Roric's final question—whether they should recall the Inquisitors—hung in the air, heavy with the weight of political consequence.
Alaric stared at his friend, his jaw set.
"No, Roric. It would be unwise. We must not involve them, not yet."
"But why, my love? These people have assassinated one of the kingdom's greatest minds, taken his arms and eyes to forge Characteristics for their nefarious business. Surely that warrants an official investigation?"
"It does, my dear," Alaric admitted, leaning back against the firm cushion of the sofa. "But we must think, not react."
To understand why involving the Inquisitors would be a bad idea he first needed to talk about the true nature of the forces that govern Aerthos and to show thier involvement would entail.
"As you know, the kingdom of Aerthos is governed by the Royal Family and the Privy Council, alongside us sixteen Lords who manage the regions. The Hunters, like you Roric, operate outside direct political control, concerned primarily with Beast threats and maintaining the Flow balance. But the government maintains three main task forces, each reporting to a separate arm of the state machine."
Roric listened intently, nodding. He had always been more concerned with the wildlife in the Flow-drenched forests than the subtle power plays in the capital which led him to turn down Alaric's offer to become his aid in ruling the region.
"Firstly," Alaric continued, counting on his fingers, "we have the Inquisitors. They fall under the authority of the legislative body—the Privy Council the various advisory bodies. Their primary function is investigation, accountability, and rooting out corruption. They are tasked with ensuring all protocols are followed and that the laws are applied fairly. Their operations are, by design, obligated to be accountable to the public and the Council. They are the state's eyes, and their investigations are rarely kept secret for long unless circumstances require it."
"Secondly, there the Enforcers. They report directly to the Royal Family and the King. They are the operational arm, tasked with gathering intelligence, rapid deployment, and conducting large-scale operations sometimes abroad that pose significant threats to the Crown. They are pure, efficient muscle, designed to move quickly and decisively without bureaucratic entanglement."
"And finally," Alaric finished, "we have the Punishers. They are under the judiciary arm—the High Court. Their job is the final execution of justice: apprehension, permanent detention, and the ultimate passing of sentence upon criminals who defy the rule of law. They are less about investigation and more about final, surgical action."
He paused, letting the scope of the forces settle.
"Each of these three groups, just like the Hunters, has a Paragon as their head, a Grand Inquisitor, A High Comissioner and Chancellor respectively, who answers only to the King."
"The system is designed with a deliberate internal rivalry," Alaric explained, leaning forward to pour himself more tea.
"It's a necessary check against absolute power. It's a rock-paper-scissors dynamic.The Enforcers are designed to beat the Inquisitors—their quick, executive action can often shut down an Inquisitor investigation deemed politically disruptive or too sensitive, ensuring the smooth running of the state. The Inquisitors, however, have the authority of law, and they beat the Punishers—they can launch oversight investigations into the Punishers' use of force or corruption, holding the judiciary's enforcers accountable."
"And the Punishers," Elara added with a slight, knowing smile, " beat the Enforcers. If the executive becomes too reckless or overreaches, the Punishers have the legal mandate to apprehend or even liquidate the Enforcers in the name of justice. This prevents any group from ever growing powerful enough to stand up as their own unified political force, or from duplicating the same work."
Alaric now turned back to the matter at hand, the reason why recalling the Inquisitors would be a disaster.
"Now, back to our predicament," he said. "The Inquisitors are obligated to be accountable. By all means, word would get out that they are investigating this matter. We can't keep a lid on their movements. Depending on what they find, word will inevitably come out that these former Azure Rose Knights are involved."
Elara nodded, understanding his train of thought perfectly.
"You mean an international incident." She asked. Alaric nodded.
"These men ,even if they are no longer part of that army were still Azure Rose Knights from Nordhelm. Revealing their involvement would force Aerthos to react officially. We are not exactly on friendly terms with Nordhelm right now, and such news could be spun as an act of aggression against a sovereign state."
"I see." Roric said.
"A full-scale Inquisitor investigation would alert the very people we are trying to catch, sending them scurrying back to their patrons in Nordhelm—if they aren't already there. The entire operation would collapse. But," Roric began a counter argument
"The Inquisitors can move in the shadows if the need arises. They have entire cadres dedicated to subtlety and infiltration. Couldn't they be ordered to move about quietly?"
"They could." Elara said.
" But you need to bear in mind that they are still accountable to tye council and the people and so whatever they find will be made public."
" Besides," Alaric continued, "Conditions in the kingdom aren't exactly ideal right now. The King's health is declining, and the other Lords and Nobles are taking advantage of this to pick sides and jockey for position. Everyone is moving their own pieces early to ensure that they benefit from whoever takes the crown next. Besides the Trade Union and Free Guild are trying to overpower each other again."
He put the cup down and leaned back crossing one leg over the other.
"The Inquisitors, the Enforcers, the Punishers, and even you Hunters, alongside other organizations or individuals, are all pawns in this grand game. By all means, there are eyes and ears on any significant movement any of these gears makes. I won't even be surprised if a Lord in the Privy Council has some financial or political ties to Nordhelm and uses this opportunity—an Inquisitor investigation in Blackwood—to elevate themselves by selling out the operation."
Roric considered it. It made sense. The external threat of the killer was now inextricably tangled with the internal rot of the kingdom. But it still didn't answer his question about their next steps.
"As for what we are going to do..." Alaric leaned back on the couch, the silk of his doublet rustling faintly.
"I'm going to try and run it through some pieces of my own and see what comes up, though I doubt we'll find anything, as our opponent has been so meticulously clean."
He smiled, a flicker of genuine warmth returning to his eyes.
"As for the awakened beast you said you couldn't find, don't worry about it. The children, though still weak, are growing steadily. Soon,they'll reach a stage where they can cater for themselves in the face of even an awakened beast. Besides, I'm sure the beast has already moved on; they rarely linger."
Roric sighed, picking up the last piece of bread and taking a bite. Truly, two heads were better than one; all that thinking on his own had only led him in circles and self-blame. Now, he could ease up even a bit. He looked outside the window and saw three young figures on the distant training grounds: Elias coming to stand between Lyle and Aina in an attempt to placate them. His eyes lingered on Lyle for a bit before turning back to Alaric and Elara.
"You mentioned skirmishes between the Guild and the Union about prices, Alaric," Roric said, his voice returning to the analytical neutrality of a seasoned Hunter. "Could you tell me more?"