Making Plans

Ding...

[Kingdom Quest Available]

>>Accept

>>Reject

[Refusal to undertake This quest will temporarily suspend all active and passive abilities for five years.]

"Are you serious, System?" Rasoul fumed inwardly upon reading the quest message. The prospect of having his abilities suspended for five years was not something a cultivator would take lightly. Already angered by the audacity of the Seven Great Families in involving other kingdoms, this quest message further fueled Rasoul's fury.

[Come on, you didn't even check the content of the quest before getting all riled up,] the System responded.

"That's because I can't see the whole quest unless I accept it. This is too much, System. Aren't you supposed to be on my side?" Rasoul retorted.

[My bad, but I am on your side. That's why I gave you this quest. Just check it before you get all fired up. And, before you get mad, know that soon you will have a lot of subordinates, and you'll need many fire points to care for them all.]

"This is a trap. Okay, I accept."

[Wise choice.]

Ding...

[Kingdom Quest Accepted]

[First Quest: Kill or Enslave all the Seven Heads and their heirs or Heiress of the Great Families in the Sundance Kingdom]

[Rewards:]

>>300,000,000 Fire Points

>>200,000 Attribute Points

>>20 Empty Scroll

>>2 Ability upgrade Pass

>>System store Golden Ticket

>>3 Hidden Reward

Ding...

[Second Quest: Make Princess Vina the Crown Princess of The Sundance Empire]

[Rewards:]

>>100,000,000 Fire Points

>>1,000,000 Mana Stones

>>100,000 Attributes Points

>>5 Empty Scrolls

>>1 legendary Weapon from the system store

[Note: Quest will be complete after all conditions have been fulfilled]

"This is not a bad quest at all. Sorry for lashing out on you a few minutes ago. I didn't know there were so many goodies to be won by just carrying out my original plan. Thank you, System."

[Keep your thanks. If you want to grow into becoming the hope of this universe, you must take risks. I know you have no plans of allying with anyone, but you did anyway with the Princess. That was a risk, and you took it, even if it was because of her work for the orphans. And so you know, I have no plans to endanger you or your subordinates. That's the last thing I want. So stop slacking and start making bold moves. Many goodies are waiting for you to claim.]

"Awww, that is so sweet of you, System. I never knew you cared this much."

[Stop fooling around and start making moves. It's about time you took a step towards something great. The more you delay the weaker you get]

"Alright, I will and maybe start making things easy on me...

Overjoyed with the small reward, Rasoul overlooked the System subtly manipulating him to start taking risks. Despite knowing the Family Heads are in the Saint Realm, He still thinks he could overpower them using his formations.

His confidence comes from a rare stone Sabrat managed to find during his 6 hours of search in the tomb. The system identified it as a 'Cosmic Stone'. It contains dense cosmic energy that can power formations and strengthen them more than a beast core could. 

The stone will be more beneficial to Saint so after paying the system the required fees. It created a portal and linked it to the ringworld. They can now get in and out of the tomb without using any Tomb pass.

Rasoul planned on using his engineering skills to utilize the stones to their full potential.

He knew things wouldn't be easy for the Princess should she become a queen. Because of this, he wanted to make sure the Princess was heavily guarded and safe from all forms of threat. He wanted not to only make the Princess queen alone, he wanted to make her the greatest queen in the whole empire.

Unbeknownst to Rasoul, he will soon have to make a decision that will change the future of the whole empire.

====

A few hours after instructing his slaves in the capital to inform the heads about his proposal, they responded.

He was aware this was a trap but he was confident he would walk out unscattered. Should his plan succeed, he will become even more powerful and connected. He knew enslaving the Great families in the Sundance Kingdom was the only way he could get to the other families.

Before journeying to the capital, Rasoul and his team paid a visit to the Princess first. Upon arriving at her residence, they were warmly greeted with an extravagant dinner.

Being informed of their arrival, the Princess had organized a feast for them, expecting their short stay. Before their departure, she aimed to make sure they were well-nourished and also took the chance to convey her thanks for the help they had offered.

"This is the best thing I've ever eaten," Sabrat exclaimed, his mouth brimming with food.

"Savor it while you can because soon, we'll only be indulging in fruits, like vegetarians," Rasoul replied.

"So, when will we get to see all of you again?" Vira inquired. She was aware that the white-haired individuals she had grown fond of would soon be departing.

"We're not leaving the Kingdom just yet; we're simply attending to some business first. Once it's taken care of, we'll return here again. Besides, we can't afford to miss the Princess's Coronation as the next queen of the Sundance Kingdom," Rasoul explained.

He was aware that by subduing the First Prince and instructing him to support the Princess, her position as the next queen was assured. The only remaining step was for the King to officially announce her as the Crown Princess.

Initially, Rasoul intended to depart right after dealing with the influential families, but the System presented him with a quest, altering his plans. He needed to ensure the Princess ascended to the throne before making his departure.

"That's wonderful, then. I'll extend invitations to all of you when that day arrives, but I must wait for the King to officially announce me as the Crown Princess," Princess Vina expressed, her voice carrying a subtle hint of uncertainty. Observing this, Lara asked, "Why do you sound as if the king might not choose you, given everything you've done for this Kingdom?"

"I just don't feel like I've done enough to capture the King's attention for the role of his successor. The first prince had the military backing him, making his chances of becoming the next King quite high. Even though he professed support for me, I wouldn't be surprised if the King still chose him as his heir," Lara replied.

"Well, in the eyes of the people, you're their future queen. So, stand tall and believe in yourself. Don't let those fools stress you out unnecessarily," Lara encouraged. She could empathize with the Princess's struggle; her past life was even harsher. Due to her inability to bear children, her family considered her the black sheep. The only contrast is she's a beast, and as a royal beast, they don't need to choose the next queen or king since the eldest sibling always takes the throne.

"Thank you, Lara...

"Don't mention it.

"You should head back to the capital and demonstrate your capabilities to the King. He doesn't know you well, so you doubt he'll choose you as his successor. You possess excellent management skills, and you're also a courageous warrior who confronted 500,000 beasts with just 20,000 soldiers and emerged unscathed. That's pretty darn iconic if you ask me," Sabrat exclaimed.

The room fell silent. They all knew Sabrat had never uttered anything encouraging before, so the fact that he complimented the Princess and even offered advice shocked them all. He was the type of person who never expressed anything positive.

"Please tell me I'm dreaming; this can't be real. Did Sabrat just give advice?" Lara asked, her face displaying a mix of surprise and disbelief.

"Hahaha, very funny. Just so you know, I'm not a dummy who just goes with the flow. I have a personality and a brain like everybody else," Sabrat replied to her comment. He was aware that Lara was teasing him.

"That's unexpected coming from you, Sabrat, but I think he's right. You need to go back to the capital and showcase your abilities to the king. You already have the support of the people, and once you become queen, the military and other officials will fall in line. They'd be foolish not to. Now that the assassin problem is resolved, you can return to the capital without any issues," Rasoul said, reassuring the Princess to make her intentions clear to the King.

"I will go, but for now, I have some business to complete in Orange Field before I return," Princess Vina replied. With the fortune Rasoul gave her in the form of Spirit Fruits, she began constructing large housing for the families of soldiers who lost their lives during the Monster Tide.

"Good. With that being said, we will be leaving now; we can't be late for an appointment we have in the capital," Rasoul said as they stood up and prepared to depart.

"We'll see you later, ladies," Lara added.

They departed from the city after leaving the Princess's Mansion and began their journey back to the capital. Rasoul was aware that she needed to establish housing for the families before returning to the Capital.

-----

A few hours later, in their usual meeting room, the seven great family heads gathered once again to discuss the negotiations with Rasoul and his subordinates. They seemed tense, understanding the significance of these discussions in determining their chances of securing the legacy. There was an underlying anticipation that they might even recruit three prodigies into their families if the negotiations went well. After all, the great families were known for their shameless pursuit of advantage. Little did they know, Rasoul had just assembled them to initiate the first phase of his plan.

"Do you think he will come?" asked Old Johnson. "I knew this was a mistake; we shouldn't have trusted him."

"You need to have some patience, Johnson. We can always revert to your original plan if they cancel with us," Old Charles said. "Plus, they don't even know about our original plan. If they try to escape to another kingdom, we can still trap them there since we will be allying with them soon."

"You are all overreacting; they'll come because they are smart. They knew we wouldn't let them off easily so they wanted to make peace with us. So let's give them a few moments," Old Xian spoke, showcasing his intelligence once again.

"I think Old Xian is right; we should give them a few moments," Old Oslo also chimed in.

While they continued to bicker about the situation, the door to their room opened, and three young individuals with very distinct white hair entered, smiles plastered on their faces.

"Sorry for keeping you guys in suspense; we were just making sure there were no surprises... if y'all know what I am talking about," Rasoul said with a wicked grin on his face.

Like a lightning bolt, the meaning immediately struck them, but just as they were about to move, Rasoul spoke.

"Celestial Nexus Array - First Form: Astral Shackles..."