The hidden floor compartment beneath the registry archives creaked open under Marrick's iron pry bar.
Hajin lifted a brass lockbox wrapped in oilcloth from the dark recess, setting it carefully upon the table.
Inside rested two wax-sealed missives delivered before sunrise by Meris Vale, a discreet courier maid from the capital.
The courier disguised herself as a humble herb gatherer, slipping past the ducal cavalry pickets under cover of early fog.
The first letter bore the official silver sigil of High Arbiter Didi, inscribed with intricate imperial legal glyphs.
"What did the High Arbiter write from the capital?" Marrick asked, leaning over the table with keen administrative interest.
"Didi provided five specific neutrality loopholes that grant our garrison lawful authority to defend the border," Hajin explained, breaking the silver seal.
"First, licensed merchant guild escorts are legally permitted to bear arms within thirty miles of frontier boundaries."
