@deflectric yeah there's a bit of economic and political shit going on
From what I understand the country with alchemy that the book takes place in is more of a city-state which like I mentioned was held up by the religious order that trained alchemists (who maintained it was a gift from a god) and the Guilds that exploited it for economic trade. There's a few other countries mentioned like the MC's which I think is like a coastal pastoral country (though her parents were a pharmacist and apothecary), a war mongering country, and a third one I can't remember well but was just noted as not trading with the alchemy country which is leading to a grain shortage.
So there's a little going on.
Someone just got assassinated even though they're Undying which leads to two questions - how do you kill supposedly immortal people and I guess the resistance isn't all dead like we're told ;)