“Foolishness often leads to losses and dissatisfaction. Grudges formed over these dissatisfactions and slowly built up. Anger and recklessness often resulted from a grudge that festered. These in turn fermented more foolishness in the making. And thus the cycle repeated itself” - From a speech by Aristides Guialios, Philosopher from the region that later became the Clangeddin Empire.

“So what sparked this mess anyway, milords?” asked one of the group’s knight-captains as he trotted his mount alongside the carriage. They were informed to prepare for trouble, but had not expected trouble of the scale they encountered. “The old hag must’ve been serious. I recognized at least half a dozen of her vets amongst the dead and captives.”

The old man - a generation Graciela’s senior, who had served the Ducal family from the days of Duke Hebor’s father - named Rodolfo looked at the young nobles under his charge mostly with curiosity, and not a little bit of fondness, rather than reprimand. After all, he thought of the young nobles a bit like his own grandchildren as well.

After all, while the ambush would have normally cost them quite a few men, not a single one of the knights actually died, with all their injuries healed to perfect health by the young lord’s guest. Even the old man himself felt like the aches that had begun to bother him as he aged mostly vanished after the pale-skinned woman’s treatment.

“Nothing much, Sir Rodolfo,” replied Pedro with a smirk on his face, as he was quite satisfied with how the situation turned out. Advantages to be used against one’s political enemies, received with no real cost and only a little exertion, definitely lifted up his mood. “Our guest Miss deVreys here had just taken offense with how that ballsack Jonas treats his people, and kind of left him a cripple.”

“The Jonas? Jonas Olesun himself?” asked the old knight with a raised eyebrow in surprise. “No bloody wonder the old hag Manuela went nuts and sent so much of her old loyal dogs over.”

“I feel like I’m missing some context from the conversation here,” commented Aideen from her seat within the carriage. “I didn’t know that kid was someone that important. Thought he was just a distant relative to the Duchess or so.”

“He technically is. Jonas is a… grand-nephew to Duchess Manuela Olesun,” answered Sandra with a smile, clearly not the first time she made this sort of explanation to others. “He just happens to be the old bat’s favorite bootlicker, and her personal healer.”

“The boy was always an insufferable prick even before,” added Pedro, who apparently personally knew the noble in question when he was younger. “Then he went and awakened his magic and immediately kissed the old hag’s wrinkly ass with all his might.”

“I’m sure you know that you can somewhat alleviate the ails of old age with healing magic, don’t you?” he then asked, to which Aideen answered with a nod, all too familiar with the idea. “The brat specialized that way and just licked his great-aunt’s arse all day long. In return, that hag who’s long overdue for a meeting with the soultaker spoiled him rotten, which is how you ran into him and all his attitude.”

“Glad to see I didn’t kick the wrong dog then,” replied Aideen with a smirk of her own. The young noble’s attitude back then was one reason for her loathing and why she crippled him so badly. “Though with that sort of attitude I’m honestly surprised nobody stabbed him yet.”

“Perks of being the apple in the Duchess’ eye I guess,” replied Pedro with a shrug. “Either way, it’s an extra grudge for the old hag to hold over our house, and that hag sure knows how to hold a grudge, to say the least.”

“You all seemed rather nonchalant about that, now that you mention it,” noted Aideen.

“It’s like, just another grudge on the pile that’s built up since grandpa’s day is all,” said Sandra with a giggle. “And the old hag tends to be emotional and does dumb things over them, so they’re actually to our advantage in many ways.”

“More concerning is that prick being part of the unburdened,” said Pedro after his sister said her piece. “I lived near the capital from time to time when I was younger. That prick Jonas was part of a clique where the other young heirs of the central duchies gathered together. If he’s part of the unburdened it wouldn’t be odd for the others to either join as well, or at least support the guild. They do things together like that.”

“So the guild would likely have more influence in the capital than expected,” said Aideen as she completed his unsaid thoughts. “Nothing too unexpected I guess.”

“You might want to disguise yourself, or otherwise keep your forays to a lesser degree, though,” said Sandra in turn with some concern on her face. “You are rather… recognizable around here, Miss deVreys, and I wouldn’t put it past the unburdened to send some of their goons after you if you happened to be out and about on your own.”

“Eh. That’s not exactly something that I’m worried about,” replied Aideen rather nonchalantly with a shrug. If they were to send out goons after her she’d just return them as cripples to make an example and intimidate others who answered to the guild. Such an act would also keep the unburdened busy with treating those goons, or else they would out themselves as horrible employers. Either case would be a win for her anyway. “In fact, I would be disappointed if they don’t do that more often.”

“Hah! I like your feistiness, Miss deVreys!” said the old knight from outside their carriage with a bark of laughter. “If I were fifty years younger I’d probably consider pursuing you, even! That said, given how well you fought today… I do indeed pity any thugs that crossed your path. I know I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes.”