The Southbend Ledger

EXCERPT: THE MIDLANDS CIRCUIT MEDIATOR: L. GLACISSE

Southbend announced itself before it appeared. The air carried a sharper scent than the upriver towns—a layered mix of river-silt, tar, old rope, grain dust, and cleaned fish. The city was compressed and vertical, built to withstand the river’s moods, a stark contrast to the sprawling layout of Goldmere.

He found the Council Hall smelling of dry paper and handled wood, the air thick with the noise of opportunists. A dispute had stalled the crane yards for three days. The river pilots argued the timber pilings were unsafe for mooring; the warehouse foremen claimed the pilots were extorting them for hazard pay.

Lucien did not listen to their shouting. He opened the ledger.

The arithmetic was simple. He traced the maintenance logs for the Stone Embankments and matched them against the recent heavy flow. He didn't need magic to find the lie, just a basic understanding of weight and profit margins.

"The pilings were serviced twelve days ago," Lucien said, his voice dropping the temperature in the room by a fraction of a degree. "The delay is a breach of Crown contract. Supply lines to the Southbend Archive will resume within the hour, or I will begin levying fines against the Guild's operational bonds."

The silence that followed was heavy but absolute. The matter concluded neatly. Outside, the heavy river barges began to move, and the mundane machinery of the Kingdom ground on.