The Rise of the Black Plain

"So you are from the Flaming Empire?" One of the first level 79 beasts to look for Minos to do business in that tribe asked upon hearing a bit from him. "I didn't expect to find a merchant coming from that state... Not many of your countrymen come to our kingdom."

"Hmm, that's natural. Veora Kingdom is a high-level state that is not at all easy for people from my state to visit or do business. There are no teleportation arrays or wormholes between our states, so many of us don't risk traveling through a territory where there are so many 9th and 10th stage beings like this." Minos commented in response to that being in humanoid form.

"And why do you risk yourself doing that?"

Minos gave an answer that would be good enough to cover his tracks. "This is naturally a risky move on my part, but it's also how I take advantage of opportunities.

Currently, the empire has grown quite a bit due to the progress of the Black Plain Empire, our ally. At the same time, invaders from the domains of His Majesty Minos Stuart have been bringing essential resources to our lands, generating what some are already calling a revolution in my state.

As a merchant with an eye for opportunity, I realized that my competitors would soon expand their actions outside the empire into higher-level states such as the Veora Kingdom. So I took the lead in the initiative and am now traveling through that domain."

That beast and the two beings I brought Minos to this place saw the logic in his words, not finding it strange that this fellow was putting himself in this situation.

Minos added. "Now I want to go to the northern coast of the Western Empire, from where I intend to create a business route to my territory. By doing so, I intend to help my relatives and raise the standing of my household to withstand the hardships of the moment."

"Hmm, why the Western Empire and not our kingdom? Isn't it too much for someone at your level to trade in two such strong states?" Another beast approached where those four were sitting at the spot where Minos had stopped to do business.

"About that, I am searching for an acquaintance who lives in the Western Empire. He is part of the Elemental Sect and has promised to help me do business in that state if I ever go there." Minos remembered Elen's cousin, Luke Nash. "I also want to buy a ship and sail to the west coast of the Black Plain... My family has business there too."

"Elemental Sect?" That beast, with a pretty female body and blue hair, muttered, considering things she knew. 'It must not be a lie. The Elemental Sect has a long history with Stone Island, part of the Black Plain Empire.'

"So, Edgar, what are you willing to trade for the medicines you have with you? I heard you have several Saint-grade and hundreds of King-grade medicines to trade, right?" That other beast asked, feeling that there was no longer any reason to distrust this merchant.

The two beasts that had brought Minos to this place trusted that he was a merchant and not someone trying to disguise himself or bring trouble to them. But other beasts would take precautions when dealing with people like this fellow.

That was not just because Minos was a merchant but because of what this human had already announced about being willing to do business for a ride to the Western Empire.

Considering his strength, it made sense that Minos would try to get some help to reach his destination. But that could also be an indication of trouble.

Beasts were very sincere beings who hated to be used or manipulated into doing things for others. On the other hand, this realm had its rules and was not as open as others.

In other states, one could enter, do business and leave with relative ease as long as one paid the proper taxes. But in Veora Kingdom, this was not quite the case.

If someone was connected to the Spiritual Church or was part of another high-level state, he had to be watched and have his entry into the state sent to the royal family.

At the same time, many royal restrictions were in place to make life difficult for foreigners trying to do business in their state. That served to protect local commerce and centralize the state's power in the hands of the imperial family.

Unlike other states around the continent, where the leading family basically shared its power with vassals, this place had a single family ruling the entire territory, with no vassals.

The only thing that existed in this kingdom besides subordinates of the royalty were tribes of beasts, who provided an observer service for the one big local organization.

So, after dispelling those beasts' mistrust, Minos could finally do business. "About that, I have some resources on hand. I am willing to trade them for human combat artifacts of high-level grade-3 and higher.

I also accept high-grade crystals, and if someone doesn't have what I'm interested in, I'll still accept the possibility of that beast or its group escorting me to the border with the Western Empire."

Minos was on a journey to seek to solve the mystery of the map of the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus but to do so. There were several steps in his path that he needed to complete.

Case in point, he had to obtain a boat and reach the northern coast of the Western Empire, from where he could depart for the site on the Ancestral Sea. But to do that, he first had to cross Veora Kingdom safely.

He did not know the powers in that state well, he had a map in hand that was not one of the most accurate, and he was much weaker than those powerful in this realm.

To avoid being identified as Emperor Stuart and having his journey hindered by his watchers and those interested in this place, he wanted to use the help of these beasts and avoid human cities.

Because of this, he could not casually travel through wormholes or use teleportation arrays in this state, which were human-dominated means.

So, since he had to find a way to reach the inconspicuous Western Empire, Minos was taking the opportunity in the meantime to obtain items necessary for the development of his state.

The Black Plain Empire currently had areas rich in spiritual energy, where resources relevant to their forces would emerge in the future. But it took time for medicines, especially spiritual minerals, to develop.

So even after the recovery of Dry City's spiritual root, it would take a while before high-level mineral resources would emerge in the core of that empire.

So Minos still faced the problem of having less high-level weaponry than cultivators capable of using them.

It made sense for him to sell in that place for such resources, which could eventually be used by his men or disintegrated by Alina, currently at level 69, to produce new items.

"Oh? I have some of those items..." The man in front of Minos said, soon after starting to do business with him.

...