Elliot fell silent.
Were all these people from the Rose Cross mad?
They dared to send someone to sound him out on the strength of a mere suspicion. If he were just an ordinary noble, how likely was he to agree with these ideas?
It was practically an insane gamble.
But-
"-Tell me more," Vanessa said quietly.
Lillian blinked, and that familiar smile returned to her face as she chewed her apple.
By the time Vanessa walked out of the hotel, she was in something of a daze.
It was already noon. Without realizing it, she had spent much of the morning talking.
Lillian-she had actually joined such a radical organization?
Thinking back on what she had said, Vanessa still could not help shuddering inwardly.
Lillian had spoken at length about the Rose Cross's ideals, as well as many of their deeds.
This secret society called the Rose Cross centered on aiding the poor and organizing resistance among the lower classes. It had already launched numerous riots that swept through various regions.
New Scandinavia was one of the Empire's most prosperous cities. It was among the wealthiest and most peaceful places in the Empire, an "oasis" where order remained relatively stable.
But in the more distant, more expansive heartlands and border regions of the Empire, the Rose Cross's activities were already in full swing.
Wherever there was oppression, there would be resistance. Since the Empire fueled its advance with the flesh and blood of the poor, the rise of the Rose Cross was inevitable.
Controlling Vanessa, Elliot patiently asked about many details and discovered that these people did indeed have an effective system for organizing, agitation, and action.
No wonder they had approached him, someone who had been caught up in a riot.
It was just that-
They seemed to