Upon hearing Minos' words, Harold and his wives looked at him thoughtfully, feeling as if this young Spiritual Emperor was saying they were weak and needed his help.
Isabella found it impressive that Minos spoke that way to her father and noted that his manners were not inconsistent at all. If he could be that way with her, someone so many levels above him, then it was not so strange that he displayed such confidence in front of Harold.
"So you're going to get stronger than the Empire and then help us?" Harold asked, earnestly looking at Minos.
Minos laughed and said. "Not exactly. The Empire will help us strengthen, and eventually, we will return the gesture by helping the Empire. One hand washing the other, that's what I'm suggesting."
"And how will we do that?" Isabella asked as she noticed that her father was irritated.
Minos became more serious when he saw the look on her face and said. "First, by not going to war against those four kingdoms. But it will be interesting if you behave as if war could start at any moment, from time to time threatening those states."
It would not be good for him if peace came and each of those kingdoms ceased to need his help. So Minos wanted to keep the tension between those states so that the Black Plain would have the opportunity to reap the best benefits!
The people there realized his plan and looked at him with wide eyes. Only his wives were not showing the same reaction.
Minos continued. "As long as they fear war, they will trust me to solve the problem. But I won't have to do anything since, in this situation, we will already have an agreement that nothing more serious will happen. That way, the Black Plain can use these four states to get stronger and eventually help solve the problem in the region."
Harold was impressed with how far Minos could go but was also interested in this plan. Before, he could not even consider something like this because the northern region was off-limits to him.
But with Minos offering to do this service, and even having already gained the means to put this plan into practice, Harold could not help but see the positives in all this.
The same was true for Joseph and Margot.
"So you're deceiving these states..." Margot said with a contemptuous expression on her face.
But Gloria defended her husband. "Of course not. Minos is preventing a war from happening. He is saving the lives of these people!"
"Yet he wants to take those states for himself and still help the Empire instead of them, as he must have promised," Joseph muttered, feeling that such a move was too low.
Abby disagreed. "Negative. We're going to help both sides. It's just that both sides in this conflict can't take a step back because of centuries of rivalry. But by following our directions, we can achieve something good for everyone."
Ruth then said. "On the other hand, our agreement with them never prohibited us from making a deal with the Empire..."
Hearing this, Isabella then asked. "So that's all we have to do? Is there something else?"
Minos said. "That's all there is. Any resources we need, we will do business with those states or even the Empire. So I won't be asking for any additional support. We'll be fine if you don't commit to a major conflict with them."
"Then I think it's worth going through with it, father," Isabella said to Harold, smiling, as this was a great deal for them.
Harold also liked what Minos was suggesting, but not how his daughter was so supportive of it without them even having a chance to talk further.
But Isabella had other things on her mind and winked discreetly at Minos, making him feel goosebumps creep up his back.
"Let's take it a little easy, Isabella." Her mother said as the Emperor turned to ask Minos. "And what exactly will we gain by not acting against these states? It's not just an end to local tensions or the promise of partnership you made, right?"
"Well, we can divide part of those states between the Black Plain and the Empire. But the families in those places will have the option to choose to affiliate with your state or mine. In other words, the territories won't necessarily be transferred with their current populations." Minos replied but did not intend to keep that part of the agreement.
The Emperor did not know what was on Minos' mind and thought this would be good enough. To increase his area of exploration and still end an old problem, as well as to have the friendship of the Black Plain in case this territory developed.
Since he also did not want to risk losing much of his forces in a war, nor in having to risk leaving the Empire and being kidnapped by women from the Flower Kingdom, he said. "All right, we can agree with that."
After those words, Minos' wives and Isabella smiled, while Margot and Joseph could not help but be surprised at this outcome.
They knew that Minos had his chances since having good relations with those four states and being close to becoming the King of Vogel were outstanding advantages for him to use there. But the Emperor was unpredictable, and with such a slippery young man, things could quickly go from bad to worse.
Luckily the princess seemed to have liked Minos' plan and helped ease the tensions in the negotiations during the most delicate moment.
And so the mood in that dining hall significantly improved, with the people there returning to eating without further worries.
Meanwhile, Harold was talking to Minos about his family. "Young man, you look a lot like Oswald when he was younger. And from what I can see, your personality is sharper than his..."
Minos did not know what to say and just nodded in agreement.
"But your talent is truly splendid. At this rate, even I will be surpassed." Harold gave that praise, similar to the one he had already given Maisie.
But Minos responded entirely differently from that woman, who had once been quite humble in front of this Spiritual Sage.
"Hmm, my goal is to go as far as possible." Minos casually responded to that man's compliment.
Harold looked at him and saw that he did not have Maisie's noble attitude in refusing the compliment. 'What a confident fellow! He doesn't show any humility in talking about surpassing a Spiritual Sage being only a mere Spiritual Emperor!'
But then Isabella asked, drawing the attention of the people there. "So, King Stuart, you already have three wives... Do you intend to have more? Usually, great figures like you have great harems."
Minos' three wives turned to him and answered in his place. "There will be no others. He agrees to that."
"Is that so?" Isabella looked at Gloria. "Not even if she is a friend of yours? A family with only three women is so little for a king..."
Harold agreed to that. "Well, I'm not against it myself. But that's up to them, Isabella. Don't try to pressure them."
...
