"Well, I don't want to face trouble in the region or cause unnecessary chaos. But I also can't give up regional talents just to help these royal houses maintain their power."
"I need young talents, and the regional families have those people. So, if this will eventually change the power structure outside the Black Plain, we can only blame fate for that."
"Obviously, I will limit the future soldiers who come through the competition format we will launch. But if those families still fall, we will just get new sovereigns."
His eyes sharpened, and after a brief pause, he said. "If that happens in the Brown Kingdom, the Black Plain will absorb what remains of that kingdom."
After he finished saying that, silence filled that dining room as everyone thought about Minos' words.
'Sigh... There truly isn't anything to do. We need talented subordinates, and we can't be blamed for the weakness of others.' Eliot pondered with his eyes closed, not disagreeing with Minos' plans.
As for Dillian, he was not worried about possible regional problems. After all, with the army's rules for the soldiers and the Black Plain laws for the region, any problems concerning this situation would probably not generate the chaos Ruth had commented on.
'At most, this would be decided in a combined war, bet, or contest. There is no problem with that. On the contrary, it is good that there is competition between the powers of the region.'
'Only then will more talents emerge!'
Minos then said. "In any case, let's get on with the planning for this competition and the selection among citizens for places in the army."
"For now, we can only deal with the problem of Spiritual Kings entering the region from abroad by creating new Spiritual Kings."
"Since those are the few alternatives we have, let's focus on that."
"As for the matter of the Spiritual Saints, let us wait in silence."
"Yes, Your Grace." Mia and Dillian replied simultaneously.
After that, some of Chef Alex's team members took the dishes from that table, while Abby's parents left to settle their affairs.
Abby then looked at Mia and smiled. "How are things with little Sophie?"
Sophie had been the name chosen by Peter and Mia for their daughter, who was born three years ago.
Abby and Ruth had not yet been able to get pregnant, but with their intention to have children, they were very fond of Mia's daughter, who had grown up for quite a while in the old local government mansion.
Currently, Peter and Mia were no longer living in Dry City, as they had been given positions in one of the new cities on the Black Plain, as promised earlier. So, Abby was curious to know about that young girl who that countless times she had picked up on her lap and even fed.
Mia smiled and said. "She is with her father at Crossroads City. She wanted to come with me this time, but since I had to use the teleportation array, I had no choice but to leave her there."
Teleportation arrays were not a pleasant thing to travel in. There were certain dangers, and a child without spiritual cultivation to protect herself definitely could not travel through one of those.
"Anyway, she misses you two..." Mia talked with Abby and Ruth for a few minutes while Minos watched them silently.
After they finished talking about Sophie, Minos asked. "How is Crossroads City? Any problems? And Peter?"
"Your Grace, the city is doing well. We already have over 700,000 inhabitants, and because of our position, the local commerce has been developing strongly."
"Oh? That's good."
"As for Peter, he recently advanced to level 56." She smiled, proud of her husband.
"Level 56, huh?" Minos then remembered the two talents he had nurtured since his arrival in Dry City. "Tell him not to relax. It would be a shame for him if Lee and Alison surpassed him..."
"Lee and Alison?" Mia repeated those two names, curious to know how they had grown since she had not seen them in over a year. "What level have they reached, Your Grace?"
Ruth then answered in Minos' place. "I saw them recently in the city my husband gave them to rule. They are both at level 55, and Lee should reach level 56 in no more than eight months."
"That fast?" She was glad to hear that as she had advised those two many times in the past.
Not only had Minos taught that youngest Duke and Duchess couple in the region, but Mia and Dillian had also done so. After all, they were trained from an early age to rule on behalf of the local sovereign.
With that, Mia had a great relationship with that couple.
"Well, I'm glad they are doing so well. But we won't take it easy on them when we go to dispute resources in the future." She stood up, saying this in a determined tone. "Crossroads City will become the number one province in the kingdom!"
"Oh?" Ruth and Abby made similar sounds, interested in Mia's words.
Naturally, the Black Plain needed to distribute its investments across its territory in a way that favored the places with the best results. After all, investing equally in all places was a formula for failure, quickly leading to neglect and other productivity problems.
As a result, this state had been divided into several provinces, except the capital and its satellite cities, which accounted for every bit of this state.
With that, there was an informal competition between the Black Plain provinces, where each Duke or Duchess used their results to 'fight' for more resources for their territories.
So, Mia and Peter were rivals to Lee and Alison and several other local powers.
"Haha, good luck with that." Dillian laughed, still sitting in his chair. "Recently, patriarch Gill has reached level 60. I'm sure he's the one who won't make it easy for you..."
"What? Did he get that?" Mia looked in surprise at Dillian.
After the war, Minos released several advantages to his subordinates on the Black Plain, namely the Gill, Parkinson, and Austin families. Not only them but also the allied families in the war, now vassals of House Stuart, i.e., Miller, Hayes, Cohen, and Stokes families.
The main advantage was the possibility for high-ranking members of these organizations to learn Silver-grade cultivation techniques!
Previously Minos' agreements with allied families during the war had limitations concerning the numbers of people who could learn Silver-grade techniques. However, in the case of the subordinate families, they were not even entitled to anything.
But with the independence and new challenges of the Black Plain, Minos had at least released the Silver-grade cultivation techniques for the talented and powerful people from those families. With that, even without high-level combat techniques, those people could reach the 7th stage, something still challenging to achieve in those areas without techniques of that quality.
Because of this, the patriarch Gill and other high-level elders of the vassal and subordinate families of House Stuart had achieved members breaking the regional limitation!
In the case of the Miller family, Abby's house already had three Spiritual Emperors, the same number as the Nash family and House Stone of Stone Island!
Dillian then said to Mia, "Yes, he did it. And he is the most excited among our subordinates to improve that area formerly belonging to the Brown Kingdom."
"Then he will be a great competitor for you... Good luck."
"We won't lose!" She clenched her fists, determined to develop that area where Minos had passed the responsibility to her and Peter.
As for the Miller family, Mia naturally did not dream of competing with the queen's family...
In any case, second place would already be perfect for building the future of little Sophie.
After these words, both Dillian and Mia left the royal palace, with him heading to the General Hospital and her to the teleportation site at the army headquarters.
Meanwhile, a young woman who appeared to be in her 20s, level 46, Peter's younger sister, Lizzie, stopped beside Minos and handed him a list. "Your Grace." She said in a low voice as she addressed her boss.
She had become one of Minos' secretaries after Mia's departure. As such, she was there to help the sovereign with his schedule.
Seeing what Lizzie brought for him, Minos soon noted the most critical point there.
"Then it's time for me to fight them a little, huh?" He smiled, feeling even more like fighting now that he had his 7th ability.
