Xu Yi frowned slightly and pulled the man to his feet.
"Stop crying for a moment. Tell me what's happening now."
The man wiped his eyes hard several times. It took him a while to regain his composure before he answered between sobs, "P-President. You'd only just left this morning when those people from the Candel Empire... the empire came. They didn't explain anything, just said they were going to seize all our guild's properties. Of course, our people refused and started arguing with them. But they brought so many soldiers that our people couldn't hold them off. After that..."
"After that, everything was seized?" Xu Yi's expression remained calm. "All the shops belonging to our guild? How are the employees? Was anyone hurt?"
"Some of our people were injured by the soldiers because they resisted, but... I don't think anyone was killed."
"As long as no one died." Xu Yi nodded, looking considerably more relieved. "It seems those fellows in the Candel Empire aren't fools after all. They know that even if they steal these things from us, they won't know how to use them. They'll still need our employees."
The man looked pleadingly at Xu Yi. "President, what do we do now?"
Xu Yi pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "Until we understand all the goals and reasons behind the Candel Empire's actions, there isn't much we can do. Your task now is to contact as many of our employees who managed to escape as possible and try to organize them. After that, I'll find a way to send you all back to the Stantin Duchy."
"Yes. But President, I think... our people in the Candel Empire have probably... probably all been arrested by now..."
Xu Yi smiled. *They were only arrested. I nearly died just