Chapter 733 (2/2)

So although he only sustained minor injuries—to be exact, he bumped the corner of his mouth because he was in a frenzied and panicky state—he still sought the help of a priest to use an advanced healing spell. He even wrapped himself up like a mummy with the finest grade of bandages, as if by doing so, he could find peace of mind.

At the same time, he increased the number of guards at his abode by five times. It was really to the point of meeting a guard after every ten steps and a sentry after every five. As for his own room, there were close to a hundred soldiers taking turns to stand guard. There were four experienced adventurers to lead the teams to ensure that regardless of what the circumstances were, they could react in a timely manner and absolutely not give any assassinator the chance to get close.

After he was done with all these arrangements, he could finally put his heart at ease. He felt that he was safe again.

After ensuring that safety was in place, this earl, who was one of the greatest leaders of the Commonwealth of Gold Coins, could not help feeling his rage heighten.

Exactly who was it? Who was the one who sent those assassins? Who on earth would want him dead?

However, after some careful consideration, he realized that there was quite a handful of possibilities.

As one of the most powerful aristocrats of the Commonwealth of Gold Coins, naturally, he would have made many enemies. Some were old rivals that he fought with all year round. Some were people who had once suffered at his hands and wanted revenge, and also… all in all, there were too many that it was impossible to count.

He thought for a long time, but still, he could not find a reliable answer. So he could only summon all his aides and staff.

The truth was, he did not really want to seek anyone’s help to figure this out. The previous night’s assassination attempt left him with a sense of insecurity. He was reluctant to discuss matters concerning life and death with outsiders—even if they were staff members that he had relatively trusted more.

But his wisdom was limited, and he simply could not come up with anything good. So he had to give up on the intention of being fully self-reliant.

After his staff had heard about the entire matter and after looking for the guards to learn more about the details of the situation, the first judgment they came up with was that the assassins were likely from within the aristocratic party. Or in other words, they might have come from the central aristocrats.

After hearing this speculation, the earl did not express his agreement or objection. He merely made a “hmm” sound through his nose and then looked to the other staff members.

One person’s consideration might not be comprehensive enough. With more people, the plan would be more thorough and comprehensive. He wanted to listen to the thoughts of the other staff members.

“I don’t think they were sent by the two marquises,” said another aide. This portly man apparently had a different take. He stroked his neatly-trimmed mustache and said, “Currently, it’s the period of confrontation between the aristocratic party and merchant party. At this point in time, we absolutely cannot be in a mess among ourselves. Even if the two marquises can’t seem to understand this, their men would remind them. So by right, the assassins would not have been sent by them.”

“You mean to say that they might be sent by the merchant party?” asked another staff member whose eyes lit up. This was a relatively young man who had not even grown a beard yet. The portly aide shook his head and replied, “Following the course of events, the merchant party would not have sent assassins too. Now with everyone safe and sound, it’s good for all. On the contrary… What benefits could they possibly get from assassinating our Lord?”

Everyone fell into deep thought.

The people who could become aides were all relatively smart. If the portly aide could think of something like that, the other staff members would naturally be able to think of it too. Just like what he had said now; whether it was within the aristocratic party or between the aristocratic party and merchant party, it was necessary to maintain stability. How could anyone take advantage of the current situation to stir up trouble, even to the extent of creating unrest among themselves?

This made no sense at all!

Amidst the silence, a scrawny aide was first to speak up in a cold voice and said, “Even if we can’t locate the source of the assassins, we can’t let our lord suffer this shock in vain!”

Every staff member present turned to look at him as they awaited his explanation.

“No matter where the assassins come from, we can take a firm stand and insist that they are from the capital,” the scrawny staff said. His eyes were shining as he added, “In short, we should gain something for ourselves before saying anything more!”