[He accepts the uniform back, checking over Blanche's work with an appreciative nod.]

Thanks.

[And with that he'll slip it back on, listening as she continues.]

That's my thought. Some group paid them to do this so it'll be harder for it to be traced back to them specifically. The more difficult it is for us to find them, the more they feel they can get away with.

[And given how brazen this attack was with so little regard for life... Well, it's likely this isn't the last they've seen of this incident. It'll probably be even worse next time, once they're aware Blanche survived.]

Given the power, money, and influence that would be needed, a noble family would be the likely culprit. But there's no sense in trying to figure out which one it could be just yet; if we start suspecting the wrong one, it'll just make things worse.

[Relations with noble families are exceptionally important, as little as Alaric likes to admit it. They can't simply be destroyed at will. Many of those families play an integral role in the kingdom, after all.]

For now, let's seek out that mage and see what we can learn.