As Talulah heard this news, she knew in her heart that something major was about to happen, and she immediately treated the situation with the utmost gravity.
She naturally understood how severe the implications were. She hadn't expected that so soon after driving off the Imperial Strikers, they would be facing new opponents. Moreover, this time, they might not have the advantage they had against the Strikers—where they could significantly counter the source of the enemy's power.
They were likely facing true elites. From the look of it, they were heading into a brutal, uphill battle.
"Why are they looking for Patriot? He left that place so many years ago. Those people must have a reason for seeking him out, right?"
While Talulah questioned the other, Jeanne felt that even though this matter hadn't directly targeted her yet, it likely had everything to do with her. The timing was simply too suspicious; if it weren't related to her, it would be impossible to explain.
The timing was just too perfect. How long had it been since she left Laterano? And now the Sarkaz were already making their move?
"That, I wouldn't know. Perhaps it has something to do with him being the last pure-blooded Wendigo. Regardless, you should head back and talk to that old gentleman; he knows far more about this than you do."
Fiolet waved her hand, indicating she didn't know the specific details. The information she had was merely a tip-off. She wasn't a participant in this scheme; the ones actually involved were the former collaborators who used to surround that Phidia (Kashchey) and a couple of young Emperor's Blades whose loyalty doesn't lie with the Emperor.
Those nobles had been suppressed quite harshly recently by the Emperor's maneuvers. Additionally, with the Emperor recalling part of the forces he could directly control, their power had been throttled to an unprecedented degree. They had never imagined that the "wolf cub" who grew up right under their noses would one day bare his fangs—and even bite them.
But how could nobles, long accustomed to their arrogance, ever compromise with an Emperor who intended to reclaim his power and actually rule the country? They would rather invite foreign enemies in and turn the nation to ash than sit down and have a civil conversation with that "green" youngster.
The Sarkaz had recognized this opportunity and sought out these nobles for a trade. Under the premise of unknown conditions, they secured their assistance. Otherwise, it would be incredibly difficult for these Sarkaz to sneak into Ursus, especially considering these individuals were top-tier experts even among their own kind.
If these Sarkaz had tried to enter Ursus territory on their own without inside help, they would have ended up in a head-on collision with the Ursus Patrol.
"In that case, I wish you both luck. Though, I feel that with this 'Lucky Girl' around, you will probably breeze through this crisis quite easily."
After delivering this news, the Hippogryph walked out of the classroom as elegantly as a bird taking flight.
Talulah, having received this information, didn't stop her from leaving. Instead, she stood there lost in thought, clearly worried about what had been revealed.
"Alright, alright! We should get out of here fast! Otherwise, it won't be fun if someone realizes we aren't students of this university and starts questioning us."
Seeing Talulah's deep contemplation, Jeanne quickly grabbed her and began leading her out of the campus. Did this girl really think it was safe here? Universities were crawling with inspectors, not to mention the security guards hired by the school itself.
Their primary job every day was to ensure no Infected sneaked onto campus to "spread infection" among the students. Their checks were rigorous; even regular students were tested periodically to guarantee the school remained an Infected-free zone.
"Stop pulling my collar! Why do you always grab me there? You've stretched out so many of my clothes pulling me like that..."
Snapping out of it, Talulah realized Jeanne was once again clutching her collar to haul her away and hurriedly tried to stop her. This girl always did this—whenever they needed to move suddenly while Talulah was thinking, she'd grab her collar like one might grab a kitten by the scruff.
Then again, maybe she couldn't actually grab her by the scruff. Talulah wasn't a cat or a bear; she didn't have that much loose skin on the back of her neck for someone to get a grip on.
Issues with clothing aside, the physical discomfort of being dragged was the main concern, which was why she blocked Jeanne's hand.
Still, she didn't linger. She wasn't sure if that "Kashchey" would turn around and report Infected on campus to the inspectors. While it wouldn't be a catastrophic problem, it would definitely add obstacles to their next move. If it were the Kashchey she knew, he definitely would have done exactly that.
Technically, only she was at risk. Jeanne was a non-Infected who had entered the city through legal channels.
"Do you think this is real? Didn't those Sarkaz just suffer a huge loss? Why would they have the energy to come all the way here for the old gentleman?"
After leaving the campus, the two found a decent-looking restaurant. They sat inside, eating and chatting in hushed tones about the situation. Fortunately, no matter how much Ursus persecuted the Infected, they hadn't reached the point where every street-side diner required ID checks, otherwise the two wouldn't have known where to go.
Speaking in a soundproofed room was much better than worrying about "walls having ears" on the street, which was exactly why they chose this place. Hearing Talulah's doubt, Jeanne thought for a moment before replying:
"Didn't you hear from Mudrock? Most of the people who went before were mercenaries. The Regent, Theresis, hadn't sent his main forces out yet."
As for why it was Theresis sending people and not Theresa? Naturally, it was because the messengers were moving under the name of Kazdel. Currently, the only one capable of acting under that name was the Regent; his sister was currently only the leader of Babel.
"Besides, I have a feeling this involves me. And the reason they're looking for Patriot... I bet it'll end up landing on my head sooner or later."
Jeanne's words left Talulah completely bewildered. What do you have to do with Kazdel? Are you saying their reason for finding Patriot is to assassinate a Saintess of Laterano like you?
The messengers were clearly prepared for a confrontation; they were coming with the mindset that if negotiations failed, they would take Patriot back by force. How did that connect to her?
Despite her confusion, Talulah believed her. Jeanne never said things without a reason. Still, she racked her brain trying to figure out the connection. Could it be the ancient enmity between the two races? Did they include her in that?
"I have a feeling that ever since you went on this trip, your social network has turned from a few threads into a giant spiderweb... it makes my head ache just thinking about it."
Talulah pondered for a long time until her "internal CPU" was nearly overloaded, yet she still couldn't make total sense of it. What she did know was that another hard battle was coming. Once they returned, she would have to think long and hard about what preparations were needed.
"How should I put it... the amount of information I got in Laterano was pretty massive. It's not something I can explain in a sentence or two. Plus, I'm worried you might have trouble understanding some of it."
Jeanne didn't tell Talulah the details of her Laterano experience here, because even a soundproofed room wasn't 100% safe. The fewer people who knew these things, the better. They were heading back in a couple of days anyway; it wouldn't be too late to explain then.
"I'm not in a huge rush for that. But why do I get the feeling you were just subtly implying that I'm stupid?"
Talulah didn't press for the explanation. She just stared at Jeanne, waiting to see how she'd explain the "stupid" comment.
"You're just overthinking things! Definitely! We're such good friends, how could I ever say something so insulting? Right?"