The morning of the tribunal arrived with a chill that slipped through the streets of Ardin like a warning. Ethan walked beside Sera as they carried the Arcane Scan System inside its protective metal casing forged by Haldric. Drienne and Mira followed behind them each clutching sealed scrolls of research and healer testimonies. Haldric strode at the rear carrying a heavy toolbox as though daring anyone to try stopping them. The road toward the tribunal hall was crowded with merchants healers and curious citizens whispering about the outsider engineer who had built a device that could see mana itself.

The hall stood in the center of the city like a towering fortress carved from pale stone. Its pillars were etched with spirals representing the Healer Guild’s authority. Lanterns glowed along the walls casting shadows that stretched across the marble floor. Ethan felt tension settle along his shoulders as he stepped inside. Rows of benches filled the room. At the front sat a curved table where the Guild tribunal council waited with stern expressions. Master Voren stood among them glaring at Ethan with cold triumph as though certain victory was already his.

A deep bell echoed through the hall signaling the beginning of the proceedings. The audience fell silent. The head councilor an elderly man with a rigid posture opened the session. He announced that the Guild was addressing charges of unauthorized healing reckless magical experimentation and creation of unsanctioned diagnostic devices. Ethan stood tall. He did not respond with fear. He responded with the knowledge that truth stood beside him.

The councilor asked Ethan to present his identity and purpose. Ethan spoke calmly explaining that he was a medical device engineer. He described his desire to improve safety in healing and how the Arcane Scan System allowed healers to diagnose internal injuries with accuracy. He emphasized that the device was designed to support healers not replace them. Silence followed his statement. Some members of the audience leaned forward with curiosity. The councilors appeared unmoved.

Voren stepped forward accusing Ethan of manipulating mana in dangerous ways. He claimed the device could disrupt natural mana flow and harm patients. He spoke confidently and loudly. Ethan remained quiet until Voren paused. Ethan then asked a simple question. He asked if the Guild had any evidence. Voren hesitated. He repeated words like danger and risk but never offered proof. The audience murmured.

Sera raised her hand asking permission to speak. The council allowed it reluctantly. She described how the device had guided her to treat injuries she otherwise would have misdiagnosed. She recounted specific cases including the hunter in the village the merchant on the road and the young girl with unstable mana contamination. Her voice was steady. Her conviction undeniable. She said the device reduced healer burden and saved lives. Some healers in the audience nodded though they appeared nervous.

Mira stepped forward next. She explained that many healers wanted tools like the Arcane Scan System because intuition alone often failed. She said healers who questioned traditional methods were silenced by fear of losing their licenses. Mira’s words rippled across the hall causing uncomfortable shifts among the Guild members. Drienne followed describing her research on living mana and presenting patterns identical to the scans Ethan’s device produced. She revealed scrolls showing how many injuries were misdiagnosed due to lack of proper tools.

The councilors exchanged whispers. One called Drienne’s research heresy but Drienne calmly replied that her results aligned with the scan system’s accuracy. Ethan listened silently letting the evidence press against the weight of the Guild’s authority.

Finally the council demanded that Ethan present the device. Ethan and Haldric carried the Arcane Scan System to the center of the hall. As Ethan removed the protective casing the rings glowed softly in perfect resonance. Gasps filled the room. Even the councilors leaned forward unable to hide their curiosity. Ethan explained how the rings measured mana fluctuations and displayed patterns that even novice healers could interpret. Voren scoffed and demanded a demonstration.

Ethan agreed.

He asked for a volunteer. After a long moment a city guard stepped forward removing his gauntlet. He said he had suffered a lingering pain in his forearm for months. Healers had treated him repeatedly but the pain always returned. Ethan placed the guard inside the frame and activated the system. The hall lit with a gentle blue glow as the rings mapped the guard’s mana. A distortion appeared near the wrist. Ethan pointed to the pattern. He explained that the guard had a micro tear in his mana channel. Sera confirmed it immediately. The guard looked amazed. Healers in the crowd murmured with shock.

Ethan then invited the council to examine the distortion. Some approached hesitantly. Others stared from afar but none denied the clarity of the result. Voren’s expression twisted with frustration. The demonstration had shattered his arguments.

But he was not finished. He declared that the device could be manipulating illusions. He demanded another test. A healer in the audience stepped forward revealing a curse scar hidden beneath her shawl. The scan revealed the scar perfectly. The healer’s eyes filled with tears. She said no one had ever seen her injury with such accuracy. She said she had suffered silently for years.

More volunteers stepped forward. Ethan refused no one. Each scan revealed truth. Each truth eroded the Guild’s confidence. The councilors grew tense as murmurs of support filled the hall. Ethan felt a quiet swell of victory inside him. Not for pride but for possibility. The possibility that healing could finally move forward.

The head councilor raised his voice calling for silence. He said the evidence was compelling but the council required private deliberation. He ordered Ethan and his supporters to wait outside until judgment was reached.

As Ethan stepped into the corridor Sera squeezed his hand. Haldric muttered that the Guild looked shaken. Mira whispered that many healers in the audience were ready for change. Drienne said truth had already been seen. Ethan nodded but remained cautious. He knew the council might cling to power even when truth stood before them.

And still he hoped.