As time passed, more people passed by the monument honoring those killed in the war, saying their goodbyes, praying for a better future, or just enjoying the scenery.
But while that place remained relatively quiet, peaceful as a funeral should be, visitors were slowly beginning to arrive in Dry City.
With the regional pacification and independence of the Black Plain, the regional organizations were slowly trying to return to their states of normalcy. But after so many recent challenges, regaining control of some areas or even expanding their territories had become more accessible than ever.
Because of this relatively quiet start to regional recovery, Minos' allied powers in the war were comfortable enough to send high-level representatives to Dry City.
As allies of young Stuart, they naturally knew about the local agenda, the independence ceremony scheduled to take place seven days after today.
Therefore, many groups that were to participate in Minos' coronation ceremony on Independence Day were already arriving in this city, looking forward to this event.
Among them, those coming from the families that were now part of Minos' territory, the Cohen, Hayes, and Stokes families, were already in this city as their new territories were not far from this place.
The first to arrive in this city was the group led by Vivian Hayes. She had come not only to participate in Minos' coronation ceremony but also to accompany such a young man in his revenge against the Scourges of the Devil.
In addition to her, Todd Cohen and his grandfather were already in Dry City, eager to see the day they had been waiting for so many years.
Todd's grandfather had met Minos months before this young man participated in the Spiritual Tournament when young Stuart was only an early 4th stage Spiritual Warrior. Due to that fact, such a person was looking forward to this day, almost as if it was his own grandson who was about to take over the Black Plain!
But Lance Cohen could not avoid that feeling. After all, he had seen the Dry City of less than 50,000 inhabitants back then transform itself into the great city of today, the place that was already the strongest in the region!
And since he had been responsible for his family's union with Minos, the old man could not help but feel special about it all!
On the other hand, while such groups were already in Dry City, most of those who would come from Stone Island was not yet there.
After the end of the war, the forces coming from that state had left young Stuart's territory. Not only that, given the importance of this event, the people who would represent these families were high-level individuals who had not set foot on the Black Plain during the war.
Because of this, many of them were still on their way to this place.
But not all of them had taken the time to leave their homelands. The Nash family group was already in the vicinity, being led by Elen, young Stuart's oldest associate.
This woman had not seen Minos since his return from that trip alongside Abby through the Kingdom of the Waves, years before the war. As such, she had left the rebuilding of her family for her father to deal with and had finally come to this place to meet with that young man in person.
Not only that, after years of delaying her plans with Elena regarding Minos, Elen decided to do more than just congratulate that sovereign on his eminent start to reign...
So, she was already in Dry City with her good old friend Elena, reminiscing about past times and discussing the future.
Apart from these people and organizations allied to Minos, this young man had not invited any royal family, except for House Stone, to come to Dry City to celebrate. So, the five royal houses now subordinate to him were entirely focused on solving their states' problems and had only sent their congratulations to him.
Finally, after having already performed the coronation ceremony for Cade Cromwell, Gloria was already returning to Dry City to do the same with Minos.
The communiqué from the Spiritual Church regarding the independence of the Black Plain had finally been released to the entire region the day before, and as such, it was her responsibility to command Minos' coronation.
Thus, as promised earlier, she was coming back to this place to meet him one last time before her return to the Flaming Empire!
...
As Dry City prepared for its grand independence celebration, the entire region received the latest information through the most important periodicals of these areas.
The Night News and the Nothern News were quick to bring up the news of what had happened between the Black Plain and the organizations of the Cromwell Kingdom.
That was the final detail of the war that needed to be resolved from the perspective of the regional powers for this terrible period to be officially concluded.
And with the information spread around by the Spiritual Church regarding the Independence of the Black Plain, tens of millions of people in this region sighed or jumped with joy that this moment had arrived.
Now, many people would begin to put their migration plans into practice, putting their lives and crystals into this 'bet' called the Black Plain.
An investment had the potential to give the highest return when it was made at a difficult time, at the low or early operations of the thing behind the investment. But most people in that region had not been lucky enough to join the Black Plain before the war, so they no longer had a chance to enjoy the best possible return for it.
However, many did not want to wait for the Black Plain to stabilize and develop before putting their futures into such an investment. Thus, the recent news had been like a divine answer for those people so eager to join that state!
Now it was time for them to invest in the Black Plain while that place still had room for development!
...
While the entire regional population was commenting on the event that had never happened in the known history of this region, an individual from the Brown Kingdom was preparing to flee to the mountains.
Such a person did not care that this was the first independence of a kingdom's territory in this region. On the contrary, he was desperate at the news and could not help but be quick to flee from his home!
After more than ten years since his time in Dry City, Nelson Skinner, level 44, the former ruler of the Black Plain before Minos arrived, was more nervous than ever.
After handing over the government of that place to Minos, this man had stolen the crystal reserves equivalent to a year's worth of collections from then-poor Dry City. And thinking about how that tyrant solved his more significant problems, this poor fellow had been sleepless nights worrying about possible revenge.
He knew there was no chance that Minos would waste his time on him. After all, he was just a small fry next to the terrible Minos.
But given the vengeful nature of that ruler, Nelson did not doubt the possibility that by now, there were some of young Stuart's many subordinates coming after his head.
As such, he had to escape while he had the chance!
'Damn it!'
'I didn't think that guy would survive with so many experts on our side, but who knew...'
Gulp!
He swallowed his saliva in fear just before climbing into the same carriage he had used years ago to leave Dry City.
After that, he looked once more at the capital of the Brown Kingdom, this place that he had once dreamed of serving the royal house but which now no longer had any value to him.
"Sigh..."
'It doesn't make much difference anyway. Now the kingdom is finished, my escape is nothing more than an anticipation of something that would happen one way or another.'
'I just hope that fellow isn't so petty as to crave my life...' He assumed narcissistically, worried about his precious life.
After that, he left behind that city as he traveled alongside his newly acquired family.
