The door to the carriage opened, and from inside, Olena stepped outside along with four other priestesses.
All five of them walked towards Aiden and bowed their heads before the priestesses peeled away to help the knights around. When the commotion started, help had already been requested, and Olena responded immediately.
"What happened?" Olena asked as she took a peek inside the hall to see the destruction. Her face twisted at the sight of the hall; she could tell this wasn’t the work of some low-level mage.
"Was this the same explosion that took out the Head Church? Wait...you were the target for this?" Olena mouthed.
"Yeah, a crazed mage from the Draken Empire. Now the issue is: how did he sneak into the kingdom without getting caught, join the refugees, and execute his plan so well, like they knew what was going to happen"
"Someone is working with them? When the Head Church was attacked, I suspected as much. There is absolutely no way our defenses are that bad; our military isn’t negligent enough to allow anyone into the capital, or around the Head Church," Olena replied.
"Who do you think, at the top of your head, I know you already have someone in your mind? Tell me who?" Aiden asked, and Olena bit her lower lip, looking around before she closed the distance between them.
"Lord Lucian," Olena replied, and Aiden backed away a little.
Aiden wasn’t expecting her to name anyone; he simply asked the question to see what she was going to say, and he definitely wasn’t expecting lord Lucian.
Aiden knew Olena was far more knowledgeable than he was and had lived longer in this world, so she must have a reason to suspect him. Lord Lucian was the one who offered Aiden a ride, and he was the Head of Foreign Affairs.
"Lord Lucian?" Aiden repeated.
Olena nodded. "I’m not saying he’s the traitor. I don’t have proof of that, and accusing someone like him without evidence is dangerous, but I have reasons to suspect him"
"Why? Tell me your reasons?" Aiden asked.
Usually for something like this, Olena would be skeptical about telling, but for someone like Aiden, she was going to do anything to get in his good graces.
"Lord Lucian knows too much about the church," Olena replied. "He visits the church more times than any of the nobles, he knows all of the priests personally to some extent, and of course he has approached me before"
"He knows how the church operates, where everything is kept, and security arrangements of the knights protecting the church. I’m not saying that’s enough to say he’s the culprit, but why would the minister of foreign affairs be that concerned about the affairs of the church?" Olena replied, still looking around to make sure no one could listen to their conversation.
Aiden looked away; it was more information than he expected, and sure, it might make him look suspicious, but still it wasn’t concrete evidence that he was the insider.
"He’s also the minister of foreign affairs; he had connections in all the other cities in this kingdom, and also people from the Kingdom of Troyra. He can be in contact with the Draken Empire"
"So he has the opportunity, but what is his motive? What does he stand to gain?" Aiden muttered.
"That’s what I haven’t gotten yet; that’s why I can’t call him guilty. Also, Lord Lucian has been visiting the church more often recently in the last month; he usually comes to pray, talk with the priests, priestesses, and the like, and not just the head church, but all three apart from the outer church"
"So you think he’s feeding information to the Draken Empire. If he truly is the culprit, do you have any means of finding out for sure, and if Lord Lucian truly is the culprit, why would he risk coming to the church himself?"
Olena placed a hand on her chin. "I have no idea. Also, it’s almost impossible to find out. Tailing a lord in the council isn’t something anyone would want to do, but I’ll try my best," Olena said.
"Try your best? Are you going to tail him yourself?" Aiden asked.
"No, I have no such skill, but I know people," Olena replied.
’Too much politics for the day. With this attack, there’s no way the actual culprit wouldn’t clean up after himself. The Crown Prince was attacked, so the King isn’t just going to let it slide... I need to rest for now’
"Olena, is that carriage yours?" Aiden asked.
"Yes, it belongs to the Western Church. I brought it along to take you back to the Eastern Church. A carriage is already being built for you; I think it’ll be ready in a day or two since the last ones were destroyed along with the Head Church," Olena said.
"Alright then, take me back to the Eastern Church, and I need the carriage tomorrow to visit the Magic Academy," Aiden said, and Olena nodded.
"Of course, Your Holiness," She replied as she walked in front of Aiden towards the carriage.
"Another thing. Olena, can you sense any mana or magic from me?" Aiden asked.
"No, I can’t sense even a shred of magic. It’s almost impossible to conceal your mana this well, but you do it with grace," Olena replied.
’Zero, I’m not concealing my mana, right? Or is it something my body is doing on its own? Katarina told me the same thing?’
[Your body is concealing the mana on it’s own, with your abilities I think that is the best idea, I noticed it the first time you saw Miraleth’s holy affinity, if yours isn’t concealed, it’ll be like looking at a bright light, most people wouldn’t be able to look at you]
’Ohh, but can I tweak it a little’
[Yeah, when you learn how, I think it’s time you learn magic, not just the one given by the system but actual magic on your own. This is the best time to start since you aren’t busy, and you can use Olena]
Olena pulled the door to the carriage open, and Aiden stepped inside. Then she bowed her head, but before she could close the carriage, Aiden stopped her.
"What are you doing? Get in"