The next morning a thunderous knock shook Ethan’s chamber door. Before he even opened it he recognized the sound of armored fists. Guards burst in with cold expressions.

outsider Ethan Mercer The High Circle summons you immediately
Renn whispered behind him. They know
Mira clutched her notebook. outsider Please be careful

Ethan walked calmly with the guards through the crystal corridors. Nobles peered from doorways whispering like crows anticipating a fight. When the chamber doors opened the room was already heated with anger.

Twelve nobles glared at him. The elder noble slammed his staff. outsider You have incited chaos in the capital
Ethan stepped forward unfazed. I revealed truth
Another noble shouted. You rally commoners against noble authority
Ethan replied. I rally them against misinformation
A third noble hissed. You accuse us of sabotage with no proof
Ethan placed the sack of logs on the central table. I brought the proof

The room fell silent as nobles stared at the sack.

The strategist noble stepped forward slowly. outsider What is inside
Ethan opened the sack and spread out thick parchment logs across the table. Detailed mining records. Hidden crates. False counts. Secret tunnels. Numbers that contradicted official ledgers.

Gasps filled the chamber
The elder noble paled. These records
Ethan nodded. Yes The true supply numbers for the northern mines over the last ten years
Another noble whispered. This cannot be
Ethan replied. It is

The strategist noble picked up a log sheet. His expression darkened. outsider These numbers show thousands of crates missing
Ethan nodded. Hidden supply used to manipulate prices and justify inflated tariffs
A noble snapped. Who would dare
Ethan stared at him. Someone inside this chamber
The nobles erupted again
Guards drew weapons
A few nobles shouted accusations at each other
The elder noble tried to calm them

The strategist noble raised his voice. Silence

The room froze.

He turned to Ethan. outsider Explain how you found these logs
Ethan recounted everything plainly. The miners. The sealed tunnels. The attack. The missing overseer. The adventurers. The fires.

The nobles listened with tightening jaws.

One noble whispered. If this is true someone committed treason against Ardrel
Another muttered. Someone tried to destroy evidence
A third hissed. Someone tried to weaken our entire economy

The elder noble glared. outsider Why bring this to us You could have used it against us
Ethan shook his head. I do not come to destroy the kingdom I come to repair it
The strategist noble studied Ethan carefully. outsider You expect us to believe you want what is best for Ardrel
Ethan answered. I want a functioning economy And a functioning economy cannot exist with lies under it

Silence again.

Then the elder noble asked the most dangerous question. outsider Ethan Mercer What do you want the High Circle to do
Ethan took a breath. This was the most important negotiation of his life.

He spoke slowly.
Investigate the mines
Audit the entire noble supply chain
Publish corrected records
And allow the Magic Exchange to manage prices transparently

A noble shouted. Never
Another hissed. That hands power to commoners
Ethan replied. That hands stability to the kingdom

The strategist noble stepped forward. outsider You ask for radical changes
Ethan nodded. Radical problems require radical fixes
The elder noble slammed his staff. Enough We will not be controlled by an outsider
Ethan raised his voice for the first time. Then your kingdom will collapse

A collective gasp shot through the room
Even the strategist noble stiffened

Ethan continued. The mines burned because someone feared discovery The markets are unstable The people are restless And now the truth is spreading faster than your decrees
He pointed at the logs. If you ignore this you lose the kingdom If you confront it you save it

The elder noble glared with soaked fury. outsider You overstep
Ethan’s jaw clenched. I step where your system fails

The strategist noble turned to the council. We must address this Whether we trust the outsider or not the evidence is too strong to ignore
The nobles murmured
Some angry
Some frightened
Some thoughtful

Finally the elder noble declared. The High Circle will launch an internal investigation Outsider You are banned from the mines and noble districts until further notice
Mira whispered behind the guards. outsider That is dangerous
Renn whispered. They want to contain you
Ethan nodded. Containment is better than silence

But the elder noble was not finished.

You will also be confined to the capital’s trade district under watch
Ethan frowned. House arrest
The elder noble smirked. Supervised assistance
A noble added. If you step beyond your limits we will remove you permanently
Ethan nodded calmly. Then I will stay within limits And change everything inside them

The meeting ended abruptly. Guards escorted Ethan out.

Mira and Renn rushed to him as soon as the guards turned away.

Mira grabbed his sleeve. outsider They are scared You shook them
Renn added. And scared nobles make reckless choices
Ethan exhaled. Good Chaos means movement Movement means opportunity

He looked toward the market district.
The Index board
The merchants
The adventurers
The new spark of order

He whispered. This is where the revolution continues

But he also knew one thing
The nobles would not let him push forever.
They would strike back.
Soon.

Tomorrow the kingdom changes again
And Ethan Mercer would be right in the middle of the storm.