The Council Chamber had not grown warmer.
Not physically.
It remained enormous—black marble walls stretching upward beneath the gold-veined dome of the Privy Council, banners of the sixteen regions hanging motionless in the stale air. But the moment she entered beside Dmitri and Yulan, it felt suffocating.
Because every person here wanted something.
Power.
Influence.
Advantage.
Leverage.
Layl hated rooms like this.
The three Inquisitors stood near the center of the chamber beneath the crest of Aerthos while the Lords observed them from their elevated seats like vultures studying fresh meat.
Lord Kingsley Amberose rose slowly.
"Inquisitor Layl Al'Zharani. Inquisitor Dmitrius Lesley. Inquisitor Pei Yulan."
His voice remained smooth and composed.
"You three were assigned to investigate the matter regarding Lord Alaric Dukker and the alleged invasion attempt. You provided reports on your findings but the Council requests your direct testimony."
Layl kept her face neutral.
'Requests my ass.'
This had been intentional from the start.
Yes, they had submitted a report to Lord Alaric. But not the full report because procedure demanded it. A suspect was not entitled to unrestricted investigative intelligence. Certain classified details had been withheld and reserved for the official submission sent directly to the Council. Meaning the Lords now possessed information Alaric technically did not.
Which also meant—
'They planned to corner him using information asymmetry.'
Layl resisted the urge to sigh. Typical politicians.
She looked across the chamber slowly.
Some Lords watched carefully.
Some looked smug.
Some looked exhausted.
Most looked self-important.
'I really hate working with these power-hungry old bats.'
Half of them probably cared more about political victories than the actual wellbeing of Aerthos.
And honestly?
She would not even be surprised if one or two were secretly in contact with Nordhelm already.
The thought alone irritated her.
Her gaze drifted toward the attendants standing behind the semicircle of Lords.
And stopped.
Gyan stood perfectly still.
Hands folded neatly before her.
Expression blank.
Silent.
Watching.
Layl suppressed a shiver.
Alaric Dukker's personal assistant creeped her out more than most criminals she had interrogated. Especially the way she looked at people.
It felt wrong.
Like being examined by something pretending to be human.
'Spider.'
That was always the word Layl's brain produced whenever she saw her. A beautiful spider paralyzing her prey with a glare from her eight eyes.
The other attendants beside Gyan were visibly uncomfortable too, though probably for entirely different reasons. Several male aides kept sneaking glances toward her before quickly looking away.
Layl rolled her eyes internally.
'Men truly are hopeless.'
"Inquisitor Layl?"
Amberose's voice snapped her attention back.
She straightened immediately.
"Yes, Lord Amberose."
"We would like you to summarize your investigation regarding Lord Dukker's alleged dealings with Nordhelm."
Before Layl could answer—
RUMBLE.
The chamber trembled faintly.
Everyone paused.
The chamber trembled faintly.
Everyone paused.
Another explosion echoed distantly through the city.
Then another.
Murmurs spread immediately across the chamber.
"What was that?"
"An attack?"
Lord Barak Wunvella frowned heavily while Ki Lin Feng narrowed her eyes toward the chamber doors. A moment later they burst open. A breathless messenger rushed inside.
"My Lords!" she exclaimed urgently.
"The Central Market is under attack!"
The chamber erupted.
"What?!"
"By whom?"
"How severe?"
"The Revolutionists!" the messenger answered quickly. "They've launched coordinated attacks throughout the marketing district!"
Layl's expression darkened instantly.
'Those idiots chose today of all days?'
Lord Alaric spoke before anyone else.
"Have the Knights been deployed?"
Layl glanced toward him briefly.
Calm.
Still calm.
Honestly, Lord Alaric confused her sometimes.
Not every Lord would allow Inquisitors to stay within their own estate during investigations. Most treated them like pests.
Alaric had simply offered rooms without complaint. Even when she attempted to provoke him on the day of their departure he only gave a warning without doing anything. Though that was all due to her pressing to hard on a fresh wound so technically it would be her fault if he did.
Of course—that could also be manipulation.
Layl was not naïve enough to ignore the possibility.
The messenger bowed quickly.
"Yes, Lord Dukker, but the Revolutionists blocked several entrances into the market district. The Knights are struggling to establish control."
"And why," he demanded irritably, "are you informing us of this now?"
The messenger blinked.
"M-my Lord?"
"Can you not see," Amberose continued, spreading his hands dramatically, "that the Council is currently engaged in extremely important proceedings?"
Layl stared.
Several opposition Lords immediately joined in.
"Indeed," Lord Ezra Nova scoffed.
"Convenient timing," Lord Rivas Oberoi added smoothly.
Lord Ki Lin Feng folded her arms.
"One might suspect deliberate interference."
Lord Asher Cavendish nodded faintly.
"How fortunate that this disruption occurs at a time that benefits Lord Dukker specifically." she said sarcastically.
Layl felt Dmitri subtly leaning closer from her right side.
"You know," he whispered quietly, "they do realize nobody is buying this performance, right?"
Yulan leaned in from Layl's left.
"Should we leave?" she whispered. "We technically answer to the Inquisition, not these fossils."
Layl elbowed both of them lightly without moving her face.
"Be serious."
"Yes ma'am," Dmitri muttered immediately.
Yulan snorted quietly.
The messenger hesitated nervously.
"T-there's more."
Amberose frowned impatiently.
"What now?"
"Lady Araba Amberose was reportedly seen entering the market earlier today… alongside your son Kingley II."
Layl watched Kingsley Amberose undergo the most dramatic personality shift she had ever witnessed in real time.
The man practically transformed.
"What?!" Amberose shouted.
He stood so quickly his chair nearly tipped over.
"My wife is there?!"
The Lords around him blinked in confusion.
Moments ago he had been irritated.
Now he looked ready to personally sprint to the market himself.
"Why is nothing being done you bafoon?!" Amberose barked furiously.
The poor messenger nearly jumped.
"We—we are trying, my Lord!"
"Trying? TRYING?!" Amberose repeated. "That district is under attack!"
Layl had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing.
The transition was absurdly fast.
Even the opposition Lords looked confused.
Rivas slowly blinked.
Lin Feng looked mildly offended by the inconsistency.
Dmitri leaned toward Layl again.
"That might be the fastest ideological reversal I've ever seen."
"Shut up," Layl whispered.
The messenger looked toward Alaric next.
"And… Lord Dukker's two wards were also seen accompanying them."
That drew another ripple through the chamber.
Layl immediately glanced toward Alaric expecting concern.
Panic.
Alarm.
Anything.
Instead—
The man smiled.
Not smugly.
Almost amused.
"Then there is nothing to worry about," he said calmly.
Several Lords stared at him.
Amberose looked outright offended.
"Nothing to worry about?" he repeated. "Your family is caught within a Revolutionist attack! Don't you care?"
Alaric nodded once.
"It is not that I do not care."
"Then why are you smiling?" Gide Baiden demanded.
"Because the children are extremely capable in scenarios like this."
Layl blinked.
Children?
Capable?
Alaric leaned back slightly.
"To be honest, their potential frightens even me sometimes."
The chamber fell quieter.
Then Alaric casually added:
"Imagine my surprise when they entered a Node and hunted not one but two Apex Beasts."
Silence.
"…What?" Christos Vancross asked slowly.
"And managed to kill one," Alaric finished.
The chamber exploded into murmurs.
"That's impossible."
"Acolytes?"
"Nonsense."
Ki Lin Feng outright frowned.
"You should not fabricate ridiculous stories during official proceedings, Lord Dukker. Surely you don't expect us to believe that two Acolyte children killed an Apex beast."
Alaric looked toward her calmly.
"Have I ever lied to this Council?"
That shut the chamber up immediately.
Layl realized something uncomfortable then.
The answer truly was no.
Alaric Dukker had many accusations surrounding him.
Cruel.
Ruthless.
Dangerous.
But not dishonest.
The man never lied to the Council.
Not once.
Which somehow made the statement even more absurd.
Murmurs still spread despite the silence.
Because the implication was insane.
Acolytes killing an Apex Beast?
Layl exchanged glances with Yulan.
"You believe that?" Yulan whispered.
Layl hesitated.
"…Unfortunately yes."
On the day of their departure she had seen the two children training outside with Eddie Gable. Especially thatgirl. She had...she had this look in her eyes, a stillness that seemed capable of swallowing everything she gazed upon.
A shiver ran down Layls back.
Another distant explosion echoed.
Then another.
But this time—
Farther away.
Layl frowned slightly.
The sounds were receding.
Something had changed.
Another messenger rushed into the chamber moments later.
"My Lords!"
The chamber turned again.
"The situation at Central Market is being brought under control!"
Several Lords visibly relaxed.
"What happened?" Schneider Osei asked.
"How?" Heidi Dahl added calmly.
The messenger swallowed.
"Royal Enforcer Seventh Division Captain Emma Gable has arrived on scene."
Layl froze.
Her heart skipped violently.
'Emma?'
For a split second her mind went completely blank.
'Emma is here?'
She thought the seventh division was still stationed along the southern border.
Beside her, Dmitri turned slightly then grinned.
"Oh no."
Yulan's eyes widened mischievously.
"Oh no indeed."
Layl immediately knew what was coming.
"You're blushing," Dmitri whispered.
"I am not."
"You absolutely are," Yulan added helpfully.
"As red as an over ripe tomato," Dmitri confirmed.
"Should we excuse ourselves?" Yulan asked innocently. "Clearly our dear Layl is dying to go meet her long lost lo-."
Layl elbowed both of them hard enough to shut them up immediately.
Dmitri wheezed quietly.
Yulan almost lost her balance.
Layl regained composure instantly.
Externally.
Internally—
'WHY IS EMMA HERE?!'
Across the chamber, Alaric nodded calmly.
"If Emma is present," he said, "then there is no cause for alarm."
The chamber quieted again.
"The matter is already resolved."
Ezra Nova frowned.
"You speak with remarkable confidence."
"Because I trained him," Alaric replied simply.
"You trained Captain Gable?" Lord Barak Wunvella asked.
"During the Kemet conflict," Alaric answered.
"I thought my explouits were common knowledge."
Lord Heidi Dahl smiled faintly.
"That boy was terrifying even as a young recruit. I believe he was fourteen at the time?"
Lord Shirogane Genji, who had remained mostly silent until now, finally spoke.
"Fifteen. He learned quickly."
His voice was calm and measured.
"But Alaric was the one who taught him battlefield efficiency."
Layl suddenly felt much worse for the Revolutionists.
Lord Ki Lin Feng frowned.
"That still does not explain why Lord Dukker seems so eager to conclude these proceedings."
"Because," Alaric replied, "no one wants to spend the entire day trapped in this chamber."
A few Lords looked mildly offended.
"And now," he continued, "the Revolutionists have launched an organized attack within the capital."
His expression sharpened slightly.
"We should perhaps prioritize discussing how to eliminate the insurgency."
Lord Rivas Oberoi leaned back thoughtfully.
"You speak as though the matter has already ended."
Alaric looked directly at him.
"Are you deaf?"
The chamber froze.
Even Layl nearly choked.
Alaric continued calmly.
"I already stated that if Emma Gable is present, the situation is effectively resolved."
A beat passed.
Then he added:
"Unless, of course, the Revolutionists have somehow developed the ability to survive the storm of time."