The court mage quietly nodded with a sigh.

"Angroron and any other matters related to Orodrunn," she said, placing one of the books on the desk and opening it. "It's clear to me that the attempt on the Princess's life was a cover for the theft of the shard... though judging by the information we received I don't believe the conspirators knew that. At least, not the one who survived."

She sighed again. Neither of the Nem had been told anything, aside from who to target and what would happen if the assassination failed. The mage who survived the raid seemed adamant that it had been done to rip the country down and rebuild it. And yet something didn't seem right to the court mage. The fact that there simply had been no other acts against the crown, even though the conspiracy had been so brazen prior. This seemed to indicate that they'd been annihilated, but why were they so small? And why had the struck on the same night as the theft of the shard?

It all seemed to fit together far too well to Bethany.

"But if someone is trying to gather the shards of Angroron, we need to have some idea of what they're attempting to do," the brunette mage continued, "It's not possible to reforge the sword, as it was created by Orodrunn himself and broken by a Saint empowered by the godesses. But the shards themselves hold enough darkness in them that surely they can achieve something..."

Bethany frowned deeply to herself. But what? Hopefully her research would shed some light on the matter, but in any case she was glad that her second meeting with one of the magi among the Roses was in a less crowded atmosphere with a subject she could deal far more easily with.

It was only a few moments later that the mage noticed the maid lingering nearby and staring directly at her chest. Blushing, she reflexively covered herself.

Alaree's response was immediate.

"I wasn't looking! At all!"

With that, the pigtailed maid was off, likely to avoid being chopped on the head with a book again.

[@PKMNB0Y]