Chapter 190: Can You Really Avoid Being Affected?
After screwing around for a while, Shien and Lucy finally calmed down.
Only then did Lucy finally reveal the real reason she called Shien over.
"Things will get pretty complicated in the upcoming audience, so be careful."
Lucy suddenly spoke out such a random seeming statement.
"What?"
Shien stopped for a moment, uncomprehending.
Lucy immediately explained.
"This audience involves not only my father the King, my elder sister, and myself as the royal family. Practically all the nobility in the Capital have also come. Even a bunch of nobles who aren't from the Capital will be participating in this audience. Plus, the entire royal knights will also be putting in an appearance. All in all, the whole thing will end up being bigger than even the annual festival celebrating the day of the nation's founding.
Lucy's words had quite shocked Shien.
"That big? Why?"
Shien did not expect that at all.
Lucy had expected that though, so she continued to explain to Shien.
"It's because the mass assassination incident 10 years ago was just that big a deal." Lucy spoke solemnly, "You weren't involved, so you don't know just how much of a nightmare that day was to the entire Capital."
"Hundreds of Old Demon Faction members had infiltrated the Capital, and each had their own tasks and headed off to assassinate their targets."
"Within a single night, the Capital had descended into chaos. Every single noble family suffered casualties. Plus, the first ones to die were definitely the most important members of their family. Top among those targeted were the family heads, and following them are those well placed to succeed the family."
"Given all that, some noble families were completely killed off without a single person left remaining. Some took heavy casualties. Even those who were lucky enough to escape disaster by having discovered the attack, their family's knights and personal guards had to make great sacrifices in order to fend of the Old Demon Faction attackers."
"In the end, even those nobles who had the ability to keep their families safe during the chaos weren't able to relax. That's because when those Old Demon Faction members determined that there was no way for them to complete their tasks, they ended up charging right out onto the streets and released highly destructive magic, dragging in tons of the common citizenry."
As she got to that point, Lucy's tone turned cold and furious.
Shien also frowned and put aside any sort of joking attitude.
Shien had known the whole time that the mass assassination incident ten years ago was a big deal, but even so, he didn't feel any real connections to it. He had no idea just how big a deal it was in the end.
Only now did Shien more or less comprehend. At least from Lucy's personal descriptions, he finally understood the sheer chaos, panic, and darkness that had engulfed the Capital that night.
And Lucy's explanation hasn't ended yet.
"It wasn't just the nobles of the Capital itself. Even those nobles from other territories who were temporarily in the Capital then were attacked and killed. The knights were no exception, and the royal palace was similarly invaded." Lucy let out a breath, "Afterwards, even after a night of harsh fighting and having killed over 90% of those Old Demon Faction attackers, the three main masterminds behind the thing still managed to escape. An important object sealed within the palace was even stolen.
As she spoke, Lucy imperceptibly gave Shien a glance.
Shien knew that Lucy meant Leisha.
However, before Lucy could brought Leisha up, Shien first spoke up.
"You guys were fine though, right?"
Shien couldn't help but ask that.
After all, ten years ago in the Capital, not only was Lucy still young then, but Vivian, Diere, and Leili also lived here.
And those individuals were of immense importance to the future of the Kingdom. There's thus no way that they wouldn't have been targeted by the Old Demon Faction.
As he thought that, even though Shien knew full well that Lucy and the rest definitely came through it fine, given that they're still around now, he still couldn't help but ask it.
"We were completely fine." Lucy seemed to have realized what Shien meant and, with a mental "you've got some decency at least given that you knew to be worried for me", she continued on, "Although I wasn't anywhere near this strong back then, I still had the Holy Sword and my unique skill. Even if I did get attacked, I'd at least be able to deal with it. Diere was even less likely to be in danger over in the Arbin home. After all, the strongest knight was there. The Latrard home had Vivian protecting it, so it was completely fine too."
There was a lot of information to unpack in that statement.
For one, it told Shien that a merely 7 years old Lucy would already be able to fend off an Old Demon Faction assault. She really is strong.
For two, it also told Shien that the similarly 7 years old Vivian could protect the entire Latrard family and keep them completely safe.
Aren't those two girls a bit too much of a cheat there?
Lucy's one thing. With the Holy Sword in hand, even if she was only level 20 back then, she'd in actuality be level 70 with the buff from the Holy Sword. Adding in her unique skill, it's not all that unusual if she could fend off the Old Demon Faction attack.
But the fact that Vivian could do the same, and even have enough strength left over to protect others? That's something that Shien just couldn't imagine.
Could it be that it had something to do with the "Protector God Of the Kingdom" that Airi mentioned?
Shien considered it.
At the same time, Shien finally had an inkling on why this audience ended up becoming such a huge deal.
"It looks like you understand now." Lucy nodded, "For well over half the nobility of the Mitra Kingdom, the matter ten years ago was something very personal."
"Right now, two of the masterminds behind it fell by your hands, and you had contact with the final person as well. The rest of the Old Demon Faction were also purged by your hands. Therefore, there's no way that they wouldn't come listen in on such a huge matter."
"Plus, they absolutely have to confirm that their hated enemy really had died. Otherwise, it'd be a load within the hearts all the nobles. It'd even be a stain upon over half the nobility of the Mitra Kingdom."
"Add in the fact that one of those masterminds used to serve under the Dragon Demon as the subordinate of one of her direct commanders, the demons are also treating this matter quite seriously. Thus, that direct commander of the Dragon Demon will also be showing up in this audience."
In that case, the whole thing would only end up getting blown even bigger.
Thus, Shien finally understood just why this particular audience actually took a full week to prepare for.
Likely it's to contact all the various related people and then wait for them to show up.
And given all the people involved and the fact that each have their own agendas and ideas, it's only obvious just how complicated things are going to get when the time comes.
"Some people had their families killed, so they've been looking for the culprit all this time in hopes of vengeance. However, they haven't made any progress in the past 10 ears, but then it gets dealt with by a completely new adventurer like you? Of course they'd be suspicious. They might even be angry."
"Some people might want to use this opportunity to put pressure on the demons and make them take responsibility. When the time comes, you, as the central figure who resolved this matter, will definitely also be dragged in."
"There will also be those who might believe you to be on the demons' side. That they orchestrated this whole thing in order to lower the influence the whole matter had on the demons. Thus, they'd believe that the news of the main culprits having been subjugated to likely be lies.
"There will even be those who are simply watching and waiting in the hopes of finding some advantage for themselves throughout this whole matter."
"With all those threads tangled up together here, how could it not turn complicated?"
"And given that you're the central figure in this matter, can you really avoid being affected?"
After hearing Lucy's explanation, Shien's mouth twitched. He had a very unhappy expression on his face.
Back then, he ended up running wild exactly because he disliked Balon and company's actions. Yet, now that he's in the capital, he's still getting dragged into those noble intrigue?
Those people are seriously bored here.
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