For Ael, Renette Tinicole was an exceptionally valuable ally.
First, she was the heir to the Highland Kingdom. Second, she was the leader of the Temperance faction within the Rose School of Thought.
Both of these identities could be leveraged to great effect. Perhaps, in the near future, a new Highland Kingdom would rise in the southern continent—one that no longer worshiped the "Bound GOD," but instead revered the "God of Mirrors."
After outlining a series of specific sabotage plans, Ael finally turned to the main issue at hand.
"Is the intelligence reliable? There's no mistake regarding the whereabouts of the Iron-Blooded Knight and the Unshadowed?"
"Your Highness, rest assured. The source of the information is highly trustworthy—it was relayed by a devout believer working within the City Lord's mansion."
"Hmm. Aside from those two demigods, is there anything else in the City Lord's mansion worth noting?"
Hearing that the intelligence source was reliable, Ael nodded slightly before continuing his inquiry.
"According to our long-held information, aside from the two recently arrived demigods, there's only one other individual in the City Lord's mansion who warrants caution—the general supported by Intis.
Rumors suggest he is from the Eggers family and might also be a demigod. Some even say he possesses a sealed artifact of demigod-level power from the domain of death."
"A descendant of the God of Death? Hmph, just another remnant of the old Byrun Empire—hardly a threat."
With that, Ael's figure swiftly faded, vanishing into the crimson moonlight above the clock tower…
The City of Cadra
In the eastern region of the Star Plateau on the southern continent, near the ancient forests, lay the city of Cadra.
A city renowned for its production of spices and rubies, Cadra took its name from the mythical Undying Feathered Serpent of ancient legends.
During the Byrun Empire's reign, it was one of the empire's most significant cities, second only to the capital. However, after both the Byrun Empire and the Highland Kingdom—the rulers of the Star Plateau—collapsed, Cadra became a battleground for various factions. Ultimately, the colonial forces backed by Intis seized control and installed a member of the Eggers family, one with the bloodline of the God of Death, as the city's ruler.
As the primary front line for Intis's colonial forces against the native armies, Cadra had enforced a strict curfew since its occupation. No one was permitted to wander the streets at night. Save for the brightly lit City Lord's mansion, the entire city was eerily silent, as though it were a city of the dead.
On the second floor of the City Lord's mansion, in a lavishly decorated parlor, Vahar Soren, a man with striking blood-red hair, absentmindedly polished his short sword while seated on a plush sofa. With a smirk, he glanced at an elderly figure beside him—one whose body emitted a faint, gentle glow as he silently prayed.
"You followers of the Eternal Blazing Sun are truly peculiar. It's the middle of the night, and you're still praying to the sun? Even if your pr Aels were answered, it wouldn't be the Eternal Blazing Sun responding to you—it would be the Goddess of the Night.
By the way, as a Unshadowed, do you even need to turn on the lights at night? If we placed you in White Maple Palace, letting you glow naturally, wouldn't that save a fortune on palace expenses?
Maybe the councilors should seriously consider that proposal."
Hearing Vahar's mocking words, the praying elder turned to look at him and responded calmly:
"I do not pray to seek my Lord's favor, but to express my pious devotion. You may not understand this sentiment.
But to me, my Lord's radiance resides within every believer, within our daily prAels. My Lord is merciful and generous. He teaches us that—"
Before the elder could continue, Vahar swiftly interrupted, waving his short sword with a smirk.
"I don't need to understand that nonsense. Hunters like me care about only one thing—war. War, and more war.
And war, whether for the instigators or the victims, has nothing to do with mercy or generosity. Rather than placing my faith in some intangible great being, I prefer to put my faith in iron and blood. At least those things make me feel alive."
Sheathing his short sword, Vahar continued:
"As long as my men can crush the native army head-on in this battle, I'll be able to digest at least one-fifth of my Iron-Blooded Knight potion—saving me several years of effort in one fell swoop.
Hahaha! It's been years since we've seen a war involving tens of thousands of troops. Much as I despise Roselle, I must admit—his achievements in this regard are commendable.
After all, he discovered the safe sea route to the southern continent and officially kicked off the colonial era. If those pathetic natives want someone to hate, they should blame Roselle."
The elderly Unshadowed, COLIC, sighed at the knight's words.
"They are merely lost lambs who have strayed from the righteous path—souls in need of salvation. Just like us, they are equal in the eyes of our Lord, equally cherished.
I am here to save them. My Lord has said: All who seek shall be saved. For those who have lost their way, we must always offer mercy."
"Tch. Hypocrite."
Vahar scoffed, standing up as he stared at COLIC.
"If you're so devoted to mercy, then why are you here in the colonies? There are no 'lost lambs' for you to save—only sheep waiting to be slaughtered!
Tomorrow, you'll stay in the city while I personally lead the army against the damned native coalition.
If that hidden demigod doesn't show up, all the better. But if he does, with our coordination—and with the City Lord as an insider planted by the SPIRIT CULT—we'll take him down.
Hmph. The Rose School of Thought… A bunch of nobodies. If their headquarters weren't in the southern continent, the kingdom would have crushed them long ago!"
COLIC nodded, accepting the arrangement. He then closed his eyes and clasped his hands together once more, resuming his prEAYER.
Watching this, Vahar felt a wave of boredom wash over him. Of all people, he hated working with these church-brainwashed fanatics the most.
Rigid. Inflexible. Obsessed with dogma. Those words described them perfectly.
"Too bad Levi isn't here with me. If he were, things would be much easier. With his mastery over spiritual threads, he could easily locate that hidden demigod.
If we had that information, the battle could shift to a decapitation strike. As long as that demigod is eliminated or forced to retreat, I'd be able to claim victory with minimal losses—digesting the Iron-Blooded Knight potion that much faster!"
Levi was a demigod from the Secret Order. After Zaratul's had gone missing, he had been invited by the Soren family to serve as the head of Intis's intelligence agency.