The sustained, grueling labor of Ashfall had reached a fragile, operational stability when the first direct challenge from the capital arrived. It was not an army, but a single, expensive carriage escorted by a contingent of six heavily armored, bored-looking men bearing the unmistakable blue and silver sigil of Duke Veynar. They halted at the periphery of the fortifications, their grand entrance spoiled by the low, angular stone faces of the bastions.
The leader who disembarked was Lord Rexus, a florid, middle-aged man of significant girth and obvious vanity, draped in fine wool and riding a sleek, well-fed mare. He was not a warrior but a financial auditor, a specialized agent of the Duchy's powerful merchant guilds, sent to confirm the failure and execute the final seizure of the Ashen Frontier's assets—the anticipated, clean culmination of Kael's exile.
Rexus approached the perimeter gate, his eyes narrowed in deep suspicion. He had expected a crumbling palisade, starving guards, and the smell of defeat. Instead, he was met by Sergeant Rylen, who stood atop the angled rampart of the northwest bastion. Rylen, clad in his newly fabricated, light-iron plates and holding a levered crossbow, was a figure of cold, disciplined vigilance. The knight's posture projected the authority of a superior force.
"I am Lord Rexus, Chief Auditor for Duke Veynar," the inspector announced, his voice carrying an aristocratic sneer. "I am here to execute a full audit of the barony's accounts, verify the state of the infrastructure, and assume temporary administration pending the Baron's inevitable incapacity. This land is forfeit to the Duchy."
Rylen did not move from the ramparts. His shadow stretched long across the ground. "The Baron is well, Lord Rexus. He expects you. His command is that you disarm your escort and proceed to the manor with only your primary page. Any aggressive movement near the fortifications, including unauthorized entry, will be considered an act of hostile incursion against the Imperial Chain of Command."
Rexus's face reddened. He was accustomed to groveling deference. He looked at the stark, uncompromising geometry of the walls and the precise alignment of the crossbows aimed in his direction. He saw only five men, but their discipline and advanced weaponry projected the organized strength of a much larger, better-prepared garrison. Reluctantly, he ordered his escort to stack their arms, leaving them guarded by the geometry of the bastions themselves.
Kael met the inspector in the cold manor office. He was wearing his simple, pragmatic noble tunic, projecting an image of calm authority that defied the notion of a failed, dying lord.
"Lord Rexus," Kael greeted him, his tone formal and dry. "I trust the geometric efficiency of our new fortifications did not delay your entry?"
Rexus bristled, pushing past Kael to examine the office. "Baron Kael, your sudden, violent resistance to the will of your father is noted. My primary objective is the review of the financial situation. The Duchy is moving to seize the assets, as you are currently in grievous default on the contracts held by the Veynar Merchant Guild."
Rexus slammed a copy of the debt contract onto the table—the document detailing the predatory loans. "The total debt, accruing usurious interest, stands at forty thousand gold marks," Rexus declared. "You have no standing crops, no viable population, and your prior Baron criminally mismanaged the reserves. You have failed, Kael. The Duchy demands immediate repayment or the right to seize all land, livestock, and labor for perpetual serfdom."
Kael did not touch the document. He signaled to Steward Elms, who, though still trembling slightly, stepped forward with Kael's meticulously drafted, legally perfect appeal.
"Steward Elms will confirm that a formal legal appeal has been lodged with the Royal Chancery in Aurelia," Kael stated, his eyes locking onto Rexus. "The petition cites the contract on the grounds of usury and criminal fraud against the Crown's future revenue streams."
Kael moved around the desk, his voice dropping to a precise, low intensity that commanded Rexus's full attention. "The petition details the excessive interest, the triple market pricing, and the obvious intent to deliberately destabilize a Crown-appointed territory. More importantly, I have informed the Emperor's legal counsel that liquidating the Ashfall population into serfdom—the ultimate consequence of your guild's predatory lending—will permanently reduce this territory's future taxable output to zero for the next three decades."
Rexus's composure shattered entirely. An internal audit was one thing; direct legal challenge to the Emperor's central treasury was an act of audacious, calculated defiance. The Duchy was allowed to discipline its own, but involving the Imperial Chancery threatened to expose the entire, illegal merchant scheme to the highest legal authority.
"You appeal to the Crown over a matter of noble finance?" Rexus stammered. "The Chancery will dismiss this as the desperation of a failed lord!"
"They will dismiss an appeal for mercy, Rexus. This is not an appeal for mercy. This is an Imperial Revenue Warning," Kael countered, using the precise, chilling terminology he knew would terrify a financial agent. "The Imperial Court's legal counsel is currently assessing whether the Veynar Merchant Guild's actions constitute treason against the Crown's long-term financial stability. Until the Imperial Court rules on the fraud, your writ is merely expensive parchment. Any attempt to seize my land or harm my population is a direct, armed rebellion against the Crown's legal process. I have secured this barony as Imperial evidence."
Kael had brilliantly used the greatest weakness of the feudal system—its absolute obsession with centralized taxation—as his ultimate shield. He had elevated his local financial failure into an Imperial legal crisis.
"You have seventy-two hours to complete your inspection, Lord Rexus," Kael finished, standing. "You will confine your movements to the village perimeter. I will personally conduct a tour tomorrow morning, detailing the new infrastructure that is currently being built to restore the Crown's future revenue. Until then, you will obey my law. You may not interfere with the labor quotas, the rationing, or the health protocols."
Kael had neutralized the political threat not with a sword, but with a legal brief and the cold, logistical threat of exposing the Duke's fraud to the Emperor himself.