A few days later...
On this day, which would make it three months since Minos' arrival in the Flowers Kingdom, he finally arrived in Sosa, where his grandfather was supposed to be amid his challenge with a local noblewoman.
Like any foreign man entering the kingdom, Oswald was at risk of being challenged and having to follow the rules of this state. So even though he was not young and no longer had great potential to be exploited, this old fellow was at risk for having his manhood intact.
Some less talented women of the royal lineage of this state would challenge even men without much potential to be exploited since they were better off getting pregnant by someone like that than by nobody.
Not many came to the kingdom, and all could not challenge even those who passed through this state.
In some cases, even if a woman could challenge a given man, it didn't mean she would succeed. Another noblewoman could challenge before that other, and his losing or winning could mean the end of the others' chances.
Either he would lose his manhood, leave the state after getting what he wanted, or be too strong for most interested parties to do anything about it.
So even an old fellow like Oswald had his attractions for women with royal lineage!
But not only that, every cultivator who reached the 8th stage was considered talented in the Spiritual World. So even if Oswald didn't already have a promising future ahead of him, it didn't mean his children couldn't have one!
Amidst all this, the noblewoman who challenged him should be interested in getting his genes as soon as possible.
Minos knew this since Ulva, the woman who had located Oswald had told him about all the details of his grandfather's situation during his travel to Sosa.
Oswald was in the middle of the challenge with Chelsea when Ulva left to warn Minos, a challenge that was a contest of strength, something that would end when one of the two sides weakened.
Knowing all this, Minos wasted no time upon arriving in Sosa and headed toward Chelsea's estate with the women in his group.
"This way..." Ulva showed the way to Minos and Ella.
...
After a few moments, Minos arrived in front of an estate that appeared to be a small village built into the trees, a very different place than he expected.
There were vines at different points, with stairs and walkways between the houses and trees, in a way that would catch the attention of anyone passing by for the first time.
The houses were very colorful and had different shapes, showing the care that the creator of all this had taken in developing a unique place.
Minos liked what he saw but could not take advantage of the experience to get to know the place, quickly following in Ulva's footsteps to the central area of this estate.
Halfway along their path, one of the several women watching the surroundings while others lived their lives in this different place, someone addressed them and asked. "Who are you? What are you doing here with a man?"
Minos spoke in place of Ulva or Ella. "I am Minos Stuart. I am here on behalf of Oswald Coleman. Where is he?"
"Minos Stuart?"
"The emperor of the Black Plain?"
"He's as young as they say..."
"Look at that gorgeous little body of his... Ah, how I wish I had the strength to defeat him."
"Yes, conceiving his child would be pleasurable..."
Comments circulated in the surroundings, while the women there who knew what he was after made slightly more serious expressions.
"Your grandfather lost his challenge against Miss Chelsea two days ago." One of the women on the guard of this estate said this, causing Minos to frown.
"Where is this woman?" He asked, not liking it.
"Miss Chelsea is preparing for the mating ceremony, so she cannot receive Your Majesty Minos Stuart." Someone said.
"So Oswald is still complete? Take me to him." He demanded as those women on the outskirts gave him ugly looks, not liking his tone of voice.
"Minos, you are wrong about something. We have no obligation to take you to him." One of the guards, most willing to show her displeasure, said this without using the correct title to refer to him.
In theory, everyone with a status other than his, i.e., sovereign, was obliged to refer to him with the proper title, even outside the Black Plain. That was an ancient custom in the Spiritual World, so several local women referred to him in the proper way.
But some more disrespectful people saw no problem in ignoring such a rule and showing their displeasure by using the name of a ruler without the titles.
Minos didn't mind this and heard that woman speaking. "You can demand what you want from these women who lost to you in your challenge, but no one here fits that condition. So behave yourself, or we will treat you as a violator of the royal laws."
"Is that so?" Minos asked. "So what if I say I will leave this state if you don't show him immediately?
I have already won several disputes locally. As someone who is not in any challenge at the moment, I have the right to leave whenever I want.
If no one wants to challenge me, I can leave..."
Minos knew about the queen's interest in him because of the several women he had beaten since he reached this state. So he knew that he could blackmail these women with his presence.
He really could come and go as he pleased under the circumstances he was in, and he was also not totally against leaving.
He wanted to fulfill his promise to Isabella and the Edwardstone family and save his grandfather. But if these women of this state made that impossible for him, something that could indeed happen, he was prepared to make the hard decision to give up!
He would eventually return for revenge, but in the meantime, he would accept his defeat and retreat.
Some of the women in the surrounding area, Spiritual Sages, realized that Minos was not simply bluffing but being sincere.
Then one of them said after thinking the situation over. "Take him to Oswald Coleman's cell."
"But..." One of the most displeased did not like this, feeling humiliated that one of her superiors contradicted her words so quickly.
She had just said that Minos had no right to demand things, but now she would be forced to do what he wanted.
It was disappointing!
"Quiet! Do you want to irritate Her Majesty by acting this way?" A voice entered her mind, causing her to shiver in fear and shut up.
Minos saw that he got what he wanted and felt the tension in his surroundings ease as Ella and Ulva looked at him.
He looked at Ulva and said. "I have already felt my grandfather's presence. Then you may leave. You are free of your promises."
With those words, he climbed one of the side trees along with Ella, heading toward the detention where Oswald was, leaving Ulva and her group free to leave.
...
