The Rise of the Black Plain

After Gloria's words stopped coming out of her mouth, an eerie silence spread over that place as several minds tried to work out her idea.

'That's impossible!'

'How are we going to solve this conflict with so many deaths just with a small non-aggression agreement and the independence of the Black Plain?'

'Hell, all this hatred one side has for the other is not something an agreement can control!'

Several people there tried to find a light at the end of the tunnel in Gloria's suggestion, but they did not see how that could work.

After all, not all members of the regional organizations, i.e., those involved in the war, would sign such agreements. So, would such a thing be enough?

Someone could simply decide to go against the family's orders and engage in the bloody and dangerous life of those madmen for revenge.

However, even if these regional families were willing to swallow their bitter losses, it would be pointless if Minos was not interested.

But from his behavior over the past few months and at the beginning of this event, these people there already knew that he would not accept such an offer.

'I wonder what the Archbishop is thinking?' One of the Bishops there looked at Gloria warily, 'Why is she making these jokes? Does she want these people to think that she is trying to favor the Black Plains?'

Gloria could simply have already authorized the action of those regional descendants to act as they pleased. Instead, however, she ordered that this peace negotiation attempt be made first.

But that was ridiculous!

Or did she genuinely think that it would make any difference to try to talk?

Well, that was one of the doubts that several of the Bishops there were trying to resolve, as the silence of that area made them more nervous than ever.

Minos then was the first to say something. "Your suggestion might have been welcome two years ago, but I'm afraid we can't follow through with it today."

"The Black Plain had always maintained a pacifist position from when I came to power until the confrontations with Brown Kingdom powers began. But even then, we were attacked from all sides, without mercy."

"I even made it clear that I wanted peace, but even so, four kingdoms in our region decided to join together to fight against the Black Plain." He looked in the direction of those royal families and then at Gloria.

"Then no, I will not accept a suggestion like this. That would be too good for the murderers of tens of thousands of my inhabitants."

"Humph!"

"Talking like that, it doesn't even sound like you are the demon responsible for tens of thousands of deaths!" Someone from the Brown family said this with a disgusted expression.

"A person capable of doing that atrocity against the Walker family cannot say those words as if he were a trustworthy person!"

"That's right! We don't know what will happen if we let that person rise to power easily!"

"He can easily massacre us in a few years!"

Lorelei then raised her voice. "Nonsense!"

"Minos seems like a reasonable person to me, and so far, we have never had any problems with him. On the contrary, we have had outstanding results, even though you people at all times try to get in our way."

"Tsk!"

"You can't be sure of that!" Someone from House Cromwell shouted in an irritated tone.

"Who can guarantee that your Stone Island won't be occupied in the future? Look at what is happening in the Kingdom of the Waves and Cromwell Kingdom. This bastard is already occupying our territories!"

"Bastard?" Maisie repeated those words as she felt offended, looking at that person with coldness in her gaze, capable of terrifying even old foxes like that man.

And as that person fell to the ground with his wet trousers, several of the leaders or representatives of regional powers exclaimed their negative opinions regarding Gloria's suggestion.

In fact, not even a single soul had found it sensible, and almost everyone there, even Minos' newly acquired subordinates, was against accepting independence for the Black Plain.

But this was only part of Minos' plan. After all, it was not in his interest to appear that these organizations were on his side.

Obviously, there was a general distrust of those royal houses visited by Minos. But with no evidence, nor any options to replace these families, the Cromwell and Brown families could not be bothered so much by this situation.

Minos then took the lead once again and said. "This matter concerning the rebellions in the Kingdom of the Waves and Cromwell Kingdom has no relation to me."

"These are genuine liberation movements! Movements focused on oppressive regions with a history of abuse and use of slave labor!"

"This is the fault of your own families' inefficiency!"

"Nonsense!"

"You lie to our faces like it's nothing!" Someone from the Farmland region said this in surprise at Minos' shameless talk. "If it weren't for your allies and soldiers, several of the cities in our territory would not have fallen to the revolutionaries!"

"Well, I don't control every soldier on the battlefield." Minos closed his eyes and continued. "What can I do if some soldiers are more sensitive to the condition of the enslaved peoples in your territories?"

"The only thing I've done so far is to organize these cities under rebellion so that millions of innocent people don't have to live through the disgrace of anarchy or the disputes between enslavers and slaves."

"Tsk!"

The discussion continued to heat up until, finally, the event passed the first hour of conversation, and nothing had been decided so far.

Only insults, blame-directing, and threats had arisen in that place. At the same time, the observers from the Spiritual Church and outside this region looked on in surprise that no one had died so far.

But just as things were getting more and more hectic, Minos finally rose from his seat and made his offer. "Well, since no one else here seems interested in discussing Gloria's suggested peace, let me make my own."

'Gloria?' Several of the people there thought about it in silence, finding it disrespectful how Minos spoke to someone of such importance.

'Does he think he's in a position to talk to that woman like that? That's absurd!'

'Maybe it's on account of his mother...'

"Tsk!"

'I hate people who depend on the power of others!'

Minos then continued. "Well, if you want peace, I can give it to you."

"But to do so, I expect you to be prepared to get down on your knees and swear allegiance to Black Plain!"

"If you do that, I promise not to eliminate your respective families, and aside from a few people who need to die, most of you will have a peaceful future in this region."

"Beyond that, there is not much hope for you." He looked in the direction of the Brown and Cromwell families.

"Arrogance!"

"That is simply absurd!"

"You think we're going to accept something like that?"

"That bastard... Doesn't he also want us to hand our heads to him on a plate tray?"

Pa!

Thomas broke the arm of his chair with a single punch, boiling with anger that Minos was so confident even though enemy Spiritual Emperors surrounded him.

Diana then rose from her seat to stop her father from doing something foolish and said to the young Stuart, "Minos Stuart, you don't know me, but once your father saved my life, I have always been in his debt."

"Then why don't we try to work out a peace agreement? I don't want to see my family in this war with Albert's son."

"I'm sure my family will give up certain things because of Albert's meritorious service. You just need to be a little more reasonable."

Minos then looked in the direction of that beautiful woman who did not look much older than him and said. "My father died in the city ruled by that coward there, and even though I will one day still finish avenging him, that doesn't mean I will let my father interfere in my business."

"I don't know who you are, but I advise you not to get involved. The Brown family is not doomed yet, but there is no way that coward will continue to exist much longer." He said firmly, showing no weakness due to his father's history.

"Don't make me have to take the life my father gave you!"

...