Serenade Aurora nodded. Her expression became focused and informative.
"The Holy Sun Cult worships the Primordial Sun God, Master. Its current leader is Archbishop Raysha Solareye. She is a formidable individual. A Tier-6 Battlemage and a Grandmaster in Eldritch Study."
Spark's eyes narrowed slightly. Tier 6. Significant power.
"Her base of operations..." Serenade continued. "... is primarily in the Pantherain Kingdom, west of Avianest."
"Any other notable members?" Spark asked.
"The cult has two other publicly recognized Tier-6 individuals, known as the Pillars," Serenade explained. "The Left Pillar is Bishop Palefire. The Right Pillar is Bishop Skylight. Both are also masters of Eldritch Study, specializing in forbidden magics and rituals."
"In Avanest, and particularly within and around Eagledome..." She continued. "... the cult operations fall under the direct authority of the Right Pillar, Bishop Skylight."
Spark listened, filing away the names, ranks, and locations. Useful intelligence. Tier 6... three of them. Not quite on the level of the kingdom, but they were certainly a major threat.
"And what is Bishop Skylight doing here?" Spark asked. "What was the purpose of your former sacrifice rituals? Really Luck Enhancement?"
Serenade's expression remained calm. As she delivered the dangerous information. "No, Master. Bishop Skylight is operating in concert with the Third Prince. Their objective is to disrupt the King's Birthday Celebration."
She paused, and continued. "They plan to use a grand ritual to summon an Earth Dragon during the party itself. The hope is to cause chaos and kill the King, the other Princes, and key members of the court. This would leave the Third Prince as the likely successor, a claim the cult would then support."
An Earth Dragon? Tier 7 Creature? Summoning one into a crowded palace hall was an act of sheer, destructive madness.
"How do they intend to achieve this summoning?" Spark pressed.
"The many sacrifice rituals conducted by the cult in Eagledome recently." Serenade explained patiently. Like a tutor explaining a complex topic. "They were preparations. Accumulating the necessary negative energy and planar alignment."
Serenade paused again, before continuing. "Bishop Skylight explained that the final piece of the ritual will be completed during the party itself. He intends to kill merely one person during the height of the birthday party. That single, final sacrifice point, linked to the preparatory work, will be enough to tear open a stable gate and summon the Earth Dragon into the celebration grounds."
Spark absorbed the information. Processing it rapidly. A Tier-7 monster appearing in the middle of the royal party. In the middle of hundreds of nobles and officials. That was ruthless.
He leaned back in his chair. Evaluating the cult's plan. It felt... flawed. Almost naïve. Especially for a Tier-6 individual and a Prince. Ones who should have possessed enough information.
The King of Avianest wasn't just a figurehead. Spark knew precisely why the plan's success against the top brass was incredibly low. Even if the Cult and the Third Prince didn't.
Spark recalled the 500th-anniversary celebration of the kingdom, just a little less than a year ago. He had secretly used his [Appraisal Goggles] to casually scan some of the kingdom's most prominent figures.
He had done it primarily to test the discerning power of his newly created runic equipment. Also to satisfy his own curiosity. And assess potential threats or assets. The results had been surprising. And strictly compartmentalized in his mind.
[Name: King Aquila Eaglecrown]
[Class: Mech-knight]
[Level: Ascended (7th Tier)]
[Name: Prime Minister Pavo Elfalcon]
[Cass: Battlemage]
[Level: Ascended (7th Tier)]
[Name: Field Marshall Kestrel Misthawk]
[Class: Framepath Warrior]
[Level: Ascended (7th Tier)]
[Name: Navy Admiral Lex Ashenowl]
[Class: Technomind Engineer]
[Level: Ascended (7th Tier)]
They were all Tier 7. But, it was widely believed that these four pillars of the kingdom were still in Illuminated Level. Tier 6. This misinformation was clearly deliberate. A layer of security.
The Holy Sun Cult clearly believed this public façade. They were operating largely in the shadows after all. He was surprised that the Third Prince didn't know about this though.
Thinking about summoning a single Tier-7 creature? In a place where four Tier-7 characters gathered? Spark almost scoffed internally. No chance of success.
Four masters of their respective power systems, operating in concert within their own fortified capital, against one wild monster of the same tier?
The fight would be devastating to the surroundings. But the King and his top brass would likely survive. And prevail with relative certainty. The Third Prince and Bishop Skylight were underestimating the true power of their targets.
However, Spark's analytical mind quickly pivoted to the real danger. The plan wasn't a threat to the King and Princes specifically. The problems, the sure casualties, would be everyone else.
The hundreds of nobles. Foreign dignitaries. Wealthy merchants. High-ranking officials... They were packed into the palace hall during the celebration.
A Tier-7 Earth Dragon appearing in that confined space would not be a focused attack. It would be an indiscriminate catastrophe. It would level the hall. Kill hundreds, maybe thousands. Depending on its immediate actions. And how quickly the Tier 7s could contain it.
The prospect of being caught in such a catastrophe was unacceptable. Spark didn't care about Avianest's royal family. Or the Holy Sun Cult's political machinations. Or most of the attending guests of the celebration.
He cared about his own survival. His growing assets. And the comfortable life he was building.
Getting crushed, burned, or ripped apart by an Earth Dragon, summoned by idiots who miscalculated their target's power, was not in his plan.
He needed to make a plan. He needed to ensure he wasn't in the blast zone when that dragon appeared. Or, even better, if the dragon did appear, he could leverage the chaos.
Spark's mind raced. Calculating possibilities, risks, and advantages. He quickly began formulating a plan. A plan that would protect his interests. Potentially eliminate threats. And perhaps even yield further profit from the impending chaos.
He needed more details. Serenade was a treasure trove of enemy information. A key he now possessed.
"Do you know Bishop Skylight's location within Eagledome now?" Spark asked. "And the location of any other key cult personnel involved in this specific operation?"
"Bishop Skylight maintains several secure locations within the city, Master," Serenade stated. "His primary operational base is a fortified manor in the Noble's Quarter. Disguised as the residence of a minor noble family. There are also secondary safe houses and hidden caches of supplies. His current location is likely the manor, coordinating final preparations."
She continued. Detailing cultist numbers and approximate locations within the city. Also the divisions responsible for logistics, intelligence gathering, and potential diversionary tactics.
It was a comprehensive picture. Painting a web of fanaticism woven into the city's fabric. Spark absorbed it all.
The manor in the Noble's Quarter... interesting. A Tier-6 Battlemage and Grandmaster of Eldritch Study, hiding in plain sight.
Confronting him directly was risky. He wasn't reckless. Open confrontation was a last resort. It would be messy. Attracting too much attention. And he would definitely lose. He was still a Tier-2 Jackmaster after all.
But he could make an anonymous report to the law enforcement or military. It could be one way to stop the cult's scheme. But more information might provide better choices.
"The final sacrifice." Spark said. His voice was low and thoughtful. "Who is Bishop Skylight targeting? Is there a specific individual required for this final piece, or just anyone?"
Serenade tilted her head slightly. Accessing the memory stored within her manipulated mind. "Bishop Skylight implied the target holds a specific significance, Master. Not just anyone would suffice. It must be someone present at the party. Someone whose death, at the ritual's peak, would resonate with the accumulated energies."
Spark's eyes narrowed further. "Significance? What kind of significance? Royal blood? A powerful mage? A high-ranking official?"
"He did not specify the exact nature of the significance, Master," Serenade replied. "Only that the target was chosen for a reason tied to the ritual's requirements. The specific individual was known only to Bishop Skylight. The lower ranks, including myself, were merely informed of the task. Preparing the ground through many smaller sacrifices, culminating in a single, critical death during the event."
Damn. Spark silently swore. Not knowing the target made preemptive action difficult.
"Where exactly in the palace is this ritual intended to conclude?" Spark pressed. "The main hall? A specific chamber?"
"In the Grand Ballroom, Master," Serenade confirmed. "During the peak of the festivities. Bishop Skylight plans to be present among the guests, indistinguishable until the moment of the final sacrifice. The accumulated energies are attuned to converge there."
The Grand Ballroom. The heart of the celebration. Packed with hundreds. Perfect for mass casualties. Terrible for discreet maneuvering.
But, the peak of the festivities would be... the Great Dance. The king, royal families, and the higher ups would not be dancing. They would be watching. Only the middle and lower nobles would...
A sudden stray thought suddenly intrude Spark's mind. Why would the King and the higher-up officials hid their tier advancement? Wouldn't it be a greater deterrent if others knew their current level?
If the Holy Sun Cult knew there had been four Tier-7 big bosses in the kingdom, they wouldn't dare make such scheme. So, why?
Wait! What if they had known of the plan, but they preferred to do nothing? Was this a purge? Did the king and the higher ups want to use the Holy Sun Cult's scheme to reduce the number of noblemen?
Spark suddenly recalled his casual discussion with Professor Ashenowl and Prince Leonel. One of the major problems for the kingdom's development progress was the high number of useless, conservative nobles.
Damn! Spark rook a deep breath in realization. It was a high level game.
He had to change his plan. He must not stop the cult's scheme. Or he would be targeted by the kingdom's higher ups.
He just needed to ensure his safety.