Chapter 23
The city was immense—so large that spanning 300 kilometers was no joke. With its vast size came many entrances from all directions. Numerous Elites were stationed at these different gates, which was why Lucas and Blake had arranged to meet at the western gate; it was the closest for both of them as they were leaving the city.
Inside the city, the tension grew thicker every day, and the source of it was Ray. Within the military power structure of the Hidden Sky City, there were two shadow organizations. One served the Sky King, Arthur, and was known as the Black Ops. The other served Ray, the most evil and self-serving man the world had ever known.
His faction was called Division 9, which was precisely why Lucas was trying his hardest to avoid attracting its attention. Division 9 was fundamentally different from the Black Ops. While the Black Ops handled assassinations, intelligence gathering, and missions the Hidden Sky City needed to deny, entrusted with private, high-priority missions for the nation, ranging from A-rank to S-rank. This resulted in a high death rate, but also offered rapid promotion and significant privileges.
Known only to the higher-ups, Division 9 operatives sometimes disguised themselves as Black Ops, making their very existence difficult to confirm. Their primary focus was espionage, spying within the Hidden Sky City, the Sky Empire, and even other hidden cities and empires.
All the intelligence they gathered went back to Ray, who would, in theory, report it to the Sky King. Most of the time, however, he did not, because his true ambition was to seize the throne for himself. The only thing holding him back was his power; as a Moon Class Elite, he couldn't yet compete with the giants at the Saint Class.
Even so, his ambition to one day take the throne had never left him. He stood before a round table, a huge man with a scar over his right eye, naturally white hair, and black eyes that oozed power as he smiled at the three others present. He wore expensive robes like an old master, their quality alone speaking volumes about his wealth.
To his right sat Ronan, who with his black hair and eyes, was the picture of calm confidence. His face was expressionless as he looked at everyone with indifference. He was quite handsome, casually dressed in a black jacket, shirt, pants, and boots, which made him seem even more dashing.
Next to Ronan was Logan. Though smaller in stature than Ray, his presence at the round table was equally sharp. His brown hair and piercing blue eyes were alluring, as if tempting people to come closer. He wore attire fit for a noble and was as relaxed as Ronan, sitting calmly in his black and white suit.
And on the largest chair sat the son of the previous Sky King, Solas, and the current Sky King: Arthur. His short golden hair and brilliantly glowing eyes gave him a divine appearance. He wore clothes that perfectly matched his royal status and complemented his hair and eyes, giving him an unmatched charm. Though lean, the power he oozed made it clear that none of the men before him were his equal.
Only Ronan could potentially push him, yet Arthur's confidence in winning was immense. His handsome face, a match for Ronan and Logan, spoke with authority. "The two elders won't be joining us, if you're wondering. They are busy looking after my father."
Ronan nodded. "Then what's the reason for calling us?"
Arthur sighed. "The Clover Clan."
The room fell silent for a moment before Ray spoke. "Eliminate them."
Everyone looked in his direction, waiting for an explanation. "The Clover Clan is more troublesome than they have ever been. The former rulers of our Hidden City fought countless wars with them before they finally submitted. In recent years, their uncontrolled rage over being denied a chance to fight for the Saint Class ranking and for the position of Sky King has increased greatly."
Arthur countered, "They had many great achievements in the previous wars. To do such a thing to them is unjust. Furthermore, having a Saint Class individual is good for our nation and our Hidden City, especially in our current situation."
Logan joined the conversation. "Even so, you know better than I that if the patriarch of the Clover Clan says he wants to fight for the position of Sky King, it means he believes he would win. The other clans haven't yet produced a Saint Class individual, but the Clover Clan is fighting so hard for the opportunity precisely because their patriarch has achieved that level."
Ronan chuckled. "So you mean he has awakened the Four Clover Eyes?"
"Yes," Logan answered.
"You see what I mean?" Ray pressed. "The Clover Clan must have been involved in the attack for sure. Who else but their patriarch? Let's eliminate them before they become a problem."
"We shouldn't rush to anything," Arthur said firmly. "We have already used the Truth Orb on every single member of the Clover Clan. None showed that they were involved, are under any mind control, or have sealed their memories. We did this three times to be sure. Your accusation has no backing."
Logan nodded in agreement. "Also, none of them use Space spells, which means the attacker was either a defector from the clan with a grudge against the Hidden City, or someone who stole the eyes of a Clover clansman."
Ronan added, "If the patriarch has truly awakened the Four Clover Eyes, then facing him and his avatar, your chances of losing are high if he is skilled in using it."
Arthur nodded. "Yeah, I know. But even so, I don't think I would lose just because of that. It's just that each set of Four Clover Eyes awakens a unique ability. Being attacked with a power I don't understand could lead to my defeat. So yes, as things stand, it would be a 50/50 chance of winning or losing."
"We can't allow the Clover Clan to have this power at this moment," Logan stated, "especially without knowing who that attacker was."
Arthur nodded again. "I know. So we will use the fact that someone attacked us after releasing the Tier 9 mana beast as a reason to delay this issue. We will address it after the minor war we are about to have with the other empires. In the meantime, tell everyone to be on their guard as I search for new recruits for my Black Ops. Is there anything else we should discuss?"