The Rise of the Black Plain

Athela had a large temple in one of the city's noblest areas, where small groups of observers would congregate almost at any hour of the day to admire the beauty of this place.

In this place, there was no kind of fence or wall to separate it from the street's sidewalks, being just an open area with a beautiful building to observe. Such construction was filled with windows and doors, from which people could be seen coming and going in groups of individuals who appeared to be wearing the same type of uniform.

Of these groups, the majority were people wearing white cloaks, who could be seen doing the essential services, such as cleaning the common areas of this building, gardening, repairs, and so on. But these people were just at the base of the organization behind this place.

Above them were other groups, such as the individuals uniformed in blue cloaks. These, though not as numerous as the white-cloaked ones, could also be easily seen in this place.

But these people in blue cloaks did not perform standard maintenance services. On the contrary, they had the critical role of making the patrol, the primary security of this place, administrative services, etc.

And finally, there was a small group of individuals who wore purple cloaks. However, these people were so few that rarely would any observers have a chance to see them walking through this building.

But that wasn't strange. After all, the purple-cloaked individuals were all in the 6th stage of cultivation, something challenging to achieve for the overwhelming majority of people in this continent region.

As for their role in this organization, they were the leaders, people who managed smaller branches, depending on their levels, and entire regions, for the stronger ones.

These were the Bishops!

Obviously, this temple was the headquarters of the Spiritual Church in the Kingdom of the Waves, and these people in different colored cloaks were members of different hierarchies within the ranks of such institution. Starting with Deacons, white-cloaked, followed by Priests, blue-cloaked, and finally the Bishops, purple-cloaked.

This location in Athela was the headquarters of the Spiritual Church in this state and the branch of that organization responsible for the entire northern region of the Central Continent!

From this place, the regional decisions of this organization departed, going towards each of the headquarters of the church in the other states of this part of the continent. But due to regional strength, such a post of the Spiritual Church was not fully autonomous. On the contrary, it was under the supervision of the regional affiliate of that organization in the Flaming Empire...

While most members of this church branch went about their daily routines, in a large hall entirely made of a special type of marble, several thrones were arranged around a long table shaped like a 'U,' around which many people were currently sitting and conversing.

Also, there was a throne more prominent than the others in the middle of that table, which was currently empty.

And as each of those purple-cloaked people was talking, someone finally slapped that table a few times with his hand and said. "Well, let's move on to the next topic. Cough..."

"Uh, we recently received information that the two younger princes faced each other a few days ago, in the mountainous region of the central part of the kingdom."

"Oh? This third prince is truly a busy person… He fought with the first prince just a few weeks ago and was already going after his second brother?" One of the old people in that place asked aloud.

"Yes, but it looks like he wasn't as lucky as his confrontation with Prince Wilfred." The same person as before said while he had a grave expression on his face.

And upon hearing such a thing, almost instantly, the whole place went silent when someone asked. "What happened?"

All the people who were there knew very well the reality of this state and knew that the advantages of Charles were significant, especially against his second brother!

Consequently, on hearing that something unexpected had happened during a confrontation between these two, all these Bishops were eager to discover the truth.

The Spiritual Church was not generally involved in choosing the heir of states in the northern region of the Central Continent, as this would be meaningless to them.

After all, due to the difference in proportions, regardless of who sat on the regional thrones, the only ones who decided how life in this region had to be were these individuals in this room!

Unless a crazy person arises, someone who cannot be convinced or manipulated, the church would not support either side or interfere by acting against such people...

But church members were still human beings, individuals with their personal opinions and preferences...

Of course, they would act for the good of the church, as they were indoctrinated to do so. However, if an action does not in any way harm or perhaps even benefit the church, then what harm is there in one of these individuals having certain advantages?

Many people in this organization thought this way, and several of these Bishops had their preferences about who should sit on the local throne!

At the end of the day, they were still just members of the branch of the Spiritual Church in the northern part of the Central Continent!

And with that, many of them had the ambition of ascending positions within the church and perhaps someday becoming Archbishops... Then, getting a place in the temple located in the capital of the Flaming Empire, possibly becoming the overseers of such a large region as the one they were in!

"Everything we know was passed on to us by one of our informants in the Hargraves family from the Kingdom of the End." That man from before started talking. "Prince Charles used an artifact of that family to escape that situation, having been sent to the headquarters of that family."

"But from what this person has informed us, it seems that during the fight of the two younger princes, they ended up involving a powerful specialist. That person slaughtered 4 of the 5 Spiritual Kings who were protecting Prince Charles!"

"After that, that person tried to kill Prince Charles, but just before that happened, the Hargraves family artifact was activated, and the third prince escaped!"

Upon hearing this, some of these men had dark expressions on their faces, as they realized that the 'horse' they had bet on had almost been eliminated from the race.

But some were a little satisfied with it, even though Charles survived in the end!

Eventually, someone said. "If I am not wrong, the third prince's team can even protect him from a level 56 Spiritual King. How did this happen? Don't tell me someone of that level coincidentally came in the way of those two young men?"

"We're not sure yet. We just know what this informant sent us. But let's send a group to investigate this matter to see if it was just a coincidence. We cannot allow someone of that level to interfere in the dispute for the throne..."

They talked a little more about it when finally someone asked about the consequences of that event. "What about Prince Wilfred? He had had a certain loss before, but now he was the one who gained in such incident."

"Truth. Prince Wilfred wasted no time, and he is already using it to his advantage. I discovered that he intends to take advantage of this opportunity to..."

...

While these Bishops talked, the most prominent armchair in that place, which was empty at the time, vibrated slightly, as if it had stopped working...

"Hmph, that's irrelevant... Unless a Spiritual Emperor tries to interfere in the matters of this place, I won't interfere..." A female voice resounded from a specific location tens of thousands of kilometers from that branch of the Spiritual Church in Athela.

This woman then turned off the array she was using to observe that spot earlier and removed her black cloak, exposing her flawless body.

She then entered a bathtub that existed where she was, leaving only her head with her red hair out of the water. 'When the new king of that place is chosen, I will have to travel to that state...'

"But I think that king will endure for another four years... So, I don't have to worry about this useless competition!"

....