"Welcome back, Yuliang! We missed you."
"Thanks, Norma... I missed y'all too," Yuliang replied sincerely, returning the short woman's embrace with a lot more ease after having months of practice.
He was still getting used to the open affection Medinians shared with people, but he didn't freeze up when it happened anymore, at least.
"Well, there's plenty for us to discuss. Come, Yuliang, let's talk in my office."
Norma's office was a small room at the back of the bakery, with a comfortable set of floral printed couches and an old wooden desk with enough paperwork piled up on top of it that it looked like it might collapse under its weight any day now.
"I'm very sorry for all the trouble I've caused with my absence," Yuliang said, offering a curt bow of his head once they were settled across each other on the couches.
Norma laughed, "What trouble, darling? You were recovering from overworking your body." Then, a more somber expression took over her face, "Truly, that explosion was such a tragedy. I can't imagine how many more lives could have been lost if it wasn't for the doctors and you Healers working around the clock to save as many lives as you could."
An explosion?
Yuliang frowned as he vaguely remembered Professor Belmont mentioning something like that on the day he had asked for Yuliang's help.
"Do you know what exactly happened that day? I didn't get a chance to look into it yet." Yuliang usually didn't really care to look into the backstory of his client's injuries. It was better for his sanity not to know, but this time was different. There had been so many people injured, and something that injured people at such a large scale was often a sign of much more to come.
Yuliang needed to know if anything was going on because there was no way he or his brother were staying anywhere near this damn city if they would be in danger.
He'd lost his parents already. He wasn't going to risk losing his brother as well.
Norma sighed, slipping her glasses off to wipe at the lenses with the fabric of her blouse.
"Well, the explosion happened at one of the city's Riverside warehouses. Many people were in the area due to a Civilian Council candidate hosting a gathering in the nearby park in preparation for the upcoming election. No official statements have been made yet, but everyone thinks it was a deliberate act arranged by a detractor. Most likely one of the Councilors who wanted to take out the competition early."
Yuliang frowned. He didn't follow politics or watch the news very often. Mostly because he didn't have the time, but also because of how isolated and remote Mist Valley was from the rest of Fiore, none of it really impacted his life. Unfortunately, he was living in the fucking capital now, and he had been involved with Healing the victims of the explosion.
"So you don't think Ebren had to do anything with this? I haven't heard anyone talking about the situation since I woke up either. Is something like this, not a big deal around here?"
Norma's face twisted in sadness and grief, "No one wants another war, Yuliang, so no one will dare to go pointing around without any solid evidence, but political sabotage and even assassinations are commonplace among the Furian Civilian Council. So, everyone expects this to be an attempt by a rival candidate. I lost my brother years ago to one, Yuliang. He was a candidate running opposition to a member of the Civilian Council and had been gaining popularity, so he was killed."
A bitter laugh escaped her, a layer of moisture misting up her aged brown eyes, "Everyone knew Councillor Gareth Khan as one of the best councilors in Fiore. I myself used to respect him and the platform he fought for, but not even his most fanatical supporters could deny that he had been the one behind my brother's murder. Every single person in Linos knew the bastard had killed my brother. A husband. A father of three children. But instead of demanding justice for my brother's death, you know what they did?"
Yuliang leaned back into the couch and nodded. "They decided that your brother probably deserved it since he should have known better, turned a blind eye, and voted the councilor in again?"
Norma's sobs drowned out her words of response, the emotions she had been trying so hard to control overcoming her.
Yuliang sighed, turning his head to stare up at the ceiling with impassive amber eyes.
For all its supposed 'greatness', Fiore was just as fucked up as any other country. The only difference being that they were just better at covering up their shit than the rest.