One way or another, the three factions had only one group in mind: those independent members of the Pantheon of Honor!
Merritt was one of those members, the one who, by virtue of his position, voted last and could be the one to decide who would actually become the temple administrator for the next century.
Then, seeing that everyone was already getting organized, he said. "The three factions here have 20 minutes to decide among themselves what they have to offer the temple. After that, each group will have 5 minutes to explain to the other members why their group should be chosen.
At the end of the next hour, we will decide who will control the temple for the next 100 years!
With that, everyone in the hall would be silent for the next few minutes as members of the same factions talked among themselves, some trying to convince the 15 members of the factionless organization.
Meanwhile, the subordinates of the members of the Pantheon of Honor watched in silence as the Divine Conclave began, knowing that their situation could change dramatically in a matter of minutes.
Some could gain access to guaranteed wealth for the next 100 years, while others could lose out!
Considering how important this was, almost everyone there became a little tense as they nervously waited for the 20-minute time limit to expire.
When the time was up, Merritt opened his mouth again and asked the three groups to choose their representatives to speak on behalf of their factions.
The leaders of each faction were the ones who stood up and then of their factions.
The leaders of each faction were the ones who stood up and then took part in a little lottery to determine the order in which their projects would be presented.
The first to speak was Julian, followed by Wren and then Harvey.
"Elder Julian, you have five minutes to present your proposal to the temple members," Merritt said as he gave the floor to one of the leaders of the Minos faction.
Looking at the experts there, Julian said. "I did not expect a Divine Conclave today, but since we are here to decide the next 100 years, I would like to ask the organization's members to think about where we will be in 40 or 60 years. By then, the worst of the ice age will have caught up with us. Then we need the best we have at the helm!"
As he spoke, Julian gestured and changed his tone, drawing the attention of the people there to him while looking mainly at the factionless members.
"I suppose my faction is not the best in our temple at the moment. But will we always be like this? With the young Emperor Minos Stuart on our side, everything could change in a few decades.
Not only that, but as a genius who has built his state from the ground up, Minos can be an important part of the temple's leadership from now on!
He can certainly work with elder Aarav and me, combine our knowledge and experience with his ideas and come up with fantastic plans for the temple.
So I ask you to consider this carefully. In 50 years, Minos will be a Demigod capable of stealing the cultivation base of his opponents and will have an army of Demigods in the Black Plain Empire. He will also be the greatest agricultural force in the world and will be able to help us all.
With our faction in control of the temple, I'm confident we will come out of this crisis with the best possible outcome."
"All right, your time is up," Merritt said right after Julian's last word, and the man sat down while many of the temple members looked at Minos.
Most of them had expected Julian to use the prominent Minos. However, some of the temple members were surprised because the level 97 Demigod's greatest hope was a level 85 Sage.
As talented as Minos was, some felt he needed to grow more before they could place their hopes in him!
When Wren began to speak, she used this very topic.
"Elder Julian is right about young Minos' potential, but he's far from reaching that level." She looked at Minos and then at those who didn't have factions yet.
"I believe that one day, Minos could be the strongest in this temple. But until then, there is a long and difficult way ahead of him...
Don't get me wrong, I want Minos to reach my level one day. But will that ever happen? How many prodigies fail in the middle of their journey?
I'm not saying he will fail because of his own mistakes. Even geniuses are endangered by the steps of others.
I don't want to put the future of our temple on the shoulders of a level 85 boy. If he's still here in 100 years and willing to lead the temple, then I will vote for the faction of elders Julian and Aarav myself. But today, I can't agree that we should consider this faction, which has so much to develop.
On the other hand, everyone here knows my faction's specialty. We may not be the most numerous, but we have a long history of leading the temple in times of crisis. We were the leaders during the last calamity, and the temple's results then were the best we've ever had during such difficult eras.
So, I am asking the temple to trust us again. We can lead the organization to the end of the ice age, as we have done in so many other calamities."
Merritt again hinted at the end of Wren's faction's time, then turned to Harvey.
"Members of the temple. What will you choose?" Harvey pointed with his hands. "A faction that relies on a junior? A group that uses a distant history to try to convince you and gain your trust?
No. We are much more than that. We can't risk our millennia of cultivation or the million-year history of this temple like that!
As the current temple administrator, I ask you to trust our management. In the coming years, we will increase the number of members, provide access to information and resources at a lower cost, and even increase the flow of experts into our special domain.
Instead of trusting those who promise an uncertain future, trust those who have done much for you and can do much more now.
Under the command of my faction, I promise you that the temple as a whole will be strengthened. Not only my faction will benefit, but everyone here, whether they are from rival factions or factionless members.
Even young Minos can benefit significantly from our leadership!
Whether he'll make it to the end of the next 100 years, I don't know. But as far as my faction is concerned, we will open all doors to someone of his potential, and if he is to become the next leader of the temple, then so be it.
But until he is ready, I ask you to trust those who have the experience of running this great organization for thousands of years.
Minos may be the future. But we are the present."
With those words, Harvey sat down while the undecideds pondered the possibilities, some talking among themselves, others trying to predict what would happen depending on their choices.
...
