TALENT BEYOND LIMIT: Stacking Many Talents

By midmorning, Harlan had abandoned his claim that the confrontation near Tanner’s Lane was an ordinary street dispute.

The magistrate had spent several hours questioning him, comparing his answers with the statements collected from Simon, Mira, the freight cart driver, and a warehouse intermediary. Two clerks recorded the proceedings, while a representative of the Black family observed from the far end of the chamber. The Montclair captain sat beside the magistrate with the testimony arranged before him.

Harlan had initially insisted that he intended only to frighten Simon. He maintained that nobody had expected the confrontation to become dangerous, but the evidence made that explanation difficult to accept.

The cart driver admitted receiving payment to enter the junction at a particular time. The intermediary identified Harlan as the person who arranged the payment, and the two witnesses described men blocking the passage that pedestrians would ordinarily have used to avoid the cart.

The captain placed the statements before Harlan.

”Your account doesn’t explain why you positioned men at the only convenient passage while a loaded freight cart approached from the opposite direction. The driver knew when to enter the junction, and your companions were waiting before Simon arrived. We have enough evidence to establish that the confrontation was planned. What remains unclear is who instructed you to arrange it.”

”I’ve already told the magistrate that I was responsible,” Harlan answered. ”The others are blaming me because they know they’ll be punished if they admit what they did.”

”Then explain where you obtained the money and why the warehouse intermediary believed the family would protect everyone involved. You held no position that entitled you to use those funds independently.”

Harlan looked toward the magistrate, apparently hoping for a different response. The magistrate had listened to enough testimony to know that the captain’s questions were justified.

”If you organized the attack without anyone else’s involvement, the responsibility will remain yours,” he said. ”But concealing the person who instructed you won’t erase the evidence we’ve already collected. I suggest you consider that before continuing.”

Harlan remained silent for some time. When he finally spoke, he asked whether identifying the person responsible would reduce his punishment. The magistrate refused to make any promises.

”Your cooperation will be recorded, but the court must still consider your participation in the attack. You placed two people in considerable danger, and the consequences cannot be determined solely by whether you intended to frighten them.”

Harlan lowered his head. ”It was the martial artist from the main household. He’d been helping with the warehouse disputes, and he said Simon Vale was becoming too comfortable because of his marriage. He wanted someone to remind Simon that the Black family couldn’t protect everyone.”

The captain asked him to identify the man formally. Harlan gave the name of the same Francis true Martial Artist who had obstructed the magistrate’s custody order the previous afternoon. The magistrate instructed a clerk to record the identification before continuing the questioning.

”Did he order you to attack Simon and Mira?”

”He told me to frighten Simon. He didn’t say anything about killing him or his wife. I arranged the cart because I thought it would make the warning clear.”

”Did he know you were preparing a confrontation involving other men?”

”Yes, Magistrate. He knew we were arranging something, although I didn’t explain every detail. He said nobody would make trouble over Simon, and that we wouldn’t have to worry about the Black family afterward.”

The magistrate examined the statement carefully.

”Was that assurance given before you hired the driver and arranged the men?”

”Yes. I wouldn’t have spent the warehouse money without knowing someone would stand behind us.”

The admission connected the attack to someone with the authority and influence to encourage such conduct. It did not establish that the martial artist had personally planned the use of the freight cart, but it showed that Harlan had acted with his knowledge and relied on his promise of protection.

The magistrate questioned Harlan further about the payments and instructions before directing the clerks to complete the record. They read the relevant portions back to him, and Harlan acknowledged the testimony without attempting another denial.

Once the prisoner had been taken away, the magistrate ordered the statements prepared for submission to the higher authorities.

”The evidence supports serious charges,” he told the captain. ”We have an organized assault involving hired men, an attempt to trap two people on a public street, and testimony implicating someone who used his position to protect the offenders. I’ll authorize continued detention while the case proceeds, but the final judgment may require authority beyond my office.”

”That won’t be necessary,” the captain replied. ”Our party carries a commission covering grave offenses established during the protective assignment.”

The magistrate looked at him more carefully. He had examined the visitors’ identification when they first arrived, but their authority to protect designated persons and request local cooperation did not ordinarily extend to passing criminal judgments.

The captain opened his document case and produced a folded commission bearing two seals. The first belonged to the Montclair collateral household. The second carried the authorization of the state administration.

The magistrate unfolded the document and began reading. Its initial provisions were familiar. The guards could protect the people named in their assignment, detain individuals who posed an immediate danger, and request cooperation from local authorities. They could also suppress armed resistance when necessary to complete their duties.

Then he reached the section concerning judicial authority. His expression changed. He read the paragraph again, more slowly, before examining the government seal and the accompanying authorization number.

The document granted the ranking officer limited authority to issue and enforce immediate judgments for certain grave offenses established during the mission. Those decisions would undergo review afterward rather than requiring prior approval from a higher court.

The magistrate rose from his chair. One of the clerks looked up in surprise, but the magistrate paid him no attention. He had governed Blackwood for years and understood precisely what he was reading.

”This isn’t an ordinary protective commission,” he said. ”You’re authorized to pronounce final judgment for offenses within its scope, including capital punishment.”

”Yes, Magistrate. The authority is restricted to the mission, and every judgment must be supported by a complete record. We cannot exercise it in unrelated disputes.”

The magistrate kept his eyes on the document. ”Who approved this?”

”The authorization was issued through the state administration before our departure. You can verify the commission number and the government seal. A copy will accompany our report when the mission concludes.”

The magistrate knew enough about state documents to recognize an authentic commission. He had no reason to believe the seals were false, and the captain had been carrying the original since arriving in Blackwood. That made the discovery more alarming.

He had expected the visitors to possess influential family backing and considerable martial strength. Instead, they had arrived with delegated powers that could supersede his own jurisdiction in a matter directly concerning their mission.

The implication extended beyond Harlan. If the commission covered the Francis martial artist’s involvement, the captain could impose the most severe punishment without waiting for approval from the authorities to whom the magistrate ordinarily reported.

”Do you intend to exercise that authority here?” he asked.

”The evidence concerning Harlan falls within the commission. I’ll issue judgment after the final record is certified. We must also examine the person who instructed him before concluding the investigation.”

The magistrate remained standing. For years, he had managed the Black and Francis families through careful negotiation, exercising authority when the law required it while avoiding confrontations that might destabilize the town.

The Montclair party had arrived only the previous day. One of its guards had already defeated a Francis true Martial Artist, and the captain now possessed the authority to condemn people whose affairs had previously been managed through local institutions.

A mistake at this stage could bring consequences far beyond the original dispute.

”Captain, I need you to understand my position,” he said. ”Whatever authority the state has delegated to you, these judgments will be carried out in Blackwood. The families involved will remain here after your assignment ends, and my office will have to deal with the consequences. I want every procedural requirement satisfied before you proceed.”

The captain met his gaze. ”That’s reasonable. Your clerks can certify the testimony, and the evidence will remain available for inspection. We’ll provide your office with copies of the judgments and the commission provisions under which they were issued.”

The magistrate looked at the document once more before returning it. He had no authority to revoke the commission, but he intended to ensure that no one could later accuse his office of permitting an unlawful proceeding.

”Then I want the complete record preserved. If anyone challenges these judgments, I expect the reviewing authorities to find that Blackwood’s administration followed the law.”

”You’ll have the record, Magistrate.”

The magistrate resumed his seat, although his attention had shifted considerably from the testimony he had been reviewing earlier.

He was no longer dealing merely with an assault arising from a family dispute. The state had placed extraordinary authority in the hands of visitors who had come to protect the relatives of an eighteen-year-old when the assignment was arranged. That disturbed him more than the strength of the four guards.

Harlan’s judgment was issued later that day. The captain reviewed the established evidence before the assembled officials, including Harlan’s deliberate involvement in a coordinated attack that could have seriously harmed Simon and Mira. His expectation that family influence would protect him was treated as an aggravating circumstance.

Harlan maintained that he had never intended anyone to die. The captain acknowledged the statement but explained that knowingly arranging such a dangerous confrontation carried responsibility beyond the outcome Harlan had hoped to produce.

The commission’s judgment imposed a death sentence. The magistrate had anticipated a severe punishment, but hearing the sentence pronounced without the usual referral to higher authorities still unsettled him. He remained present while the judgment was carried out under guard, without a public gathering. Afterward, he examined the written record before instructing his clerks to prepare the certified copies.

He had witnessed serious criminal proceedings before. What troubled him now was how quickly the authority brought from Ashbourne had reached a conclusion that would ordinarily have required a lengthy process beyond Blackwood.

The matter had taken less than a day. Yet Harlan’s testimony had implicated someone far more important, and the captain intended to address that accusation before completing the mission.

The Montclair party returned to the Francis residence that afternoon. The patriarch received them in the same courtyard where the confrontation had occurred the previous day. The damaged garden edging remained unrepaired, while the injured true Martial Artist sat beneath the veranda with one arm supported against his body. He watched the visitors approach without attempting to rise.

The patriarch had already received notice of Harlan’s judgment. His expression suggested that he understood the seriousness of the visit.

”Have you come concerning the statement Harlan gave during questioning?” he asked.

”Yes. He identified the person who encouraged the attack against Simon Vale and assured the participants that Francis would protect them afterward. His testimony implicates your martial artist.”

The patriarch turned toward the injured man. ”Is that true?”

The martial artist hesitated.

”I told Harlan to put pressure on Simon. The man had become too confident because he’d married into Black, and I wanted him reminded of his position. I didn’t tell anyone to arrange a freight cart, and I never ordered anyone killed.”

The captain produced the relevant testimony.

”Harlan says you knew preparations were underway and promised that nobody would face consequences afterward. He relied on that assurance to obtain assistance and pay the people involved. Do you deny giving it?”

The man looked toward the patriarch, who was waiting for an answer.

”No. I told him we wouldn’t abandon our people over an argument with Simon Vale. I expected them to frighten him, perhaps rough him up. I didn’t know they’d arrange something that dangerous.”

The patriarch’s face hardened. For months, Francis had benefited from the man’s aggressive involvement in commercial disputes. Merchants had become more willing to compromise, and the Black family had grown cautious whenever his name appeared.

The patriarch had allowed that conduct because the results strengthened the household. Now the same behavior had brought the state administration’s attention directly to Francis.

”You were given authority because your cultivation could protect the family,” the patriarch said. ”Instead, you used that authority to encourage an attack, then challenged the magistrate when he attempted to investigate. Did you believe there would be no consequences simply because you had reached Internal Organs?”

The martial artist had no convincing response. The captain allowed the patriarch to finish before presenting the sealed commission.

The patriarch examined the government authorization and the section concerning immediate judgment. Unlike the magistrate, he did not need the implications explained at length.

He understood what the document meant for the man sitting beneath his veranda.

”You’re here to pass judgment.”

”The evidence establishes that he encouraged organized intimidation, knowingly allowed preparations to proceed, and promised protection to those involved. He also obstructed the magistrate’s lawful custody order after the attack. Those offenses fall within the terms of our commission.”

The patriarch lowered the document.

”Would you permit Francis to impose its own punishment? The family will hold him responsible, and I can assure you that he won’t be allowed to exercise authority over our people again.”

The captain remained unmoved.

”Your household had the opportunity to investigate the attack when the Black family first raised it. Harlan received a temporary suspension, and no serious attempt was made to establish who directed him. The person responsible then interfered with the magistrate’s investigation in front of your own elders.”

The patriarch had no answer. He could not deny that Francis had benefited from the martial artist’s conduct while avoiding responsibility for the methods used to obtain those advantages. The injured man looked toward the document in the patriarch’s hand.

”Will the judgment end with me?” he asked. ”I acted because I believed putting pressure on Simon would help the family. If I’m punished, will you leave the others alone?”

The captain considered his words before responding.

”We came because people under our protection were threatened. We have no instruction to punish Francis simply for existing or competing with the Black family. Further action will depend on whether your household cooperates and whether the intimidation ends.”

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The martial artist glanced toward the younger relatives standing near the veranda.

Several had admired his willingness to challenge the Black family and disregard officials who opposed Francis’s interests. None moved to support him now.

He looked back at the patriarch. ”I won’t resist.”

The patriarch turned away. He had lost control of a man whose cultivation had made him politically valuable, and the resulting damage could no longer be settled through ordinary family discipline.

The captain completed the proceedings under the authority of his commission. The judgment held the martial artist responsible for directing organized intimidation, abusing his position to protect the participants, and obstructing lawful detention. The sentence was carried out without further resistance.

When the proceedings ended, the captain addressed the patriarch privately.

”Montclair has no interest in taking part in the ordinary competition between the Black and Francis families. Our concern was the attack on Simon Vale and his wife. We expect that pressure against them and their relatives to end.”

The patriarch accepted the warning. Francis had already lost a true Martial Artist, and his household’s position against Black would suffer as a result. Continuing the dispute against people connected to Montclair would only invite further consequences.

”I’ll see that everyone in the family understands,” he replied. ”You have my assurance that no one acting under Francis authority will trouble the Vale household again.”

The captain acknowledged the statement and departed. His remaining work concerned the commercial arrangements that had helped create the dispute.

Six notices were prepared through the magistrate’s office. They went to a Montclair-affiliated caravan association, an Ashbourne merchant house that extended seasonal credit to several Francis businesses, a medicinal supplier, two regional administrative offices, and the magistrate himself.

The documents requested reviews of established contracts, credit arrangements, supplier relationships, and permits associated with the disputed businesses. They did not order the destruction of Francis’s commercial interests, but the requests carried weight because of the institutions issuing them.

The magistrate examined the local notice before authorizing its receipt.

”You’re asking for an audit of their warehouse and trading records as well?”

”Yes. Several complaints concern the use of commercial influence to pressure merchants. Your office already has authority to examine those matters. We’re requesting a review, not imposing a penalty without examination.”

The magistrate looked toward the documents addressed to Ashbourne.

”Those merchants and suppliers may suspend their arrangements simply because your household has raised concerns. Francis could suffer losses before anyone establishes whether its contracts were improper.”

”That’s possible. The receiving institutions will make their own decisions, but they have a legitimate reason to examine arrangements connected to the dispute.”

The magistrate remained troubled. He had expected the loss of a true Martial Artist to weaken Francis politically. The notices threatened to affect its business relationships as well, potentially reducing the family’s influence over time.

That influence had not always served Blackwood well, but it had supported employment, tax revenue, and trade. The magistrate did not want the town’s commercial activity disrupted unnecessarily.

”I’ll conduct the review within my office’s authority,” he said. ”But I won’t allow every disputed contract to become evidence of wrongdoing merely because Francis has lost favor.”

”That’s your responsibility, Magistrate. We expect the records to be examined, not fabricated.”

The captain’s answer offered some reassurance, although the magistrate understood that ordinary scrutiny could now prove expensive for Francis. He accepted the notices and directed his clerks to register them.

For the first time since the Montclair party arrived, he could begin thinking about what Blackwood would look like after the visitors departed.

The Black and Francis families had dominated much of its commerce for years. Their rivalry had forced his office to accommodate both without allowing either to become too powerful.

Francis would now have to recover from the loss of a senior martial practitioner and increased scrutiny of its businesses. The Black family stood to benefit, but permitting it to absorb too much of its rival’s influence could create another imbalance.

The magistrate began considering which other households might be capable of expanding their interests without relying entirely on either family.

By the following morning, word of the judgments had spread throughout Blackwood. The two men responsible for the attack had been executed under a Montclair commission, and the magistrate had been present throughout the proceedings. Reports also circulated that all four visiting guards had reached Internal Organ cultivation.

At the Black residence, Simon noticed the change immediately. Relatives who had previously shown little interest in his affairs began asking after his health and Mira’s condition. A merchant sent expensive fruit, another offered several bottles of wine, and a Black cousin who had rarely spoken to him invited the couple to dinner.

Simon declined the gifts and set aside the invitation. He had wanted the attack investigated and Mira protected. The speed and severity of the consequences left him uncertain how to respond to the sudden attention.

Mira found him reviewing the correspondence in their room.

”Another invitation?” she asked, noticing the family seal.

”Your cousin wants us to visit next week. I don’t remember him being particularly interested in our company before.”

”He wasn’t. People know the guards came because Joe was concerned about us. They’re trying to establish a relationship with someone they previously considered unimportant.”

Simon put down the invitation. ”I didn’t expect any of this when I wrote to your father. I thought he’d arrange a visit for you, and Joe would continue his cultivation without becoming involved. Instead, two men have been executed, Francis has been forced to retreat, and everyone suddenly wants to know how close I am to my own brother.”

Mira sat beside him. ”The guards investigated what happened. Harlan admitted arranging the attack, and the other man admitted encouraging it. We didn’t decide their punishment, Simon, although I understand why the result troubles you.”

”I wanted them stopped. I never imagined the family behind Joe would send people with authority to pass those sentences.”

He looked toward the courtyard, where several Black household attendants were discussing the latest news.

”For years, I worked to establish myself here, and plenty of people still regarded me as someone who’d married above his station. Now they’re changing their minds because of what Joe has accomplished in Ashbourne.”

Mira understood his frustration. She had grown up within the Black family and knew how readily its members adjusted their treatment of people when their circumstances improved.

”Then let them change their minds,” she said. ”You don’t have to accept every invitation or promise anything on Joe’s behalf. If their new interest gives your family better protection, you can make use of that without pretending their motives are different.”

Simon agreed. He had more immediate matters to settle, particularly the magistrate’s invitation to discuss Green Hollow.

The following morning, an attendant escorted him into a private meeting room at the magistrate’s office. The magistrate was waiting with a property register and several prepared documents. He greeted Simon personally and offered him a seat before directing the clerk to bring refreshments.

Simon had visited the magistrate’s office many times during his service as a town guard. The courtesy he received now was considerably greater than anything he had previously experienced.

”Master Vale, I’ve reviewed the information concerning your family,” the magistrate began. ”There remains no evidence of an immediate threat against Green Hollow, but I would prefer to establish what assistance might be available before circumstances change.”

Simon thanked him. ”My parents haven’t experienced any trouble in the village, Magistrate. They manage their farm and household without difficulty, and I don’t want them worrying that something has happened merely because the town has increased its patrols.”

”That’s reasonable. The additional patrols are precautionary, and I’ve instructed the local post to avoid disturbing the household unnecessarily. My concern is whether your family would have somewhere suitable to stay if they ever needed to come into Blackwood.”

The magistrate opened the property register. ”Several residences could accommodate them, and the relevant registrations can be processed without unusual delay. Your family may retain its land in Green Hollow while establishing a household here. There’s no requirement to abandon the farm simply because they acquire property in town.”

Simon examined the entries. Until recently, most people in Blackwood had treated him primarily as Mira Black’s husband. His guard salary gave him a reliable income, but his position had rarely been considered independently of the stronger family into which he had married.

Now the magistrate was discussing the Vale household as an entity capable of owning property and conducting business in its own name.

”Would we need the Black family’s sponsorship to register a residence?” Simon asked.

”Not if the ordinary requirements are satisfied. Your marriage doesn’t prevent you from maintaining separate household property. You’ll still need to pay the appropriate fees and obtain permits for any commercial use, but my office can ensure the applications are handled without unnecessary delay.”

Simon looked more closely at the property records. He and Joe had both begun earning money after leaving Green Hollow, but neither had treated their parents as dependents.

Mike and Lily still managed their land, and the household had never reached a point where they needed regular assistance from their sons. Simon had been saving part of his guard salary while paying his own expenses, and Joe continued receiving profits from his interest in the medicine workshop.

If the family ever faced serious financial difficulties, both brothers could contribute. Joe’s workshop income could also help with a future property purchase if he agreed, but Simon had no intention of treating those profits as money already available to him.

A house in Blackwood would require more than a convenient registration. It needed to be affordable to purchase, maintain, and repair without placing an unreasonable burden on the family.

”May I ask something, Magistrate?” Simon said. ”You’re offering more assistance than I would ordinarily expect. I appreciate it, but I’d rather understand what the town hopes to gain.”

The magistrate had anticipated the question. He had spent the previous two days watching four Montclair guards exercise authority that few people in Blackwood would ever encounter. Their departure would not erase the influence of the household that had sent them.

If Joe continued advancing in Ashbourne, his connection to Blackwood could become valuable. The magistrate had no intention of allowing the town to lose that connection through neglect.

”Your brother has established relationships in the state capital, and your family already has interests in Blackwood through the medicine trade and your marriage,” he explained. ”I would prefer those connections to remain associated with this town. If your parents eventually establish a residence here, that’s beneficial to Blackwood as well as to your family.”

He paused before continuing. ”Black and Francis have dominated much of the town’s commerce for years. Both families are important, but having other capable households develop independent interests would be useful for the town’s administration.”

Simon understood the explanation. The magistrate was not offering charity. He wanted to encourage a family whose connections might eventually provide Blackwood with opportunities beyond those controlled by its two established powers.

”I can’t promise that Joe will involve himself in the town’s affairs,” Simon said. ”He’s concentrating on his cultivation, and I don’t intend to make arrangements on his behalf. My parents will also decide for themselves whether they want to move.”

”I wouldn’t expect otherwise. You’re welcome to inspect the properties before discussing anything with your family. There’s no obligation to purchase merely because my office has offered assistance with the process.”

Simon thanked him. He also raised the question of expense.

”My guard salary and savings would cover part of the cost, depending on the property. Joe receives income from the medicine workshop, and I’m sure he’d help if the family genuinely needed it. But our parents have always supported themselves, and I won’t ask him to spend money before we’ve even decided whether buying a house makes sense.”

The magistrate accepted the distinction.

”Then examine the available residences and obtain proper estimates. You can decide afterward whether the purchase is worthwhile. If the family needs temporary accommodation because of a genuine threat, we can consider that separately from any permanent purchase.”

That arrangement suited Simon. It offered the family greater security without requiring them to abandon Green Hollow or become dependent on anyone else’s generosity.

Over the following days, Simon examined three residences with Mira.

The first stood in a crowded part of town and offered little room beyond the main house. The second occupied a better location, although its buildings would make future workshop arrangements difficult.

The third property lay along a quieter road near the medicine district. It included a substantial main house, two smaller buildings, a walled courtyard, and an old storage structure that could be converted for workshop use. The roof required repairs in several places, and some of the interior rooms had been neglected, but the layout offered enough space for a larger household.

The property clerk led them through the buildings before explaining the existing registrations and the work required to make the premises suitable for commercial use.

”The storage building belonged to a merchant who used it for ordinary goods,” he explained. ”The structure is sound, although you’ll need a separate permit if you intend to establish a workshop. The owner knows repairs are necessary and is willing to negotiate the price.”

Simon examined the courtyard and the adjoining rooms. Mike and Lily could occupy the main part of the residence, while Joseph and Pam would have enough space to maintain their own household arrangements. Mary could have a room upstairs, and the smaller buildings would provide storage or working space if the family decided to expand its activities.

Mira joined him near the rear building after examining the upper floor.

”This one has enough room for everyone,” she said. ”The other properties would become crowded if your parents wanted the whole family together. Have you thought about whether they’d actually agree to leave Green Hollow?”

”I don’t expect Father to abandon his fields. Mother won’t want to leave the household she’s managed for so many years either. But they could keep the farm and use this place when they needed to stay in town. Joseph and Pam might find it useful as well.”

Mira looked toward the storage building.

”And if the medicine workshop expands?”

”That would require another arrangement. I wouldn’t want to invest in repairs and permits until we knew what work the building would support.”

Simon had learned enough about Blackwood’s expenses to know that a large house could become a burden if its owners purchased it merely because they liked the space. He intended to examine the price, calculate the repairs, and discuss the matter with his parents before making any commitment.

The clerk approached with the property documents. ”If you’re interested, Master Vale, I can arrange a formal inspection and ask the owner for his best price.”

”Please do. I’d also like an estimate for the roof and the storage building. I’ll need to discuss the purchase with my family before deciding, but this property is worth considering.”

The clerk recorded the request and began explaining the next steps.

While Simon examined those arrangements in Blackwood, the captain’s report was travelling toward Ashbourne.

The official correspondence reached Serena almost two weeks after the judgments. She brought the report to Edwin’s house and handed Joe the copy prepared for him. It contained Simon and Mira’s account of the attack, the testimony collected during the investigation, the two judgments, and the subsequent measures involving Francis.

Joe read the testimony first. His brother had faced a more deliberate attack than Edwin’s earlier reports suggested. The involvement of the freight cart and the men waiting in the passage explained why Simon had wanted Mira away from Blackwood.

The judgments surprised him far more. He examined the relevant section again before looking toward Serena.

”Both Harlan and the Francis martial artist were executed?”

”Yes. Harlan admitted organizing the attack, and the martial artist admitted encouraging him and promising protection afterward. The captain issued both judgments under the authority attached to the mission.”

Joe placed the report on the table. ”When I agreed to send your guards, I expected them to investigate and protect my family. I didn’t know they had authority to pass capital sentences.”

”The commission came from the state administration, not from my branch alone,” Serena explained. ”It permits immediate judgment for certain grave offenses established during an authorized assignment. The decisions are reviewed afterward, and the captain must account for the evidence supporting them.”

”Did your branch know he might exercise that authority?”

”We knew what commission he carried. We didn’t know what the investigation would uncover, and I didn’t instruct him to punish anyone. The captain was responsible for deciding whether the evidence justified exercising the powers delegated to him.”

Joe returned to the report. He had wanted Simon and Mira protected. The discovery that men acting on his behalf had carried out two executions disturbed him, even though the investigation established that the attack had been deliberate.

”Has the state reviewed the judgments yet?”

”Not as far as I’ve been informed. The complete record has been submitted, but the review follows the proceedings. I can request the result once it’s available.”

”Please do. I’d like to know whether the authorities consider everything properly handled.”

Serena accepted the request without objection. Joe examined the remainder of the report, which described the notices sent to merchants, suppliers, and administrative offices associated with Francis’s commercial interests.

”Your branch has also requested reviews of their contracts and credit arrangements. Was that necessary after the men responsible were punished?”

”The captain recommended those measures because the attack arose from people who believed their family’s influence would protect them. Francis has other members and commercial interests. The reviews make further intimidation less attractive without requiring our guards to remain in Blackwood.”

Joe understood the practical reasoning, although he remained uncomfortable with the extent of the intervention. The state had delegated judicial authority to the guards, while Montclair’s commercial relationships allowed the household to influence institutions far beyond Blackwood. He had expected Serena’s branch to provide protection through martial strength. The report demonstrated that its influence extended through government offices, credit relationships, and trade arrangements. He had encountered wealthy households before, including Edwin’s associates in Ashbourne, but this was the first time he had seen such influence exercised directly on behalf of someone close to him.

Serena allowed him to finish reading before placing another envelope beside the report. It carried the seal of a household connected to the State Prince’s administration.

”They’ve renewed their invitation,” she explained. ”This time, one of the organizers has offered to discuss your cultivation interests privately. I thought you might want to consider it rather than declining automatically.”

Joe examined the invitation. Previously, he had shown little interest in attending receptions that offered nothing beyond introductions. The report from Blackwood had demonstrated how valuable an established relationship could become when circumstances changed, although that did not mean every invitation deserved his attention.

”Find out who intends to meet me and whether he can actually help with cultivation resources,” Joe said. ”I’m willing to attend if there’s a useful reason, but I don’t want to spend an evening making acquaintances without knowing what they can offer.”

”I’ll request the details before accepting anything.”

Joe put the invitation aside and returned to Simon’s testimony. He wanted to write to his brother before news of the judgments reached him through less reliable channels. Serena agreed to forward the correspondence through the household’s established arrangements.

Joe prepared a letter acknowledging the report, asking about Mira and the family in Green Hollow, and requesting that Simon keep him informed if the circumstances changed. He also wanted to know whether their parents had any need for additional assistance.

The medicine workshop in Blackwood continued providing Joe with income, and he could direct part of those profits toward the family if necessary. Simon also had his guard salary and savings.

Their parents had never needed regular financial support, but Joe saw no reason to leave them struggling if unexpected expenses arose from the dispute or a temporary move.

He asked Simon to discuss any genuine need with him before making arrangements beyond his means.

Once the letter was prepared, Joe returned to his pharmaceutical work. His recent experiments had established that the combined Foundation technique could improve the distribution of altered medicinal residues. However, he had previously entered the technique after consuming the preparation, allowing the initial imbalance to develop before correcting it. He now wanted to examine whether establishing the coordination beforehand would produce a better result.

Joe prepared a comparable sample and entered the combined Foundation state before introducing the material. He stabilized his breathing and Blood Energy circulation, maintaining coordination throughout his strengthened organs and the surrounding bodily foundation. Once the pattern settled, he consumed the preparation and observed its response. The altered residue began dispersing without first accumulating as heavily around his abdomen.

Joe maintained the technique throughout the observable period and recorded a modest reduction in the loss that usually occurred during the first circulation. He repeated the trial under comparable conditions and obtained a similar result.

The improvement remained limited, but the distinction was useful. Establishing the combined Foundation state before introducing the preparation worked better than attempting to correct its distribution afterward.

His body still failed to retain most of the residue’s unusual properties, and he had no evidence that the small amount preserved during circulation contained usable spiritual energy.

Joe entered the results in his private research notes and began comparing the timing of the two trials, concentrating on the changes that occurred before the preparation reached his internal circulation.