Chapter 372: Under the Master’s Shadow
Upon seeing Alexander cross the doorway carrying Ben and Leo, the girls let out a sigh of icy relief and rushed over to help. Together, several of them took the two beaten young men and laid them carefully across one of the large tables at the back.
Stephen approached with calm steps from behind the bar, holding two glass vials filled with a glowing blue liquid. Without hesitation, he poured the contents into each of their mouths. Within seconds, Ben and Leo’s deep wounds began to close, and their skin tone recovered its natural color.
"What happened out there?" asked Helen, stepping up to Alexander with trembling hands and distress written across her face. "When we saw Marcus return in that condition, we thought the worst... Are those female adventurers still out there?"
"They won’t be a problem anymore," said Alexander, wiping a streak of dried blood from his neck with total indifference. "The adventurer guild issue has been settled forever."
An astonished silence washed over the tavern. The tension began to dissipate among the girls, but curiosity and surprise flared up again when the tavern door opened once more and a figure of regal posture walked into the center of the hall.
"Who is she?" asked Aria, narrowing her eyes as she recognized the high-society robes.
"She is Lyssandra, the mayor of Plyaro," said Alexander.
The girls and everyone present froze in place. Having the city’s highest authority inside the tavern was shocking enough, but what truly left them breathless was the woman’s demeanor. Lyssandra didn’t carry the haughty posture of a ruler; she kept her head subtly bowed and her hands folded in front of her, patiently waiting for Alexander’s orders as if she were just another servant.
Astonishment took over the room as they realized someone so powerful and important followed Alexander like her master.
Lyssandra took a step forward, making a slight bow toward the people gathered in the room.
"My name is Lyssandra, mayor of this city and servant to Master Alexander," said Lyssandra, her voice calm yet retaining the resonance of her authority.
The girls exchanged incredulous glances. Seeing Plyaro’s absolute ruler introducing herself as a subordinate confirmed their most absurd suspicions.
"Now then, tell me," said Alexander, taking a seat in one of the main chairs and resting his elbows on the table. "I want to know what’s going on in this kingdom and why that guild was acting with such impunity."
"The kingdom of Sandoria is on the brink of an all-out civil war," said Lyssandra, raising her eyes to lock onto Alexander. "The main royal bloodline suffered another assassination attempt just a few days ago. It was carried out by dark factions of the high nobility, and they nearly succeeded in killing the young crown princess."
"A successful attempt?" asked Alexander, narrowing his eyes.
"They didn’t fully succeed, but they left her critically weakened," said Lyssandra. "Following the attack, the northern dukes seized control of several key cities and self-proclaimed themselves the true kings of Sandoria. The crown is shattered."
"And the royalty hasn’t crushed those rebels yet?" said Alexander.
"That is where the true tragedy lies," said Lyssandra, letting out a heavy sigh. "The political and military power is split by the shadows of the great guilds. The Spider Queen is openly backing the rebels. She believes the young princess is far too inexperienced to rule and strongly opposes her stance on the mine commerce treaty. However, the Serpent Queen has sworn loyalty to the crown and is protecting the heiress with all her power. The kingdom has been severed cleanly into two bloody halves."
"I see..." said Alexander, rubbing his chin as he processed the continent’s geopolitical lore. "When giants fight, scavengers come out for their piece."
"Precisely, Master," said Lyssandra. "Every major organization smells the blood in the air and has begun negotiating for leverage. To ensure the adventurer guild wouldn’t back the princess on the battlefield, the Spider Queen made them a direct deal: she granted them total independence from royal law and tax exemption in all rebel-controlled cities. In exchange, when the war officially breaks out, the entire adventurer guild is bound to serve as the heavy vanguard for the rebel forces."
"Which is why Kiara was acting so confident," said Alexander with a cold smirk. "She thought the Spider Queen kept her untouched after her little coup."
"Exactly," said Lyssandra. "They believed city laws couldn’t touch them as long as they held that pact of independence. They didn’t know that Master does not answer to the diplomacy of queens."
Alexander drummed his fingers on the wooden table, analyzing the intricate web of alliances that had unfolded before him.
"Are there more rebels?" asked Alexander, leaning slightly forward.
"Yes," said Lyssandra gravely. "Every major guild took advantage of the throne’s weakness to proclaim their own independence. No one is supporting the current royalty. The merchants, mages, and hunters’ guilds simply shut their doors to royal tribute and decided to sell their services to the highest bidder."
"A full-blown collective betrayal," said Alexander with a cold smile. "And the princess? Where is the supposed heiress to this kingdom?"
"It is an absolute mystery," said Lyssandra, lowering her voice even further. "The princess’s whereabouts are unknown. Some say she fled to the dangerous eastern swamps to seek refuge with the ancient tribes, while others claim those loyal to the crown sent her here to the south under false identities to throw off the assassin factions. No one knows for certain where the princess is in this moment."
Alexander leaned back in his chair, studying Lyssandra with narrowed eyes as intrigue began to displace the last lingering traces of bloodlust from his mind.
"A hidden princess in the south and a civil war on the verge of exploding..." said Alexander, letting out a short, calculating laugh. "Looks like this place is getting more and more interesting."
Alexander leaned back against the chair’s headrest, crossed his arms behind his neck, and fixed his eyes on the ceiling beams. The shadow of an old memory seemed to flicker through his gaze before he let out a long sigh.
"Where did you go, Liora...?" said Alexander in a low, almost imperceptible whisper. "Where did you go...?"
Lyssandra froze in her tracks. Every trace of composure vanished from her face, and her eyes went wide paralyzed with shock.
"H-How do you know her name...?" said Lyssandra, standing in utter disbelief with her mouth agape.