Chapter 211

Alizée’s Well-Being
We left the park and headed straight for the Trade Guild.
Along the way, some of the buildings were visibly damaged, and it was painful to see.
Was the attack really that severe?

"Plum, umm..."

"Are you talking about the Inquisitors?"

"Yes. Are Inquisitors typically involved in such large-scale acts of sabotage?"

"Normally, no. Their missions are usually assassination and kidnapping. The destruction of a town is merely a diversion for those purposes. But if they’ve gone this far, it could be either a warning or perhaps..."

"Perhaps?"

"... Perhaps the Gaiza Theocracy is preparing to take over this country."

"Take over!?"

"Indeed, the king has practically been a puppet of the Gaiza Theocracy. This might be their way of preparing to conquer the nation in earnest."

"That's a major crisis!"

"Exactly. That's why they likely assassinated the king, the crown prince, who was the heir, and the second prince, who might have gained more influence. Leaving the others alive is probably part of a plan to spark a power struggle within the royal family, causing the country to split and weaken."

"That really is a major crisis!"

"But there’s not much we can do about it right now. Ideally, they should quickly decide who will succeed the throne and have the others show their willingness to follow that decision, but..."

"That doesn’t seem likely, does it?"

"Indeed. If it comes to that, the nobles will likely start their factional battles. Truly, this is no time for internal disputes."

Hmm, this conversation is getting complicated.
We should discuss this further with Rumaja and Marquis Vardmoi.
Right now, the priority is to check on Alizée at the Trade Guild.

After running for a while, we reached the Trade Guild, and upon entering, we found it crowded with people.
It turns out that merchants who arrived in the capital from yesterday to today have been unable to conduct business or find lodging, so they’ve taken refuge in the Trade Guild.
Even the guild was affected by the situation.
When I gave my name at the reception to check if Alizée was there, I found out she’s been at the guild since yesterday.
Since the reception area was too crowded and all the private rooms were filled with refugees, we decided to meet in the nap room Alizée had rented.
After being guided to the room, we found Alizée already there.
Thank goodness, she was safe.

"Lady Lily, I’m glad to see you’re unharmed."

"I’m glad you’re safe too, Alizée. You didn’t get hurt, did you?"

"No, I’ve been working inside the Trade Guild since yesterday, so I didn’t do anything as reckless as you did, Lady Lily."

"Huh?"

"I heard you and Grandmaster Rumaja stormed into the noble district yesterday. After that, explosions occurred all over the palace and the city, leading to the current situation, so I was worried."

"Ah, well, it was something we had to do given the circumstances."

"I’m aware. It’s related to the king dispatching the knights after Grandmaster Rumaja, right?"

"Yeah, you know a lot, Alizée."

"I am, after all, part of the Trade Guild. So, what will you do now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Lady Lily, you’re not a resident of the royal capital. Given the situation, you should leave the capital as soon as possible."

Ah, that’s right.
I don’t have any reason to stay in the capital.
But I can’t just leave without saying anything.
I guess I should return and consult with Marquis Vardmoi.