"You didn't hear wrong, father-in-law. I can make the Miller family the strongest organization in the kingdom!" Minos said this as he smiled at Abby's parents and felt his girlfriends' hands around his waist.
"This..." Eliot hesitated, not knowing what to say. However, as he did so, his wife stood up and asked dubiously. "Young Minos, I want to believe what you say, but I find it very difficult. There is a big difference between the power of our family and that of House Brown..."
However, while Eliot and Nicole were in doubt about this offer, Abby then intervened in this conversation. "Mother, father, if the family becomes an ally of the Black Plain, then you will be able to send people to Dry City to learn the same things I did!"
"With that, in a few years, the family will have a considerable jump in the collective power!"
"Maybe the supreme elder will reach level 59 and become the strongest person in the state!"
"This..."
Upon hearing such a statement, that young woman's parents looked at each other once again as doubts filled their minds. Of course, they would genuinely think it would be great to achieve such a thing, but besides being hard to believe, they knew that such an offer would not come without a cost...
As such, neither of them knew for sure how the family leaders would react to such a possibility.
After thinking about it for a while, Eliot finally said. "Young Minos, I'm afraid I will have to take your offer to the patriarch and the rest of the high-level elders. But before that, I need you to be more specific about this proposed alliance..."
"How would you make us the strongest organization in the kingdom?" He asked, right after looking from one side to the other as if making sure that no one would hear him say those words...
He was naturally very safe in his home, and hardly anyone from that region would dare spy on a level 55 Spiritual King. But considering how dangerous his words were or how high the risk was to talk about becoming the most powerful organization in the kingdom, Eliot had made that earlier gesture.
He didn't want to be considered a traitor just because of one question...
"I will accept four members of the Miller family into my city once every year. That will extend over ten years, and I will teach all these people sent to Dry City some Silver-grade combat and cultivation techniques!"
"However, that number cannot increase..." He then paused and said firmly. "On the other hand, to reach that agreement, the Miller family will have to commit to helping the Black Plain in every possible way for the next 20 years."
"Fights, wars, trade, etc. Of course, I won't demand things like investments from the Miller family, and any trade will be properly paid for."
Gulp!
'40 members with Silver-grade techniques? That's truly unbelievable! Is he willing to hand over his techniques just for a military alliance?' Eliot wondered. 'Hmm, there has to be something more here.... Will we face any massive problems if this goes ahead?'
On the other hand, Nicole was looking at her daughter curiously. 'Abby is not telling us the whole situation here.... Ahh, she's so in love that she won't even give us a single hint.'
"Mother, father, this is a great deal, and Minos is only willing to accept so many of our Miller family members because of me. Otherwise, that number would be much smaller..."
"Then please try to convince the family leaders to accept this deal."
"Is that true?" Nicole asked Minos.
"Hmm, I recently made an offer to another power, and that number was actually much lower than the one I offered to you..."
"OK, young Minos. I will take this matter to the family leadership immediately and return with an answer soon!" Eliot firmly said as he got up from where he was standing and began walking toward the exit of that place.
Eliot naturally had some doubts about this matter. Still, he had enough to go to the family leadership and present Minos' offer. Furthermore, considering that he was only one of the 12 members of the high-level Elder Council, people with at least level 55 cultivation, he really couldn't make this decision alone.
Therefore, his doubts were not crucial for the moment.
His old comrades could discuss this matter together and come to the conclusion of the variables involved in this matter more easily!
...
After Eliot left that residence and left Minos and those three women behind, Nicole stayed a while longer with this whole matter in her mind.
After all, she couldn't stop thinking about the possibilities that this family would have if such a thing were successful. But, on the other hand, she also understood that there were no free lunches in the world and as such, they would undoubtedly have to pay a high price.
With that in mind, she stood for quite a while in the same place as before, in silence. At the same time, Minos and his two girlfriends made their way to the kitchen of that residence, where they intended to eat something before going to rest.
"Minos, don't you think you are offering too much to this family? They will only have to support you for 20 years, and after that, they will become independent of you..." Ruth commented in a low voice as she sat on a marble table in the middle of the kitchen in Abby's parents' home.
Obviously, Ruth would not be asking questions regarding where Minos had gotten Silver-grade technique from or why he was willing to offer it to an organization that would only be an ally.
After all, she knew very well that the shadow of war was already covering the Black Plain, and soon her boyfriend would have to fight countless opponents!
Moreover, young Stuart could not rely solely on his army. That is, it would be impossible for army soldiers to reach a high enough level and in sufficient quantities in such a short period.
On the other hand, in the possibility of distributing Silver-grade techniques among his inhabitants, even if this gave him some flexibility, it would most likely result in a massacre...
But Minos didn't want his citizens, the people who generated tens of millions of crystals annually for the Black Plain, to start sacrificing themselves on the battlefield.
That way, he needed allies!
As for techniques, Ruth was already suspicious that Minos had such things since she had accompanied him to the Spiritual Tournament. So, she wouldn't ask silly questions like that.
Anyway, upon hearing this, Abby, who was eating a pink apple, standing next to Minos, stared at Ruth and said. "You are underestimating the Black Plain."
"Hmm, Abby is right, Ruth. Twenty years is a long time for us, and while they may get a good deal with this, the Miller family will certainly be much weaker than the Black Plains by that time. As such, for me, it's no big deal those numbers I cited earlier."
"On the other hand, I need them to be strong for the near future. In that case, I will be able to lessen the Black Plain's problems more significantly during that period." Minos calmly said as he hugged Abby's waist and looked into Ruth's eyes.
"And in the end, it's very likely that those same people who are involved in this deal will want to join the Black Plain when the 20-year term ends..."
"Hell, maybe that will happen sooner!" Abby commented with a smile on her face.
Ruth still didn't know about the full possibilities of the Black Plain. After all, she had no idea how promising Minos' future was on account of the Spatial Kingdom, something she still didn't know.
"Maybe even people from your sect will want to become my soldiers in the future, hehehe." Minos joked with Ruth as he slowly pulled her into his embrace.
"Humph, you still have those ideas, huh?" She said in a joking tone while having a smile on her face.
While they had this calm moment in that kitchen of Nicole's house, this woman came to that place and saw the three talking. She smiled at that and then said. "Abby, why don't you spend the night here? Since you've been gone so long, stick around with young Minos and Ruth."
"Hmm, OK."
"Do you guys want me to get different rooms for you?" She asked unconsciously.
Nicole had asked this because it was not unusual for partners to sleep apart from each other in this vast world, especially when it involved polygamous relationships...
However, she didn't hear the answer she expected, "Thank you for that, mother-in-law. But a single room will work...."
