The next morning the Beast Trade Authority resembled the center of a storm. Officials rushed across corridors carrying scrolls and updated memos. Council advisors whispered urgently near windows. Patrol officers arrived in waves to request clarifications about Wynthorne’s suspension. The entire capital felt like a system finally realizing how close it had come to collapse.

Erian and the team entered the Trade District to begin public inspections. Mira believed transparency would protect them. If the public saw the Authority acting openly the deeper networks would lose influence. But visibility also made them targets.

The district bustled with activity. Merchants sold supplies for legal beast transport. Apprentices hurried between guild halls. Trainers guided domesticated creatures along marked paths. Everything appeared orderly on the surface.

Yet Erian sensed something beneath the noise. Eyes following them. Conversations pausing when they walked by. The black market might have lost Vorrek but its roots stretched through every layer of the industry.

Rolan walked beside him, hands near his spear though he carried it sheathed. “Half these people wonder if we’re here to shut them down.”

Jana added quietly, “The other half wonder how many of their suppliers were working with Wynthorne.”

Selin observed a merchant stall selling feed bundles. “Fear can destabilize an entire market. We need to rebuild trust before panic spreads.”

Daris nodded. “And we must move before corruption tries to reassemble itself.”

They reached the Registry Hall, a tall stone building where beast lineage records were verified and stored. A crowd had gathered at the steps. Several breeders argued loudly with officers stationed near the entrance.

One shouted, “My entire breeding line is under review because of one corrupted noble. How do you expect us to operate?”

Another added, “If the Authority delays permits we lose contracts. Our beasts will starve in holding stables.”

Mira stepped forward. Her presence quieted the crowd. “No one here will lose their livelihoods. Inspections will be fast and fair. Our goal is to uncover forged documents and protect legitimate breeders.”

Erian added, “We are not shutting down trade. We are cleaning it.”

Some murmurs softened. Others remained wary.

Inside the Registry Hall the air smelled of parchment and mana ink. Shelves stretched across multiple floors. Clerks hurried through aisles with stacks of scrolls. But something felt wrong. As Erian approached the central desk the head registrar looked pale.

“Inspector Vale,” the registrar said, “I sent a request for assistance but I did not expect you to arrive personally.”

“What happened?” Erian asked.

The registrar gestured toward a sealed storage vault. “Last night a group attempted to breach the lineage archive. They aimed for the vault that contains apex species records.”

Erian’s pulse quickened. “What did they access?”

“Nothing,” the registrar replied. “The breach failed. But they were prepared. They carried forged permits and used high level illusion cloaks. Whoever sent them wanted records destroyed.”

Jana crossed her arms. “To erase traces of illegal acquisitions.”

Rolan added, “Meaning Vorrek was not the last of them.”

Erian examined the sealed vault. The runes shimmered faintly. The attackers damaged the outer layer but did not break through.

Selin studied the scorch marks. “These come from suppression tools. The same kind Vorrek used.”

Daris knelt and inspected a fragment of rune dust. “Their technique is different though. More refined. Someone with real arcane skill.”

Erian understood the implications. There were other leaders in the network. More careful. More dangerous. Ones who stayed silent while Vorrek did the visible work.

He asked the registrar, “Do you have a list of recent accesses?”

“Yes,” the registrar said. “But the last authorized entries were from Wynthorne’s office before his suspension.”

Mira sighed. “He planted deeper influence than we expected.”

Erian scanned the ledger. Several names stood out. Minor officials. Clerks. People with access to documents. Nothing obvious. But there was a pattern. The same two individuals approved revised papers for three different breeders in the last month.

“Flag these,” Erian said.

Jana leaned toward him. “We follow them?”

“Later,” Erian said. “For now we need to secure the archive.”

Rolan and Daris reinforced the vault with temporary rune seals. Selin checked the upper floors for any signs of tampering. Erian addressed the clerks and breeders, assuring them their records would be reviewed but protected.

As they stepped back outside the Trade District the atmosphere felt sharper. More watchful.

Jana scanned the rooftops. “Someone is definitely tracking us.”

Rolan nodded. “Let them. If they want to make a move they’ll reveal themselves.”

Erian turned toward the Authority building. “They won’t strike openly. They’ll attack the system quietly. We need to get ahead of them.”

Mira caught up with them. “The Council approved your interim reform outline. They want you to lead the reconstruction task force.”

Erian paused. He had expected resistance. Debate. Delay. But approval meant urgency.

“Then we begin immediately,” he said.

Mira nodded. “But before you finalize anything the crown has requested a private meeting. Tonight.”

Erian exchanged glances with the team. Meetings with the crown were rare for inspectors. This meant the situation had reached a level that demanded royal authority.

Selin asked softly, “Do we have their support?”

Mira hesitated. “We’re about to find out.”

The Trade District bustled behind them. But the deeper shadows felt heavier than before.

Erian sensed it.

A new opponent had taken interest.