After finishing their previous conversation, Minos and his wives were relieved when Margot and Joseph left them to continue their business.
The two were very important in this Temple of Payton, so as soon as they had that brief talk with Minos and saw Gloria, they returned to their jobs.
But both had promised to return to their conversations from earlier during dinner, and from their tones, Minos knew that the two would still try to pressure him in some way.
However, after meeting his father-in-law, he also had the impression that he had favorably impressed such a person, which meant that his time would be easier in this place.
Thus, the four were left alone with Zoe, Gloria's cousin.
"You are very ambitious for a person only at level 61..." Zoe commented as she looked intensely at Minos.
But she couldn't look at him like he was a fool talking nonsense since she had heard all of Minos' arguments with those two millennial experts. He knew what he was doing and could even argue against her uncle and aunt.
So, Zoe was naturally interested in this husband of her cousin's.
Minos winked at her and said. "I started planning the independence of my state when I was at level 0... So, my current situation is much better than you think."
Ruth and Abby smiled as they heard Minos' humorous tone while Gloria said to her cousin. "Everything is going to be fine. Just watch how my husband handles things, Zoe."
"You all are confident..." The silver-haired young woman said in a low voice, not understanding how they could do all that while having so little.
Not only that, considering the strength of the Empire, of Vogel, of various organizations they would have to get involved in, she could not help but think that it was all hazardous.
But while Zoe had many things on her mind, Gloria said. "Minos, let me show you this place..."
In this way, soon, they all departed from the entrance hall of Gloria's parents' residence, with this beautiful redhead showing every part of this grand temple to her family.
...
Meanwhile, at the headquarters of the Saints Slaying Sect...
This place was going about its days as usual, with many disciples training in the training places around the floating headquarters of this organization. At the same time, elders handled bureaucratic matters, sending and receiving orders.
But some elders from families in this organization had been a bit worried in the last months, fearful about what had happened to the Vogel family.
Some of them were responsible for putting Abe against Minos, so since the fall of the Vogel family and the beginning of the Spiritual Church investigations in that state, those responsible for that had hardly slept.
But that was not the only problem with the people in this place!
"Do you have any news of Gavin?" One of those concerned about the Spiritual Church, who was also in search of this young man, heard the question from the leader of that organization.
He then looked at that powerful person, who had the matters of the war against the Gray Clouds Sect in mind at the moment and was not so focused on this Gavin Rowse matter. "Sect master, we haven't heard from that fellow since he left Albano."
"That brat hid in this enemy state of the Empire for a few months after his departure but escaped shortly afterward. Since then, we've lost track of him." This person said while trying to keep his worries in check.
Then, another person in the sect master's office stepped forward and spoke. "Sect master, we suspect Gavin is hiding in the northern region. But we have no contacts in those areas, so we are far from reaching any pointers."
The sect master grew more serious upon hearing this, not liking that his target had gone into hiding in such a troublesome place.
The problem with the northern region was that, considering its size, finding a person there would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Also, due to the weakness of the inhabitants of such a region, finding clues about a Spiritual Emperor would be difficult. After all, someone like that could fly!
But then one of the sect master's trusted men said something positive. "If that brat went to the northern region, he won't be able to advance to the 8th stage. In that case, we just have to send groups to investigate him and keep our friends in the four kingdoms bordering such a region to watch for his eventual escape."
"He will try to seek a stronger place when he reaches level 69!"
"Oh?" The sect master looked at that man, finding that suggestion interesting. "Very well, let's send some Spiritual Emperors to investigate that region. But let's not take any rash action. The Spiritual Church has been very reactive lately..."
Gulp!
The two people who were most afraid of that organization among everyone in that office swallowed their saliva in fear, again imagining Vogel's situation.
After that, the sect master freed all of them to handle the affairs of the war with the Gray Clouds Sect, while those two left that area together.
"What are we going to do if the Church notices something? Should we alert the sect master?" The man asked the woman at his side.
The woman looked at him with wide eyes and said. "Are you crazy? The sect master will kill us all if something like this comes to his attention!"
"But what do we do? The Church will eventually find out something!" He said, worried about living with that fear for his entire life.
"Maybe not. Even if they suspect something, what proof will they have? The words of someone from that organization will only create suspicion. But we didn't give any direct orders. Everything was handled through personal conversations." She said, hopeful that the Church would get nothing to sentence them to death.
'Damn it!'
'After all that, we couldn't kill the damned Minos, and now we're living this drama!' The man thought to himself, remembering that the deaths of his family members had not been avenged after the whole plot.
...
Meanwhile, the master of this sect was finishing listening to updates on the battles between his organization and the sect of Minos' grandfather.
The two organizations were not at total war, as the Flaming Empire would not allow that. Instead, the war between the two organizations was more like a partial conflict in which they fought on a pre-established battlefield.
That way, the two parties could assure the imperial family that they would not bring chaos to the Empire and everything would be resolved involving only the two organizations.
Since the two sects had close territories, the battle took place in a part of the Flaming Empire's border with the Evergreen Empire, where there were no living beings for hundreds of square kilometers.
"So that damned Oswald is thinking of intensifying the battle, eh? Fine by me!" He said in a firm tone. "Send more troops to the border. I want to wash that place with the blood of those damn gray clouds toads!"
"Yes, sect master!"
