"We were simply cautious, Aurelius." Maren replied, stepping into the room fully. "The threads of surveillance in the upper layers are tangled. Even our own clerks are being watched."
"A sign that the others suspect something," Kant murmured. "The Warden of Trade's clerks have tripled their inspections. And the Warden of Light just expanded his reach with another unnecessary levy."
Aurelius, the Warden of Law, raised a hand. "And yet they call us dangerous."
Maren's head tilted. "You summoned us, Aurelius. Speak."
Aurelius took a slow breath. "For generations, our houses have been bound by duty. Bound by function. The Law, the Records, the Ledgers. The gears that keep Carthage turning."
He began to walk the perimeter of the platform, each footstep echoing in the thick silence.
"We enforce their rules. We track their numbers. We preserve their history. And in return, what are we given?"
No one answered. Aurelius didn't need them to.
