The whole town came out to see us off, and Chris made me promise not to forget our beloved hometown.
"Mmm, such a pleasant feeling," Seleria reclined on the railing, gazing at the receding crowd of fans.
"It's always nice to help people," Kat said, crossing her arms contentedly over her chest.
"And it also brings in good profits, hehe," Vina smoothly counted the gold in a small chest, which the feudal lord had paid us. After assisting with the repairs on the ship, we had just over a thousand gold coins left, but somehow Vina managed to multiply them in this month's trade with foreign merchants.
"You always think about profit," Kat grumbled disapprovingly at the treasurer.
"Well, why not? The news that three princesses together saved yet another city from a terrible monster is no less important," Vina replied.
"Don't say it as if we fought together," Hilda nudged the merchant with dissatisfaction. "I take pride in my combat merits, but I never forget my comrades."
"Of course, of course, the merits of the entire guild are important, BUT think about what would have happened if an attempt on your lives had occurred a year ago," Vina suspiciously looked at the three princesses. "Maybe you forgot, but I'll remind you. Katrina - a princess familiar with a few people all over the world - has already become a target of assassins with tragic consequences, and she would suspect and resent anyone she could perceive as a threat. Seleria - a proud princess of the southern country, particularly intolerant towards the Red Clan and the Verania royal family - I doubt that an attempt on her life would have awakened forgiveness and love for her neighbor. Hilda - a battle-hardened Valkyrie, but not the best expert in treachery and court intrigues - she would suspect foreign mercenaries like herself. And now, tell me, if you were as you were a year ago, who would you blame for the assassination attempt?"
The princesses exchanged glances and guiltily lowered their heads.
"That's right. And considering that you wouldn't have had guild comrades to protect you, the assassins would have had a better chance. And what do you think would have happened if one or, God forbid, all three of the attempts were successful?" Vina paused before continuing, "That's why it's necessary for people to know about your close bond. Then nobody will even think that any of you would harm your friend. If they can't catch the killers at the scene of the crime, they usually blame the nearest neighbor, but here's the question: who will be the scapegoat this time?"
The words of the cunning merchant made us seriously contemplate, but keeping silent about the assassination attempt is unlikely to work.
The next day, we arrived at the small Academy pier. News of the Empire's iron ship docking at the shore quickly spread across the campus, and some students came to see the curiosity, although many still feared the Empire after the New Year events.
"Hmm, an unusual ship," the Rector was already waiting for us at the gangway, peacefully stroking his beard. "Although, to be honest, I've already seen it when you set sail."
"You personally came out to meet us? I don't like this..." I looked suspiciously at the cunning old man, somehow he already knew about the assassination attempt, and apparently, he wasn't the only one.
"I was hoping to talk to you alone, but you showed up with such pomp that I can't hide it anymore," the Rector sighed heavily and glanced at the stone staircase leading up from the pier.
A solemn group was descending towards us. White and red cloaks, silver and gilded armor—such an assembly was hard to find. An alliance of inquisitors, paladins, the king's army, and guards was a rare sight indeed.
"What do they want from us?" I asked.
"You'll find out soon enough, and unfortunately, my authority doesn't extend to this matter. You'll have to deal with them yourselves," our leader replied.
Among this motley crowd, I recognized a couple of familiar faces. Supreme Inquisitor Wilhelm with his little son, the captain of the capital's guards, and Katrina's friend, Victoria. There was also a man I hadn't personally met but had seen before - Edgar Souren, the head of the royal guard and a former top paladin. They wouldn't have come here just for a casual visit.
"Do you need something from us?" Katrina suspiciously eyed the crowd. It seemed Victoria wanted to say something to the princess, but she remained in the background in this gathering.
"We are here by order of His Majesty, Princess," Wilhelm stepped forward and bowed to Katrina, then acknowledged the other princesses with a slight nod, ignoring the rest: "We are here to apprehend the conspirators who organized the assassination attempt on your father."
"And who are these conspirators?" A feeling of unease started to creep not only through me.
"There are compelling reasons to suspect Imperial spies of organizing the attempts," Alfred, who was hiding behind his father, cast a sidelong glance at Aileen, "so we will take the Empire's representative into custody until the trial."
"Pfft, what nonsense," Aileen stepped forward and crossed her arms in displeasure, "even if the Empire had organized the attempts, it would be foolish to involve an official ambassador. They would have chosen someone less conspicuous for that."
"Nevertheless, someone has to represent your side in court. We can't summon the Emperor or any other of your spies, so you will have to answer for the actions of your spies, even if they weren't organized by the official authorities of the Empire," Edgar remained calmer than his companions, "If someone from your leadership decides to represent you in court, we won't object."
"You do realize that your actions may lead to war?" Katrina tried to reason.
"Yes, but if you were behind the assassination attempt, then the truce has already been broken," Wilhelm smiled politely, but there was deceit in his voice. Apparently, the thought of war not only didn't frighten him but, to some extent, stimulated him.
"It's all right, Kat. When I decided to stay here, I was prepared to become a political hostage," Aileen pushed her friend aside and whispered in her ear, "Don't forget to look after my chest in the cabin, as the authorities might get worried."
The girl willingly followed the convoy, leaving us alone with the Rector.
"Could you explain to me what all this means?" the princess yelled in anger at the old man, who calmly smoked his pipe in his office, "You don't obey the laws of the kingdom, so why did you allow your student to be apprehended?!"
"Please, calm down," the Rector tried to placate her while securing metallic objects on his desk, "I don't like it any more than you do. I do have broad autonomy within the Academy unless the country is at war, and my students are not subject to wartime laws. However, I cannot ignore the declarations of the royal families, especially when all three of them made the same claim at once."
"Hmm, are you trying to say that the attempt was not only on King Henry?" I looked suspiciously at the Rector, who merely raised an eyebrow thoughtfully at my question.
"Does that surprise you? Back at the pier, it seemed to me that you were prepared for such a turn of events. Apparently, you know something that you didn't want to share with the guards, and in turn, I know what you need."
"Shall we exchange information then?"
"Alright. I'll tell you what is known from the official accusation. All these events occurred within one week, which is why they are connected together."
The Rector approached the map of the continent hanging on the wall and pointed to the strait between the southern islands and the coast of Leran.
"The first attack happened here, six days ago. His Majesty Severin was heading to a secret meeting in Bakaru on a ship without any recognizable symbols of the royal family. In this narrow passage, their ship was boarded by pirates. These bandits were surprisingly well-prepared and managed to defeat half of the guards and wound two assassins guarding the king."
"Too big of a success for ordinary bandits."
"Yes, the king was fortunate to be saved by a red dragon that happened to be nearby. As soon as the dragon joined the battle, the pirates hurried to escape, but before that, they made sure to dispose of the bodies of their fallen comrades by throwing them into the sea."
"Yes, it looks like an assassination attempt, but there is nothing indicating the Empire!"
"Exactly, as always, no evidence. By the way, there was also commotion in the capital at that time, and explosions were heard from the palace, but they quickly ceased without raising any alarm among the guards."
The Rector pointed to the next location on the map - the forests to the east of Nartandar.
"Two days later, the second attempt occurred. At that time, Siegfried was out hunting."
"Mhm, Father prefers to hunt alone, for which Mother scolded him more than once."
"That's precisely what the attackers took advantage of. A group of about twenty warriors ambushed him in the forest. The king managed to kill five of them, and then the main Valkyrie came to his aid. If she hadn't arrived in time, the attempt could have been more successful."
With the corner of my eye, I noticed Hilda exhale with relief.
"Did you manage to find out anything?" she asked.
"Some of the assassins managed to escape, and those who were captured alive took their own lives during interrogation," the Rector replied.
"Not much to go on, but still, it doesn't prove the Empire's guilt," I said.
"Of course, it doesn't prove anything, but again, this is not everything. The last attack was the boldest one. A hundred mercenaries attempted to infiltrate the royal palace in Varengarde. The attack was reckless, but it was not poorly planned. They chose a moment between guard shifts when there were fewer guards and managed to break into the throne room. Their advance was stopped by the Inquisition squad, which happened to be meeting with Wilhelm at that time. Again, only five were captured alive, but they immediately took their own lives."
"And none of this points to the Empire or Aileen!" Katrina clenched her fists angrily. "Why were they accused?"
"It's simple," Vina walked up to the Rector's desk. "Such a case cannot be simply covered up. It is necessary to find the culprit... or a scapegoat to shift the blame onto. There could be three potential clients: the most likely one would be the closest neighbor, but the assassination attempt targeted all three families. The second option is an internal enemy, but searching for one could take a long time and be unreliable. Therefore, the third option arises - a distant and highly dangerous enemy, who has threatened these countries before. The Empire becomes the most convenient scapegoat."
"Correct, young lady," the Rector calmly moved to his desk and took out a small pouch, "Moreover, some of the assassins were found with money."
He emptied fifteen coins onto the table, among them were Leran, Verania's gold, and a couple of large coins with the image of a dragon.
"Oh, spare me, this is a blatant setup! Giving the assassins coins from the main suspect," Katrina exclaimed.
"Of course, it's a setup, but it's also a diversionary maneuver. If the assassination attempts fail, and the clients gain nothing, at least they will deflect the blame from themselves," Vina explained.
"But this trial will only lead to war. Whatever they say, even accusing an ambassador is a significant provocation!" Katrina struggled to control her emotions. Of course, she wanted to protect her friend, who had recently saved her life, but her father's thoughtless actions annoyed her even more.
"Hmph, and what of it?" Vina picked up a gold coin from the Empire. "So, a war starts, people die, but who cares when it can be sooo profitable."
The girl tossed a coin into the air, and it landed back on the table with a ring.
"What do you mean by profitable?" Katrina asked.
"And what's not clear?" the cunning trader smirked maliciously. "If you know how to navigate between the sides, you can make a decent profit, fighting on two fronts. If the Imperial expeditionary army arrives here, they will surely need someone local to procure the goods they lack. Although their coins are not convertible, they are highly valued due to the high gold content. And with a certain capital accumulated, one can engage in more active trade, as many in Verania would want to purchase Imperial technologies, while in the Empire, magical items from Verania are sought after. If the war drags on, the merchants' profits will increase significantly."
"It's too cynical, even for you, Vina!" Katrina stood up sharply and glared menacingly at her comrade.
Vina was more than a head shorter than the guildmaster and thus looked up at the princess with a dejected expression.
"Kat, you're too naive. Do you think traders are the only ones who profit from this? Vina walked past her companions, pushing Leira, Grain, Asura, Miriam in turn. "Homeless nobles, nobles who lost their former status, loyalists of the Empire's guards without any titles, all of them, thanks to their merits in battles, have a chance to rise higher in society, and that's not all. War is an excellent opportunity to get rid of opponents on the political stage. Just prove their connection to the enemy, and that's it. So, a couple of positions will become vacant in the higher echelons of power, and they will be filled with more loyal nobles. War benefits everyone except the common people, but it's not they who decide when to unleash it, right?"
The princess wanted to object, but couldn't find the right words.