Duskfall Estate, Uptown Quarter.
At the sa ti that major upheavals were taking place at Adam's house, an ominous plan was taking shape in the venue hosting the following day's masquerade ball.
Underneath the sprawling estate belonging to Viscount Duskfall, a small number of Magi had gathered in the cavernous chamber that had only recently been built in the past several years. Three n dressed in black robes conversed with an opulently dressed couple who were none other than the patriarch of the Dukfall family, Altan Duskfall, and his wife, Fern Duskfall. Both of them were Rank 2 - Mana Liquefaction Magi.
On the other hand, the three n in black robes were from the Cult of Bones. Two of them were Mana Liquefaction Magi, while the third one was the man who was currently leading all of the Cult's operations in Ravenfell.
He was the Rank 3 - Mana Vortex Magus, Olin Barrett! He was none other than the person directly responsible for the teoric rise of the Red Fists in the Corvid Quarter, and also the one to spearhead the human trafficking business in the underground black market.
"Have all the preparations been done for tomorrow?" Olin asked, his voice authoritative and cold.
He looked like a middle-aged man with a sickly, pale skin and a receding hairline. The aura of rot and decay emanated from him, resulting in his presence being extrely foreboding and terrifying.
The Duskfall couple, no matter how many tis they t this Mana Vortex Magus from the cult, couldn't get used to his presence at all. It was as if they had arrived at a morgue, with only a step away from the graveyard.
"Yes, my lord." Altan Duskfall bowed respectfully.
He had a head full of brown hair and erald eyes. He was a decent-looking middle-aged man, but at the mont, his expression was almost on the verge of contorting because of the stench of death emanating from the three cultists standing before him.
His wife, Fern, a very beautiful woman who had the appearance of soone in their early twenties, also had a dark expression on her face because of how close she was to the three cultists. But sohow she managed to display a respectful deanor.
Standing in proximity to these Magi from the Cult of Bones felt as if the couple was in the presence of the grim reaper himself!
"Everything's been done as you'd instructed," Altan continued. "It goes without saying that so of the nobility that have indulged in the sacrificial ritual will be there with us tomorrow."
"Furthermore," Fern chid in with a smug smile. "I've succeeded in convincing so of my friends from Uptown and Downtown Quarter to take part in these rituals with us. They too have been invited tomorrow."
"Well done, Fern," Olin smiled coldly. He glanced at the brunette woman's radiant and blemish-free skin and added, "I'm sure all your friends want to look as young as you, don't they? Once they get a taste of virgin blood, they'll never be able to go back to normal."
"Indeed, my lord." Fern's smile widened. "The effects are simply amazing. It is sothing every woman desires."
Olin then turned his attention toward Altan and asked in the sa icy tone, "Tell , is there a Magus nad... Adam Constantine on the guest list for tomorrow?"
Altan's eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly, "That is right, my lord. Two weeks ago, a few invitations had been sent out and one of them was to Magus Constantine's residence here in Uptown Quarter."
He paused for a mont before cautiously asking, "But, my lord, how did you know that?"
A flash of cunningness glead in Olin's dark eyes and he coldly muttered, "Of course, I would know. I was the one who directed him here."
Altan's eyebrows furrowed even more at that statent. Before he could inquire further, the Rank 3 cultist added, "Now, there will be a slight change of plans during tomorrow's event." "Chane of plans?" Altan's heart skipped a beat. "Surely, my lord, you do not wish for us to cancel the event, right? So much planning has gone into this—"
"Altan," Olin coldly stated, his voice laced with murderous intent. "Now that I'm standing in your house, you must think you can talk back to , eh?"
Altan's whole being was gripped by terror and he hurriedly knelt on the ground, kowtowing before the man. "P-Please, please forgive , my lord! That was not my intent!"
Olin indifferently looked down upon the Viscount. Then, he turned his attention to the man's wife, Fern, who was staring at her feet and trembling in horror.
"And you," he added with a cold smile. "Why aren't you kneeling?"
"Y-Yes!" Fern dropped to her knees, her back drenched in cold sweat. She too kowtowed just like her husband.
"That's much better." Olin nodded. "Hmm, now where was I?"
"Change of plans during tomorrow's masquerade ball, my lord," one of the black-robed cultists standing behind him spoke up.
"Right." Olin nodded. He glanced at Altan who was shivering at his feet and continued, "When Adam Constantine arrives tomorrow, I want you to treat him with the most hospitality. Everyone at the ball should know that the boy is your guest of honor."
"M-My Lord!" Altan gathered the courage to speak. "May I know what you're planning to do with Magus Constantine? I'll be able to help you better that way."
"He's part of the cult, alright," Olin lied through his teeth. "He'll be part of the main ritual ceremony tomorrow night. Yes, just make sure he gets the best treatnt."
Both Altan and Fern were astonished at this revelation. The viscount looked up at Olin in disbelief and blurted out, "Magus Constantine, a student of Saratoga, is a cultist?!"
Olin didn't entertain him further and promptly left the chamber, leaving behind his parting words, "Do as you've instructed and you'll be properly rewarded."
With that said, he disappeared into the darkness, leaving behind the Duskfall couple kneeling in their own ho.
...
As the three cultists silently traversed through the dark cobblestoned alleys of Ravenfell, one of the Rank 2 Magi couldn't help but ask curiously, "My Lord... there's sothing I don't understand. I thought we were planning to kill the boy, so then why did you instruct Altan to treat him as a guest of honor?"
Olin chuckled coldly, "Adam Constantine is not as simple as you think."
Not only had Adam foiled the plan Olin had with the Umbra Thieves, but he had also beco a huge obstacle when Olin was nurturing a different group, one that he had his eyes on even before the Red Fists.
It was known as the Children of the Red God!
All those years ago when Adam had thwarted his plan after dealing with the Children of the Red God, Olin had already designated him as a special threat. Even though the youth was one entire rank weaker than him, Olin's intuition told him that he needed to be thoroughly dealt
with.
And thus, the Duskfall Masquerade was initiated. It was an event solely designed to get rid of Adam Constantine!
"If Adam manages to survive the grand ritual ceremony tomorrow, he will be implicated in the human trafficking ring after the whole incident is exposed tomorrow and will most certainly be imprisoned," Olin added.
"This is a two-pronged attack. Everyone from the event will know him as Altan Duskfall's guest of honor, and as such, soone inexplicably tied to the bloody rituals that the viscount
and his wife had been partaking in for all these years.
"Once the boy is thrown into prison awaiting final judgnt as per Ravenfell's laws, I will simply have that man kill him," Olin spoke with a confident grin on his face.
aning that the Duskfall Family was nothing but a scapegoat in the plan to kill Adam orchestrated by the Rank 3 - Mana Liquefaction Magus, Olin Barett.
"The mont Adam Constantine steps foot inside the Duskfall Manor tomorrow is the mont he seals his fate!"
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