The Rise of the Black Plain

After several local leaders learned about Minos and Abe Vogel's war situation, the local powers immediately began to react to the information that the emperor was coming to the capital.

Several low-level Spiritual Saints moved towards the posts where Minos' men were living and working in the vicinity to surround them and keep them in preventive detention.

Meanwhile, the high-level representatives and members of each local noble family moved toward the Assembly building, intending to occupy the place and prevent Minos from entering later.

They knew Minos was coming to this city accompanied by powerful Spiritual Saints, who were either stronger or would give them a lot of trouble.

As such, they had to first occupy the local government headquarters and ensure that crucial information would not be released. Then resolve the situation as best they could for their side.

Minos was not entirely without powers in this place, and these people knew they could have their plans significantly disrupted if he succeeded.

Therefore, even though he did not have absolute powers and the local advantage was still in favor of those opposed to Minos, the local powers did not mess around in rushing to resolve this matter!

...

When the first local leaders arrived at the Assembly building in the middle of the night, they immediately noticed that the place looked a bit strange.

There were fewer guards around, and those guarding the area looked scared.

One of these leaders then questioned. "What is the situation? Why are there so few of you around here?"

One of the guards remembered Minos' threats and thought carefully about what to answer.

'Senior Walsh won't kill me if I lie to him and he finds out about Minos' situation... But that fellow might do that if he finds out I didn't follow his orders.'

Gulp!

"No big deal, senior Walsh. We're just in the middle of changing shifts, and some of the fellows are finishing changing clothes or eating..." He gave a lame excuse.

Those first arrivals at this place found this strange, but they did not insist on standing around chatting outside the Assembly.

Whatever the problem was, they would eventually find out later.

The crucial thing now was to protect this place from Minos and his men, who would arrive in this city very soon.

With these thoughts, more than 20 individuals, most of them mid-level Spiritual Saints, entered the oval building and headed toward where most of the representatives were supposed to be.

But as they entered, they were all surprised to find almost half of the seats in that area occupied, with a few people barely seen around in the center of the Assembly.

When they saw Minos sitting next to Ruth and Abby around the center table, with the level 78 Spiritual Saint standing behind them, these people immediately opened their mouths in shock.

"Minos!" One of them suddenly shouted, forgetting the proper term to refer to the emperor, while having this great surprise.

Minos had traveled to the Flaming Empire via teleportation arrays several times. But he had always used the common teleportation ports of this area of Vogel.

So these people did not think he would get to this place so quickly. After all, they had sabotaged the local teleportation ports when they found out what was about to happen between Minos and Abe.

But Minos had prepared in advance and tricked all of them!

Hence, each of those level 75 and 76 individuals were looking seriously at Minos, sure that this move of his would bring even more damage to them than they had thought.

Minos heard someone calling his name and looked in the direction of the first 20 individuals arriving at the Assembly who were not his allies.

"I see more representatives have arrived on the side of their elders." He said loudly, silencing the many people in the surrounding area. "At this rate, it won't be long before we begin our session."

One of those men did not like how casually Minos handled the situation and walked toward that fellow. "Your Majesty, what is the meaning of this? Are you breaking the agreements of our state?"

"My state, you meant." Minos corrected him before continuing. "But where am I breaking our agreements, Mister Row? I am merely visiting the Assembly to fulfill my duties as sovereign."

"Your Majesty likes jokes." Another person said. "That has never happened before... So, how are you assuming your duties?"

"Hmm, Your Majesty, you are one thread away from breaking the agreements you signed with us. You'd better back off before the heavens decide to punish you." A woman from the Guzman family appeared there and said this while already standing with the former Assembly President at her side.

More of Minos' opponents had arrived at this place, but he would not stop these people from coming and going. He needed enough people to make his speech and get the minimum audience to propose a vote.

Since he was following the rules of this place, he would not simply set off into a contest of strength with these individuals.

"You are agitated, my subjects of Vogel." He stood up and said this as the level 78 Spiritual Saint took a step forward, drawing the attention of those people.

Minos continued. "I am not breaking any agreements with the local powers. I'm just here to improve our relationship since I've heard disturbing rumors..."

"At the same time, I have something amazing to announce to the members of the Assembly, so naturally, I took its command to do that."

"So what? Are you going to say I can't use the instruments you created?" He laughed.

Some of those people clenched their fists, while other elders from local families, who were already there, voiced their thoughts.

"Let's stop this. His Majesty is just following what we created, and so far, he hasn't done anything beyond that to risk breaking our agreements." A level 75 elder from a family on Minos' side said in his defense.

"Nonsense, your family is clearly interested in the degradation of the kingdom for your own benefit!" The former president shouted beside his elder.

"Tsk!"

"Brat, don't think you can talk to me like that!"

"What are you saying, Egbert?" The level 76 woman asked as she looked menacingly at that person.

After seeing that, the high-level Spiritual Saint next to Minos released a bit of his cultivation to pressure over much of that place and said. "Silence!"

Even the old foxes, about to get weird in that place, looked at that man who shouted and temporarily made silence.

Getting that, that expert from the Gray Clouds Sect, whom almost no one there knew, became silent and let Minos speak.

"Those who are here to cause trouble, I invite you to leave this place. I will not tolerate any lack of respect and decorum in my presence." He said, looking in that woman's direction.

She clenched her fists, feeling that it was very easy for Minos to use that excuse while being escorted by that person.

But then, Abby got a piece of information and told her husband. "Honey, we have more than enough representatives here to get started."

...