The moment the news about Emma Gable reached the chamber, the brief atmosphere of panic and confusion surrounding the Revolutionist attack dissolved almost instantly. The Lords settled back into their seats. Faces hardened again. Eyes sharpened.
Politics resumed.
Layl hated how quickly they adapted.
Lord Kingsley Amberose had recovered from his earlier panic. His wife was safe—or so the messengers claimed. His composure had returned, polished and sharp, like a blade being withdrawn from its sheath.
Now they were already preparing their next attacks against Alaric Dukker.
The Speaker of the Council tapped her gavel once against the table.
The chamber quieted.
"We will resume the proceedings," she declared calmly. "Lord Dukker, further questions remain regarding the alleged Nordhelm invasion and the events leading to that attack on Blackhaven."
Alaric inclined his head slightly.
"Of course."
Layl studied him quietly.
Still calm.
Still composed.
Honestly, it was unsettling.
Most people cracked eventually inside this chamber. The pressure alone was enough to make seasoned commanders sweat through their uniforms.
But Alaric stood there like a man enduring mildly unpleasant weather.
Lord Ezra Nova leaned forward first.
"Lord Dukker," he began smoothly, "did you possess prior knowledge regarding hostile operatives within your regional capital before the attack on Blackhaven?"
"No," Alaric answered immediately.
Nova's eyes narrowed.
"You deny any awareness?"
"I do."
Lord Rivas Oberoi interjected.
"And yet your territory experienced multiple irregular incidents before the invasion itself."
Layl already knew where this was going. The opposition Lords were constructing a chain.
Incident.
Negligence.
Connection.
Conspiracy.
Classic political prosecution.
Lord Amberose turned toward the Inquisitors.
"Inquisitors. The Sapphire Salamander incident. Provide your physical findings."
Layl nodded once toward Dmitri.
He stepped forward lazily, hands tucked into his coat.
"Four months before the invasion attempt," he said, "an Apex Beast identified as a Sapphire Salamander emerged near Blackhaven and breached the city, attacking the eastern district."
Murmurs spread immediately.
Yulan continued seamlessly.
"Witness reports consistently state the creature tore through multiple streets before being stopped and Slain by the late Roric Thorne and Commander of the Blackwood knights Sir Eddie Gable."
Lord Amberose looked toward Alaric.
"You confirm this?"
"Yes," Alaric replied.
Lord Barak Wunvella frowned.
"Then how," he asked slowly, "was a creature of that level operating within your territory without your immediate awareness?"
Alaric moved his hands frombehind him folded his hands on his chest calmly.
"I was aware of the creature."
The chamber quieted slightly.
"My son," Alaric continued, "was still learning Flow Perception at the time. During one of his exercises, he accidentally perceived the creature's presence on the city outskirts and reported it to me."
Layl noticed several Lords exchange glances.
Accidentally perceived an Apex Beast?
That alone was absurd. They still didn't believe the boy had actually fought an Apex beast and Flow Perception was a technique that took years to master. One couldn't just 'accidentally' percieve things.
"I immediately mobilized regional Knights," Alaric said, "and coordinated alongside the late Roric Thorne to track and eliminate the creature."
At the mention of Roric, the chamber shifted again.
The dead still carried weight.
Lord Heidi Dahl spoke next.
"Based on what the reports said, wasn't your son severely injured during that operation?"
Alaric nodded once.
"He was."
"How severely?" she pressed, her voice laced with concern despite herself.
Alaric answered without hesitation.
"He was impaled through the chest."
Silence slammed into the chamber. Several Lords visibly recoiled.
Even Layl felt her stomach twist slightly.
Lord Christos Vancross blinked.
"…Excuse me?"
"Impaled," Alaric repeated calmly. "Directly through the thoracic cavity."
"That should have killed him on the spot," Ki Lin Feng said immediately.
"It nearly did."
"Then how is the child alive?" Gide Baiden demanded.
Alaric's expression remained unreadable.
"My son possesses exceptional regenerative abilities."
That caused another wave of murmuring.
Disbelief.
Suspicion.
Curiosity.
Lord Asher Cavendish scoffed openly.
"Convenient."
Layl immediately disliked his tone.
"A child with monstrous healing abilities," Cavendish continued, "who perceives hidden Apex Beasts beneath cities. Fascinating."
Then she leaned forward slightly.
"Perhaps Lord Dukker would be willing to demonstrate these abilities for the Council?"
The chamber temperature dropped instantly. Alaric slowly looked at her.
Not angry.
Not hostile.
Which somehow felt worse.
"You wish to injure my son?" he asked quietly.
Cavendish immediately stiffened.
"That—that is not what I meant."
"Then choose your words carefully."
The Lord visibly shrank back slightly. Layl almost smiled.
Another Lord quickly redirected the discussion before the atmosphere worsened.
"Setting the child aside," Lord Rivas Oberoi said smoothly, "was the Salamander connected to the invasion force?"
Alaric exhaled softly.
"I cannot confirm it definitively."
"But?" Amberose prompted.
"But reports from both Roric Thorne and my Knight Commander Eddie Gable suggested the creature was abnormal compared to standard Apex Beasts."
That was Layl's cue.
Amberose nodded toward the Inquisitors again.
"Inquisitor Dmitrius..."
Dmitri produced the vail he was removing from his coat pocket. It's dark contents glittered in the chambers light like trapped stardust. Yulan stepped beside him holding a second vial. Inside sloshed a few drops of thick black liquid.
"Due to the time elapsed since the Sapphire Salamander incident, viable samples from the creature itself could not be recovered." Dmitri began.
Yulan took over immediately.
"However, we recovered traces of this substance from forest regions where it is believed Roric Thorne encountered unidentified hostile elements prior to the invasion."
She gently raised and shook her vial.
The black ooze clung unnaturally to the glass. The chamber grew quieter. Layl noticed several Lords subtly leaning back.
Instinct.
Even mild corruption triggered primal discomfort. Yulan's voice sharpened slightly.
"Our investigation found similarities between this substance and the illegal narcotic known as 'Black Dandy' currently circulating through black markets around the world." She gestured towards the vial Dmitri was holding.
That immediately caused louder murmurs.
Black Dandy was infamous.
Cheap. Addictive. Dangerous.
Popular among desperate civilians.
"The difference," Yulan continued, "is that Black Dandy appears refined and diluted for narcotic consumption."
She lifted the vial slightly higher and the black ooze pulsed.
"This appears to be the raw form."
Dmitri nodded.
"And its corruption concentration is significantly stronger."
The reaction was immediate.
The reaction was immediate.
"What?"
"Impossible…"
"Raw corruption?"
"This is serious.."
Lord Ezra Nova's eyes sharpened instantly.
Then Layl saw it.
The pivot.
The exact moment politics devoured evidence. Nova rose slowly.
"Then the conclusion seems obvious."
Layl internally groaned.
'Here we go.'
"So the invaders were using this substance. Perhaps to control beasts. Perhaps to create weapons. Which raises an interesting question. If Lord Dukker possessed access to this substance," Nova continued,
"He could theoretically cultivate corrupted Beasts of high ranks within the forests surrounding Blackhaven. No?"
Lord Ki Lin Feng folded her arms.
"A failed weaponization attempt."
Alaric's expression did not change.
"That is speculation."
"It is a theory."
"It is an accusation without evidence."
Several opposition Lords immediately seized the opening and the chamber erupted into overlapping voices.
"The invasion force loses control…"
"The corrupted operatives become unstable…"
"The Salamander attacks the city prematurely…"
Layl felt disgust crawl up her spine. They weren't investigating anymore. They were improvising narratives.
Lord Christos Vancross rose.
"This is absurd. Based on the timeline we knowLord Dukker was at the Council during that period. He could not have coordinated such a scheme."
Lord Rivas Oberoi smiled faintly and waved a hand.
Rivas Oberoi smiled faintly.
"Artifacts exist for long-distance communication my dear."
"He could also utilize intermediaries. His Knight Commander, perhaps. Or even the late Hunter Chief." Lord Asher Cavendish added quickly.
Layl's stomach turned.
'Disgusting.'
Absolutely disgusting.
Minutes ago they were invoking Roric's death sympathetically to strengthen accusations against Alaric. Now they were willing to paint the dead man as a traitor if it proved more politically useful.
Layl clenched her jaw tightly.
And unknowingly—
At the back of the chamber—
Gyan was thinking the exact same thing.
One allied Lord finally snapped.
"You people have no shame." Lord Yleni Sinclair stood up.
"Oh?" Lord Ezra raised an eyebrow.
"You invoke the dead however it benefits your arguments."
"Politics requires pragmatism," Nova replied coldly.
"You cannot have it both ways Nova. Either Roric Thorne was complicit, or he was a victim. You are twisting his memory to serve your narrative." Lord Schnieder Osei added.
"A bold accusation Schnieder perhaps we should..."
The chamber erupted again. Voices overlapped violently.
Accusations. Insults. Counterarguments.
Layl felt a headache forming.
Then—
"Enough."
Alaric's voice cut through the chamber effortlessly.
Not loud but absolute.
The chamber fell silent. Alaric glanced at the Lords, pausing on each individual face for a second before moving on to the next as he spoke.
"I was not aware of the factors leading to the attack that night," he said calmly.
" I asked Roric Thorne to investigate the irregularities within the surrounding area in my stead."
His gaze lowered slightly.
"He discovered something."
Layl noticed it then. The smallest flicker of regret.
"Unfortunately," Alaric continued, "the attack occurred before he could reveal it fully."
Silence lingered.
Then Lord Gide Baiden spoke coldly.
"Does that not simply make you incompetent?"
Layl's eyes narrowed instantly at the cheap provocation but Alaric surprised her with his response.
"Perhaps it does," he admitted calmly.
That answer visibly caught several Lords off guard.
Alaric continued:
"People died under my authority. My best friend died under my authority. My wife could have died under my authority. The corruption could have spread under my authority. If ony I had been there...but no, I wasn't. No explanation, no excuse changes that."
His voice remained level.
"I carry that guilt. Every day."
The chamber quieted again.
"So yes," Alaric said softly, "perhaps I was incompetent."
Layl saw Gide's expression tighten slightly.
"And that," Alaric finished, "is why I intend to spend the rest of my life to make up for the lives that were lost."
That landed harder than any denial could have.
Even Layl felt it.
Because unlike most politicians in this chamber—
This man sounded sincere.
The discussion shifted afterward.
Naturally.
Toward Roric Thorne's daughter.
Jamie.
"What becomes of the child?" one Lord asked.
"Her guardianship status must be clarified."
"Yes and she does have unusual origins based on the information I have..."
Layl's irritation finally boiled over.
"Are we seriously discussing the girl right now?" she snapped.
The chamber turned sharply toward her.
Layl stepped forward slightly.
"Is this even within the scope of these proceedings?"
Yulan quietly grabbed her wrist.
Layl shook it off.
Several Lords immediately frowned.
"You forget yourself, Inquisitor," Nova said coldly.
"You are present merely to provide investigative context," Cavendish added with contempt.
"Nothing more." Lord Barak Wunvella sneered openly.
"Outside of that," Lord Baiden added, "you serve no purpose."
"Know your place, girl." Lord Ki Lin Feng said.
Layl saw red.
The Inquisition had authority over every noble in this room.
Every. Single. One.
If she invoked Formal Investigative Review, she could drag half these people into months of scrutiny. And honestly?
She was tempted. If investigations showed that any of them were infact innocent she would be the one to face the repercussions. But she was still tenpted to pull the trigger because she knew—knew—she would find dirt eventually.
Corruption.
Bribes.
Illegal dealings.
Nobody in politics stayed clean forever.
Dmitri quietly touched her shoulder.
"Don't," he muttered softly.
Layl's breathing slowed slightly.
Then—
Her eyes met Gyan's.
The assistant stood motionless at the back of the chamber.
Watching.
Those horrifying calm crimson eyes studied the Lords one by one thenher gaze met Layl's and Gyan gave the tiniest shake of her head.
Layl hesitated.
Then reluctantly stepped back.
More murmurs spread.
"The Inquisition grows arrogant…"
"They need tighter restraints…"
Layl ignored them before she actually committed a felony.
The questioning resumed.
"Who was the girl's mother?" Ki Lin Feng asked suddenly.
Alaric's expression flickered.
It was brief—barely a heartbeat. But Layl saw it.
Fear.
Not the fear of a man caught in a lie. Something else.
"Lord Dukker?" Amberose prompted.
Alaric recovered instantly and stepped forward slowly.
"I believe," he said calmly, "that these proceedings have gone on long enough."
No one interrupted him.
He looked toward the Speaker directly.
"I have answered the accusations against me."
He began counting them calmly.
"Treason."
"Taxation malpractice"
"Murder."
"Collusion with Nordhelm and Conspiracy regarding the invasion."
"One by one, those accusations failed."
The chamber remained silent.
"However," Alaric continued, "I am guilty of negligence."
Layl noticed several Lords stiffen.
"I failed to uncover the threat before Blackhaven was attacked."
His voice remained steady.
"And people died because of it. Despite everything I still did break TATC rule six and left my seat without official leave."
Then he looked directly toward the Speaker.
"So I ask this Council."
His eyes sharpened slightly.
"What is your verdict?"
The Speaker studied him carefully then slowly looked across the chamber.
Layl followed her gaze.
Some Lords wanted blood. Some wanted compromise. Some simply looked exhausted.
The Speaker inhaled slowly.
She raised her gavel.
"Lord Alaric Auro Dukker, on the charges presented before this Council—"
Layl barely heard the rest.
Because her mind was still stuck on that tiny moment.
That flicker.
That fear.
For the first time since entering this chamber—
Layl truly wondered if Alaric Dukker was hiding something after all.