After Sarah and George's return, a few days passed before Minos returned from the Spatial Kingdom.
After returning with two of his wives and the youngest children of the Stuart family, Minos was thrilled to see his daughter again and to see how well she was progressing.
According to his expectations, Sarah would be a Spiritual Sage by the time of the Continental Tournament and could, therefore, participate in the event as a competitor. This would be a great opportunity for her.
Gloria was also pleased to see her daughter, but none of them were as happy as the children in the family. Rowan, Lily, and Hollie were all very fond of Sarah. After so many months without seeing their beloved big sister, they naturally jumped with joy at the chance to be by her side.
The youngest of them was already 8 years old, while the oldest, Lily, was 9 and approaching the time when she would start cultivating.
They all understood the Spiritual World well, how strong their family was, and how far they would have to go to reach their relatives.
When the whole family finally gathered in Dry City, Minos, his wives, and children would spend a few days in the city, living together for the last time in a long time.
Soon it would be time for him to leave for the North Sea, and several problems would arise after this journey. At the same time, the three children of the family would begin to cultivate and eventually go their separate ways within the empire.
Since no one in the family knew when they would have a moment like this again, they enjoyed the next few days as if they were their last together.
With the Black Plain Empire having no major problems lately and waiting for the conflict in the north to be resolved, there wasn't much for Minos or his wives to worry about.
So, he would use this time with his family to train his older children, teach the younger ones, and take care of his wives. Not only his wives but also his close friends whom he hadn't had much time to visit in recent years.
...
In Dry City, Minos was standing next to his wives, Lily, Rowan, and Hollie, all in the courtyard of the emperor's residence.
The three children were playing in a large pool that was there, a place that Minos and his wives had often used in the past, but now only the three of them used it.
Meanwhile, Minos and his wives were dressed according to their surroundings, with very few clothes on as they enjoyed the afternoon sun.
While two of his wives lay by the pool with their backs to the sky, the other two sat around a stone table with some drinks on the table.
Minos was with Abby and Gloria at the table, looking at the beautiful backsides of Ruth and Isabella as they sunbathed naturally while watching their children play.
Then Minos said. "Gloria, Abby, and Isabella, I want you to stay in Dry City while I go to the North Sea. In fact, I want Bella to stay in the Spatial Kingdom while you two stay here in the capital."
Hearing this, the four women looked at Minos, not understanding why he had suddenly changed his mind about going to the North Sea with all of them.
"I only want Ruth to travel with my group on this trip." He said, seeing the women were about to open their mouths to refuse his words.
"Why?" Gloria asked.
"Because it will be hazardous. With Ruth's regenerative ability and the dragon's level 100 blessing, she'll have a high chance of survival. What's more, she can be crucial to our group's return. That's why she's indispensable on this journey." Minos came right to the point.
"But as strong as you have become and as fantastic as your abilities are, I think it will be too risky for the whole family to travel to the North Sea.
So I want you to stay and care for the empire and our children. I don't think anything problematic will happen in my absence. Still, the level of our relations with the outside powers has reached the point where we need to have relevant family members in Dry City whenever possible.
So I will have to rely on you, Gloria, and Abby."
With Abby in control of the state and Gloria in the Spiritual Church, any problems that arose while Minos was in the North Sea could be resolved through their contacts.
The two understood the need to stay behind but also the dangers they would face if they went to the North Sea with Minos and Ruth.
But Abby still wondered. "Wouldn't my fusion be good for your group?"
"It would, but there are too many risks. Unfortunately, our levels are still too low to control the skeletons you can bring back to the living world. Besides, we don't know if our situation in the North Sea will give us a chance to bring creatures back to life. If we were forced to fight on the surface, we wouldn't have the advantage of your ability..." Minos said, looking into his wife's blue eyes.
"But not only that, we don't know the enemies and the phenomena they cause. What if we were to temporarily bring back to life a being allied with these creatures?" Minos asked.
Since they were still far from reaching the level where they could control all the skeletons Abby could summon, it was better for them to be cautious when using their fusion against these unknown enemies.
"Your ability might be more important to our group in the future, Abby," Ruth commented as she stood up. "If you go and show yourself, it might put a target on your back. So you should stay behind while we figure out the enemy's characteristics so you can use your powers better in the future."
"That's it." Minos nodded positively.
Sighing, Abby accepted their words completely.
"What about me?" Isabella asked as she sat down on the ground.
"I want you to take care of the children in the Spatial Kingdom and help them with their first steps in cultivation. When I leave for the North Sea, it will be time for Lily to start cultivating. Rowan and Hollie will also come of age in the following months."
The three children looked at their father when they heard their names while Isabella looked at them.
"All right, I'll do my best to train the little ones." She smiled as she looked lovingly at the three of them.
"When do we leave?" Ruth asked, excited to see the North Sea for herself.
"In seven months I will reach level 87. That will be the moment of our departure." Minos said, ready to end this moment of tranquility in Dry City soon to focus on his cultivation and advancement to the next level.
