The previous night.

In an underground chamber somewhere in the outskirts of Ravenfell, the Master—whom we now know as Marden Benton—sat on a chair, whistling a merry tune.

He wore dark robes and, of course, he still had the wooden mask on. It was a powerful artifact that prevented others from peering through his presence. It also had anti-divination properties.

In front of him, across the table, sat two individuals.

This time, however, they did not conceal their appearances like in the previous meetings. It did not matter anymore, as the following day, the battle of Ravenfell would begin.

These were the traitors from the Council of Seven: Taron Norwood and Daniel Ranzenberg.

"So…" Marden began, his tone devoid of any seriousness. "Tomorrow is the day."

Taron couldn't help but shift in his seat, his expression utterly solemn. "Is it finally happening?"

Meanwhile, Ranzenberg remained silent. However, the narrowing of his eyes betrayed his calmness.

Marden silently observed Ranzenberg. He shook his head ever so slightly and chuckled. Then, he turned to Norwood and answered, "Yes, we will be attacking Ravenfell tomorrow… at sunset."

Taron Norwood asked, his tone grave, "What about the Cult's forces? Where will you attack from? And what do we need to do?"

The reason the elf was being so… obliging was naturally because he was offered a deal he couldn't refuse.

Help the Cult of Bones in exchange for a mana extraction technique that gave him the chance to attempt the breakthrough to the great Mana Core Rank!

As for the promise of land and riches, these were secondary. For most Magi, nothing mattered more than their ascension in the arcane path.

Ives Ballard was offered the same deal, and so was Daniel Ranzenberg. Naturally, they had agreed, too.

In the face of the legendary Mana Core Rank, truly nothing else mattered to them.

Marden chuckled lightly under his mask. "Where will the Cult's forces attack from? Hmm, I wonder."

He paused, rested his hands on the table, then interlocked his fingers. Marden leaned forward and said in an eerie voice:

"What if I tell you that our forces have already infiltrated the city? And what if I tell you we've been here for a long, long time?"

"…What?" Norwood was so stunned that he didn't know what else to say.

Already infiltrated the city? Been there for a long time?

Ravenfell had tight security—both mundane and magical—that prevented outsiders from even stepping foot inside without the authorities being alerted.

That was utterly impossible!

Unless…

The one responsible for the safety and security of the city was already in league with the Cult of Bones. But that very idea seemed so far-fetched that the two traitors simply refused to believe it.

Similar to the Feno Family, the Benton Family was also staunch Saratoga loyalists.

Not only did Sabrina's ancestors study at Saratoga Castle, she, too, completed her arcane studies and training in that prestigious institute. Even her two sons followed in her footsteps, laying the foundations to become powerful Mana Vortex Magi and protectors of Ravenfell.

So, to even assume that Sabrina Benton was a traitor was simply ridiculous.

Yet… from the masked man's insinuation, Norwood and Ranzenberg couldn't help but begin to doubt Sabrina's loyalty.

In the end, it was Daniel Ranzenberg who asked:

"Could it be that… the Lord Marshall is…"

He didn't even finish his sentence, unable to even believe that he was asking such a ridiculous question.

Norwood, however, couldn't help but blurt out, "Is Sabrina Benton the Cult's ally?!"

The masked man looked at him intently. For a brief moment, it seemed that the temperature in the underground chamber had drastically reduced. This caused the two Councilors to tremble, not from the cold, but fear.

Why did the masked man react like that?

That was what the two thought to themselves.

In the next moment, that feeling of suffocation disappeared as if it had never been there in the first place.

"Sabrina Benton, a traitor? Oh, I wonder," said the masked man, his posture now laid-back.

"T-then how—" Norwood was truly curious about the movement of the Cult's forces. But before he could press for answers, he was interrupted.

"You two have a very important role in tomorrow's battle," Marden said, his voice low yet firm.

The two Councilors immediately grew solemn. Ranzenberg remained quiet, but Norwood asked in a soft voice, "What is it?"

"It's quite simple, really." The masked man shrugged.

He paused for a moment, his lips curling into a cruel smirk underneath the wooden mask.

"When the battle of Ravenfell begins, the Councilors and the influential nobles of the city will move to Council Keep," he began.

"Don't worry as to how they will move to that building, because I will make it so that they have no other option but to. And when all the important people of the city have gathered inside, that is when I want you to strike."

He paused for a moment, letting the weight of his treasonous words settle onto the shoulders of the traitors.

"You and your men will eliminate every key figure in that room. Once the head is severed, the body will collapse without resistance."

Norwood shot to his feet, immediately protesting out loud, "You do know that apart from us and the two other Councilors, there are plenty of other Mana Vortex Magi in the city?! How are we supposed to deal with all of them?!"

Marden glanced at the elf and calmly said, "Both Ballard and Feno are away from the city. You both have to kill McLeod and the newly elected Councilor, Dawson. As for the rest of the Mana Vortex Magi… I will have my men keep them occupied."

He paused for a moment, his tone turning colder than before. "You can take care of two old Mana Vortex Magi, can you not?"

Norwood shuddered. He sat back down on his chair, then nodded. "R-right. Two Councilors shouldn't be a problem for Daniel and me."

"Not just two councilors," Marden corrected him. "Every person in that room tomorrow. You will eliminate them. I don't care if it's a woman or a fuckin' child. Understood?"

Norwood couldn't help but nervously gulp. He exchanged glances with Daniel, then both of them nodded.

Finally, the stoic Ranzenberg spoke up, "What about the mana extraction technique?"

Marden remained silent for a while, then smiled. "Tomorrow. After the battle. You will have what you desire."

He rose to his seat, chuckling insidiously. "Of course, you must remain alive if you want to get your hands on the manual."

Daniel Ranzenberg gritted his teeth. However, he remained quiet. Taron Norwood was about to retort, but a simple glance from the stoic Councilor caused him to remain silent as well.

"Oh, and one more thing," said Marden casually as he walked toward the exit. "You both should stay here until the battle commences. I wouldn't want you to sustain any collateral damage, you see."

With that said, he walked out.

Although his words might have seemed that he cared for the two Councilors, that could not be further from the truth.

Daniel and Taron glanced at each other, then helplessly sighed.

When the battle of Ravenfell began the following day, they would have plenty of chances to prove their loyalty.

And then... the mana extraction technique would finally be theirs.

***

Present day.

As soon as Daniel and Taron silently drew their weapons, their men followed suit. Their blades flashed as they lunged towards their unsuspecting targets.

It all happened too fast. The chamber erupted into chaos, catching everyone off guard.

Daniel Ranzeberg moved like the wind, vanishing and reappearing before his target in the blink of an eye. His cold blade swept through in a clean, merciless arc, and then…

Hot blood sprayed through the air.

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