plan. "True, I'm just keeping an eye on the area. I don't have to get involved in matters concerning my state unless you offend or provoke us first."

"Same for us." She was pleased to hear that. "Then, since we are not here as enemies today, forget my companion's words. He is a bit childish... Anyway, can you tell us where Dry City is? We are also interested in what you said yourself."

"Is that so?" That level 80 man judged this to be false. But in order not to make matters worse, he decided to pretend to believe it. "Dry City is in that direction." He pointed one of his hands to such a place. "Just follow there, and you'll see a bit of Minos Stuart."

"He's not bad..."

"I wonder..." Serena commented before leading her two traveling companions to Dry City, easing the tension on that mercenary and the two Spiritual Sages left where they were.

After this unusual meeting between representatives of three major forces of the Central Continent took place in the vicinity of Dry City, those three would soon notify their organizations about it!

...